Oilcloth Shopping Bag

After a wonderful review and market testing by me best neighbor Janet I have listed the new SHOPPER Tote on Etsy this morning!

Here is what Janet had to say about her new oilcloth shopping bag, THE SHOPPER!

Used the gorgous black & white print (don't know the name of the pattern) for a pick-up trip to Ukrops. It held a carton of Edy's, two frozen orange juice, two cartons of grape tomatoes, one carton of blueberries, 2 oranges, 4 tangerines, l lemon, 6 bananas and loaf of french bread. Oh and a 4pk of bagles. Who knew so much would fit! And the handles didn't fall off like would happen with all of that in our lovely supermarket's paper bags. Can't wait to use it this summer for the pool and my Thurs. trips to the farmer's market. Thanks again for the gift. J.

Lookie lookie!

It's Modern June on the home page of Etsy and also feature in the Storque Article Spring Cleaning. June is wearing the Aunt Bea Apron in Blue Paradise Lace Oilcloth. I love this oilcloth apron it is like Blue Willow China. Pretty, pretty and very Richmond!

The Big-Ass Book of Crafts!

One of my favorite TV hosts and designers is coming to Richmond!!! Mark Montano will be hanging out, signing books making crafts at Tinkers on March 8th from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. He is coming in celebration on his latest book The Big-Ass Book of Crafts. For a sneaky peak of what's inside the book check out his official Big-ass book site.

Speaking of making crafts with Mark you can check him out on In the Loop with i village. You get a great sense of how fun and creative Mark is! And yes Mark we do love to say BIG-ASS Book of Crafts! After school today the kids and I are so going to be making his bubbly stationary craft! Oh I can't wait! But what I really want to do is the skull plate project. I think that would be so cool with vintage apron patterns!

I know Mark from 10 years younger on TLC and from my celebrity home on the Style Network,
(which I must say I want back on the air!) but I had no idea that he wrote so many books! My crafty crush gets bigger and bigger! Big-Ass Book of Craft is just one of five, I have ordered the Big-Ass one & Dollar Store Decor.

See ya'll at Tinkers on the 8th for this super crafty event!

Patchwork Oilcloth!

Yes you heard me right patchwork oilcloth! Scottish quilt artist Frieda Oxenham has created the most amazing new tablecloth out of 3 inch pieces of oilcloth. It is an oilcloth quilt I tell you. OMG that must have worn her out, sewing on large pieces of oilcloth is a workout. Here is a shot of me struggling with an XXL tablecloth. I had to move into the dining room and I need Don't help to guide it for me. It gets heavy and pulls if you don't have a buddy helping.

So if you want to make you own quilted tablecloth out of oilcloth let me be your source. I can hook you up with loads of small scraps. Man I wish I hadn't just unloaded all those little "unusable" bits into my local landfill. I could have sent them to Frieda!

Trading Goodies!

I have a new Etsy friend, Kelly, that makes the funkiest vintage "collage" jewelry. Her shop is Sweet Addie. Who knew that the packaging could be as sweet as the necklace inside. Look at this how wonderful it this. The clever woman wrapped the necklace in a page out of an old grammar book, the pages are also used for packing padding too. But even better that all that is the sweet little box that she has made so lovingly.

Oh, Kelly you out do yourself.

HOW FAB is my new necklace? After she purchased a custom oilcloth tablecloth we just had to do a little trade a Ginger Apron for this big sweetie! I love a good trade for goods and services. The barter system is a great thing. So go shopping at Sweet Addie today you won't be able to resist!

New shopping bags!

It has come to attention that I have forgotten all about my Oilcloth Totes. The Market Tote line needs to be photographed again, I only half decent images of the Roses Oilcloth so that is the only one listed. I know I should have made up a new batch first and gotten them back up on the site. But you know me I like the thrill of a new product to get me going. First I had to create something new I am calling it the "Shopper".

The Shopper is inspired by the cheapie cloth bag that our local grocery store carries. I hated their fabric that those are made out of and I really don't want their name plastered all over life. I think this might have been Maddies idea to make these up or was it my friend Angie, I can't remember now. It was probably both of them.

So here they are "The Modern June Shopper Bag". I will list them soon. I love them all in a row, I can't wait to go shopping with them. This first batch is to be part gift and partly for me. I always use my items so I can tweak anything that doesn't work. I hope you all like them as much as I do!

Studio Makeover: zippers idea

Check out what Teresa Franco does with her zippers. Isn't this wonderful all there to see, to a stitcher zippers can become art! Just like Martha says this is a good thing!

Sushi Candles

My friend Amy was on WTVR this morning making the cutest beeswax candles, SUSHI! Check out her video and make some soon. Amy George, inspired by the scents and sights of Richmond, has created a line of exclusive fragrances, she is one of our newest craft mafia members. Her company is Modern Atelier, her scents are wonderful.

Spring Bada Bing!

Bada-boom! The 2008 Spring Bada-bing: The BOSS of all craft shows is here! Come join la famiglia for our 3rd installment of the largest indie craft show in VA. The show will be at Plant Zero in Richmond's southside and, as always, will showcase artists and designers from across the country selling high quality, original handmade goods.

Fill out your application today.

Spring Flower Apron

spring flowers 1, originally uploaded by ModernJune.

Yesterday I had to take a creative break and make something that I didn't have to make. Something new and exciting, something fresh. A few weeks ago I was at my local Joanne's and I saw this fabric across the store. It was a total impulse purchase, it called out to me, BUY ME! So I obeyed. I had no idea what I would do with it or if I would ever do anything with it. I haven't done a gathered apron yet, gathers are not my favorite thing to do but it needed to be. I have left the center front of the apron smooth so it will flatter the body. It is just a happy little apron!

Love this!

Man I love this order! I love it so much I had to share it with you all! This is for a wonderful Mommy of two that lives in Tennessee. She is going to use the Forever Blue Splat Mat for her table and the Flower Applique Splat Mat on the floor. How cute will her 2 year old look while she plays house in her new oilcloth Art Smock? Mom says that their is retro play kitchen in that same room. Too cute for words!!! I miss my babies. kind of! ; )

work, work, work

Sorry for my absence lately, life has gotten really crazy here! Modern June is on fire, I have restocked two stores this week and gotten two new wholesale orders!!! Not to mention a lot of wonderful Etsy orders. I hate having to be so efficient, LOL, I have little time for the important stuff like Project Runway. Man what is the world coming too! I finally saw last weeks on Tuesday. Bye Sweet Pea I love ya!

So I am trying desperately to keep up with my 365 posts with out being really chatty. I will write soon, in the mean time know that the kids are learning and I am sewing. Come back tomorrow to see the cutest spring apron ever made. I had to take a creative break and whip up something fun!

By the way the kids call this pic the leaning tower of splat mats! Peace out peeps!

first sign of spring

first sign of spring, originally uploaded by ModernJune.

Spring is on the way, I promise.

glorious day

Yesterdays gloomy day turned into GLORIOUS DAY. We went for a walk and then found playmates, I had forgotten about the school holiday. The kids were outside all day and I was out for half the day. I love spring in February, it does a girl loads of good!

GLOOMY DAY!

This Morning was one of those days when everything is so gloomy that you have to turn on every light in the house just to feel alive. So for todays post I look back to happy sun shiny photos to up lift my winter laden heart. Since I am trying to stay on track again with my daily routine I will be adding the pictures here and there through out the day so check back later.

Keepsake aprons

These are the aprons that helped start it all! I made these for the kids out of the kids favorite outfits for Christmas in 2003 and they wore them for years. Maddies was a baby doll dress from The Gap that she refused to give up and Aidan's apron was originally favorite little romper that he had worn that summer.

When I took this photo I realized that the aprons were way to small. The photo is fuzzy but I love it so! I soon started making aprons for children's gifts, then later that year I started selling a few vintage aprons here and there. Now look what's happened a nice little cottage industry!

x0x0x, Kelly

happy bunny

At my grown up Birthday dinner tonight I learned about Happy Bunny, I have to share it with you all because this just can't be in my house but I am happy to know that it exists! I especially love the I hate everything memo magnet. I have been feeling that was lately. Take the Happy Bunny quiz here.

birthday shoes!

I should be teaching these kids something but I have a head cold from hell. My head feels like is must weight 15 extra pounds. So instead of school I am shoe shopping. I know I am bad but sue me!

Here are some of my favorites...




And here are the silly ones I had to share!

Love

Its not all roses and chocolate today more like errands, classes and stress. I look forward to a nice comfy night cuddling up with the fam watching a movie and munching on take out. I called dibs on the couch already!!! Romantic, isn't it?


I finally made Christi's brownie recipe that she shared with me last October. And the funny thing is that she and I did the exact same thing with the brownies, heart shaped valentine brownies. I have to admit that I knew she was making brownies but I had no idea that they were heart shaped. You have to try this recipe they are so fantastic! Enjoy!

A good day!

Thanks for all the sweet birthday wishes! You all are so nice! Yesterday was a wonderful family day. It started off so peaceful. I did not jump right out of bed like usual. I sat up and read in bed for a nice long time! I have to remember to do this every now and then even if the rest of the day is going to be a crazy at least it started off nice. It was such a treat.

Don always takes our birthdays off. We never go on vacations so the time off gets well spent through out the year. A series of mini-breaks! Since Don was home I ran off after my shower to Target. I bought old lady face cream and foundation and hair dye to cover the gray hair. I am not afraid of forty but why look forty if you don't have to. While I was there I found a super cute shower curtain that matches my current color scheme. I show photos another day.

The rest of the day we went from shop to shop and restaurant to restaurant. We started out by having lunch at Double T's BBQ in Carytown, then we then ran around town for a bit doing a few errands until we made way to the birthday destination, the Cheesecake Factory. Our problem was that we were all so stuffed with BBQ that we were not ready for the yummy birthday cake of my choice. We enjoyed a few of the shops in the mall before desert. I was on a quest for some kick-ass birthday shoes but no luck! Once we were sure that there we no good shoes to have we enjoyed out decadent cheesecake feast. They brought my gifts for me to open there is was very cute.

Once home and out of the cold rain we all cuddled up to watch a new movie on DVD, the Corpse Bride. All and all a great family day with out Modern June getting her share of too much of me! I did attend to emails but not many! Our weekends are all Modern June for me and Don is a single Dad for most of it. So this was truly a mini-vacation, we really need more of these.

What loot was I given for my birthday? Aidan gave me a nice top that I saw a few weeks ago and Maddie gave me a DVD, Breakfast at Tiffanies. I am excited to have another movie for the studio. Don thought Maddie and I could watch it together he obviously has not seen the movie. Don gave me a couple of movies too, Marie Antoinette and Garden State. The soundtracks for both movies are as great as the movies. I have one more gift that came from a mysterious Etsy seller but it has not arrived yet.

"It's my birthday....

and I am gonna party like its my birthday."

Lordy, lordy today I am bleeping 40. So I am going to be silly ( I know nothing new, right?) and pretend that I can pick out anything I want from the Crate and Barrel Everyday catalogue. A pretend shopping spree, like I used to do when the JC Penny catalogue came in the Summer time. I used to circle each piece of my new school wardrobe -- every page had a cute outfit. I'm sure I would have cut out each outfit and made a look book had my Mother not had a fit.

So here is my very grown up Crate and Barrel Wish list!

I love this lamp! My kids call this color Mommy green!
This sofa is OMG good! I would not let the kids eat in the living room ever again! OH, I want this so bad!
I have no place for this in my small scale 1927 home but it is really nice! I would be fab pushed up behind the sofa, right?

And here are some random things I would just love to have! Just cuz! It is still fun to have pretend shopping sprees!




The family finally wakes so I am off to be pampered like a queen. LOL!!! We have a fun day loosely planned Don has the day off so it is sure to be fun! Have a happy one! love, Kelly

U23D

When I was a young teen I as sure about two things, I could be a movie star and a rock star if I could just get to Hollywood and secondly I was going to the Bride of Bono, let's not even think about the wife of 30 some years. OH the foolishness of youth! Even on the verge of 40 I still get giddy at the sight of that man, sorry DH! You never forget your first love!

Tonight as I look at Fandango for a family movie for us all to to see I found THIS! WHO KNEW? Man, I really need to start reading the Paper, People magazine (LOL) or something. I am such a shut in, seriously, I really know nothing of what is really important. And this movie event is truly important! So this weekend I have a date with 4 Irish men, lucky me.

I have only seen them in concert once in 1997, I was 3 months pregnant with Maddie. It was a great show but my Aunt Peggy's free tickets were no where near the front so I am sure that this will be almost as good.

You know I have just cranked up Joshua Tree. Oh the memories of youth. : )

art class Einstein

My two children take art classed from the nicest woman in the world! Here is their last project and here is the article that went along with the class. What a hoot, I never knew what a mess the genius was! In the way home my kids told me later that he needed to be homeschooled since he learned so differently than others. LOL!

My Craft Friends

My Craft Friends, originally uploaded by ModernJune.

I heart craft was a rocking good time. What a crowd we had, loads of crafty peeps from all over Richmond! Thank you our host The Camel and to the groovy girls that made it a success: Tasha, Dawn, Erica, and Deanna.

We will be meeting at The Camel for monthly craft time on the first Monday of the next three months come and join us.

A lovely time!

treasure!