Thursday's Unique Picks - Twelve Days On A Budget

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

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?

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

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

"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

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

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.