garage sale girly

Thursday's Unique Picks - What Are You Made Of?

2012-02-09T11:57:00.005-05:00

Valentine's Day is looming...

Uhhhh...

Adorable assorted selection of vintage valentines from Treasures of Vintage Memories shop on etsy.

What do girls want? My Husband would say, "what don't they want".

What do boys want...gross get your head out of the gutter.

Surely there are loads of lovely gift ideas from etsy sellers...but where to start the search.

I thought maybe this little Mother Goose rhyme, that my Grandma used to recite to me, might give us some direction. Yeah...let's see what you are made of!

What are little boys made of?

"What are little boys made of..." illustrated poster from leesaralou's etsy shop.

Snips...

Manly grunts all around...an instant collection of vintage tin snips from It's Verily Vintage on etsy.

Snails...

When the room heats up on Valentine's Day, prop open the door with this hand painted vintage iron snail door stop from Portuguese Vintage's etsy shop

and Puppy Dog Tails.

Uncork the magic with the tail of this little pup. This great vintage wooden dog has a corkscrew for a tail and can be found at Nickadizzy on etsy.

What are little girls made of?

Oh so nice...eye chart inspired illustrated poster from CJ Prints on etsy.

Sugar...

Sugary sweet without the calories...custom order this handmade crochet "frosted sugar cookies" scarf from Kellyz Kreationz etsy shop.

Spice...

Slip out of those pajama jeans and into something to spice Valentine's Day up...like these beautiful 1950's satin tap shorts from Concetta's Closet on etsy.

and All Things Nice.

Mama always says...boys like nice girls. This little handmade pillow from Your Homebased Mom on etsy, is a nice
reminder...

Now that we are clear on what boys and girls are made of...hopefully, it will make choosing something special for your Valentine from great etsy sellers a snap...or should I say smooch!

XOXO

This Week In History - Define Timeline...

2012-02-02T16:29:00.001-05:00

February 1st, 1884

Adorable handmade dictionary rings from Out Of The Blue's etsy shop

On February 1st, 1884 the first portion of the Oxford English Dictionary is published. Sure there were other dictionaries in publication at that time, but members of London's Philological Society wanted to step it up. What does Philological mean? Why don't you look it up in the dictionary? Plans to produce an error free, up to date dictionary started brewing in 1857. The concept was to cover all of the vocabulary from 1150 A.D. to present (present as in 1850's ish) into four volumes. They estimated it would take about ten years to complete. Over forty years later, after the 125th and final fascicle, the dictionary was published, complete with 400,000 words and phrases in ten volumes. Yes, I see a hand back there...What is a fascicle? You are going to have to look that up in the dictionary.

For more information on the Oxford English Dictionary or this date in history check out this article on The History Channel website.

Thursday's Unique Picks - As Seen On TV

2012-01-26T17:35:00.000-05:00

Don't you hate it when people say, "I've been busy...".

I mean who isn't?

Hey Girly what have you been up to?

Ummmm, I've been busy. Oh well, I am back today with a little Unique Picks blog post!

Soooo...I have been doing a little shopping around for vintage goodness lately and have spotted some pretty sweet finds.

What kind of vintage are you talking about, you may inquire?

What is not to love about this fantastic 1960's portable TV radio from Mae and Jean Vintage on etsy? It is so sweet, petite and retro fabulous.

Let's just say when I picked up these vintage pieces, I had no idea that they were "as seen on T.V." spectacular.

Last week my thrifty adventure began in Dayton, Ohio. My mother and I went to a Goodwill Thrift Store Outlet...yes, I said outlet. Have you ever been to a thrift store where you pay for your purchases by the pound? Well, I haven't...until last week. Picture it, large bins brimming with bits and pieces to sift through. It was sort of like panning for vintage gold.

My mom spotted this fantastic Mid Century Chip and dip set for me.

"Vintage gold" that will eventually be listed in my etsy shop.

As seen at Sterling Cooper...

Have you ever heard of a show called Mad Men? Stop that laughing...I know...who hasn't. I have to admit I just started watching it a few weeks ago and the hubby and I are now hooked. (we are just in the middle of season two, so don't spoil anything for me)! Part of the fun of the show (for me) is seeing all of the vintage. Imagine my delight when I spotted the matching ice bucket to the above chip and dip set, in one of the offices at Sterling Cooper, in one of the first few episodes of season two. I sure do wish I had a screen shot just to prove the provenance of this vintage gold.

At our second thrift store stop, I was united with these pretty wall hangings. My Mother said, "I think my Grandmother had those". Who knew my Great Grandmother had such fantastic taste.

Brilliant Botanical 1960's Syroco Wood Wall Hangings. Just added to my etsy shop, The Unique Bird, today!

As seen in the Draper residence...

...Don and Betty's master bedroom to be exact. My Husband's eagle eye, spotted some wall hangings pretty similar to these, in one of the episodes we watched a few days after I picked these up.

Photo from casasugar blog post and AMC.

Photo from an article on Woman's Day.

The article on the Woman's Day magazine website is about Mad Men inspired home decor. They tell you where you can score a headboard, lamps and bedding just like the Drapers have, but they don't tell you where to pick up those fabulous wall hangings...hmmm...I know exactly where you can find some.

I can't wait to watch more episodes of Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Men to see if I have any more vintage items "in stock" that are like ones on T.V.

A few days after my thrift store adventures with my Mom in Dayton, the Hubby and I headed over to Re Store in Columbus. If you have never been to a Re Store, it is like a home improvement thrift store run by Habitat for Humanity. Folks will donate items for the home; cabinets, wood, appliances, sinks, etc. You name it...they might have it. It isn't all vintage, but sometimes there are a few old gems in there that can be refurbished for a retro renovation.

Bewitched by an oven...

I didn't exactly snatch up this 1960's Frigidaire beauty (much to the chagrin of my husband)...but I did snap a few photos.

Oh, it needed some...well, a lot of love to get back into tip top shape. I can't say that I am in the market for a new oven right now and my husband doesn't currently have the know how to overhaul a vintage appliance...(not that you couldn't honey).

The Frigidaire Flair we spotted at Re Store in Columbus, Ohio 1/21/12.

True retro flair for only $150.

Now where have I seen an oven like this before?

As Seen on Morning Glory Circle...

Of Course, Mrs. Stevens has a slightly more deluxe model in her kitchen.

Bewitched, happens to be one of my Favorite classic television shows!

Image from Kitchen and Residential Design blog post of Samantha Stevens' kitchen in Bewitched.

Image from Certain Ladies blog post of the Flair and Samantha in action.

Image from Kitchen and Residential Design blog post about The Frigidaire Flair.

I am pretty impressed with my "As Seen On TV" sighting and scores over the last week. It is like going to Hollywood and spotting the T.V. stars walking down the street. (kinda)

As if the hunt for fantastic vintage treasures wasn't already fun...now there is a reason to shop and catch up on my T.V. viewing...

Geeze, I don't know how I am going to squeeze blogging into that tight schedule.
Let me know if you have any sweet as seen on T.V vintage beauties in your shop or home!

This Week In History - Man, That Is One Ugly Mermaid

2012-01-12T16:22:00.000-05:00

January 9th, 1493

Hubba, hubba...this pretty little vintage mermaid paperweight was spotted in The Colonies shop on etsy.

On January 9th, 1493, While sailing near the Dominican Republic, Italian Explorer Christopher Columbus, spots three mermaids. According to Mr. Columbus...these sirens of the sea were "...not half as beautiful as they are painted". Now, I understand that being at sea for months at a time with a bunch of scurvy mates may cause one to long for the sight of a vivacious little mermaid, but you see Mr. Columbus, what you really spotted while at sea was a little less Ariel and a little more sea cow. Sorry Charlie...I mean Christopher, those ugly mermaids were actually manatees. You know, 1,200 pound slow moving, plant eating, aquatic mammals. Mr. Columbus, you might want to stick to discovering "A Whole New World..." (My Bad. I guess those lyrics belong to a song in a different Disney film, but if the shoe fits...sing it).

For more information about Christopher Columbus or this date in history be sure to check out this article on The History Channel Website.

Thursday's Unique Picks - Twelve Days On A Budget

2011-12-08T10:14:00.001-05:00

Hello...is it me you are looking for?

Back again...(about time, right?)

So here we are...t-minus 17 days till Christmas. I am hearing some cheers and a few groans from the crowd.

I know, I am in the same boat. Excited for the holiday, but as always, feeling completely unprepared.

Two new additions to our home's vintage kitsch-mas collection that the hubby and I acquired over the last few months.

What I really need is a Christmas tune to get me into the mood.

How about The Twelve Days of Christmas?

Not just any version of The Twelve Days of Christmas...but a Unique Picks version with fantastic finds from etsy sellers! Let's put a modern spin on the lavish list of gifts from this 18th century tune.

The actual cost of buying all of the gifts from The Twelve Days of Christmas, in 2011 would cost a mere $101,000, according to PNC Wealth Management in this article from TIME magazine online. These finds from etsy are not only unique, they are a little more practical and are actually affordable when you compare it to the rising cost of buying fowl and dancing girls (plus tip) these days.

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

A Partridge in a pear tree.

Show stopping 1970's partridge in a pear tree needlepoint embroidery from drowsy swords vintage on etsy.

On the Second Day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Two Turtle Doves...

...and a partridge in a pear tree.

On the Third Day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Ah HA! So that is what a turtle dove is. Adorable original designed cut paper note card from Starfly Creations on etsy.

Three French Hens...

These little rubber hens are prefect for crafting and can be found in High Pie Supply's shop on etsy.

...two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.

On the Fourth Day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Four Colly Birds...

(Whaaat? I thought it was calling birds. Nope. Colly Birds. What the heck is a Colly Bird? What the heck is a Calling bird? Exactly.)

A Colly Bird is an old English term for a black bird and it somehow got twisted in translation to "calling bird" in the lyrics of the song according to this enlightening article from Bird Watcher's General Store.

O.k., so maybe these aren't blackbirds, but they are Victorian Calling cards that have beautiful bird illustrations, and I think that should count for something. These Antique calling cards can be found in Stuff To Charm You's etsy shop.

Three french hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.

On the Fifth Day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Five Golden rings...

Who said the gold rings had to be for your fingers? This vintage gold tone ring statement necklace is from Antiquesnoddities on etsy.

four colly birds, three french hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.

On the Sixth Day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Six Geese -A- Laying...

I literally love this original watercolor artwork by John Tebeau on etsy

And yada, yada, yada (did she just yada The Twelve Days of Christmas verse? Yes.)

On the Seventh Day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Seven Swans -A- Swimming...

Gorgeous 1960's ice bucket decked out with gold swans from Dainty Rocker on etsy.

you carry on with the singing...your voice is better.

On the Eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Eight Maids -A- Milking

Who needs eight milk maids when you could have one terrific vintage milk maid planter from Any Old Time's etsy shop.

where were we?

On the Ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Nine Ladies Dancing...

Well, two ladies will do. I don't really have space in my house for all nine of the dancers anyway. This original vintage photo is from Gwen's Sew Vintage on etsy.

Honestly, I can't be expected to remember all the words.

On the Tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Ten Lords -A- Leaping

Handmade leather wallet with Lads -A- Leaping, from Backerton's shop on etsy should fit the bill.

Stick with it, we are almost there.

On the Eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Eleven Pipers Piping

Surely this unique handmade candelabra contains at least eleven pieces of pipe. This great upcycled, industrial inspired piece is from The Artful Forger on etsy.

Strong finish kids.

On the Twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Twelve Drummers Drumming

Chippy chalkware drummer boy book ends are from The Unique Bird, my etsy shop (just a little shameless self promotion).

eleven pipers piping, ten lords -a- leaping, nine ladies dancing, eight maids -a- milking, seven swans -a-swimming, six geese -a-laying, five golden rings, four calling..oopsie, habit...colly birds, three french hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.

Nice! What is the grand total for all of these "Twelve Days of Christmas" inspired etsy finds...(not including shipping)? Can I get a drum roll from the twelve drummers that are drumming?

$384.70

I know, what a bargain!

Don't fret about getting all of these fabulous etsy finds twelve days before the 25th. The actual Twelve Days of Christmas don't begin until the 25th and last until January 6th. Happy holiday shopping!

Thursday's Unique Picks - Spoiled Rotten

2011-11-17T09:37:00.001-05:00

I'm Baaaack...Hi everyone! How have you been? Golly, it has been a long time. I hope I haven't forgotten how to blog. Here goes nothin'. Are you ready for some unique picks from great etsy sellers?

Today's secret word is...Spoil.

Crap, I just spoiled it. I guess it isn't a "secret" word anymore.

It is not a secret that this handmade embroidery from The Great Northern's shop on etsy, is mighty fine.

I have been thinking that spoiled can be a good thing or it can be a bad thing...

Spoiler Alert: this weeks girly saga happens to be inspired by the bad kind of spoiled.

But let's start out on a good note...the good spoiled.

This sweet little pendant is a reminder, from Kayla Jane's etsy shop, Spoil Yourself!

to pamper, to indulge.. it is o.k. to occasionally feel a bit spoiled.

This spoiled society pup print, is from an original illustration by Not-Wolf -Productions on etsy.

Massages, manicures, pedicures...these are all fantastic ways to spoil yourself.

This mighty fine pair of pedicured feet, will shake up your dining experience. These vintage salt and pepper shakers can be found in vintagedame's etsy shop.

Don't forget the spoils...you know, the benefits reaped by the winner (another good kind of spoil).

Good spoils. Upcycled 1939 diving medal necklace from Jecca 's etsy shop.

And of course...since the holidays are just around the corner, sometimes it is o.k. to spoil your appetite.

Go ahead, eat some more pie.

Handmade "eat more pie" plates from Panopoly's shop on etsy.

Not to be a spoil sport...but sometimes spoiling can go rotten.

Antique photograph from Photo Graphica on etsy. This spoiled little lady may be draped in the best furs, but she certainly is a sour puss!

So what do you get for someone that is spoiled rotten...this card.

"Say what you are thinking", with this great greeting card from Blunt Bitch's shop on etsy.

Finally, there is spoiled rotten, in the most literal sense of the phrase. This is also not the good kind of spoiled. I am talking about food...when it is past its prime. At the ripe old age of thirty-something, I decided that I really should try and embrace eating yogurt. It is not my favorite, but I have found a few flavors that don't completely revolt me. I still don't often "taste" the yogurt though, because I just take a spoonful and swallow it down as fast as I can. (I know, charming image)

Rare and fantastic c.1980's scratch and sniff sticker from Vintage Sticker Love on etsy.

Back in the spring, I nearly spoiled my day of yard sailing along the National Road because I grabbed one of my yogurt cups out of the refrigerator to gobble down for a fast breakfast. I opened the container and thought it smelled funny (but in my opinion, yogurt always does). I shoveled a spoonful into my mouth and swallowed it down, but did notice that it seemed a bit sour and maybe even a little grainy. Another spoonful into the mouth...and glanced at the sell by date...um yes, it was about a month and a half past its prime. I spent the first hour and a half of the yard sailing adventure trying not to be nauseous. O.k. lesson learned. Before swallowing a cup of yogurt whole, check the sell by date on the package. But history is bound to repeat itself...last weekend, the morning before my last big craft show of the year...I found myself grabbing for a cup of yogurt. I ripped off the lid in a hurry, got the spoonful of the stuff in my mouth and then decided...maybe I should just check the date. I did it again. Luckily, I hadn't swallowed. Whew! Crisis averted...barely. Please learn from my mistakes, either regularly clean out your refrigerator, check your sell by dates before eating, or just avoid yogurt all together.

Well, Hope you enjoyed my madcap mix of etsy finds today as I explored the sometimes good and sometimes bad sides of spoiled.

Sew What?

2011-10-16T14:16:00.000-04:00

Hello again! How has everyone been?

I know it has been quite a while since my last post... I just wanted to let you know that I haven't had a slack attack. Things have been hopping for The Unique Bird lately and I have been a busy little girly sewing, sewing, sewing...much to the chagrin of my 1982 Kenmore Ultra Stitch 12. As my little vintage sewing machine ch-chunks along, I feel it is sending me subliminal messages..."why don't you go and play on the computer and let me get some rest?". Sorry little Kenmore, we have miles to sew before we can sleep because there are some exciting things happening for The Unique Bird!

Sew, what is all the excitement about?

Our handmade wine bottle accessories have been at hit at Meza Wine Shop in Westerville, Ohio!

Picture via Meza's Facebook Fan Page.

We have been creating a fresh new selection of our handmade upcycled sweater wine bottle cozies and Bloomin' Wine Bottle Stoppers (exclusively sold at Meza) that are perfect for Fall. Thanks Meza! Keep selling those delicious bottles of wine and we will keep those bottles dressed in the best handmade wine bottle wraps and sweater cozies from The Unique Bird.

Last weekend we were a vendor at the Fall Flea in the Short North, in Columbus, Ohio.

I was busily adding some new handmade vintage fabric home decor accents to spice up our selection for Fall and complement our assortment of vintage home decor.

Our booth at the Fall Flea October 2011.

We were so excited to feature a selection of beautiful handmade feedsack handbags and totes from our talented friends at Objet Adapte, in our booth!

We also featured a selection of handcrafted crochet neck warmers and bracelets from Mama Bird. Yes, my super talented mom crocheted these cozy accessories for our booth! I am thinking she needs to get a shop on etsy too.

Thanks so much to everyone that stopped by at the Fall Flea!

If all of that isn't enough to get excited about...I am proud to announce....

drum roll please....

You can now find unique handmade vintage fabric pillows,

One of my new vintage fabric throw pillow designs that is now available at Wholly Craft!

upcycled sweater wine bottle cozies

and our signature handmade vintage fabric wine bottle wraps

at Wholly Craft in Clintonville, Ohio!

Wholly Craft storefront photo via Craft Caucus.

And starting next Tuesday, 10/18/11, you will be able to buy a selection of our handmade vintage fabric pillows,

vintage fabric appliqued garland

and unique vintage kitchen goodies

at Celebrate Local, in Easton Town Center, in Columbus, Ohio.

Image via Celebrate Local.

Celebrate Local is a new seasonal shop at Easton Town Center that showcases the best of Ohio produced handmade and artisan goods. The Unique Bird is so thrilled to be a part of this new shop!

I hope that if you live in Columbus, or if you are just visiting our fine city, you can stop into one of these awesome retail shops and take a peek at some of our unique handmade and vintage wares!

Sew, What's Next?

Well, in a few weeks we will be a vendor in the Grandview Holiday Bazaar.

It is bound to be one sweet shopping experience!

The Holiday Bazaar takes place on Saturday, November 12th 2011 from 10 a.m to 3 p.m.

1240 Oakland Avenue, Grandview, Ohio 43212

I plan on sewing up some fantastic new vintage fabric goodies for this event to amaze and excite you. (fingers crossed)

Sew, now you are all caught up on some of the exciting happenings and opportunities that have come our way!

I have not forsaken my little blog...but I am going to warn you that over the next few weeks my posts may be a little bit spotty, as the sewing factory in my nest will be in full swing.

I will try my best to post when I can and eventually I will get back on some sort of a schedule...but for right now I am just going to take my Dad's advice, "Just do the very best you can every day".

Thanks so much to my customers, readers, family and friends for your support and patience...The Unique Bird wouldn't be where it is today without all of you.

This Week in History - The Kid Gets Busted

2011-09-24T12:33:00.000-04:00

September 23rd, 1875

Fantastic 1950's Wild West Outlaws printed fabric from ErikawithaK Vintage on etsy.

On September 23rd, 1875 the Kid got busted for the first time, Billy The Kid that is, aka William Henry McCarty. What did this infamous outlaw get busted for? Let's just say the crime wasn't quite as intriguing as one might imagine from such a notorious scallywag . The crime that landed the Kid in the clink was stealing...not money...not guns...not horses, but a basket of laundry. Now, any criminal with aspirations of being an unforgettable bad ass knows that you can't let a basket of laundry take you down. The Kid later busted out of jail and headed out to the Wild West where he would earn his stripes as an outlaw and murderer. Yeah, it may have been embarrassing to get busted for stealing a basket of laundry but trying to out do himself on his rap sheet by allegedly murdering twenty-one people...come on Billy, don't ya think you were over compensating just a bit?

For more information on Billy The Kid or this date in history check out this article on The History Channel website.

Thursday's Unique Picks - Quilt Impressive

2011-09-15T16:59:00.000-04:00

"Woke up this mornin' feelin' fine..."

stepped outside and woah! (I know that isn't the way the song goes, but I am invoking artistic license)

There was bit of a chill in the breeze today.

Where did the Summer go? I cannot believe that the official start of Fall is only about a week away. On September 23rd at 5:05 a.m., Autumn officially arrives (in case you want to set your alarm to celebrate). Guess that means it is time to put away the swim suits and bust out the long johns and dive under the blankets. I am all about keeping cozy.

One of my summer flea market scores, that has been added to my personal collection of vintage goodness! I can't believe I almost walked away from this pretty. My mom went back to the seller and wheeled and dealed to get this feedsack fabric quilt down to a price that I was happy with. I am not cheap, I am thrifty.

I am quilt possibly one of the biggest fans of getting cozy under a quilt.

Sew in a very round about way, this lead me to this week's picks from etsy sellers. I decided to explore the wild world of quilts on etsy...but not necessarily the types that you can crawl under...

It is quilt possible to get the cozy homespun charm of a quilt in all different types of materials besides fabrics.

Paper

This beautiful handmade paper collage has been appliqued to hand quilted calico fabric from Kathryn Oaten on etsy.

Pottery

Charming vintage mixing bowl with a fantastic quilt like texture from Bird In Hand's etsy shop

Glass

Handmade quilt inspired stained glass mosaic lamp from Michelle Lisa Stained Glass Mosaics on etsy

Metal

Here is a twist on a decorative quilted throw. This sharp looking copper and brass handmade design is from Jay Lee Creations on etsy.

Wood

Handcrafted wooden bowl with an exquisite quilt like decoration created from various exotic wood by tonyswoods on etsy.

I was quilt impressed by all of these unique finds on etsy. Just because dictionary.com

defines the word:

Quilt: a coverlet for a bed, made of two layers of fabric with some soft substance, as wool or down, between them and stitched in patterns or tufted through all thickness in order to prevent the filling from shifting.

Doesn't mean that you can't redefine this traditional cozy homespun blanket in other fantastic materials!

This Week In History - Meat Uncle Sam

2011-09-10T12:02:00.000-04:00

September 7th, 1813

Fantastic Patriotic Uncle Sam Graphic on the cover of this 1913 sheet music from Second Life Collectibles etsy shop.

Have you ever wondered where the United Sates got the nickname "Uncle Sam"? Well, I am about to tell you.

On September 7th 1813 the United Sates got its nickname, "Uncle Sam". The name is linked to a meat packer from Troy, New York, named Samuel Wilson. He provided barrels of beef to the U.S. Army during the War of 1812. Mr. Wilson stamped his big barrels of beef "U.S." for United Sates, but the soldiers referred to their beefy chow as "Uncle Sam". Just like today, the media was keen to pick up on a new catch phrase. Local newspapers picked up on this story and eventually "Uncle Sam" caught on and gained acceptance as a nickname for the U.S. Federal Government.

Since I am an inquiring mind, I have to ponder, why is it that the U.S. Federal Government picked up the nickname "Uncle Sam"? The media could have spun it in another direction though...we could have been calling our meat "Uncle Sam". What if that old lady in the 1984 Wendy's commercials said, "Where's the Uncle Sam?"?

For more information on this date in history check out this article on History Channel website.

Thursday's Unique Picks - You Say Tomato

2011-09-01T15:03:00.000-04:00

Hello September! Welcome to my favorite month.

Next week, I will be celebrating one of the things that makes this month so special to me...

Next Thursday, September 8th, the hubby and I will be celebrating our wedding anniversary.

Vintage 10 year anniversary cake topper from Antiques Galore Gal's etsy shop.

It isn't just any old anniversary, we are entering into the double digit phase.

Ten years. Pretty sweet.

Then...

September 8th 2001.

Now...

Summer lovin' 2011.

What makes it work. Our love is like a song...

Ya know, the classic tune written in 1937, By George and Ira Gershwin.

I say fantastic. Screen printed and hand sewn tea towel from Bravura's etsy shop.

Upcycled cross stitch tote with a Karen Walker quote, "You say Potato, I say Vodka", by Stitch Please..Ikid609 on etsy.

"Potato, potahto, Tomato, tomahto, Let's call the whole thing off"

Wait...that sounds really bad. I don't mean, "let's call the whole thing off"...there are more words.

"But oh, if we call the whole thing off Then we must part
And oh, if we ever part, then that might break my heart..."

Told you.

SO, all I am trying to say...is that the hubby and I could have our very own version of that tune.

This week's unique picks highlight an eclectic mix of etsy finds to help me illustrate.

Adorable vintage mustard and relish jars from Whimsical Vintage on etsy.

On hot dogs (one of our favorite foods), I say mustard, You say ketchup.

Ha ha ha! Happy Guy Wine bottle rack designed and handmade by Knob Creek Metal Arts on etsy.

Adult beverages... I say wine, You say champagne...of beers (living the high life).

Salty 'n sweet is all the rage these days! Be on trend with this charm necklace from pollyannacowgirl's etsy shop.

On Snacks...I say salty, You say sweet ( the same could be said for our personalities. He is the nice one).

Robot love. This wedding cake topper is handmade by Builder's Studio on etsy.

Movies...You say Sci Fi, I say Romantic Comedy.

1950's-1970's collection of Football and Baseball books from Sarahendipity on etsy.

On Sports...You say baseball AND football, I say,"OK I will watch sci fi, if you don't make me watch stupid football".

High quality organic catnip cassettes for your bad ass metal cat from too bad mice's etsy shop

On Music...You say Metal, I say Please make it stop.

When you care enough to send the very best...choose this great greeting card from Junkmail Greetings from CarolLeeDesigns on etsy.

We don't quite see eye to eye on every little thing...(even though my hubby is only about three and a half inches taller than me) but we seem to have made it work.

Sweet pint of an original pencil illustration by Le Petit Elephant on etsy.

Happy Anniversary (in no particular order) to my: CFO, copy editor, best pal, and my favorite person.
Husband, I am talking about you.

Hope you enjoyed this weeks eclectic mix of unique finds from etsy sellers and my little love story! Please stop by next week for our new blog post feature, "This week in history". I promise the historic event will not be about my wedding.

This Week in History - Yer On

2011-08-26T16:29:00.000-04:00

Drum roll please...

This week I am introducing a new post to my blog...Ta Da! You know, mix it up a bit.

I call it, "This Week in History". I bet no one has ever done that (please note the sarcasm in my typing).

This is just a little post with a nugget of history from a girly that loves finding out about historical events and not to mention my love for finding something fantastic from an esty seller to help me illustrate!

Without further ado...

August, 26th 1939

Play Ball! This great vintage planter is from Old Comfort Shop on etsy.

The first televised Major League baseball game is broadcast. What teams played in this game? The Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers. At that time, regular programing didn't really exist and not many people owned televisions. Only about 400 folks in the New York area were able to view this broadcast. It wasn't until 1946 when regular television broadcasting caught on and it wasn't until the mid 1950's that televisions became more common in U.S. households...

For more information on this date in history visit this article on The History Channel website.

Thursday's Unique Picks - Morning Mist

2011-08-18T14:29:00.000-04:00

Hi all...it feels like it has been ages. How has everyone been? Don't fret, I didn't fall off a cliff, nor have I been slacking. I have been sewing my little fingers off.

One of my little projects. Wake up and smell the bloomin' bottle stoppers. Vintage fabric flower wine bottle stoppers from The Unique Bird available at Meza wine shop in Westerville, OH.

Oh yeah, I also was a vendor at a United Way fund raiser in New Albany, OH.

Now that we are all caught up, it is time to get back to picking out some great finds from etsy sellers.
It is that time of year again...I can't believe the kiddos are already headed back to school!

One of my favorite toys growing up, The Fisher Price school house! Find this vintage treasure in This, That & Other Things etsy shop.

Uggggg, the anxiety of the start of the school year. I know it has been quite a long time since I have been in school, but I do feel for them.

Brush up on your math skills with these great vintage text books from Recycling Tomorrow's etsy shop.

I was always a big fan of school in general, the learning and such...well, maybe not math and maybe not spelling, but I digress.
For me, the worst part about school, was the waking up in the morning.

Get some vintage Z's at Vintage Supply Co. on etsy.

I have never been an early bird, and I don't really like worms. This "waking up" thing has never been my strong suit. My parents would beg me to get up in the morning. I would be awake but rarely coherent. I excel at fumbling around the house to get my act together, just to get out of the front door. It wasn't a phase, there are some things you just never grow out of.

Raise your hand if you are a morning person. Well, that is commendable.
I have never been an "up and at em'" girly.

You get the picture. This effing awesome cross stitch pattern can be found in Stitch Bitch Cove's etsy shop.

Truthfully it isn't a matter of early or late, whenever I wake up there is a bit of an adjustment period that needs to take place in my brain.
Even though the hubby doesn't like to get up early, when he wakes up, he can function fully. It takes him all of fifteen to twenty minutes to dress, brush his teeth, and make his lunch, all while surfing on the mini computer (a.k.a. the iTouch). Boom. He is out the door.

This is certainly one of the coolest alarm clocks I have ever seen! This great find is from nakeddecor on etsy.

I, on the other hand, need about fifteen to twenty minutes just to realize that I am no longer in bed, and that my eyes are open. From a very early age, I learned that I needed to complete everything that I would need to think about for the next morning, the night before.
Pick out clothes, shower, pack up any essentials I would need for the next day, etc. If I cannot pre-pack for the next day...it is essential to leave myself notes and strategically place them in front of the coffee maker.

Perk up with some magic morning elixir! This awesome vintage stove top percolator is from Vital Vintage on etsy.

While percolators brew up a mighty fine cup of joe, using such a device to brew up some magic morning elixir proves to be a bit too complicated for me. Percolators are for a.m. proficient folks. I have a programmable coffee maker. I just set it the night before and wake up to a fresh pot of coffee. Now, the only problem I am sure to have...locating my coffee mugs.

Why fumble around in your cabinets for coffee cups? A great vintage mug tree on your counter top may come in handy if you are frequently overcome by morning brain fogs. This brightly colored mug tree can be found in The Unique Bird's etsy shop.

Breakfast? O.k. so I can barely locate my coffee mugs, do you actually think I can handle making breakfast?

Adorable upcycled slouchy Wheaties children's tee from Brava Boutique.

If I could only find the words to sum up my mornings...
"Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast" -Oscar Wilde.
p.s. Never expect me to compile meaningful phrases or utter words for that matter when I first wake up.

Hand stamped vintage spoon from Goozeberry Hill's etsy shop.

Weather you are an "up and at em'" person or plagued with "morning mist" in your brain, like I am, I hope that you liked these fantastic finds from etsy sellers.

Let's Celebrate!

2011-08-04T16:09:00.000-04:00

Things have been hopping this week at my nest...why?

Here's to us! Celebrate in vintage style with these beautiful vintage champagne goblets from The Unique Bird.

Bust out the bubbly because The Unique Bird just celebrated its two year Etsy-versary!

I still can't believe it has been two whole years since I opened.

That little Unique Bird and I have come a long way in those two years and I think we we are just going to keep trucking...

I can't thank everyone enough for all of the support!

The Unique Bird on etsy.

The Unique Bird's handmade vintage fabric wine bottle wraps at Meza wine shop in Westerville, Ohio

The Unique Bird at the Spring Flea! in the Short North in Columbus, Ohio this spring.

Not only do we sell on etsy but, we sell our mix of vintage and handmade home decor using vintage materials at craft shows and bazaars AND...some of our unique handmade creations can be found locally in shops in Columbus, Ohio

Grow for it! This is one of our unique gift items at The Unique Bird. This is one of our original designs. These decorative gift-able wraps for wine bottles are handmade using vintage fabrics. I am pretty excited that these took off!

So crazy, cool and exciting!

We are having a 20% off sale in our etsy shop this week to celebrate and to say, "Thank You" to all of our fantastic customers.

If you haven't already, I invite you to stop by our online shop and take a look around and enjoy 20% off all vintage and handmade items in the shop. Use the discount code "UBANN20" at check out. Our 20% off sale runs through Sunday 8/7/2011 at midnight e.s.t. Sorry, discount doesn't apply to shipping costs.

We will be back next week with our regularly scheduled Unique Picks Blog post featuring great finds from other etsy shops. In the mean time, you should fly on over to The Unique Bird's etsy shop and check out our selection of vintage and handmade home decor and gift items!

Thursday's Unique Picks - All Broken Up

2011-07-28T15:22:00.000-04:00

Common questions you may be asked while at the post office:

How are you today? Fine.

Do you need stamps? Not today.

Is there anything fragile, perishable, liquid or hazardous in this package? No.

Do you need tracking or insurance on this? No thank you.

Did you used to be a ballerina? Silence.

Oh so sweet vintage ballerina candle holders from Before He Find Out's etsy shop.

Other than this question being extremely random and slightly awkward...it couldn't be further from the truth.

The post man said I had that "look". O.k I better stop wearing that tutu to the post office. hahahaha.

Is he joking?

As much as I wanted to hang around the post office and explain to him why this was a ridiculous assumption do to my chronic clumsiness, I decided to just leave it, say "Thank You" and sashay myself out of the post office.

Do you like red bull? I don't need extra caffeine to do stupid stuff faster. I prefer this vintage ceramic orange bull masterpiece found in Vintage Eye's etsy shop.

In reality, this is a more accurate visual of this girly. A bull in a china shop.

I have a long history of slips, spills, trips, falls, concussions...I am an overall klutz.

So this week I am celebrating the clumsy through these great finds from etsy sellers.

Just tell it like it is to the klutz in your life, with this great letterpress greeting card from Creativity Cards on etsy.

While around your favorite klutz it is important to have a disaster kit on hand.

1960's first aid disaster kit complete with original contents from Small 'n Simple Things on etsy.

Don't forget the protective gear.

An adorable protective handmade snuggly skin for the phone of the accident prone from Case Phile on etsy.

Outfit your klutz with a helmet. So this isn't really a helmet...it is actually a great antique colander from French Melody's etsy shop, but it would get the job done and could also drain pasta.

Bring towels, because there are bound to be spills around your favorite klutz...

Freshly over dyed vintage embroidered dish towel from Vintage Dyetopia's etsy shop.

To prevent the inevitable spills though, you could try...

A goblet for the clumsy girl. Now this fantastic goblet from Kiefer Clayworks is designed especially with a shorter stem to help prevent spills (for those of us who tend to kick over a glass of wine every now and again).

Now this leads me into my personal klutzy triumph from last Saturday evening.

Your ballerina in action, if you will.

Handmade post earrings by foundling's etsy shop.

I was quietly making dinner...the lasagna was baking...I decided to have a nice glass of wine. Mmmm, that was tasty. I think I would like a refill. Grab the bottle from the refrigerator add a bit more to my glass...

Can you picture what is about to happen next?

Crash. Amazing original photograph captured by Matthew Hurst Photography on etsy.

If only I had just broken the glass...

Somehow between walking from the counter to the refrigerator with the bottle of wine in my hands, I dropped the bottle. The bottle basically shattered when it hit the floor. Wine shot out of the bottle that was located in the kitchen and onto the carpet in the next room. There was glass and wine everywhere in the kitchen.

Slick.

The Hubby rushed upstairs to see what had happened. With disbelief at the disaster area that I had created, he helped me clean up the mess.

I should really just carry a sign like this wherever I go. This ornately framed silk doily can be found in crumbs on the sheets etsy shop.

Was I worried about the glass everywhere? No.

Was I upset that I was going to have to scrub the floor and carpet in the next room? No.

I was angry that I waisted an almost full bottle of wine. I was all broken up.

My hubby inquired if I was o.k. I said "Yes, I am just mad at myself for wasting all of that wine," and he replied, "you should be". He can be such a gem.

Wine not show some love to box wine with this original acrylic painting by Carla's Funky Art on etsy.

I am now thinking that this butter finger ballerina should stick to box wine to avoid future disasters.

You know what they say, It takes one to know one...so I guess it takes a clumsy gal to track down some great etsy finds that would be perfect for your favorite klutz.

Thursday's Unique Picks - The Burning Question

2011-07-21T15:27:00.000-04:00

What's The Burning Question this Thursday?

Original art collage greeting card from vantiani on etsy.

Hot enough for you?

Yes.

Cue the music...

"OH, We are having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave. The temperature's rising, it isn't surprising she certainly can can-can."

Cliched enough for you? Keep reading, it is only going to get more cliched...because in the words of Paris, "That's Hot".

Keep track of the record breaking temperatures this Summer with this great vintage indoor outdoor thermometer from This, That & Other Things on etsy.

If you haven't guessed, this week's picks from etsy sellers are inspired by some buzz words being thrown around during this heat wave.

Hot.

It doesn't get any hotter than this 1980's vintage red hot metallic suit from Vintage Twists on etsy.

What is all this business about the "heat index" lately? The humidity will make it feel like it is 115 degrees. I guess it sounds way more dramatic than saying 97 degrees and 276% humidity. To me, 97 or 115, it is just plain hot.

Swampy.

Adorable original screen printed artwork from Argyle Whale on etsy

An added bonus to the hot weather that we are having here in Ohio, and in the southeastern half of the United States, is the high humidity levels. It gives every day a swamp like feel.

Steamy.

This steamy fine art print was created from an original watercolor painting by Karen Faulkner Art on etsy .

Folks around these parts acknowledge that temperatures normally soar into the hundreds out West...but they always say, "It's a dry heat". Those folks out west may beg to differ...dry heat, wet heat...it's all hot.

Cue song number two:

"I've got sssssssssssss-steam heat. I've got sssssssssssss-steam heat..."

Boiling.

"The Hard Boiled Virgin" a 1947 novel from Vintage Pot Pie's etsy shop. This is sure to be a steamy or should I say hard boiled classic Summer read.

Fried.

Fantastic vintage handmade set of eggs and bacon from vintagedchic on etsy.

Have you ever heard the expression "It is hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk"?
According to the Library of Congress the answer is "Yes, theoretically. But it doesn't actually get hot enough"...it works better on the hood of a car. Wanna try...We can use your car.
Today in Columbus with the current humidity levels we might have better luck poaching the egg outside than frying it.

Even the gnomes are feeling the heat, as seen in this great original photograph using a "heat mapping" process from The 3 Maries on etsy.

No matter how you want to describe the heatwave, the bottom line is, it is..."Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot" out there kids.

To paraphrase a lady that I saw interviewed on the local news...
"In the winter you can just pile on more clothes to get warm...but in the summer you just can't take enough off. I don't mind. It is Ohio."
She is right!

I am not a big fan of super heat...but I am a big fan of this cool vintage fan from Hazel Roberts etsy shop.

Try and stay cool my friends while enjoying these hot etsy finds
and remember Marilyn Monroe's tip for beating the heat in the 1955 film, The Seven Year Itch...

"When it gets hot like this, you know what I do? I keep my undies in the icebox! "

Thursday's Unique Picks - You Might be a

2011-07-14T16:41:00.000-04:00

You might be a redneck if you spend all Saturday at a car show...

You might be a hillbilly if you spend all Saturday at a car show drinking beer...

You might be trailer trash if you spend all Saturday at a car show drinking beer and eating giant corn dogs...

Y'all, I resemble those remarks.

(don't get all offended now...I might be going somewhere with this)

Hand made pillow for Y'all by Sew English on etsy.

Every Summer, the hubby and I head out to the Ohio State Fair Grounds to attend the annual Goodguys classic car and hot rod show.

2011 Goodguys Rod and Custom car show.

Does this make me a gear head? Not a chance. I do although, love vintage things and that includes cars. Unfortunately, I haven't come across any sweet affordable vintage cars at a garage sale to add to my collection of vintage goodness, so it is always fun to go and look at them and drool.

So many awesome cars...I didn't know where to look next!

Much like my weekly Unique Picks from etsy sellers...I made a Unique pick at the car show, that in turn, inspired my picks from etsy sellers.

Behold this rusty vintage upcycled masterpiece.

Rust is trending.

Vintage grain sack cushion covers.

Good spam. Spam can tail lights.

Shot gun gear shifter and drawer pull on the glove box.

Keepin' it classy.

At a glance, this rat rod would appear to be something that the Clampetts would be driving to Beverly Hills. If they were driving this cool ride, those hillbillies were mighty crafty with upcycling their car parts.

Not familiar with the Clampett clan? Catch up on your summer reading with this vintage novel "The Beverly Hillbillies, The Saga of Wildcat Creek" from She drinks coffee at midnight's etsy shop.

Inspired by this unique automobile, I decided to poke around and track down some hillbilly finds with etsy flare...

What a delightful tea cup from Vandalized Vintage by trixie delicious's etsy shop.

Don't get out the shot guns just yet...

Adorable vintage plastic rifle charms from Silver Crow Creations on etsy.

I am well aware that hillbilly, redneck, and trailer trash maybe conjure up derogatory stereotypes, because that is what Wikipedia told me (and you know I always believe everything I read on Wikipedia).

You gotta love these vintage hillbilly mugs from Lauries Custom Thingz on etsy.

Stereotypical or not...I am a big fan of these finds and you might be too!

Personally...I think there is a secret hillbilly in all of us.

So just simmer down...and take a swig of moonshine.
That will help you to relax.

Fantastic hand embroidery from drop dead quirky by supervelma on etsy.

If you find it rather crass to sip straight from the moonshine jug, try a redneck wine glass.
Yup, there is such a thing.

Wine (or moonshine) glass from TSGlassware on etsy for the refined redneck.

Smoke one if ya got one...

It is an honest to goodness vintage corn cob pipe from MrsRekamepip's etsy shop. Frosty the snowman had a corn cob pipe, he must have been a hillbilly too.

See, this stuff is pretty awesome.

Now, I bet you want to know if there is a difference between hillbillies, rednecks and trailer trash. Well of course there is. According to my research on Wikipedia, I discovered it all comes down to location.

This little hillbilly will open your bottle for you. This vintage bottle opener is from Daydreamers Unite on etsy.

Hillbillies hale from hills and mountainous regions.

A perfect pair of vintage kitchen towels from NeatoKeen on etsy.

Rednecks are known for being farmers from the Southern United States

An ultra classy and elegant greeting card designed by Glen Hibline Illustration on etsy. Wanna know what "truck nutz" are? Go to a car show and you'll find out.

Trailer Trash folk are known for living in trailers or mobile home.

Sign me up to be trailer trash if I can live in a sweet trailer like this one that I saw at the car show.
On second thought...I am not sure if it has a bathroom.

Handy little vintage sign for your outhouse/ bathroom from Dirty Birdies Vintage on etsy.

I am not fixin' to use an outhouse regularly...but maybe I could park the trailer in my backyard so I could use the bathroom in my house...Yup, pretty sure the neighbors would love that.
What can I say I may just be a hillbilly - redneck - trailer trash girly
Y'all Come Back next week for more great etsy picks!

Thursday's Unique Picks - Boys of Summer

2011-07-07T15:55:00.000-04:00

Happy Fourth of July all! Hope everyone had a fantastic holiday on Monday. I can't believe it is already over! Where does the time go...Well, I am back home and freshly inspired by our vacation for this week's Unique Picks blog post.
This week's finds from etsy sellers will help me to highlight some of the manly adventures from our vacation at the lake.

Ready to take a trip?

Last week, the hubby and I ventured out of Ohio on our yearly Fourth of July vacation to Chautauqua Lake in Western New York, with my family.

1950's Souvenir Chautauqua County dish from Blue Butterfly Vintage on etsy.

July 4th 2011

Our little c.1930's cottage made it through another winter!

Sweet little vintage cast iron door stop from Shaving Kit Supplies etsy shop sort of reminds me of our cottage.

My Dad sent me this Hi and Lois comic strip last year and it pretty much sums up our little family cottage by the lake.

Last year during our vacation at the cottage we were overwhelmed with last minute plans and preparations for my lil sis and brother-in-law's wedding. We were plotting seating charts, making bouquets out of ribbon for the rehearsal and writing up wedding day schedules, much to the chagrin of the boys...

The wedding was beautiful (but I do have to admit that we are all rather relieved that the hoopla is over).

This year though, it seemed like the boys (my hubby, brother-in-law, and father) were attempting to counter act all of the uber girly-ness from last summer.

What were my boys of summer up to?

Macho manly muscle man handcrafted soap from Hello Crafty on etsy. The men could have used this while bathing in the lake.

You know, man things.

Curtains? Men don't need curtains...unless they have an awesome fishing lodge theme like these vintage ones from
Vogue Vintage Clothing on etsy.

One may assume that since we are at the lake, the boys may have done a little fishing...

Not really their style. Although, this little fishy might float their boat...

What man wouldn't like a vintage fish shaped bottle opener like this one from The Unique Bird's etsy shop, to pop open some brews?

Catching a fish like that is a bit more desirable than catching...

What the heck is this? YES, I know it is gross but what is it. We spotted this crazy thing belly up in the lake. Is it a fish? But it has legs. Any ichthyologists out there that want to help us identify the creature in Chautauqua Lake?

Naaa, our boys are more into catching the football than fish
(after seeing that weird fish leg creature, I bet you would rather catch a football too).

Sing it Connie..."Where the boys are...woah, woah"

My boys may have also enjoyed a few frosty brews...

As if the boys needed any encouragement. For the record, I am pretty sure my boys can. This vintage, very large, beer glass from I Like Them Old's etsy shop would be perfect size for quenching your man's thirst on a hot summer day.

It wasn't all play and no work for the men at the lake though...

Unfortunately, one of our pine trees wasn't doing so well.

Adorable set of vintage wooden counting toys from Babyshkas Attic on etsy.

Who do you call? Not Ghost Busters...but Paul Bunyan and Babe.

Fantastic vintage salt and pepper shakers from prettypink06's etsy shop.

They could have used an axe or a saw, but my boys needed more power...(insert grunts)

Which one is Paul and who is the Babe?

Well done my little lumber jacks.

"I'm a lumber jack and I'm o.k." the perfect card from Hole in my Pocket's etsy shop for the happy lumber jack in your life.

Next on the Man-genda...

Thanks for the bonfire boys. For that you deserve a toasty marshmallow.

I am all fired up about this great handmade flame plush for cooking up a plush frightened marshmallow from Cute Stuffies etsy shop.

One more little thing...Could you please put out the dock? Be careful though, there is some weird fish thing with legs out there.

Voila! Aren't my boys swell?

Ahhh, now us gals can just relax on the dock and soak up some sun...

This original 1946 photo from found & unbound on etsy shows a couple of dock side dolls, just like me and my lil sis at the lake. Sister and I were some pretty sweet eye candy for our hubbies.

Yes, we girls appreciated everything that the men did. It isn't like we tortured them into doing all of this stuff. It kept them out of trouble and we kept out of their hair.

V-a-c-a-t-i-o-n at Chautauqua Lake. Vintage post card from SmoothSeas etsy shop.

Yes, I think my boys enjoyed all of their manly adventures while on vacation and I also think any man would love these man-tastic etsy finds!

Thursday's Unique Picks - A Fish Called Girly

2011-06-23T19:17:00.000-04:00

Happy Summer Solstice to all!

Just in case you missed it, Summer officially rolled in this week on June 21st at 1:16 p.m. E.D.T. (if you like to keep track of that kind of thing).

Welcome Summer and say hello to your sunshine with this set of hand calligraphed note cards from sparrownestscript on etsy.

So, this week instead of recounting any events or tales of historic significance, I thought I would dive into some of my own memories of Summertime, illustrated of course with some great finds from etsy sellers!

I am going to take you all the way back to 1989. I was singing along with Milli Vanilli (even if they weren't), Playing Tetris on the Nintendo, screening "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids", and I took the plunge into competitive swimming.

1926 Miss Annette Kellerman's Feats Of Diving And Swimming illustration from Surrender Dorothy's etsy shop.

I joined the swim team at our swimming pool because...

(one of the following is true, do you know which answer is correct)

A) I am very athletic..
B) I liked getting up early while on Summer vacation.
C) I wanted to see boys in Speedos.
D) I love diving into an ice cold unheated pool first thing in the morning and swimming laps for one hour.
E) All of my friends were doing it.

Adorable vintage swimming pool cake topper complete with bathing beauties from Year 'Round Yard Sale on etsy.

In case you didn't know, I am not the most athletic gal around. I do recall telling my Father, that the reason I enjoyed swimming so much was because I didn't have to sweat, but the number one reason I joined swim team...If you guessed E) All of my friends were doing it, you were correct.

Doggone this is a sweet print created from from original artwork by LittleEllensArt on etsy.

Surprisingly enough, I wasn't all that bad at swimming. I had a pretty mean backstroke.

Since I am kind of a swim team veteran, I wanted to share some tips from my days as an Oak Creek Flipper.

1. Wear a well fitting one piece swim suit. It is never attractive to have a wardrobe malfunction while at a swim meet.

I would have been backstroking in vintage style with this fantastic 1960's swimsuit from Call Me Chula's etsy shop, but noooo, we had to all wear the same team swimsuit. It is so hard to express your fashion sense when you have to dress like the rest of the team.

Girls on the swim team were lucky because we just had to wear the team one piece. Boys, on the other hand had to wear Speedos. They looked ridiculous. I wasn't too sure what was tucked inside those tiny little bikini bottoms the boys had on, but I was pretty sure it wasn't very attractive.

2. Wear a Swim cap. It reduces drag as you glide through the water...

I spotted this vintage sunny yellow swim cap at saint anne vintage on etsy

Another good reason to wear a swim cap is to avoid the dreaded green hair that weeks in the highly chlorinated swimming pool may give you.

On her, green locks look good. Lovely original artwork by Carambatack Designs on etsy

3. Always keep your undies in a dry place.

The ICKY bag from Petunias' etsy shop is a WETBAG with style.

Speaking from experience...while participating in swim meets, somehow absolutely everything gets wet and quite swampy. I highly recommend having a waterproof pouch to protect your skivvies. When you change out of your swimsuit, you can put the suit in the wet bag and have a dry pair of undies. No one likes to ride home after the meet in a wet baiting suit.

4. No matter how hot it is, when the sun goes down and you are getting in and out of a pool, you are going to be cold and mosquitoes will eat you. Sweats are a must.

If only I had had an awesome sweatshirt dress like this one found in Violetville Vintage's etsy shop. I never had anything this cool to keep me warm.

And that is about all of the tips I have...you didn't actually think I had any advice on how to improve your lap time, did you?

My winnings from my brief career as a competitive swimmer.

After three Summers of being on the swim team, I felt I had peaked, so I decided to retire from competitive swimming while I was on top.

I never won any sweet patches...

Collect them all! Score your own set of vintage swimming patches from Dusty Lorraine's etsy shop.

or got any major trophies...

Who needs to win trophy, when you could buy your very own upcycled swimming trophy wine bottle stopper from ikcdesigns etsy shop.

No sweat (literally), I still made a splash and had some cool fun in the Summertime!

Grow For It! Your Choice Giveaway!

2011-06-19T19:09:00.000-04:00

The Unique Bird is proud to announce that we are sponsoring a giveaway on a great blog:

A Geek's Wife and Her Dog

The winner receives their choice of either a fantastic vintage pottery planter or awesome handmade vintage fabric garland from The Unique Bird.

Grow for it! Enter to win your choice of either a vintage pottery planter or handmade vintage fabric garland from The
Unique Bird on etsy.

The winner receives their choice of either: Vintage

Lush looking mid century planter by Ungemach Pottery (UPCO). This small rectangular planter measures 8 ¼” long by 4 1/2” across by 2 ¾” tall. It has a rich dark green glazed finish. The planter is decorated with an abstract leaf like pattern. It was produced by The Ungemach Pottery Company, which was founded by Fred Ungemach in Roseville, Ohio, after he left the McCoy Pottery Company. The piece is marked on the base “UPCO, USA, 483”. The planter is in very good vintage condition having no major cracks. It does have two small fleabite sized (1/8”) chips in the glaze finish in two of the corners along the rim. Give your summer plantings a colorful vintage flare with this great planter. This planter can also double as charming table top décor and small serving dish at your next summer soiree. It is the perfect size for holding veggies, fruits, crackers, etc. It is a fantastic way to dress up your front porch or any room in your home this summer.

or if you like Handmade:

Lovely handmade vintage fabric garland. The garland was created from sections of a midcentury novelty printed barkcloth fabric. Each round applique on the garland shows colorful and graphic tree designs. The printed fabric is in bright summery shades of cherry red, grassy green, plum purple and has antique white and cool grey accents. The vintage printed tree appliques are layered with charcoal heather grey colored eco felt (created from recycled post-consumer plastic bottles) and backed with an oversized green and white printed plaid vintage cotton fabric. There are seven total appliqued designs (the appliques measure 4 1/4” across x 4” long). The appliques have raw edges and have been secured through all layers with cream stitching as well as a decorative red zig zag stitch. The appliques are secured to 1/2” tall bright green ric rack trim. The garland measures 7’ 4 1/2” (88 1/2”) long. All materials used are vintage, except the thread, eco felt, printed logo label and rick rack trim. Spot cleaning only and Iron if needed. Use this handmade vintage fabric garland over a window, doorway, on mantel or even hang along a table for a unique and fresh Summery decoration at your next barbeque.

If you win the giveaway at A Geek's Wife and her Dog's blog, you can win either one of these fresh finds!

Click here to read giveaway rules and enter to win!

Don't delay, giveaway ends June 25th, 2011 at midnight E.S.T.

Just Grow For It and enter to win Your Choice of Vintage or Handmade form The Unique Bird!

Good Luck!

Thursday's Unique Picks - Flying High with Old Glory

2011-06-16T13:14:00.000-04:00

Today's burning question...

How did you celebrate on Tuesday? With cupcakes?

Get your stars and stripes patriotic cupcake wrappers at Your Little Cupcake on etsy

Um...Tuesday June, 14th. Surely you had the date marked on your calendar, right?

Flag day.

Um...Flag day?

Framed antique cigar box American flags from The Unique Bird on etsy

Yes, I have heard of it, but honestly had no idea about the history of this holiday that is printed in my weekly planner.

Excellent blogging opportunity in my opinion. Just a little bit of history highlighted by an etsy shopping experience. Why? That is how I roll. I just love a little bit of history and I love to search for great finds from etsy sellers.

It turns out Flag Day is a day to celebrate Old Glory.

Beautiful original photograph of our flag by Rikki Van Camp at Bare Bulb Studio on etsy.

You may be thinking to yourself, yeah Girly, that is pretty obvious. Well smarty pants, do you know why we celebrate the American Flag on June 14th?

For your information, on June 14th 1777 the Flag of the United States was officially adopted by the Second Continental Congress.

The handmade modern patriotic mug rug from All Things Belle on etsy, is the perfect spot to set you celebratory Flag Day Cocktail.

Drop that little nugget of trivia on your friends tonight over cocktails...I bet they will be impressed.

So Flag Day, is kind of like the American Flag's Birthday...but wait, didn't Betsy Ross sew the first American Flag back in 1776?

Re-live 1970's Bicentennial mania in this vintage maxi dress from Parkrose Vintage's etsy shop

This is the part about research that I dislike...finding out that something you thought was a fact, may or may not be true. Is it common knowledge that they don't really know for sure who sewed the first American Flag?

1960's children's book "The Story of Our Flag" from Grandmother's Attic on etsy.

Did I miss that lesson in elementary school? The Legend of Betsy Ross? Geeze, What's next? Are you going to tell me that the Easter Bunny is just a man in a suit?

Ok. So someone sewed the flag in 1776, but it wasn't adopted as our official Flag until 1777. Got it.

Beautiful handmade upcycled vintage chenille fabric American Flag Pillow from paddyridge vintage's etsy shop

This part is for extra credit, since I got the answer wrong about who first sewed and designed the flag in 1776.

"Flag Birthday" wasn't a celebrated date until 1885, according to legend (here we go again).

Vintage real photo postcard of a lovely lady all decked out and holding old glory from Clancy's Classics on etsy.

Flag Day celebrations spread throughout the U.S. in the late 1800's, but it wasn't until 1916, that President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed it a holiday.
That was good... but it wasn't an Official holiday until 1949, when President Truman signed an Act of Congress to make June 14th Flag Day every year.

Flag Day, such a simple and straight forward concept that has so many complicated and exciting twists and turns.

Thrilling ride through history, Huh?

Ride America! Absolutely amazing handmade American flag created using reclaimed bike chains from ReGeared on etsy.

Well, now you and I know the scoop on this holiday, and have seen some pretty sweet etsy finds too.

We will be better prepared to celebrate Flag Day next year.

Thursday's Unique Picks - National Road Trip

2011-06-09T15:26:00.000-04:00

Last weekend the hubby and I set out on an adventure....

We hit the road, the National Road that is, in search of vintage treasures.

Snapshot from the National Road.

Every year, usually around the first week in June, Route 40 plays host to yard sale mania.

Snap shot going due East along Route 40 of one of the Historic National Road mile Markers. Photo credit goes to hubby. I didn't spot this right away, because I got distracted by an awesome yard sale.

These yard sales are stretched out along the 800 mile Historic National Road that runs from Cumberland, Maryland to Vandalia, Illinois.

In case you wanted to know a little bit of history about the National Road this handy dandy youtube video wraps it up into a tidy six minute package. Informative, yet entertaining. I just love visual aids.

Since we only had two days for our yard sailing adventure, and didn't really know what to expect, we charted our course from Columbus, Ohio, due East on the first day and due West on the second day.

Snapshot from along the National road Due West. This was a must stop yard sale. Busty mannequin clad in lingerie with handmade quilts and vintage military clothes, heck yeah pull over!

Day one brought us to West Virginia and on day two the adventure wrapped up somewhere in Indiana.

Spotted at a yard sale in Indiana. I just loved this vintage desk but I think I liked what the price tag said even more.

haha! old.

It is important to note this yard sailing trip is not for the faint hearted or impatient. There is no rhyme or reason to where people are set up for sales, there is no knowing what types of goods will be found. One man's junk is another girly's treasure, but sometimes that man's junk is just junk. On Some stretches of the road, you get lucky and an entire town has tables set up. You can hop out of the the family truckster and walk around, but in other towns...well, I don't think that everyone along the road got the memo. Even though the road was not chock-a-block with sales, the scenery was amazing and the folks we met along the way couldn't have been nicer!

Since I spent last weekend searching for vintage treasure in West Virginia, Indiana and Ohio I decided that for This Week's Unique Picks from etsy sellers would be devoted to etsy finds that were handmade in those great states!

Going East from Columbus...

Now serving West Virginia. This vintage tray is from VintageUpcycled's etsy shop.

Welcome to some handmade etsy finds from West Virginia.

Flirty fun handmade apron from Surley Girl Designs on etsy

Absolutely adorable handmade toy kitchen from Mama Made Them on etsy.

West from Columbus...

Smells like Indiana. State of Indiana shaped soap handmade by Columbus, Ohio's own Stinkybomb Soap's etsy shop.

You will run into Indiana and these handmade etsy finds...

(and p.s. by far the best yard sales we found!)

Sweet little decorative handmade clay bird by Davis-Vachon Gallery on etsy

Julian welcomes you to Indiana! Handmade Upcycled argyle sock monkey from Heidi BG on etsy

What is round on both ends and high in the middle? Why Ohio of course.

Ohio IS the heart of it all! Original painting by Mokopo Creations on etsy.

These etsy picks are handmade in the heart of it all.

Ring a ding, ding handmade ring, upcycled from a 2002 State of Ohio quarter by Custom Coin Rings' etsy shop.

A girly's dream in aqua and blue, handmade patchwork vintage chenille fabric pillow from The Pink Palace on etsy.

East or West, Home is best. (but I may be a bit bias)

We are now back home in Columbus after our National Road trippin. This vintage trivet I bought for myself in Englewood, Ohio, pretty much sums up the state of my house, as I sort through all of my treasures from the adventure.

My vintage finds from my National Road trip are much like these great handmade etsy picks, definitely unique and quite eclectic. Go ahead, explore etsy, and check out what other great handmade finds your favorite state has to offer!

Thursday's Unique Picks - Salads that Eat Like a Meal

2011-06-02T16:49:00.000-04:00

Contrary to popular belief, The hubby and I do eat something other than hot dogs.

From my personal stash of vintage goodness, The Salad Book from 1941.

Flash back two years.

Me: "Hubby, what should we have for dinner?"

Hubby: "I dunno"

Me: "What should we have for dinner?"

Hubby: "I dunno"

Me: "What should we have for dinner?"

My dear husband uttered the words that I never thought I would come out of his mouth.

Hubby: "How about a salad?"

Me: "Say Whaaaaat?"

It is OK to play with this food! Handmade felt salad set from Little Retro Kid on etsy.

Now, every Wednesday night we eat like bunnies. Not really. Come on, there has to be some sort of transition, you cant just leap from hot dogs to salads. I happen to specialize in salads that eat like a meal.

Make salad night special with this handmade kitchen towel, upcycled from a vintage table cloth from franscrafts on etsy

As you may have deduced, this week's Unique Picks are inspired by salad night with a fresh selection of finds from etsy sellers and may even inspire you to toss around the idea of having salad for dinner.

To market we go...

Darn, forgot my shopping list. No worries this handy 1970's very veggie needle point handbag from Sticky Lipgloss Vintage on etsy will remind you. Buy Vegetables.

What looks fresh today? Well I happen to think these vintage pieces seem ripe for picking...

I just love this vintage emerald green glass bell pepper jar from Blue Lace Vintage on etsy.

Salt and pepper to taste with a sweet kitschy flare. These vintage carrot salt and pepper shakers from World Vintage's etsy shop.

Lettuce not get ahead of ourselves...

Don't forget the most important ingredient in the salad!

"The Lettuce was a head", hahaha this original artwork from the Wicked Tomato Factory on etsy, is quite pun (as they say)!

I just wanted to cover some of our "House Salad Rules"

No onions. They don't agree with the hubby's discerning palette.

Only Ice Burg Lettuce. Why? Hubby says other types of lettuce taste like you are eating grass.

"Hubby, have you eaten grass?" Husband replies, " No. But I think I know what it would taste like."

More Salads logic according to My hubby.

A salad containing only vegetables is strictly a starter, just add meat and you can make it a meal.

Where's the beef? Simmer down I've got your meat right here...

Meet this meat market masterpiece letterpress poster designed by YeeHaw on etsy

Original block print with a great vintage look by amanda kindregan on etsy.

It is never considered foul to add a little bit of chicken into the salad either.

A salad sensation that is currently sweeping our house are salads that also feature fresh fruits...and I don't mean tomatoes smarty pants.

I used to turn my nose up at salads that had fruit, these days I simply can't get enough! The tempting fruits topping my salads...

Scrumptious strawberries

Sweet as can be vintage strawberry stick pin set from Supplies to Inspire by TheThinVeil on etsy.

and Crisp Pears.

Lovely felted wool pear jar by mymarketstall's etsy shop.

My top two current favorite fruit infused salad recipes via the Taste of Home recipe website:

1. Strawberry Chicken Salad

2.Chicken and Pear Salad (check out the reviews to see my variation on this recipe) (yup dork)

Ingredients are covered but can you dish it out? I can take it.

Dish out some salad in vintage style! This salad serving set is from My Attic's Treasures etsy shop. If you like these, be sure to check out some other great vintage finds in their shop that coordinate with this set!

A little bit of dirt won't hurt, but you might want to rinse off those fresh veggies.

Handmade Stoneware colander from Jake's Clay Art on etsy, has a unique design and would be quite useful.

Chop! Chop! Don't like the hassle of chopping up all of those veggies?

This vintage Salad Making contraption from Admiredhistory's etsy shop, will make chopping veggies a cinch. This handy little machine is rumored to have an attachment to turn it into a meat grinder as well! Double bonus!!

Finally it is time to plate up...and the usual salad sized plates just won't do.

Go for the "Big Salad".

Simple,beautiful,and a great size for a big salad. This vintage set of robin's egg blue dinner plates is from Vintage Expedition on etsy.

You may have heard the famous quote,

"You don't make friends with salad..." -Homer J. Simpson

This little salad looks friendly enough! One of a kind handmade appliqued salad pocket apron from Snappy Shop on etsy.

This is no longer a valid statement in our house, because we have become quite friendly with the salad.

Go ahead, make friends with salad, jazz up your weekly menu and snap up these fresh etsy finds!

Citrus Punch

2011-05-28T12:07:00.000-04:00

Spring into Summer and freshen up your home's decor with a splash of

Citrus Punch

Recently listed collection of vintage and handmade home decor at The Unique Bird on etsy.

Vintage green glass vases, Sprout, Emerald in the Rough and Green Giant, add a fresh pop of color and unexpected texture to a side table.

Fiery Floral handmade vintage floral fabric garland.

Citrus Pop handmade vintage floral fabric garland.

Giddy about handmade vintage fabric floral garland. Infuse your room with fresh colored blooms that don't require watering!

More, more, more vibrant colorful vintage accents.

Flowery Market Vintage frosted glass containers. Perfect pair for flower or delightful counter top storage for kitchen utensils!

Lemon Zest vintage pottery vase.

Orange You Glad Vintage Cedar Point decorated souvenir vase.

Silver Lotus Blossom set of vintage metal bowls.

Throw around some splashes of citrus with an eclectic mix of handmade vintage fabric pillows.

Tweet Pals handmade vintage fabric pillows with tweet appliques created from sections of a vintage handkerchief.

Sari Charlie handmade pillow using super soft vintage sari fabric.

Citrus Pop handmade vintage fabric pillow with dimensional appliques created from the refreshing yellow flowers on this mid century fabric.

Add a splash of citrus to any room by layering in some unique vintage and handmade decor from The Unique Bird!

Thursday's Unique Picks - Dime A Daze

2011-05-26T13:22:00.000-04:00

A dime for my thought...SURE!

You may be asking yourself, " What on Earth could you possibly do with a dime these days?".

Delightful 1950's dime store banners from Silverfish Studio on etsy.

Stay captivated because the delicious answer will come soon enough, but only after I share My Unique Picks this week from great etsy shops. This weeks Unique Pick theme is centered around...

You guessed it, the dime.

Now, don't overload the server, just because these finds are dime related doesn't mean they have maintained that steady price. Most of these finds may have originally cost you 10 cents to purchase them, but due to their vintage and charm, their value may have increased monetarily as well as sentimentally.

Oh the prices we will pay to bring a little retro joy into our humdrum days.

Save up those dimes kids!

The perfect place to stash those dimes for a rainy day. This 1950's dime bank was found in Ruff by Margo's etsy shop.

Dime store delights = Priceless Memories

If I was going into a dime store and was allowed to choose a toy...

Vintage toy golf set from Dimestore Delights on etsy.

I would get this golf set for my fella, because I think it would be right up his fairway.

Get your ten cent classics right here at Used Books etsy shop.

I, of course, would select something literary in nature for myself, since I am quite bookish.

Who am I kidding? This seems a little more my speed.

Vintage "Trick Squirt Milk Chocolate" from Many Happy Returns etsy shop.

Especially since the phrase "Chocolate Squirts" makes me giggle.

Since actual dime stores really aren't a dime a dozen these days, it is great news that these types of treasures can still be found on etsy.

Just like the old five and dime stores, a sweet vintage tee like this one probably isn't a dime a dozen either. I would wager a dime, that a find as unique as this could only be spotted in skippy haha vintage on etsy

When I was growing up, my Dad frequently took my lil sis and me to a five and dime store that was just a few towns away.

Image from an article on examiner.com of Foy's in Fairborn, Oh.

Image from Foy's website. While they still have a great selection of dime store esque finds, Foy's has become something of a Halloween mecca. It is a must stop shop to find any type of costume you could dream up.

It was a great spot to spend a few dimes at on a Saturday afternoon.

Diamonds my be a girl's best friend, but dimes can also be used to create quite fetching and fashionable accessories...

This vintage silver dime ring was spotted in Vintagous' etsy shop.

With dime rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, she will make music and spend wisely, where ever she goes. (Did you like my little spin on that old rhyme?)

Dime Fact: did you know Dimes were composed of actual silver before 1965? Now you do.

You don't see these everyday. This awesome vintage dime cuff bracelet is from Cozy Studio's etsy shop.

To coin a phrase, "Brother can you spare a dime..." because I am wearing all of mine.

Dime Fact: Did you know that these days dimes are an alloy mixture of copper and nickel? What the...!?! Then what the heck are pennies and nickels made out of?

Hot Dog! A Dime! Original painting by Tripper Dungan on etsy. Not only is this painting fantastic, it is also 3D!

Now is the big moment when I reveal what you really can still get for a dime.

Sorry folks, these are not available on etsy...you will have to come visit Columbus, Ohio to cash in.

Oh yeah, and you have to go to a Columbus Clippers baseball game to experience delicious value and joy that only Dime A Dog night can bring you.

Four little dimes bought me this box of edible joy at the May 23rd 2011 Dime A Dog night at Huntington Park . I ate them all and was mighty proud of it (even though my personal best of five dog was set on 9/8/10). I have big plans on entering this photo of my fine dinner on Dime A Dog night in a photo contest from The Hot Dog & Sausage Council (Yes, it DOES exist and I do most certainly follow them on Facebook).

This little piggy will help you save your dimes. I just love this vintage dime saver from Just4EweShop on etsy. It has the cutest saying on the back "Feed me dimes, Row upon Row, From these dimes, Dollars will grow".

See kids, it pays off to save your dimes, whether it's plastic toys, unique accessories or hot dogs...those dimes will eventually add up and you can score yourself something really nice!

P.S. Did you ever wonder if there was any item on etsy that only cost a dime? There is. It is the least expensive item on the entire site. See if you can track it down!

Thursday's Unique Picks - Girly Goes to Prom

2011-05-19T21:22:00.000-04:00

Is it just me, or have high school boys gotten more creative about asking girls to prom?

This year, I feel like I have seen a few more stories in the news about boys getting all innovative on us...

I have a bit of a crush on this adorable handmade bracelet from vsc83's etsy shop.

I guess romance may be making a comeback.

You heard the one about the Connecticut kid taping these card board letters on the front of his high school building just to get the girl...poor romantic sap got banned from the the dance for this move, but after weeks of media hoopla and a hardcore Facebook campaign, he was given the all clear to go.

This Massachusetts boy actually went above and beyond to ask this gal to prom. He borrowed a crane from his grandfather and painted this sign. Seriously so darn sweet, I want to date him.

All of these prom stories got me reminiscing about my own high school prom. There was no elaborate prom invitation. In fact, I don't even think my boyfriend at the time officially asked me. Now that I am thinking about it, I may have even ordered my own corsage. What the...

Nothing actually monumental happened at the dance, besides getting lost driving from dinner over to the gym where the prom was taking place. Honest. No, there was no hanky panky going on, just straight up, no sense of direction. Navigation systems hadn't been invented yet, and normal kids didn't have cell phones, so we had to go old school and stop and ask for directions.

For me, the best part about prom though, was planning the ensemble. Don't get me wrong, I have absolutely no desire to be a teenager again, but if I was hypothetically going to prom again and had etsy at my finger tips...

Some may say it is all about getting the right date for prom, but for me, it was all about the dress.

All dolled up for the dance. This vintage photo of a high school hottie, is from Cassie's Tale Vintage on etsy.

I was never one for having a big fufu dress with lots of frills or rhinestones.

Even more important than finding the right dress though, was finding a dress that no one else would have. These kids today, just don't know how good they have it, handmade and vintage online...

So what would a thirty something girly choose for her hypothetical 2011 prom?

Simple elegance. I love this flirty yet sophisticated handmade tapestry dress from Patricia Valery on etsy.

I would like a dress like this along with my 1997 figure...

Sparkling vintage pumps to dance the night away in from Scoff the Rack's etsy shop

I would snatch up this sweet brocade vintage clutch from Lady Lux Vintage on etsy, because I now have a cell phone and would need a place to carry it in case I got lost again.

As you can see, it is about the sparkling pattern mixing for my prom night.

A creative wrist corsage that won't wilt. This beautiful handmade one of a kind vintage collage cuff bracelet is from sayagdis One of a Kind Jewelry Design on etsy.

Dear Prom Date,

Send me no flowers. I can buy myself some posies at the grocery store.

I would much rather have jewelry.

Sincerely,

Your Garage Sale Girly

Tiny tiara, big on vintage personality. This lovely vintage tiara was spotted in Coral Vintage's etsy shop.

It is a pretty safe bet a thirty something won't be crowned prom queen, but It doesn't matter ... if you wear your own crown.

So that about completes my 2011 prom look...

Don't look so dismal prom date, of course I picked out a few fantastic etsy finds for you too! These sweet threads will totally compliment my ensemble and give you a one of a kind vintage flare (Just what a guy wants, one of a kind vintage flare). I can feel my hubby cringing at that statement. Don't worry husband, I am not talking about you, I am talking about my date.

Awesome patterned vintage bow tie from Vogue Vintage Clothing on etsy.

You can't wear a bow tie like that without a vintage cummerbund. This one was spotted in Strumpets Bazaar's etsy shop.

You can't have the vintage bow tie and cummerbund without a sweet vintage tuxedo jacket. This fantastic find is from Retro Homme Vintage on etsy.

Yes, my date and I would would look quite swell decked out in our etsy finest. I hope you enjoyed my hypothetical prom adventure. For more tips on unique "Ways to ask a girl to prom in a cute way", you may want to check out this link from wikiHOW (Nice and cheesy, just the way I like it). For more finds to create your perfect prom ensemble you should definitely check out these awesome etsy sellers (Endless shopping options, I like it like that too!).

Oh what a night...This great hand tinted vintage prom photo can be found in Main Street Ephemera's etsy shop.

The Spring Flea

2011-05-15T00:02:00.000-04:00

Greetings and salutations readers. I know that I haven't blogged in a few weeks, and it isn't because I have abandoned ship.

The truth is, I have been having an affair.

It has been a very intense affair with my Kenmore Ultra Stitch 12 sewing machine. Last week, I was feverishly preparing for the Spring Flea! in Columbus, Ohio.

It was a great day to spend some time outside in the sunshine (thank goodness), shopping for vintage and handmade finds in the Short North. Since The Unique Bird isn't only all about awesome vintage home decor, it is also about unique handmade finds using vintage materials, I kept myself quite busy, sewing up some beautiful new Spring into Summer items to bring to the show.

Take a peek into my booth.

The Unique Bird's Booth at the Spring Flea! May 8th, 2011.

Handmade vintage fabric pillows from The Unique Bird. I was really excited about some of my new creations!

All new handmade vintage floral fabric garland, great framed vintage ephemera, and of course our vintage fabric wine bottle wraps!

We had a fresh selection of handmade vintage fabric wine bottle wraps prefect for those Spring soirees or Summer fetes.

Ahoy! I have also added some new vintage fabric wine wrap styles to The Unique Bird's etsy shop too.

Last Sunday was Mother's Day, and The Spring Flea was a great place to pick up a Unique last minute gift for Mom!

We were thrilled to have a sweet selection of handmade vintage feedsack fabric handbags and totes from the talented Mother Daughter team at Objet Adapte in our booth.

Wear your personality on your sleeve...your coffee cup sleeve that is. One of our newest items, the handmade reusable vintage fabric coffee cup sleeve, turned out to be quite a hot item (no pun intended).

Coming Up Tulips, I also recently added some great new vintage fabric coffee sleeve styles to our etsy shop.

It was a fantastic day! I thank everyone who stopped by The Unique Bird's booth.

I also want to say a special Thanks to my Mom for helping me run my booth while the Hubby was at a baseball game with the Birthday Boy (a.k.a. My Dad)!

Sew much more for tomorrow May 15th, 2011!

Since our vintage fabric wine bottle wraps and reusable coffee cup sleeves turned out to be such a hit I added more new styles this week that can be found at Objet Adapte's booth at North Market's Artisan Sunday. Thanks so much to Objet Adapte for including some of our handmade vintage in your booth!

Artisan Sunday at the North Market in Columbus, Ohio.

Objet Adapte specializes in one of a kind, handmade vintage feedsack handbags and aprons.

These are some of their newest feedsack bag designs from their "Frontier Collection.".

Visit Objet Adapte at The Artisan Sunday craft fair at North market from 12-5 pm.

Even if it is a rainy Sunday (fingers crossed it won't be), their beautiful handmade feedsack bags and a great selection of handmade vintage fabric wine bottle wraps and coffee sleeves from The Unique Bird will be sure to brighten your day!

Thursday's Unique Picks - Paint Chip Off The Old Block

2011-04-28T15:11:00.000-04:00

Do you dabble...

Gorgeous vintage artist palette brooch and earring set from Seaside Studio on etsy.

Have you experienced the Joy of Painting?

This great handmade felt Bob Ross finger puppet from abbeychristine's etsy shop, might be just the thing to inspire you to paint those happy little trees.

Now I am not talking about landscapes or still-life today, I am talking about kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms... you get the picture. Please note that you don't have to be an artist to be a painter, especially when it comes to this week's Unique finds from etsy sellers.

Fantastic vintage French Trade Sign for a Painter sign from Invisible Gallery on etsy.

Porquoi all the interest in the Joys of Painting this week?

Adorable vintage "painter's tray" from five6seven8's etsy shop

Two reasons:

Reason 1: I have been contemplating painting the walls in my own kitchen.

Reason 2: Curiosity over something I saw in a bar last week (I bet you are curious now too).

I am still in the planning phase with giving my kitchen a fresh coat...picking the color, finding the time, yada yada.

Color choice is quite a process for me, even if I am just choosing neutrals. I often hang the chips on my walls (sometimes for weeks) to help me with the decision (obsess much?). I even once hosted a party at my house and was in the middle of choosing a new wall color in my bathroom. I had the chips hung up in the bathroom and asked my guests to vote on their favorite shade. Wack-o.

Picking the color is my favorite part though, I just LOVE paint chip color cards. I still can't believe home improvement stores let you have them for free.

These paint color cards can not only inspire a room's color, but they have inspired these awesome finds.

Wear the chips fall...handmade necklace from inky.strings on etsy upcycled from paint swatches.

These cheerful hang tags from BETTESBUTTONS on etsy were created using recycled paint swatches.

Even if your walls are neutrally colored, these terrific paint chip inspired placemats from Avril Loreti's etsy shop will surely add a unique punch of color to your space.

Fun with color aside, you will not get very far if you don't have the right tools to get the job done.

Grab that bucket of paint and get to work.

Brush up on your painting skills with this vintage industrial brush from BD Vintage on etsy.

A little boost for the vertically challenged folk like myself, with this great cottage chic vintage metal painters ladder from TheOrangeCollective's etsy shop. Even if you aren't painting, it would make a neat plant stand or occasional table in your cottage chic home.

If you want to paint like a professional though, you may want to "look" like a professional painter.

Which leads me to the second thing that inspired this weeks topic.

What did I see in that bar? Curiosity killing you?

I saw a painter all dressed up in his white painters uniform. Yeah sorry, not a very exciting bar story.

Someone I was with posed an interesting question to me though, "Why do painters wear white?".

My reply: "Painters traditionally wear white so you can see their level of expertise. If they have lots of paint on them they are probably pretty messy".

Sounds pretty convincing right? Yeah, it turns out that I totally made that up or believed that statement from someone else that totally made it up, and just relayed it to my parents.

The REAL reason that painters wear white:

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to track down one concrete reason but found a variety of theories:

...."it began in the early 20th century when union painters adopted white as their uniform to set themselves aside from non-union workers. The union guys used to wear white clothes with black neckties as a symbol of their professionalism."
...."the most common color painters deal with is white, and they also deal with a lot of other white stuff such as plaster and spackle, so they wear white clothes so the splotches don't show."
...."painters use to mix 50 lbs of "White lead powder" with a can of paint paste in order to make about 2 gallons of paint. The mixing process produced large amounts of white dust and to hide the dust on themselves the painters wore white."

Thanks Askville, for these fascinating answers to my exciting question.

Image from The Three Stooges movie Tassels In The Air found on the Three Stooges website.

Don't be a stooge, dress for painting success. No one ever said a painters white suit couldn't be cute...

Stylin' white vintage jumpsuit prefect for painting in, found in Ms. Tips etsy shop.

See what I mean, You don't have to be an artist to be a painter, nor do you have to actually be painting anything to be inspired by these sweet finds from etsy sellers!

The ultimate color splash, no paint required! Beautiful handmade original mixed media using fabrics to create this artwork from Bright Shine on etsy.

Thursday's Unique Picks - Sunshine State of Mind

2011-04-21T13:27:00.000-04:00

Happy Thursday everyone.

Sorry for the break in the Unique Picking action last week, but I had a little matter that I had to attend to...

You may be asking yourself "What could possibly be so important that you are skipping out on your blog-ligations to provide your readers with great finds from etsy sellers?"

Easy. VACATION!

Travel in vintage style with this brilliant blue set of luggage from Yesterday's Silhouette on etsy.

Due to my ADD and OCD (self diagnosed, of course) it makes packing for vacation quite a trip.

Handmade button from Nasty Buttons on etsy. It is funny because it is true in my case.

All I really need to pack though was...

I would have been so glamorous if I had had a gorgeous Mid century swimsuit like this one from Coral Vintage's etsy shop. It may have also been a bonus to wear a suit like this for all of those around me, because it would have provided extra coverage from all of my blinding pale Ohio skin.

My swimsuit and some sunnies

Stay cool with these shades. These fantastic vintage sunglasses from Collectible Spectacles on etsy are just begging to be taken with you on your next vacation.

With an extensive packing list such as this it should come as no surprise to you that I was headed somewhere south (and I don't mean Cincinnati). The hubby and I evacuated the the great State of Ohio last week in hopes of finding a state of relaxation.

Beautiful original fine art photograph from lucy snowe photography's etsy shop

We boarded our crack of dawn flight to find some fun in the Sunshine State.

AirTran take me away.

GO FLORIDA! Awesome vintage souvenir pennant from Recent History's etsy shop.

Upon arrival I made sure to pick up a little something to remind me what our vacation was all about...

Subtle yet, to the point. Relax. Quite tasty and refreshing I might add.

The hubby and I happen to be very lucky children because we were able to stay at a home away from home with my in-laws.

This is Danny, and he will be your dresser caddy. This sweet vintage caddie laddy dresser caddy from honey blossom studio on etsy, would be a charming addition to any room.

Their home my be located in a beautiful golf course community a la Bushwood, but you better believe you wouldn't find me swinging any clubs.

Me and my main squeeze. Our afternoon at the beach.

This is the only sand trap you will find this girly in.

I am not one to brag. This hilarious original design letterpress postcard from Mad Menagerie's etsy shop will help you to express to your friends back home how you really feel about your vacation.

Besides golf, about the only other thing I wanted to avoid while on our Florida vacation was alligators.

Why can't all alligators be this cute and stylish? This vintage enamel brooch can be found in Triolette by Langkev on etsy.

So how did I spend my days? No garage sales for me this week.

Let's just say this girly was satisfied to float.

Sweet relaxation reminder. "Float" away with this hand embroidery from the merriweather council's etsy shop.

If I was an illustration, I would have looked something like this, "Afloat" in the pool (but maybe a little less blond and a little more pale).

Great original limited edition print from Stephanie Fizer Coleman on etsy.

Alas all good vacations must come to an end, because if I was on vacation everyday it wouldn't seem as special (at least that is what I keep telling myself).

I am now back in Ohio and it is about 30 degrees colder than where I was yesterday afternoon. It just makes me appreciate how lucky I was to get to go on such a fab Florida vacation.

Wishing I had some of this right about now, "Genuine Canned Florida Sunshine". The great vintage find is from Lucinda and the Bluebird's etsy shop.

Oh well, at least I have a bit of a tan to remember how much fun I had in the sun.

I hope this week's unique picks from great etsy sellers put you in a Sunshine State of Mind! Even if you can't get away from your daily grind, these great finds may brighten your day and make you feel like you are on vaca!

Study Abroad

2011-04-13T13:09:00.000-04:00

I have always wanted to...

Study Abroad

from The Unique Bird

Recently listed collection of vintage and handmade home decor from The Unique Bird on etsy.

These unique vintage pieces were combined in an eclectic way as if they had been purchased while on an adventure abroad. Maybe a jaunt to a few Scandinavian countries...

Keeping our Scandinavian Study Abroad adventure fresh with a mixture of vintage folk art and Mid-century modern.

Wee woodland creatures that you met along the way..

Tree of Life, 1960's folk art style resin wall hanging.

The Early Bird will catch this great vintage decorated ruby glass vase.

Be Some Bunny vintage faux bois plastic tray.

Having a Tweet Time. Handmade vintage fabric pillow.

What is Black and White and Red all-over?

Why these great vintage pieces to complete the Study Abroad look, of course.

Zig Zagging around with these amazing Mid-century Modern Swedish designed, Upsala-Ekeby bud vases.

Beautiful crisp, Snow White vintage milk glass pedestal compote.

Black and White Beauty vintage beaded statement necklace adds a unique and sophisticated splash of style to your ensemble.

Red Letter Day, vintage powder box adds an elegant feminine touch to any room.

Crisp and modern looking with a handmade touch, Cross Stitch Country, vintage cross stitched set of placemat and fabric coasters.

All together these fantastic vintage pieces from The Unique Bird will add a rather adventurous statement to any room in your home!

Be sure to take a trip to The Unique Bird's etsy shop to find these great vintage pieces and more to decorate your nest!

Bon Voyage!

Thursday's Unique Picks - Hit The Showers

2011-04-07T13:37:00.000-04:00

It is time to hit the showers gals.

Nope, it is not because I just got back from an especially grungy garage sale.

I am talking about April Showers, the ones that lead up to Spring and Summer weddings.

Here Comes The Bride handmade vintage paper garland from The Unique Bird on etsy.

Before the Bride and Groom say their “I Dos”…there are the showers.

I do think these are fantastic! "I Do" silver shoe rhinestones from Mon Amour Boutique on etsy.

The Bridal shower traditionally is a gathering of females that attend a soirée to bear gifts upon the bride in the anticipation of her upcoming nuptials.

You may be surprised to know that the bridal shower tradition isn’t really a new concept; the custom of having a bridal shower actually dates back to the 1890’s (according to my extensive research on Wikipedia).

Do you want to know why it is called a “bridal shower”? Good, I’ll tell you.

According to Get Married Ohio website, “at a party, the Bride's friends placed small gifts inside a parasol and opened it over the Bride's head. When she opened the parasol, she was "showered" with presents! “ .

Yes it sound loopy, but I thought it was a fun little story and am sure it is completely accurate as most traditions and superstitions are.

Happy Shower vintage gift wrapping paper from Holiday Kitschklatsch's etsy shop.

Since I attended my cousin’s bridal shower last weekend, I have been in a wedding kind of mood and thought I would share some ideas for wedding shower gifts from etsy sellers that may differ a smidgen from the traditional Club Wed registry list.

Sure there is something to be said for buying gifts off the registry list because these are things that the Bride and Groom actually want, but if you know me, I don’t tend to do things by the book or by the list, if you will. I like to try and give gifts that have a personal touch…Often I will pick one item from the gift registry and add on a little something special that is “off registry”.

If you are buying the bride something for the kitchen off her registry might I suggest adding...

Sweet handmade heart spice spoons from Beehive Kitchenware Co. on etsy.

Every new bride should have a special apron. This vintage apron one from Blue Gremlin's etsy shop is too funny. It is important to note the Bride's sense of humor before giving her an apron though. If you misjudge her tolerance for humor you my find yourself uninvited to the wedding.

What is the Bride's china pattern? Find a beautiful vintage or handmade vase or candle holder to compliment the Bride and Groom's desired dish ware.

For example, if a Bride that registered for a new set of Fiesta Ware dishes, this vintage Fiesta Ware Candle holder from The Corner Store BK on etsy would be a unique gift!

If you are buying her bed linens, try adding a handmade vintage touch...

Vintage hand embroidered "Mr. and Mrs." pillow cases from classicstyleshop on etsy.

If you want to go completely off registry though...

A beautiful pair of champagne glasses for the Bride and Groom to use at their wedding reception.

Pair of vintage etched champagne goblets from my etsy shop, The Unique Bird.

A special place for their honeymoon memories...all you have to do is find out where they are headed after their big day.

I highly recommend these handmade leather photo albums from leathermaps on etsy. This shop offers a wide variety of destinations on their photo albums and offer great vintage inspired postcard graphics.

A custom creation for their home...

This Beautiful custom hand embroidery from Lilac Saloon on etsy, will feature the names of the Bride and Groom.

But this may be one of the most important gifts that you could give a new bride (with a sense of humor), an instruction manual.

1951 booklet "Your Marriage, Guideposts to Mental Health" found in TheIDConnection's etsy shop. Hahahaha.

I hope you have found some great ideas here for adding a special touch to those wedding shower gifts.

Who knows, if you impress the Bride enough, you may be able to score yourself a spot at one of the "non boring" tables at the wedding reception.