Vintage Librarian Social: An Invitation

If you've been following us for a while you know that we usually host some kind of event each month that captures the spirit of our theme.  For "Bookish," hosting a book club seemed to be an obvious choice but we figured most people were already either in one, done with one or have no interest in joining one.  We eventually came up with the idea to do a "Vintage Librarian" party, both of us were immediately excited about the idea and completely on board...even though neither of us really knew what a "Vintage Librarian" party was.  But you get why we wanted to do it, just going on the name alone, right? Whatever it was, it was going to be pretty awesome!

It turns out, the main purpose of the party was to have an excuse to put adorable ensembles together.  Check out our shopping list and you'll want to start dressing in vintage-inspired librarian clothes tomorrow.  We also decided that the tools and accessories sported by librarians of years gone by are satisfyingly collectible.  So we made a "Library Club" badge (which you can purchase here), created a "Librarian's Kit" which we'll show you later this week, and scored some remade library posters to add to our decor.  

And finally, since we really do love books (and not just shopping for bookish clothing), we wanted our guests at the party to share their favorite books with each other.  Karen made this bookmark invitation, which you can download at the end of the post.  We also sent our guests five extra bookmarks that left room for writing things about each book that they were sharing with the group.  At the end, we all traded books, everyone going home with five new ones that have come highly recommended by our fellow "librarians."  I have to tell ya, It was a HOOT!  

xoxo Zandra

Vintage Librarian Social Invitation

Vintage Librarian Social Bookmark

Crazy About ... Arrows

Karen June and I can go a little crazy over particular graphic or illustrative designs.  When we do, we tend to start incorporating them into projects around the house.  Right now, we're crazy about arrows.  Have you noticed how they seem to be everywhere lately... on jewelry, pillows, stationery...?  I first noticed the trend when I was starting a collection of feathers to use in floral arrangements.  I liked how there were feathers at the back ends of the arrows and bought a few to also include in the arrangements.  And pretty soon, they were everywhere: and we thought it was high time we created our own!

This is our first Little Yellow Couch stencil and you can print it, cut out the pieces and start painting arrows wherever you want to see them!  We're thinking they'd be great on notebooks, dishcloths, even walls!  We've done a simple stencil on a tote bag to give a boring sack a little oomph.  We're pretty happy with how it turned out.  Send us a photo of what you've chosen for your arrows...we'd love to share your projects!

xoxo Zandra

Arrow Stencil PDF

Vintage Love Sayings Printable Flags

We spent all of last October on the theme "civilized living" and I'm still in love with many of the quirks and mannerisms we incorporated into our lives for that month.  One of the treasures we stumbled upon was the set of books titled "Let's Bring Back," by Leslie M. M. Blume, a modern day muse for vintage geeks the world over.  In her "Lost Language" edition, she unearths several delightful quips for getting your lover's attention.  We've decided to sprinkle a few of them into our printable flags for your use this Valentine's Day.  You can glue them onto a toothpick to upgrade a store-bought cupcake, enlarge them just a bit and glue to a skewer nestled into your bouquet of flowers, or simply attach them to little gifts you're going to give your nearest and dearest.  Send us a photo of your tag-madness... We'd love to see how you use them!  

xoxo Zandra & Karen June

Printable Flags PDF

Supplies:

• Card Stock (we used creme colored)
• Printer
• Scissors
• 5 mm brads

Directions:

1. Print the Vintage Love Sayings Flag PDF on card stock.
2. Cut out the flags
3. Pierce paper with brad and splay ends.
4. Attach to anything you like!

Crazy About ... Fan Clubs - Paper Brooch with Smock Paper

Karen June and I have a friend whom we simply adore.  It was her birthday a few weeks ago and we wanted to surprise her with placards or buttons that proclaimed we were part of her fan club. Not that we were creating an actual fan club, but we thought it would be funny to act as if there were such a thing because we knew she'd get a kick out of it.  

As we mentioned last week, we've started a partnership with Smock Paper, a lovely printer and press out of upstate New York.  Karen decided to make some rosette pins out of their paper for our new "fan club."  We showed up at one of our favorite cafes, sporting our pins, with each of them reading "Co-President of the Laura Evers Fan Club."  

We were all delighted by the love fest we had going on amongst ourselves but what was truly wonderful was the unexpected response we got from others.  Three people came up to us at different times to ask us how they could make their own for themselves (I mean, who wouldn't want their own fan club???) or to make for someone they wanted to celebrate.  It seemed like there was a ripple effect of optimism and joy caused by these little pins that reminded us why we do things like this in the first place: when you follow through with an idea and add that extra layer of detail that makes something truly special, it's always worth the effort.  So don't just think about it... go ahead and make someone's day!

Fan Club Brooch DIY PDF

Fan Club Brooch Titles PDF

Supplies:

• Two-sided decorative wrapping paper (we used a variety from Smock Paper)
• Quilting Ruler or Straight Edge
• Rotary Cutter
• 2" Circle Punch
• 2 1/2" Circle Punch
• Glue Gun
• Glue Stick
• 1 1/2" or 2" wide ribbon
• 1" pin back

Directions:

1. Gather your supplies.
2. Cut a strip of two-sided decorative wrapping paper 2" wide by 24" long.
3. Accordion fold the paper in about 1/2" wide folds continuing the length of the paper strip.  
4. Apply the glue stick to both 2" ends and glue together creating a cylinder.  Allow to dry for a few minutes.
5. Flatten cylinder to create a circular medallion.  Using your glue gun, apply a small dot of hot glue in the center of the medallion and hold circle together for a few seconds to allow glue to harden.
6. Using your 2 1/2" round punch, cut two circles out of the decorative paper.  Using your glue gun, adhere one circle to each side of the medallion.  We chose to use the opposite design on each side.  
7. Cut a 6" piece of ribbon and notch one end.  
8. Glue ribbon and pin to the back of the medallion.
9. Print our Fan Club Titles on card stock.  Using your 2" round punch (or scissors), cut out the circle.  Glue to the center of the front of your medallion.  
10. Go make someone's day!

Decoupage Valentine Printable

If you stand in line at the grocery store right about now, you'll see lots of magazine covers promising how "fun" and "easy" it is to create your own handmade valentines.  You look down at your kid and secretly hope she doesn't see the same magazines and beg for a mommy and me craft day.  Because frankly, the only thing the 7 year olds truly care about is the candy, not your clever ideas on how to turn a tin can into a heart-shaped robot.  So for the kids and their friends, go ahead and buy the movie-themed, heavily branded, complete-with-a-sticker-sheet valentines.  But what about that idea we had last week?  The one where you surprise a few close friends with a little gift and a sweet sentiment to remind them that they're special?  For that, you may want to go to the trouble of making your own cards.  But if you find yourself running low on time, please feel free to print out ours.  It was made with love and will be given, by you, with love.  And that's all that really matters.

xoxo Zandra and Karen June 

Decoupage Valentine PDF

Decoupage Valentine BACK PDF

Supplies:

• Card Stock
• Printer
• Scissors
• Ball Point Glue Pen
• German Glass Glitter (We used Silver Fusion 70/90 from Meyer Imports)
• Business Sized Envelope (We used a #10 envelopes in Red from The Paper Source)

Directions:

1.  Print Valentine on a piece of card stock.  Flip and print the Valentine BACK on the reverse side.
2.  Cut out Valentine.
3.  Trace the border of the banner with a ball point glue pen.  Sprinkle with German glass glitter and dust off.  
4.  Add a message to your sweetheart and pop it in the mail!

DIY: String & Button Envelopes

What's more traditional than chocolates for Valentine's Day?  Problem is, all of those heart shaped boxes look alike and you are a thinking-outside-the-heart-box kinda person.  Here's a solution:  1. Buy a single, really, really nice chocolate bar (we love Dick Taylor's).  2. Whip up a bespoke envelope.  3. Slip in your elegant little bit of sweetness.  4. You are a gift giving rock star.  (We promise the envelope isn't difficult.  It's basically two pieces of paper, with one a bit longer than the other to make a flap.  Really!)

xoxo Karen June & Zandra

String & Button Envelopes PDF

Supplies:

• Two-sided scrapbooking paper
• Printer Sticker Paper
• To & From Label
• Pearl Cotton
• Buttons
• Sewing Machine
• Thread
• 3-D Glue Dots
• Scissors
• Quilting Ruler or Straight Edge
• Rotary Cutter or Exacto Knife
• Chocolate Bar (We love Dick Taylor Fleur De Sel)

Directions:

1.  Gather your supplies.
2.  Cut one piece of two-sided scrapbooking paper 4 3/4" x 8 1/2" and another piece 4 3/4" x 7".  Print and cut out "To and From" label.  
3.  Score the larger piece  1 1/2" from the top and fold towards the envelope lining.  Score the smaller piece 1" from the top and fold towards the envelope exterior.  
4.  On the larger piece, edge stitch the flap at 1/4" for a decorative touch (we set our machine to 8 stitches per inch).  On the smaller piece, sew the flap down with an edge stitch at 1/4".  Backtack at the beginning and end to secure thread and snip excess.
5.  Edge stitch the small piece to the large piece, lining up the bottoms and sewing around three sides at 1/4" to create a pocket.  Remember to backtack and snip excess.  
6.  Attach one button to the center of the top flap and one button just below the decorative fold on the pocket using 3-D glue dots.  
7.  Affix "To and From" label to the envelope, wrapping the "love message" onto the back. Wrap your pearl cotton thread around the buttons to close the envelope.  
8.  Mix and match papers and whip up a few of these to have on hand for any occasion.  We filled ours with our favorite small-batch chocolate from Dick Taylor!  

REfresh Boutique : Clothing Swap Printables

Looking to host your own Clothing Swap Boutique?  Below we have provided everything you need to get started from signs to labels and tags!  Everything is in a modern minty green and gold color scheme.  Feel free to print them out for your own exchange, and don't forget to let us know how it goes!  (See our previous post for our tips on how to organize the party and use these printables).

xoxo, Karen June

Dressing Room Sign

Clothing Tag Front  -  Clothing Tag Back

Drawing Numbers 1 - 20  -  Drawing Numbers 21 - 40

Water Bottle Labels

Drawer Liners with SMOCK Paper

We are so excited to announce our new partnership with SMOCK Paper!  They are an independent, small-batch letterpress and print shop in upstate New York and their passion for creating beautiful things infused with history is right up our alley.   I fell in love with their designs and the quality of their paper when I was running my decoupage business.  Karen suggested I reach out to them to see if they'd like to occasionally provide paper to Little Yellow Couch for some of our DIYs.  Happily, they said "yes"!  

So, on short notice, SMOCK sent us some gorgeous paper to finish off refreshing my dresser drawers (remember those tags we made into drawer pulls?).  This is a really simple way to treat yourself to a little bit of color and scent every day.  Simply measure and cut out paper for each of your drawers, spritz with warm water mixed with an essential oil (you determine how strong you want it) and lay flat in the drawer until it dries.  

Now, every time I open my dresser, I get a nice pop of color and breathe in the refreshing aroma of peppermint that says "good morning" to me every day.  You can expect to see many more projects featuring SMOCK paper on our blog in the near future!  

xoxo, Zandra

Clothing Inventory (a lovely little printable)

Ok, this might feel a little hokey at first, but try actually writing down what you currently own and what clothing items you feel are missing from your wardrobe.  I promise you'll be more intentional when you're out shopping and stop coming home with yet another black sweater that you definitely don't need.  But first, be brutally honest about what's in your closet.  For every item, make sure it passes the 3 question test:  

1.  Does it make me feel beautiful?
2. Does it fit?  
3. Will I actually wear it?  

(And yes, it has to pass ALL three questions).  If you're still stuck with a bunch of clothes you hardly ever wear, put on each item and wear it for a day.  THEN ask yourself:  

• Did I feel happy?  
• Was I relieved when it was time to take off these clothes?  
• Did I feel like myself?  
• Can I imagine wearing it again next week?  

If any of your responses were negative, give the item the old heave ho.  

Karen has created this lovely printable that you can tuck in your bag after you've filled it out.  For the "Love It?" column, if you don't answer "yes" or "maybe" the item shouldn't even be in your closet.  For the "maybe" items, jot down what you're not sure about (it has a stain, not sure if it's the right color, it might be getting worn out...). Then, when you see a possible replacement for that item, you can decide whether or not it's time to switch it out.  For the "Pair With" area, also note whether or not you actually have the items you're pairing together!

And finally, when buying new pieces the most important question to ask first is

"Do I LOVE it?"

(and forget about whether or not it's on sale...even $15 is too much if you're going to hate wearing it 2 weeks after you buy it).  Even thinking "I guess this will be fine" is reason enough NOT to buy it.  Seriously. LOVE it or let it go. Because who are we kidding? We all have too many clothes already.

Wardrobe Inventory FRONT 

Wardrobe Inventory BACK

REfresh: DIY Lavender Sachet

This month at Little Yellow Couch, we are looking for ways to REfresh our homes, our wardrobes and our lives. As we prepare for our Clothing Swap party later this month, we are sifting through our closets ... setting aside the items that we don't love and making room for the things that we do.  We are also looking for ways to freshen up our drawers and closets and these lavender sachets are sure to do the trick.  

Supplies:

2/3 part rice

1/3 part dried lavender

4 x 6" muslin drawstring bag (We recommend Celestial Gifts)

Cardboard (to use as blotter)

Pencil with unused eraser

Multipurpose Acrylic Paint (We recommend Martha Stewart Crafts Multi-Surface Acrylic Craft Paints)

White Card Stock

Printer

REfresh Tag Front

REfresh Tag Back

Directions:

1.  Cut a piece of cardboard to fit inside your muslin bag.  This is just to be used as a blotter for any excess paint that might seep through the fabric.  

2.  Dip your pencil eraser in the paint and stamp a dot 1/2" from the edge of the bag and every 1/2" after that.  We started with our fresh green color at the base and then alternated rows with a metallic glitter paint offsetting our dots as we went.  (Tip:  Turn your bag upside down while working so that you start at the base of the bag and work your way down towards the drawstring.  This will keep you from smudging your paint.)

3.  Remove the cardboard and puff out linen bag to allow the painted layer to dry separately.  Set aside.

4.  Mix your 2/3 part rice with your 1/3 part dried lavender.  Once your paint is dry, add this mixture to your bag.  We filled ours about 2/3 of the way full.  

5.  Pull drawstring tight and attach our printable REfresh tag.  

6.  Add to your dresser drawers or closet to keep your clothes smelling fresh.  Lavender is also a natural moth deterrent.  

Printable: Deer Silhouette Cocktail Invitation

We are ready to celebrate!  We’ve been working for the better part of this year on developing, launching and sharing Little Yellow Couch and so wrapping up 2013 feels pretty special to us.  Whatever your accomplishments or moments of grace have been this year, we encourage all of you to add a touch of sparkle to your wardrobe, put on your dancing shoes, light the candles, eat, drink and make merriment with your friends!  We’ll show you how we’re doing it at our Little Yellow Couch Cocktail Party later this month.  And then we’d love to see photos of your parties, too!  Email us here.  

xoxo Karen June & Zandra

P.S.  Here are some Cocktail Party Invitations for you!  Simply print invitations front and back on opposite sides of a piece of card stock.  We added an extra sparkly touch by painting our deer's antlers with Mod Podge and sprinkling with fine gold glitter.  Address labels can be printed on full sheet sticker paper and cut out.  We used A6 Envelopes in antique gold from the Paper Source.  Cheers!

Cocktail Party Invitation FRONT

Cocktail Party Invitation BACK

Cocktail Party Address Labels

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Mmmmm....Leftovers! (A Printable Label)

In our opinion, one of the best parts about hosting Thanksgiving Dinner is the leftovers!  After a long day in the kitchen preparing a feast for our guests, it is nice to heat up a plate of leftovers the next day (or days ... we make way too much food!).  It is also thoughtful to send your guests home with some leftovers of their own.  We found these kraft take-out boxes to have on hand for our guests and designed a chalkboard style label to affix to the front.  We printed ours on card stock and sent them through our sticker maker.  These can easily be printed on full sheet sticker paper as well.  Add a little thank you tag or decoration to embellish.  We attached a felted acorn that we will show you how to make next week.  

Labels Printable

Soup Exchange Party Printables

We've been getting cozy, cooking chili and baking bread all in anticipation of our Soup Exchange Party tomorrow!  Here's a look into all of the little details that created a cozy and unforgettable gathering.  We hope you will be inspired to host your own soup exchange.  You will find a few printables below to get you started.  Bon Appetite!

xoxo Karen June

An invitation is the first impression your guests will have of your upcoming event.  We wanted to portray a rustic and cozy feel where friends and family can don warm sweaters, relax, enjoy the crisp Fall weather and a warm meal.  As an added detail, we printed our invitations on linen scrapbook paper that we found at our local craft store.   

Invitation Printable

Along with the invitation, we gave each guest a set of containers and labels for bringing their soups to exchange.  These labels can be printed on sticker paper, or in our case we printed them on linen covered scrapbooking paper and then ran them through a sticker maker.  

Soup Label Printable

We also provided each guest with a set of recipe cards to share their soup recipe.  Guests not only bring home a fresh batch of soups, but also the recipes so they can make them in the future.   

Recipe Card Printable

It's really "all in the details" as they say.   Zandra sewed some napkins for our party using red ticking.  I added cotton twill tape and embroidered our monogram to personalize them.  The cross stitch printable below can be used to add your own monogram to your linens.  

Cross Stitch Alphabet Printable

High Tea Printables

We are giddy with excitement about sharing photos from our Little Yellow Couch High Tea with you on Friday.  In the meantime, perhaps you'd like to plan a little tea party of your own.  Here are a few printables to get you started!  Also, don't forget to check out our High Tea Shopping List for more inspiration.

xoxo Karen June & Zandra

Invitations can be printed simply on one side, or flip page over and print the striped background for a more finished look.

Invitation Front

Invitation Back

Address Labels can be printed on full sheet printable sticker paper, cut out and stick.

Address Labels

Sandwich Toppers can be cut out, folded in half and glued around a toothpick.

Sandwich Toppers

"Hello" Calling Cards

These clever printable calling cards are the perfect size to tuck in your clutch or purse. Find this lovely clutch by Lucends in our September Box!     

Materials

• Printer
• Card Stock Weight Printer Paper
• Scissors
• Hello Card Front printable
• Hello Card Back printable

Directions

1. Print the Hello Card Front on card stock weight printer paper.
2. Insert same sheet of card stock to be printed on the revers side and print Hello Card Back. 
3. Cut out cards and tuck away in your favorite clutch.  Use for writing reminders, sharing your information or writing a quick note to a friend.