Fairy Blog Mothers

We all have one (or two).

That extra special blogger, be they male or female,
who took an extra special interest in us and our lowly little blogs when we were just starting out.
They gave us support, they provided encouragement, t
hey bestowed on us much free publicity and blog traffic.
I think all of us have one, but have we thanked them lately?

That's what this post is all about.

I have a couple that I'd like to give recognition to, and my very first Fairy Blog Mother was

Theresa Cano of Garden Antqs Vintage.

(Photo: Garden Antqs Vintage)

Theresa was one of my very first followers, 

and almost immediately gave me a place of honor on her blogroll. 

She could always be counted on to provide an "attagirl" in my comments, 

and I know that she's done the same for so many of you.

If you ever want to get super analytical about your blog 

and where your traffic comes from, download Google Analytics. 

I knew all along that Theresa had been a huge supporter, 

but it wasn't until I delved into the science behind it all 

that I realized just how many visitors Theresa had sent my way 

over these past few months. 

I was speechless, her unwavering support has contributed largely 

to the growth of my blog, and her inspiration continues to spur me on 

to be a better blogger and vintage dealer each and every day.

Theresa, thank you!!!

My second Fairy Blog Mother is

Dawn Edmonson of The Feathered Nest.

 

I was just minding my own business, having my first unassuming little giveaway, 

when all of a sudden, BAM!

I had an explosive influx of new visitors and followers, 

and the sneaky Ms. Edmonson was the culprit!

Through her selfless promotion and support of my giveaways (and me), 

she has caused my blog, and my confidence, to grow by leaps and bounds. 

She is always there to offer a sweet word of encouragement, and again, 

I've seen firsthand that she's done this for many of you, too.

So who is yours? Fairy Blog Mother, that is?

Who is that one person who has been your biggest cheerleader, 

or who has taken an unselfish interest in the promotion of you and your blog? 

Tell us here, give thanks in this, the season for doing just that!

Giveaway Goodness still going on all this week!

I'm offering a $25 Gift Card to Anthropologie 

and

an extra special surprise from my

Etsy Shop.

Just leave me a comment for one entry, be or become a follower for two, 
and promote my giveaway on your blog for three entries.

Also, be sure to head on over to Fairy Footprints in the Sand 
for Heidi's fabulous Christmas Giveaway of a Domino Necklace!

 

AND THIS, MY PRETTIES, WAS MY 100th POST!
 

Have a great week ahead, and be safe!

Fiona and Twig 100th Post Giveaway!

I knew I talked a lot, but this is RIDICULOUS!

Since August 17, 2009, I've logged (counting this one) 99 POSTS!

And I've got the carpal tunnel to prove it!

Since my 100th is only one away, I wanted to do something 
to once again, give thanks ('tis the season, right?) to all of YOU, 
my faithful friends and followers!

Now I ask you, what would a Fiona and Twig Giveaway be without an 

Anthropologie Gift Card, hmmm?

One lucky person will receive a $25 Gift Card 

from the best store ever to spend however they like!

And to show my appreciation to everyone 

who has supported and encouraged me in the creation of my Etsy Shop, 

I'll also be tossing in an extra special surprise gift straight from my shop! 

It might be something already listed, it could be something not yet listed. 

Whatever I choose, it'll be fabulous!

So you guys know the drill, right?

To Enter:

Leave a comment for one chance.

Become or be a follower for TWO chances.

Post about my giveaway on your blog for THREE chances!

I'll pick the winner Sunday, December 6th.

Many, many thanks to all my wonderful bloggy friends, 

you have truly changed my life for the better, 

and I give BIG thanks for each and every one of you this season and always!

 

Black Friday, Etsy Style

Just a bit of shameless self-promotion
on this most hallowed of all shopping days!

Check out my Etsy Shop to see what's cookin'
on this day after Turkey Day...

 

SOLD!

I call her Vintage Tiny Dancer, after the Elton John song. 

She's a gorgeous little figurine and bud vase all-n-one!

 

My Vintage Shoe Form. If you don't already have one of these, t

hey make the niftiest display pieces, 

especially when they can be hung from the wall like this one.

 

 

This is too cute! I call it Tiny Shabby Tea Service.

"For your own little junker, start her off right!

This well-loved, tarnished little silverplate tea service
is just the right size for the littlest gals on your Christmas list.
Handle is missing on one of the cups and there's a good bit of tarnish inside,
but otherwise completely and perfectly charming!

Tiny tea pot and creamer approx 4 1/2"

Sugar holder 4" tall
Tray is 12" by 13 3/4"
Marked International Decorator Stainless 18-8."

 

Learn French in RECORD TIME  with my uber-cool and kitschy

1958 Vintage French Language Course.

Perfect for the Francophile on your shopping list!

I'm off on the hunt again tomorrow for more treasures, 

so please check my Etsy Shop often as new merchandise will be added frequently.

Hope all y'all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Shout out to my girls at Winnie & Tulula's tonight, knock 'em dead!

The Stuff of Legend...

 ONE Amazing Estate Sale.

THREE Incredible Finds.

 

 

 

I forced recruited my husband to accompany me
on one of my Saturday adventures, with a forewarning
that when it comes to the big Saturday sales, I hit the ground running.
After a few cursory garage sale stops, we arrived at Estate Sale #1.
I am frankly amazed that this survived day #1 of the sale with no takers.
And since this was day #2, everything was half-price...how could I not?????

Headed to my booth this week and/or Warrenton in the Spring!

 

The steps leading up to the sale were steep, 

and we had to park down the hill a bit, but I spied her from at least thirty yards away. 

I ran as fast as I could up the steep steps (temporarily leaving my husband in the dust!) 

to make sure that no one else claimed my prize. 

Heck, I even got Mr. Twig to stand sentry duty next to her 

while I found someone to slap a "sold" sign on her!

And thirdly...

Chippy green medicine cabinet...complete with glass knob!

I had to talk them down a bit before claiming this as mine, 

but I'm getting less shy about negotiating a good price. 

I'm also getting friendly with the estate sale staff, so that never hurts, too.

Elsewhere on the garage sale trail....

Found at a garage sale at a garage sale price!!!

I give total credit to my amazing husband for the epic day I had Saturday. 

He didn't realize it, but he was clearly my good luck charm when it came to the sales.

Off now to the post office to get some Etsy packages in the mail.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

Vintage Christmas Monday, Fiona and Twig Style...

What fun!

Joan at Anything Goes Here has come up with brilliant idea of throwing a blog party about all things Vintage Christmas, so I wanted to join up and show y'all the latest addition to my Etsy Shop

I just love these adorable Winking Santa Mugs!

 

 

Aren't they just too kitschy cute?

And of course, there's the Mr. and Mrs. Claus Figurines I sold a couple of weeks ago...

Be sure to head back this way next Monday for more Vintage Christmas, and head on over to the

Vintage Christmas Blog Party

to see all the other participants!

An Imposed Exile

As opposed to self-imposed. That's an awful lot of posing going on!

Anyway, my arch-nemesis Windstream gave me fits all weekend long with an internet service outage, which would serve to explain my absence the past couple of days. Ahhh well, the break did me good, I got some much needed R n' R, and got to spend the day Saturday junking with my buddy Effie. That's always a blast! I also hit up three estate sales, with one being the stuff of legend, it was JUST THAT GOOD (more later!).

To everyone who left comments on my Inquiring Minds post and voted in my poll, thank you so much! I read each and every comment and found it fascinating to get to know y'all a little better. You guys amaze me, crazy busy and still manage to churn out quality stuff day after day here on your blogs.

I also managed to update my Etsy Shop with some really fun new listings.

Here's one of my faves...

It's a Word War Two era hair removal system!

 

 C'mon.....ya know you want it.

Better still, you need it.

Don't believe me? Just whip out that 10X Magnifying Mirror.  ;-)

Missed Y'all!!!

Inquiring Minds Want to Know....

I've been thinking.

(that's always a dangerous thing)

Because I'm still sort of new to the blogging world, I wanted to take an informal poll of sorts.

Take a peek over to your right ------->>>

Apart from this wonderful, bloggy world, when you're not being utterly fabulous with your bad selves, what occupies your day?

Do you work at home, away from home, or both? Oh, I know  that we all work at home, believe me!!!

Are you a stay-at-home mom? How many kiddos?

Do you have a "side" business, like a booth, or an Ebay or Etsy Shop (or something else)?

Retired?

Or just tired?
What are your hopes, dreams and aspirations?
Are you fulfilled?
Feel like you could use a clone or three?

As for me, I know I've shared my story with y'all, but I work full-time as a Respiratory Therapist in a hospital setting. I also have an antique mall booth, and just set up an Etsy Shop.

Now it's your turn.

Tell me your tale.

Go vote in my poll! Have a great weekend!

Vintage Black Friday...The Black Hole

The Black Hole I am referring to would be my brain this week.

Fried.

Can anyone relate? Anyone else wanna admit before God and all of blogville
that they've been burning their creative candles at both ends,
only to have them meet in the middle and....POOF!

There goes yer inspiration.

Thanks to Jill at Gypsy Brocante for being our lovely VBF Hostess!

And thanks to all of YOU for your comments and support,
I treasure each one of you!

Happy Vintage Black Friday!

TWO GREAT GIVEAWAYS!

One of my absolute favorite bloggers is having a tremendous giveaway!
Michelle at
Vintage Junky
is offering this fun vintage scale in celebration
of her gorgeous new studio finally being finished...

You need to go over and take a peek at her studio, it really is quite drool-worthy!

 And Tracey at French Larkspur alerted me to a fantastic giveaway going on over at
Bluebird Notes
This is Koralee's first giveaway, so head on over and show her some bloggy love!

Sharing What I've Learned...Etsy Etcetera

After a week of being an online seller,
I hardly have the huevos to come on here and issue a manifesto
on online selling. But I can share what I've learned,
just as the generous and thoughtful Adrienne of The Flying Bee
has done with me. Tirelessly answering question after question,
I'm not sure I would have had the courage to make the big leap
without all her help, but just as she gave freely,
I now pass her imparted wisdom on to you!

I've had six sales in as many days on my new Etsy Shop,
which is encouraging enough for me to soldier on
in this brave new (to me!) world of the online marketplace.

But first, a word from our sponsors....

Look at the cutie-patootie on sale in my Etsy Shop!

 

"In another life, this sad little bowl likely was used to hold onions,
which means she's lost her head...haven't we all though, at one time or another?
Repurposed, she's a fab little work of art called The Cry Baby Bowl!

Full of charm and attitude, this little treasure measures

4 1/2" wide by 4" long by 2 1'2" tall.

Deforest of California, Hand Painted. Embossed with date (1956) on back.

Give this sad little girl a home!"

It's a short list really, but I think a helpful one, if for no other reason
than you can gain the benefit of learning from my mistakes!

Tip #1: Have your ducks in a row before you list that first item. Make sure you have plenty of boxes, packing materials, a good postage scale, tape measure, quality photos...you get where I'm going. I only thought I was prepared, but countless trips to pick up lacking supplies prove otherwise.

Buy me HERE

 

Tip #2: A little creativity goes a long way. We bloggers are an imaginative bunch, so this isn't a problem for us. We have no trouble whatsoever imagining the re-purposing potential in something like the Cry Baby Bowl. But to the casual shopper who stumbles upon your Etsy or Ebay shop, it might not be as readily apparent. Give 'em a little help, open up their world to the wonder of upcycling. Spare no adjectives!

Tip #3: The art of the pretty package. A little oomph goes a long, long way. You don't have to go broke making your packages memorable for your customers. Here's what I'm doing this Holiday Season to foof up my outgoing orders...

 

You see these lush looking beauties?

Six for a dollar at Dollar Tree! I plan on tying one of these 

around each item after wrapping it in tissue paper. 

Cheap and easy, but looks like a million dollars.

I've also included a few peppermints inside an inexpensive organza bag with some of my orders, too.

Now I'm not advocating you go hog-wild with the freebies! The bottom line is now and always has been delivering a quality product at a good price. But if there's something cheap and easy you can do that will A) make your shop and brand stand out and B) make your customer feel special, why not do it?

Tip #4:  Become Besties with your friendly neighborhood post office staff.

Now I know that you can print postage online and do a lot of that stuff yourself from the comfort of your own home, but you never know when you're going to need some last minute bail-out assistance from a real live person.

Buy me HERE

 

Tip #5: This one is for booth or shop owners....if they're not coming to you, bring it to them.

Let me explain. I don't know how many times in the past couple of months I've whined to my husband about certain items in my booth just not budging. I've told him "Oh, if only all my bloggy friends could take a stroll through my booth, I'd be scrambling to keep stuff in stock"! Depending on where you live and sell, your way-cool chippy, peely, rusty treasure might sit collecting dust season after season. Which is why online selling is so fab for peeps like us. For example, Exhibit "A".

I know my local market well enough to know that the delicate oil painting above would likely be met with curious looks and be passed over for the ceramic rooster in the next booth over. They simply wouldn't appreciate its shabby, imperfect beauty, but I didn't let that deter me.

Listed on Etsy November 17th, sold one day later.

This isn't rocket science! If I can do it, you can, too!

Tip #6: Cross advertise. Post your Etsy address on your blog. Post your blog address on your Etsy shop. Have both printed on your business cards. Now is not  the time to be shy! Get your name and your brand out there!

And finally, and to my mind, most importantly...

Tip #7: Share freely what you've learned. Give unselfishly to anyone in need, set aside all competitive impulses. Call it karma or the golden rule, but always remember that what goes around, comes around. Play nice. Share your glue and crayons.

Fiona and Twig, over and out.

Buy me HERE