Martha Stewart American Made Awards Finalist!

Just popping in to share some exciting news - Vitamini is a finalist in the Martha Stewart American Made Awards! Voting just opened up last week and it would mean the world to me if you'd click a vote or two (or 6!) my way. Click here to read a bit about my story and cast your votes!

*Yay! card from the shop.

DIY Stamped Gift Tags

I'm excited to share this project for two reasons: first, it's really simple and the results are adorable! Second, I get to debut a few brand new products in the shop.



New retro lawn chair rubber stamps from my Patio Party collection! I have three different designs available - they're the perfect way to jazz up greeting card envelopes, letters, and all sorts of other paper products, like handmade gift tags!

Here's what you'll need:

• Rubber Stamps - you can find these three in my shop!
• Pigment ink pad
• Watercolor paper
• Watercolors. I've had this Windsor Newton set since college and I love it
• Paint brush
• Tag punch
• Hole punc
• Baker's twine, embroidery thread, or yarn

Start with the watercolors. Dip the brush in water and pick up some paint. Dab it onto the paper and then try blending the edges with more water. Experiment mixing and blending colors together. Small areas of color are all you need, so have fun with it! Let dry.



Time for stamping! Place the stamp rubber side up on the table and tap the ink pad over it. When the design is saturated, stamp on the watercolor paper. Stamp up the whole sheet of paper - experiment with placement and see what you like best. My favorites had some white space underneath the image. Let dry. (If you'd like to try a more precise option, try stamping the designs first and then adding color to the open areas afterwards.)

Center the stamped design (save some space for the hole at the top) and punch! Punch 'em all out. Add the holes to the top, and tie up with twine.



How cute! I love the mix of colors. I used blues, greens, and yellows, but these could easily be customized in any color to match your favorite gift wrap. Make a bunch and give sets as gifts.

Hello, September!

Ok, seriously, how is it September already? The summer just flew by and I don't think I made nearly enough trips to the beach! I think it's ok, though - we're still rocking the triple digit temps so it'll probably feel like summer for a while longer. I just got home from a trip to Portland for a dear friend's wedding and had so much fun. It was the perfect time to take a little break, (mostly) unplug from the computer, and relax. I stayed in a cute little AirBnB studio in the Irvington neighborhood of Portland. Have you been? Talk about beautiful homes! I spent lots of time taking walks looking at the pretty houses, taking pictures, and drinking too much coffee (Saint Simon Coffee Co. on NE Broadway FTW). I'm back, feeling refreshed and ready to tackle all of the items on my to-do list! I'm also excited to get back into blogging after my little, unofficial summer break.

In other news, I got the best surprise while I was away - Vitamini has been chosen as a finalist for the 2015 Martha Stewart American Made Awards! Grinning face emoji times 100!! Check out my nomination page to read more about the story of my business. Voting opens up later this month.

Photo above from my Instagram of my favorite swing ride at the Monterey County Fair every year. Isn't it pretty? Love the pink. Have a great rest of the week!

New! Gift Wrap by Vitamini

I'm so excited to share the newest product in the Vitamini lineup - gift wrap!


Now available in 4 prints - Dachshund Love, Jazzy, Vintage Trailer Caravan, and Patio Party - the same prints from my fabric collection now on paper! I want to wrap everything with these! It would also be great for craft projects and scrapbooking; drawer liners, decoupage, art matting, etc.



You can find all 4 different prints in the shop. More patterns coming soon!

Trailers in the Trees

As a vintage trailer enthusiast who doesn't actually have a trailer (yet) I jump at the chance to get close to them - you know, to help me figure out what kind I want. Ha! For reals though, if I can get an opportunity to admire even the exterior of a cool retro trailer my day is made. So, thanks times a million to Facebook for alerting me to this year's Trailers in the Trees rally, an annual vintage trailer show in the beautiful redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It was a couple Saturdays ago and was so much fun!


This was my first year attending and I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but hot damn, was it a great experience! The trailers, ranging in age from the 1930's to the 70's, were parked in rows and opened up and decked out in their Sunday best. Some of them were decorated with items from their exact time period while others worked with themes. Almost all of them had their door (some of the luxury models had two doors!) propped open with invitations to go inside and check 'em out. The owners were usually nearby to answer questions, share any interesting info about the trailer's history or unique features, and accept praise and general "oohs and ahhs."



Another great thing about this event - everyone was so genuinely nice. And seriously, how generous of them to open up their tiny little homes to strangers, even just for the afternoon? That's something I've discovered among clubs and groups of like-minded people. Similarly, I've never met anyone at a MINI club event that I didn't like and I imagine trailer clubs are the same. So many of them said "they're addicting" and I can imagine why. One lady told us how she and her husband attended the big rally in Pismo Beach one year, went home, found a classified ad for a trailer in the newspaper the next day and bought it!



If you're into trailers, too, check around for local clubs and events in your area. Also, follow the Vintage Camper Trailers page on Facebook for photos and news about up-coming rallies.

P.S. I've been having trouble loading comments here, but I'm working on a fix. Please standby! :)