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