Happiest Place on Earth

My apologies for being MIA from the blog and from the shop for almost a week.  I think returning back to work and running on 4-5 hours of broken sleep per night for a month wore me down badly and I have needed this past week to recover physically.  Posting of some fabulous vintage dresses and accessories will commence again late tonight, so please stop by the shop, especially because there is a SALE occurring to celebrate the end of September!

Anyhow, our family lives less than 2 miles from Disneyland, so we got the cheapest annual pass.  Last week was Jessie's first time at Disneyland, and she did very well.  Here are some pictures from the happiest place on earth, albeit some crappy ones.  I had no idea for a while why my pictures were coming out with bright spots, but then I realized that my son played with the lens of the camera and there were some spots on it that just needed a good wiping.  Oops. 

1. So glad I finally fit in my 50s vintage dress!

2. I love the ergo carrier!

3. My son cracks me up. What a ham.

This shot melts my heart!

This shot best describes what I've been feeling like.  Out of it, not focused, but having a good time.

(See the bright spot I'm talking about?  Thank you son for your greasy fingers.)

I'll be back.

Jeans and a T-Shirt

So, here's another semi-outfit post.  This is actually what I frequently wear, but it's semi still because I haven't given a full body shot.  Honestly, it's really hard to put in a lot of effort into my hair, make-up, and clothes when the time to do that is small to none.  I usually put on a dress, which is really easy, or I throw on this breastfeeding friendly shirt with a comfortable pair of jeans.  I think I wear this shirt at least 2x a week.  So, here I am in jeans, white shirt, with minimal make-up. At least I combed my hair. Ha.

White henley shirt: H&M

Belt: vintage thrifted

Dooney & Bourke shoulder bag: in the shop

Slim jeans: Forever 21

Oxfords: Flea market

Mommy Monday: Some Proud Moments

Our family has been quite busy the past two weekends- actually, ever since Jonah was born.  Anyhow, I wanted to share some moments that definitely made me smile.

This was Jonah's first time hitting a pinata and I was actually somewhat impressed.  My son is somewhat timid and he's really sweet, so I was surprised when he hit it forcefully. We especially enjoyed his one-hander. Definitely made my husband proud, can't you tell by his little commentary?

The other proud moment was this past weekend when my husband took Jonah to the Dodgers game with the men from church.  Moses, my husband, caught a homerun ball in the 1st inning!  He doesn't even like the Dodgers, but he may like them a little more now.   I just think it's funny how happy Mo looks in these pictures.  Those who know Moses will know that he does not smile often, so these pictures made me smile.   It melts my heart how much Mo loves Jonah and how Jonah LOVES his dad. 

What were some moments that made you smile this past week?

Don't Go Dull on Me Yet

   

Yes, it's turning fall.  But, that doesn't mean we need to forget about adding some color to our outfits.  This week's shop update consists of vintage neutrals and basics, along with the item that packs a punch!  Hope you like it.  And, don't forget about the sale going on in the shop right now!  It ends tomorrow night!

Semi- Outfit Post

1940s dress: estate sale

1940s black platforms: flea market

This is a semi-outfit post because I have not actually worn this dress, yet.  Ever since I began modeling for the shop, I keep coming across items that are hard to let go.  This dress fits me like a glove, and not many dresses do with my post-baby, breastfeeding body.  Although I have not worn this dress out yet, I may just ask my husband to take me out somewhere just so I can have a reason to wear it.  You can find the dress here.

Also, the shop is having a little sale for 48 hours, so take a look!

Little Snippets

Here are a few little snippets of my life.

Picture 1: 8:00 a.m.- Jessie always wakes up with a smile.

Picture 2: 8:15 a.m.- Make breakfast for myself and my son.  Today's menu is eggs with ham.

Picture 3: During breakfast- Jonah entertains himself with some markers and a dinosaur activity book.

Picture 4: 10:00 a.m. - Run errands.  This one is grocery shopping at a Korean supermarket.  Jonah's perusing the Korean snack section.

Picture 5: If I decide not to run an errand, I work on chores and the house.  I finally started to decorate Jessie's room.

Picture 6: 2:00 p.m. - Work on the shop.  Here's a pile of vintage I need to clean, sort, steam, etc.

The kids wake up around 4-4:30 and I get dinner ready.  Lately, Mo's been the best husband and has been washing the dishes and he always gives Jonah a bath.  So, I get to work on the shop after Jessie goes down at 8 and I sleep at 2:30 a.m.. Then, my day begins at 7:30 a.m. when Jonah wakes up. 

Hope you enjoy little snippets of my life.  More to come next week!

Moms of Etsy~ Beth of REiNViNTAGE and REiNViNTAGEkids

One great aspect of shopkeeping on Etsy is networking with others.  There are some people you just click and connect with right away, and Beth from REiNViNTAGE is definitely one of the friendliest vintage moms on Etsy!  Not only is she friendly, but her shop is well-stocked with gorgeous vintage apparel.  She recently began a second shop for little kids, also!  Get to know Beth and how this super-mom handles her shop, family, and work.

What inspired you to start your Etsy shops?

After working in corporate America for 7 years, I started feeling like my creative side was being severely neglected. While I was out on maternity leave with our first son I started brainstorming things to do/make on Etsy. I was also hoping I could find something that would help us bring in some extra income in the future so I could stay out a little longer whenever we decided to have another child. I started reading more on the Etsy blog and came across a QYDJ article about another vintage shop and her story just clicked: www.etsy.com/blog/en/2009/quit-your-day-job-advintagous/

I had been collecting vintage clothing and accessories since high school and my collection had gotten pushed to the back of my closet behind all of my Anne Klein business suits. I decided it was time to dig it out again and see what I had!  I felt like opening a vintage shop might be the perfect way for me to feel whole again - to reinvent myself - and bring some fun back into my wardrobe… so, REiNViNTAGE was born.

(Note: not current picture of Beth! This was when she was 16, dressing up for spirit week in high school.)

After 6 months, things were going great; I was thrilled! Then we found out we were expecting our 2nd child, which I just knew would be a girl. While thrifting I started picking up little vintage dresses whenever I saw them. But in October we found out #2 was another boy…so much for intuition! :) About a month or so later I started planning REiNViNTAGEkids. My hope was to open it in January, but as my pregnancy progressed that date quickly got changed to “whenever I get the energy”. Our 2nd son was born March 19th and REiNViNTAGEkids opened at the end of June.

A dress from Beth's personal collection that made its way into the shop!

How many kids do you have and when do you find is the best time to work on your shop?
We have two boys, Will (2yrs) and Charlie Fletcher (5.5mo). When I was on maternity leave, I would work most days during Will’s naptime (1-3pm) and then again at night after he went to bed around 7:00. Now that I’m back at the day job I’m more reliant on my time in the evening, and then use my lunch hour to go to the post office, catch up on convos or edit photos. I’ve never made “set” hours for my shop because it’s so hard to stick to that plus the boys’ schedules!

What time do you go to bed at night? Heh… *usually* between 10-11pm.

What time do you get up? My alarm goes off at 6am and I snooze until about 6:30 (or whenever one of the boys decides it’s time to get up).

Do you take your children with you while hunting for vintage for the shop? If so, what are some helpful tips. Rarely. When I was out my husband would stay with the boys one day a week so I could go out and it was such a treat! I’ve taken Charlie out with me a few times – he’s a great shopping buddy because he just hangs out in the stroller and smiles. The best advice I can give is to make sure they have a full belly :)

Charlie!!!

5 words to describe yourself. Determined. Pragmatic. Humorous. Thoughtful. Southern <3

Is Etsy a job, hobby, or both? Both! But more of a hobby since I still have a full time day job. I used to be a sales manager and got switched to a customer service position where I don’t make commission or bonuses anymore. The shop helps supplement our income and without me having to work crazy long hours during the day!

Beth's first pair of vintage heels, thrifted at age 15.

What are your favorite items in the shops? For REiNViNTAGE: Channeling my inner southern belle:

vintage 1930s 40s formal dress : O'HARA full skirt

For REiNViNTAGEkids: Making me want to try *one more time* for a little girl:
vintage 1920s 30s dress : PiNK SiLK ivory lace (newborn-3mo)

Do you have a go to meal on those days where you're overwhelmed by your family, work, Etsy, etc.? What is it? I am the luckiest mama in the world because my husband does all the cooking (but he knew when we got married that it wasn’t part of the package). The nights when I “cook” basically means we order Papa John’s :)

Hope you enjoyed reading about Beth, one of the many supermoms on Etsy and thanks to Beth for taking time out of her busy life to contribute to my little old blog! <3

Get Ready for Fall

Not sure if I want to model a dress again, but here it is: 

50s Pintuck Cocktail Dress

One of the most amazing dresses I've found: 

50s vintage Silk Taffeta Dress

60s Vintage Satin Sheath Dress, size Large

Perfect heels for fall! 

Lovely transitional peasant tunic.

Amazing print on this midi skirt!

50s beaded clutch

A gorgeous Schiaparelli scarf.  

I gasped when I found it hidden in a 4 feet pile of vintage scarves.

After a refreshing vacation with my family, I came back with a new motivation for getting the shop back up to what it was before, and even better.  I'm still wondering about the modeling clothes myself thing because of my self-consciousness, so I'd love some honest feedback!

Also, I will be adding new items to the shop daily, except for weekends, so please check back often!  I have some even more gorgeous items to list that I'm excited about.  I promise they'll be stunning!

Growth and Loss

So, my bangs finally are starting to GROW out, and I've lost much of the baby weight! Still have 7 more pounds to get to pre-first baby weight, and 4 more to get to pre-Jessie weight.  I'm going to start Insanity soon, hopefully, if the kids don't kill me first. Ha. I kid. I love them.

The outfit is nothing special, but just a bit of what I wear everyday as a mom of 2.  I'd like to turn this blog into an adventures of a stay-at-home with an online business type of blog.  So, if that doesn't suit your fancy, you should stop reading this blog. (Thanks to those who do read this blog, btw!  I really appreciate it!)

Top: Michael Kors (for $10 at an outlet)

Shorts: H&M

Sandals: 70s Vintage, thrifted

I'm also going to start modeling a few items on Etsy.  It'll be a part of the "new" look for the shop, and people seem to prefer items shown on actual people.  Be warned, I'm 5'2" and nowhere near a model.  Anyhow, you can find this dress here.

Before I Go...

enjoy these fabulous Friday finds...

fabulous Alexa Chung

photo by Ellen von Unwerth from Oct '11 Harper's Bazaar UK

fabulous paper crane mobile made from music sheets

fabulous dress from alexandra grecco

fabulous little felt bunny from FlossyFancy

fabulous dining room

fabulous statement necklace from my fab friend's shop, Simply Audrey

Have a great weekend!