A 1959 Smorgasbord

Have you ever? I mean do you ever, er, um...how shall I put this...Smorgasbord? I've always been curious about the traditional Swedish buffet spread. It's a word I toss around pretty frequently to describe any assortment of vittles, though I've never been quite sure exactly what a Smorgasbord consisted of besides probable mass quantities of pickled fishes. Not too long ago, I was flipping through some of my old magazines when I came across an article on the traditional Scandinavian meal in the December 1959 issue of Better Homes and Gardens.



Turns out there's more to it than just a wintry all-you-can-eat free for all. There are actually three different courses requiring three separate trips to the buffet table. I totally called the pickled fish thing though. And this being the 1950's, you just knew there was going to be some tomato aspic thrown in there.



And now I know! I've actually become quite interested in Swedish traditions as of late. My heritage is Swedish on my father's side of the family, (hence my fair skin and blue eyes) but I've never known a thing about the culture past the aforementioned pickled fish and dala horses.

My good friend Heather of Audrey Eclectic has fallen in love with Scandinavian culture and through her excitement I've learned so much about my family's heritage. Today's post is part of her St. Lucia Blog Procession so if you're interested in Swedish or Scandinavian culture in general, head over there today (or use the doohickey below) for a joyride through Blogland in honor of St. Lucia. Heather has even started a new blog devoted entirely to Scandinavian goodness called Scandinavian Folk. Check it out!

And hello to any new friends who have visited me by way of the St. Lucia Procession. Nice to meet you!

Squeeze The Lemons

As promised, I have something completely different for you today. Recently, my amazingly talented friend Holly Abston asked if I would share a bit of my home and some of my thoughts on making the most of what I have on her wonderful new site, Squeeze The Lemons. I was happy to oblige. I love the concept, and I think you will too!

So, go have a look at my colorful, highly imperfect home, and let's all make the most of what we have today, Turtledoves.

Crochet School

Hey, Sugar Dumplins! I wanted to alert you to something super special happening on my friend Dana's (better known as Craftyminx) pretty, pretty, crafty blog. Besides being a sweet, smart, and charming librarian and all around awesome lady friend of mine, Dana is also one of the interwebs' craftiest people. She sews, she knits, she embroiders, and she can crochet a mean granny square. She even crocheted a different one every day for a whole year! She was the very first person I thought of when I set out to create my Patron Saint of Crochet. Anyway, Dana has very generously created a FREE e course all about crochet and is offering it on her blog right this very minute. Dana is a wonderful teacher. If you've ever wanted to learn to crochet, or if, like me, you need to brush up on crochet skills you learned long ago, now is your chance. I've been planning to pick up some yarn and dust off my crochet hooks this fall, so I'm really looking forward to following along. Let's get on the bus and go to Crochet School!

Indie Emporium Recap

Have I really been away from the blog for a week? Time flies when you're having fun! Indie Emporium was a blast. I saw old friends and met some really great new ones. Here's a peek at my little booth.





My pal Heather, of Audrey Eclectic, was my neighbor, as were the delightful ladies of Lone Chimney, and the incredibly nice couple behind The Peaceful Housewife, whose laundry detergent I'm in love with so hard. My littlest girl was my only booth partner all weekend. She alternated between peeking out from her sling, flirting, smiling, modeling baby knitwear, and just generally charming the pants off everyone who met her. Craft shows are hard work, and doubly hard when you're on your own with a four month old! Many thanks to my sweet booth neighbors for all of the help.



I got to chat for a bit with the ever lovely Sam Lamb, among many other talented folks, and I received my first wholesale inquiry. All in all, it was a successful show! I've rested a bit the past few days, and now I'm ready to dive into wholesale orders and preparing for Deluxe this December. I also have a few crafty projects up my sleeve that I plan to share with you here, when I'm not soaking up the gorgeous Indian Summer we're having right now. Sweet relief after the hellish heat this summer!

Art Crush: Samantha Lamb

I think my friend Samantha Lamb is pretty well known in the state of Oklahoma these days, and rightly so. Her fine art photographs are breathtaking. They seriously make my liver quiver. Just in case you haven't been introduced to this lovely lady and her art, I thought I'd share a little glimpse of her newest work which celebrates Indian Summer in all its warm, glowy beauty.



I had the supreme honor of being photographed by Sam a couple of years ago, and since I've come to know her, I can tell you that a sweeter, more creative and genuine soul does not exist in this world. She is twice as gorgeous in person as in her photographs, if you can believe it. Sam is currently working her fingers to the bone running a farm and communing with wild owls and donkeys and milk cows. She is Snow White come to life, I tell you.




Visit Sam's blog for more of her lovely work and life (and pies!), and grab her coupon code for a fall discount in her shop. Now I'm off to drink something warm and eat something spicy and pumpkiny, thanks to Sam's gorgeous photos. I hope that you're enjoying these first fall days, my favorite time of year.

Win a Sweetheartville Print at Audrey Eclectic!

Happy Monday, friends! I wanted to let you know that my dear friend Heather of Audrey Eclectic has featured me on her lovely blog today. Head on over there to learn a little more about me, and enter to win your choice of one of my prints!

Building Your Brand

Hello, folks! Just thought I'd alert you to a little series of guest posts I did for my good friends at the Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar blog on the topic of Building Your Brand. Look for an installment every day this week, and hopefully take away a tip or two for your handmade or small business!

We Have a Winner!

According to random.org, Steph from the oh-so-glamorous Tart Deco is the vintage beauty giveaway winner! Congratulations Steph!


Thank you to all who entered, and stay tuned because I think we'll do this again soon!

Vintage Beauty 4th Blogiversary Giveaway Deluxe Gold Turbo!!

Hard to believe I've been randomly posting on and repeatedly neglecting this here weblog for four years today. We've laughed, we've cried, we've given embarrassing glimpses into the state of our mental health. Yes, it's been a mildly amusing ride, and I've met some really fabulous people because of this thing, some of whom will be lifelong friends. So to say thank you to you, dear readers, I'm giving away a whole mess of vintage beauty goodies. First up we have a Betty Dain Chiffon Personality Hood, and seriously, who doesn't need one of these? When you're out and about and those Spring winds commence to blowin', sure, onlookers might catch a glimpse of your Judy, but your hairdo isn't going anywhere. Plus, this thing actually adds glamour to expensive hairstyling, if you can believe it.



Here we've got a couple of 60's era hair nets...



And two others featuring the Doublenet Twins...



And my personal favorites, the Kurl-Katcher and a Jac-o-net envelope featuring a silver-haired beauty that sort of reminds me of something you'd see on one of these.



As if all of that weren't enough, I'm going to throw in a Beauty Button and a vintage dryer hood votive.



All you have to do to enter to win this worthless crap fabulous prize is to take a quick gander at my shop and tell me which Beauty Button you'd most like to own and then leave me a comment here before midnight Central time on Friday, March 11th. I will choose a random winner on Saturday, March 12th. Please make sure I can contact you if you win. I will happily open this to any international readers, but if you are a winner who lives outside the U.S., I will replace the votive with an alternate (lighter to ship) goody. Good luck!

El hotel eléctrico

I'm putting the finishing touches on my bathroom this weekend, including wiring in two new light fixtures (scary!). Speaking of electricity, I stumbled upon this fantastic video of "If You're a Viper", Bob Howard's 1937 cover of the ode to Wacky Tobacky, ingeniously paired with scenes from El hotel eléctrico.



On an unrelated note, I want to thank each and every one of my faithful readers for sticking with me through all my blogging starts and stops, and for leaving your thoughtful comments. I truly appreciate each one of you, and I apologize for sometimes failing to respond. This is something that I intend to work on, so let me ask you, how do you respond to comments left for you on your own blog? Comment leavers, how do you prefer to receive responses to comments you have made? In the comment section itself? On one of your own blog posts? By email? It seems that there's not a one-size-fits-all solution. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Miss Amy's Stitch and Kitsch

Me: Sigh. What's this world coming to? Everyone is hateful and nasty and my Facebook feed is full of people who I have nothing in common with but friended because they asked me to and we were in the same English class in 9th grade. I work all the time, yet my house and yard still look like the scene where an Amnesia-riddled Goldie Hawn sees Kurt Russell's place for the first time in the 1987 hit movie Overboard. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will never end. People are so judgmental. My new job is stressful and I need to lose 40 pounds. The Gulf of Mexico is ruined forever and Nashville is devastated and tornadoes are killing other Okies, and no one "gets" me. Boo hoo hoo. I'm going to go eat worms.....Oh, whatever can this box on my front porch contain?....*SQUEAL*



Will you look at this doll?! Seriously. Could Miss Amy be any more amazing? Look at her hair and her little red high heels, and her dress! My Sweet Lord, do you see the mothereffin' vintage hankie dress?!!



Get over to Miss Amy's Stitch and Kitsch right now and get yourself one, or commission one that looks just like you. Better yet, commission one that looks just like Miss Amy because she is the most gorgeous pretty red-haired beauty lady that ever lived!



Thank you, Amy.

*Beautiful photo of Miss Amy by Dynamite Dames Photography.

Vintage Valentine-o-rama!

The intertubes are abuzz with vintage Valentine goodness this week. Just check out the fabulous Two Crazy Crafters where Twyla and Lindsey have been sharing their fantastic collection of vintage Valentines plus new ways to use the images to achieve maximum cuteness.

Also, my craftastic friend Dana (better known as Crafty Minx) made and stitched the most delicious vintage Valentine embroidery patterns which were featured on Feeling Stitchy this week.

Not wanting to miss out on the action, I thought I'd share a few 1960's era Valentines from my collection:











If you're in need of more vintage Valentines for your last minute V Day crafting, you'll find some darling ones at Vintage Holiday Crafts and some sweet ones here too.

The Great Okie Stitch Along

I'm beyond excited to be participating in yet another wonderful project dreamed up by the creative geniuses responsible for Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar. Last summer I quietly began work on an embroidered portrait of someone I admire. Well, Sara and I must have been on the same wavelength because shortly thereafter she proposed that those of us so inclined should stitch up a portrait of a famous Oklahoman. We Okies can claim quite a few celebrities as our own. Of course I jumped right on board, laying down my WIP to begin work on the lovely Ms. Wanda Jackson. I'll share some progress when some worth showing gets made.

Already, three public exhibitions have been scheduled in Oklahoma City for the coming Summer and Fall, including the Oklahoma State Fair. But this Okie Stitch Along is not exclusive to those stitchers from the Sooner State. We welcome anyone who would like to render a famous Okie in floss. Still up for grabs are Garth Brooks, Woody Guthrie, Will Rogers, Ron Howard, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Carrie Underwood, Mickey Mantle, and more. Let Sara know who you'd like to stitch, and be prepared to have your piece mailed to Oklahoma City by July 1st.

Even Mr. Sweetheart, a novice embroiderer, has gotten in on the action with a plan to immortalize the inimitable Chuck Norris on fabric. Join us, won't you?

*lovely photo of myself, Sara, and JD by Samantha Lamb

Mama Says Vintage

It's that time when we begin to reflect on the year that's come and gone, and start looking forward to the fresh start January 1st will bring. I'm a planner and a dreamer, so my list-making tendencies are in overdrive. Art, craft, and home projects are filling the pages of my notebook as quickly as I can jot them down. One of the projects at the top of my list is a new bloggy collaboration between my sweet friend Heather and I.



Mama Says Vintage is a blog about living a simpler, more self-sufficient life and raising a family in tune with the wisdom of the past. You'll find posts about natural homemaking, thrift and making do, and simple, inexpensive activities for children. Of course, it's about more than just recipes, gardening, and kids--we'll also throw in a few country girl glamour tips and some vintage fashion as well.

I'm a gal who has many widely varying interests and passions, and I sometimes feel that some topics I want to write about may not necessarily be a good fit with Sweetheartville. I mean, in this big huge world, probably not all that many folks are as excited about vintage hairstyling, kitschy crafts, and Nudie suits as they are about homesteading, Farmer's Almanacs, and folk wisdom. Mama Says Vintage gives me the opportunity to write about mothering, gardening, and cooking, while leaving Sweetheartville for art, craft, rhinestones, vintage beauty operatin', and kitsch. So there you have it. Swing by Mama Says Vintage and let us know what you think!

Deluxe Craft Weekend

I'm very, very excited about an upcoming event I'll be participating in September 25-27 in Oklahoma City. Deluxe Craft Weekend is brought to you by Sara and J.D., hard working directors of Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar and all around art and craft ninjas. This unique event features 36 solid hours of social crafting including nine meals from some of OKC's finest eateries. On top of a dedicated, secure workspace, the chance for crafty fellowship with other creative people, and three squares each day, those dollfaces are going to give attendees coffee, drinks and snacks all weekend too! Mr. Sweetheart and I will be celebrating his birthday and our soon to follow wedding anniversary there.

In addition to the 36 hour craftacular retreat, 20+ workshops will be offered on everything from applying to major craft shows, with the directors of The Girlie Show, to whittling to knitting. If you can't attend the whole weekend event, you may choose one or more of the workshops which range in price from $15 to $45. What a great, hands on introduction to that new skill you've been
dying to learn, and an excellent way to further your crafty business skills!
I am so thrilled to be leading an "Embroidery 101" workshop which will cover everything you need to learn to get started in hand embroidery. The $30 class includes practice fabric, a hoop, needle, embroidery floss, a booklet with stitch diagrams and tips, and a tea towel. You will leave armed with knowledge of the basics and your first project in progress.
So if you're anywhere near Oklahoma, I invite you to register for this one-of-a-kind weekend retreat or stop by for a workshop or two. I can't wait!

South Tulsa Music Festival

This Saturday, September 5th I will be at the South Tulsa Music Festival with the lovely Heather of Audrey Eclectic. The free festival features six local bands, as well as a market place of talented local artists and crafters, all coordinated by my dear friend Marissa.


In addition to Heather's beautiful paintings, prints, postcards and fabulous new lapel lockets, we will have my Beauty Buttons, tote bags, hair ornaments, and these limited edition kitschy Bouffant Beauties for your purchasing pleasure.


What could be better on a Saturday evening that good local music and handmade art? Oh, and I'm fairly certain that there will be beer.

Deluxe Photo Shoot

You may recall me mentioning that I was working on a Depression Era themed project this spring. My friends Sara and J.D., the lovely, hard working ladies behind Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar and Wayward Textile Foundation, asked me to take part in a photo shoot with the two of them and the oh-so-talented Samantha Lamb. I styled our hair in some 1930's-esque styles, and donning some pretty dresses, we spread a tablecloth for a vintage Stitch and Bitch session.


Sam's photography is so beautifully dreamy, and she is a lovely, sweet soul whom I'm so glad I had the pleasure of meeting.


She shot some individual portraits of the three of us, as well.


I love this happy portrait of J.D. and Sara, with the sun in their hair.


It was such a fun project!

Pioneer Girls

A while back, our friends Heather and Audrey accompanied us to The Little House on the Prairie, Laura Ingalls Wilder's home site near Independence, KS, for a day of exploring and picnic-ing. I had not been since I was a little girl, though I've lived within a couple dozen miles of there most of my life. As a child, I was smitten with Ms. Wilder's books, and used to roam the pastures and creek beds of my grandparents ranch, pretending I was a pioneer girl, straying too far from the homestead. I loved anything old timey. I read all the pioneer diaries the library contained, and wanted more. I dreamed of one day living in a log cabin full of twig furniture. I desperately wanted a wardrobe of long period dresses to wear. I wanted to play old-timey instruments and sing folk ballads. Really, not much has changed. I'm still that girl. As much as I love the sleek lines of an Eames chair, and the futuristic, light-filled airiness of a Joseph Eichler home, the rustic simplicity of a bent Willow rocker just speaks to something deep inside me. I'm not inclined to believe in anything as magical as past lives, but if such a thing exists, then I must have once lived in a little cabin, tucked away deep in a mountain holler.
My little one doesn't yet have the attention span required for the Little House series, but soon enough, she will. I'm looking forward to sharing with her the books that were such a large part of my own childhood. For our Little House excursion, I decided to put her in a dress I had worn when I was her age, sewn for me by my mother. Here's my little Sunbonnet Sue in the dress her Nana lovingly stitched, nearly thirty years ago.
She and Audrey had a wonderful time exploring the site together.



It's great to have friends who share our love of the old-fashioned. I think a lot more adventures are in store for these pioneer girls.

A Deluxe Honor

Know what those Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar Dollfaces went and did? Against their better judgement, they made me a "Featured Artist" on their website!


Well, of course they wanted photos of lil' ol' me, and not wanting to disappoint, I called up my friend Autumn, and her ridiculous photography skills, and she very kindly obliged me with a downtown photo shoot. Pro that she is, she even managed to get a few of me with my poor old sunlight-sensitive Swedish blue eyes open, and that is no small feat.