Thrift Store Karma

I am thinking it was some sort of Thrift Store Karma...

Last week I headed over to my favorite local thrift store, on half price day, in search of sweet vintage fabrics for my handmade creations.

I wanted to buy these vintage men's pants, but I couldn't find a price tag. I checked the pockets for a price tag and discovered a five spot! When I checked out, I handed the $5 to the clerk and explained. She was confused. I just wanted to do the right thing...and I think it was good karma because I found loads of great vintage fabrics!

Here is a prime example of how I think my honesty may have paid off!

I picked up this "grab bag". 

I don't typically buy these grab bags because it can be difficult to tell what all is in the sealed plastic bags. From what I could tell through the plastic bag, there seemed to be enough remnants of vintage looking fabrics to make it worth taking the chance.

You have no idea how excited I was to tear open the bag when I got home!

So are you ready for the big reveal?

Sweet score number one: a large remnant cutting of eyelet fabric and three vintage handkerchiefs.

The hankies alone made the bag totally worthwhile. Have you seen the prices on vintage handkerchiefs these days? Even at the thrift store on half price day, they can go for $1.50 each!

Sweet score number two: a really beautiful assortment of very nice velvets.

I don't tend to buy velvets because I typically only find the cheap-o looking super synthetic kind. These fat quarter sized cuttings are the "good stuff", and not plastic looking at all. They will be perfect for Fall/ Winter sewing projects.

Sweet score number three: two quarter yard cuttings of phenomenal vintage upholstery fabrics.

These two fabrics are going to be made into some gorgeous pillows!

Sweetest score number four: The pièce de résistance. I was excited because I thought there was a large cutting of brown and white vintage gingham cotton in the bag....but what I pulled out of my grab bag blew my mind.

Not too shabby, if you ask me...it was a beautiful home sewn vintage girl's dress. It is in nearly perfect condition (missing only one button on the back closure), and it is extremely well made. It just needs a delicate wash a good press and a button and it will be good as new. This will not be repurposed into anything! It should be worn by a vintage loving little lady. 

Not sure if I just got lucky or if it really was good karma for turning in the money that I found.

You know the Golden Rule: "Do unto others..."

It is just like Forrest Gump says..."Life is like a grab bag at a thrift store, you never know what vintage you are going to get..." um...errr...something like that.

Garage Sale Girly Fun With Marketing Mike

Hey You!!

Long time no see, eh?

Well, I have decided to give the old sewing machine the day off so I could WRITE A NEW BLOG POST! I know, I can’t believe it either. Since today is #SSPS (Shameless Self Promotion Sunday) on the Twitter, I figured it would be a perfect opportunity to do just that!

This week I had an amazing opportunity to be interviewed by an author, speaker, sports marketing specialist, hot dog extraordinaire and all around great guy, Mr. Mike Rudd.

Wine Not? July is national hot dog month! Enjoy a hot dog classy style with a glass of vino while conducting a very serious interview! Photo via Marketing Fun With Mike's Facebook Fan Page. 

Mr. Rudd wrote his debut book, “Hot Dogs, A Little Marketing, and A Lot of Fun”. In this book, he explains how working at a hot dog stand in college, taught him lessons that he was able to apply to achieve greatness, not only in his career, but in life as well!  It is his story, not necessarily a “how to” manual. One of the great things about reading this book though, is that so many of his stories and “Carry Outs” can be applied to your own life and be beneficial to anyone trying to find their own “Hot Dog Stand”.

My personal copy of "Hot Dogs, A Little Marketing and A Lot Of Fun". I am old school, so I decided to go with the actual physical book...but you can also purchase it as an e-book on his website, Marketing Fun With Mike!

I was honored when Marketing Mike asked to interview this Garage Sale Girly for his Hot Dog Chronicles!

So without further ado, here is the pod cast interview! I hope you will sit down, grab a hot dog and enjoy the pod cast!

I just wanted to say a huge footlong hot dog sized thank you to Marketing Mike!

Marketing Mike beat me to the punch with the thank you though! I added his thank you card to my "insprational" cork board that hangs in front of my sewing machine.

p.s. If you made it to the lightning round portion of the interview and were wondering about my recent best vintage find, that is not for sale…here it is!

At first glance it is an unassuming vintage hard plastic case...In fact my husband and I almost didn't give it a second glance when at a recent garage sale.

But when you open the case...the party begins, a la Don Draper! Yes, a complete c.1960's Trav.L.Bar by Ever-Wear! The set even came with a swell transistor radio! 

Well, if you are really in love with it, I did say that I would be willing to part with it for a million dollars! I am pretty firm on that price.

Vote For Vintage

Vote for Vintage

Vintage book "America Goes to the Polls" at The Unique Bird.

During this election season, I urge you to vote for vintage. Sure these items may be a bit worn and tattered, but they have survived. The wear gives these pieces character and unique qualities that are admirable. The choice is yours when buying gifts or items to decorate your nest.

Vintage Patriotic serving tray at The Unique Bird

I am Garage Sale Girly and I approve this message.

Watch out On Halloween...

Antique postcard from The Unique Bird on etsy. "And the goblins will get you, if you don't watch out On Halloween"...or the pirates. 

I had an interesting conversation with a 5 year old boy over the weekend. It went a little something like this.

Me: "What are you going to dress up as for Halloween?"
Little Boy: "Arrrrrr"
Me: "A dinosaur?"
Little Boy: "No. Arrrr"
Me: "A monster?"
Little Boy: "No. Arrrrrrr"
Me: "A pirate?"
Little Boy: "Yes."
Me: "What is your favorite candy?"
Little Boy: "You are."
Me: "You don't want to eat me...I am not very sweet. I am pretty salty"
Little Boy: "I like salty."
Ok...just chuckle it off. Surely this little boy is not trying to pick me up!?!
A little while later I asked him: "Are you hungry? What do you want to eat for lunch?"
Little Boy: "I want to eat YOU."

My little 5 year old friend...he looks so sweet...but he is a bit salty himself!  Father's lock up you daughters...husbands hang on to your wives...this pirate is on the prowl!

I kind of got the feeling that this little pirate really was looking for booty. I am impressed...this kid's pick up lines were better than most of the men I had encountered when I was single.

Cheers to Eleven Years

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband!

Our wedding day 9/8/2001. My husband and I picked up these little metal numbers at the flea over the summer! Aren't they so sweet? They were reclaimed from old clock faces. I have big plans on framing them with the photo.

He is my blog editor. My accountant. My muscle. Sometimes he is my sewing assistant (sorry honey...but thank you). My navigator (and driver...sorry again). My tech support....And that is just the work stuff that he is kind enough to help me with. He is my enthusiast. He is my best friend. He is my everything. Hey, I love my guy! First of the day to eleven years!

p.s. sorry if this is super sappy my dear husband...I forgot to buy you a card so I had to improvise.

Love you always,

Your Garage Sale Girly

Back Story - Treasure Hunt In The Dark

Howdy folks!

Just a little backstory on this fantastic mid century Bay Keramik West Germany art pottery planter that just arrived in my etsy shop...

Mid Century Bay Keramik planter - Ripe Olive, at The Unique Bird

Because sometimes the hunt is just as interesting as the find.

Picture it...

Early August, somewhere in Ohio on Rt. 127 (a.k.a The Endless Yard Sale)...

There was a field filled with rusty metal vintage treasures. A huge thunderstorm was brewing. Instead of wondering around the field of metal finds with lightening overhead, the hubby and I opted to venture into a little farm out building. There was a sign on the door that said “More Inside”. Oh yes, there certainly was more. The building was filled with tables of treasure from what we could tell. There was some daylight coming through one door and there was one very dim overhead light. Basically...it was the type of building that felt like it belonged in a horror film…and the men that were selling didn’t exactly give me a fuzzy safe feeling. Honestly I felt safer outside the field of metal with the lightening striking… But there was the vintage…so I pressed on. I don’t know that I have ever selected my purchases as fast as I did that afternoon. There was no time for pondering over details; there was not really any way to check for cracks or makers marks considering the low lit ambiance of that charming building. The name of the game was, take a chance. Grab what you like, buy it and get the heck outta there. My husband...didn’t seem to notice my uneasiness and urgency. He was lost in a box of vintage beer bottle openers. I wondered over to him with my hands full of vintage pottery and said…in a slightly…well, rather stern tone, “we need to wrap this up”. With every crack of thunder, I selected faster. All I kept thinking was, please don’t let this storm knock out the power to that light. We purchased our treasures from a slightly sketchy looking fellow and made it to the silver flea (a.k.a. my sweet car) right before the rain started pouring. When we made it home safe and sound I decided to inspect my finds, since I had not really seen them. As luck would have it, this mid-century pottery piece was in pretty good shape…I didn’t fare so well with all of the pieces. One out of six isn’t too shabby..and we didn’t get kidnaped...also very good.  The moral of the story is, sometimes it is better to be lucky than good.

Sure those men may have been a bit sketchy but they did have some pretty sweet vintage. Maybe it was a genius selling technique. Entice the customer with awesome vintage..but make them feel very uncomfortable and a bit scared so they don’t quibble about price and they don’t linger…the world may never know. 

Hi and Good Bye to May

Dis-ci-pline -
activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill; training. Example: A daily stint at the typewriter is excellent discipline for a writer.

Thank you  Dictionary.com. for giving me such a fitting example of discipline.

So let me just say my poor little blog has been suffering...begging for some sort of attention each week. 

It is not that I have lost the discipline to post my favorite etsy finds in my blog each week...the fact is, my discipline has shifted. I have really been trying to step up the production of my handmade vintage fabric goodies...because as it turns out, you cannot sell more stuff if you don't have the product to sell (I think I must have missed that day in Introduction to Business class). Sew on my little Kenmore Ultra Stitch 12.

Yes, I am jealous of the folks that can do it all! You know those people who are able to juggle regular blog posts, sew up the merchandise, list new items in the etsy shop, hunt for vintage treasures, research those vintage treasures, go to the grocery, cook up the dinners...and clean (god forbid). I don't even have any little ones yet to throw into the mix! To those who can do it all, and get to bed at a reasonable hour, I honestly salute you.

Any who...now that I am finished whining about my lack of multi tasking skills... I guess the good news is that my lack of blogging has resulted in a lovely selection of handmade goodies!

Hello May!

At the beginning of the month I was a vendor at the Spring Flea in The Short North in Columbus, Oh.

Our favorite local wine shop, Meza, stocked up on a serious selection of our handmade vintage fabric wine bottle wraps just in time for Mother's Day gifting! 

picture courtesy of Meza.

...and more new Spring-tas-tic wine wraps were delivered to Celebrate Local! 

Apparently the customers are celebrating with Ohio wines wrapped in the best handmade vintage fabric wine bottle wraps from The Unique Bird!

So if you visit Columbus Ohio and are looking for unique dressings from The Unique Bird, for gifting a bottle of wine, you know where to find them!

Now if you are headed to Kansas...

I am super excited to announce that some of The Unique Bird's handmade can now be found at a new shop in Lindsborg, Kansas called Sarahendepity!

Picture courtesy of Go Poverty Flats blog post.

I was fortunate to get to know the owner of the shop through etsy and was thrilled when she asked me to send some of my handmade vintage lace garlands and vintage fabric coffee cup cozies to her new shop!

Some of the handmade vintage and antique lace garlands I sent to Sarahendepity.

Talk about a gal that can do it all! The shop owner, Sarah, has not one...but two successful etsy shops. At Sarahanntiques on etsy she sells a fabulous assortment antiques and primitives and at Que Sarah Sera on etsy she sells beautiful handmade jewelry. Her new brick and mortar shop Sarahendepity, not only houses her handmade jewelry as well her antiques, but a selection of products from other etsy handmade artists from around the U.S.! I am very proud to be representing Ohio in Lindsborg, Kansas! 

This is the gal that can do it all! Great photo of Sarah in her new shop from  Go Poverty Flats blog .

Now if you happen to link over to one of her etsy shops right now you may find them in vacation mode...not because she is actually taking a vacation, but she is a bit tied up with harvest on her farm. (Told you she can do everything!) Be sure to stop by her etsy shops in the next few weeks to check out her beautiful online selection if you cannot pop in to her shop in Kansas. I wish her continued success in her etsy shops, and all the best in her new brick and mortar!

Good bye May...

So to wrap up this crazy good month...the hubby and I will be hitting the road... the National Road that is. We are heading out on an adventure in search of fantastic vintage treasures for the shop! This week the National Road yard sales kick off and run through the weekend! The National Road yard sales are scattered along Rt. 40 and run from Baltimore to St. Louis. Unfortunately, we have a limited time to cover so many yard sales...so we will just be able to hit some of Ohio and part of Indiana. Maybe someday...we can go all the way.

One of my snap shots from last year's National Road Yard Sailing adventure.

Here is hoping that I won't be such a stranger to my blog next month...or at least will have more exciting happenings from The Unique Bird to report to you about! 

This Week In History - To Catch a Princess

April 18th,1956

Commemorate the royal wedding with this fantastic collection of vintage stamps from  Coco's Room on etsy.

On April 18th, 1956, actress Grace Kelly marries Prince Rainier of Monaco. The glamorous Miss Kelly met her Prince Rainier while filming the 1955 Hitchcock movie, "To Catch a Thief", in the French Riviera. When the two met, it wasn't exactly love at first sight, at least not for the Hitchcock blond. It took a bit of time to convince Miss Kelly that this man she met wasn't just any Prince...he was her Prince Charming. The Prince started a letter writing campaign and his persistence paid off. After a year of correspondence, he won her over. Apparently, that is how you catch a Princess. Miss Kelly retired from acting and traded her star for a crown.

For more information on the wedding of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco or this date in history check out this article on The History Channel website.

Thursday's Unique Picks - Please Don't Lose The Opener

Ohhhh the anticipation...the excitement.
Anyone know what today is?
Anyone? Anyone?

How are you celebrating baseball season? Why not deck out some cupcakes with these sweet vintage  baseball glove cupcake toppers from Crickleberry Cottage's etsy shop.

Opening Day for the Columbus Clippers, of course!

Who are the Clippers, you ponder? Well they are Columbus' AAA Minor League baseball team.

Just to be clear. I don't really like baseball...but I do like Columbus Clippers baseball. Makes sense, right?

Check out my sweet new Clipper's gear. This one of a kind D.I.Y Clippers bag was a Christmas Gift from my Hubby. D.I.Y? Yes. He bought me this vintage bag (on etsy, of course) and the Clippers patch and it was up to me to assemble, since sewing is not really his forte.

So to celebrate opening day, I thought I would sing a little tune that you may know and love, accompanied by some great etsy finds that you may want to get to know and love!

1949 sheet music from the MGM musical "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" found in  Oma's Trunk's etsy shop.

Take me out to the ball game,

Take me out to the crowd;

Buy me some peanuts...

Adorable vintage style peanut bags from In The Clear on etsy.

and Crackerjack,

Some may associate beer with baseball games but there is nothing wrong with throwing back a glass of vino while cheering on the team...especially if you are using these great vintage Crackerjack prize wine glass charms handmade by D&J Leis Antiques on etsy.

...and a hot dog 
(seriously, how is this line not in the lyrics?)

Fantastic dancing stained glass weiner from Western Art Glass' etsy shop.

I don't care if I never get back.

So let's root, root, root for the home team,

If they don't win, it's a shame.

Hoping for a win! This great embossed copper "win" necklace is from Juls After Midnight on etsy.

For it's one, two, three strikes you're out,

At the old ball game!

Go Clippers! Bring home a win tonight! You know that they say...

If the home team loses the opener...
they won't be able to serve beer the rest of the season.

Please don't lose the opener. But if they do...you won't have to worry, if you have this great vintage beer bottle opener around your neck, from Poor Sparrow's etsy shop.

(A girly could get powerful thirsty without a cold one to wash down all of those hot dogs.)
Hope that you enjoyed our opening day inspired etsy picks and I wish all of your favorite teams the best of luck this baseball season, unless they are playing my Clippers of course.

The Bird is the Word

Hot Dog! Yes, Girly is FINALLY updating her blog!

Oh, where do I start?

A lot has been going on at the headquarters of The Unique Bird (a.k.a. my nest). As I slowly try and get back to some sort of a blogging schedule, hopefully you will enjoy a brief rundown of my adventures over the last few weeks.

Wake up and smell the coffee!

Vintage Flavo Matic percolator found in my etsy shop. A few days after my coffee maker was kaput, a customer inquired if I could test the working condition of this percolator. I did, and it perked right up! Why didn't I think to do that myself?

Or not...

A few weeks back, I awoke...not to the smell of freshly brewed coffee...but an empty coffee pot and my coffee maker blinking "error" at me. Shock. Horror. Not really a great way to start the day...or a story (I promise it gets better). So feeling under caffeinated, I trudged down stairs to check my email.

How to brighten my mood sans coffee? Insert an amazing opportunity. Imagine my now shock and awe when I was asked to go to my hometown and appear on live television to talk about my vintage treasures and my handmade vintage fabric goodies! Suddenly my day was perking up.

Yes, I was walking on clouds with excitement over my upcoming television appearance, but that was a few weeks away...back to work girly! You have to get sewing. Someone had to make a fresh selection of vintage fabric wine accessories for our favorite local wine shop for Spring, and that someone was me! Suddenly I felt like wonder woman...(because I was a kick butt sewing machine...not because I was wearing a cape while sewing).

A stitch in time saves nine

My Vintage Kenmore Ultra Stitch 12.

Rolling along on my good old 1982 Kenmore Ultra Stitch 12.  Ca chunk, ca chunk, ca...whaaat?!?! Shock. Horror. My poor sewing machine finally had enough of my empty promises to give it a little rest...and had a bit of a break down. Suddenly a broken coffee maker seemed like small potatoes...this was serious.

Much like Demi Moore, my sewing machine needed to be treated for "exhaustion". Thankfully I had a back up sewing machine.

We got off to a rocky start...but pretty soon my back up sewing machine and I became good pals.

Last summer, I became the proud owner of my Mother-in-law's c.1970's Kenmore sewing machine. I have to admit...we got off to a rocky start (me and the sewing machine...not me and my Mother-in-law) but I kept at it, and we soon became close friends. I was able to deliver a new selection of my bloomin' wine bottle stoppers to Meza Wine Shop.

Bloomin' Wine Bottle Stoppers from The Unique Bird exclusively sold at Meza Wine Shop in Westerville, Ohio.

 I was also able to get started on some pretty new handmade goodies to debut on my TV appearance and oh yes...a big selection of Spring-tastic goods for our first Trunk Show at Meza's Girls Night Out Wine Tasting.

Filling up my trunk (well suitcase) with handmade vintage fabric goodies for Meza's Girls Night Out Wine Tasting and Trunk show featuring The Unique Bird and Objet Adapte! 

Welcome Home!

After a week of rehab and a few new parts, I welcomed my good old Kenmore home..and I departed to my hometown for my television debut in Dayton!

It was all very exciting to appear on Living Dayton! Living Dayton is a new lifestyle program on WDTN - TV (the ABC affiliate in Dayton, Ohio). I felt so glamorous...I felt so excited...I felt like I was 5'6" tall!

 A behind the scenes snap shot from my segment on Living Dayton courtesy of the fantastic Mr. Schmelick. No, I was not working out, but I did need a step up so I wasn't a floating head behind my suitcase filled with pillows.

Objects on the screen may not be to actual scale. Through the magic of television I actually was taller! So without further ado...yours truly's television debut.

Decorating tips from the Unique Bird: wdtn.com

Um. So there you have it. Um. not too shabby for my first time on live TV. In my attempt to not say "like" 750 times, I ended up saying "um" 950 times. Oh well, c'est la vie. Hopefully what I had to say was so impactful that it distracted the viewers from counting my...um...ums. As my sister said, it was "Um - believable". All jokes aside, I cannot thank the folks at Living Dayton enough for such a terrific opportunity to spread the word about The Unique Bird's vintage and handmade treasures!

Sew on and Sew Forth...

After appearing on Living Dayton...I whisked myself away to my favorite Kettering thrift store...just to see if there was anything I couldn't live without...

So we meet again Frigidaire Flare. In January, the hubby and I stumbled upon one of these c.1960's stoves at the Re- Store in Columbus, Ohio...and then I spotted this one in Kettering. Much to my hubby's dismay once again...I lived without it. 

Then back to Columbus to wrap up my sewing projects for Meza's Girls Night Out Wine Tasting and Trunk Show featuring handmade vintage fabric goods from The Unique Bird and Objet Adapte.

Photos courtesy of Meza. March Girls Night Out Wine Tasting 3/21/12. We had an awesome selection of  new Bloomin' Wine Bottle Stoppers displayed on the front table!

Beautiful handmade vintage feedsack handbags and accessories from Objet Adapte at the wine tasting!

It was a fantastic turnout for the wine tasting! Thanks so much to our talented friends from Objet Adapte for partnering up with The Unique Bird for this event, to Meza for featuring us, and of course, thank you to everyone that came out to support us!

In a nut shell...that is what I have been up to. It has been a crazy town at my nest over the last few weeks but it was crazy in a good way! Just think, it all started with a broken coffee maker... What's next? No more glamorous television appearance and wine tastings lined up in the near future, but I did go to my first Garage Sale of the year this morning...so it is back to normal-ish business here. I am hoping to get some new vintage pieces added to my etsy shop soon, so stay tuned!

P.S. Do you remember at the beginning of this post when I said I was going to give you a brief rundown of my adventures? For me, this is brief.

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

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