Moms of Etsy ~ Desiree of ArtDecoDame

I am extremely honored and excited to bring you the following interview of the gorgeous Desiree from the Etsy shop ArtDecoDame.  She has an amazingly curated shop full of vintage from the 20s to the 60s with bright photography and a wide variety of apparel.  She does all this while watching her two lovely children and pets!  Find out how she balances her life as mother and shopkeeper in the following interview!

Meet Desiree

What inspired you to start your Etsy shop?

Honestly, it was becoming so disenchanted with selling on eBay.  I sold for years on there off and on. When I got pregnant with my daughter it became my full-time gig, but its a different crowd.  You feel lost amongst a sea of other things and the fees are painful.  Etsy, due to being more select in what they allow you to sell on the site, you don't get that.  I'd put it off for about a year, though friends kept telling me to sell on there, because I felt like it was more marketed at handmade. But Etsy has a great vintage selection and vintage sellers!

How many kids do you have and when do you find is the best time to work on your shop?

I have two kidlets! My daughter Heidi is 4 and my son Wayland is 2.

so cute! love both of their expressions here!

The best times I've found to work on my shop is throughout the day when I can.  I always take photos when I have natural light so I'll set them up with an art project while I take photos of inventory. When they're eating breakfast, I'll take that time to either sneak in a listing or work on ironing any clothing I've picked up.  I try and do prep work throughout the day so I can knock out listings either that night or the next morning.

With kids you just come to terms with the fact that you're NOT going to accomplish everything you want to do right then and there when you're feeling motivated.  So, instead of getting frustrated that you can't work when you feel like, it it is better to break up what you need to do in smaller to do lists.

What time do you go to bed at night?

I am unfortunately a night owl.  I thought having kids would help that but it didn't.  I'm good at making sure I'm in bed by midnight. Sometimes I can fall asleep right away and other times it'll be one or 2 in the morning before I can sleep.  I have an overactive mind and it doesn't shut off until I'm too exhausted to do anything other than shut my eyes.

What time do you get up and do you need caffeine?

My kids are my alarm clock and they're usually up a little before 7am.  Sometimes I can con them into snuggling in bed with me till 7:30am.  I'm not an early bird so yes, coffee is my best friend in the morning.

Do you take your children with you while hunting for vintage for the shop?  If so, what are some helpful tips.

Yes I do. The preferred method is always to go childless, but that is not always the reality for a lot of us.  I will say shopping with one is so much easier than 2 ( and if you're going with more than 2 you deserve sainthood).  When my daughter was a baby, it was so easy to put her in my Baby Bjorn carrier and go.  My best advice is to make sure your kids are fed before you go! I can't say I would dare bring my kids to an estate sale or auction, but yard sales and thrift stores are easier.  I try to give mine something to hold when we go in the store so they're less likely to grab other things.

5 words to describe yourself.

Sarcastic, Sensitive, Loyal, Nerdy and Shy

What is your favorite item in the shop?

Hmmm,that's a toss up between my Bakelite acorn brooch and the lucite purse!

 

Do you have a go to meal you cook on those days where you're overwhelmed?

I wish I did!  I'm very fortunate to have a husband that loves to cook so on days I'm feeling overwhelmed, he'll happily cook for me.

What is the best and hardest thing about working from home with little ones?

The best part is I'm here with them.  I'm not missing them grow up.  The worst is online sales aren't always reliable like an out of the home job. Also finding balance, though your shop needs attention to work you can feel like finding that balance between giving it the proper attention and being there for your kids is a tight rope.

Are there any other networking sites you post on?

Yes,I'm a tad of a social networking whore
I'm on blogger: www.ArtDecoDame.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ArtDecoDame
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Art_Deco_Dame
and if you're an iPhone geek like me I'm on Instagram under BakeliteBroad

Hope you enjoyed getting to know Desiree.  So many honest truths here about being a stay at home mom.  Thanks so much for reading and thanks to Desiree for being so open!