The Vintage Pearl

our blog has moved!!!

2011-06-13T15:08:00.003-05:00

We have moved!

Please come visit us here
and tell us what you think of our new space!?!

And please bookmark the new blog site,
to keep up with us and our journey,
I won't be blogging here any longer :)

See you over there!

creative inspiration.

2011-06-09T09:29:00.005-05:00

Happy Thursday!
Kids are all home from camp,
Eden and I are feeling better,
we are all heading to the pool today :)

A few fun, creative and inspiring ideas I found on Pinterest!
(You can follow me, I'm Erin Edwards on Pinterest)

Isn't this growth chart so fun? I must have one...

Source: etsy.com via Erin on Pinterest

Great idea for a birthday reminder...

Source: iheartnaptime.net via Erin on Pinterest

Simple and easy but beautiful...

Source: community.livejournal.com via Erin on Pinterest

A menu board...

Source: whipperberry.com via Erin on Pinterest

Old windows (which I LOVE) and pictures...

Source: None via Erin on Pinterest

Using an old ladder for a shelf...

Source: miasinterior.blogspot.com via Erin on Pinterest

A fun way to hang up notes or pictures...

Source: lemonademakinmama.com via Erin on Pinterest

Mail or picture holder...

Source: google.com via Erin on Pinterest

Love the wood limb...

Source: casasugar.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Jewelry organizer made from a cash tray/drawer...

Source: tonyastaab.com via Amanda on Pinterest

* * *

Aren't they fun?

Which one is your favorite?

she wants her Jonah.

2011-06-08T09:19:00.003-05:00

Sunday afternoon we dropped off Caleb, Jonah and Tessa at church camp for 3 days, leaving us with just Eden. I had plans for Eden and I, lots of FUN for just the 2 of us and other FUN for the 3 of us after Ryan got home from work at night.

Then I got sick with what she already had.
We have spent the last 3 days cuddled on the couch-
I have watched more Max and Ruby than any adult should have to, but you sacrifice when your little one and yourself aren't feeling well ;)

And when she fell asleep I quickly switched to HGTV,
I'm ready to either decorate or house hunt!

This cold or whatever I have had has really knocked me out!
So even though we didn't get to do all of these FUN things together, at least we got to cuddle and rest and relax together :)

Last night Ryan asked her which kid she missed the most and she said Jonah.

Then this morning she started crying out of nowhere and I asked her what was wrong and she said "I want to see my Jonah!"

(cuddling on my bed together last week)

So sweet!

The kids will be home at noon today,
and she will get to see HER Jonah again :)

father's day gifts. (winners!)

2011-06-06T09:48:00.005-05:00

The 3 randomly picked winners of the father's day giveaway are:

Mia Patrice, who said: I am DROOLING over the cuff links!!

and

Heather, who said: I love the "We love Daddy" key chain. Simple and beautiful. And something my husband would actually put on his existing key ring!

and

Teri, who said: Those are some great products! I like the riveted keychain.

Please email us at customerservice@thevintagepearl.com to claim your prizes!

* * *

Eden and I are both home sick today with some sort of summer cold,
which is NO FUN,
please pray for us!

summertime dreams.

2011-06-03T09:46:00.003-05:00

Today I'm dreaming of a summer vacation on the beach,
the sand, the cool water, the fresh breeze,
sandcastles, seashells and starfish...

I just love this sweet organic vintage starfish,
pressed into fine silver
and finished off with a deep ocean blue freshwater pearl.

Customize the back with up to 6 letters or numbers...

You can find it here!

* * *

What are you dreaming of today?

tadpoles.

2011-06-02T08:22:00.002-05:00

Jonah came home from soccer camp yesterday with tadpoles...

A LOT of tadpoles...

I'm not sure what to do with them. I googled "what to feed tadpoles" and read to boil lettuce for 15 minutes, chop it up and freeze it. So we did...

It also said it takes 8-12 weeks for them to develop into frogs... not sure I have that much patience.

Anyone have tips on raising tadpoles?

working from home.

2011-06-01T11:23:00.003-05:00

Tessa's feeling under the weather today,
so we are home, watching Tinkerbell movies and playing with playdough.
Tonight we are having Caleb's baseball team over for an end of the season ice cream party, fun!

We've had a great response to our new Father's Day items
(thank you!),
so I'm sneaking in some riveting of our new keychains from home as well!

Be sure to enter the giveaway below!

Happy wednesday!

father's day gifts. (a giveaway!)

2011-05-31T01:11:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited about our new gifts for father's day!

Dad's can be hard to buy for,
but we have some great new options for a meaningful gift
(let the kids help you pick something out!)

1. the DADDY or WE LOVE DADDY keychain- customize with ready to ship initials if you wish.

2. the riveted keychain- ruggedly classy, handstamped with any initial in our uppercase plain letters.

3. the DAD snap leather keychain- fits our vintage gold ball marker or a guitar pick. Want to customize it? You can also find it on our men's page.

4. initial dogtags necklace

5. cufflinks- we have had LOTS of requests for these, so here ya go!

6. vintage golf ball marker- (another thing we've had many requests for).

* * *

All of these can be found on our ready to ship page,
to make sure you will have in time to gift!

* * *

We also have other custom items that are great for Dad on our men's page, but please keep in mind we are on about a 2 1/2 week turnaround on any items that are not on the ready to ship page.

* * *

And a special code for Dad-
use coupon code welovedad for 15% off,
expires thursday at mindnight
(so hurry!)

* * *

Let's give a couple of things away for Dad away!

Just tell us which one is your favorite to be entered.

Blog it, tweet it and facebook it for extra entries.

weekend highlights.

2011-05-30T08:47:00.005-05:00

Spent friday night celebrating my niece's birthday with my family in OKC,
left the boys at grandpa's house and Ryan and I took the girls to a hotel for the night,
which made us realize how much EASIER just 2 kids are,
(but we missed the boys, of course!)
saturday morning we dropped Eden off with Grandpa and picked up the boys and headed to Frontier City for the day,
Sunday morning church,
last minute bar-b-q with a few friends at our house,
and back to work (from home) for me today,
and maybe off to a movie later.

LOVE this picture I took of the girls this weekend,
they were taking a quick break from jumping across the hotel beds.
I want to frame it
to remember these days of being little best friends :)

Should I frame it in color or black and white?

the talent shows.

2011-05-27T07:50:00.002-05:00

Tessa and Caleb made it into the talent shows this year!

Tessa wanted to play "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", so we had to run and grab her a keyboard so she could practice :)

She did great,
and seems to love being on stage in front of people.

Caleb did Card tricks. He was VERY nervous about being up in front of everyone
(just like me!)
but he called his old teacher up on stage to help him with his tricks, and she was great with him. (She's also a tvp rockstar)

Pick a card, any card...

show the audience...

let me do my slide of hand trick
to make you and the audience think
I don't have your card
but I really do...

Is this your card? YES!

Great job Tessa and Caleb!!!

the clouds.

2011-05-25T08:16:00.003-05:00

This last week and a half of school has been super busy with field trips, award assemblies, talent shows and field olympics-- exhausting!

Just 1 1/2 days of school left!

And at the same time we have been having some crazy weather,
it's tornado season and we live in "tornado alley",
which means we've been hanging out in the living room alot
with the weather on just in case a tornado pops up close to us
and we need to head to our "storm closet".

Our last 4 baseball games have been canceled because of this crazy weather.

The clouds are beautiful,
but what comes with them can be scary!

Our hearts go out to those in Joplin, MO and El Reno, OK and others that have been recently hit by tornadoes. TVP will be donating to the relief organizations to help those that are in need right now.

no girls allowd.

2011-05-20T06:44:00.002-05:00

found this outside Jonah's bedroom:

"no girls allowd"

with a vicious dino guard...

ready to attack any girl that tries!

I wonder if he'll make an exception for me?

our "baby".

2011-05-18T07:52:00.002-05:00

Eden is almost 3...

She's growing up, which is exciting yet sad. She's our fourth and our last, and as she outgrows the baby stages the reality hits us that this will be the last time we get to experience them.

So we soak it in, we laugh, we don't encourage her to "hurry" and grow up like we did with the others, keeping it slow so we can enjoy each step.

I now see why sometimes the youngest is forever considered the "baby".

calligraphy winner and a quick sale.

2011-05-17T07:55:00.007-05:00

The randomly picked winner of the calligraphy giveaway is: Kendra Ann, who said: I would get a fused heart 16" chain with the inscription saying "believe" :)

Email us Kendra Ann at customerservice@thevintagepearl.com.

TODAY ONLY,
our popular circle of love necklace (pictured above) is on sale for just $38!
(normally $42.00)

This is a great chance to grab a new necklace for you or a gift for a friend!

weekend highlights.

2011-05-16T08:15:00.004-05:00

Ryan and I snuck in a friday night date night,
then we all got donuts and coffee and hunted garage sales saturday morning,
played at the park (threw the aerobie a lot),
had our 2 last soccer games of the season
(tessa scored 2 goals and her team won, go Redhots!)
watched the Andy Griffith show (a new family fave),
sunday morning church then out for lunch,
Tessa and I went shopping (girl time!)
and backyard soccer games (Caleb and I beat Ryan, Tessa and Jonah!)

We are ready to start a new week... hard to believe there are just 8 1/2 days of school left!

What are some of your weekend highlights?

calligraphy. (a giveaway!)

2011-05-12T08:34:00.004-05:00

Blogger had some "issues" last thursday which caused all of the original comments on this giveaway post (there were about 500 at the time) to disappear. If you commented last thursday please feel free to comment again :)

We have added a new font option: calligraphy.

It's a little bit fancy and a little bit feminine.

So sweet for a wedding gift:

or on the inside of a ring:

Today we are giving away your choice of any piece stamped in our new calligraphy font!

Just leave us a comment, tell us what you'd get?

Blog it, facebook it and tweet for extra entries
(please leave a separate comment for each).

Happy Thursday!

Quints by Surprise!

2011-05-10T06:33:00.002-05:00

Last night TLC aired the 2 season premiere episodes of Quints by Surprise,
(you can watch them here),
and mom Casey was wearing our eclectic necklace!!!

It was SO FUN to see one of our necklaces being worn on TV!!!
Thanks Casey!

the hanger.

2011-05-09T07:34:00.002-05:00

I was cleaning out my purse yesterday
(it had gotten pretty hairy,
sometimes at that point I just give up and buy a new purse
to avoid the cleaning-
anyone else do this?)
and to my amazement I found a toddler sized hanger in there.

I immediately thought,
"wow, that is the weirdest thing I have ever found in my purse."

(or maybe the stale curly fry from Arby's I found last year is weirder?)

And then I wondered,
"how did I not know it was in there?"

:)

What's the weirdest thing you have found while cleaning out your purse?

happy mother's day!

2011-05-08T09:21:00.003-05:00

My kids picked me out gifts
(picture frames, candles, etc)
that are all "vintage pearl" colors,
isn't that cute???

We are heading here today for a day of fun!

Hope you all have a fabulous mother's day!

*

p.s. if you get something from tvp today we would love to see a picture!
please send it to customerservice@thevintagepearl.com.

and the winners are...

2011-05-07T07:31:00.002-05:00

I'm so sorry that we didn't announce the winners yesterday, the store just got so busy that I spent the day helping out the retail staff. Which was a lot of fun :)

Choosing winners was INCREDIBLY difficult! Y'all nominated some pretty fantastic and inspirational mothers.

I printed out all of the nominations for the mega mom giveaway and the tvp girls and I read ALL of them (there were WAY more than I had expected!). There were lots of tears shed as we read, some of them were very touching and we wanted to pick way more than five. We each had 5 stars, and when we found one we would like to win we would star it with one of our stars, and the ones with the most stars win...

((( If you nominated someone (even if they didn't win), PLEASE consider sending the nomination you sent us to her, I think any of them would love and cherish to read what has been written about them, and could possibly be one of the best presents they ever received! )))

So (drumroll please) the 5 winners are:

1. 1. $100 gift certificate to TVP and $100 to Pottery Barn:

(nominated by Cari)

Shelley is the mother of three children, Gracey (5), Christian (8), and Braden (11). She is a dear friend and a light in my world. Her husband has served two tours in Iraq and bravely defends our country in the US Army. Shelley is a soldier too. She has gone into battle for all of her children. Last year while her husband was deployed her precious little guy Christian was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer. Shelley has fought through surgeries, sleepless nights, excruciating pain, a sad and broken family, bottles of pills, meals that won't stay down, long trips away from home to see specialists, and she has done it all with grace and beauty. She fights to keep her home together. She fights to make her children happy, she fights to believe and to maintain hope and faith that Christian will be healed. I have known a lot of wonderful mothers, but I have only ever known one Shelley. She has created a happy, loving, warm home in the midst of trauma and pain. She is the most deserving Mom I know. I know that a simple but wonderful gift from The Vintage Pearl would be a sweet treat for this fighter of a Mom!

2. 2. $100 gift certificate to TVP and $100 to Anthropologie.

(nominated by Emily, Natalie, Jessica and Olivia)

My sisters and I were so excited to see this opportunity to nominate a wonderful mom. Our little sister, Amy, is 22 years old and the mother of 3 beautiful little children. Her husband is in the army and they have lived a hard life, but she is absolutely the most amazing mom ever to her kids. Her middle child, Austin, was born with a severe heart problem. This last week he went in for his first surgery, and didn't live through it. At 2 years old, he passed away. Amy is spending mother's Day weekend having a funeral for her sweet little boy. We really wanted to get her a mother's necklace to remember her Austin by and the light he was to everyone who knew him. We are really excited about the possibility of winning the vintage pearl giftcard to get her something, to have him with her always.

3. 3. $100 gift certificate to TVP and $100 to Victoria's Secret.

(nominated by Rhonda)

When a tragic fire claimed the life of Barbara Jean in 1945, her four-year-old sister, Margie, was sent to live with her grandparents. Her dad visited, but she rarely saw her mother.
Cancer claimed her grandmother’s life, when Margie was young. Instead of enjoying her childhood, she kept house and cooked for her grandpa. She knew he loved her, though he did not say it or demonstrate affection. She was not allowed to date, but met the man she would marry through a family connection. They married a few weeks after she graduated from high school and had three children.
Through her example, the children learned the value of forgiveness and unconditional love. She had every right to be bitter, yet she chose to show compassion to the very ones that deserted her when she needed them most.
Instead, she developed a relationship with her parents. Because of that, her children grew up knowing them as their grandparents. They saw Christ’s ability to love and forgive through her example, and came to accept Him as their Lord and Savior. They missed out on raising her, but will spend eternity with her. Margie is my hero, and my treasured mom.

4. $100 gift certificate to TVP and $100 to Bath & Body Works

(nominated by Ansley)

I would like to nominate my precious friend, Mary. She is the wife of our worship pastor and the mother of 9 beautiful gifts from the Lord. Through the birth of their 5th child, Eli who was born with Down Syndrome, and several mission trips to Eastern Europe, Chris and Mary heard God calling them to "look after orphans...in their distress..." James 1:27. Since that time, they have completed 4 adoptions from Eastern Europe ... Micah, Matthew, Eliana, and Ethan, who also have Down Syndrome, have all come home to the arms of this beautiful mom. When I spend time with Mary I see the love of Christ. It overflows to her husband, her children, her home, her church, and her community. Mary is generous with her time, kind with her words, and always loving in her service to others. Her children are a testimony of her love for Jesus. The older children, Blake, Hannah, Bethany, and Seth, love and care for their younger siblings with compassion and grace. Mary loves selflessly and never expects anything in return.

5. $100 gift certificate to TVP and $100 to Olive Garden

(nominated by Jesse)

I would like to nominate my wife Kelcie for the Mega Mom Giveaway, because she fits the bill for being a Mega Mom. She is currently employed full time, attending college full time, raising my daughter (her stepdaughter) and caring for her mother who is currently undergoing chemo therapy for her diagnosis of stage 4 ovarian cancer back in November, and does it all with a smile. I would love for her to be a recipient of this prize one; because she hands down deserves it, but two; I know how big of an admirer she is of your products. Money has been tight lately due to an ongoing custody battle were fighting due to my daughter’s biological mother’s drug abuse and frankly we are not able to afford many extras right now. Kelcie provides my daughter with all the love, support, and guidance that any mother would give her child and would never consider her to be anything other than her own daughter. What I have in life is much more valuable than any material item, but I would like to show my appreciation to her for all that she does. Thank you for considering my request.

*

The 5 randomly picked winners of the $25 tvp gift certificates are:

1. Kiley
2. Bev Cox
3. Jessica
4. UpsideDown Kate
5. Sarah Matos

*

If you are one of the winners, please email us at customerservice@thevintagepearl.com to claim your prizes!

*

Hope you all have a fabulous Mother's Day!

candace cameron!

2011-05-06T07:28:00.003-05:00

We sent a piece (she picked the mother of pearl necklace) to Candace Cameron Bure (aka DJ Tanner on the show Full House that we all watched and loved growing up!) and she liked it so much that she listed us as one of her favorite things on glo.com!

Thanks Candace!

from the phone.

2011-05-05T08:42:00.005-05:00

Just sharing some fun pics from my phone today...

Playing rummy with the kids,
wearing my new love links bracelet,
Eden is whacking moles,
and some sweet birdies hanging out on wires.

Working from home,
being silly (thanks Ryan),
lovely fresh flowers,
and the store
(which has been SUPER busy the past couple of weeks!)

My kitchen window sill,
Jonah dressed himself for church (we call him Mr. GQ),
a fun feature of our baby spoons in a magazine,
and baby geese following their momma (we have lots of geese around town these days!)

* * *

Show your pics and link in the comments below!

* * *

Thank you all of the sweet comments on my post yesterday,
I don't get too personal very often,
I try to keep things light,
but it's been heavy on my heart :)

bittersweet.

2011-05-04T09:24:00.002-05:00

This mother's day is different for me.

I'm looking forward to the homeade cards, the sweet little gifts the kids pick out for me, maybe breakfast in bed or some flowers.

But it's been hard for me to get very excited because it will also be the first mothers day without my Mom.

As the day grows nearer my heart aches a little more.

I'm missing you, Mom.

celebrate mom {mega MOM giveaway!}

2011-05-02T11:19:00.004-05:00

This sunday is mother's day and we want to celebrate Moms...
motherhood is tough and rewarding,
and Mom deserves a prize!

We want to hear your stories about your favorite Mom,
nominate her for our mom's mega giveaway week
with 5 grand prize winners!

Nominate a mom
(can be yourself, your mom or any other mom you admire)
by simply emailing us at
customerservice@thevintagepearl.com
with "NOMINATE MOM" in the subject line,
and tell us in 200 words or less WHY the Mom you're nominating deserves to win.

(baby Eden!)

Entries must be received by thursday at noon,
we will read each one and pick 5 grand prize winners
who will randomly receive one of the packages below:

1. $100 gift certificate to TVP and $100 to Pottery Barn.
(for the Mom who likes to decorate)
2. $100 gift certificate to TVP and $100 to Anthropologie.
(for the Mom who likes fashion)
3. $100 gift certificate to TVP and $100 to Victoria's Secret.
(for the Mom who likes to feel feminine)
4. $100 gift certificate to TVP and $100 to Bath & Body Works.
(for the Mom that likes to be pampered)
5. $100 gift certificate to TVP and $100 to Olive Garden.
(for the Mom that wants a night off of cooking!)

AMAZING prizes!!!

The winning nominations will be posted here :)

We are also giving away 5 $25 TVP gift certificates
just leave us a comment below and
tell us what your favorite TVP piece is to enter.

Blog, tweet and facebook for extra extries.

All winners will be announced on Friday!

a gift for Mom = a gift for you!

2011-05-02T08:35:00.000-05:00

Buy one here!

ladderball.

2011-04-30T15:51:00.004-05:00

Last week I impulsively splurged on a game of Ladderball at Wal-Mart,
(darn those check out line product placements! suckered me in)
but it's been well worth the $15 :)

Our whole family can play it,
and we all love the competition and the strategy.

I have yet to beat Ryan,
I may have to practice while he's at work this week ;)

*

Does your family have a favorite game to play?

money saving queen.

2011-04-29T07:57:00.002-05:00

Five years ago Sarah had a son with life threatening food allergies causing her family to spiral into a financial crisis.

Today, she is an award-winning blogger, radio & television celebrity, speaker and author.

And she has listed her tvp necklace as one of her favorite things in a recent article :)

It's amazing how Sarah,
aka money saving queen,
took something that was an obstacle in her life
and has turned it into a career and a way to help others.

Very inspiring!

honesty.

2011-04-28T10:57:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I received this letter in the mail at the store:

It says:

Hi Erin,

My apologies, enclosed find $35.00 for charms. I am embarrassed to have found 2 charms in my 3 year old's pocket today when I was doing laundry.

I looked online and saw that the 2 charms would be $30. This obviously was my fault; I should have been watching her more closely.

I have another lesson to teach her, again my apologies.

Have a Blessed Day

*

I so admire this honesty!

And I have to admit- been there before! I've had to call and pay Wal-Mart over the phone for stuff my kids snuck into their pockets! And then we had to chat about not stealing :)

Have you dealt with something like this with your kids?

absolutely. crazy. busy.

2011-04-26T09:02:00.009-05:00

(what we got done yesterday!)

I can't help but look at this picture and feel incredibly blessed,
thank you God for blessing our little business!

It's full blown Mother's Day craze,
which means late nights and long hours,
lots of coffee (or Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper)
and some silly conversations.

We LOVE getting to read the notes on the gift notes,
they are so sweet (especially the inside jokes),
and amazing to think this item we are packaging up
will be opened up as someone's gift,
what an honor!

Thank you to all of our amazing customers
for keeping us busy
and spreading the word about us,
we truly appreciate your support :)

lil vintage angel.

2011-04-25T07:54:00.003-05:00

A simple angel-
resembling mommy's little angels,
a guardian angel, watching over us or a loved one,
or a sweet remembrance piece,
to hold close the little one we will always love in our hearts.

The little angel is hand-molded out of fine silver
(each one is totally unique)
and can have up to 3 letters stamped across her skirt.
She is antiqued to a dark rustic finish,
and hung on a sterling chain with a freshwater pearl.

You can find this necklace here.

* * *

Hope you all had a fabulous Easter weekend!

baseball (via instagram)

2011-04-22T08:29:00.003-05:00

2-3 nights a week we head to Caleb's baseball games-

pics above:

Caleb pitching- Oh my word this is SO nerve racking!
Ryan giving a pep talk, he's the head coach.
Caleb catching- just as nerve racking as pitcher!
Short stop- finally a position where my blood pressure doesn't rise!
My snack :)
Caleb catching again.
Caleb and Coach Dad chatting on third base.
Pitching.

I'm loving baseball season,
way more than I thought I would!

*

These pics were taken using Instagram, follow me- thevintagepearl.

miss the custom order deadline?

2011-04-21T09:37:00.005-05:00

We still have some pretty amazing gifts for Mom!

Click HERE to shop our ready to ship page,
these items will ship within about 3 business days,
and can be ordered until May 2 for Mother's Day shipping!

These are all pre-made in limited quantities,
so they may go out of stock
(don't miss out!)

If you wish to customize, add a circle, heart, square or star initial to any necklace HERE.

Mix them up for a dainty eclectic:

Use code READY for 10% off your ready to ship items,
good through sunday night.

Happy shopping!

a giveaway with fabric bliss!

2011-04-19T19:45:00.003-05:00

My sweet friend Jen is hosting a tvp giveaway,
and if one of MY blog readers wins it
then I will throw in an extra $25 gift certificate!
So hurry and go enter,
be sure to bookmark Jen's blog
and follow her on twitter,
she is lots of fun!

Just a little reminder:
Wednesday, April 20th is the last day to order
a custom piece for Mother's Day,
so please get those orders in!

i just knew...

2011-04-18T13:17:00.002-05:00

Caleb can vacuum,
Tessa helps with laundry,
Jonah does dishes,
Eden wipes counters...

I just knew that having 4 kids would come in handy someday :)

customer pics.

2011-04-16T09:20:00.003-05:00

We received this sweet picture from Krystle on our facebook page:

Her husband bought her the layered circle of love-
the inner layer has her boys' names,
and the outer layer says "my hands are almost as full as my heart",
love it!

*

This custom shutterbug necklace picture
was sent to us by facebook fan Irela:

She takes gorgeous pictures, check out her blog here.

*

We love seeing customer pics like these,
if you would like to share one please post to our facebook page
or email it to us!
(customer service at thevintagepearl dot com)

*

We might be having another customer picture contest very soon,
so start thinking :)

a date with my dad.

2011-04-15T07:43:00.004-05:00

Yesterday my Dad took me golfing,
my first time in years.

I'm not a golfer-
(can you tell by my flip flops?)
I had to borrow clubs (thanks Lydia!),
but I had a great time hanging out with my Dad,
and I now have this extreme desire to head to the driving range!

After golf we went to lunch
and the waitress spotted my necklace and asked
if it was from The Vintage Pearl,
(I was wearing this one)
and I said yes,
and then my Dad blurts out "she's the OWNER!"
(embarrassing! and totally something Ryan would do.)

Thanks for a fun afternoon Dad :)

* * *

I was nominated as a top Mom Shop blog
from Circle of Moms,
will you vote for me?

Just click here or
on that button over there at the top right --->
(you can vote daily!)

Thank you!

autistic love.

2011-04-14T06:19:00.001-05:00

A sweet token for those whose lives have been impacted by autism.
A portion of these sales will go towards autism awareness.

A hand-sculpted puzzle piece is made from fine silver and slightly hammered. A sterling heart is fused on top.

Customize by adding a name or initial charm from our a la carte page.

Hung on a sterling silver chain with a freshwater pearl.

You can find them on our website here!

April 20th (mark your calendars!)

2011-04-13T10:44:00.002-05:00

That is in just 1 week!
Please mark your calendars,
(and mark your hubbie's calendar!)

Pick out the perfect piece for Mom...

...and don't forget to have it gift wrapped
(complete with a pearl).

This is for the US only,
because we can't guarantee International mail times (sorry!)
The USPS can be unpredictable sometimes,
but we DO have International Express mail available,
it usually costs about $40 (depending on the destination).
Please email us if interested.

Happy shopping!

creative estates.

2011-04-12T09:13:00.004-05:00

I had a great time at Creative Estates-
although I have to admit-
conferences are tough for me, I'm naturally fairly shy and quiet :)

But I met old friends (like Megan, and Erin,
and new friends (like Kim, Amy and Becca)
(among many others!)
got inspired,
heard fab advice from amazing women,
ate great food (and yummy cupcakes!),
and laughed A LOT.

I spoke on a panel with Ashley (of Lil Boo Blue), Kim (of The TomKat Studio) and Shey (Shey B) about turning a hobby into a business.

Wendy, Jen and Heather (below)
are old eBay friends from the Jaynes group I was in-
I ran into them on the way to registration and they quickly became bff's.
They took a break from blogging and are hopping back in,
they are hilarious, creative and full of talent-
you should definitely follow them on their new journeys,
I think it's going to be a fun ride :)

(wendy, jen, heather and me)

Shey and Tauni did such a great job,
and I'm excited to head back next year!

birdie winner!

2011-04-11T10:29:00.003-05:00

Seems like a lot of you love birds as much as I do!

The randomly picked winner of the birdie piece giveaway is Ali, who said: I LOVE all of them but think my favorite (at this second) is the Vintage Lovebirds. Thanks! :)

Congrats Ali! Email us at customerservice at thevintagepearl.com.

* * *

I had a great time in Phoenix at Creative Estates,
pics coming soon!

i heart birds. (a giveaway!) (CLOSED)

2011-04-08T09:33:00.004-05:00

I have a thing for birds and nests...
can you tell?

We're giving away your choice of any of our bird pieces!

Just tell me, which one is your favorite?

Blog it and tweet it for extra entries.

Happy friday!

gift wrap.

2011-04-07T12:41:00.002-05:00

We now have gift wrap available when you check out-
your piece is carefully placed inside one of our little organza bags,
then the bag goes inside the box,
with a turquoise ribbon, a sweet little pearl,
(we are the vintage PEARL, after all!)
and a gift note.

And since we will ship direct to your recipient,
it doesn't get any easier to send someone a gift!

* * *

I'm in Phoenix for a couple of days for Creative Estates,
I'm really excited to hang out with some blog friends,
meet some new bloggers,
and even some old eBay friends from way back
(when tvp first began)
will be here!

I always get stopped by airport security,
usually for liquids I missed, (once it was mascara)
or maybe I just look like a trouble maker?
But today I had a pair of large scissors in my purse.
Oops.
Security was not amused.

Ryan found a giant bead store here for me to shop (yay!),
so I'm heading there this afternoon,
I hope there's room in my suitcase ;)

sweet stuff to share!

2011-04-05T14:17:00.005-05:00

A few of you asked,
and this is what I was making while the kids were building forts,
(see post below)
it's our new sealed with love necklace
and I just absolutely LOVE it...

This sweet little love links bracelet is also new,
it has become one of my favorite pieces to wear:

And I'm so excited,
we now have a cursive font option
for our vintage silver charm necklace!

Which one is your favorite?

studio play.

2011-04-04T19:09:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I thought of a new idea for a piece,
(sometimes ideas hit me at the strangest times!)
and I just had to go to the studio and try it.
Ryan and Caleb were out
so I had to take Jonah, Tessa and Eden with me.

While I played with the new design idea,
the kids built forts with our shipping tubs...

It kept them busy and happy for over an hour!

:)

lots of winners!!!

2011-04-04T09:02:00.008-05:00

Holy smokes.
I am blown away by the number of comments for this giveaway!
Since there were so many entries we are not only giving away the 5 $100 gift certs but we are also giving away 5 $50 gift certs,
so 10 winners total!!!

(heart on my wrist bracelet, photo by Tonya)

The randomly picked winners for the $100 gift certificates are:

1. Ana Lucia, who said: OMG this is beautiful!! Happy Birthday and thank you for this giveaway! And you have over 1000 entries...I have to keep everything crossed.

2. Stephanie Ann, who said: Happy Happy Happy Birthday!!

3. Pelkey Family, who said: I love your work, I facebooked ya too! Your 6 year old is super thoughtful! I hope you have an amazing day! Thanks!

4. Shannon, who said: Happy Birthday! It's my b-day next week...29 + 7 ;) Enjoy!!!

5. Chanda, who said: Happy Birthday to YOU!! And...Happy day to us with this fun giveaway! Thanks for the chance to win! Blessings on another year! LOVE your things!

(a flower and a circle necklace, photo by Tonya)

and the 5 randomly picked winners of the $50 gift certs are:

1. Mindy, who said: Awesome and Happy Birthday!

2. Katie May, who said: Happy Birthday! I live in Tulsa, but just found out about your site a few weeks ago...oddly enough from a friend whose mother purchased some of your jewelrey at a store in Nevada! This friend wanted me to check out your site because you give money away to missions and other service organizations!

3. Jennifer Bailey Photography, who said: Happy Birthday! You have some wonderful pieces!

4. Jean Marie, who said: and I shared about it on FB!!

5. The Harris Family, who said: Happy birthday! Love the panda cup...so sweet.

(the key to my heart necklace, photo by Tonya)

Congrats everyone!

Please email us at customerservice@thevintagepearl.com to claim your prize.

whew!

2011-04-02T10:40:00.006-06:00

This was a busy week!

Time to relax and recharge a bit...

...enjoy a few soccer games,
a baseball game,
with dinner out
and an overnight rendezvous with Ryan-
(my dad's birthday present to me,
thanks Dad!)

Hope you have a great weekend!

(giveaway winners will be announced on monday!)

happy birthday to me. (BIG giveaway!)

2011-03-31T07:13:00.003-06:00

Today is my birthday!
I'm 29...
plus 3.

:)

A few weeks ago,
Tessa asked me what my favorite animal was when I was a little girl.
I told her a panda bear.
This was her gift to me this morning...

Wasn't that thoughtful? (especially for a 6 year old!)

* * *

To celebrate, let's give away some gifts!

I'm giving away a $100 tvp gift certificate
to 5 lucky readers!!!

Just leave a comment to be entered
and extra entries if you blog it, twitter it, facebook it, etc.
(please leave a separate comment for each).

a few new things.

2011-03-30T07:39:00.000-06:00

We have a few new products to show (woo-hoo!)

First is our chunky spinner ring,
that was featured here (thank you Ree!)
and comes in your choice of a copper or sterling spinning band
(the outer band spins around!)

Our eternity heart bracelet matches our
ever popular eternity heart necklace,
the hearts are handmade and molded from scratch:

And yes, another ring...

(we are kind of addicted to making new rings I think,
we are having so much fun with them!)

This is our sweet birdie on a ring:

you can stamp 2 lines of text on the inside,
mine is stamped inside to say
"if you're a bird,
i'm a bird"
(name that movie).

Which one is your favorite?

double digits.

2011-03-29T08:24:00.003-06:00

How in the world did this little person...

turn into this giant???

When did that happen?

*

Happy 10th birthday Caleb!!!!

ask tvp a question {fun!}

2011-03-28T07:07:00.003-06:00

A couple of years ago orders grew to be too much for me to handle alone, so I started enlisting help from friends. The team has grown and I am incredibly thankful for the amazing women God has brought my way to help! We have grown to be close- we laugh together daily and have even shed some tears together.

Each one of them plays a unique but important role (stamping, assembling, shipping, retail, customer service, etc)...

(this is not the entire team, it's rare that we are all at the studio at the same time for a pic).

I thought it would be fun to do a "ask us a question" post,
something I've never done before!

So if you have a question that you'd like to ask me or any of the team,
(it can be about anything),
ask below as a comment,
and we will answer them at the end of the week!

our new puppy.

2011-03-25T13:14:00.002-06:00

She barks.
She pants.
She sits.
She rolls over.
She shakes.
She even plays fetch...

Isn't she cute?

vintage chinese love {new!} plus a coupon.

2011-03-24T07:03:00.002-06:00

Something new...

Any names or words are stamped around the Chinese character for LOVE
on a hand-sculpted charm made from fine silver-
so sweet and meaningful.
You can find it here!

* * *

Remember these?

We have had lots of inquiries,
asking when they will be ready for purchase...
they're ready
(and a great price too!)
You can find them here.

* * *

We are preparing for Mother's Day in the studio
(custom order by April 20th please)
and we have a special coupon for the early bird shoppers...

...use coupon code
"SPRING"
when checking out for 15% off your order!
(expires friday night at midnight, so hurry)

look mommy!

2011-03-22T09:03:00.001-06:00

Poo-poo'd in the potty.

all. by. my. self!!!!

(she is so excited and proud of herself! love it!)

ROAD TRIP!

2011-03-20T20:40:00.004-06:00

Friday afternoon we decided to jump in the car
(we've been very last minute planners lately!)
and we took a road trip down to Dallas for the weekend,
and spent all day saturday at Six Flags.

We rode lots of roller coasters and rides,
(we splurged for the Flash Pass- no waiting in lines, soooo worth it!)
played some games
(even Eden won a stuffed animal all by herself!)
swam in the hotel pool, watched a few movies,
and Jonah lost a tooth!

Great family time, can't wait to go again :)

* * *

We've been scoping out all of the best amusement parks
with the best roller coasters in the US to plan future vacations for,
do you have a favorite one?

the vintage sports necklace.

2011-03-17T14:56:00.006-06:00

Several of you have spotted my boys wearing our new vintage sports necklaces,
good eyes!

At TVP we have alot of sports Moms,
so we had to come up with a trendy necklace for us to support our little athletes :)

You can even stamp their numbers on the back of the charm or add a name on a rectangle a la carte charm if you would like.

We currently have soccer, baseball, basketball and volleyball,
with others in the works.

My boys also each have a necklace...

(Caleb has a baseball one
and Jonah has a soccer one,
since that's what they are playing right now)
and I oxidized their sterling chains so they would be darker and rustic looking instead of bright and shiny
(just like the baseball necklace chain above),
and they love them!

I like wearing oxidized chains sometimes, too,
so the option is there if you would like one.
My "mom" necklace has 2 soccer balls and a baseball.

Girls will like wearing these too,
Tessa has a soccer ball necklace on a shiny sterling chain :)

Which charms would you pick out?

my kiddos.

2011-03-17T09:49:00.002-06:00

I don't usually care much for the school pictures,
so I try to take my own :)

Here are our "spring" pictures this year:

Eden, 2 1/2

Tessa, 6

Jonah, 8

Caleb, turning 10 in 12 days

Grandmas and grandpas,
your copies are being printed and will be mailed soon :)

pottery barn. {swoon}

2011-03-16T07:00:00.002-06:00

I'm swooning over the latest Pottery Barn catalog,
it's full of eye candy
and even some inspiration!

I will have to make some easter eggs like this with the kids
(looks so fun!)

Loving all of the twinking lights...

and I think these birdies would look cute hanging in our store,
don'tcha think?

they go with this shabby birdhouse...

and these lanterns...

These chairs are gorgeous,
especially the aqua (but the red would work too)...

I like the idea of hanging pictures like this...

I. want. little cubbies. just like this:

Thinking of painting the back studio this blue color...

Even glasses in the perfect blue!

How sweet is this jewelry stand?

LOVE this mirror with all my heart...

over this bed set...

My birthday IS in a couple of weeks...

just sayin'.

:)

Do you have a favorite store that makes you swoon?

in NYC. (with Jill)

2011-03-13T19:19:00.006-06:00

Don't you love
when necessary business happenings
happen in NYC???

We were able to sneek away
for dinner in Times Square
and a cupcake from Magnolia Bakery :)

What's your favorite thing to do in NYC?

free bird.

2011-03-12T07:04:00.001-06:00

Our "free bird" is flying high, soaring past any troubles and living life to the fullest.

This pendant is hand-sculpted in fine silver, then antiqued to a dark vintage finish.

Find this necklace here!

winner, free earrings, biz randomness.

2011-03-11T07:19:00.007-06:00

Smile, it's FRIDAY!

* * *

The winner of The Pioneer Woman's book and the vintage love charm necklace is Carrie aka Cozyflier. Email us Carrie!

* * *

Today we are giving away FREE double pearl drop earrings
with any $50 or more purchase!
Simply type "FREE EARRINGS" in your extra notes box before checking out.

* * *

Did you know we are on facebook, twitter and we send out newsletters?

You can "like" our facebook page here!
(we show sneak peeks, contests and just a place to chat with us!)

Follow us on twitter here!
(to keep up with our happenings and twitter contests!)

Subscribe to our newsletter here!
(we send out sneak peeks, new products and coupon codes!)

* * *

It's officially Spring Break here!
I think the kids and I might head to The Zoo today :)

Happy Friday!

the pioneer woman ( a giveaway! )

2011-03-09T09:47:00.005-06:00

Jill, JuneAnne and I went to see The Pioneer Woman last night,
we got our books signed,
and she was amazing as always-
I'd like to be her when I grow up :)

We grabbed an extra book and asked her to sign it,
and we are giving it away along with one of our
vintage love charm necklaces
(since it's a LOVE story.)

Simply leave us a comment to be entered,
winner will be randomly chosen friday morning!

turquoise.

2011-03-08T08:35:00.002-06:00

It's our new favorite nail color
(and perfect for spring!)

What's your current favorite nail color?

winners {plus and sneak peek.}

2011-03-07T07:58:00.003-06:00

The randomly picked winner of the Allora Handmade necklace is Emily Joyce, who said: "I love the headbands! I would get one in mustard :)"

Please contact Jessica here to claim your prize!

And the randomly picked winner of your choice of one of our new rings is Our Beautiful Life, who said: "i like the simple band and i'd have "worship always" printed on it..."

Please email us at customerservice@thevintagepearl.com.

Congrats to both and thanks to all that entered, I love reading all of the comments :)

* * *

A little sneak peek of something coming to the site this week:

Vintage charms in color!

We have (starting on the left) plum, denim blue, cherry red, black, carribean blue (my fave), shamrock green, soft yellow, orange and bubblegum pink.

Which color is your favorite?

simple shish-kabobs.

2011-03-05T12:43:00.002-06:00

I made chicken teriyaki shish-kabobs for dinner last night,
it's very easy peasy, so I thought I would share.

Cut your chicken (or beef) into 1" or so chunks and then
marinate it in a teriyaki marinade-
you can make your own or buy a store marinade
(I like the 30 minute marinades).

Chop peppers (whatever colors are you faves,
the more colors the prettier they look)
and onions into 1" or so chunks.

Throw the meat, peppers, onions and pineapple chunks
onto skewers and grill them,
or bake them at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.

I serve them with more pineapple and teriyaki rice
(or brown rice).

Great for entertaining :)

YUM!

let's take a "business" trip.

2011-03-04T08:04:00.005-06:00

Tuesday morning Ryan left on a business trip for a few days.

Later that day I get a text from him that says
"I am working".
And then he sends me this picture:

and he even waves to me from the beach:

and then later I get another text that says
"working hard",
and he shows me the beautiful golf course he is playing at:

Because you know, playing golf? It's "business".

I have to admit, I was happy for him, but a wee bit jealous too.

So I'm thinking I need to take a "business" trip,
that requires me to lay out of the beach
and shop all day (maybe Hawaii?)
for 3 days.

Anyone with me?

simple, {secret} or chunky? (a giveaway!)

2011-03-03T12:55:00.004-06:00

New rings!

We are so excited to introduce:

the "simple" message ring (on the right),
our "{secret}" message ring (on the left):

and the "chunky" message rings
that fit 2 lines of text! (but doesn't have to!)

These rings are handcrafted from start to finish in our studio using sterling silver- we handstamp, hammer, mold, fuse and antique it to a raw, organic and vintage feel. Every ring comes out unique.

The rings fit up to about 25 letters and spaces across.

Perfect for names, dates or a simple message.

* * *

Let's give one away!

Simply tell us which one is your fave:
simple, {secret} or chunky?
And what would you have stamped on it?

Blog, tweet and facebook for extra entries.

* * *

I will be announcing both winners
(for this giveaway and the Allora Handmade giveaway below)
monday morning!

allora handmade {a giveaway!}

2011-03-01T08:54:00.003-06:00

It's March!
I love March,
I think it's my favorite month :)
It means Spring is about to start,
and I LOVE springtime.

So let's celebrate March
with some flowers
from Allora Handmade!

I met Jessica and her sister Mique at Blissdom
(they are both so sweet)
and Jessica is giving away one of her
mini modern pearl necklaces:

Aren't they pretty?
They look really cute layered with a long tvp necklace :)

*

To enter, go peek around her shop and then come back and tell me what you love most?

And also, blog, tweet and facebook this contest for extra entries!
(please leave extra comments for each).

*

Please go say hi on her blog
(be sure to bookmark it while you're there and
sign up for her newsletter),
follow her on twitter and
"like" her on facebook.

*

Happy March everyone!

we're home.

2011-02-28T09:15:00.003-06:00

We had a great time at Disneyworld this past weekend :)

The original plan was to take Jonah down to Dallas and go to 6 Flags on saturday for his birthday. Then we found out that 6 Flags hasn't officially opened yet. We already had the Disney World tickets (we saved up and purchased the fam 10 day passes last year) and we fly free (saved up airline miles with Southwest), and Ryan always finds amazing deals on lodging and car, so away we went!

We went to the Outta Control dinner show again
(it's become a tradition)
and Ryan got to help out with a couple of tricks
(love the wig?)
and he also got called up during the Indiana Jones show at Hollywood Studios!

We took Jonah's cousin (and best friend) with us and it was fun to watch him experience some of the rides for the first time- and it made Ryan and I excited for Eden's first times in a couple of years :)

Ryan has a friend from college that works for Sea World,
and he walked us into the park for free on sunday (thanks Matt!),
we had about 5 hours to ride and watch shows before catching the plane ride home.

Vacations are so good for us
and needed
because we are together
and we have to play,
no work :)

* * *

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram
you may have seen a sneak peek I posted,
we have some fun stuff that will be
added to the site this week!

8 years.

2011-02-24T05:23:00.003-06:00

Hard to believe my Jonah Bear turns 8 today!

He had the choice of a party with all of his friends
or go on a trip with one friend-
he chose the trip,
and is taking his best bud and cousin Jackson.

So we're taking him someplace special to celebrate :)

Happy birthday Jonah!!!

cowgirl.

2011-02-23T16:25:00.002-06:00

Today was dress up as a book character day
and Tessa really wanted to be Jessie
(from Toy Story-
yes, it's a movie but there are Toy Story books too!)

I was informed last night and
ran around town trying to complete her ensemble...

the freckles are my favorite part :)

something old and something new.

2011-02-22T08:09:00.003-06:00

We are bringing back an old favorite I used to sell in my Etsy shop,
the pearl nest ring...

and we are adding something new,
the messy nest necklace...
(customize with a pearl egg for each child, this one is mine!)

Which one is your favorite?

hope with a heart. {and a winner!}

2011-02-21T08:34:00.003-06:00

Last week I showed a sneak peek of a fun project we've been working on,

we've been making LOTS of hope:

And several people have asked if they can get this design.

Yes, you can!

You can order it as a one charm eclectic necklace
and ask for the "hope with a heart" design in the extra notes box!

* * *

I wish I could give everyone that commented a ticket to Creative Estates,
I think it's going to be fab!
But I can't. Bummer.

The randomly picked winner of the Creative Estates Conference pass is:

Leigh, who said:
I'm sorry but could u be more awesome!!?? I would LOVE to go. I'm starting my new business this next week and would love to go and learn from others and hopefully be a vendor!
Thanks so much for the giveaway!

Congrats Leigh! Contact Shealynn for your ticket!

saturdays.

2011-02-19T07:17:00.006-06:00

August through November,
saturdays are for
playing football...

for running in touchdowns (go Caleb!)...

for tackling...

and for cheering (Tessa gave it her all!)...

December through February,
saturdays are for
playing basketball...

being coached by daddy...

shooting baskets...
(Jonah is #14)
I love looking at their faces in pictures when shooting :)

dribbling...
(Tessa is #52)

guarding...

and again, being coached by daddy :)

March is almost here,
which means
it's almost time for soccer and baseball :)

Are your saturdays like ours?

t.g.i.f. (3 day weekend!)

2011-02-18T16:27:00.006-06:00

The morning started off not so great-
a local ad printed off color in the paper this morning
(any Tulsa friends see it?)
and it was a bit frustrating
(they're not cheap)
but we're working it out :)

The rest of the day went great-
an early morning workout,
(eliptical for an hour)
followed by an early advertising meeting,
(nice to meet you Erica!)
worked on some new designs
(something for the BOYS is on the way!),
ordered something FUN
(can't wait to show it!),
had a meeting with tvp managers
(who are AMAZING, by the way),
chatted with an old friend
(thanks for stopping by Jordan!),
locked my keys and my purse in my office
(UGH! thanks for bailing me out Ryan!),
picked up happy kids from school
(can you say 3 DAY WEEKEND?)
and now ordering pizza for the kids and getting ready for DATE NIGHT
(yay! thanks Michaela!)

How's your friday going?

creative estates (win a ticket!)

2011-02-17T08:10:00.002-06:00

The Creative Estates blog conference is coming fast!
(April 8-10 near Phoenix, AZ)

Check out the speakers here
(I am one of them!)
and the agenda here
(fun stuff!)
it's going to be a great time of learning,
bonding and making new friends as you grow with your blog and business!

The 3 day conference costs just $149
(great deal)
and you can even be a vendor there
to show off your products.

I am giving away a full conference pass!

Simply leave me a comment here if you would like to go to be entered,
a winner will be randomly picked on monday!

vintage cup of joe.

2011-02-16T17:36:00.002-06:00

Oh how I heart our new necklace,
it relates to my serious coffee addiction
(with cream and sugar please!):

Isn't it fun?

A sweet gift for your coffee addicted friends :)

You can find them here!

men make us smile :)

2011-02-16T08:06:00.005-06:00

We love men shoppers at the store!
(which we have had a lot of this past week for Valentine's Day.)

They are very different from women shoppers.

They totally make us smile :)

It's so sweet to watch them walk around looking for the perfect gift...

On saturday one gentlemen was checking out with a custom order
and paid the rush fee to have it ready by monday
(Valentine's Day),
so one of our retail girls joked that he had waited til the last minute
and he proudly responded,
"last minute? I've still got 2 days!"

:)

valentine's dates (and a ModTots winner)

2011-02-15T08:10:00.005-06:00

Instead of going out as a couple,
Ryan and I decided to split up with the kids
and take THEM out on dates for Valentine's Day.

So Ryan took the girls out to dinner and shopping,
and I took the boys out to a movie...

I'm so blessed,
I had TWO handsome Valentine dates this year :)

Oh, and the hat- Jonah wears it EVERYWHERE!
Isn't it cute?

* * *

The randomly picked winner of the $100 gift certificate to ModTots is:

Amy, who said: My son would love me forever if I got him the Jackhammer robot and I would love the owl for my daughter's room! So sweet! Thank you so much!

Please email ModTots at info@modernbirdstudios.com to get your gift certificate!

And for everyone else
ModTots is offering 10% off your purchase
(expires one week from today)
just use the code VINTAGEPEARL
when checking out!

* * *

p.s. Did you get something from tvp for Valentine's Day?
Send us a pic,
we'd love to see you with it on!
customerservice@thevintagepearl.com

last minute Valentine's Day gifts!

2011-02-11T10:17:00.000-06:00

Need a last minute gift?
(or a hint to give hubbie?)

Grab one of our gift certificates,
so your Valentine can pick out something
unique truly meaningful to them!

They are emailed right after you purchase-
email it to yourself and then slip it in a card
or roll it up and tie it with a pretty ribbon,
OR
have it emailed direct to your Valentine
for a fun surprise email :)

spark and hustle (it's time!)

2011-02-11T06:06:00.002-06:00

I'm hanging out with some amazing entrepreneurs
(and speaking on a 2 person panel, yikes!)
at Spark and Hustle today!

I'm so nervous about speaking,
I haven't done it a whole lot,
(although I'd like to, but it's SCARY)
but I'm also excited and honored to be a part :)

Time to get inspired!

modtots {a giveaway!}

2011-02-10T08:57:00.004-06:00

Guess what I got from ModTots?

It's an OWL! Isn't it adorable? I LOVE it!!!

It's from Megan and Gregg, owners of Modern Bird Studios,
who have started up a new line called ModTots!

It even has Gregg's signature on the back, it's authentic :)

They have lots to choose from, the boys would LOVE these robots:

and check out the animals!

There are also monsters and dinosaurs coming soon.

And the first person that buys each print gets to name it
(so fun!)

They are kindly giving away a $100 gift certificate
to shop ModTots with!

This is HUGE!

To enter,
go check out their site and then come back here and tell me:
what's your favorite piece?

extra entries:
1. follow them on twitter here and tweet @mod_tots and link to this giveaway (help spread the word!)

2. "like" them on facebook here!

Winner will be randomly picked on monday...
good luck!

yummy treats.

2011-02-09T12:03:00.005-06:00

Ryan, the owner of our local Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory,
(not my hubbie)
(in Tulsa, at 101st and Sheridan)
brought us a tray of chocolate covered apples last week,
and a tray of chocolate covered strawberries this week.

They. are. simply. AMAZING!

Would make a great treat for your Valentine,
a fun dessert on date night,
or the perfect snack for your kids' class party!

(if you swing by please tell them we sent you!)

Thank you Ryan!

* * *

p.s. all orders that were placed by
the Valentine cutoff-
Wednesday, February 2-
have shipped :)

makin' up the snow days. (and a winner!)

2011-02-07T06:02:00.004-06:00

The 3 1/2 snow days last week put us a bit behind
on our Valentine's Day orders,
(the Valentine's Day custom cutoff was last wednesday, Feb 2)
so the TVP girls worked all weekend long
to make sure you get your gifts in time :)

If you still need a last minute gift
you can order from our ready to ship page!

* * *

The randomly picked winner of the little ballerina necklace is

The Smith's, who blogged, facebooked, tweeted, and also said: I would give it to my own little ballerina, caylee. She will be in her first recital this year and this necklace would be perfect for her!!!!!

Please email us at customerservice@thevintagepearl.com!

snow. snow. and more snow.

2011-02-05T07:51:00.007-06:00

So did you hear that it snowed a little bit?

Monday night/tuesday we got about a foot of snow,
and then yesterday's predicted "flurries" turned into 4"-6"...
so we have had about 16" of snowfall this week.
It's an all time record for Tulsa! *sigh*

Usually we get one good snow of a few inches or so a year...

Tulsa basically CLOSED for a few days :)

Yesterday was our 11 year anniversary!
Our babysitter was able to make it over
(thank you Hannah!)
so Ryan and I ventured out,
praying we didn't get stuck or slide into anyone.

Half of Tulsa is still CLOSED.
We tried to see a movie but the heater in the theater was out.
So we ate dinner
(we found an open restaurant!)
and then went to a mall,
but only about 5 stores in the entire mall were open.
We ended up having pie and coffee and a long chat at Village Inn,
which was very relaxing
and we caught up on a few things :)

There were some stuck cars and trucks,
several ambulances and fire trucks were out rescuing,
we gave rides to 3 people that were walking,
and Ryan helped push out a car that was stuck in the snow.

Then we walked through Target to grab a few things,
they were out of most neccessities
(like bread and milk, I think all of Tulsa is OUT,
thankfully I stocked up before the snow hit)
but we WERE able to grab the last 2 boxes of hot chocolate
and a bag of marshmallows (score).

The kids have been home all week,
and we have watched movies,
and cracked up watching America's Funniest Videos (a family fave),
and finished puzzles and baked and played games...

the kids spend 10 minutes getting dressed in warm clothes
to play outside for about 10 minutes...
then come in and warm up in the bathtub.

Our washing machine broke this week,

but no one can get to us until at least monday,
and we are running out of undies and towels...
we may be hitting the laundromat this weekend
(if we can find one that is open).
:)

I've been dring LOTS of coffee,
and we discovered that Eden likes to lick her pop tarts.

More snow is predicted for sunday and wednesday!
(I hope they're wrong.)

* * *

All of these pics were edited and shared
with the instagr.am app,
it's a fun way to share pictures on your iphone,
come follow me! search for: thevintagepearl.

* * *

stay warm!

little ballerina. (a giveaway!)

2011-02-03T07:52:00.003-06:00

Something new for your little ballerina!

A sweet ballerina is stamped into fine silver and antiqued.

Customize with a name or initial disc,
or add her birthstone crystal on the a la carte page.
I added a pink crystal to Tessa's and she is in love-
I had to pry it away to take pictures :)

Would make the perfect recital gift!

Find the little ballerina necklace here.

* * *

Let's give one away,
we'll rush it to you in time to give it away for Valentine's Day,
PLUS we will sneak in a $50 gift certificate for you!

Simply tell us:
who you would give the ballerina necklace to?

Blog it,
tweet it (@thevintagepearl)
and
facebook (on YOUR page) for extra entries!

snow-pocalypse.

2011-02-01T22:02:00.002-06:00

the blizzard blew through
and left us about 15" of snow...

which is CrAzY for Tulsa,
an all time record.

Just about the entire city shut down,
even the MALLS were closed today.

So I deep cleaned the kids rooms today...
took me about 6 hours to clean 2 rooms,
(boys share a room and the girls share a room)
and by bedtime they were already a mess again.

*sigh*

:)

I have something cute to show tomorrow!

blissdom 2011.

2011-01-31T05:49:00.002-06:00

We had a great time at Blissdom.
JuneAnne (left) and Jill (right) came with me this year,
(Jill runs the "business" side of things
while JuneAnne runs the "production" side,
these are "my girls!"),
and the 3 of us have so much fun together-
I'm so blessed to have such great friends working with me!

We were at the amazing Opryland hotel,
Brene Brown was the inspiring keynote speaker,
and heard Mat Kearney sing (he's one of my faves!).

We met new blogging friends,
including Katie, Mique, Jessica
(we even layered allora handmade necklaces with ours, so cute!),
Kelly, tip junkie...

Creative Kristi (above), Dee, Hillary, Kristi,
Shannon, Aimee, Ruthanne...

I got a kiss on the cheek from The Nester,
chatted with Melissa,
a hug from Gussy...
and many others-
unfortunately there were lots of others I wanted to meet,
but didn't have the chance to,
maybe next year :)

* * *

While I was gone Ryan and my Dad tag-teamed the kids-
Ryan took them to school and my Dad picked them up
(thank you Dad!)

Ryan texted me a pic of the kids about to head to school the first morning I was gone-
they were all showered, dressed and fed- impressive!
Ryan had Tessa picked out all of Eden's outfits while I was gone,
wonder what those outfits looked like :)

hey ya'll!

2011-01-27T05:55:00.000-06:00

I'm in Nashville
at Blissdom,
hanging out with friends
and making new ones!

(Sarah, me, Jill, JuneAnne and Deedra, the Tulsa girls!)

While we are here use coupon code
BLISS
for 15% off your order!

(hurry, we leave tomorrow night!)

treasures.

2011-01-25T12:57:00.003-06:00

For some reason I feel like I'm nesting
up at the studio.
I want to change paint colors
and re-decorate
and organize everything!
(and no, I'm NOT pregnant!)

So today Eden and I went treasure hunting
at one of our favorite thrifting spots...

Aren't these old cameras fun?
I loved all of them,
but I only grabbed the top right one,
may have to go back for the brownie or polaroid,
and the typewriter was so fun,
and old telephones were also calling out to me...

I grabbed some shutters for a new earring stand at the store
but I have another project for those I want to try also,
will post pics when it's done :)

Not completely sure what to do with this old window... (but I love it!)

I'm sure we will come up with something fab.
(any ideas?)

There's a similar door I will probably go back for
with an old crystal knob.

We loved this birdcage... (Eden wanted to climb inside it)

but a little too big for our space :)

And these are Eden's treasures...

They helped us get through the entire store
with no meltdowns,
and kept her hands full so we could
"look with our eyes, not our hands"
(anyone else say this?
Eden now tells me, "don't worry mommy,
I not touch,
I'm looking with my EYES.")
and not a single thing was knocked over.

* * *

So I feel a tiny bit satisfied,
but still have lots of ideas and changes for our studio and store,
rolling through my head...
maybe it will pass,
or maybe we will be painting soon :)

pearl clusters.

2011-01-25T03:02:00.003-06:00

Our new pearl cluster earrings...

A little bit fancy but still cute with jeans!

Find them here!

(new!) simple vintage imperfection.

2011-01-21T16:31:00.003-06:00

Our new "vintage love charm necklace",
it's so simple
and imperfect,
just right!

And they are ready to ship!
(our ready to ship items ship within 3 business days).

OR customize by adding a name or initial charm.
(please allow 1-2 weeks for it to ship
if you add a personalized charm).

Find them here!

snow days =

2011-01-21T07:28:00.006-06:00

lazy mornings,
waffles for breakfast,
Mario Kart races
(I lose 90% of the time to my 9 and 7 year olds,
I try to be a good sport about it,
but it's pretty annoying),
playing in the snow and then warming back up with
hot chocolate,
movies
(netflix through the wii!),
a game of monopoly
(we have the digital banking one with credit cards,
makes it a little more fun),
and of course flag tag...

Sorry for the bad picture,
all I had to grab nearby was my phone and we were running,
but you can see Eden grabbed Tessa's flags
(even though they were both on the same yellow team).

Eden loved flag tag.

She would grab one of our flags
and then run off yelling
"I got your seatbelt!"

:)

What do you do on snow days???

a {secret} love cuff winner!

2011-01-19T13:03:00.004-06:00

I asked Nancy, Abbie and Adri
to each write down a number between 0 and 9
and they chose:

So comment #323
and the winner of the cuff is Teri who said:
"I would put my wedding date. If my husband was getting it for me, I'm sure he'd come up with something very sweet."

Congrats Teri,
please email us at customerservice@thevintagepearl.com!

When Good Morning America calls...

2011-01-18T08:21:00.003-06:00

you lock your kids in the car
while you stand outside it
in the cold
to take their call :)

But first,
since the kids are home from school for MLK day,
you take them to the aquarium...

When leaving the aquarium I realized I had missed a call and had a voice mail
from Good Morning America.
The kids hopped into the car
and I put on a movie for them,
then stood outside the car to return the call.
Tory Johnson was doing a story and needed a small business perspective.
And they needed me to skype RIGHT NOW.
So I answered lots of questions with her on the phone,
picked up Ryan so he could hang with the kids for a bit,
and skyped with Tory Johnson
(I can always say my very first skype was with GMA!)
and I DESPERATELY wish I had fixed my hair instead of just throwing it up in a messy ponytail,
and worn something besides jeans and a t-shirt,
(I was hangin' with the kids all day!)
and my clip is about 1 second long,
but it was fun,
and it's a start, right?

(thank you to my new friend Cindy Morrison for all of your help and letting me skype at your house!)

heart day is coming.

2011-01-17T09:24:00.003-06:00

Having fun with valentine's day,
making hearts,
tying pearls,
stamping sweet messages,
creating something new...

Please order your custom Valentine's Day gifts by
Wednesday, February 2nd,
and your ready-to-ship gifts by
Friday, February 4th,
for Valentine's Day delivery,
(US only, we can't guarantee international packages)

that is just about 2 1/2 weeks to get those orders in :)

{secret} love message cuff. (and a coupon!)

2011-01-14T06:10:00.002-06:00

A new bracelet...

with a simple message of love inside...

You can customize them with
your own secret message here.

Or you can buy one ready to ship
that simply says "i love you"
(as pictured above)
here!

We are giving one away!

Just tell us:
what "secret" would you want on the inside of your cuff?

Blog it and tweet it (@thevintagepearl) for extra entries!

* * *

AND a special coupon code-
use "secretlove" to get 15% off your order!
Expires sunday night at midnight, so hurry!
(think Valentine's Day!)

savoring the small stuff.

2011-01-13T14:13:00.006-06:00

Eden is caught in between being a
"big girl"
and a baby...

("big girls" don't use paci's, "babies" do)

most of the time she delights in
the praises of being a "big girl"...
(especially getting to sleep in her "big girl" bed)

until she's gone long enough without it,
and decides it's not worth it,
and wants the comfort of her paci...

then she looks at me and simply says
"I'm a baby."

which means:
"give me my paci."

It'll happen someday,
we'll eventually make it a whole day without the paci,
but since she's our fourth
and our last,
I want to savor her little-ness,
I'm not in any huge hurry
for her to be a "big girl".
:)

in-n-out.

2011-01-12T13:59:00.003-06:00

When we were in California
Ryan just HAD to take us to
in-n-out burger
because he said it was the best burger ever...

and it was very tasty,
but what I was most impressed with
was the scripture verse
printed on the bottom of their cups!

Proverbs 3:5- "Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding."

Isn't that great?

cozy recipes.

2011-01-10T13:54:00.003-06:00

Last night we got a dusting of snow
and this morning everything was sprinkled in white,
so I left a little note on Ryan's truck :)

It put me in the mood to get my crock pot out,
it always makes the house smell delicious
and feel cozy,
and try out some new recipes like
lasagna and beef stroganoff
(I didn't know you could make lasagna in the crock pot!
I'm very excited to try it!)
but my all time favorite crock pot dish is chicken enchiladas.
(not this one specifically,
but similar, and it's so yummy!)

Do you have a favorite crock pot recipe?
I'd love to try it out!

along for the ride.

2011-01-07T16:20:00.001-06:00

Someday
I'm going to miss shopping
with a little one
riding on the end of my cart :)

(her adorable hat was sent to us by the sweet girls
from toile tales.)