Monday, January 31, 2011

SMF Apronology Blog Party Today..Come Join The Fun Now ...


a·pron
1.
A garment, usually fastened in the back, worn over all or part of the front of the body to protect clothing.



Welcome to our Sweet Magnolias Farm .. Apronology Blog Party ...



First of all a Big Thank You to all who have signed up for our Free Apron Giveaway and for posting about our Party and Giveaway on your Blogs ... We are so grateful for your kindness !And we hope to see you posting your favorite aprons on your blog today and linking up here with us ..We look forward to a wonderful Party here all day ...be it big or small ..



Well today's the day when the 3rd Volume of Apronology hits the Magazine stands ..and We have to say it's so exciting to know a little piece of our hearts and our hands have been published in this volume and will be in the hands of so many throughout the nation ..



If you haven't ordered your issue then order now by clicking on the Cover Photo Below of this issue ...Or head to your local Barnes and Noble, or Joannes etc..and grab yourself a copy ...you will not be dissapointed ..the amazing artistry of aprons in this issue is fabulous !






Farmhouse Chic .... Will that's us and several others in this issue ..



Farmhouse Romance ..a style that defines sweet Magnolias Farm to a tee ..Simple, soft, worn, tattered, well loved and where a little country meets a little shabby ..



Our Farmhouse Aprons grew in our hearts early last year 2010 while working hard to bring new offerings to our Shows.



Our love of Lace and Vintage Linens ..Inspired us to create Unique One of a Kind Custom Aprons ..so that each person purchasing one would have something not mass produced, something unique only to them, something that made their heart sing as much as ours in the creating process...



Our Farmhouse Romance "Vintage Girl" Collection began with just 10 aprons ..



Ultimately we had dreams of racks of them hanging at our shows ..but as we realized the lengthy process it took in creating each apron Unique .. We realized that 10 was a very bright round number to begin with ..




Each of our aprons from start to finish can taks us between 4 and 6 hours to design .. Finding the right linens ..finding the right antique lace trims ..to layer and layer in just the right way and making sure that we are completely happy with the end result as it is our passion to make each one to our best creative ability so that each one is dearly loved by the one person choosing it exclusively for themself.





Today we are sharing .. 3 of our positively favorite aprons ..that have now found sweet homes to treasure them ...





This Vintage Strawberries and Cream Apron ...was at the top of our favorite list .. Purchased by a momma no -less for her sweet little girl ... You see momma was a photographer and couldn't wait to do a photo shoot of her sweet lil punkin wearing this apron ...






When I (sara) began working with this apron and creating it ..I started with the Strawberry embroidered tablecloth ..it was a piece that was so worn and tattered that only this sweet remnant was worthy of saving .... But I loved it so ... the stitching of the strawberries was so exquisite .. And for fun I added little basket images to the top of the apron



Oh did I mention ..that these aprons are all the 3 pocket tool style aprons ..you wouldn't know it by looking at them we've disguised the pockets so well ..but there are 3 large deep pockets perfect for keeping everything including the kitchen sink in ..LOL !!!



Our Number 2 pick favorite apron ...Sparkles and Sparrows ...



We love Birds ... So the addition of the bird images to this early vintage linen front was perfection ...







And you ask what about the sparkle ? Well along the scalloped edge if you enlarge the picture by clicking on it and look closely ..you'll see we added vintage prisms ... A perfectly unexpeted yet delightful element added to this apron ..



This Sweet apron was headed to a tea party when it was purchased ...







Our 3rd Pick ... The Vintage Gypsy ...



O.k. so this one is scrumptious ..it's Positively Romantic... and It felt so good on ...



The Definition of Femininity ! ...







Layers of Lace ..aged Seam Binding ...







and Vintage Jewelry Finds ...



With long tendrils of Lace hanging, swishing and flowing ....freely to and fro ..like the Vintage Gypsy it is.



Our little Vintage Gypsy Found a Beautiful Home and If I remember correctly went to a wedding on the Beach ..accessorized over a white dress ..



Which is exactly what our vision was for them to be ..Aprons that were not bound by their domestic definition of Kitchen Duty ...but elevated to become a fashion accessory, wether romancing a pair of blue jeans, a casual dress or even a pair of overalls.




Aprons a Beautiful Way to feel feminine ..a Great Way to serve a Garden party, Dinner or Luncheon ... Perfect to wear marketing, gardening or walking ..and they are perfect when a tote or purse just won't do.



We have a few Farmhouse Aprons available now in our Etsy Shop ..if you would like to see our offerings click HERE ..


To see our aprons that made it into Apronology and read our step by step How to make your own article ... be sure to grab a copy of the new Volume 3 Apronology .....



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Featuring ... Tiffin of Linwood Avenue...



Tiffins Apron ..is delightful ..and she too has been published in the new Apronology issue. You'll find her on pages 14 and 15... and you can visit her blog HERE ..and she's having a free apron giveaway too ..so go enter now ...



We define Tiffins aprons ..as Delightful, Cheery, and Fresh ...They make you smile ..like when the Sun rises every morning ..and they are perfectly utilitarian .."Useful" ..



It's always Fun to see each of our expressions of design and artisty come to light ..Rather it be our Farmhouse Romance or Tiffins Fresh approach ..they all have a unique touch of the designer...



The many other artisans that are featured in this issue are so talented ..We were drooling over several of them ..wanting to slip it on and feel Girly...to our very core.



Thank You to Beth Livesay for considering our aprons ..and ultimately their being accepted ..! To Visit Beths Blog Coutoure over Coffee ..click HERE



Thank You to all those that Photographed, spell checked for our bad punctuation and grammer, and all the behind scenes work we don't know about. Thank you for the beautiful Layout ..From the Bottom of our Heart .. We are so Grateful and Thankful to all of you ...!!!



So Girls ..start linking up ... your blog posts below ...



We can't wait to see what you have to share ...



And Stay Tuned We'll posting the winner of This Apron Later Today ...





Wishing you all a beautiful week ahead....


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So I got the date mixed up ...LOL !!!

Caution "Girl working too much" ...

Saturday I posted that Sunday was the last day to enter our Free Giveaway ... that it was the 31st ... Gee the calender changed up on me this morning ...and I realized today is the 31st ...

So Last call ... for all those who would like to enter ...just click on the image below ...and it will take you to the post to enter on...


And don't forget our Apronology Celebration and blog party tomorrow ...

We would love love love to have you participate and share your favorite apron ..be it vintage .. one you have made... or one you found of someone elses in blog land you would like to share about ...just be sure to give them credit ...

Stop in and link up your blog post ...so everyone can stop in and visit you and check out what your favorite apron or aprons are.

Well off to work some more ...and I'll be preparing our Blog Party post later today ..to share our Vintage Girl aprons with you ...


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Saturday, January 29, 2011

1 Day Left to join our Free Giveaway ..

Well Abbey and I are so excited ... We recieved our Copy of Apronology today ...

And there gracing the pages are the works of our hands ..

Along side so many other very talented and creative artisans aprons...



If you haven't done so ... be sure to join our Free Giveaway ...of one of our Custom Aprons ... Don't miss out ... Because Tomorrow Night Sunday January 31st is the deadline for getting your name in.

To Join in ...just click on our image above and it will take you to the Free Giveaway and Blog Party Post ..

Until Monday ....

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Friday, January 28, 2011

Inspired by Lace ...Romancing the Apron

I'm Linking up with Debra over at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday ...

Inspired by lace ...Romancing the Apron

Abbey and I have loved lace for as far back as I can recall ... before it's popularity we were buying it up and creating with it ...because we loved it, and that's all that mattered.

Our Love of lace has drawn us in many directions ..from creating curtains and valances out of vintage tablecloths ..or using a quaker Lace tablecloth over a solid colored sheet on a bed for a wonderfully romantic appeal .. to name a few uses.
In 2010 ...we became enamored with the idea of creating Aprons from our vintage lace ..and layering it and layering it until it was absolutely scrumptious .. In so doing our Sweet Magnolias Farm Vintage Girl Aprons ...came about ...


This Beautiful Vintage Lace Apron ...is one of my newest Inspirations ... which will be available soon in our Etsy Shop ...


The layers of creamy white laces in their beautiful textures are postively stunning ...



A Vintage Doily and Mother of Pearl buttom make a sweet Little Pocket ...




While a sweet cast-off doily decorates the waist line ....





An Old Buckle and blanket binding ...Add character and Vintage Style .. Farmhouse Bling !

And an Apron that has vintage flair is ready to wear ..with Blue Jeans or that Long Cotton skirt or dress ..and some cute cowboy boots or your favorite sandals ...

A Super cute outer accessory ...

A Great Vintage Style for serving your dinner Guest ..what a conversation piece it becomes ..

And later a cute farmhouse Decor piece hung on an old coat hook on the side of your old cupboard ..

Lace Inspires us ...

We search for it everywhere we go ...




Add ImageEstate Sales are fun to hunt for it ... Here's a few finds we happened on at one...







Lace such a romantic feeling it gives ..









It's Vintage appeal and it's years of age .. take you back to a simpler time ..but inspire you to put it to use in a more modern way for today ...

I hope today brings you inspiration ...

...Abbey and I are celebrating our over 300 followers and being Featured in the 3rd edition of Apronology coming out on February 1st with a Free Giveaway ....of one of our Custom Aprons ... and An Apron Blog Party ...
Click HERE to join the Free Giveaway and read about our Blog Party ..before it's too late to enter ... Jan 31st just a few short days away.



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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Recycled and Upcycled ...White Wednesday ..

We are joining in Another Beautiful White Wednesday ... Hosted by Kathleen of Faded Charm ...

Here at Sweet Magnolias Farm ..we are true junkers ..

We're the gals that buy the "junk" ..that people exclaim ..what in the world do they want with that "Junk" ....and we just giggle ...

BECAUSE ...

We see beyond what it is and what it can become ...


This week we created the fabulous table or desk whichever someone would like it to be ...from an old treadle sewing machine we picked up at a sale ..and was really beyond any desire the way it was ..

We removed the top and the drawers and were left with the base that was needing a top ...

Not wanting to buy new wood for the top ..or line up old planks we had ...we wanted something different ...and what better top could there be than an old Twin headboard ..which we cut the legs off of...


We added some decorative corbels on the sides with a wood plank back and decorative vintage top we had lying around ...Once they were married together and painted ..

Recycled, Re-Used, and Re-Created ....

they make a stunning match ...!!!

Happy White Wednesday ...

Be Sure to scroll down to our next post to join our Free Giveaway ....


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Sweet Magnolias Farm Blog Party and Free Giveaway !!!!




It's Time To celebrate here at Sweet Magnolias Farm ...with a Free Giveaway and our Apronology Blog Party on Feb 1st ...





Abbey and I (Sara) are so excited to celebrate being featured in the 3rd edition of Apronology coming out on Feb. 1st ...





AND...





We are celebrating reaching over 300 followers...Perfect timing to do a Free Giveaway ...!!!





And how better to celebrate both than to have a Blog Party and a Giveaway of one of our Custom Aprons !!!





Join Our Blog Party on Feb. 1st ... Post one or more of your favorite aprons vintage, new or handmade, on your blog ..then stop in and link up your blog ....





And we'll announce the Free Giveaway winner as well ...




We've Decided on our Rustic Romantic Burlap and Lace 3 Pocket apron ...Pictured above





All you need to do to take part in our Free giveaway is ...





For 1 entry: Leave a Comment ....that you would like to be entered .(if you have any trouble leaving a comment feel free to drop us an e-mail to be entered.. sweetmagnolias at luckymail dot com)





For 2 entries: Post our image on your blog ..in a post or on your sidebar telling all your friends about our Blog Party and the apron Giveaway on Feb. 1st and link it back here...





Entries must be recieved by 9:00p.m pacific time Jan 31st. And will be Announced at our Blog Party on Feb. 1st.





Good Luck !!! Can't wait to see all your favorite apron posts and can't wait to see who wins the apron !!









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Sunday, January 23, 2011

A Day at our shops ..

Today Abbey and I spent the entire day at our shops in Treasures N Junk ..

Our mission was to completely re-vamp our Cottage shop .... and add a few new pieces to our farmhouse shop to fill in where pieces had sold this last week...

I'm thrilled with the outcome of our cottage shop ..when we first moved in, in October ..it was a quick move in and then will the shop got a little forgotten in the midst of shows and Christmas ..so it was time to give it some attention and TLC ...

And here's the outcome ...



The table is one Abbey and I made this last week from an old treadle sewing machine base and some Cast-off pieces ... it came out exquisite and I'll even be giving a tutorial on how to make a table from a treadle base in the next few weeks so stay tuned ...


However if you don't want to make one and would rather purchase it already move-in ready for your home ..it's available at the shop for just $155-



All new vintage offerings are filling our cupboards ...


A wonderful white plate rack shelf with a gorgeous carved top was added today over the Vintage Pink Paint Industrial Table ...










Many new Vintage linens all washed and ironed were added today and more to come later this week ...

Along with several new side tables all in a beautiful creamy white and aged to perfection !














Over 3 dozen Pink and White Glass Glittered Roses were added today ... the last couple dozen of pink I took over where wiped out in a few days flat ...so I made sure to add alot of them this time and also added white roses for the first time .. a perfect addition to your cottage or a beautiful Valentine's gift they make !










New Silver Trays, Coffee Pots, and Compotes ...,













A Vintage Window with pink chippy paint ... that has Our One of a Kind Font design ..that reads "Romancing The Home" ...available for $48.50

Our cottage shop is coming along beautifully ...and there's more to come later this week ..More vintage linens ..More vintage cottage finds ...and I'm working on a few Sweet Magnolias Farm Handmades ..a sweet vanity bench ..some more windows ...and some Paper wreaths to match our roses ...

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In the meantime we added a few new offerings to the farmhouse shop filling in where several things sold this last week ...

A Vintage Industrial Photographers lighting ... Completely re-wired so it's in working order ..offered at $137.50






This Dresser came out fabulous .. a vintage dresser all dressed up !

The top 2 drawers have a sweet light brown on white floral design ...while the bottom 3 drawers have a beautiful brown and white check with a Skeleton Key and Number design I created especially for this piece... Add on 8 gorgeous glass style knobs ..and it's stunning !

Sitting Atop it ... a sweet Chalkboard message center made from vintage cast-offs ...A definite One-of-a Kind !




Need a Wash ...??? This vintage Machine is positively Sweet .. Perfect for the garden !





Some New Vintage pottery offerings ....and more !!!


Well it's been a long Long Long day ... over 8 hours today and of course all the days leading up getting all prepared to take with us ..so needless to say we're plain old tired tonight ...

But I'm sure I'll arise tomorrow with the wheels in my brain running full steam ..ready to create and decorate ...

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Oh and P.S. ... we've reached our 300 followers plus ...so you know it's time to celebrate as I mentioned this last week ... I'll be posting about the Free giveaway here in the next few days as soon as I can ......

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Friday, January 21, 2011

Vintage Inspiration Friday ...A Marriage of Cast-offs

I'm Joining Debra over at Common Ground For Vintage Inspiration Friday ...

Inspire.. Inspired ..

Something we all need to be as creators ...

This week ..I'm sharing one of our new offerings headed to our shop tomorrow ..



This sweet chalkboard was most definitely an inspiration ..that began with an old dresser harp...


An old gold wire frame we gave a dressing of white too ..



And ...Some old 1960's metal flowers ..that got a makeover ...





Each was an inspiration that brought a sweet.. delicate and useful Marriage together ..




It's Fun to be inspired by nothing than mere cast-off pieces ..and create something useful yet beautiful and pleasing to the eye ..from those pieces ..

Recycle * Reuse * Repurpose *






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