OUR FIRST EVENT OF THE SEASON!!!!

OMG OMG OMG OMG.  Our first event of the season is this SATURDAY!!! From 6-8 we will be at Medlock Plaza's Short Leash Saturday. I can't wait and here's why:

• Short Leash is amazing. Mmmm.
• Medlock Plaza events are always SO fun.
• I love everyone who works at Frances and Smeeks. EVERYONE.
• Georgeann is my hero.
• I wanna shop my face off and buy all of the fall goodies at Frances. There is a striped peplum top that needs to be mine.
• I wanna eat so much candy at Smeeks.
• And the biggest reason I can't wait- HOPEFULLY I'll see many of your sweet faces again! I'm so eager to get out and catch up with all of you wonderful people!  

Check out the Frances Smeeks blog for more info.

New Things || Shop Update

And so much more at SHOPMERRYMAY.COM

My dear friend Jarrett came by and helped me photograph a ton of products for the online shop last week! New things will continue to go up each day so be sure to visit often. 

Lovey Love you all <3

Woot Woo!

Our online shop is now open. While we've only got a handful of things up at the moment, rest assured we've got a boat load of stuff that will be added in the coming weeks (like, a whole room in our house full of gems!). I'd love if you would stop over and take a look around. Be sure to let me know if you have any questions or suggestions for us. We'd love to get your take on it.

shopmerrymay.com

Also, I'm very excited because I have begun seeking out events for the trailer now that the oppressive heat is beginning to lift. There are some really exciting events coming up in and around downtown so cross your fingers that we can get into them. I can't wait to get back out there and see all you lovely folks again. Finally, Trevor and I have been talking about doing a shop open house/bbq at our home in the coming months. Would anyone be interested?

Oh Hai

Ahhh. I've had a busy and tough week or so and I'm sorry for my absence. Do you ever just feel like you kinda need to get away from everything and hide for a moment? Yeah, that's how it's been. But I've really been thinking about a lot of things and am mustering up the courage to make some changes here and there, hopefully for the better. I've got some good ideas and now it's just about taking the jump and making it happen- which is often the hardest part.

How have you all been? Well, I hope.

This week is going to be another busy one. But HOPEFULLY, it'll be a good one. I got a few things in the works and I reeeeaaaaally hope they work out cause I really wanna tell y'all about it.

In the meantime, check out this rad 1937 Ford Housecar.

Apparently, this lil baby is one of only six said to have been made per year in the mid-'30s at the Ford Plant in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was found in an old garage and had only 19,000 miles on it! And the owner's manual was actually still the glove box in like-new condition! It blows my mind how well things were made way back when. It makes me so happy to have the opportunity to experience a blast from the past once in a while (it also makes me sad to know that, with the way things are made these days and the disposable culture we live in, my children and their children won't have that same opportunity).

It's so cool- like a mix between a tiny motorhome and a gypsy caravan. What a gem.

Bisbee and Tombstone

Last weekend I went to Bisbee for my baby sister's 18th birthday. It was super fun and filled with lots of exploring, plenty of antiquing, old movies, and even a trip into a mine. Take a little looksie at some of the photos I snapped.

Wanna see more? Check out my flickr.

Thankful Thursdays v4

This week I am thankful for...

Tea cups and coffee mugs. I swear coffee and tea taste better in an adorable mug.

Vitamin C. Boo, I've been sick. I've been downing tons of vitamin C to kill those dirty little sick monsters really quick.

Singing. While I'm not the best singer, when I'm in my car I belt it like a pop star.

Sources 1, 2, 3

What are you thankful for?

Feature Friday: Rachel Red Lips

Hello everyone. Let me introduce Rachel Red Lips. The first time I stumbled upon her blog I was so excited cause her blog is really pretty and filled with lovely things. I definitely think we could be fast friends. Check out her blog and be inspired.

Name: Rachel Red Lips

Location: Portland, OR

Links: blog: http://www.rachelredlips.blogspot.com shop: http://www.redlipsvintage.etsy.com 

Hobbies: sewing, photographing, thrifting, picking wild flowers 

Tell me a bit about yourself/ How did you get into crafting/blogging: I have always loved to thrift, but needed a way to fund my hobby so it seemed obvious to start selling my vintage finds! My blog was created in association with Red Lips Vintage, but has taken over my focus in the last couple months. I started taking sewing lessons in February 10' and have been hooked ever since. All of these pursuits have taught me to be more confident, creative, and hard working than college ever could. 

What inspires you? love and learning. success stories. sincerity and open mindedness.

How would you describe your style? I am a big fan of a pretty, lightweight dress with sandals and red lipstick. I'm a florida girl at heart, so I like to have bare legs and shoulders. Most of what I wear is thrifted, so that keeps my style ever changing...I usually wear one thing for awhile and then forget about it all together. I don't like planning outfits in advance or wearing many accessories...I like to keep it simple by dressing on the fly and gussying up with flowers in my hair. Sometimes I quickly count how many different items I'm wearing, and if it's more than 5 or 6 (not including undies!) I will take a few things off to simplify. 

What is your favorite thing to cook/bake? My boy and I are vegan fools in love. We have become really great at whipping up awesome vegan dishes, but lately I don't feel like playing chef. I love homemade hummus and avocado on toast, banana pancakes, and cherry tomatoes.

Best thrifted find? I have so many! You can see more of my favorite thrift finds 2009 here:http://rachelredlips.blogspot.com/2010/01/favorite-thrift-finds-2009.html

This little girl's dress made my heart melt on the spot. It was also my most profitable thrift find! 

I found this sweater at Goodwill by a total fluke...the pattern caught my eye right when I was exiting the store! 

Thrifted this dress in Seattle. It has the cutest tie up back, and I loved that it was handmade.

I wear this little rayon dress all the time. It's the perfect dress for a really, really hot afternoon...light & breezy.

This little leotard was thrifted in LA. I wore it on halloween but mostly it just sits lookin' pretty in my closet.

What’s your favorite thing to do in your spare time? I like to read and cuddle with my cat, who is the sweetest little ball of love, and of course, I like to spend time with my boyfriend, Alex, too! 

What are you working on at the moment? Right now I'm juggling a lot of different projects and odd jobs, trying to get my feet on the ground in my new locale. I have been having a blast modeling for friend's etsy shops, photographing artist's work, altering clothing in bulk for vintage sellers, taking sewing classes, and promoting my blog. I have two really exciting proposals in the works right now, but I don't wanna jinx it by saying to much!

Advice for first time sellers? Make your shop a work in progress. I think it's so important to constantly work at improving your business. Experiment with photo spots and lighting, get to know quality vintage garments and fabrics, and ask people you admire for advice. If you look at your favorite seller's first few pages of sales, you'll see that even they have come a long way to creating a unique and beautiful shop! Also, invest in a better camera. Consider it a business expense!

Do you have any favorite websites, blogs, books, etsy shops? Oh yes. Some of my favorite etsy shops are Clevernettle, Allen Company Inc, and Vintage Shoe Love. All are run by wonderful ladies with a keen sense of business. My favorite blogs are Pacing the Panic Room, Honest Fare, Colette Patterns, and Bleubird Vintage, but especially Pacing the Panic Room. Ryan Marshall's go-getter attitude has inspired me to put myself out there, ask for jobs, and trust that I really can have any career I want! 

 What are your goals for your blog/shop/art/craft? My end goal is undetermined, but right now I am trying to learn as much as I can about sewing. I know I will be self-educating for the rest of my life, and I love it!

How would you describe your style?

Tell me- how do you describe your style? What influences affect your sense of style? What time periods, fictional characters, music, movies, colors, seasons, do you draw on when creating your wardrobe?

Here's mine:

50's Housewife. 

So even though sexism was rampant and stuff, 50's women had impeccable style- super feminine.

Hippie.

How cute does she look?! I'm not one to spend a TON of time fussing so I love how effortless the 70's hippie look is. High waisted denim, floppy hats, wedges... perfect.

Cowgirl

I don't know if I've yet to let on but I LOVE cowgirl stuff. Almost every year I end up being a cowgirl for Halloween just cause I feel like a bad ass. I love boots, cowboy shirts, those long cowboy ties, turquoise.

Nerd.

Ok so this girl isn't really all that nerdy but she looks adorable! I love the button-up shirts and sweater vests and glasses. 

Granny.

  Love granny glasses and bags. My favorite Golden Girl always got it right. Every episode Sophia has amazing glasses, perfect bags, and gorgeous collars. (P.S. My girl crush, Tennessee Thomas incorporates the granny chic in seamlessly. Check her out. She is so great.)

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Merry May Farm, I Trade Handmade, and More!

Announcing the new and improved, Merry May Farm!!

So... I don't know if you remember but I talked a while back about how I was working on making some changes around here. Long story short- I have been working really hard over the past year or so at making changes in my life. I am working at figuring out what is important to me and how to put those things first- how to create a life I am passionate about. Well one of the things I really wanted to do was revamp my Etsy shop. I created it a loooong time ago- kind of on a whim- then neglected it since. So I've been working hard to fill it with things I love. As many of you, I really want to be able to create a life for myself through blogging, creating, and collecting- my favorite things.  I know its a long, tough road ahead but good things are worth fighting for.

One a similar note, I am proud and excited to announce that I jumped on the "I Trade Handmade" bandwagon. If you don't already know about it, "I Trade Handmade" was conceived over at Under Those Neon Lights (awesome blog) and offers a whole list of amazing crafters willing to trade their handmade goods! This is so fun and I am happy to be part of it for various reasons. In fact, I have a little challenge coming up later this week that should explain more.

P.S. If you find something in my shop you can't live without, be sure to include (in the message to the seller part) that you are my blog friend. I'll include a super special present for you : )

Workin' Hard

I've been working hard and fast at revamping my sad and lonely Etsy shop.

Looong story short-I made this headband right before a company Christmas party because I was lacking something fun to wear. Before the party I went to the annual Crafeteria at Francis, an amazing local boutique. Georgeanne, the amazingly smart and talented owner of Francis told me I should make some more to sell in her shop. Well, from there I expanded and asked my Butter Toast friends if I could sell them in their shop and they kindly obliged. I made an Etsy shop to get my work out there but over the past couple months have decided to give it a BIG face lift.

I am working hard at intorducing a new crop of vintage home goods to Merry May Farm! Here's a sneak peak : )

Do you have an Etsy shop? How did you get started and what are your goals for it?