{Artist's Pouches}

Last spring, my sister, the artist, inspired me to make these little Artist's Pouches and they ended up selling out! This year, I'm offering these exclusively to The Vintage Sister's Blog followers for $9.50 (free shipping). Go to her blog, read her latest post and become a follower if you haven't already. Once you have the "secret code" contained within the post, contact me at onecozynest@comcast.net with which one you'd like (first come first serve).




Right now I only have 5, but there are 5 more in the works (see below for all the pictures). They're designed to hold pencils, paint brushes, knitting needles, and anything else long and skinny! My pouches are a simple and convenient way to stay organized. They can also fit sunglasses, money, makeup, chap stick, bubble gum...the possibilities are endless. Who knew cuteness could be so affordable?!

Measurements & Specifications:
8" long, 2" deep, 2" high
Fully lined with vintage fabric
Zipper closure

flowered w/ blue zipper SOLD thank you!

{Cloth Diaper Laundering}

MANDY B.’S
CLOTH DIAPER LAUNDERING
CHEAT SHEET 2.0

I wrote the first version of these instructions for my friend Genevieve and have since revised it, thinking I might post it online to the masses. Just to warn you, it’s a bit wordy b/c that’s just a habit of mine. But, trust me, when you break it down, it’s really simple. If you’re reading this, the hard part about cloth diapering is over. I found that the research, purchasing, and stripping of my new diapers was the most difficult part. Washing (and using) your diapers is the easy stuff. So here we go…

1. After changing baby, remove any inserts/doublers from the diaper. Then shake off or use the mini sprayer to remove solids, if any, from the diaper. It’s not necessary to get them 100% clean with the sprayer. Let your machine do most of the work. This is just to get the chunky stuff off. You want to remove the inserts/doublers before using the sprayer b/c you don’t want a really sopping wet diaper to have to transfer from the toilet area to the diaper pail. I happen to keep my diaper pail in the bathroom so whenever I’m doing the spraying, I have the diaper pail right next to the toilet to help avoid dripping.


2. Place diaper and insert/doubler into your diaper pail lined with a wet bag. Be sure to fasten any Velcro strips together before doing so because during washing and drying, they’ll all stick together and make for a very long chain of diapers…not fun! Some diapers have special Velcro tabs just for this purpose. Diaper makers call these “laundry tabs”.

3. When all your diapers are dirty, place the mouth of wet bag into the washer, and then push all the dirty diapers into the washer while at the same time turning your wet bag inside out. This way, you don’t have to actually touch any of the dirty diapers and your wet bag will get nice and clean since the dirty side will now be facing out!

4. Pre-wash the diapers on cold/cold (to avoid setting any stains) with NO detergent. If your washer doesn’t have a pre-wash cycle, a short cycle would be fine. This step removes any solids you missed when using the sprayer and loosens everything up for the next steps.

5. Run a normal cycle or heavy cycle set to warm wash/cold rinse, using 1 scoop of Charlie’s Soap and one scoop of Oxy Clean (optional). I also select extra rinse on my machine because it’s important to rinse away any and all detergent residues*.

*Residue is your enemy when it comes to cloth diapers…it makes them less absorbent. This is why I use only Charlie’s Soap. It’s a white powder and you only need one (1) tablespoon to wash an entire load. No perfumes, no harsh chemicals, no harm to the environment. I even use it to wash all of my family’s clothes. I highly recommend this soap for newborn’s clothes instead of the Dreft that is commonly used.

6. Dry the diapers on medium or high only for as long as they need…test it out by setting dryer for 20 minutes, checking, then 30, checking, then 40 to get just the right amount of time. This will lengthen the life of your diapers in the long run. The diapers I use are designed to last from birth to potty training for multiple children. So you can imagine just how many times you run them through this routine!

TIPS & TRICKS

If diapers/liners seem to smell of ammonia even after washing/drying, a cup or so of white vinegar during the rinse cycle will do the trick. Sometimes I even put it in right with the Charlie’s Soap at the beginning of the wash cycle and it seems to work great.

Sunning cloth diapers and their liners on a clothes line or sunny deck is great for removing tough stains and also whitens them unbelievably! There’s nothing cuter than a row of colorful cloth diapers on my clothes line on a breezy day. That’s why I do it every chance I get on the weekends. This saves energy too b/c you’re not running your dryer.

Every now and then, you might want to “strip” your diapers if you find that they are holding onto smells/stains or if they seem to be leaking. Just wash AND dry them completely about 3 times in a row to strip away any residues that may have built up over time.

My experience shows that the use of some diaper creams such as Desitin causes the diapers to smell and hold onto stains. I use Bordeaux’s Butt Paste as well as A&D Ointment and haven’t had that problem. If you have this problem, wash the diapers as you normally would, then use a scrub brush and Charlie’s Soap to scrub out the stain, then wash them again normally. A drop or two of dish detergent might also help break up the oils in the diaper cream and help lift it out of the fibers.

When on the go, keep a zippered wet bag in your diaper bag. I just ball up the dirty diaper (including the dirty wipes), and then just deal with the mess when I get home. When you’ve got a baby on the changing table, you don’t want to be leaving it unattended to dump the poop. The zippered wet bag keeps the smells at bay, so don’t worry about it too much. My daycare provider does this for us and it is really no problem at all to just do all the spraying at one time at the end of the evening. It only takes me about 2 minutes.

{Blogs, Blogs, and more Blogs!}

This week, I've had the high honor of being featured in two, yes, TWO other blogs written by fellow Etsy sellers! To me, this is such a huge compliment and I am always so grateful. So let me thank them both in today's post...

First, the lovely Audrey over at Pink Sunrise featured my handmade felt heart brooches.
Audrey is a knitter and she also sells supplies on her Etsy shop. She also designs banners and avatars for fellow Etsy sellers. Check out her stash of supplies, like this pretty ribbon:

Next, the talented Emily over at Tea and Laundry featured my vintage green bingo cards.
She plans on using them in a shadow box for her daughter's room. I have a young child too and I can remember how fun it was decorating his room. Emily's favorite things to make and work with are jewelry and paper goods . Check out her adorable resin charm!


Thank you Audrey and Emily, for making me and One Cozy Nest part of your day.

{Latest Project ~ Bingo Madness}

My husband hosts a poker game at our house once a month, so a lot of bottle caps are generated as a result. For years now, he has been "collecting" them in a bin next to the recycling container. When I ask him why he's collecting them, he doesn't have an answer, really. He just likes to collect things, what can I say? The other day I decided that I was going to put some of them to good use! I'm all for recycling things and turning them into new lovely things! So I picked some out and made these adorable, kitchy fridge magnets using some of my vintage BINGO cards.
You can find them for sale up in my Etsy shop called One Cozy Nest. They are backed with super strong rare earth magnets so even though they are small, they really hold tight. I also have a ton of vintage road maps lying around and I plan on using them to make more bottlecap magnet sets. Stay tuned and check my shop regularly!

{Life's Guilty Pleasures}

Here are a few of my "guilty pleasures"...for dinner last night I had peanut butter and jelly crackers and a glass of ice cold milk. Not exactly the healthiest of meals, but boy did it hit the spot.
My husband buys me flowers for no reason. I'm not sure why I feel guilty telling people that he does this, but I do. I'm no fancy schmancy gal either...the cheap supermarket flowers do me just fine!

Vintage linens and fabrics crowd my craft room. I have no idea what to do with it all but I love knowing that I have it.
I've also started to become drawn and addicted to paper ephemera...especially if it has numbers on it. Why? I have no idea.

I am constantly on a mission to make something better...as if everything in my house needs to be fixed, straightened, painted, or organized. I can never let well enough alone. My latest project was to turn this area of my kitchen into a well-functioning work station.

I recently chopped off all of my hair. When 2009 rolled around I had had enough and I don't know if I'll ever go back, much to the dismay of my husband. For some reason, I feel sexier and more confident.

And finally...I go ice skating with my friends during our lunch breaks. We have such a good time and for once I'm not hanging onto the hopes of an early Spring.

{Latest Project ~ Puffy Felt Hearts}

Last night, I was finally able to escape to my craft room and get creative. After a trip to the craft store with my sister and a well needed therapy session, I made these three puffy felt hearts. I used some of my long neglected vintage fabric stash, buttons, and embroidery thread. After making these, I discovered that I really like hand sewing! It's relaxing and theraputic and when you're done, you even have something like these cute hearts to show for it. I turned them into little pins you can wear on your coat or sweater by sewing a little pin onto the backs. Check them out in my Etsy shop, One Cozy Nest.



My sister has also been a busy little thing over at The Vintage Sister Studio. Just look at her adorable Valentine's Day nest head.

Featured Artist...Mara May!

I'll have to admit that I'm not an avid blogger, like my sister. Months will pass without a post on my poor neglected blog. However, I do love the opportunity to post when there's really something great to write about. I was recently scanning my sold items in my Etsy shop, One Cozy Nest, and came across a vintage set of Crazy 8s cards with colorful circus-themed pictures and numbers.
When I visited the buyer's Etsy shop, Mara May, I discovered that she had used one of the cards in a wonderfully whimsical party hat! I just love knowing that one of my vintage items passed through the creative hands of an Etsy artist. Just look at how adorable this thing is! See the cute little elephant card down towards the bottom? I just love all of the colors, textures, and little details Mara May put into this fun hat. You can see the hat, handmade scrapbooking kits & embellishments, and lots of other georgous goodies by Mara May right here in her shop. Enjoy, and happy crafting!

{Hey There Shorty}

Yeah, I'm talking to you. I called you short. Okay, let me be PC...vertically challenged. Are you walking around wearing jeans or pants that you hemmed yourself? And are you embarassed that you can tell they're hemmed? I know I am. I'm 5'3" and the "short" length jeans are about 2 inches too short and the "average" jeans are way too long. Not that anyone really looks down towards my shoes on a regular basis (guys usually stop at my boobs, haha), but it bothers me when I spend $60 bucks or so on a pair of jeans (gasp!) and I have to chop them up and they end up looking like a home-ec project. One time I even used gold thread that was made for jeans. It looked okay, but that nice worn look to the bottom edge of the jeans was missing. Enter Fig and Plum. They posted a tutorial about hemming jeans like a pro. It's so stinkin' easy that I'm ashamed I didn't think of it myself. Here is a link to the tutorial that you can download and save to your computer. Here is a modified version from Dacia Ray that tells you how to deal with flared jeans. Why not let these adorable vintage hem clips help you do the job? You can find them in my Etsy shop, called One Cozy Nest.

{A Little Halloween Tale}

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Meet Weena...Weena Spookington. She's a good little witch who loves baking gingersnap cookies on a crisp sunny October day. She's wearing her trusty apron because she doesn't want to get her pretty dress covered in flour. You see, tonight is the Harvest Moon Ball, and her longtime crush, Franky, is going to be there. They met at last year's Ball, but each was with another. Alas...timing is everything. Over the year, Franky and Weena bumped into each other on numerous occasions; the caldron shop on Elm, the dog park where she takes her dog Weenie to play. Franky was always such a gentleman to her. After each encounter with Franky she would go home and daydream about him. She would sometimes practice writing her future name in big swirly cursive..."Weena Stein.......Halloweena Stein.......Mrs. Frankfurter Stein".

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After realizing her crush on Franky went much deeper, Weena finally came to her senses about her current boyfriend. Afterall, who wants a boyfriend that has to carry his head around all the time? He could never hold her hand. So, she severed ties with him. Last Weena heard, he was dating a girl who had no arms (hence, no hands to hold), so it looks like it'll work out between them. Weena hoped Franky would notice that she was available and dump his girlfriend but weeks went by with no luck.

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With the coming of the full moon, Ms. Weena Spookington's luck is beginning to change! Recently, while at the local potions emporium, she overheard two witches gossiping about Franky's girlfriend having an unfortunate broom accident. And on the eve before the Harvest Moon Ball! Apparently the hem of her robes got caught on a weathervain. You can guess what happened. Weena tried hard not to feel delighted at the news but she just couldn't help herself. Now with Franky being date-less, and Weena being totally in-love-with-him-but-he-doesn't-know-it-yet, the planets were finally moving into alignment. Weena flew home on her striped broomstick as fast as she could, avoiding all weathervains of course, and got herself all dolled up for the dance. She's a joiner, you know, so she's a member of the decorating committee. She made this banner out of scraps of fabric and found objects she had lying around her house. As soon as her gingersnaps are done cooling, she'll throw off her apron, freshen up her lipgloss and head to the dance where she'll tell Franky exactly how she feels.

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You can own Weena Spookington! Come see her in my Etsy shop!

{Haunted House}

Could this happy little ghost really be haunting this adorable little cottage? Nah, he's too cute for all that scary stuff. He just likes to keep an eye on things, that's all. Check him and my sister's other Halloween and Christmas pieces at Spookytime Jingles. New art is posted on the 13th of every month. Lots of great artists and lots of great Christmas and Halloween stuff. Free shipping too!

{Books, books, and more books}

Hello friends! I love vintage books. I love the smell of the pages and I love their dusty covers. I'll buy a book just for it's pretty cover or subject matter. This is sort of a strange love because I'm not a big reader. I read, but it takes me forever to finish a book because I tend to easily fall asleep. A few pages a night is all I can do! My sister is an avid reader. I love listening to her tell me what the books she's reading are about. It's just like watching a movie preview! One of her all time favorites is The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. It's set in the 1960's in South Carolina. I haven't read it yet, but my sister lent me her copy. Wikipedia says that the story is about a girl named "Lily Owens, whose life is shaped by her blurred memory of the afternoon of her mother's accidental death. When Lily's black "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three racists in town, they escape to Tiburon, South Carolina, a town that holds the secret to Lily's mother's past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey." They made a movie based on the book so my sister and I have a date to go see it together. I better get to reading! I'm almost finished book 5 of the Harry Potter series so after that, I plan to read the bee book. Anyway, here are some of the vintage books I have up for sale in my Etsy shop, One Cozy Nest.

French BookArt Book Collection

The Alternative

{New Jersey's Not So Bad}

Hi everyone! I was born in NJ. I was also raised in NJ. I went to college in NJ. I reside in NJ and work for the NJ Government as an ecologist. Aside from a cross country trip after college and vacations, of course, I have spent 99% of my life right here in good ol' New Jersey...not "New Joisey", thank you very much. I don't know one person who says it like that, so I have no idea where that stereotype came from. You can probably tell I'm a little overprotective about my home state. I've heard a lot of out-of-staters put it down and say how bad and polluted it is. I've also heard a lot of negative references to New Jersey on TV shows that take place in New York. Well, I travel all over the state for my job and I am very fortunate to be able to see just how beautiful it is. I was at a project up near the Meadowlands Sports Complex and afterwards, for lunch, I drove up the Palisades Parkway and went for a hike along the cliffs. See the picture below? Yes, that's New Jersey...not Maine, not Vermont...good ol' Jersey.

{It's My Birthday, It's My Birthday!}

Hi everyone! Friday was my 32nd birthday and what a wonderful day it was! First, the weather was so beautiful. Partly sunny and in the mid-60's. Perfect! My birthday festivities began at happy hour(s) on Thursday night, the eve of my birthday. Everyone was so generous with the birthday drinks that I ended up staying until about 12:30am! Thanks everyone, I had a really great time. And the life-size Jenga game was the best. Here I am with a Jenga block. Why am I so happy?When I got home later that night, my Cooper was up crying with a cold, so I was lucky enough to spend some time comforting him until 2am. I say lucky because the next day and a half I wasn't going to see him at all. Since it was my birthday, when Cooper got up again at 4am, Jeff tended to the poor little thing. The baby ended up sleeping until about 10 so both Jeff and I got some extra zzzzzzz's too. Jeff brought my card to me in bed and inside it was tickets to see Cirque De Soliel up at Madison Square Garden in NYC. We'll walk around in the city after the show and probably have some dinner too. I'm excited!

I took off from work for a day all to myself. My husband took the baby down to his parents house for a sleepover. Jeff was in a golf tournament with his father and Jeff's mom had Cooper all to herself. After Jeff and Cooper left, I enjoyed some coffee and quite time with the dogs out on the front porch, cuddled under a blanket, breathing in the fresh Autumn air. I love the month of October. Then I got dressed and started trimming some trees. I've been working on a landscaping project for several weeks now and thought that my day off was the perfect time to get it finished. I installed a rain barrel a couple weeks ago and I need to put in a gravel garden path next to it and through the garden. In order to do this I had to bury a drain pipe that I attached to my rain downspout. Well, I was busy chopping away at some stubborn roots when I realized I had chopped right through our cable wire. Oops! Now, if you read my previous post about the rain barrel, you'd know that I also cut a critical wire for our sprinkler system. So my heart sank and I panicked for about a minute. Then I took a deep breath, laughed at myself, then went inside to call the cable guy. A few hours later, it was fixed. The guy said the line was bad anyway and he was surprised we hadn't had a lot of problems with it before. So now we have a new line and hopefully better service. Here you can see the new white cable wire. After the cable problem put a stop to my gardening project, I moved inside where I pulled out my Autumn decorations and put them up here and there while, at the same time, straightening up the house. See my mums and pumpkins? My sister came over later that night and she gave me the best present ever! It's a painting that she did just for me. It is a portrait of me holding Cooper and it is so darling, I can't stand it. I've been walking around the house looking for the perfect spot for it. Look how wonderful it is! You can read more about it on her blog. She also brought cards that my nephews made for me. Each of them feature pictures of me, with my glasses of course, and funny drawings of Cooper. The two of them are so creative. Jake drew a diaper on Cooper and Alex drew this adorable little tree with an acorn. Those little details are so funny to me. I love how stylin' I look with my red heart shirt and my kick ass boots. Tracy and I went to the movies that night to see Nights In Rodanthe....UGH!!! What a terrible movie. I can't remember the last time I saw a movie that I hated as much as this one. It was utterly predictable, and amazing that two actors could act so poorly. It was so bad that we were laughing at the parts that were supposed to be all dramatic and mushy. At the end a few people actually clapped, so I made sure I boo'ed. We spent the ride home laughing about certain parts of the movie. I won't ruin it for anyone but I'll just say that I liked the preview so much better than the actual movie. We came back to my house, had a margarita, and watched Ugly Betty and Supernanny together. Then I read my Harry Potter book until I fell asleep. Ahhhhhhh, what a perfect day. Happy Birthday to me....it's a shame that they only come once a year. But then again, it's a good thing they only come once a year because I'd be 64 years old!