Red Dirt Revival DIY Featured on A Fabulous Fete!

I'm featured on A Fabulous Fete today! Go check it out and learn to make a pretty Holiday Craft!

xo,
Chels

Classic Beauty: Nana

One of my favorite past-times is pulling down the two old suitcases from my Nana’s upstairs closet. One white. One blue. Each full of photographs capturing the lives of my family members. It’s as though I’m seeing their lives through the eyes of my grandparents.  Beautiful. This Thanksgiving I went on one such nostalgic journey and stumbled across this lovely photograph of my Nana.

Wasn’t she beautiful? Somehow I missed out on the perfect skin and raven-colored hair. I think she looked like Judy Garland- only prettier, of course. She graciously allowed me to take the photograph home with me. I plan to frame it in our home. My favorite part is the little corner where she wrote, “Love, Helen” in her flawless script…

*sigh* I love her. I’m glad I descended from such a classy broad! Love you, Nana!

xo,

Chels

In Tha ‘Hood

Word. If I could only choose one warm piece of winter clothing to cozy up in, it would have to be something with a hood. I love hoods! Bear makes fun of me because I walk around the house with my hood on (curently wearing a black one). I can’t help it. I just love how cozy and contained I feel in a warm, woolen hood! In fact, if I were planning my wedding again, I would choose a fall wedding and wear a long lace hooded cloak in lieu of a veil. For sho.
My favorite is a long, brown sweater with a giant hood. It used to be my Nana’s. Recently when looking through her old pictures (see post below) I found a picture of her wearing it on vacation! It’s very special to me and I wear it all the time during the cold months.

But really, I like all kinds of hoods.

How do you bundle up?
Happy Tuesday!
xo,
Chels

Dreaming of a White Christmas…tree…

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, it’s time to start thinking Christmas! (as if you weren’t already in that state of mind…)
We’ve all seen the gorgeous images crisp, white Christmas trees adorned with candy-colored baubles floating around the blogosphere.  And sure, we’ve all tried to make the big decision: passing trend? or here to stay?

I’m not immune to these questions of fad or fabulous. In fact, I’ve been pondering for a while now the matter of what kind of tree to purchase.  Last year we had a simple green faux tree.  Standard. And a bit boring. So the question became, this year do I spend oodles of money on a tree that could very likely go out of fashion within a couple of years? Or should I simply play it safe and simple with a lush green lady (a REAL one this year…?).
Here’s the thing. Faux trees are EXPENSIVE. I couldn’t justify the money for a white wonder. Luckily, the thrift store gods smiled upon me.  I scored a 6’ 1/2” white, pre-lit tree for….wait for it…. thir.teen.bucks. I know.

Obviously, it still needs some ornaments and a tree skirt, but I’m in love. I literally had to climb a shelf to get it, but it’s mine all mine- all parts accounted for, and all the lights actually work! Not sure how I feel about the multi-colored strands, but we’ll see what colors I choose to decorate with and decide whether or not to add white and leave the multi-colored strand unlit.
So what’s your vote? White wonder, or Green Lady?
Also, have you pulled out your holiday decorations yet?!
Stay tuned for more color Christmas Eye Candy!
xo,
Chels

Holiday Hoot!

We haven't even decorated our tree yet, but I've already decided on our tree topper for this year.
A ceramic white owl is the perfect non-traditional tree topper for our non-traditional color scheme! (Remember this owl from our Halloween decor from this year?)

What's your Christmas theme?

xo,

Chels

Just Listed!

     Happy Cyber Monday, friends! Now that you've emerged from your tryptophan coma, it's time for some Christmas shopping! Better pounce fast! These fun vintage items won't last long!

                                     

Visit the Red Dirt Revival vintage shop for more fantastic vintage finds!

xo,

Chels

Give Thanks

With a grateful heart...

You're all very special to me. Thank you so much for reading and also for inspiring me with your own blogs. 
Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your time with loved ones. We'll be back on Monday!
xo,
Chels

Must. Unwind....

This week has been ridiculous.  Like over-the-top busy... and it's only Tuesday! It was supposed to be an easy, short week leading into a lovely, carefree holiday weekend!  I've worked late both nights this week. Funny how your day job gets in the way of your fun, huh? Luckily tomorrow is just a half day.  So what will I be doing after I rush from my desk to my car? Why, thrifting, of course!  Nothing clears my head or helps me unwind better than a slow turn around my favorite thrift store. Which is completely ironic because you know what I hate more than anything else? SHOPPING. In the mall. With other people. Am I the only person who breaks out in stress hives when I am faced with going to the mall to purchase much-needed items? Especially around Christmas time... spare me your jingle bells begging for change. I'll take a nice, quiet thrift store any day.
It's not about the purchase. I could search for hours and not find a single thing to buy. It's just about being amongst things with a story... a history...a secret past... Inspiration abounds.

So what do you do to unwind?
xo,
Chels

Boaters and Bowlers

I’ve always been a hat fan. When I was little, my mother had quite the collection of vintage hats and I loved to play dress-up with them and pretend I was an elegant lady.  For fall, I’m loving the return of Boater and Bowler hats!  Straw is perfectly wearable in the fall. Pair it with a pretty dress, light blazer, socks, and pretty platforms and you’re all set! As for boaters, wear them with dresses, suits, gowns, or even jeans and a t-shirt! They go with everything!

I even had a few of my own recently listed in the Red Dirt Revival shop.  But they’re long gone now. So pretty!


xo,
Chels

Gonna Be All White

I spent the entire weekend painting furniture. I got everything sanded, primed, sanded, painted, painted, clear coated and clear coated again. I moved everything back into the living room just as dark was setting in and couldn’t wait to attach the new glass and nickel hardware as my very last step! So you can imagine how my heart sunk when I realized that the mechanical screws attached to said hardware were not long enough to reach all the way through the doors and drawers.  Defeat.  But never fear. After a tiny tantrum, I reminded myself that a simple trip to the hardware store would yield the correct size of screws, and all would be right in the world again… I do have one tiny sneak peek to share…..

More to come including before and afters! What did you spend your weekend doing?

xo,

Chels

well looky there…

Somebody decided to drop off a slew of amazing vintage dresses at our local Salvation Army!  I couldn’t buy all of them, but I grabbed a couple of pretty ones to add to the shop!

I also nabbed some pretty little oxfords, a full set of vintage canisters, and a fantastic vintage bowl! I can’t wait to share them in the shop!

Made any big scores while out thrifting lately?

xo,

Chels

The Return of Monday

I’m back! I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed having a bit of time off!  I missed you, though! So many great things happened last week. It’s amazing what a relaxed state of mind can do for you… Nevertheless, we’re back!

I’ve neglected to show you our updated décor as of late! So here’s  quick peak at what we’re loving around the house lately:

We’re adding back in some bohemian touches and softer lines in preparation for a long winter indoors…  you might also notice that we’re down one chair. That’s because Ryan broke my favorite vintage piece!

It wasn’t his fault.  The poor chair just needs some structural reinforcement! For now, we’re enjoying our more open layout!

xo,

Chels

Garden of Thread

I can’t get this little collection out of my head!

Found at the fantastic ATLITW Photo Stream

If you like this too, you’d like the embroidered flower from the Red Dirt Revival Shop!

Super cute, right? I definitely considered keeping it for myself! I’ve got plenty of vintage clothing to add to the shop if I can ever get a spare minute to do the photo shoot! 

‘Hope your week is going well!

xo,

Chels

Technorati Tags: embroidery,Red Dirt Revival,embroidered flowers,floral,roses,bumble bee,ATLITW,Flickr

30 Days of Thanks

Today I was thankful for anyone who has ever read this blog, commented, visited the shop, added us on Facebook or Twitter, bought a vintage piece, or given encouragement along the way.  This little shop and blog combo is my baby. I’ve put a lot of work into it, and I really love doing it. I hope that you enjoy it too. So thanks to all of you for being fantastic fans. You make my days brighter.

xo,

Chels

30 days of Thanks

Today I was thankful for....

Throat losenges.  Fisherman's Friend is my favorite. Sore throats are the worst. It's almost like you forgot what it feels like to be able to swallow without thinking you accidentally ate glass shards.  Lucky for me, I think mine was just the result of allergies and nothing serious.  My throat feels much better!

The right to vote. It's an epic year to be able to say you made a difference by voting. I sincerely hope that you took advantage of your rights!

Apple Cider and cozy blankets!

What were you thankful for today?
xo,
Chels

30 Days of Thanks

November is a great month to reflect on all the things for which we should be extremely thankful. Every day this month, I will list the things that have made me grateful- some silly and some serious!
Day 1
Pretzel M&Ms. If you are the inventor of these…*whispers* “call me…” I’m just saying. We could make beautiful treats together…

 Post-it notes. I may not have mentioned my love for post-it notes to you guys before, but let me be very clear: If it were socially acceptable, I would attach a stack of these to my bosom- close to my heart- and use them every chance I got.  In fact, I might even use them in lieu of actual speech.  At work, I use them almost as much as I use email. Yep. I’m that girl in the office. They’re wonderful.  The guy next to you took up two parking spaces and you want to (passive aggressively) tell him he’s a jackass but are scared that he might be super huge and might beat you up? Post-it. (Anonymity is key here.)  Need your neighbors to NOT ride their ATVs through your suburban neighborhood at 3 a.m.? Post-it. (Right smack on their front door.) Need a reminder that you should put on a bra before running out to do your errands? Post-it. (On your mirror, back door, AND steering wheel should do the trick.) 

Allrecipes.comDid I have to google how to steam broccoli? Maybe. (Don’t judge me, I don’t have a steamer-strainer!)  That’s not the point (, jerk). The point is that I found a fantastic recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and it’s going to make my husband fall in love with me all over again AND there will be steamed broccoli with our teriyaki chicken tonight.

The Prepared Pantry

AllieThis is my sister in-law and she’s pregnant. That’s right. She’s my brother’s baby momma. Which means I’m going to have a nephew in February and I’m so stupid excited I could jump up and down squealing (again). She’s having a baby shower this weekend and my mother and I are driving down to attend. Also exciting (and risky since both of us are a little bit neurotic and panicky when it comes to traffic).

(pretty gorgeous for a pregnant girl, huh?)
And that, my friends, is what I was thankful for today!
What made you grateful today?
xo,
Chels

Two birds, one calendar.

Or something like that. We’ve been searching for AGES for some art that we really love.  We also recently began the search for our 2011 calendar.  Luck finally caught up with us and we snagged this awesome calendar featuring vintage travel posters!

The colors and illustration are great, and I love the elongated portrait shape. I think they will look really cool around our house! I love a good, cheap, art solution!

xo,

Chels

Red Dirt Revival Shop Update

We’ve just added some super cute home items to the Red Dirt Revival Etsy Shop! Those awesome oxfords are my favorite! Or maybe the turtle clock… Swing by and check it out! Thanks so much for your support!

xo,

Chels