Suzanne's Crazy for Collars!

I recently purchased a new collar for Cruz our Chihuahua from Suzanne's shop Crazy for Collars. My daughter chose the fabric but I think the blue looks great against his shiny black coat. She has some beautiful Christmas designs, take a peek for your little (or big) buddy!

Janiece's Flower Shop

I grew up in a small town. Living in a place like that there are certain people who punctuate your life, the doctor and preacher are there at birth, death, and some events in between. There's others too that aren't so obvious though, like the florist. The florist was there for all your celebrations and sorrows, behind the scenes, helping. Birth, sickness, homecoming, prom, wedding, childbirth (again), and death. She eased your way with color and texture and sweet smells of pretty flowers that are there for and instant and then gone, or pressed in a book maybe.

My great aunt helped raise me and she was the town florist. I remember being little and sitting on the tall stools in her shop helping make picks from the crinkly and brightly colored cellophane. She was a business woman, strong, proper, concerned, loving and she had a great laugh. She was my grandmother's twin sister and they were the youngest of eleven siblings.

Yesterday she passed away, the last of the siblings living. With her goes the feeling I always had that I could go back to a place that was frozen in an earlier time. I will miss that.

Her oldest son survives her, she goes on to be with her husband, her youngest son, and all ten of her older siblings. I will miss her greatly but I wish her a wonderful reunion with them and all the others that await her too. Love you Aunt Niecey.

Janiece Hendrixson Springer 11/12/1921 - 11/7/2009

Book Review, Blogging for Bliss

I promised a month of book themed posts to support my giveaway, so here is the first! I have this book and love it, Tara Frey, the author has compiled a list of blogs from other crafter/creative types, that are inspiring as well as a list of tips that will help you get started. Some of the instructions are simple that a beginning blogger would find helpful, but other ideas are more sophisticated and can give you new ideas even if you have been at it for a while. She starts at as simple a point as choosing your blog's name, the platform you want to use to blog, etc. I found it really inspiring and well worth the read. Maybe you can win it!

General Entry Guidelines? Click Here

Earn extra entries by commenting with your own blog's link! Thanks and have a great day, Jamie.

November Book Giveaway

I wanted to do something different and fun with my blog going into the holiday season. I thought about giving away some of my merchandise, but in the end that just is giving away my merchandise, maybe it doesn't appeal to everyone. I read around different blogs and got some ideas and decided on a book giveaway. I'm really going to theme the whole month around it.

I have added an Amazon Carrousel to the sidebar of my blog. In it are books that appeal to lots of different people and they are all books that I have some sort of connection with. Blogging for Bliss, The Power of Positive Thinking, The Road, The Vegetarian Lion, Friday Night Knitting Club, and Crazy Quilting the Complete Guide. One person will win their choice of any of these books. Three other entrants will win my best selling business card cozy from my shop DestinationHandmade.

How to Enter?
There are many ways you can enter and more will be posted throughout the month.
1. Follow my blog (simple!)
2. Tweet the contest, please include @retrochique in your tweet so I can find it.

Let me know by commenting that you followed/and or tweeted.

Stay tuned during the month for more ways to enter, reviews on all the books and book related gift guides!
Have a great day! Jamie.

Invasion of the Cave Girls!

My daughter and her best friend came up with a cute idea for Halloween, they wanted to be CaveGirls. Her mom and I split the costuming duties. Hannah's mom, Shay, is a very organic, hands on person so she made the clubs from paper mache with them and found bones at the Dollar Store. I did the "leopard skin" costumes. I got fleece from Hobby Lobby and drew the pattern from a camisole , adding panels to the sides and giving it some flair. Chloe went to Hannah's house to get ready and Shay did their hair with the bones in the top. I thought they turned out so cute!

Personalized Ipod or Phone Cozies!

Well most of you know I love to do embroidery and felt applique. I had a customer request personlized ipod cozies for her family last week and I finished the first one today. I thought it turned out so cute! Pictured is the finished item for the mom, I am making a little girl's and boys too, I haven't done the boy's but the girls is partly done. Her embroidery and the lining is pictured.. These are big enough for ipods, iphones, blackberrys, even some cameras. This design could be easily adapted for a glasses case too. Interested in one for a gift or yourself? Click here. Thanks, and have a great day, Jamie.

Entertaining, Wine Gift Tags

I think during the holidays more than any other time we open our homes to entertain others. As the guest my grandmother always told me never to arrive empty handed and while handmade cakes, pies and cookies are wonderful most of us don't have the time for that. A bottle of wine is a lot of people's go to hostess gift. But what about those floppy fabric gift bags though, I mean do you really think you are disguising what it is? I came up with a solution I like better, the wine gift tag.

I took about 9 inches of an elasticized trim I had that was in fall colors. I sewed the ends together and added a handmade gift tag that coordinated with the trim. Add a personal message and you are ready to go! I'm not adding these to my etsy shop but if you would like a custom listing of them for the holidays email me, retrochique@ymail.com .

Sneak Preview I will be having a book giveaway next month to celebrate the holidays, Check back or follow my blog to make sure you don't miss it! Thanks, Jamie.