Blue Butterfly Vintage

shop update: hey, sailor!

2012-05-27T09:21:00.002-04:00

Several lovely nautical items are hanging out in the shop right now. Check them out below and click on the picture to be taken directly to the listing.

Brass Ships Wheel Cigarette Dispenser

Navy Pillbox Hat

Nautical Knot Purse

Seashell Dress

Conch Necklace

birthday!

2012-05-20T09:12:00.001-04:00

Well, I'm officially 27 today. No real story here, but just an excuse to post the pictures that I will probably post every year on my birthday. A look into where my love of cake began:

Check out the crazed look in my eyes. I'm like a cake junkie.

The weather is beautiful, so I lucked out. Check back this week for some cupcake pics!

how about the new #CoronaRita?

2012-05-03T23:43:00.001-04:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Chili’s Grill & Bar. All opinions are 100% mine.

Cinco de Mayo is almost here and that means one thing: margaritas. Actually, for my family it means margaritas and my mom's birthday. This year we might just head out to Chili's for some delicious food and drink. It is a great place to enjoy a meal with the family and try new things such as the CoronaRita.

Have you heard about the new CoronaRita at Chili's? If not, it is a new drink that is made with Jose Cuervo Especial Tequila and Coronita. You know, because sometimes you just can't deicide between the beer or the margarita, so why not both? For someone like me, who has a terrible time trying to decide between two amazing drinks, this is rather perfect.

I can see this being an amazing drink to try on hot summer days. I can definitely see a day of fun in the sun followed by some fajitas and margaritas in a nice, cool Chili's.

The restaurant would be a great place to celebrate summer, graduations, birthdays, girls' night out, or just a casual dinner date with your mister or miss. The family atmosphere is great, so you can bring the entire family along for a fun night.

I love Chili's because their menu is so diverse and the CoronaRita sounds like it would go with so many of their great options. A couple of my favorites include their Chicken Fajitas and their Monterey Chicken. They also have great burgers, pasta dishes, and mouth watering appetizers. Be sure to go there hungry, because with so many options, you will definitely need to leave room for a large meal.

And I didn''t even mention that they also have great desserts. Be sure to stop in at Chili's this summer to try the CoronaRita and if that's not your thing, you will surely find another great option for that perfect, summer drink.

Are you excited for summer? Do you think you might try the CoronaRita? What's your favorite thing to get at Chili's? Let me know below!

“You must be 21 years or older to drink alcoholic beverages and as always, please remember to drink responsibly”

an alternate history: typo style

2012-04-30T21:21:00.000-04:00

It's a Wonderful Life is one of my favorite movies for a number of reasons, one being my minor obsession with thinking about alternate history.

Do you ever think about alternate history? Does the idea that the smallest variation in your daily schedule can result in life changing events? I definitely do.

One thing that I think about was the summer post graduation from college back in 2007. I was ready to take on the world, but had no idea what to do about it. I saw an ad in the newspaper about the local paper hiring a copywriter, which was perfect. I had just completed four year degree in literature/writing at what is touted as the top college in NY by several publications. I surely should have been able to attain this position at small town, mediocre newspaper, right? Wrong. Even though I aced the editing test they give out, apparently my amazing personality didn't mesh well, because the job went to someone else.

Would I have been selling vintage full time had I been hired back then? Probably not. Would I be happier? Not as happy? Indifferent? Who knows?

What I do know is that finding mistakes in the local paper has become a bit of a guilty pleasure for me in the years since I lost out on that job. Don't get me wrong, my grammar is far from perfect, but it is certainly close when compared to the copywriters that actually work for the paper. Check out this gem that was in the area police reports today:

Not only did someone spell the word fight as "fite", but also they spelled the person's last name two completely different ways.

It's the little things, really. And now back to pondering what might have been...

easter cupcakes and instagram fun.

2012-04-07T18:29:00.000-04:00

To celebrate Easter, my Mom, twin 5-yr-old nieces, and I went to my grandma's senior apartments and decorated 120+ cupcakes to take to the rescue mission. It was nuts. One of the women who helped was 101! Always a good time when the age differential in a group of cupcake decorators is 96 years.

Here are a couple pics I snapped:

I love them.

Gypsy cupcakes!

Have a great Easter everyone!

PS-Here is a sneak peek of some summer shoes hitting the shop this week:

Can you tell I've been rocking Instagram this week? I used to have an account and forgot about it (I think it was JennfromBBV). Now, I have a new one, so if you are on it, you can catch me at jenneseo07(that's a zero and seven at the end). Get it? Jenneseo? Because my name is Jenn and I went to Geneseo? Yeah, pretty sweet. Follow me and let me know so I can follow you!

ebay hates you, unless you're a mega established company. then they're all, 'hey, let's be besties!'

2012-02-29T23:23:00.000-05:00

Catchy post title, yeah?

So, as you know I have a pretty sweet vintage store on Etsy, but you may not know I have rocked a pretty sick (in a good way, silly) store over at Ebay for even longer. I never talk about it, because over the past few years Ebay has become a bit of an ugly step sister in comparison to Etsy. This is not in the sense that the traffic is smaller, because sadly it is much higher. I'm talking in the sense that they do next to nothing to help smaller sellers and do everything to cater to large volume stores that are generally already well established businesses with websites of their own (ie. the Buy.com debacle).

Even with that, I have still been pro-Ebay. I was even juiced several months ago, when Ebay's official Twitter account started following me on Twitter. FYI-They only follow 779 people and have over 88,000 followers. My ego felt pretty sweet that day. Oh, how times have changed.

Ebay followed Kim K, Timmy Hilfiger, and then...me. A natural progression, really.

I forgot to mention that I am a top-rated seller over there, which is something that I have taken pride in over the past couple of years. Even though the program is highly flawed, in that if in one year three people out of the several hundred gave me a one for any ridiculous reason (trust me, I make mistakes, but sometimes buyers are ridiculous in their reasoning) then my top-rated status would disappear, along with the 20% discount that is applied to final value fees. This is because people don't realize how important it is to leave five stars, so many leave four stars, bringing the value down. Confusing, I know.

Moving on. The other day I got to read a SUPER exciting email about all the GREAT changes Ebay is implementing beginning June 1st.

So, the email read:

Starting in June, Top-rated sellers will need to have tracking information uploaded to eBay within their stated handling time on 90% or more of their transactions with US buyers. As of June 1, the 20% final value fee discount and greatest on average boost in Best Match will go to those listings from Top-rated sellers that include 1-day handling and a minimum 14-day return policy with a money-back refund option. Listings without these two services will still have the Top-rated seller badge and some boost in Best Match but will not earn the discounts or the highest average boost in Best Match.

Ok, so let me break it down for you. I don't have a problem with the 90% tracking information. That makes sense. I get delivery confirmation on everything I send, so that's covered. The other two stipulations is where things get shady for me.

I have to go from having a non return policy to 14 days? Doesn't Ebay realize that some people may be tempted to pull the classic leave the tags on the item for the event and return after(modified for the internet age)? I had one person recently ask if they could return an item that I know they bought to wear on Valentine's day. Conveniently they asked on February 15th. So, yes, it may sound paranoid, but it happens. Probably more than you think. Couldn't they say a three or five day policy? Why two weeks? That's ridiculous.

And now to the biggest problem I have: one day handling time. Are you kidding me Ebay? You say you want sellers to act more like the stores they buy from online. Here's some news for you: most stores that I buy from don't send out my items for at least 2 days, if not three or more. As a seller who has always been quick with shipping, I probably shouldn't mind this, but there are situations when one day handling is just not an option. It also makes the buyers even more critical than they already are, if I were to wait a whole TWO days to ship something.

I'm glad that I can work hard to maintain a top-rated status, but lose any monetary benefits that I get from this. Sounds so worth the time and effort.

So, as if all this weren't enough, I was directed to a town hall meeting transcript and this one quote really stood out to me. It was in response to a seller's complaint about the new policy and said, "We're moving ahead with the program because we heard from sellers that this was the way they thought we should go."

Are you serious?

Ebay is trying to say that they are implementing ridiculous changes that are difficult for a majority of sellers to follow because they heard other sellers wanted it? THAT IS RIDICULOUS. It isn't just a little ridiculous, either. It is "I am about to have an aneurysm, because I hate when corporations make up lies" levels of ridiculous.

There is also this terrible exchange between an irate seller and Ebay/the Guru (wtf?) concerning expectations buyers have if they were to buy something from walmart.com. SERIOUSLY. Read it here. Another note to Ebay: Walmart doesn't send out things I buy from them online in one day. Just saying.

I just hate the fact that Ebay caters to large stores and not to mid-level stores like mine. If there has ever been a micro/macrocosm for the plight of the middle classes, this is it. If you don't have a store, you can list many items per month for free. If you have a large store, Ebay wants you to continue putting smaller stores out of business, presumably because smaller stores don't make them as much money and take up space/resources. If you have a mid-level store...well, no one cares.

I want to say that I rarely complain when everyone else does about Ebay. Even with their higher fees, I've stuck with them and *gulp* even defended them from fee increases to their slightly criminal change to charging final value fees on SHIPPING. Never again. It is so depressing that this is my full time job. I guess I will be moving a majority of my vintage stuff back to Etsy, but what about the new stuff I sell?

I long for the day when there is a viable alternative to selling things on Ebay, but where is it? Regardless of your choices, there just isn't a site that brings as much traffic and so I continue to sell on Ebay(at least until they blackball me), every day losing a little more self respect.

lisa frank: my idol.

2012-02-28T17:08:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, I had a humorous exchange on Twitter with Amanda, one of the lovely ladies behind Miskabelle Vintage, which is a pretty clutch store on Etsy and a killer blog you can check out here. It read as follows:

It got me thinking about Lisa Frank. Yes, sometimes Chanel takes a backseat to mass market stationary. Naturally I had to turn to Wikipedia (where everything is true!) for some info on the best artist that any 10 year old girl (and some boys) can name.

I learned that she started her company when she was only 24! Also, her success and ability to venture into everything from notebooks to lunch boxes came as a result of her successful sticker line. When she divorced her husband, who was CEO of the company, she was assigned control of the company. I never knew it (or maybe I knew it along deep down in my heart), but I think Lisa Frank is my idol.

Here are some classic pics from her stuff, as if anyone out there doesn't know who she is:


Righteous underwater love between interracial dolphins. The world can learn from Lisa Frank.


Puffins can hang out with polar bears without the fear of being eaten. Also, check out how happy they are even in the face of global warming which has caused most of their ice to crack. That's harmony.

If this is heaven, count me in.

I hope this post brought some nostalgic awesomeness to your day and that we all take some time and reflect on the greatness of Lisa Frank. She may not be the best artist that ever lived, but I am pretty sure she easily captured what life would be like if you were a ten year old who dropped acid. And who doesn't love that?

roswell recap - season 1 - episode 2

2012-02-28T11:50:00.000-05:00

Season1, Episode 2 - The Morning After (scandalous title!)

I am actually following through with my promise (to myself, who else would care?) to re-cap every episode of the show Roswell, a little gem I found on Netflix. To learn more about my ridiculous love of teen soaps and now, Roswell, read this post. Also, this site is where I snaked the screenshots from. Big ups to them.

Liz ponders the idea of Max staying up all night thinking of her as she does with him. Cue scene of Max snoring. Then someone tries to break in Max’s room, but it is just Michael. Why don’t the bedrooms of TV characters ever have screens on their windows? Michael is too juiced to sleep. Crazy alien stuff is brewing.

Maria starts calling aliens Czechoslovakians. Makes sense. A new teacher wonders where Michael is and why he isn’t in class, which Liz finds weird. No, liz. That’s her job. She’s supposed to ask where students are when they aren’t in class. Anyways, it is the lady who played Dexter’s wife before she was murdered on Dexter. Not pertinent to the storyline, but I thought you might be interested.

Maria wants to tell Alex. OMFG. Never trust teenage girls with your life shattering secrets, aliens. Also, I still hate Maria’s hair. Kyle is still way into Liz, but Liz not so much. She has caught alien fever. Alien LOVE fever. Liz blows him off in favor of seeing what the new teacher has in her hands, which ends up being Michael’s school file.

Liz freaks a bit and goes to Michael’s house. It isn’t a house, so much as it is a trailer, where his foster dad sits about in his boxers. Super classy digs. If I were a foster parent, I think I would get pissed about every foster child in every tv show ever. They always live in trailers and drink beer for breakfast. Michael thanks Liz for her keen observational skills. And for not vomiting at the sight of his foster dad in boxers. That second part was inferred.

Michael cooks up some scheme that involves selling candy for charity in the police station. No one buys any and his attempt to snoop is thwarted by a deputy. He goes to Max and Isabel to talk about their problems. Being a teen alien is tough. Then Max’s parents come home with pizza, but Michael says his dad is cooking so he has to go home. I don’t think heroine counts as acceptable dinner, Michael.

The new math teacher doesn’t know there are 180 degrees in a triangle so Liz thinks she’s government. Even if she isn’t a math teacher, she should certainly know there are 180 degrees in triangles. Anyone with a high school education should know that. I guess FBI agents just aren’t as smart as they used to be.

Max sends Liz a note about meeting in the eraser room. Maria freaks out for Liz because the eraser room is where wild sex parties go on. I’m pretty sure kids just go there to make out, but she is really freaking out. Liz goes, but Max just wants to spy on the new teacher. Buzzkill!

Alex is feeling left out of the loop. He also finds their use of Czechoslovakians bizarre. Maria tells him the natural thing, that they’ve been weird because they have cramps. Teenage boys love hearing about menstruation. Max tells Michael the faux math teacher is on her way to his “house”. I guess Max and Liz are going to spy, which is hilarious because Kyle follows them. Liz drops her ring and Kyle sees this from a ways back. He thinks something R-rated is going on and I catch myself laughing out loud. It Is actually a hilarious scene, legit. Faux math teacher does show up and then sees Liz who does a terrible job of ducking when Max and Kyle do. Sweet!

Michael, meanwhile, is breaking into the police station or pondering it. Randomly, I think Max is sort of asking Liz out for lunch. Don’t get too amped, Liz. Lunch is a day date (Just Friends reference, anyone?).

Michael melts the bars on the 2^nd story window and breaks into the station, while cops are there. These aliens are ballsy, man. Isabel tries to distract the cops by being a sexy teenager with a flat tire. One dude that is creepster material says he will help, while Sheriff Valenti decides to go along and make sure his deputy doesn’t commit a crime against a minor. Max tells Michael to move it and Michael finds a key that gives him a flash, literally knocking him on his ass. That is a strong key. They get out of there at the last second and Valenti grills Isabel on her brother. Me thinks the Sheriff has a man crush on Max. He is SO into him.

Faux Math Teacher tells Liz she’s not a substitute teacher, but the new guidance counselor and that Michael is in SERIOUS trouble. He is about to get expelled. I guess because he skips class? She doesn’t feel the need to elaborate.

The episode ends with Michael stalking Max's family. Wait, you mean he's just staring longingly because he is jealous of their family life? I guess that makes more sense than the whole stalking thing.

Final thoughts: Well, two shows down and the pace has slowed down already, which is a bit of bummer. Michael is apparently always going to be the hot head and Max is always going to be a bit whiney. Can I just say that I like Kyle? I think he's supposed to be a jerk or something, but he is pretty funny and enjoyable. 2 down...59 to go.

has it really been two years?

2012-02-27T23:05:00.001-05:00

Just noticed that today was my 2 year Etsy-versary. Maybe a nice reflective post is in order for some time this week, but until then, there's a pretty huge 50% off section you can check out here.

Also, listing a ton of new inventory this week such as these three lovely items available, right now:

So, stop on by and here's to another year of vintage sales:)

tunage: gotye 'somebody that i used to know'

2012-02-22T11:55:00.002-05:00

100% this:

I LOVE this song...like love, love love. So good.

stayin classy at home depot

2012-02-20T12:26:00.000-05:00

My nieces are gross. In a hilarious way.

Happy Monday/Presidents Day, folks!

roswell recap - season 1 - pilot

2012-02-19T12:01:00.000-05:00

I am actually following through with my promise (to myself, who else would care?) to re-cap every episode of the show Roswell, a little gem I found on Netflix. To learn more about my ridiculous love of teen soaps and now, Roswell, read this post. Also, this site is where I snaked the screenshots from. So, big ups to them.

Season 1, Episode 1 – Pilot (super clever title!)

So, the show starts with a cute brunette writing a journal entry about how 5 days ago she died and then things “got really weird.” Oh, teens!

Then we see the same girl, Liz, working in a ridiculous alien waitress uniform, messing with the head of some tourists concerning a fake alien photo. The tourists look like cartoon characters from the cartoon Doug. Another waitress tells her that a hot guy named Max is checking her out again and she’s all NO WAY, but he totally is. Max is the Luke Perry of the show as he looks like a 30 year old playing a 16 year old. Thanks to Wikipedia I see that he was around 26 when this show was on, so not too far off there. I digress. The other waitress is Maria. Based on her name and the fact that she suddenly starts speaking Spanish, my guess is that she’s going to be the wacky Latina best friend on the show. Nice of the WB not to play into stereotypes. One other thing: she has really terrible hair.

Two burly dudes argue over something(probably who had more fries) and they have a gun! People in Roswell are serious about their diner food, yo. The gun goes off and Liz goes down, so I guess she got shot. Hot Max runs to her, much to the chagrin of his spikey haired friend. He rips her uniform open and at first I’m like what the whaaat, but then he puts his hand over her gun shot and heals her, while seeing flashes of each other when they were kids. I guess he’s pretty much been stalking her since they were 5. Seriously, though, the wound is gone, so that's pretty nuts. He breaks a ketchup bottle and tells her she broke it when she fell. Then to be real cool and secretive, he and his friend run out of the crowded restaurant IN FRONT OF EVERYONE and peel out in a jeep. Yup, non-suspect and playing it real cool.

Can I digress for a moment about the sheriff?

Thanks to Wiki I found out the actor who played him went to the same college as i did, which I find awesomely strange as it is a pretty small and obscure college. The difference, aside from the fact that he went 30 years before I did, is that he went on to Cornell and became semi-famous. I didn't and now I write a blog that no one reads. Yeah, pretty big diff. In any event, I think he's supposed to be a dick, but I'm forever on his side. Blue Knights for life, son.

The police come and the cartoon tourists from Doug tell them that some CRAZY things happened that they just can’t explain, ie. where the eff is the bullet from the fired gun? I guess the police don’t care, because they believe the ketchup story. Back in her room that night, Liz checks out the bullet hole and is all WTF?

The next day in bio class, Max is late and he’s Liz’s lab partner. So convenient! I feel like I have seen this before(on every teen movie/tv show ever). They have to take a swab of their inner cheeks and check out the results, but Max is all nervous looking and peaces on class, but not before leaving a pencil he was chewing on sitting on the desk for Liz to check out. She sees some crazy green cells. They are supposed to be red. Max is totally an alien. She corners him in a music room where they run into Kyle, who is sorta Liz’s boyfriend. Kyle is the sheriff's son, which you can infer because he wears the same aviators. Kyle leaves and Liz is all YOU’VE GOT SOME ‘SPLAININ’ TO DO. Max doesn’t make up a crazy story and is just all, ‘yup, I’m an alien.” I love when she asks where he’s from and he points up, so she says, “Up north?” He points higher up and I wanted her to say, “Canada?” but I guess she put two and two together. She has a mini panic attack (he is an alien) and before she leaves Max tells her she CAN’T tell anyone.

Maria is chatting up a dude who seems like the dorky guy of the show named Alex. In real life the actor is Tom Hanks’s son. So, there’s that. Then we meet Isabel who is Max’s alien sister. She’s high maintenance and played by Katherine Heigl. So, there’s that, too. Spikey Hair from the restaurant is named Michael and he’s the third alien. He lives in foster care, so he has emotional issues. Then the Sheriff pulls them over for no reason, I guess. He is about to let them go and notices a Tobasco bottle by Max’s foot (he noticed the same things at the shooting). Tabasco is pretty much alien cocaine. He smells a rat, bro.

Later that night, Kyle sees a silver hand print that Max left on Liz and she runs inside. I guess she lives above the restaurant and her family runs it or something. Max calls her down and they chat it up again and have some flashes, which I think is the way Max excuses being able to touch Liz’s face from three inches away. They have a moment! She thinks he can read her mind, but Liz, this isn’t Twilight. Kyle told his dad about the handprint on Liz, which I guess is something they found on dead bodies back in the 50s. Liz tells him it isn’t there, but he makes her show him, which I think is illegal. Either way, it has disappeared. The Sheriff then name drops Max Evans and Liz says he wasn’t there the day of the shooting. Then we find out he has her dress with the bullet hole in it and she’s read to PASS out.

She has another thing with Max and we get some back story about Max being in an incubation pod for 20+ years. I don’t really get it and I'm guessing it will be easier to understand in further episodes. Anyways, she asks who else knows and he tells her she’s the only human and when she asks why, he says, “It was you.” And every teenage girl watching this show in 1999 is immediately jealous of Liz Parker. Then Liz says the Sheriff is putting it all together. Max flips his shit and decides that he and the aliens have to leave Roswell. Max is so dramatic!

So, Maria tells Liz that if she doesn’t tell her the truth she’s going to the sheriff and telling him everything she knows. Sweet best friend, there. I guess Liz tells her and she runs away screaming. No, seriously. AWESOME job keeping that secret, Liz. You lasted less than 24 hours. SOLID. Afterwards, Maria babbles a lot and then calls herself the “wacky friend”. Hilarious, as I called that earlier in this review. Teen soaps are so interesting and hard to figure out!

Liz tells the alien gang she has a plan to help them stay. It is some kooky thing that involves a car accident and Maria laying on the ground with a painted on silver hand print on her chest. Take note of the Crashdown Festival gear: Maria is in glittery green and Isabel in silver latex. Even the dudes are wearing wacky costumes/masks and then, there’s Max. I guess he’s from Men in Black. I’m not complaining, as he looks smoking hot, but I think this foreshadows his character flaw of being woefully boring. And hot. Did I mention he's hot?

The Sheriff is almost fooled, but the paint was still wet (sloppy execution of that ten minute plan) so he pretty much starts beating on Max. Then he stops because he doesn’t want to get sued by Max’s parents or something, but warns Max that he’s on his radar. Not great, Max, not great.

The episode ends with a metaphor of burning aliens at the fest post the “crash down”. Then, Max and Liz are chatting in the desert while a Dave Matthews tune plays in the background and they stand oddly close to one another, but you know they can’t kiss yet. They need to keep you tuned in for half a season of will they or won’t they action. I learned that in Teen Soaps 101. Liz thanks Max for saving her life and he says, “Thank you,” with an emphasis on you. He’s so dreamy.

Post Show Thoughts: I make fun of it, but I actually think this is one of the better pilots I’ve ever seen. It set up so many story lines and moved at a wicked fast pace. I’m still confused why Max and Michael would flee a crime scene in such a public way when they are supposedly pros of low key living, but hey, I have to remember this show is probably aimed at 14 year olds who might not think about these things. I’m sure it will be good for a few episodes and then slowly begin a death that lingers on during all three seasons of the show. And be sure to come back as I re-cap every last one.

five songs that make me go awwwwe

2012-02-15T20:19:00.000-05:00

In honor of the love fest that is this week, here are 5 tunes that make even a cold heart like mine melt a little:

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;iframe&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;div style="text-align: center;"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;b&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Ben Kweller - Thirteen&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/b&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;div style="text-align: center;"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; In the event that I ever get married, this will be my wedding song. Period.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;div style="text-align: center;"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rVGw7FbohY4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Ben Kweller - Thirteen
If I ever get married, this will be wedding song. Period.

Dierks Bentley - Come a Little Closer

I'm not that into country music, but damn, this song is hot.

Damien Rice - Cannonball

I'm not exactly sure what this is about, but I think has to do with the beginning of a relationship and the whole wanting to see the person all the time, but still trying to play it cool. Or something. In any event, it is probably the happiest interpretation of any Damien Rice song I can think of.

Counting Crows - Anna Begins

"And every time she sneezes, I think it's love." Well, yep, those are some sweet lyrics.

Jack Johnson - Better Together

You know I had to throw a little JJ in there.

What songs give you butterflies? Share below!

happy valentine's day!

2012-02-14T11:45:00.000-05:00

Some hilariously strange, vintage cards for your viewing pleasure:

guilty pleasures

2012-02-09T22:06:00.000-05:00

If you follow me on Twitter, you may know I have a mega embarrassing guilty pleasure: I love soap operas aimed at teenagers. Not the daily things your mother (or my one college roommate who seemed to be a disgruntled 45 yr old housewife stuck in a 20 year old's body) used to watch that are dwindling in variety in favor of such great shows as The Chew (I kid, that show is the WORST), but the hour long shows that are generally featured on The CW or Fox. I know. It is awful, but I love them. Maybe it is nostalgia or a female Peter Pan syndrome of sorts, but even at 26 I still love me some teen soaps. From Dawson's Creek to Vampire Diaries, I have seen them all (not really, but probably embarrassingly close).

Oh, Dawson. You oversized head heartthrob of the 90s.

So, what does that have to do with the bloggy boo? Well, Netflix recently struck a deal with the CW so they have a Mecca when it comes to teen soaps, but they also have old school ones that aired on the WB back in the late 90s. Little secret: if I have nothing to do and/or I am feeling under the weather, I have been known to stay in bed all morning and pound episodes. Did I just liken tv shows to beer? Yes. In honor of the time spent hating to love said shows, I have decided to delve back into the world of reviews and do a humorous episode guide for a series. My first crop of reviews will center on the wonderfully bizarre (and equally addictive) Roswell, which Netflix recommended I watch one day. Thank you, Netflix.

Sci-fi...hot alien style.

In case you are unfamiliar(let's face it, that's probably everyone), it is a story about Roswell, New Mexico and hot aliens. No, seriously. They're supposed to be teens, so I might sound a little Polanski on that, but I use the term "teens" loosely as I am pretty sure the main guy is in his late 20s playing a 16 year old. I like it better that way, so I don't feel like a creepster being all "damn, he's hot."

So check back often for episode reviews and if you feel particularly adventurous, check the show out for yourself. I'm almost done with season one and it is terrible...or terribly awesome. The first couple of reviews should be up within the week! Stay embarrassed, my friends. I know I will.

be my valentine: vintage couple #1

2012-02-09T18:58:00.001-05:00

In honor of the big day of love coming up, I have decide to ~~steal~~ borrow some pics for a daily vintage couple in love.

Today's:

A little va-va-voom for your Thursday evening.

i'm baaaaack.

2012-02-07T17:51:00.002-05:00

In case you don't follow me on Twitter and were extremely worried, I didn't die. I am back to blog about life, love, vintage, the good and bad movies/TV shows we watch on Netflix, and cats. Can't forget about cats. Stay tuned this week for some lovely new posts.

oh, hey, snow

2011-10-27T21:33:00.001-04:00

October 27th...seriously?:

new giveaway! Pink Together

2011-10-18T14:05:00.001-04:00

In case you didn't know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. There are a lot of amazing events going on both in local areas and on a national basis, as well as places that are around at all times to offer support. General Mills is a company that is doing great things with breast cancer awareness.

Check out PinkTogether.com, where you can share stories about how breast cancer has affected your life and you can also help vote on $1 Millon of General Mills's donation will end up. It is a great cause, so be sure to like the page. Pink Together began with the belief that one person’s story is another person’s hope. Today, it’s a place where breast cancer survivors, patients, family members, and supporters can connect to each other to share guidance, hope and maybe, one day, a cure.

I received an awesome gift pack thanks to General Mills and My Blog Spark. Even better news? You can win the same package!

It includes the following items:

A 16 oz. box of Total cereal
VIP coupons valid for one box of Cheerios and Multigrain Cheerios cereal and one cup of Yoplait yogurt
Betty Crocker Living with Cancer Cookbook Pink Together Edition, which includes a collection of more than 150 delicious recipes with complete nutrition information and a 32-page Pink Together Survivor Ambassador bonus section that shares inspirational personal stories of survival as well as recipes
Water bottle and removable silicone awareness bracelet
Drawstring sport backpack
Rhinestone ear buds

How to enter:

Leave a comment below with a story about how breast cancer has affected your life or someone you know.

Extra entries(leave an extra comment for each):

Like the PinkTogether page and leave a comment saying that you did.
Vote where you want the donation money to go and leave a comment saying where you chose.
Tweet the following(up to three times a day): Win a Pink Together Prize Pack via BBV http://bit.ly/nW9dyR #MyBlogSpark

This giveaway will end on October 28th at midnight Eastern. It is open to residents of the US.

More information can be found here:

PinkTogether.com (on Facebook) http://bit.ly/PinkTogether
Pink Together YouTube Channel http://bit.ly/PinkTogetherVid

Disclosure: The Pink Together prize pack, information and coupons have been provided free of charge by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

giveaway on Yonder!

2011-10-14T10:23:00.003-04:00

Be sure to check out the blog, Yonder, this week. I am giving away a scarf and a $15 store credit to BBV! Super easy to enter. Check it out:

the business of social media

2011-10-10T23:31:00.000-04:00

Social Media is a major part of businesses these days. From major corporations to small shops (such as mine on Etsy) knowing your way around the world of social media can really benefit your bottom line. Knowing something as little as how to create a Facebook account to understanding search engine optimization is vital in growing businesses in today's market.

I have found that a great use of media for my small business is Twitter. I can promote my sales and have been able to connect with other great shop owners to help foster a sense of community. If I ever have a question, I take it to the Twitterverse and generally have a correct answer by the end of the day. It has been amazing to watch my sales grow as my social media experience grows.

What do you think is the most beneficial social media platform for businesses today?

Blue Sky Scrubs

2011-10-10T23:18:00.003-04:00

Remember the days when scrubs were either blue or covered in silly patterns? That is definitely no longer the case.

If you work in the medical field and are looking for nursing uniform scrubs, then you should certainly check out Blue Sky Scrubs. They have fashionable uniforms for medical personnel. I especially enjoy the tops that come in Carnegie green and turquoise. Very cute!

The company was started by a medical student, who didn't love the idea of wearing ugly scrub hats and who also had a hard time fitting her hair into the caps. She started making her own Pony Scrub hats and the rest is fashionable (medically speaking) history.

Blue Sky also offers scrubs for men and children, as well as other items such as lab coats and more.

For more information check out: http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/

check out Halloween Mart for your costume needs

2011-10-01T12:57:00.000-04:00

So, I love dressing up for Halloween and I also love seeing what else everyone is wearing. Last year, I was Lucille Ball, but I'm not sure what to do this year. If you're in the same predicament, might I suggest looking for Halloween costumes at Halloween Mart? They have great stuff for adult Halloween costumes

And if you have little ones, they also have kids Halloween costumes:

Halloween Mart also has daily deals and an awesome clearance section. You can definitely find an awesome costume for a great price.

For more information check out http://www.halloweenmart.com.

work it! Express business suits

2011-10-01T10:02:00.001-04:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Express for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I don't wear a lot of suits, but when I do I have a few go to stores to check out. One is definitely Express. They have suits that flatter the body and have the look of an expensive suit at a fraction of the cost. Every person should have a suit in their wardrobe, regardless of profession, because they are just one of those staples that can come in handy on any given day.

Also, they have suits for both men and women, so your dude can buy one as well. Is there anything sexier than a guy in a well tailored suit? I think not.

Check out a couple of women's suits:

And some men's suits:

Also, did you know that there is an Express sweepstakes going on right now? You can win a $500 suiting makeover from Express.

What suits are your favorite from Express? Share your opinions in the comment section below.

Incorporating some cute vintage pieces into my wardrobe

2011-09-29T11:47:00.002-04:00

Guest post written by Chelsea Newman

I'll be the first to admit that I probably don't need to buy any more clothes, but I really love shopping and coming up with all kinds of new outfits to wear. I guess that it also helps that I purge my wardrobe every once in a while and sell the clothes I don't want any more to consignment shops.

I was online looking up some great thrift shops because I think it will be a lot more cost effective to find pieces there instead of brand new ones. While I was online looking that up, I ran across the website clearwirelessinternetservice.com. After I looked through it a little bit I decided to change over my home internet to it.

I've been browsing some local vintage and thrift shops. I've already bought a really cute maxi skirt at a vintage store. It couldn't be any more in style right now. I also picked up a couple of cute long sleeve shirts at a thrift shop that will be great for layering in the fall and winter months coming up.