Holiday Party Hopping with the Sponsors

If I weren't fat and pregnant right now, I would love to wear any of these items to my next Holiday Party.  Wouldn't you?

Vintage 1960s Brown Lace Cocktrail Dress from Deoma's Boutique

Vintage 1970s Olive Green Caped Mini Dress from Little Bee Vintage

Vintage 1950s Fitted Waist Pinup Dress from Funky Fondled and Fresh

Vintage 1980s Aubergine Velvet Holiday Dress from Little Veggie Vintage

Vintage 1980s Black Beaded Floral Applique Sweater from Sassy Sister Vintage

Top 5 Favorite Christmas Songs

I love the time after Thanksgiving because KOST 103.5 plays Christmas music 24/7 and my family whips out its cds of Christmas music, also.  I wouldn't mind listening to these prior to Thanksgiving but my husband insists that it is a sin to listen to Christmas carols before Thanksgiving, so we have to wait.  Anyhow, here is my silly list of my 5 favorites, starting with number 1!  What are your favorites?

(Also, I'm having a cyber Monday sale in my SHOP!  Use coupon code "GRAVY" to receive 20% off!)

1. Mariah Carey- "O Holy Night"

Nobody sings this song like her! 

2. Dean Martin- Baby It's Cold Outside

Just a still image, but love this song!

3.  NSYNC- Merry Christmas Happy Holidays

A classic, right? I have it on cassette tape somewhere. By the way, used to have the hugest crush on JT.  Not so much anymore.

4. Andy Williams- "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"

You know, the one that's loud and plays in all department stores and is really happy! Love it!

5.  Nat King Cole- "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire"

Nobody sings it smoother than him!



Vintage Treasures- Funky Fondled and Fresh

Meet Anelia, the owner behind Funky Fondled and Fresh Vintage on Etsy.  This shop offers such a variety of beautiful vintage dresses, among other funky and unique vintage apparel, but the dress selection is divine!  Also, any shopper can see Anelia works hard on the shop by viewing the photographs that she models in herself.  Please take a chance and visit this SHOP and enjoy the interview!

Explain your reasons for starting an Etsy vintage shop.

I started selling vintage at the beginning of this year. I started on Ebay initially but have since switched to Etsy since I feel this outlet lends its to the vintage community a little better. Before I opened my own store I worked for a large online vintage retailer and gained quite a bit of knowledge and experience about selling vintage online. I started buying vintage as a teenager and have become more and more obsessed with it over the years. I've been passionate about fashion in general since I was a kid and I think the way a person dresses can definitely be a form of creative expression. I'm an artist. My educational background is in sculpture but I consider myself an all around creative person.  My store is really a creative outlet for my love of fashion!

What is your most favorite vintage item you own?

My favorite vintage item is a mod mini dress with rainbow stripes. (see below picture)

What is your favorite vintage era and why?

It's really hard to choose just one favorite.  I love the 20s because I strongly identify with the flapper look and lifestyle. I love the mod look of the 60s, mod is short for modern and I have a huge affinity for modernism in art and design. I love disco, so of course I love the 70s! I grew up in the 90s and have had a growing nostalgia for that decade lately.

Is Etsy a job or a hobby?

Even though my shop is new and still growing, I treat it as a job. I put a lot of care into selecting and presenting my items. All of my items are dry cleaned or laundered, some are also repaired if necessary, and some are even altered for a more updated look.

Which item is your favorite in the shop right now?

Vintage 60s Geometric Floral Print Mod Dress

5 words to describe yourself.

passionate, creative, kind, honest, loyal

You have amazing photos, and you've only been on Etsy for 6 months!  Which camera do you use?

My boyfriend, who is a photographer, takes my photos using a Canon EOS Rebel XTi.

What have you learned about selling on Etsy so far?

Etsy is more than just a commerce site, it is a community and the more you take part in that the better.

You can also find Anelia on Facebook, Chictopia, and Twitter!

Thanks for a great interview!

The Prettiest Dress I've Listed Yet

The pictures don't do justice to this dress.  Perfect dress for the holidays, wedding, party, date, whatever.

You can find it in the SHOP now!

Why I Do What I Do

One of the few outfits that fit me at the moment.

We rolled up his pants so it wouldn't get wet. Then, he squatted and his big butt was in the water.

With his favorite aunt.  She's single btw!

I love him.

Happy!

With grandma.

Loves the slide now!

When I look at these pictures, I feel very fortunate and blessed to have been able to stay at home with him for the first few years of his life.  Yes, it was definitely a lifestyle change in terms of becoming more frugal and going out less, and yes, a child definitely brings more responsibility, but Jonah is so worth it and I don't miss my previous life at all.

My husband and I decided that we did not want anyone else raising our child/children, so if it was possible for me to stay at home, we would make it happen.  So far, it's been working out wonderfully and the extra income Etsy brings definitely helps.  We consider ourselves lucky and blessed that we are able to have one of us stay at home, and yes, we may have to sacrifice that extra trip and we have to eat in more, but nothing beats the time spent with your child, especially since time really flies. I can't believe he'll be 2 in 2 months!

I also feel lucky that I'm an educated mom and no I don't feel like I'm wasting my education by staying at home.  I consider it another blessing that my children will have an educated mother, familiar with the education system to ensure they receive a quality education. I realized when I was a teacher that teaching a child does not only occur at school, but must occur at home, also. 

I will definitely go back to teaching someday, but for now, my calling in life is to be the best mother and wife I can be and as long as our family is able, I'm glad that I can stay at home and raise my children and I'm glad that I have a supportive husband that busts his butt for his family, also.  I know many families need 2 incomes, especially in CA, but for us, this works for now. 

That's all.

All Dressed Up

1950s Iridescent Cyan Sheer Overlay

1980s Tiger Print Heels

1960s Mod Mini Blue Jumper

1960s Caramel Wool Coat

1980s Pendleton Tweed Blazer

1960s Siberian Faux Fur Hat

1960s White Daisies Beaded Clutch

1980s OSCAR DE LA RENTA Velvet and Wool Dress

1960s 70s Black Patent Pumps

1950s 60s Abstract Stilettos

All these vintage items are available in the SHOP if you'd like to dress up!

Banana Zucchini Bread

Now that I have a spacious kitchen with stainless steel appliances, I find myself transforming into the domestic wife and mother I always knew I could be.  Also, since our family is trying to save more money, I really try not to waste food.  So, when I saw 3 overly ripe bananas on my fruit stand, instead of just letting them rot more before I threw them out because I was too grossed out to eat them, I decided to make bread.  Usually, I make just banana bread, but my intake of vegetables has been lacking, so I decided to add zucchini and it came out deliciously!

The recipe is originally for 2 dozen muffins, but I didn't have the patience to make muffins, having only one muffin pan, so I made 6 muffins and 1 loaf of bread from this recipe.

Here's the recipe- Adapted from Taste of Home:
4 eggs beaten
3 medium overly ripened bananas mashed (about 1-1 1/2 cups)
1 cup of shredded unpeeled zucchini
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt


Preheat your oven at 350 degrees.

1.  Line 2 muffin pans with paper liners and set aside (or you can be like me and make 6 muffins and 1 loaf of bread)
2. In a bowl, beat the eggs, then blend in sugar and oil.
3. Add the bananas to the egg mixture and mix well.
4. In a separate bowl, stir the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Then stir this into the egg mixture, little by little. 
5. Fold in the shredded zucchini until all combined.
6. Fill the muffin cups halfway and bake for 15 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.  For bread, bake for 40-50 minutes at 350, or until a tester comes out clean.
7.  Remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.

I accidentally underbaked my bread, which is why it kind of caved in the middle.  What, I'm just becoming domestic, so give me a break.  Anyhow, the bread was so good that even my 21 month old ate it, and he doesn't like bread. 

If anyone else has any other good bread recipes out there, please let me know!

Some Vintage Outfits

1. 60s Mod Khaki Safari Shirt Dress from FunkyFondledandFresh

2. 1970s Rugged Women's Boots from SassySisterVintage

3. Vintage Tan Leather Saddle Bag from LittleBeeVintage

1. Vintage 1980s Black Paisley Twill Skirt by LittleBeeVintage

2. Vintage 1980s Edwardian Peplum Blouse by FunkyFondledandFresh

3. Vintage 1950s 60s Yellow Stiletto Heels-Never Been Worn by SassySisterVintage

I love my sponsors and each offer such a unique collection of vintage to pick and choose from.  Here are some outfit ideas with items picked from each one of my sponsors.  Would you wear either of the outfits? Enjoy!

It Feels Good to Be Back

I really did miss my Etsy shop the past 1.5 weeks.  I thought this short break from the shop would be hard to leave, but I've been aching the past couple of days to start listing. The only thing stopping me was my lack of internet connection  But, that has been fixed and I'm back to work and loving it! 

Vintage 1940s 50s Taffeta Gown

Vintage 1970s LILIES Slinky Rayon Black Dress

Vintage 1960s SPRINKLED Paisley Shirtwaist Dress-NWT!

Amazing 1950s Stilettos! Love these, but my feet are too wide!

Perfect hat for winter! Vintage 1960s Ivory Wool Cloche

The softest cardigan ever! Vintage 1950s 60s White Cream Cardigan

Also, the winner of the giveaway is...

Jessica from Lola Vintage!!

(winner was picked from random number generator)

Congrats and thanks everyone!

Time Flies

I finally have internet connection after a whole week! I've neglected my Etsy shop and blog for an entire week, and that feels long enough for me.  I am ready to get back to work and start blogging again.  So, here are some updates.

My biggest news yet is that our family is expanding, again! I'm about 13 weeks now and still feeling a bit nauseous and I can't eat Asian food, which I'm really sad about. Here's the little guy/gal. Oh, who am I kidding? I'm probably having another boy, which is fine because boys are definitely a joy! I can't describe how wonderful it is being a mom and how thankful I am that God is blessing our family with another one!

We bought a place in Anaheim!  I actually have an entire closet just for my vintage inventory, which keeps expanding!  This is only half of the closet, so I'm very thankful for the extra space!

Time definitely flies! Today is my 1 year Etsy anniversary and I passed my goal I made for myself of having 356 sales by my Etsyversary!  Very excited, and I've learned so much about this past year and being on Etsy, which is an entire post in itself for later.  I do really enjoy this job and the freedom it gives me to stay at home.  Also, finding beautiful vintage clothing is so exciting every single time!  Here's a preview of a beautiful dress I will be listing tomorrow:

Finally, I'm having a GIVEAWAY from one of my wonderful sponsors, so if you like dresses, please check it out and enter.  Tonight is the last night!