Ruby's Vintage Shopping Adventure or Lack There Of

I purchased this vintage dress from a women at a vintage clothing show that said it was hers when she was a little girl. I love the color combo, the pin stripes and the little embroidered doggies.  I put Ruby in it the other day and followed her around taking pictures.  It's pretty much impossible to get her to pose, so I wrote a little story to go along with the random photos I took, pretty silly, but kind of fun.  Hope you have a great Wednesday!

 Once upon a time there was a little girl named Ruby who loved to wear vintage.  She found some money that had fallen out of her mom's purse, so she thought she would go out on a vintage shopping trip.

 She was very excited for her adventure!

 

Ruby threw on her favorite knit gray shrug, borrowed her mom's sunglasses, grabbed her baby doll and set out to her favorite vintage shop.

 When she was about half way down the driveway, Ruby remembered that she couldn't drive and she missed her mommy, so she headed for home.

 Luckily, Ruby had her thumb to comfort her when mommy saw that she had tried to go shopping with her money.

dress ~ vintage

shrug ~ thrifted

shoes ~ the gap via ebay

socks ~ target

barrette ~ vintage

Ruby's Vintage Patchwork Dress

We've had some warm weather lately, so I jumped at the chance to put this sweet little vintage patchwork dress on Ruby.  Recently, she has been pretty adamant that she wear her pajamas all day, so getting her into this dress was no small feat.   I came up with the brilliant idea to "trade" (sounds much better than "bribe") her for something she would really appreciate.  So, after a bit of negotiation, she traded putting on the dress for one organic tortilla chip and letting me take pictures of her in the dress for two additional chips.  I think we both got a pretty good deal.

 

Rethinking Baby Gifts

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about what we buy for our children.  Loads of cheap plastic toys line the shelves of Target and other discount stores calling out to our kids with their bright colors and low prices.  I recently bought a set of doll toys for $20 which included a bed, bouncy seat, car seat, carrier, changing pad and high chair.  Ruby has barely played with it and all the pieces are taking up space in her room.  Over the last few years we have accumulated a lot of toys that she barely plays with and have no aesthetic appeal.  I am starting to think about what I buy for other people when they are expecting or have young children. On Saturday, I went to a baby shower for a friend and I had been saving this vintage set of wooden stacking blocks for her baby since I found out she was pregnant.  I love how well it is made and how timeless it is.  I can't imagine Ruby's doll toys will be as good in 50 years. 

 

 

Vintage Mama Feature ~ Beth & Ruby's Photo Shoot

Ruby and I were invited to do a "vintage mama" post on the blogs of two very lovely ladies, Rubyellen of My Cakies and Rachel from Smile and Wave.  We did an interview about where we find the best vintage and a little photo shoot to go along with it.  I sent my favorite photos to the girls for their post, but I thought I'd share some of the others and the out takes here.

It's actually perfect timing because my "baby" Ruby turns two today.  I absolutely can't believe how big she is getting.  She has the most beautiful personality and she brings me more joy in one smile than I ever experienced before I had her.  Thank you for making my life full Ruby, I look forward to all that you will become!

 

~ on Beth ~

40's dress: rob's vintique

tights: free people

40's shoes: elsewhere vintage

necklace: salvage life

~ on Ruby ~

40's silk dress: american vintage

tights: Beth's from when she was a toddler

patent mary janes: gap via ebay

barrette: vintage via ebay

hat (seen in first photo): thrifted

Bugaboo Double Stroller Coming (Finally)

There is more news on the convertible double front. After years of parents wishing for a double Bugaboo, it looks like one will be hitting the market next spring. But unlike most strollers of the genre that stack babies one on top of the other, the Donkey (what a horrid name) will have the seats side by side. And those two seats will be just 29 inches wide, one of  the narrowest side by side on the luxury stroller market.
And if you don't want two seats you can have a cargo basket for hauling things around.

I Wish It Came In My Size

I lust for this Album di Famiglia baby coat every Winter. The wind and waterproof down jacket i just so toasty looking. And the colors are always so sophisticated. 176€

Vintage Children's Books

My mom recently went to an estate sale and picked up these neat things for me.  These elementary school Science books from the 1950's are fantastic.  If my science books had looked like this I think I would have enjoyed the subject a little more.  Now all I need are a couple Erlenmeyer flasks and I'll have a really cute display!

This rotating disk from the 1930's shows Inventions on one side and Wonders of the World on the other side.  You turn the dial to the item you want and it tells you who invented it and what year, etc.  

A set of children's dictionaries from the 1960's in vibrant colors.  My favorite part is the pictures inside like this one explaining Biology. 

Thanks Mom!

Silver Cross Surf

In the United States Silver Cross is primarily known for it's traditional prams, but they also make modern stylish stroller systems. Their newest stroller is the lightweight Surf. Silver Cross made the stroller 1/3 lighter by using magnesium alloys normally used in aerospace manufacturing. The stroller can be used from birth when used with the included Babynest. The Babynest allows the stroller seat to be used in a fully reclined position. It can also be used with the Ventura S infant seat. The seat can reversed, has an air ride suspension, and a compact single hand fold.

Baghere Long Woollen Cape

I know it is an odd time to add an 100% wool long, wool cape to a catalogue, but that is just what Little Fashion Gallery has done. I love the Anita cape from Baghere though. It's so pretty and old-fashioned. 146.32€

The 2010 Bugaboo Bee

The revised version of the Bugaboo Bee is due to be released in April. They may a few changes to make the stroller easier to use. First off, for safety the seat can only be removed empty. Bugaboo made the backrest and canopy height adjustable so that older children won't be so cramped once they get a little bigger. The backrest also now curves forward instead of backward to improve ergonomics. In addition the seat is wider and they removed the armrests. With no armrests there is less of risk of little fingers being pinched. Of course all this innovation will cost you over $100 more than the previous Bee. $649.99

The First Years Indigo Stroller

Designers  of affordable strollers are taking cues from more expensive strollers, and designing strollers that parents actually want to push. The First Years will be introducing the Indigo to go along with the introduction of the First Years Wave. It will have a reversible seat with five point harness, and is rated for use to 50lbs. It can be folded with or without the seat. The Indigo also has an attachment for use with most car seats.

Babycotpod Cascara

The Babycotpod Cascara is steadily making its way to the sales floor. The company has posted photos of the model that it will be selling on its Twitter account. The company is still trying to secure enough funding, but the Cascara is looking good.

The First Years Wave Stroller

The First Years Wave Stroller reminds me a lot of the Mothercare Spin, except that it cost less than half the price and is available in the United States. The seat has the same swivel motion for rotating the seat from front to back. This European styled stroller (weighing just 24lbs) has higher adjustable handle, a multi-postition recline, one touch brakes, and a large storage basket. And since it fully reclines you can use it from birth as a bassinet until your tot is about 50lbs. It also will accept the First Wave Via car seat and most Chicco and Graco cars seats.  $299.99

Affordable Fixed Rail Crib

Crib recalls always seem to involve dropside cribs, but fixed rail cribs tend to be rather expensive. So I decided to look for an affordable yet safe crib. One of the best I have seen is the Graco Shelby crib (And it has a ton of good reviews.) This crib looks good from all angles so it can be placed in the center of the room. But the best part is that there are no moving parts so you will have one less thing to worry about. And it is available at most big box stores, and everywhere online.

GDiapers New Baby Bundle

A few years ago when I was pregnant I wrote an email to gDiapers asking if they were ever going to make a diapering option for babies smaller than 8lbs, and got this reply:


Thank you for your email!  While we would love to offer a size for newborns smaller than 8lbs, we simply aren’t ready to take it on.  We have only been on the shelves for a little less than 2 years and don’t yet offer as many sizes as we’d like.  You may want to have another diaper option on hand for those first few pounds, but babies grow so quickly!  I’m sure the small will fit before you know it :0)

Well it looks like gDiapers has finally grown large enough to offer diapers for wee babies. The tiny gPants are designed for babies who weigh between 6 and 10 pounds. They are more like the snap in liners used on the other covers, and have words that start with g all over them. The covers fasten in the back with Velcro. There are also snaps in the front to protect tender umbilical cords.

It's nice to know that a cloth diapering company realizes that not everyone has big babies. Some of us still have tiny babies and now there is a diapering system for them. 

The New Baby Bundle contains a dozen tiny gPants cover, 6 little gPants, and a case of small gRefills (160 liners).  $149.99

Come one, come all!

Last weekend I threw a big first b-day bash for my precious little girl. This was a bit of a challenge considering my commitment to not buying anything new (besides food). I started with some vintage circus inspiration and went from there...





I collected old sheets and fabric from the thrift stores and trims from an estate sale.



I made a circus tent backdrop with sheets and trim. Flag was made from a vintage wallpaper sample book from the 70's I bought at an estate sale years ago.



I put fabric backing on vintage frames and printed circus font letters on paper I already had for a bday sign. You can find the free font here.



Vintage Fisher Price circus train from my grandparents house, popcorn boxes I found in my pantry and filled with caramel corn, a vintage circus book I had and animal cracker boxes for favors (they're edible, so I figured they were ok to buy).





Little vintage trunks and suitcases made for good platforms.



After inquiring at several bakeries about a custom fondant cake and finding out that they were hundreds of dollars, I decided to make my own. This was a crazy project and took me almost a whole day, but I think it turned out pretty cute. I had to use 9 inch cake pans for all the layers because I could not buy a 6 inch pan or find anyone to borrow one from, this made it more difficult, but it is amazing what you can do with what you have. I am really learning that the solution to things isn't always buying something new. I topped it with an elephant toy and candle. For some tips on working with fondant, click here.



I made flag banners from a variety of vintage fabrics and stapled them to twine. Actually, I cannot take credit for this, my sweet Camille made these, what would I do without her?!!





Our little family. :)



First birthday cake...mmm, delicious!