Some of My Favorites

Brooklyn Flea 10.22.11

2011-10-20T21:15:00.003-04:00

Just some of the items you will see in my booth at the Brooklyn Fleas on Saturday, October 22nd. Look for me in space W10.

Brooklyn Flea / October 22nd

2011-10-20T11:36:00.001-04:00

I am super excited to announce that I will be selling my vintage finds at the Brooklyn Flea Market this Saturday, October 22nd! Stop by to see some of the items pictured below:

1960s Zodiac Pasties / $5 each

Metal Milk Crate / $30 each

United Wooden Sign / $250

There will be TONS more available at my booth including items from rutabagasix and apkhandmade. Find us in spot W10 on Saturday. Send me an email if you're interested in any particular item from my shop and I will be sure to bring it along!

Clover Market

2011-10-15T10:35:00.000-04:00

Have you heard of Clover Market? It is a lovely upscale handmade market that happens once a month at select times of year in Ardmore, PA (super close to Philly). This Sunday, the market will be open with over 70 vendors confirmed. If you're free on Sunday, head on over! Here are the details:

Clover Market

12 E. Lancaster Avenue

Ardmore, PA 19003

10am to 4pm

If you can't make it this Sunday, October 16th, be sure to keep November 6th open. That will be the last day the market is open until Spring 2012. Although I personally won't make it this weekend, I am getting ready for the November 6th market, which will be my first time there as a vendor with many items from my funretro shop. If you decide to go, feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think of Clover Market!

Brooklyn Flea

2011-10-14T20:06:00.003-04:00

On October 1st, I had my first booth at the Brooklyn Flea. For those of you out of the loop, this is one of the coolest flea markets around and was even selected by Budget Travel as one of the best in the country. My sister Amanda, rutabagasix, gave me a hand for the day (Thank you!) It poured for part of the day and we got soaked to the bone, but it was a blast!

Some shots of the booth:

New Fall Vintage Finds

2011-10-09T01:40:00.011-04:00

Now that Autumn is beginning to settle in nicely, I have begun to list lots more items. With the upcoming holidays, now is a great time to start thinking about all those gifts you need....

Items that are new or will be new this week:

Off White Cosco Metal Kitchen Cart:

Vintage School Clock:

Adorable Iron-On Floral Letters:

Skyway Train Case:

Fall Fashion: Vintage Style

2011-08-23T21:35:00.006-04:00

Although I am a diehard fan of Summer, I must admit that Fall has begun to grow on me. The weather is still nice enough to still be able to go outside in New Jersey and there are still lots of fashion options. I am a vintage lover in so many ways and this includes clothing. Some of my recent favorites as found on etsy:

Rock this hat on a cool Autumn night, found in rutabagasix's shop:

Super cool shoes from my shop, funret ro:

Seriously cool boho dress from retrokittenvintage's shop:

These stunning earrings are from branchbound's shop:

365 Days of Giving January 12th and 13th.

2011-01-23T23:32:00.005-05:00

As usual, I bite off more than I can check and suddenly fall waaaaay behind in everything. The good news? I have been keeping up with my donations. The bad news is that sitting down for a few minutes to write about it seems to elude me. This week, I will attempt to catch up!

Today is about January 12th and 13th. Both are going out together along with a few others items over to the Salvation Army to find a new home.

January 12th: I have done a few breast cancer walks and every time they give you one of their hats as a thank you. I would love to see them use that money instead toward more research, but I digress. And I accept the hat. A hat which I will never wear.

total donation count: 40
total days: 12

January 13th: Most people who know me know that I don't like the typical products or items, especially when it comes to items designed for girls. Someone thoughtfully gave me this purse, but I have never gotten around to using it and since I usually use purses that go over my head, this purse will probably continue to just sit in my closet. I would rather see it go to a new home instead.

total donation count: 41

total days: 13

365 Days of Giving January 11th.

2011-01-11T20:11:00.003-05:00

Another freecycle giveaway: this gel wrist protector seemed like a good idea since I do so much typing. Yet considering that I am a "hunt and peck" type, my wrist don't even come near the right position for proper typing. So this item has sat in its original box for at least two years. Time for it to go!

total donation count: 39
total days: 11

Have you entered my giveaway yet?

http://http//funretro.blogspot.com/2011/01/365-days-of-giving-giveaway.html

A Navy Gray Kind of Day

2011-01-11T17:28:00.010-05:00

Snow Days and Back Aches

Yet another storm is coming and winter has only just begun. Snow makes me cry, but as a teacher I could get a day off from work tomorrow, which would be blissful. Yet, then that would mean shoveling and killing my old lady back. To want or not want? Impending storms do always leave the sky a gorgeous shade of grey. And a day off could allow me to sit by the window and admire. Would it be too much to ask for just enough snow to cancel school but not enough to housebound me? Is that asking too much?

from left to right:

top row: raceytay, littlebyrdvintage, oldcrowfarm, lizarietz

second from top: markhed, thrush, yannpendaries, luncheonettevintage

second from bottom: rutabagasix, garden22vintage, creashines, uncommoneye

bottom: lightleaks, thewildplum, deargoldenvintage, knitstorm

these shops + items can be found----> HERE

***~~~***~~~***~~~

Have you entered my giveaway yet?

365 Days of Giving January 10th.

2011-01-11T14:40:00.002-05:00

full confession: I buy things because they're cute whether or not I need it. Sound familiar to anyone? This is reason #1 why I own things like giant paper clip/clothespin/magnet/whatever. Cute, yes. Useful for me, not a chance. I plan on finding some cute kid in my school to pass this on to. Perhaps this will help inspire more homework-doing in some way :)

total donation count: 38
total days: 10

Have you entered my giveaway yet?

http://funretro.blogspot.com/2011/01/365-days-of-giving-giveaway.html

365 Days of Giving Giveaway!

2011-01-10T06:46:00.003-05:00

A Giveaway!

As you may know, I have decided to embark on a 365 project in which I give away at least one item per day to a variety of different people, some known and some unknown. Some items are personal whereas others are work-related. Feel free to peruse my other postings to see what I have been freed of so far this year.

I thought I would go in a different direction this week and make Friday's giveaway go to someone online, which means it could be you!

The purse below was given to me for Christmas. It is brand new and was given to me by my aunt. It is in perfect condition and measures 9"H x 7"W. There is one main pocket and also a zippered compartment in there as well. When empty, the purse lies flat against you and is super easy to wear on your shoulder or over your head. If you love a very ethnic look, this purse is perfect for you. While I like it very much myself, I have one that is very similar and in keeping with my goal this year, I am sharing items that I do not need.

This Sunday, I will select one winner and will send it on its way to you on Monday, January 17th, 2011. Below are the rules for entering. You will receive one entry for every step you take below:

1- follow me on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/funretro
2- follow my blog: http://www.funretro.blogspot.com
3- send a tweet with a link to this giveaway and include @funretro in the tweet
4- friend me on facebook: user name: funretro
5- post a link on your facebook account

Once you have done any or all of the steps, leave a comment below and tell me which steps you took. Each step counts as one entry.

BONUS: for every day you send a tweet or post a link on facebook you will receive one ADDITIONAL entry.

This giveaway is open to anyone in the world!

Thanks and have a great day!

365 Days of Giving January 8th and 9th.

2011-01-07T17:55:00.005-05:00

OK, so technically I cheated on this one. I knew the next things I wanted to give away were school related so I gave them away today but am counting them as January 8th and 9th, which were weekend days.

The three packs of markers above were given to a relatively new teacher in my school. Crayola makes multicultural markers for children to sue to represent a wide variety of people. Once I stopped working as a classroom teacher and became mobile a lot of my supplies just sat and sat in storage. I thought this would be a better use of them

total donation count: 34
total days: 8

Three American Girls Smart Girl's Planners have also been lying around for ages. I picked these up at a teacher supply site but never ended up giving them away. I passed them on to the same teacher to share with girls she think could really benefit from them.

total donation count: 37
total days: 9

365 Days of Giving January 7th.

2011-01-07T12:00:00.001-05:00

Why are those of us who are teachers such hoarders? I keep raiding my desk at school as well and came across bookmarks. Lots and lots of bookmarks. And all are still sitting in their original packs. Each pack you see here contains 36 bookmarks. That means I have 360 just in this photo alone. Today I will give away 3 packs of bookmarks to teachers, kids in the halls, and to anyone who will say yes. That's 108 giveaways, but I think I will just count it as 3 (one for each pack).

total donation count: 31

total days: 7

365 Days of Giving January 6th

2011-01-06T12:00:00.000-05:00

Most of you don't know that my "day" job is teaching. I am in my tenth year and if you know any teachers you won't be surprised to learn that I am as much of a hoarder at work as I am at home. Ugh. As I raid my desk drawers.....well, let's just say it ain't pretty. And incredibly overwhelming. So although I am technically not "lightening the load" at home, I believe that giving these away from any aspect of your life has a cleansing effect.

The papers below....I bought these at least five years ago. Seriously. I don't have a clue what the project was supposed to be or if I just thought it was pretty, but I bought a pack of this rather expensive foil paper. And in my desk it has sat. Make that desks. In the past five years I have sat in at least three desks. Which means I have painstakingly packed these and taken the from school to school and even town to town. But never actually used it. Today, I picked a super nice kid to give this pack to. She is one of those kids who is soooo nice that she tends to get passed over. So Jessica, today, received this pack of paper and was super excited to receive it. She has laryngitis and has barely been able to speak for a few days, yet she kept forcing out several "thank yous". I was incredibly touched by her reaction. It was a good day.

total donation count: 28

total days: 6

365 Days of Giving January 5th

2011-01-05T12:00:00.002-05:00

Continuing on my freecycle journey (although no one has emailed me about the other items I posted..I have hope!), today I am listing a large clear glass ribbed vase. This is the kind you get form the florist when flowers are delivered. I guess somewhere along the way I got flowers from someone and decided to hold on to this vase, even though I never get flowers or, when I do, they come in yet another vase.

I am sure if I dig deep enough I will find a week's worth of these vases. Ridiculous.

total donation count: 27

total days: 5

365 Days of Giving January 4th.

2011-01-04T12:00:00.002-05:00

I am still raiding drawers, closets, and everything in between looking for new things to give away. I can see how this can quickly become an obsession. I thought I would stick with freecycle again today and give away these two serving spoons. I bought them YEARS ago when I got my first apartment and thought I would be one of those people who cooks. I don't know if you can tell by the photo, but no, these were never used. What's even funnier? I actually have a SECOND set of them! Seriously, what's my problem?

So on to freecycle they go and hopefully to a new home soon.

total donation count: 26

total days: 4

365 Days of Giving January 3rd

2011-01-03T12:28:00.002-05:00

Ever heard of freecycle? If not, you have got to check it out. What a great way to give and get things for free rather than throwing the away or visiting the local big box stores. I have been using it off and on for several years and this past year got really serious about it. For the next three days, I will be giving one item away a day.

Today's item? A white Cuisinart Handheld mixer. Not in perfect working condition, but for anyone even slightly handy, this will be a great find. And since we have a second one already (why? why?), we did not have to go to a store to buy another one.

total donation count: 24

total days: 3

365 Days of Giving. Jan 1 and 2

2011-01-02T23:53:00.006-05:00

A couple of years ago I heard from a friend about a personal challenge he was planning on taking. It involved giving away one personal item a day for 365 days. As an avid believer in the motto of"reuse, reduce, recycle", I thought this would be perfect for me. I have to say, I followed it perfectly for all of 2009. Last year, it seems, I took a little vacation from this although informally (i.e. not keeping track) I did give away tons of things. I thought this year, as a personal challenge to myself, I would do it again, this time formally and will track myself here.

I certainly cannot promise to write every day. For those of you who know me personally you can understand why (teaching, etsy, and graduate school). But I will chronicle as best I can.

For the first couple of days, January 1st and 2nd, I raided my drawers and came up with 23 different shirts to get things started. All of them will be donated to one of my favorite places, the Salvation Army in Newark. NJ. I guess technically I am making my first 23 donations, but I am just going to count it for days 1 and 2.

Total donation count: 23

Total days: 2

127 Sale

2010-09-09T16:32:00.001-04:00

I can't remember when or where I first heard about the 127 Sale. Probably because I was instantly entranced and floated in a daydream just thinking about it....

For those who don't know, the 127 Sale is a mega garage sale spanning the states of Alabama, Georgie, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and new this year, Michigan. That's about 700 miles of more items than you can ever possibly imagine owning. I own and live in a two family house which means I don't have nearly as much room as I like to pretend I have. Yet the idea of doing this sale has been Top Five on my to-do list for years and I decided this was the year it was to be!

Now, if you know me, you won't be surprised to hear that there is no way I was only going to dabble in this sale. Not me. I decided I was going full throttle and hitting every state in the process from Alabama to Ohio (I hadn't known about Michigan when I first planned it, and, alas, work required my attention so it didn't make the cut.

I initially planned to do this alone, just me and my Cocker Spaniel Casey. Then my sister, Amanda, joined in. A few days before leaving my Casey ended up with a hurt paw and couldn't make it. Happily, my longtime friend Eileen jumped in. Let me just say this: I couldn't have asked for better roadtrippers because three girls sitting on ONE bench seat in a pickup for six days and covering 2000 miles...well, you better like each other. And thankfully I love these gals.

The first few days were filled with rainy days and seemingly never-ending dark skies. Not being the girliest of girls, the weather didn't do much to slow us down. We trekked on for days and didn't head back east until the last day of the sale. Our truck was laden with treasures, none of which were regretted later on, I am happy to say.

Some of my treasures have been grouped and shown throughout. Perhaps you'll find some in my etsy shop, but don't be surprised if some never become available for sale. I have willpower but not that much!

The Vintage List: Dear Estate Sale Organizers... Price Is Everything...

2010-08-27T00:10:00.000-04:00

The Vintage List: Dear Estate Sale Organizers... Price Is Everything...: "photo courtesy of Yard Sale Bloodbath I went to an estate sale last weekend - like a lot of you, it is something I do every weekend. I have ..."

Looking For Deal???

2010-07-11T21:25:00.005-04:00

Here is a video link to the Vintage market Team's Fantastic Annual Christmas in July Sale running from Jul 10, 2010 to July 17, 2010!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Vintage Market Team's Christmas in July Promo

2010-07-09T17:05:00.003-04:00

Aah, I love a good sale and am even happier when I can be part of a group that's OFFERING the sale! You may not yet know, but I am an administrator for the Vintage Market Team on Etsy. We are a group of vintage sellers offering an insanely wide array of vintage items. There is truly something for everyeone in our collective shops!

Running from July 10th to July 17th, 20+ members are offering 250+ items at a reduced price, free shipping, or a combination of both. This week is a great time to pick up that item you've been spying at an awesome savings!

I will be adding items as the week goes on. Click here for the most current list!

Click here for a link to the entire list of sale items!

Remember to check Etsy daily as members will constantly be adding new items!

6/21: Craft Night With Brooklyn Craft Farm

2010-06-23T00:49:00.001-04:00

6/21: Craft Night With Brooklyn Craft Farm
Originally uploaded by Etsy Labs

My first time at Etsy's Craft Night was a blast! That's me in the background wearing black. We made the cutest little metro card/credit card holders. For a newbie like me, this was insanely easy. can't wait for my return trip!

Blog Feature: TheBeadStorm

2010-05-17T16:33:00.003-04:00

A big thank you hug and kiss to TheBeadStorm for adding my picnic basket to her "Love This" series! How lovely and kind! I do hope you all check out her shop! Here is all her info:

etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheBeadStorm

blog: http://thebeadstormfiles.blogspot.com

twitter: http://www.twitter.com/thebeadstorm

She has some really lovely jewelry for sale that is perfect for gift-giving to others and yourself!

~~Natalie

Vintage Market Team on Etsy: Tuesday Tip

2010-04-21T17:17:00.003-04:00

I love being on the Vintage market Team for all sorts of reasons, but one of my absolute favorites is the "Tuesday Tip" section! As a borderline obsessive purchaser of vintage suitcases, I have often lugged home a car full of suitcases only to stash them away in my attic because I have no idea how to get rid of old scuff marks on the exterior. Much to my delight (and surprise), I found that today's tip focuses on just that! Read the tip below to find out how to make your vintage luggage, whether it be for reselling or for yourself, look super fantastic!

Vintage Market Team on Etsy: Tuesday Tip