Vintage Awesomeness

I have to admit that I probably love going to thrift stores and garage sales more than any other store there is. Yep, yarn stores, fabric stores, even bakeries (did I just say that?!) come in second. I have very, very fond memories of childhood when EVERY Saturday we loaded up in the car and headed out around 8 a.m. to see what sort of bargains we could rustle up. Then, tired and money spent, we'd hit Donut Land, a little donut joint on the south side of Madison, Wisconsin near where I grew up.


I remember there were various eras of our garage-saling traditions. The year we bought nothing but weird stuff like owl lamps and wicker chairs to outfit the cabin "up north" my parents bought with some friends. Then, later, the era in which I bought every piece of vintage jewelry and clothing I could get my hands on, including the sweater I eventually wore in my own wedding.
So it's no wonder, I guess, that I spend a fair amount of time thrifting now. And if I'm lucky to be off work on a Thursday or Friday (the best days for 'salin' in my opinion), I hit up my share of yard sales. Last weekend, we hit some local places and struck gold. Most of this stuff I'll be selling in the I Love Vintage Stuff Etsy shop I run with my mom (gotta make some extra diaper money, folks...kids don't come cheap). But I did stash away a few things for myself. Even wee one came home with a cache of new books and a giant Thomas the Train floor puzzle. Bonanza!

People in my Neighborhood: Sugar and Flour

If I'm not crafting, I'm baking. That is, if I'm not at my full time job, or taking care of my cutie patootie kid, or whatever. You know, my spare time. Baking is something that I love so much in this weird therapeutic way. Like, if I need to "turn that frown upside down" I'll bake. It clears my head. And don't get me wrong, I have a sweet tooth. Oh, do I have a sweet tooth.
I recently came across this awesome shop called Sugar and Flour, and what to my surprise, it's in my own backyard -- Franklin, Wisconsin. I decided I had to know more. Granted, I haven't tasted these cookies yet, but they're on their way to my house. I ordered some trains and dump trucks to be delivered to my son while I'm in the hospital with baby #2. Hopefully he'll save me a bite! Here's what I learned about Sugar and Flour...
Tell me a little about yourself. When did you start baking up such beautiful cookies?
My name is Karen Herrera and I live just outside of Milwaukee WI with my husband, our two young girls and our dog Charlie. Before becoming a stay at home mother I was a baker at a few different places. I quit my job to stay home with the girls but now one is in school full time and the other is in preschool so it is time for me to get back into the swing of things. I started Sugar & Flour last year to give myself something to do while still being able to be at home with my girls when they need me. It's worked out well.What are some of your influences/sources of inspiration?The inspiration for my cookies comes from a few different places. Sometimes I might see a neat cutter that I feel I just MUST own and the design comes from that. Other times I will see a pretty picture that inspires me. Sometimes it could also be just a color combination. I try very hard not to copy cookies that other people have done. They've worked hard to be original and I don't think it's right to take that away from them. I know how much it bothers me to see my work copied.
I see you make some of your cookies using cutters you've made yourself. Tell me more!
There's been many times that I've had to make cutters from scratch. My first one, the Choo-Choo Train, was designed to match a boy's party invitation. I do actually make a working cookie cutter out of metal - it's not just a cardboard picture that I cut around. I like being able to customize the shape of the cookie to suit what a client needs. It makes the cookie that much more special. The custom shapes that I chose not to have available in my store I show on my Flickr page so that they can still be seen. I'm proud of them.
Your Etsy sales have been great! Do you have any tips for other Etsy sellers?
Etsy has been very good for me. I actually found the site through my sister (hi Diane) when I mentioned to her that I wanted to somehow sell cookies online. Her suggestion was to start on Etsy and see what happened. I had no idea how successful it would become. There's a few things that I think are essential for success on Etsy and can also cary over to any online business.

*** The most important thing would be ORIGINALITY. What's the point of doing something that someone has already done? I do look at other cookie makers online to see what they're up to but your ideas need to be your own. Originality is key. When I came out with my Itty Bitty cookies last year it was to draw people to my store with something they could try inexpensively without needing a special occasion to buy for. They were a HUGE success. Now there are a couple other people selling their own version so I have to share that success with them. Oh well.

*** Beautiful clear pictures are also a must. It's not like someone can walk into your store and see your cookies. Your pictures are what they're going by so they need to be perfect. I like to have a few close-up pictures to show the texture and finer details and also some farther away pics to show the whole cookie. I also like to use pretty bowls and plates. For me, white props look best. They make the cookies look pretty without being a distraction. Also, consistency between listing pics is important. I think you can tell just at a glance which listings are mine on Etsy because they're all done in the same style. Find something that works for you and stick with it.

*** Have a quality product. Be known for something spectacular. I'm a trained baker and I can make all sorts of wonderful things but I've chosen to focus on just sugar cookies. Over the past year and a half I've figured out the best way to make, ship and store my cookies. I've also learned new techniques for decorating. I'm sure things will evolve over time... I'm always looking for ways to improve my product.

So, neighbor...tell me about your perfect Milwaukee-area day (I'm new here, I need ideas!).
I suppose a perfect Milwaukee day would be packing up the kids and going out to Barthel's Fruit Farm in Mequon. Doesn't matter what time of year... we go for strawberries in the spring and apples in the fall. We'd spend time goofing off there and then head home to have some lunch together. Maybe have friends over later for the girls to play with. We don't do much... we just like to relax at home.

Thanks, Karen! And best of luck!

Wordless Wednesday

Celebrating the 4th of July

photo from marthastewart.com

We're strangers in a strange land, so we haven't had anyone other than family or neighbors over to visit our new house. So we're particularly excited to have a couple of friends over today to celebrate Independence Day by eating a ton of food and hopping in the kiddie pool. Did I mention the sparklers? Good fun for the under-2 set. I have been too preoccupied to do much by way of July 4th crafting, but I did scope out some cute ideas if you need them, like these great pom pom centerpieces from Martha Stewart. I probably love them because I'm just generally a sucker for anything in a mason jar. Flowers, drinks, whatever. I just love them.

Martha, in all her crafty wisdom, also has a cute project if you've got some patriotic colored ribbon around. Basically you shape it int0 a little star, glue it on a sucker stick and voila, instant cute cupcake topper or drink stick. Or, string them up and you have a neat little banner to hang in your backyard.

Most years, I also have spare tomato cages laying around, but this year all hands are on deck for our awesome garden, so I'd have to go buy one for this project. It's a really cute paper tomato cage lanterns with stars that would light up the backyard so cute for your outdoor party.

I wish I could say I whipped up a fab little BBQ party this year, but alas I did not. I whipped up Roseanne Cash's Potato Salad (which is the closest substitute I've found for my mom's recipe, for which there is no recipe) and some beer cheese dip and some chocolate cupcakes. I did go buy some little flag toothpicks to stick in the cupcakes, so at least they'll be a little festive.

Tomorrow I think we might have another wee Pumpkin first -- fireworks!

What's going on at your place this weekend?

Some New Things / Old Things

I whipped up a couple of new items for my shop this week. I've been going gangbusters sewing lately I think mostly because I know I won't have time soon. I've been saving up quite a stash to list on Etsy little by little. This past weekend, I decided to part with two adorable pieces I've been saving for the perfect project. I'm sure they were intended for a quilt or something, but I think they look pretty cute appliqued on these, too.

The first is a little 4T tee shirt with a kitty cat, and the second is a little pink onesie with a cute little girl in a bonnet. I see these little bonnet girls around a lot...do they have a specific name? I just think they're sweet. Maybe I'll make some more... it's been fun trying to come up with girly things for the shop. It's given me a little time to adjust to the idea of being a mama to a girl.

I don't know why, but having a girl freaks me out a little. I'm not much of a girly-girl myself, so hopefully I do right by her. I haven't bought her a doll yet. Am I a bad mom? Ha! This girl better like diggers and trains, or none of us will know what to do with her!

Anyway, here's to hoping I can crank out a few more projects before I'm deep in diapers again!

Wordless Wednesday

What's on the needles: Postpartum Sweater

It's hard to believe it, but in three weeks, we'll be welcoming a new baby into our house. One thing I'm really looking forward to is loosing all this baby weight! I know everyone says not to worry about how much weight you gain, but I'm not sure anyone truly follows that advice. I'm not really one to even worry about it, but damn I'm sick of these maternity clothes. And particularly because only about six things still fit me, I really want to be back in my old clothes.

And some new clothes! To celebrate my body being all mine again (soon), I am knitting my first sweater (well, that's a little fib but the first one didn't count, and it's no longer around). It's turning out really cute and aI can't wait to be able to put it on. It's cotton and short sleeve, so hopefully in September (I'm giving myself a couple of months) it'll be perfect weather to put it on.

I'm really excited that my new knitting friends helped me learn how to check my gauge properly and I'm also thankful for this relative quiet period that's given me the time to knit. It's the calm before the storm, when I know our lives will be turned upside down by sleepless nights and all kinds of craziness. When I'm done with the sweater and ready to show off a little, I'll post the completed photo! Until then, where's my ice cream??

Wordless Wednesday

My apologies that this blog has been awfully wordless lately. I guess the new baby prep/nesting/summer has caught me up.

Wordless Wednesday

Firsts: Fishing Trip

My dad, the father of two daughters, the grandpa of two granddaughters, has only one grandson. My little Pumpkin. But that hasn't stopped him from taking his girls fishing. But I like to think it's kinda special that now he has a little guy to take out on the lake and show the ropes. This weekend he took him fishing for the first time.

We've been practicing with the fishing rod that he got from Grampy as an infant. It's been dropped in the lake, used to retrieve the toy helicopter off the roof, and used to "catch" the doorknob and open the door in the house. Finally it broke, so of course Grampy had to get him a new rod. And it worked great. We headed out Friday morning to Lake Waubesa in Wisconsin. The weather was perfect -- calm, warm but not hot, and overcast.
Once we got out to the spot that had been staked out ahead of time, it only took an hour to catch two little bluegills. Little Pumpkin only wanted to pet them, and throw them back. Which is exactly what we did. Mission accomplished, we headed for home to have some lunch. Little Pumpkin insisted that we "drive the boat fast" all the way back to shore. Which is exactly what we did.

It really couldn't have been a more perfect day. We caught fish, the weather held out despite predictions of rain, and Grampy and his only grandson got to bond over a new shared love for fishing! A good first.

Three Things I Love Right Now

I'm feeling random and scattered today. It's rainy and I want the sun back. This early Spring/Summer thing has got me in full outdoor dining, skirt-wearing, ice cream making mode and I don't want to see long pants again for at least three months. So here are three things I'm summer-loving right now.

This awesome Cargo Plant Love lipstick I bought at the Sephora near my house. Oddly enough, I chose CeCe, which is apparently Courtney Cox's celebrity shade. Anyone who knows my husband knows he thinks Courtney's pretty hot, so I guess I'm on the right track. I was first super excited to see that the lipstick is all natural, and then really excited to see that the packaging can be planted to grow your own wildflowers! Too cool!


My garden has gone completely nuts lately, and we're already making salads with all the lettuce. My new absolute hands-down favorite dressing is this Lighten Up Honey Mustard from Newman's Own. Next in line is a lime vinaigrette also from Newman's.



And because a girl cannot survive on salad alone, I've been cranking up the ice cream maker. I have an el-cheapo Rival cannister jobby, and it works just fine. Last week I tried to make a frozen yogurt recipe that I kind of made up, though, and it didn't go too well. I think I'll stick to the Ben and Jerry's cookbook.

What are you loving right now?

Wildflower Prairie Buzz

Last year, my sister got me interested in prairies and native wildflowers when she dragged the entire family to Prairie Nursery, a well-known nursery (I think Martha Stewart has even been there and written about it in her magazine) in Wisconsin. I was able to join a little walking tour hosted by their catalog photographer about how to photograph flowers and landscapes. Although I don't think I am a skilled enough photographer to pick up many tips, I did walk away with an appreciation of these varied and beautiful wildflowers and native landscapes. I had no idea how many native flowers there are, or how hardy they are!


When we moved back to Wisconsin, I found that our county has a program offering native prairie grasses and flower seeds to residents at a huge discount. Given that my new yard is devoid of all flowers, I jumped at the opportunity to plant my own little wildflower prairie. I ordered 1,000 square feet of seeds and asked the hubby very nicely to help me till up the entire front of my house. Maybe because it takes him around 3 hours to mow our yard (!!), getting rid of this amount of grass didn't seem to make much of a dent in our weekly lawn care. But if it works...

Birds will be chirping, butterflies fluttering...pure bliss, right? Well, we'll see. At the moment it just looks like a big (HUGE) area of dead grass and dirt. But I'm sure a utopia of naturalness awaits! I even have a new bird feeder ready to set up right in the midst of it so when our yard is overwhelmed with all the rare birds it surely will, I'll be ready! Any experienced wildflower gardeners out there? Any tips?

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

We recently became members of the Milwaukee County Zoo. I got to go for the first time a few weekends ago. My guys know their way around, so I got the grand tour. The train, the rhinos, the giraffes were all some of our favorites. I'm looking forward to heading there as many times as possible this summer. This zoo makes you feel like you're out in the woods...I love it!

Toddler, M.D.

Our kiddo, like many toddlers, loves to put on bandaids. But lately he's moved beyond that and wants to be rescuing people all the time. He's often heard saying "push me down" or "mama, fall down" and then he springs into action to start "stretchering" you, or you stretchering him. I decided that he needed to have his own medical kit, stat. So I did what I always do, and bought one on Ebay. The old Fisher Price kind like I had when I was a kid, with the syringe, blood pressure cuff and the little plastic case to carry it all in. For $5, now he can be a real doctor.

However, it wasn't until I got him the white shirt and made him a bowtie to go with it that he really felt like a doctor. He said "just like Doctor Jill" (who is our pediatrician, and a woman) and raced around the house, checking everyone's pulse ("let me listen to your ears"). I'd say for the $5 medical kit and $1 bowtie, it was a price well worth paying. Now hopefully he follows through on it. I'd love to have a doctor in the family!

I decided the tie was cute enough that I'm going to sell them in my shop. I should have them up in a week or so. So your guy can be a doctor, too!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Daytripping: Cedarburg, Wisconsin

Last weekend we took a "Sunday Drive" -- and it was a much-needed escape from our runnings-around of late. We took a little drive to a nearby town called Cedarburg. It's cute and quaint and has a nice little downtown that seemed to be the gathering place for all the neighborhood peeps. There were two (two!) coffee shops, so we stopped at one called Cedarburg Roastery for delicious pick-me-ups. The coffee was awesome and the young staffpeople were super friendly.

After the coffee, we wandered around, meandering across a river and past the fire station, where we admired the old jail and all the big trucks. We hit up Amy's Candy, where I frothed at the mouth over all the unbelievable candy apples. Although I had to physically restrain myself from buying one of these $13 beauties, I can honestly say I don't think I've ever seen more beautiful-looking apples. And I LOVE caramel apples, so it took some doing to talk myself out of eating one. Next time, I will just give in to the apples and skip lunch.

I seem to have missed quite a bit, though. Next time, I can wait to check out the Textile Museum and the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts. I think I'll hit those on a girl's trip, though. No need to torture the hubby, right?

It's really a cute town if you ever get the chance to take a stroll through it. I think we all thoroughly enjoyed poking around on our little daytrip!

Wordless Wednesday

May-ry Christmas

Not that I have ever had a ton of friends, but since moving I am pretty much in constant contact with my "Facebook friends" and that's about the extent of my social circle. It's hard to make friends when you're at work all day, every day. So I joined a local knitting group that calls itself the Yarnivores and I'm really enjoying my weekly trip to the local Starbucks to stitch and bitch, craft and chat, and well, basically get some social interaction with live people now and again.

The other great thing about it is that these women KNOW how to knit. They've given me tips, instructions, and loads of tutorials. And getting into the regular habit of knitting has been great. Two projects down since I starting going back in February or so. That's got to be a record for me! First was the little bellbottoms, now I've finished little wee one's Christmas stocking.

What's next on my horizon? I decided that mama needs a post-partum project for myself! It's going to be a cute cap-sleeve number and I bought this great yarn for it on Knitpicks.com. I can't wait to share the results. Unless they're embarrassing. Then I'll pretend I forgot all about it. What'choo got on the needles lately?

Get Growing

Can I tell you how excited I am about starting a vegetable garden this year? SUPER EXCITED! It's been something I've wanted to do for a long time, and I had a really sub-par set up at my old house, so I am just smiling ear to ear now that I have one and it's been planted. Above you'll find the incredible design my dad put together for me. It's essentially two beds, side by side with an aisle down the center for the lawnmower and perfectly setup so you can weed from inside the fence without having to get into the garden. Genius! It's huge -- enough for all the things we wanted to plant.

If you want to, you can certainly copy this design. It was fairly easy to build. It takes about 4 yards of dirt, which is a LOT! Each yard takes about six wheelbarrows to put into place. Phew! But it also fits enough veggies to (hope hope) feed a small army. We planted:
--Cucumbers
--2 kinds of squash
--2 kinds of tomatoes
--yellow onions
--asparagus
--2 kinds of strawberries
--Basil
--Carrots
--Pumpkins
--Green beans
--Lettuce
--Spinach
--Sugar snap peas

I'm probably forgetting something...who knows what will appear!


A couple of important things I learned from my parents, who have gardened for 30 years:
--Pinch off 1/2 of the strawberry's flowers the first year
--Plant squash and pumpkins far apart, or they will cross-polinate and you will have "squmpkins" or "pumpuash"
--Water daily at first
--Get something for your sugar snap peas to climb on
--Don't let in the waskily wabbits...they will eat your green beans
--Don't harvest the asparagus for a couple of years; when you cut it, cut below the surface

So what are you waiting for...GET GROWING! It's so much fun! If you are way ahead of me, tell me, what are you growing? What's your favorite thing about having a veggie garden?