{Vintage Inspiration} Mom & Pop favorites...

One of the things I enjoy the most about writing, For the Love of Books, for La Petite Magazine is taking the photos to go along with the article. Honestly, I take the photos before I write- I'm a visual person. This last issue's theme was "vintage surf" &  I knew right away that I wanted to include those little striped swim trunks in the shoot. Believe it or not, they were Chris' favorite swim trunks when he was around Sayer's age. I couldn't believe that he still had them! Once I found that Snoopy surfing book, I knew that one of my favorite childhood items needed to be included as well- my plush Snoopy. I loved including these tidbits of nostalgia in my book feature & wanted wanted to share. These are a few of my favorite outtakes from the shoot. I only wish I had a photo of mini Chris in these swim trunks now.

{Fabric Friday} Sweet Nostalgia...

As you may know, I've been stashing away fabrics for quite awhile. Sometimes, I don't know why I'm drawn to a pattern but I feel a strong attachment to it & get a little bit to save for the right occasion. I decided to put together a few bundles of fabrics for hutch studio the other day that consisted mostly of vintage reprints but that are all really hard to find now. I think I started stashing most of these when I was thinking about being a mom someday.

These fabrics are sweet, nostalgic, & perfect for baby quilt or any other fun project for your child. There are 2 bundles available here. Happy Fabric Friday!  Do you have any fun & creative projects planned for the long weekend?

{Vintage Love} childhood buddy...

I remember the Christmas that I got my Snoopy- I believe my brother & I got a synthesizer to share that year too- yep it was the '70's.  Snoopy was one of my favorite buddies for a long time. I had so many outfits for him & would dress him up & take him everywhere. I loved him so much, that I kept him for my someday child.... 

That someday child loves Snoopy too! Although Snoopy doesn't have his extensive wardrobe anymore (what did I do with all of those clothes?) Sayer loves him all the same. He knows that his friend is "fragile" and needs extra care (he's been mended a number of times) but still likes to take him to "see the world" as he puts it. We took Snoopy to the grocery store a few days ago & Sayer pushed him in the cart & chatted with him the whole time. It's been pretty darn heart warming to watch his affection for my sweet, childhood buddy grow. They even dance together! As a fan of the Velveteen Rabbit, I can only imagine how happy Snoopy is right now. 

Side note: The klt:works dog on the pictured tee is now considered Snoopy's brother.

{Real Life} Boats, Trees, & Saltwater...

My dad loves boats. From the time I was about 7 (I think) our family had a boat. Our summer/spring weekends & family vacations consisted largely of boating- namely in the San Juan Islands but for our summer vacations, we would sometimes take the boat into Canadian waters - which I was always fond of because I could get candy & gum with French wrappers which made me feel very worldly. Over the years my brother & I began to favor certain islands for various reasons. My favorite was & still is Sucia Island. It has lots of trails full of what I call "peeley trees", beaches, & my favorite part... sand caves. 

The rock is a soft sandstone that has the coolest texture & there are many little hidden areas that look like a cave or a fort to a child. My parents still have a boat (much bigger now) & my brother & I still go out with them & our little families. This Sunday, we took a day trip with my parents to Sucia Island with Chris' dad (who has been visiting). It was also Sayer's first visit & I was excited to show him my favorite spots. It's been a long time since I had visited but it really did seem like yesterday. I almost half expected to see my name carved on one of the cave walls or the picnic table or something...  

It was just a quick little day trip, but it we made the most of it. Sayer seemed to enjoy himself. I loved watching him romp & explore. It was also nice to unplug & relax just a bit. I sometimes forget to do that. The more things change, the more they stay the same... 

{Contributor} La Petite Magazine #4...

Have you seen the new issue of La Petite Magazine yet? It came out on Friday & it's just gorgeous! Rachelle & Jennifer Lee have expanded their La Petite team by adding Peggy (Paul & Paula blog) & Stacie Bloomfield (Gingiber) which seems like a perfect fit. I was particularly excited to be asked to contribute another book article, given the theme of issue #4 is all about the '70's & '80's. It was a nostalgic & fun project that was really close to my heart for sure. 

At first, the task of writing, for the love of books, for this issue seemed a bit daunting. There are so many books during that time period that I adore- I ended up having to editing myself several times. Once I decided on The Giving Tree being a major part of the article, Sayer & I set out for the park with a camera, The Giving Tree, & a picnic in tow. 

We had a blast! It was the first sunny day after tons of rain so it was fun to romp in the fresh air. I was thrilled to have captured the afternoon in photos. I actually wrote the article after I chose the photos to use. I tend to work that way. I illustrate before I write stories too. It's funny, but seeing these pictures of Sayer wearing his suspenders, channeling Shaun Cassidy & Mork, took me back to the days on the grade school playground. I loved it! Sayer doesn't know the Do Run Run or who the heck Mork is, but he rocked the look all the same. 

Details of Sayer's retro look (if you are interested) :: 

suspenders- vintage from 3ringcircus 

hat- handmade by Armelle for Pure Pixie

big collared shirt- Kate Quinn Organics

owl tee- (his momma) klt:works

shoes- Vans

jeans- Old Navy

Books in my 70's & '80's time capsule stack ::

Security is a Thumb and a Blanket

Pippi Longstocking

The Tent (Wonder Books)

The Velveteen Rabbit 

The Story of Ferdinand

James and the Giant Peach

The Best Nest

In a People House

The Patchwork Girl of Oz

Frederick

Where the Sidewalk Ends

The Giving Tree

Crictor

Pet Show

And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street

Weedle on the Needle

So cruise on over to flip through issue #4 of La Petite here. For those of you that lived through the 70's & 80's like me, it will give you a beautiful trip down memory lane. 

Thanks for including my article Rachelle! It's an honor to be apart of this issue!

{Real Life} Go climb a tree...

When I was rummaging around in a box of pictures yesterday, I found this one. I had the funniest feeling when I saw it- total familiarity. It's nice to know that I haven't changed much over the years. I like that I still let myself dream big & try to do things that may seem unreachable or unrealistic. It's because of this characteristic that I started klt:works, this blog, & in turn met some wonderful people. Some of these wonderful people have turned out to be some of my best friends over the last year & I find myself longing to hop on a plane to enjoy some coffee & conversation in real life. Well, I'm excited to share that I get to finally meet a friend that I have been communicating regularly with ever since I wrote this post here - tomorrow! We've been planning this meet up for months & it involves an anniversary getaway & the need to cross the Canadian border.  So.... just go climb a tree. You never know what will happen or who you will get to meet on the way up.

{Good Read} Dr. Seuss...

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! We had a little birthday celebration of our own this morning with the Cat in the Hat. But tonight we will be reading some of our favorite Seuss books.  I have been tripping down memory lane with some of these books lately. I recently bought Sayer, "In a People House" & "The Best Nest" which are two of my childhood favorites. I remember studying every picture & memorizing every phrase. "Sam the Firefly" is another one that evokes fond memories.  Well really.... they all do! 

I stumbled on the annual Read Across America campaign today & they have a great way to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday. 

What is your favorite Dr. Seuss book?  It'll be nice to read with you tonight!  

{Nap Time} & elf bird...

We have been reorganizing rooms around here lately & purging lots of stuff.  When I was going through Sayer's toys, this little guy resurfaced. Sayer was really intrigued and asked who he was. I made him for Sayer when he was just a baby. I was on this kick to create the perfect lovey for him. This bird came before the slugs.  It wasn't that there was anything wrong with this guy, I just came up with the slug idea and retired this goofy bird to the bottom of the toy box.  I feel a little bad about it really. So I'm glad Sayer rediscovered him this week. He named his bird "Elf". Elf has joined Sayer & his two slugs at nap & bed time ever since their eyes met.

When I checked in on Sayer today during his nap, I was reminded of this photo. Isn't it funny how even though your kiddos grow so fast, there are still those moments that are frozen in time? These two looked exactly the same 3 years later. Hope you are having a nice, relaxing weekend.... 

{Everyday Inspiration} childhood nostalgia

My love of collecting vintage treasures has increased tremendously since becoming a mom. I seem to constantly be on the hunt for things that I enjoyed as a kid & now want to share. I suppose watching my son grow, makes me feel quite nostalgic about my own childhood. I try to see the world through his eyes & love to see his reaction to cool things that once caught my attention too.  

I admit, that I do look for vintage toys for a variety of reasons, but there is a definitely "boy" slant now when I'm browsing the local thrifts & antique shops. I found this great spinning top not too long ago and was drawn to it for the color, shape, &  illustrations. I thought Sayer would like it & sure enough, I was right. The minute he saw it on my shelf in my studio, he was intrigued. 

But the item that I purchase recently that really took me back to my childhood was the pair of rainbow suspenders that I found at 3ringcircus. When I saw them, I didn't have to think twice - I got them for Sayer right away. I used to have Mork suspenders that I wore all of the time. They were a little thinner, had some stretch, & I loved them! He discovered them again the other day and decided that they looked like fireman suspenders or "benders" as he likes to call them. He wanted to wear them yesterday & I saw an photo shoot opportunity right in front of me. I really think that one of my favorite things to do is take photos of Sayer (as you may have guessed). 

It's nice to be able to combine all of the things that I love into a "work related" photo shoot. My little retro lovin' klt:model & I had a fun afternoon yesterday - not to mention we got a lot done!  Is there something from your childhood that you've shared with your kiddo or keep around you as an adult?

{Fabric Friday} vintage vera...

I have really fond memories of playing in my mom's scarf box. The feeling of the silks & chiffons, the patterns & colors, and the wafting scent of Charlie Perfume come to mind when I think about it. A while back I spotted a basket of scarves at the antique mall. They were all packaged in ziploc baggies & I really didn't have time to sift through them. But I thought about them & saved that activity for a rainy day- when I need a studio break. That studio break came this week. I was completely delighted searching through the basket - the colors were amazing! But what really got my heart pumping was that the ones I kept picking up, were Vera Neumann scarves- and they were $6 a piece!

Vera was considered the "queen of mod" by many. Popular in the 60's &'70's, her textiles were infused with happiness and her painting background was evident in all of her designs. I'm drawn to her philosophy as much as her designs. Here is a snippet written about why she became so successful.

"...I think the biggest reason was that she painted up to the public. She was of the belief that fine art shouldn’t just be for the wealthy. It should be available to all and it should be incorporated in everyone’s everydays. By wearing a Vera dress, you can take your art with you. By wearing a Vera scarf, you can dress up pretty much anything. By having Vera linens in your kitchen, it puts a smile on your face while you’re doing the drabbest duties. Vera had the philosophy that you should change the art around you every once in a while because you soon stop seeing it. She made it to where a person can change their art as often as they change their clothes. Literally. "  - source

These scarves make me really happy. The colors just sing and the patterns are great! I felt really strongly about having them in my studio. I don't know what part they are going to play in my creating, but just being able to juggle them on whim is worth a lot. They also make for a good rainy day activity with the kiddo. Playing dress up has never been so glamorous... 

If you are fond of Vera as well and would like a little piece of fine art to wear, check out this Etsy Shop that has 297 Vera scarfs in stock!  I don't know about you, but I needed a little bit of cheerful color on this rainy day. Happy Fabric Friday! 

{Vintage Fisher Price} Welcome to my studio Dr. Doodle...

Dr. Doodle was under the tree for me this year & he made my heart go all a flutter. I had spotted him at my favorite antique mall about a month ago and told Chris all about his wise ducky charm. I was just thrilled to see his eyes peaking up at me from inside my Christmas package. He appears to be a perfect studio companion - all eager to offer up inspiration & help remedy any creative conundrums I may find myself in.

This addition to my Fisher Price collection called for some re-organization. I decided that the FP toys that were made before 1970 would go in my studio. And the ones from the 1970's could stay in Sayer's room. This need for re-organization also came in part from the playmobil explosion in Sayer's room that came with Christmas.  So I cleaned off a spot for my collection of old friends in my studio - but they appeared to need another friend in the group to make a true collection.  So, I decided it was time to visit my many FP "favorites" on Etsy.  

{jalopy photos via here}

I found this guy a long time ago- he was way at in the middle of my favorites and rather than buying him right away, I created a whole circus treasury around him. Thinking that filled the void, I went to bed. However, it didn't & I bought him the next afternoon- adding another cool circus find (an awesome vintage pop up book) in it's place. Can't wait to see this old jalopy in my studio. In my mindless Etsy cruisin' (in an attempt to relax) I did happen to stumble on a few more VERY tempting FP toys that I have been thinking about ever since. I will have to practice restraint for now- I sort of go on the whole toy fate thing. If it is truly meant to be... it will still be there when I'm ready. 

View "Take me to the circus" Etsy treasury here if you need to take a circus break like I did.

What sort of things do you like to collect?