Sakroots Weekender Handbag available at Special Web Price

Need a weekend getaway?

Shop Sakroot's favorite weekender in their Artist Circle of prints, available at a special web price.

While you're at Sakroots, shop their Nano collection for the special web price of only $34 and check out their Artist Circle sleeves for your computer, netbook and iPad.

Lastly, be sure to follow The Sak on Facebook and Twitter.

Please be sure to let Sakroots and The Sak know that you were referred by The Vintage Loving Mom!

*Image used courtesy of The Sak

Moms Review 4 You Shabby Apple Frida K Dress Giveaway

I absolutely LOVE Shabby Apple's clothing line and was delighted to see that Moms Review 4 You is graciously hosting a giveaway where one lucky reader will win the Frida K dress. This dress is absolutely gorgeous and has a wonderful vintage look and feel to it. Please be sure to stop by Moms Review 4 You and enter the giveaway. You just might win this beautiful dress!

Shabby Apple's Frida K dress
*Image courtesy of Shabby Apple and Moms Revew 4 You

XOXO, Crystal

Little Angels Jewelry Sailor Anchor Earrings Giveaway Winner

I would like to announce the winner of the Little Angels Jewelry sailor anchor earrings giveaway which ended last night, on Tuesday, March 29 at 11:59pm.

The winner was chosen randomly using Random.org.

Congratulations goes out to comment #10 by Nancy of Style 'n Decor Deals, who has been emailed and will have 48 hours to respond with their full name and mailing address.

I would just like to offer a thanks to everyone that entered the giveaway! Please be sure to enter another current giveaway that I'm hosting right now for a fabulous vintage handbag from My Girl and Me, which ends on Monday, 4/11/11 at 11:59pm!

XOXO, Crystal

Fab finds!

I had the opportunity to do a little bargain shopping this past weekend in some outlet stores in Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, TN and found some great finds that I thought I'd share with my readers!

I found this gorgeous charcoal gray shift dress at an outlet store for only $19.99. I love the bow detailing at the top of the dress!



I was so happy to find this sheer, navy blue belted dress at another outlet store that has a great vintage feel to it, which I only paid $19.99 for. Anyone that knows me well knows that I am a sucker for polka dots!


Last, but not least, I found these cute black, sling-back peep-toe kitten heels with pom-pom flourishes on the toe for only $20!


I can't wait for the cold and rainy weather to pass so that I can try out my new finds! Did you have any luck this past weekend in acquiring some great finds? Do share!

XOXO, Crystal

Giveaway Reminders

I just wanted to remind my readers that the Little Angels Jewelry sailor anchor earrings giveaway will be ending soon, so make sure you enter to win by Tuesday, 3/29/11 by 11:59pm EST.

Sailor anchor earrings from Little Angels Jewelry that could be yours!

I also have another new giveaway that just started, which is for a My Girl and Me vintage sak handbag. Please be sure to enter that giveaway by Monday, 4/11/11 by 11:59pm EST.

Vintage cream-colored sak handbag from My Girl and Me that could be yours!

My Girl and Me Vintage Review and Handbag Giveaway

I was recently given the wonderful opportunity to do a review and giveaway for My Girl and Me, who has a lovely vintage shop with amazing vintage treasures on Etsy.

My Girl and Me is a vintage shop based out of Chicago, Illinois and carries all sorts of beautiful vintage items including handbags, hats, clothing, jewelry, belts and accessories. Their selection of vintage clothing and accessories is absolutely stunning and they have many different items to choose from, all of which are very reasonably priced. They offer very affordable shipping rates and accept several different forms of payment, including PayPal, money orders and checks. My Girl and Me offers gifting options in which they can ship the item directly to the recipient that it's intended for.

My Girl and Me's philosophy: "We Just adore seeking out timeless treasures, It reminds us of a time when things spoke for themselves. The Lines, Curves, Fabrics and Materials. We at mygirlandme are always finding ways to reuse what we have or make new again something old."

The shop carries many different items that you will love, such as a vintage cream-colored rolled brim hat with a bow, a vintage floral belted blouse, and a vintage red polka dot double buckle stretch belt, all of which are pictured below.

*Image used courtesy of My Girl and Me, Etsy

*Image used courtesy of My Girl and Me, Etsy

*Image used courtesy of My Girl and Me, Etsy

Review

I was given the opportunity to review a vintage gold brooch from My Girl and Me and I was thoroughly impressed. The brooch is beautiful and features small yellow clover flowers. It is a beautiful addition to my vintage jewelry collection and I will be wearing it often for many years to come, thanks to My Girl and Me! I was genuinely impressed with the large selection of authentic, beautiful and cared-for vintage items that their shop carries and will be making many more future purchases from My Girl and Me!



Giveaway

My Girl and Me was gracious enough to give one lucky reader of mine an opportunity to win a vintage, creamy-colored sak bag of theirs! The handbag is a creamy white color, has clear lucite handles, and is in excellent, cared-for condition. The bag measures 9 inches wide, 11 inches tall and has a 4.5 inch-wide opening. I absolutely fell in love with this beautiful bag and I know that you will too!



If you would like to have a chance at winning this beautiful sak bag from My Girl and Me, please be sure to enter! One lucky reader will be randomly chosen on Tuesday, April 12, 2011. Entries must be received by Monday, April 11, 2011 at 11:59pm EST. The winning reader will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond with their name and mailing address.

Good luck!

I would just like to convey my thanks and gratitude to the wonderful folks at My Girl and Me for giving me the opportunity to do a review and giveaway on just a few of their many, gorgeous vintage items that they carry in their shop. Please be sure to take a look at everything that they offer in their Etsy store!

XOXO, Crystal


Mandatory entry:

• Follow me on Google Friends Connect and leave a comment letting me know that you follow, along with your name and email address.
  

Extra entries:

• Follow the Vintage Loving Mom on Facebook and leave a comment letting me know you follow, along with your Facebook username (worth 1 entry).

• Follow me on Twitter and leave a comment letting me know that you follow, along with your Twitter username (worth 1 entry).
  
  
• Follow me on Networked Blogs and leave a comment letting me know that you follow (worth 1 entry).

It's a Social Parade - Follow on Fridays

Featured Flicks for the Weekend: March 25-March 27

The few flicks that I plan to watch this weekend during my free time include:

Wife vs. Secretary (1936) starring Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and Myrna Loy. IMDB Synopsis: "The wife of a publishing executive mistakenly believes that her husband's relationship with his attractive secretary is more than professional."

*Image used courtesy of Netflix

China Seas (1935) starring Clark Gable and Jean Harlow. IMDB Snyopsis: "When earthy Dolly Portland is rejected by Captain Gaskell in favor of a socialite, she aids Jamesy McCardle, in league with Malay pirates, in his plot to seize his ship."

*Image used courtesy of Netflix

Elizabeth (1998) starring Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush and Joseph Fiennes. Netflix Synopsis: "Shekhar Kapur's Oscar-winning treatise on absolute power and its human toll sees fledgling queen Elizabeth I (Cate Blanchett) sacrificing happiness with her lover (Joseph Fiennes) for her own safety and placing her trust in her stealthy "spymaster," Sir Francis Walsingham (Geoffrey Rush). The so-called "Virgin Queen" took the throne of a Roman Catholic country, declared the nation Protestant and ruled for 45 years -- but at great personal cost."

*Image used courtesy of Netflix

Have a great weekend!
Crystal

Friday Favorites: Pearl Necklaces, polka dots, miniature roses, Linkin Park & Tim Burton

My favorites that I find myself gravitating towards this week include:

A vintage pearl necklace that I purchased at a yard sale a few years ago from a sweet, little old lady, for approximately $0.75.


Anything with polka dots, and this week that includes this lightweight decorative scarf from Beehive that I purchased last year.


White and yellow miniature rose hair clips from Belle Blossoms.


Linkin Park's newest album, A Thousand Suns, which I've been enjoying for several months now.

*Image used courtesy of Linkin Park

And last, but not least, the work of the incredible and talented Mr. Tim Burton, who amazes me each year with each new piece, installment, and film that he creates!

Tim Burton & Johnny Depp (as Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street)
*Image used courtesy of Connect.In.com

What favorites have you enjoyed this week? Please share!

XOXO, Crystal

Coach Purse & Makeup Bag Giveaway at Luxury Living Frugal Style

Luxury Living Frugal Style is celebrating a birthday by hosting a giveaway for one lucky reader to win a Coach purse and matching makeup bag! Be sure to enter the giveaway which ends on 3/25/11.

*Image courtesy of Luxury Living Frugal Style

XOXO, Crystal

Thrifty Vintage Living

While I certainly love having as many vintage items in my home and life as I can, at times, those pieces can be costly when acquiring them. It is helpful to know just where to look for some new favorite items that you can add to your home or your wardrobe on a thrifty and frugal budget, because let's face it, everyone likes saving as much money as possible and getting a good deal!

While I certainly do love shopping in antique stores and at online vintage boutiques, at times, some items can be rather costly, and can instead sometimes be located in other areas that you might not have necessarily thought of in the beginning.

Yard sales, garage sales, estate sales, and the weekend flea market are some of my favorite places to find vintage pieces that are in decent or good shape and don't cost quite as much as antique dealers. I have found that many of these sales or booths are either operated by elderly individuals who are decluttering their home or they have been acquired by a third party and are being sold for a small profit.

Yard sales and garage sales are an easy way to look for all sorts of treasures, including clothing, accessories, and vintage pieces for your home. I like to peruse the announcements in the newspaper beforehand and identify the sales which sound like the best sweet spots to hit. I have found from experience that the early bird gets the worm, and yard sales are certainly no exception. The best deals seem to be had first thing when the yard sales get going, and you can also have your pick of the items available for sale. I don't always completely rely upon the announcements in the newspaper, as there are many folks who have yard sales but don't advertise them. I don't like to aimlessly drive around the entire town looking for yard sales, so I typically pick one area that already has yard sales I know about and branch out a little from there. Once you've done this enough times, you will more than likely identify certain neighborhoods or times of the year where the yard sales are the best. They are typically held moreso in the late Spring and the entire Summer. I have found many, many wonderful items at yard sales throughout the years like a favorite vintage pearl necklace of mine, vintage handbags, vintage clothing, and even some accessories. Furniture is also a plus that you can often find at such sales. The beauty of finding vintage pieces at a yard sale is that you can often barter on the costs of each item, thereby saving you much more than what you would have initially paid at an antiques dealer, since most yard sale holders just want to get rid of items they don't need or use anymore and make a little extra pocket money.

Estate sales are a little less commonly held than are yard sales, but you can often find all sorts of gems at them when they are held. Often, the whole reason for the estate sale is that an elderly loved one has passed away and their family holds an auction to sale off items they don't want or need anymore. I have found that perusing the newspaper each week will give you information on the dates, time and location of estate sales in your area. Many auctioneer companies also post advertisement signs near the property well before the auction date. At an estate sale, you are bound to find nearly anything up for sale, from jewelry, to clothing, to household goods, to furniture, to decor. The pricing may go a little higher than you would typically pay at a yard or garage sale, but you might find one real treasured piece that might save you a little money rather than buying it at an antiques store. I have been lucky to find such vintage items like kitchenware, clothing, books, and furniture at estate sales when they are held.

Lastly, the flea market is a common place that you can find a few treasures at. While I don't normally find a whole lot at these types of booths, you can come across a treasure or two from time to time. There are normally many different vendors or people set up at flea markets, and it's all a matter of perusing what they have and sometimes digging through a box or two in order to see if you find anything. I have typically found that I do better with individual booths that have personal items rather than visiting the ones which are more of a business-type setup, where they only sale commercial items. As with yard and garage sales, you can barter on the price of an item you like and you just might save a little more money on the purchase. I have been lucky to find some vintage earrings, vintage drinking glasses, a few furniture pieces, and some vintage dolls that I collect at flea markets in the area. I recently found a large collection of Gone With the Wind Hollywood collection Barbie dolls that I purchased for a great deal, as I am a huge GWTW fan and just couldn't pass up the bargain price.

I am a thrifty person. If I can find it cheaper somewhere else, and it looks just as good or better than another place, why not shop around and save some money? I do this on everyday things like grocery shopping and daily expenses, so I don't see any difference in doing it on the vintage things in life as well. The possibilities are endless when it comes to what vintage treasures you can find when looking for a deal. Just get out there and search!

A clawfoot settee (photo courtesy of Newport Modern) similar to one that I found at a thrift store which I paid $75 for

You can often find wonderful collections of vintage RPM records at yard sales and flea markets for a bargain of only a few dollars each, most of which still work and have pristine covers (photo courtesy of Joe Lauro's Historic Music)

A vintage pearl necklace similar to one that I found at a yard sale for only $0.75 (photo courtesy of Dejavu Antiques)

Vintage drinking glasses very similar to the many that I have found at yard sales and flea markets, all of which are usually only $1 each (photo courtesy of ClassiclyAmber, Etsy)

A vintage 50's houndstooth jacket very similar to one that I found at a thrift sale for only $30, which was in pristine condition (photo courtesy of LittleOceanAnnie, Etsy)

A vintage armoire similar to many that I have seen at flea markets and estate sales for great bargain prices (photo courtesy of Mr. Beasley's Antiques)

Happy Hunting, Crystal

Spring has sprung at The Sak!

Spring has sprung! Celebrate the first day of Spring with the Sak Indio Tote, the best-selling shape, in shades of citrus and papaya for the special web price of only $99, by clicking here.

Have you checked out The Sak's latest SakBuster? The Sak Caprina Clutch is available for a limited time only for the special web price of only $24 by clicking here.

Also, be sure to click on The Sak's vote tab on the left-hand side of their site to vote on your favorites, as many times as you like, then go to Battle of the Bags and enter your email address to be entered to win the bag with the most votes! The winner will be randomly selected by The Sak on 4/1/11.

Lastly, please be sure to follow The Sak on Facebook and Twitter.

Please be sure to let The Sak know that you were referred by The Vintage Loving Mom!

*Image used courtesy of The Sak

I want Wednesday...

Just a few items on my wish-list that I find myself wanting today...

A North Electric early candlestick telephone from Collectors Weekly

Vivien of Holloway swing trousers from Polyvore

Vintage sailor pencil cotton dress from Chic Star

Hand carved wooden Rockabilly shoes with cherries and red leather straps from Crafts Hawaii Inc.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After by Steve Hockensmith, Quirk Classics

What lovely items are you craving lately? Do share!

XOXO, Crystal

Our Harlem Globetrotters experience!

Our family was fortunate enough to attend our first Harlem Globetrotters game last night at Freedom Hall in Johnson City. I don't have any clue why we never attended one before, as it was so much fun! The tricks, impressive speed, and all-around fun was wonderful for the whole family!

My son was most impressed with the lightning-fast dribbling and passing skills of the Globetrotters. I thought their ability to work so well and fast together was phenomenal! Their dancing skills was also wonderful. Their were even some players who could break-dance! We laughed and smiled the entire time! I hope that they will return next year, as we are sure to go back again and again with all the fun that is offered by the Harlem Globetrotters!

My downloading software malfunctioned and I deleted the photos off the camera before I realized they had not downloaded, but here are a few shots that were saved. :-(

Globie break-dancing before the game!

Me!
Preston

Gage

XOXO, Crystal

My weekend fun: Springtime planting!

This past weekend had wonderful, warm and sunny weather on Saturday and Sunday, so we made a trip to our local Lowe's home improvement store and stocked up on some beautiful plants, flowers, trees and shrubs for the back yard. Our backyard and front yard is always a constant work in progress, but I love adding to the flowers and trees each year and sprucing things up, so this year will be no exception!

We picked up some gorgeous red cedar planter boxes and a matching arbor. We also picked up some white picket fencing to put around the patio in the backyard. I planted some clematis vines at the base of the arbor which should look beautiful by next year. I was also lucky to find some dahlia bulbs, flowering almond bushes, and a dwarf bing cherry tree. You can check out the rest of the snapshots I took on Photobucket by clicking here.

A new plant that I picked up for the backyard. I can't remember the name!

My new arbor over the patio walkway adjoining the backyard. I also strung up some patio lights on it.

The cherry blossoms in our front yard

Some of our daffodils in the front yard

Happy Gardening, Crystal