Friday, September 30, 2011

Amy's Old School Tips Etsy Fashion

Etsy is one of the most fabulous places for finding fashion and it has just gotten even easier to see what is in style at the moment! Etsy has created a Fashion section! It is divided into various sections such as "Men's Fashion", "Fall Fashion", "Steampunk" etc. It also has a great list of search words that are trending now which is fabulous to reference when placing tags into a treasury or an item you are listing! There is also currently a link to treasuries that have "Fall Fashion" in the title. This would be a great way to gain views of a treasury and our team by creating "Fall Fashion" treasuries at this time! How about creating a Fall Fashion treasury with a Halloween costume theme or cool weather wear etc? What ideas do you have for getting the most out of this new section on Etsy? Speaking of which, here is one I created with 100% Vintage Market Team members! Remember to post your 50% and 100% treasuries on the team Etsy Page.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Simple Syrup - Your Retro Home by retrotrend

Nothing could be more simple than a simple syrup- a key ingredient in many cocktail recipes, as well as crowd- pleasers like sweet tea. I often flavor mine with ginger, or mint.

Syrup pitcher from jenscloset.

Figure out what type of simple syrup you'll need.

There are several thicknesses or densities of simple syrup and they have different uses. The thickness depending on the ratio of water to sugar used. The one with more sugar will be more syrupy and sweeter. Follow the measurements listed in your recipe, or use these general guidelines:

Thin simple syrup - A ratio of 3 parts water to 1 part sugar - used to glaze cakes and cookies.

Medium simple syrup - A ratio of 2 parts water to 1 part sugar - used to make sweeten beverages and iced tea.

Thick simple syrup (basic simple syrup) - A ratio of 1 part water to 1 part sugar - This is used as the basis for cold fruit drinks and cocktails. Also used to make candied fruits.

The recipe:
Determine which type of Simple Syrup you want to make. See Types of Simple Syrup above.

In a high-sided saucepan over medium-high heat, bring cold water and sugar to a boil.

Turn the heat to low and stir constantly until the sugar dissolves completely and the mixture is clear, approximately 3 minutes. Remember - the longer you boil it, the thicker the syrup will be when cooled.

Optional: At this point you can add flavorings (you can steep almost anything into your simple syrup such as extracts, fruit juices, herbs, spices, and liqueurs). Just put them in once the water boils right before adding the sugar, and strain them out before bottling.

After boiling, let the syrup cool to room temperature, then pour into a tightly sealed, clean glass jar and store in the refrigerator (Any clean and sealable container can be used). The syrup can be refrigerated for up to 1 month.

You can also stir in 1 tablespoon corn syrup to help ensure the syrup stays smooth.

How do you use simple syrup at home? Is in in sweet tea or an Old Fashioned?

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Amy's Old School Tips I Want Candy!

The Vintage Market Team is running a Halloween Promotion under the tag VMTeamCandy with Halloween related Sales! Here are some promotional treasuries created by participants!


It's not to late to join the promotion! All the details are on the Team Page !

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Vintage Cookbooks - Your Vintage Home by retrotrend

One of my favorite cookbooks is this 1961 edition of Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Cookbook, with drawings by Andrew Warhol.


While the book has seen better days, and many of the "household" ideas put forth seem a bit archaic these days, the line drawings of various foods, preparations and place settings are very fun to look at.

Many older cookbooks include menu planning for parties and helpful hints.

Here are a few of my top choices from other Vintage Market Team members.

Hors D'oeuvre from ismoyo

Polish Cookbook from ILoveDandelions
Fresh Vegetables from ZinniaRidge
Have you inherited any vintage cookbooks? Which are your favorites, and why?

Friday, September 16, 2011

Amy's Old School Tips 1960's Slang





There was a lot of change in the decade of the 1960's! The rigid culture of the 50's created a pendulum swing and the social revolution that occurred in response to the Conservative norms, the Vietnam War and materialism became an entire movement leading to freedom from previous social taboos, racism and sexism that existed in the past. An entire counter culture emerged, the Hippies, complete with its own slang! 


Beautiful People - kindred spirits among hippies
Bent - grouchy or annoyed
Bogart - to "hog" something
Boob tube - television
Box - a record player
Bum trip - unpleasant event
Choice - Really cool
Crash pad - place to sleep
Dig - understand
Dude - geek (this one has the opposite meaning now!)
Don't have a cow - don't get upset
Dove - peace lover
Flip flops - thongs you wore on your feet
Freedom Riders - civil rights protesters
Glad rags - dress clothes
Groove yard - record store
Hawk - war supporter
Lingo - speech/dialect 
Out of sight - unbelievable 
Pokey - jail
Right on - very good 
Stay Loose - remain calm 
Tagged - to be caught
Vibes - persons aura 
What's your bag man? - what's your problem

It is really interesting to see what slang has changed, what has disappeared and what we still use today!  What is your favorite slang from the 60's? Did you grow up then or is it your favorite era? 











Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Etiquette - Your Vintage Home by retrotrend


The best way to make anyone feel welcome in your home is to know the rules of etiquette.
Friends and family, co- workers and acquantences should all be made to feel at home - here are some easy ways to make a lasting impression.

Know your do's and don'ts with this book from Sarahendepity.
Never underestimate the importance of a proper table setting. Antique china and crystal don't need to be on display for every meal, but putting your silverware in the right spots is a must!


Forks from FalconandFinch.


Many etiquette books have sections for children too.
Do you know how to write a proper invataion? What about thank you notes? Check your etiquette books! Your children are never too young to learn the essential skill of a proper thank you note.


Proper doesn't have to mean boring, as you can see with these vibrant napkins from VitalVintage.

Another easy crowd- pleaser? Having someone's favorite appertief or digestif on hand. Wouldn't lemoncello look lovely in this set from ObjectRetro?

One of my favorite household etiquette tips?
I keep an antique chamber pot in my guest bathroom. And it's filled with travel toiletries- from samples to hotel bottles to extra toothbrushes. A pretty bowl or basket would work too.

Fresh sheets and towels are a must for overnight guests. Home cooked meals are a wonderful way to show you care.
What else do you do to welcome guests to your home?

Friday, September 9, 2011

Amy's Old School Tips Top 10 Reasons You Should Create Treasuries

Why should I take time away from, hunting, photographing, listing and tweeting and posting my items on my Face Book page to make a treasury with every body else's stuff? 
Here are 10 good reasons!
  1. Karma - also called "paying it forward", "reap what you sow", "what goes around comes around", "spread the love". Call it what you want but the point is the natural laws of causation, if you give something  positive to someone else something positive will be given to you! 
  2. Free Marketing - Free is good! When ever I am included in a treasury I am sure to click on the curators shop and heart them, if I haven't already, as well as heart a few of their items to draw attention to their shop! If you make a treasury people will look at your shop too!
  3. Front Page - Treasuries are chosen to be place on the Front Page (FP) of Etsy! If your treasury is chosen for FP you are sure to see a bounce in your shops views!
  4. Fun- It is fun to stretch your creative muscles and see what unique treasuries you can create! 
  5. Team Spirit - Creating treasuries with your team mates items spreads good will among your fellow Vintage Market Team members! 
  6. Research - Creating a treasury is a great way to research what other people are pricing their items at, how they are photographing, what unique things they are carrying etc. It gives you opportunity to search through Etsy viewing all the cool, creative and wonderful things people are doing!
  7. Recognizable - If you are creating a lot of treasuries and sending notes to the people included it will help you become recognizable which helps your shop grow in trustworthiness leading to more sales! 
  8. Social Media - If you create a treasury the people included are sure to Tweet it, heart it, share it on Facebook which will in turn help promote you!
  9. Activity Feeds - Your treasury will show up in other shops activity feeds which will in turn draw more views the the shops included as well as your shop (do you notice a trend in this theme?)
  10. Community Involvement - Have you noticed how cool the majority of people on Etsy are? Creating treasuries, viewing and commenting on treasuries is a great way to be involved in this unique community. I get lots of ideas by looking at other peoples treasuries and find it so fun to see the creativity and lovely, interesting, unique etc. treasuries people create! 
If you have never created a treasury before I have posted a tutorial on the Vintage Market Team blog previously or you can read how to create on on Etsy in this article

We are reworking the Treasury Challenge and replacing it with promotional treasuries that will focus on a season or a specific sale etc. If you create any treasuries there is a discussion thread on the Vintage Market Team page for you to post your Treasury creations either in the 50%, 100% and promotional topics.  This is a great way to market your treasury in order to increase its views! Many people are also on treasury promotion teams in which you list your treasury and comment on a set number of previous treasuries after which the next people in the line will comment on yours and they may post the treasury that you included them in on one of these threads! Views lead to sales!

What other good reasons do you have for creating treasuries? 



Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Citrus Olives - Your Retro Home by retrotrend

Firstly, please allow me to apologize for not posting last week- a little hurricane by the name of Irene had other plans. I'm safe and sound, though was without Internet for five days.

I'm back and have an amazingly simple yet decadent recipe to share.
Can we call it a recipe if there is no cooking involved? Yes.


Without further ado: citrus olives
Buy 1- 2 lbs of mixed olives from your cheese monger or gourmet grocer. Do not skimp on quality! Do not buy stuffed or spiced olives. Do buy the best imported ones you can find, and have them packed in scant brine. Need an olive cheat sheet? Check out this useful guide.
Buy an orange, or several if you feel like making supremes.
Place olives in a bowl with scant brine.
Quarter orange and cut into moderate slices. Or remove peel and slice into supremes.
Place orange slices/supremes with olives, stir gently and let sit.
Marinate at room temperature for two hours, or cover and chill for up to four days. Let come up to room temperature before serving.
(Kindly provide paper cocktail napkins or have a few small ramekins nearby for olive pits.)

You'll have lightly citrused olives and a bit of citrus olive oil brine- which is fantastic on warm, crusty bread- your reward for being so fiendishly clever and charming. The orange sections will melt in your mouth. To quote Auntie Mame, "they take up too much room in such a small glass", so keep olives out of your martinis.

Place your citrus olives next to your cheese plate next time you have company and watch them disappear.

Display your olives in style with this dish from ClairesFaire

These kitschy canape forks from AuntBonniesCloset will brighten up any soiree!


Don't let your olives have all the fun- color coordinate with these lovely salt and pepper shakers from ismoyo.
Which olives are your favorite variety? Have you ever brined your own olives? Do you prefer your martinis with or without olives?

Until next week... XOXO, retrotrend

Friday, September 2, 2011

Amy's Old School Tips September Merchandising

The Etsy September Merchandising Blog can be viewed in its entirety online. However, here are some highlights from it! !


First off there have been some changes to Etsy. Searching is no longer sorted by the most recently listed items. It is now listed by relevancy to the word/words typed in the search box. This helps buyers see exactly what they are seeking and also helps many shops show up in the search rather than one shop possibly dominating the field. It also helps items that are older in your shop but still relevant show up!




September is the time to get your holiday items listed! Etsy’s “holiday” season encompasses all aspects of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the classic December gifting holidays: Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.  Septembers main focus will be on Fall and Halloween so be sure to create treasuries with these themes to get the most notice! 


Halloween


"Halloween searches are in their prime right now. Particularly popular at this time is decor, party supplies, full costumes and accessories (both baby and adult), jewelry, pumpkin decorating ideas, DIY kits, treats and treat alternatives, and the darker side of Etsy. Get in the game by listing your full Halloween line now."



Vintage Red Bandit Villian Mask Rubies  By: DoNotDestroy


Vintage southern belle gown dress By: Vintage Runway


Atomic Salem Streamline Tricorne - Mandarin Orange 

Cups w/ Saucers By: Susabella Brownstein


Also trending for Halloween are:
  • wizards and wizardry 
  • magic
  • owls
  • vampires
  • mysticism with the release of the final chapter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.



Autumn


"Seasonal shift in weather, colors, and activities. Think autumn home decor, entertaining, woodland motifs and nature’s symbols. Harvest themes encompass fall planting, preserving the summer garden’s bounty, rustic farm references, and fall food favorites. Tagging tip: Autumn” is a more global seasonal association than the more American-based “fall” term; try including both as descriptive words."

Linen Tablecloth Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Art floral birds hearts houses 

ByCollectique 

Vintage Salt and Pepper Shakers 50s Pine Cone Theme 

By: Now Vintage





Fall Fashion
"Entering the height of 2011 fall fashion in clothing, accessories, and jewelry. More specifically, key basics, layering elements, the introduction of winter accessories and outerwear components, thick fabrics and rich leathers, autumnal tones, vintage boots and heavy-weight all-weather bags."


Vintage Boho Orange-Red Suede Fold Over Slouchy Boots By: ChicVintageWear


Vintage Mod Chenille Floral Tapestry Large Tote Bag  By: ChicVintageWear


Vintage Leather Trench Coat By: LoverlyVintage


Also trending in fashion are: 
  • Plaid
  • polka dots
  • tribal and snakeskin patterns
  • lace embellishments
  • Feathers
  • menswear
  • blazers
  • vests
  • jackets
  • oxfords
  • vintage boots.


Weddings
"Coinciding with our Halloween promotions, unconventional approaches to pulling off a creative event will have their time to shine. Don’t forget to stay a step ahead for brides currently planning and shopping for 2012 winter and spring weddings."
  • Handmade and Vintage variations on the wedding dress
Colors
Pantone’s color trend report for fall 2o11 includes quarry, cedar, and teal greens, nougat and coffee browns, orchid and phlox purples, bamboo mustard yellow, honeysuckle pink, and ember-glow coral. We’re also noticing interest in turquoise, rustic fall colors, jade greens and mustard's.

Letters, Numbers, and Symbols
Large vintage signage letters, letterpress blocks, monogram housewares, and typewriter keys.


It is a good idea to update your tags to fit the current themes and trends being searched for on Etsy. This will help keep you be relevant searches, treasuries and especially in sales! What are you looking forward to this fall? 
Amy




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