Sneak Peek. . .more pics coming this weekend!!

Happy Friday!! 

A new little bunting I made to go on a frame I use for product photography!!

A sneak peek at some hair pretties I've been working on. 

And some words to live by, that happen to be part of our Valentine's decor!! 

p.s. I'm in LOVE with Instagram. . .I know, it's yesterday's news, but seriously, in LOVE!!

WHERE DID THE WEEK GO??

I can't believe a week has passed since I've been here!!   

Things have been busy around our house.  Science Fair was due, so we spent lots of time wrapping that up and creating some awesome display boards.  We've had Basketball, practice, games and more practice.  We spent 2 hours Saturday picking out fabrics.  It was great fun!!  Have I mentioned lately how incredible my husband is?  He's always willing to go fabric shopping with me, and he has a great eye, so that makes it even better!! We ended up with 55 yards of fabric!!  I've been busy cutting dresses and totes, and working on hairbands.  I'm waiting to hear back about a few more advertising opportunities.   I'm busy making plans, and setting goals for each day.  I feel so much better having a list of goals to work off of.  I've always been a list maker, a planner.  And it's an amazing feeling when I've been able to cross all or most of them off at the end of the day.  

So I'm here, surrounded by TONS of fabric, and extremely happy!!  I'll update later this week, hopefully with some pics.  I hope everyone is having a great week so far!  

Don't forget to like Vintage Loving Momma on Facebook and send your friends! 

THE SHINE PROJECT~DALLAS and other stuff!

I've copied this pic from Ashley's blog, we'd LOVE LOVE LOVE for everyone to come out to A Little Artsy on February 25, and help us make a difference for the people of the Dallas LIFE Foundation.  I ordered a new grey & yellow hairband from the AMAZING Heather of {just.lovely.things} to wear specifically for this!! :) 

The past few days have been busy!!!  I've been cutting lots of cute little dresses for the Spring.
I hope to have them up in the shop in the next week or two.  Working really hard to meet my
goals each day so that I'll have the shop stocked and ready when my ad launches on February 1st.  This is how I start my day, everyday...I'm still enjoying my holiday coffees, I think Spicy Egg Nog
and Golden French Toast are my favorite!! 

My baby sister gave me that mug for Christmas, as well as a bobbin winder which is like a gift

from the heavens because there is nothing more frustrating than having to unthread my sewing machine to wind a bobbin.  So thankful for my sweet sister and those thoughtful gifts.   

Today my Mini Cards came in from Moo Printing.  They are SO SO cute!!  

I absolutely LOVE them!  I think they'll look adorable with the new bags and bakers twine I ordered.  I'm a lover of quotes, of lyrics, and just words in general, I read this quote on an Etsy article yesterday, "I love waking up each day and realizing all over again that I am living my

dream and knowing I never have to look back.  I won't ever take that for granted.  I love feeling

like nothing is out of reach anymore.  I love knowing that I'm working for a better life where I'll have the freedom to live life on my own terms."  ~Jenna Sue, Quit your day job (Etsy)   

So thankful for the blessing of a husband that allows me to follow my creative dreams, who 

works hard everyday to provide for our family while I grow this business.  

I hope everyone is having a good week!!  The weekend will be here before we know it.  

I'm back!!

The Vintage Loving Momma is back!  I can hardly believe it's been 9 months since I've posted an update here.  So many things have transpired since I was here last.  Summer came, and it was HOT, the hottest summer since 1980, which I happen to remember. My husband took a new job, we traveled to California for a week and I crafted in the hotel room while he was learning all about his new job.  Katsie had a summer full of tennis lessons, the boys had camps and work outs and life was crazy busy.  But it was beautiful, for the first time in 10 years I spent the summer at home with my sweet children.  School started, football season was a wonderful whirlwind and the holidays came and went.  


And now, here we are, in the 2nd week of 2012.  I have amazing plans for the Vintage Loving Momma this year.  When I originally dreamed up Vintage Loving Momma I envisioned a small online business, something to occupy my time while the children were in school, and something that fed my creativity.  Within weeks of starting VLM I had a desire to participate in local craft markets, it's a lot of work, but it was an experience that I wanted to have.  I LOVE IT.  I love the interaction with people, I love their facial expression as they look through the things I've spent hours creating. I'm the kinda girl who touches almost everything in the store, I'm a tactile sensory kind of person, I love the feeling of different textures, so when people touch my products and smile and enjoy it, it's so fulfilling. The local market experience is something I won't give up.  I just love every part of it, but I believe I can have the best of both worlds.  I have hopes to grow my online business, plans and goals and dreams, and a supportive family and creative community that will help me reach them.  I read this quote in my latest "Where Women Create" mag, 


"One can't believe in impossible things," Alice said.  "I daresay you haven't had much practice" said the Queen.  "When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day.  Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." ~Lewis Carroll, "Through the Looking Glass," Chapter V


I'm believing in impossible things, it's scary and invigorating all at the same time.  I've set a goal of blogging 3 times a week for now, keeping things listed in my etsy store, connecting with others through the VLM Facebook page and building my inventory for spring markets.  I'm registered for Indie Shopography which starts later this month, very excited about what I'll learn!  

Please share the blog and etsy shop with your friends!!! I look forward to sharing all of the great things 2012 has in store with each of you.  

Items listed in the Etsy Shop!!

Happy Friday!! 
I've added some items to my Etsy shop, vintagelovingmomma.etsy.com  I had originally planned to have things listed by Wednesday of this week but the weather was awful and I wasn't able to get everything done that I needed to do.  I'll have more items listed later this weekend!!

You should head over there and see! 

Hope everyone has a great weekend and that you're able to enjoy some sunshine!!

xoxo-
Melissa

Dining Out in Dallas, Lights, Camera & Action at our house!!

We had an insanely busy week!  We're busy getting things ready for Dining Out in Dallas, plus there was PTA and a fundraising dinner at the school, and Hoops in the Highlands. I love being involved with all that the children have going on, but I will say that the entire family was thankful for a lazy Sunday. I want this blog to be about Vintage Loving Momma, and crafting, and my Etsy shop, but I also want to be able to share glimpses of our life here. Thursday Murray Media came to our home and filmed an interview for Dining Out in Dallas.  I love this quote:   "Each time I told my story, I lost a bit, the smallest drop of pain. It was that day that I knew I wanted to tell the story of my family. Because horror on Earth is real and it is every day. It is like a flower or like the sun; it cannot be contained." — Alice Sebold (The Lovely Bones)

I read the following entry from Katsie's Caringbridge journal because I felt it encapsulated so much of our journey, and frankly, I struggled to get through the interview without tears. 

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Six years ago later today, an ambulance would arrive at the hospital just minutes from my office- -inside was my baby girl. Her body was ravaged with fever, 104.3 according to the transfer orders which are tucked neatly in a notebook along with all of her other medical records…but the fever didn’t buy her the ambulance ride, a seizure during naptime that lasted for approximately 5 minutes did. I signed consent forms for tests, CT, Chest X-Rays, Lumbar Puncture, and I held my girl and we waited…looking back I’m certain that by this time I was in survival mode, I don’t think I felt anything, not panic or even anxiety, I was just numb. It wouldn’t be long though and that Dr., I can still see him if I close my eyes, in a small room, with a curtain to provide some privacy behind a sliding glass door, directly across from the Nurses Station, delivered the news, and our lives would NEVER be the same. Our journey did not begin with NF, it would be almost 9 months before she would get a diagnosis of NF from Dr. Slopis. Our journey began with a million and ten unanswered questions about our little girl, the baby (I still call her that, “the baby”) and the tumor that had taken up residence inside her brain. I could probably recount each detail of that day and the weeks to follow, each of them still frightening and enough to knock the air right out of me, but I have everything documented in a journal and in that medical notebook, there is no need. Today I will celebrate. . .that same little girl is not a baby anymore. . .she has grown into a beautiful little girl. She is strong willed like nothing you could ever imagine, but that same tenacity helped her face obstacles many people never encounter and found her better and stronger on the other side. I am thankful for the gift of Katsie Rane. . .everyday, but especially on these days of reflection. If nothing gives you a healthy dose of perspective, facing your childs mortality the week before Christmas certainly will.

Six years ago Katsie began a battle for her life, and today she continues to amaze each of us. That is the only gift I need.

In 2 short weeks we'll be at Dining Out in Dallas celebrating Katsie, and raising funds for research for an eventual cure for NF. 

We hope to see lots of familiar faces there!! 

love-
Melissa

P.S.  I plan to have items in  my Etsy shop by Wednesday evening!

We LOVE Jefferson, Texas!

We're home and refreshed after an AMAZING weekend in Jefferson!  My love affair with Jefferson began three years ago when Christian took me there for a long weekend, and we've made it a point to go back every year.  It's so quaint, and the people are so genuinely kind, and I just LOVE it! 

Last year we were in the thick of wedding planning and it was a great retreat to just get away and relax. On our drive down I was looking through some wedding magazines and came across some pictures of milk glass used to decorate tables at a wedding reception and I was in love!  We spent the entire weekend collecting milk glass and came home with so many beautiful pieces. They were not only beautiful but they were vintage and we had hand picked each one which made them so special.  This year we decided we'd look for some of the green milk glass and came home with these beauties!!

There's a Gone With the Wind Museum in Jefferson. We visited it last year and were captivated by the Bed & Breakfast next door that is owned by the sweet lady who owns the museum. We said we would LOVE to stay there if she had a vacancy when we came back. She did, and we did, and it couldn't have been more perfect.  So if any of my local friends or family are looking for an amazing weekend, antiquing and just enjoying a quick get a way, Scarlett O'Hardy's is the place!  Bobbie Hardy was an incredible hostess, and she makes the most picturesque and delicious breakfast!

Now we're home, and I'm busy getting caught up on my Indie Biz 3.0 sessions and fininshing up items to list on Etsy, hopefully by the weekend!! :)

Hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of Spring!!