Thrift store regrets.

If you don't shop at thrift stores, I highly encourage you too.They are cheap, delightful, and there is always something new. Just get over the dingy smell, and dim lights. Just remember to wear a skirt, because most thrift stores do not allow dressing rooms.


I have a strict budget when I thrift. I do not allow myself to spend over $10 on any one item. This sounds crazy I know, but unless I am searching for something particular I really have to limit myself.
Occasionally however I deeply regret leaving some purchases at the thrift store.

The one item that you will never find again, but just barely breached my $10 limit? I regret not buying those items every time I leave. So, the ones I left behind I always take a picture to remember them by.

Here are a few I wish I would have bought.

Green couch $70 (above) This wonderful couch can now be found at The Bottle Tree. Birmingham, AL

Collection of Recipe Boxes $25

Matching squirrel jars $11

All together $13. These just did'nt make the cut.

End table $25. I really wish I would have bought this pretty item.

Amazing canisters. $18

Dont let your thrift store steals get away!

Spring LOVE

spring is in the air. Yesterday I enjoyed a spring nap in the park with Gavin, and today I stole him from the lab to eat lunch on the quad. We finished off our delicious pesto pizza from last night. And some lemon ice box pie. I have never made lemon ice box before. It was super simple and delicious! Here is the recipe I used.

Monday: Pretty Organization

someday when I have kids. This will be in their bedroom. Or maybe before then, my bedroom!

I have seen this idea posted plenty of places. I have gathered several different storage devices to compile together, One day I will get around to constructing this.

I have discovered that I m slowly running out of room in my closet. I have already tried baskets and more shelves, but there is just never enough room. I really love these ideas for closets that are out in the open. It forces you to stay clean and tidy. Here are a few pretty pics of closets I found.

how simple. a bookshelf sitting upon an end table. Easy. Simple. Adorable.



Here are a few tips I found on how to keep your closet clean!

Plastic Bins

Plastic totes or bins with lids provide closet storage for less-frequently used items. The lids allow bins to stack, maximizing use of vertical space. Larger totes provide lots of storage volume at a low cost, making them one of the best budget-conscious closet organization ideas.

Wire or Wicker Baskets

Wire and wicker baskets keep accessories and fold-able items accessible and visible. The open sides encourage air circulation, keeping clothes from smelling musty after long periods of storage.

Hanging Organizers

If you don’t use a lot of the hanging space in your closet, a unique closet organization idea is to convert the hanging rod to shelf space with inexpensive canvas cubbyhole organizers.These organizers hang from the closet rod and will allow you to organize your sweatshirts, sweaters, and shirts. Hanging organizers can also convert the back of the closet door into usable storage space.

Adjustable Wire Shelving

Modular adjustable wire shelving lets you rearrange the shelves as you see fit. Adjustable wire shelves are great for kids’ closets too, since you can place the hanging rods low and adjust the heights as the children grow.

Read more here.

AppleSeed Vintage booth at Druid City Art Fest

AppleSeed Vintage made the front page of the Tuscaloosa News. Check out the article here. This past weekend I held an art booth at the Druid City Art festival. I had so much fun, it was unbelievable. I sold more than half of the items I brought out, it turned out to be a huge success, and I cant wait to do it again very soon. My sister Lily, and I held down the fort as the wind tried to blow over our display every chance it got. After I had completely duck taped down the mannequins and clothes rack I could get back to selling beautiful vintage clothes and handmade jewelry.



Here are a few pictures from the event.

So many people were curious as to how I have collected so many vintage items. Years worth of thrifting, antique shopping, and searching through y grandmothers attic was the answer.



I designed a business card the night before, and had about 40 of them printed at FedEx. I ran out of them within the first two hours of the event, so I had to keep writing out my store website on a piece of paper and handing it out. Here is the business card I designed.




My incredibly talented younger sister created these treasure/shadow boxes that she had for sale. Every single one of them sold except for the one that kept breaking when it was thrown around by thee wind. Lily also worked on wrapped crystals during the event, each time she finished wrapping a crystal and placed it on the table it would sell instantly.

I though it would be neat for you to create your own custom jewelry stand at the event. I displayed a few of my plates and candle stands so guests could pick their own design. Lily helped me glue them together, then you could pick them up when they were dry. There were a few people who put together the most unusual combination, I wish I would have taken pictures of them all.


Lovely ladies checking out my booth.




lily gluing all of the jewelry stands.


I enjoyed thsis experience so much! I cant wait to find some more art festivals to display my work. Special thanks to my boyfriend Gavin who drove everything around, helped me set up and take down, and even brought lily and I lunch on that sunny windy day. And thanks to Lily!! I could not have done it all without you.

My very first Art Booth

This weekend I am attending the Druid City Arts Festival. I am participating as an art vendor. This will be my very first time to display and sell my crafts at an art show. I have always wanted too, but the vendor table prices were always too high, but for students it is free! What a perfect opportunity to test out my very first craft table. I have been looking for ideas for a while now to figure out how I want to display everything. Here are a few images and tips I would like to share with you.

I will be bringing two mannequins to my craft both display, so this picture really helped. I also loved that she thought to put boxes and frames even below the table. Good way to use up some extra space, I'm just not sure that everyone would be that height. I love the idea for a vintage lase table cloth. I might go to the thrift store today to try and find some lace curtains to use as a table cloth.
Image found from twitter.

This vintage trunk earring display is marvelous. Yet again another wonderful find! It looks too easy. There are DIY directions here. This article was taken from Richmond Craft Media Blog.

Here is a very clean look. I have plenty of baskets I could bring, if only i have paper crafts to sell. Darn. I also love the tree sitting on the left side of the table to hang bracelets or necklaces. Images found from Indie Craft Shows.

This is one of my all time favorite ideas. I once visited a craft fair in Asheville, and there was a women (I forget her name and shop name) who made bracelets out of recycled clothes and buttons. She had all of her jewelry displayed in old vintage suit cases. Perfect for storage and display. This is one of the most creative ideas. I have plenty of old suitcases, so I am very excited to try this out. These image were taken from Poetic Home blog.

This craft booth is so inviting. Red Marionette created the Red Marionette Logo out of "train" blocks and big red letter blocks, painted red then sanded for the "Old Toybox" look. This is such a great idea! I really love her work as well.


I love how she has added height to a simple table with window frames or metal racks. Beautiful and simple. This image was taken from Giant Dwarf blog. You can find her Etsy shop here.

Here are some great tips I found on how to set up an effective craft booth. I hope all of my research will pay off.
Ideas taken from Meylah blog.

Theme: Having a theme to your booth reinforces your brand. For example, if you sell linens, you could use vintage wire laundry baskets from a thrift store to display some of your items, or an old-fashioned washboard as a display holder for your business cards. It’s great to have functional props, so try and choose ones that can be used as levels or stands – you’ll be killing two birds with one stone!

Color: When planning your displays, choose colors that make your products pop. You don't want to your items to be washed out by a color that's too bold, or overwhelmed by busy patterns. Also, keep your theme and brand in mind when choosing colors. Think about the mood you want to create when people visit your booth. Think about the moods created by different colors.

Levels: Include interesting levels and depth in your displays to draw people into your booth. From far away, your booth will look empty and uninviting if your products are all lying horizontally (and facing the ceiling) on the table. Set them up to face the customer! If your booth turns people's heads from a distance, their feet are sure to follow.

Signage: Make sure you have a clear sign showing your store name. Make it interesting and unique – anything to make people remember your name. Another important tip: Just like when they're shopping at a retail store, people want to know prices. It can be a turn-off for them to have to ask you how much everything costs (what if you're busy with another customer?), so label each item clearly.

Keep it Subtle: Your displays should never outshine your product; they are there to make your product stand out. Even if you come up with the most beautiful, elaborate display in the world – it’s of no use if people spend all their time admiring your display, and don’t even notice your products.


Another good resource is flickr. Here are some examples of craft show displays.

This past week I had the opportunity of testing out my new fondue pots before I sold them. They are the perfect colors bright apple red, and avocado green.
Just to make sure that everything worked. Gavin and I drove all around town to find some Sterno to place under the bottom of the pot to keep it warm. We invited a couple of our friends (Kinsey, Ray, and Johnny) over to enjoy the melted chocolate and cheese treat.

This was by far the best idea ever!Apples, strawberries, raspberries, lettuce wraps, and french bread were all displayed...just waiting to be dipped.



Kinsey and I were a little more fond of the chocolate fondue.

G-Dingle was all about some queso cheese. I think him and Ray pretty much finished off the cheese.

Check out all of these wonderful fondue pots! You can buy most of them HERE.

Birthday Hair Clips

I have so many wonderful friends. This weekend I was fortunate enough to actually get paid for crafting. If only this could be a career move. It was absolutely wonderful. My friend Kristy Joe babysits for a wonderful family in Tuscaloosa. Janet and Jim have three children, Mason, Molly, and Lucy the Birthday Girl. So, a couple of my friends helped out with a craft filled birthday party. We decided to make hair bows, because what five year old does not enjoy some hair accessories. Kinsey, K-Joe, and I spent about three hours playing with little girls and crafts. Here are a few pics from the Birthday party.



Our wonderful hair clips. We had to make sure they were stylish enough to share with the Birthday crowd.

One of my favorites.

The girls went crazy over the table filled with sequins, fabric, buttons, flowers, bows, and glitter.

Bottom left- Molly (Lucy's sister) had stunning red ringlets. The hair bows went perfectly in her curls.

Now if only I could figure out a way to do this for every little girls Birthday. K-joe and I thought about passing out business cards to all of the moms to see if they wanted us to come and bring crafts to their kids parties. thought this is the best idea ever. We bring crafts and food, and enjoy a splendid afternoon playing with kids! I will be thinking of how to make this a reality.

These hair clips are super easy and very cheap to make.

Supplies:
(everything can be purchased from your local craft store)
Metal Hair clips
different colored felt
Assorted buttons, sequins, glitter, and flowers
glue gun with sticks.
Birthday Girl.

just cut the green felt to fit the metal clip, then glue any and every accessory on that you wish. Be sure the clip is dry before you place it into your hair.

Enjoy!

Love, Carrie

Mini Bouqet and Pie Lab

PIELAB

PieLab is a welcoming community space on Greensboro’s Main Street that provides delicious pie and coffee, as well as retail and hospitality job training for local youth through the YouthBuild Program. More than simply a pie shop, PieLab operates as a community design center focusing on community development projects and small business incubation in Greensboro and the surrounding five counties.