A Taste For Fresh Etsy Shops.

Etsy's "Taste Test" is an excellent way to find the perfect, personalized (...insert any noun here...). Simply pick your favorite items and let Etsy do the rest. The end result is a targeted collection of handmade and vintage goods geared to your specific tastes. Seriously, it's shopping made ridiculously easy.

We take the taste test weekly and love what we find. And better still? Many of our results are often magnificent fresh shops, like these:

Drawing, from Ruth Waters Illustrations.

Crocheted wrist warmers, from Maybe The White Dog.

Set of 3 vintage brass candlesticks, from Goree Lane.

Woven magnet, from Symbolic Interaction Studio.

Favorite Vintage Find #2 - The Whiskey Label Lot.

I love drinking whiskey. I love taking in the smell of a freshly poured glass of whiskey, on the rocks (just 1 ice cube, please). It's actually quite relaxing--and enjoyable.

Labels, lots and lots of labels.

On a recent trip to the Oregon coast, Jody and I visited a local antique mall (surprisingly void of shoppers). After a few minutes of private perusing, we happened upon a huge lot of unused, vintage whiskey labels. I was instantly drawn to how amazingly cool the fonts and colors were:

I scooped up the entire lot and happily paid the modest asking price. Honestly, I had no idea what I was going to do with them. But they were simply too beautiful to pass up. And when it comes to vintage finds, I go with my gut.

Eventually, I sold them all through my Etsy shop. I was sad to see them go. If I ever find more, I'm keeping them. Aside from being extremely collectible, they'd make great little framed art pieces.

Do you have a favorite vintage item that you've lost (or sold) over the years?

P-Push It Real Good.

Vintage salt and pepper shakers, from Tom Laurus.

Favorite Vintage Find #1 - The Paymaster Check Imprinter.

Most of my Goodwill treasure hunts are fruitless. Piles upon piles of Ikea leftovers, stacks of outdated picture frames and mounds of throwaway office and computer junk typically dominate the shelves. But every once and a while, a diamond is unearthed.

Does vintage get any more beautiful than this?

Meet my diamond--the Paymaster check imprinting machine. Virtually unused, scratch-free and brilliantly aqua, this beauty instantly caught my eye. In an ecstatic and somewhat anxious state, I swooped her up in my arms and sprinted to the register. The Paymaster was mine!

Have you had a similar treasure hunting experience? What's your favorite vintage find?

Vintage Kitchen Finds Under $25.

Fondue forks, from The Vintage Apartment.

Enamel sauce pans, from The Wishing Wardrobe.

Refrigerator magnet, from Vintage Woods.

Plastic egg cup set, from Mister True.

Griffith's milk glass spice jar set, from Suesuegonzalas.

Are you a fan of retro, vintage awesomeness? If so, tweet us your favorite vintage Etsy finds @blackbirdtees. We love discovering new, er um, old things!

Part of our week-long "A Vintage Life" series. More vintage goodies all week!

Theme Of The Week: A Vintage Life.

I've always been drawn to vintage. In high school, argyle v-necks and shinny wingtips were my fashion weapons of choice. I was basically a 17 year-old version of Kramer. I even got my hair permed! But that's a story for another day...

The infamous "Kramer" painting.

These days, my love for vintage is bordering on obsession. My apartment is filled with vintage treasures: office supplies, kitchen doodads and various off-the-wall furniture finds--many of which are still highly functional. To me, there's nothing better than vintage chrome, steel or faux wood. Give me something old...something with a story to tell.

Vintage Seth Thomas speed read clock, from The Fancy Lamb.

So out with the new, in with the old! This week, we're celebrating everything vintage. We'll bring you budget-friendly finds for the kitchen, bathroom, living room, garage and more--all for under $25 bucks! We'll even share a few of our all-time favorite thrift store vintage finds. Trust us, if you're a fan of vintage, you don't want to miss a single minute!

Have you spotted an awesome vintage item on Etsy? If so, tweet us the link @blackbirdtees. We may feature it in this week's vintage series!

Flashing Lights.

Vintage Westclox flashing alarm clock, from Artful Vintage.

An Old Read.

Vintage set of books, from Flourish and Debonair.

Super Mom.

Vintage "Super Mom" mug, from Oil and Blue.

Because not every mom is necessarily a "Super Mom"...

Part of our week long "Gifts For Mom" series--Happy Mother's Day!!

The Fancy Lamb's "Vintage Addiction" -- Q & A with Half Pint Salvage

Normally, me and half-pint (aka, my boyfriend, Karl) refrain from talking about our Etsy shops, here at Featherette. But today, our friend Robin (aka, The Fancy Lamb), is interviewing Karl as part of her renewed "Addicted To Vintage" series.

Vintage unused whiskey labels, from Half Pint Salvage.

Karl is definitely a vintage addict. If you're a vintage addict, you'll definitely want to read the entire interview, here. Enjoy!

The Perfect Day.

"Surfer Van" photo print, from Elgarbo Art.

Vintage 1980's German aviator sunglasses, from What The Funk.

Embroidered trailer, from Moxiedoll.

Cassette tape iPhone cozy, from Yummy Pocket.

You and your buddies skipped school that day and drove your brother's VW bus to the beach. Or maybe you blew off work and drove in to the city for the day. However you got there, your memories of that particular day are still highly revered. No morning bell ringing in your ear. No boss hovering over your shoulder. Just you, some friends, a little sun and some music. Sunrise to sunset, the perfect day.

Part of our week long "Road Trip" series. More finds from the road, all this week!

Vintage Essentials For The Road.

Vintage gas can, from Jacks Red Barn.

Vintage Standard Oil map, from America The Beautiful.

Vintage AAA bumper sticker, from Bumper Stickers N' More.

Vintage brake fluid can, from Hindsvik.

It never hurts to be prepared! And if you're like me, you prefer to be prepared with a dash of vintage style. Imagine this scenario:  You're on your road trip. Your car runs out of gas in the desert--but you're prepared! You reach in to your trunk, pull out your rusty 'ol gas can, fill 'er up and keep on keepin' on! Admit it, you're feeling pretty cool in this scenario, aren't you?

Part of our week long "Road Trip" series. More finds from the road, all this week!

Setting Up Camp.

Mini notebook, from Campfire Chic.

Vintage map paper ornaments, from Ink Whimsy.

"Trailer in the Trees" archival print, from Rachel Austin.

Vintage plaid thermos, from Cathode Blue.

Serious road trippers know that camping is an essential skill. Sure, it saves you loads of money. But there's more to it than that. Where else can you swap ghost stories, read a book beside the warmth of a fire, sip a bit of cocoa and set your eyes on a magnificent, starry sky?

Part of our week long "Road Trip" series. More finds from the road, all this week!

The Fancy Lamb's "Vintage Addiction".

We interrupt our "Road Trip" week to bring you a Featherette exclusive! One of my favorite vintage gurus, Robin Eastwood, aka The Fancy Lamb, recently resurrected her "Addicted To..." series--a series which features an enlightening Q & A session with some of Etsy's most interesting and unique vintage shops.

Vintage floral print dress, from Revolving Styles.

If you're a vintage addict like me, this is the column for you! And if you're in to vintage clothing, you'll especially love today's Q & A with Revolving Styles. Read (and enjoy) the full interview, here.

A Few Of Our Favorite Trends.

Silhouettes:

Custom silhouette pendant, from Lucky Me Beads.

Chevron:

Zigzag chevron wood block, from Red Tile Studio.

Soft pastels:

"Winter Wolf" print, from Alice Potter.

Vintage Brass:

Vintage brass cat, from The Vintage Apartment.

If you're a trend watcher, you've likely spotted some or all of these in varying ways. We simply enjoy the fact that each of these exciting trends is a throwback to the past. Kind of like when your mom's scarves became cool to wear again. Wait, are you telling me that was never cool?

Part of our extended "Featherette Favorites" series. More faves all this week!

A Few Of Our Favorite Finds.

1960's post office box door, from The Fancy Lamb.

1960's, Mexican copper enamel trays, from Mascara Jones.

1930's lithograph advertising label, from Daily Memorandum.

1950's apothecary lab glass bottle, from Lackluster Co..

If we listed all of our favorite vintage finds, this post might be 2 miles long. These are simply a few of our current faves. Although, we must say, the post office box doors may just be the most awesomest vintage find ever!

Part of our week long "Featherette Favorites" series. More favorites tomorrow!

Theme Of The Week: Featherette Favorites.

My favorite food is homemade macaroni and cheese. It forever reminds me of the summer picnics I used to frequent, back in Virginia (think June, sweltering 95° heat and you get the gist). True, I hated the hot weather,  but I loved the food: fried chicken, greens, casseroles, and of course, macaroni and cheese. Yum!

Alton Brown's baked mac and cheese, recipe here.

 















This week, we'll be spotlighting a few of our handmade / vintage favorites--favorites that take us down memory lane, spark innovation / creativity, or simply make us smile. We'll also share a few more of our favorite foods and recipes too.

Got a favorite food or recipe? Let us know in the comment section below.

Tickling The Tiny Ivories.

Vintage (tiny) grand piano music box, from Maison Paulette.

All that's missing is the tiny sheet music! But I'm sure this little music box, from Maison Paulette still belts out quite the tune.

Part of our week long "It’s A Small World" series. More tiny finds this week!

Insert Picture Here.

Antique swinging frame, from AM Radio.

Part of our week long "Spring Cleaning" series. Find more stylish and simplistic vintage wonders in AM Radio's Etsy shop.

Decorating With Numbers.

Vintage letterpress numbers, from Ruggy Design.

Part of our week long "Spring Cleaning" series. Craving more? Find a bevy of vintage, industrial decor ideas in Ruggy Design's Etsy shop.