Big Bird

Big Bird

Big Bird can do it all. He can sing, dance, and roller skate even though he stands a whopping 8 feet 2 inches tall!

Big and Little puzzle from OliversForest

Trading cards from WonderlandToys

Girly Big Bird sweatshirt from WeeLittleOnesVintage

Follow the Yellow Bird Road pants from UdasKids

Big Bird baby costume from 1SweetDreamVintage

Music Box from TwinkleTotsVintage

Big Bird's Big Red Book from BabyShapes

Big Bird can even ride an unicycle! from LishyLoo

Member Interview & Giveaway: 1sweetdreamvintage

1SWEETDREAMVINTAGE ON ETSY

VKC: Tell us a bit about yourself and your shop.

Michele: I am a part-time teacher and full time mommy. When I'm not teaching nine-year olds, I spend time with my 2 1/2 year old daughter. My shop 1SweetDreamVintage opened just this last month as a hobby, but has grown into more! I seek out quality items that were made or printed in the USA or Europe. I have a love affair with Osh-Kosh overalls; if I could dress my daughter in them everyday I would!

VKC: Why are you drawn to vintage?

Michele: I appreciate the craftsmanship in vintage clothing and the nostalgia in vintage books that are often missed today. There's history in each piece. I like to think that buying vintage allows these items to be loved by a child once more.

VKC: Where do you find your treasures?

Michele: Everywhere! I love to frequent the local second hand stores in my area as well as estate and yard sales.

VKC: What is your process when creating/working?

Michele: Most of my time working on the store is spent while my daughter naps. If I try to list items other times, she wants to keep them all for herself!

VKC: How do you promote your business?

Michele: I don't Tweet or Facebook. Right now, I am working under the newbie mantra "If You Sell It, They Will Come."

VKC: What do you do when you are not creating/working?

Michele: First and foremost, I spend time with my daughter. We go to the beach, the Santa Barbara Zoo, local pick-your-own farms, and library regularly. My favorite thing to do is to bake and cook. I read a ton of food blogs and magazines. I also enjoy gardening and am teaching my self how to use my sewing machine.

VKC: What is your favorite item in your shop or that you have sold and why?

Michele: My favorite item in the shop is the Alice in Wonderland chapter book. It is my favorite because I have one inscribed to me for my first Christmas that sits on my daughter's bookshelf. I can remember the magic in having my mom read it to me for the first time, and can't wait to read it to my daughter someday.

VKC: How do you juggle your business and your personal life/motherhood?

Michele: Nap time, nap time, nap time.

VKC: What giveaway or discount would you like to offer our readers?

Michele: I would like to offer one book of your choice for free to a lucky reader!

Thanks so much, Michele!

If you'd like to enter to win a book from 1sweetdreamvintage, please leave a comment below.

There are a few other ways to enter - please leave a separate comment for each.

1. Favorite 1sweetdreamvintage on etsy!

2. Tell us which item is your favorite at 1sweetdreamvintage!

3. Tweet about this giveaway!

4. Blog about this giveaway! (Please include a link.)

This giveaway will be open until August 26, 2011, so you have one week to enter!

Member Interview & Giveaway: June-Bugs and Beila-Bots

 June-Bugs and Beila-Bots on Etsy

June-Bug and Beila-Bot Blog

VKC: Tell us a bit about yourself and your shop.
Sacha: i am a mom of three smart and beautiful girls, 7 years, 4 years, and 8 months.  i am an ex-chef turned scooter enthusiast, now stay at home mom and urban farmer.  we have a nice garden, 6 chickens, 2 bee hives, and one itty bitty dog named wink.  i love to sew, garden, cook, ride my scooter, and thrift.  i started buying extra cloths while thrifting for my kids because i couldn't bear leaving them there without a home.  i thought i could be their foster mom while i found them a home on etsy.  so was born my etsy shop.

VKC: Why are you drawn to vintage?  Sacha: i had a babysitter that would take me thrifting and dress me up in old outfits.  i started wearing vintage in middle school because of her, and never stopped.  i liked having something unique and no one else would have it. i also found i had a perfect body for vintage, my waist fit all those tiny pants and skirts!  i was also able to bring my love of sewing into old clothes that were too big, it was easy to sew them into something i could wear.  my parents thought it was great, my wardrobe was so inexpensive!  i think my homecoming dress was $75.

VKC: Where do you find your treasures? Sacha: i have my favorite thrift stores.  doesn't everyone?  my secret is my husband, he always knows these far away places that pop up on corners and in dark alleys every other month or so with the coolest things, he has an eye for those places.

VKC: How do you promote your business? Sacha: i write a blog about my life and loves, i talk about my etsy on there.  i also join my friend's circles as much as i can.

VKC: What do you do when you are not creating/working? 

Sacha: gardening, drinking wine with the neighbors, watching the television with my love, or reading a good book.

VKC: What is your favorite item in your shop or that you have sold and why?
Sacha: my favorite items are those my babies wore because they were able to be a part of our life for a little while.

VKC: How do you juggle your business and your personal life/motherhood?

Sacha: i don't know.  i feel we are always on the go.  i work when the kids are in school and in bed:)  that's me time!

GIVEAWAY

Sacha is so kind to offer a GIVEAWAY of...

...a $20 Gift Certificate to June-Bugs and Beila-Bots!

Enter to win by visiting June-Bugs and Beila-Bots and leaving a comment on this post letting us know your favorite item.

OTHER WAYS TO ENTER:

(Leave a separate comment for each one!)

1. Become a follower of the VKC blog (along the right sidebar).
2. Blog about this giveaway and comment with the link. 
3. Become a follower of the June-Bug and Beila-Bot Blog.
4. Follow VKC on Facebook.
5. Subscribe to the VKC via RSS or email (along the right sidebar). 
6. Visit another member shop and let us know your favorite item (one comment per shop visited).

Giveaway end Friday, May 6th at midnight (EST).  Winner will be announced Saturday, May 7th.  

GOOD LUCK!

Vintage Elephant Sweetness

After listing and then trading this adorable vintage elephant dress to fellow VKC member, Heather, of 3RingCircus, I started seeing cute elephants everywhere!  She even had one in her little shop...

 And then lots of other members have them, too!  Those circus animals really get around, huh?!

And they're popping up in other vintage shops, too.  They just can't be stopped!

Aren't they all so adorable?  And they all need loving homes.  I might need to become a collector...  hmmm...

*KRISSY*
B.Inspired Vintage

Sugarplum Sweetie Treasury

Perfect vintage treasures for any sweet little girl curated by VKC member, Edith's Closet.

Vintage Health-tex Love Part 2

In my last post I shared with you some images of fabulous vintage children's clothing by Health-tex, historically one of the most well known children's play wear companies.

It is not suprising that such a popular, high quality and stylish brand should also have produced some amazing advertisements. In 1966, the company began a long running and hugely successful ad campaign that featured the work of children's book artist, Susan Perl. Known as "The Handy Answers to Hard Questions Asked by Children in the Health-Tex Years", the campaign featured print ads portraying Perl's illustrations of children dressed in colorful Health-tex clothing along with answers to some of the typical questions asked by preschool aged children. Some of my favorites are "Are there daddy ladybugs or are they all ladies?" and "Why aren't we all the same color?". I just love the cute artwork, the clothing styles (to think that you could just go out and purchase those outfits!) and the way that the "hard questions" truly reflect the precious musings of our little ones.

This ad campaign was so popular that it ran until the early 80s. According to the company, every time a new ad appeared, a large number of parents and teachers would contact them for reprints. I'm sure I would have been doing the same!

If you would like to score yourself some of the original vintage ads (imagine them framed and hanging on a wall in a series), they are quite accessible today. I searched ebay and found that there are at least a dozen available right now from various sellers. Please click on the images here to be taken directly to the shops! Additionally, in 1975, the book "How Come... Easy Answers to Hard Questions" was published by Joyce Richards and illustrated by Susan Perl. It features images and text based on the ads. In 1977, another book was published, entitled "More Easy Answers". I managed to find a copy of this on amazon and am looking forward to receiving it!

Jeannie at Sweet Shop Vintage