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! 

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.

Thursday's Unique Picks - Dime A Daze

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!

The Spring Flea

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!