November 28, 2011

Mommy Mondays: Treating Stains

I don't lead a glamorous life, as you will see in this post.  I live a happy, practical one, constantly searching for remedies for little domestic conundrums. As a mother and a vintage seller, I wash and treat a variety of stains on a variety of different fabrics.  Here are some household products/appliances that I have found that rescue me from those tough stains.

This is my, and many other vintage sellers as well as mothers, go-to item for getting rid of tough stains.  It works on materials made of natural fibers, such as cotton and rayon.  They also have an oxiclean made for treating baby clothes! I always soak my clothing that needs some stain removal in this.  Beware of clothes that bleed though.  However, if you run into the problem of one color of clothing bleeding on another, I just found a solution for that!

I thought I ruined a perfectly beautiful 1950s prom dress, but researched online and found about this magical little substance called Carbona Color Run Remover.  This little box comes in individual packets and are hard to find.  They are not usually sold in your local grocery store and the most accessible way to buy it is on Amazon.  However, I was desperate the other night and found a walmart that carried them and it was the ONLY walmart that carried them within 50 miles of me.  It turned my yellow dress that had turned green, back to yellow! I was ever pleased.  One box costs a little over $2 and I just bought a bunch.

Here is my last little solution for some tricky stains.  Since oxiclean can't work on materials such as silk, I found out that glycerin, i.e. soap, works well and I've used Palmolive on my silk and I'm satisfied.  There are some stains that the dry cleaners can't even get rid of, or they use too harsh of chemicals, which could hurt your delicate vintage clothes.  But, soaking your special dress or accessory in this for a couple of hours can really do the trick.

These are some of my remedies and I am not claiming that these will fix all the problems, so don't send me any hate mail if you try something and you ruin your dress.  That's not my problem. Don't soak items that shouldn't be soaked, like crepe, or anything else that shouldn't touch water.   But, they seem to work most of the time!  Please share any little laundry secrets by posting comments below!

November 25, 2011

Get Your Shop On

I've contemplated whether or not I want to go brave it in the malls at midnight for Black Friday for a new pair of jeans.  Then, I realized I would regret it later.  I hate crowds and malls.  So glad I decided not to go. 

Instead, I bring you new items on sale in the shop. I love shopping from the comforts of my own chair, secluded from the craziness out there.  You may find something from my shop this Black Friday- Cyber Monday.  Everything is marked down from 15-25% and domestic orders over $75 receive free shipping while international orders receive 1/2 off shipping!  This will end at midnight on Monday, so take a look and find that perfect gift or holiday dress!

(click on images for links)





  







  




November 22, 2011

Black Friday Starts NOW!


Let the Black Friday/ Cyber Monday sale begin, NOW!  As you already know, the entire shop is already discounted up to 25% off, and from now until November 28th at midnight, free domestic shipping on orders over $75 and 1/2 off shipping of $75 or more for international orders, before shipping is added of course.  I will refund the shipping costs via PayPal if your order is over $75!

Enjoy and have a happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

November 18, 2011

Weekends Are Crazy

I remember the days when my husband and I would sleep in until 11, wake up and eat a little meal, then take a nap.  We would literally stay in bed the entire day at times.  Obviously, that is not productive and definitely a luxury.  That luxury is long gone and most of my weekends end up looking like the following pictures.

Loads of laundry to wash, fold, and put away.

I have a 2 hour window to go vintage hunting on Saturdays and so I just throw the finds on the floor of my bedroom until I have time to clean and organize those.

My son decides to play with unusual items. Here, he has attached my bathrobe to the tricycle I found for him at a thrift store.

This is all from Saturday morning.  Weekends are much more packed and we always have something to go to, but I wanted to share my glamorous life.  Ha.  Yes, I do miss being able to sleep in and spend a whole day in bed.  However, as crazy as it sounds, I love this more and wouldn't trade it for anything! 

Have a great weekend, everyone!  Also, start your holiday shopping a little early!  My shop has discounts for up to 25% to help me reach 900 sales by the end of the year (wishful thinking, but I'm going to try!)

November 16, 2011

A Girly Shop Update

 Lately, I've been listing pinks, purples, florals, ruffles, and shiny items.  It's been different than my usual, but just as lovely.  I still had to throw in a couple of neutrals though.  They're essential! Hope you like the items!  Just click on the images to be linked to the item!










 

November 10, 2011

Things I've Learned - Yr 2

So, my 2 year Etsyversary came and went.  I always ask in my interviews to other Etsy sellers what advice they can give to others.  Here are some things I've learned for myself.

1.  Find a way for your shop to stand out.  Because of Etsy's new relevancy search becoming the default, renewing tons of items a day won't cut it and bring in as many views as it once did.  So, either make your items stand out through your backgrounds, models, lighting, or any way you can think of.  I became desperate because my views got so low that I started modeling myself in my postpartum body.  Luckily, it brought on more views.

2.  Don't get discouraged about low sales.  This industry has seasons of lows and highs.  If you are having low sales, others are also.  Just keep on listing and in a couple of  months, your sales will get better.  I've seen this pattern the last 24 months, so I don't get as discouraged (although it is still quite nervewracking when the sales do get low.)

3.  Etsy is a community and people are helpful, but only up to a certain point.  When I first began Etsy, I expected people to be super nice and lend a helping hand regarding anything.  But, I realized that Etsy is also a competitive marketplace and sometimes, you won't get help with certain questions.  You're going to have to figure some things out for yourself, like photography lighting, or where to find items for your shop. 

I'll stop here because I don't want to bore anyone with my essay.  Hope these are helpful.  Anyone agree, disagree, or have any other sage advice to offer?

November 4, 2011

Shop Update: Yellows, Blues, and Browns











Doesn't sound like a yummy color palette, but I like my shop update.  Please come take a look!  These items are aching for views!

Oh, and I've decided to stick with Revolving Styles Vintage.  Thanks to those who voted!