Post Road Vintage

Forced Smiles ‘n Blooms

by Heather on April 16, 2013

When something useless happens like the Boston Marathon bombings it is hard to wrap our heads around, “why?”

This post was supposed to be all sunny and chipper. Talking about how excited I am that my forced apple blossoms bloomed and what a big feat it is that I cleared off this two feet area on my counter. :p

I was trying to decide if I should even write this post. My heart wasn’t really in it. I feel like going down in my basement and working out that confusion on my chop saw and table saw. And then maybe doing some aggressive sanding and fiesty paint brush wielding.

But then I thought about it……… why oh why let THIS stop me from sharing the beautiful little things??

There is too much sensationalization of these sort of events…… it is good to be informed but sometimes we need to turn down the volume and focus on the things we CAN control. How to love on the people in our lives and how to (try being) better versions of ourselves.

Love to all,

Heather

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Mortgage Lifter Pot ‘a Cilantro

by Heather on April 13, 2013

Hello! Dunno ’bout you, but I am all over the idea of a mortgage lifter pot of cilantro! Ok, I’m not sure that this ‘lil guy will pay down the debt, but I love the look of him and the history of the mortgage lifter tomato plant. And cilantro and tomatoes do seem to go together like bread and butter. Especially in my sister’s Texas Cavier recipe here.

I love these kinds of projects! Quick and dirty enough to knock out while the kiddos are napping. I almost could have heard a pin drop yesterday, it was so quiet. Or wait, was that my dishwasher beeping? Anyways, you’ll have to watch the video to get in on that annoyance!

I built his from a new galvanized bucket, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, Vintage Wallpaper, Dark Wax, Burlap, and of course the empty pack of Mortgage Lifter Tomato seeds (which are currently germinating their lil hearts out on top of my fridge.)

Yes, it is still snowing here. Are you getting tired of my snow updates yet? Because I’m getting a bit tired of reporting them. It was exciting in November, December, January, February, and March. But it is APRIL……….. (seriously Heikke Luntta, save some for next year!)

Yeppers….. I put together a video of making this pot on the fly. I hope you enjoy and I hope it inspires you create something fun this weekend!!

Thanks so much!! I am so grateful for you!

xoHeather

p.s. I finally got my soap maken’ rear in gear and stocked the soap shop! Head on over if you’d like to pick yourself up some creamy, luscious, handmade goodness.

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Danke Gratitude

by Heather on April 11, 2013

Sometimes I wake up and this whomps me in the face…

When this happens, I know it is going to be a GREAT day! One thing I have noticed, is that when my heart is filled with gratitude there is no room left over for fear, self doubt, inflated ego, or judgement.

I do believe I will try to wake up on this side of the bed every morning! OK, I know I will fail at this but I am GRATEFUL for recognizing this truth and having the courage to give myself grace for all of my past and future failed (and successful) attempts.

What I am grateful for right now–

This space and this day. It is magical. Not in any earth shattering ways, but in the holy-cow-this-is-real kind of way. Wake up, eat a huge and fresh breakfast, coffee, cozy, sunshine, babies, nap time, play time, create time, bedtime.

I’ve actually been accused of dwelling on the positives before! Boy, would I ever love to be found guilty of that every single day! But of course tomorrow may begin with the pukes, or NO sleep, or some other (mild) catastrophe. I’m sure I’ll be left scratching my head, trying to figure out how to pull the sun back outta the clouds before the rain storm hits.

Thank you so much for giving me this place and encouragement so that I am able to continue encouraging and inspiring you. It is a circle, don’t you see? This post actually started out as a sponsor spotlight post… which brought me to GRATITUDE, which brought me HERE.

CONNECTIONS

We all long for, and are deserving of connections. The kinds that lift us up (not drag us down). The people who inspire us to be MORE AUTHENTIC versions of ourselves. The ones who don’t mind a bit that we march to our own drum, in fact they actually applaud us for it! Beautiful, right? It is my deep wish that I am able to be that person for others….

I am so honored to be able to connect you with some of those whom I adore so much. It is such an honor that these gals have sponsored these PRV adventures. If you haven’t already met Sylvi from The Little Cottage Shoppe or Linda from Live, Laugh, Love then please hustle on over and tell them I sent you!

Sylvi sells the JDL books, magazines, and products which I adore SO much. I am a sucker for the monthly JDL magazines because of their old-fashioned inspiration! (By old fashioned I mean that you actually have to shut down your phone and computer to view it!) From the comfort of my couch (with a toddler in one arm and a baby feeding off the other y’know) I can travel the world, touring beautiful homes inspired by the French-Nordic look and lifestyle which I am ever-so-fond of.

Linda is the mastermind behind Live, Laugh, Love Retreats. She sums it all up here, “One of my favorite things to do is to seek out people’s strengths and uniqueness, and help them share that with others. The way I do that is by creating an event where they can showcase their offerings in a workshop. By doing all of this in a retreat setting, I’m providing an environment that helps attendees forget about their daily lives and focus on what we are teaching them. It provides a combination of socializing with like-minded individuals, as well as time and space to be quiet and listen to their own heart. “

As I’ve been holding classes out of my home I can so relate and strive to do and be that too! Linda is a role model!! Check out her next amazing Retreat taking place in May HERE.

Thank you so much for reading this! Wishing you a day filled with sunshine and gratitude!

xoHeather

p.s. if you are interested in sponsoring this blog or the next issue of Homebound Magazine, please email me (heather@postroadvintage.com) for more info.

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Seed Sowing 101 + Video

by Heather on April 6, 2013

Are you a sucker for gardening like I am? I love the ways gardening has changed me…. like noticing when all the wild flowers are blooming or what the weather is like… I’ve got so much to chat about now with the dairy farmer on our road. Exciting things like the humidity, the rain, how the late snows are actually a blessing, and which birds have been spotted in the fields. I dream of huge luscious flower beds, but for now I am most interested in growing scrumptchy veggie gardens once I’ve got this big ole family to feed.

(a stevia plant I started from seed)

There is something magical about starting seeds yourself. Ok, ok, I’ve heard all the arguments…… it doesn’t reallly save money or time. You don’t know what you’re doing, so the plants turn out sub-par. Phooey, on the nay-sayers. Starting something from seed wakes up the child in me and lets me play in the dirt LONG before my garden is exposed to sunny days and balmy temperatures.

I do admit that sometimes I go a bit overboard. I have fluorescent lights in my basement and by transplanting time, it is a jungle down there. And consequently I am half burnt out on gardening before the season really begins. But if you know me, you know that I am big on playing and having fun. Even if you are a bit more sane then I, and start a small box on your windowsill… you will be delighted with the results! (I have big dreams of building a greenhouse this year, that would be awesome!)

Probably the easiest mistake to make when starting seeds indoors is timing, and not hardening off enough. Hardening off is simply a process to slowly allow your plant to acclimate with the great outdoors. Most seed packs will tell you when optimal planting time is. By giving your seeds a head start indoors it is usually safe to sow a few weeks to a month in advance. (You can google specific plants though, as some may vary).

I plan to use this little greenhouse I built for hardening off some of my starts. (You can see more of it + other gardening pictures and tips in my Spring Magazine).

There are three simple things you need to begin starting seeds indoors. They are dirt, seeds, and a container. Actually, make that four… you also need good lighting. If you have a south facing sunny window that will work but you will get even better results (less leggy plants) by using fluorescent lights.

Here is a video with a few more tips….

Have fun! Think Spring

xoHeather

p.s. I am almost completely finished loading the soap dispenser videos to the course! It is a six week self paced course with tips and tricks to make long lasting, beautiful and DURABLE mason jar soap dispensers….. It is on sale this week only for $10! (usually $18)

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What Makes My Heart Thump…

by Heather on April 3, 2013

Re-Treat Design is open this weekend! For those of you wondering what that is you are in for a treat….

Re-treat is a once-a-month shop located in Houghton, MI…… (I blogged about them here last year). Well, they are my all time fave local shop and I am so honored that they are now a sponsor of my Homebound Magazine! This weekend is their three year anniversary. I am so proud of these ladies! They had a vision for what could be and went for it!

They are my go-to source for inspiration. Love, love browsen’ with coffee in hand…… yes siree, they even watch my baby for me while I shop! (They’ll probably kick me for telling you that, as I’m sure they don’t want to turn into a daycare center… lol) ;p

It is so exciting to be able to partner with people like them! I sell soap, soap dispensers (or what is left of them) and my Homebound Magazines here….. so if you ever get a chance, do stop in and tell them I sent ya! They are open Thursday 5-8pm, Friday 10am-6pm and Saturday 10am-4pm.

xoHeather

p.s. if you are interested in being a sponsor for the Homebound summer Magazine (very limited spots available!), please contact me heather@postroadvintage.com. Or if you’d like details on how to get my magazine in your online or brick-n-mortar shop I can help you with that too!

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More Eye Candy…

by Heather on March 28, 2013

Good morning dear PRV friends! Today I am sharing some more magazine love with you! Two of the gals who contributed to the most recent Spring Issue of Homebound have beautiful Inspiring magazines of their own!

Sonia Crouse publishes this charmer called Creating Vintage Charm. To find out more details as well as how to get your hands on it please go to her website www.CreatingVintageCharm.com.

Heather Spriggs puts together the beautiful magazine called Gatherings. You can view the full digital version below OR check out her website, HeatherSpriggs.com to order it in print!

xoHeather

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Now Accepting Retailers!

by Heather on March 26, 2013

Hello! How would you like to be able to purchase Homebound Magazine in print at one of your local bookstores, shops, or boutiques? This is one of my dreams-come-true, and I hope yours too! This magazine keeps capturing more and more of my heart, I hope it is doing the same for you…..

Yes, I am currently looking to partner with shops and businesses to get this Magazine into your hometown and in online shops too! If you know of a place that would be a perfect fit for my farmhouse loven’ magazine could you please leave me a comment letting me know? OR maybe you are that person yourself. I would be so honored to work with you! Please email me postroadvintage@yahoo.com so I can get you the details!

Looking forward to spreading even MORE farmhouse cheer!

xoHeather

(life can be so crazy, awesome, surprising, sometimes…. dontchya think?)

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Sweet Easter Tree + Giveaway!!

by Heather on March 25, 2013

Happy Monday! Thank you for your amazing and overwhelming support with the Spring edition of Homebound Magazine! I am so grateful… you have inspired me to create even more and to give away a FULL YEARS PRINT SUBSCRIPTION! Read on folks….

I was actually looking forward to collapsing this weekend. I am discovering though, that my version of down time and relaxation is letting my imagination and fingers fly…I have such great memories of making Easter Egg trees from when I was little. My mom made one with us every year. I love that I now get to make memories with my own lil kiddos. This is my favorite sort of project… no reason to have to bundle up the babes to bust through the snowbanks for random craft supplies, just use what’s lying around home!

I resized this adorable vintage coloring page from The Graphics Fairy, printed and cut it out, stuffed her in half of one of my farm fresh egg shells….. and wah-lah!

You can see I used dried flowers to embellish and strips of linen to hang.

Then I strung some vintage lace here and there for garland. Leftover firewood keeps her grounded in an old galvanized bucket.

This pretty much sums up everything I’m loven’ right now.. a lil’ romance with a bunch of quirky, delivered in PRV farmhouse style!

This is probably going to be the extent of my Easter decorating this year. We are going to be really busy this week tapping maple trees and starting some garden seeds indoors. (I will be back to share more on both of these adventures later).

If you are loving this sweet and simple look, I believe you’ll adore my Spring Magazine. If you haven’t checked it out already you can do so here!

This week I am giving away a full years subscription to the print magazine!! If you’ve already purchased (thank you!) and would still like to enter, feel free! I will just start your subscription whenever you would like. To enter simply leave a comment below!

For additional chances post about this on any social media site, your blog, or the ole fashioned way (y’know, by actually talking in real life or on the telephone.. lol)

Please be sure to leave an additional comment for each entry! This giveaway will end on Good Friday the 29th of March.

Here’s a button if you’d like to post on your blog…

Thanks so much! Happy Easter!

xoHeather

p.s. go here for details on how to purchase Homebound Spring 2013

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It’s HERE! Homebound Spring 2013!

by Heather on March 22, 2013

Hello Friends! Without farther ado….. I invite you to PREVIEW the 2013 Spring Magazine!

This is just a peak of the awesomeness within! I am letting it do the speaking for me today as I am (literally) speech less… yeah, I know, that doesn’t happen too often!

To catch the magazine in her entirety you can purchase it in digital form in my shop here.

Or you can purchase it in PRINT from my Mag Cloud Site

If you are a yearly subscriber your magazine is being printed and will be on it’s way soon!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support! It means the world to me and I am so grateful for you!

xoHeather

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Behind the Scenes of Homebound Magazine

by Heather on March 20, 2013

Good Morning!! I have hardly been able to sleep this week…. I can’t stop thinking about the Spring magazine. The pages are in my head, on my brain, and in my heart! And getting SO close to being in print!

Here are a few more pictures. Seriously, I am so so excited for Spring after putting this together. (Even though school was canceled AGAIN yesterday because of a snow storm! That is 7 days so far this year! aigh ka-dumba!)

I thought it may be fun to share a peak into the process of how the magazine is made. (In case anyone out there wants to try to make one themselves… it is actually so much easier then it looks!) The time spent is hardly noticed because I enjoy it so much….. I love everything about it!!

ok, here is how Homebound Magazine (behind the scenes) PRV style works.

First, I wrack my brain for what the ‘theme’ of the magazine will be. This is fairly simple. Since I publish quarterly, we just roll along with the seasons. Then I make a call for submissions or ask some of my pals if they’d like to contribute. I have been so blessed to get much support here! Wow, I couldn’t do it without them!

The contributors then give me a general idea what they would like to write about (with some feedback from me.)

They get busy and so do I! A few sponsorships must be filled to make ‘er happen. (again, blessed! I have the best sponsors ever!)

Then I wait till the last possible second to work on my pieces because I am so busy taking care of sick kiddos and wiping bums and changing diapers and all of that fun stuff…. ok, I am kidding on that. Actually…. I take that back. I am 100% serious.

Once I have all the pictures I start putting them together (I use Pages for Mac). I style the pages first and then go back and fill in the stories and add all the links and check my crappy punctuation….. Actually, at this point my Engineer hubby checks it for me. He tends to be a lot more details oriented then I am. I fly by the seat of my pants WAY too often.

Then I convert the file to PDF. I use Adobe Acrobat to make sure all of the photos are the correct quality. Then I load it to my MagCloud site. I shout out how excited I am to you, and then cross my fingers and hold my breath that maybe just maybe a few of you buy!

That’s it in a nutshell! Thanks for joining in the adventures!