Retail Shop Inspiration: Hand Written Windows

There is something very old fashioned about handwritten shop signs and windows that I knew when I had a shop I would most certainly write many of the signs in the shop. Next week the hideous brown paper that is covering up our shop windows will be finally coming down (I've had it UP TO HERE with them) and so I can get to doodling on the shop windows to my heart's content.







I'll only be drawing on one shop window as the other main window is being saved for our shop logo. I haven't decided if I will be incorporating the triangle on the AV logo in the shop window or if I should just have ADORED | VINTAGE. We'll see... that's another task all together.

CH-CH-CHANGES + Progress

Bonjour lovelies!

Vegas was a blast and I have spent the past couple days catching up on work and recouping from 3 days at Magic Market Week. Yesterday I had to force myself to rest, I could barely keep my eyes open most of Friday and some of yesterday but when you're a one woman show it's no rest for the weary! I wanted to kind of track the progress of things going on around here as I feel more or less this is a journey we are traversing together...hehe...so here goes.


So...5 THINGS I'M WORKING ON for the VINTAGE SHOP

1.] WHAT KIND OF LIGHTS FOR THE SHOP? - solved
This morning I started to focus my attention again on the Brick + Mortar and went and looked at light options for the shop (finally decided on cool industrial pendants!) so that is ONE thing to check off the long list of "to-do" and "to-buy" for the shop.

BTW, I honestly thought opening up a shop would take like 2 weeks...put up a sign, get some lights, put in some racks...nuh-uh! Of course if you have unlimited funds and a team of helpers, then yes, it is absolutely possible! But with just me and my fella, well it's a lot slower of a process than I imagined.

2.] HOW TO SHOOT PRODUCTS IN SHOP SPACE - solved
Last week I spent some time shooting products for the shop with a new studio setup. So FINALLY resolved the product photography issue as I was having such a hard time working with the light available in the shop. It actually has TOO MUCH natural light. Never thought I'd say that!

3.] HOW TO ORGANIZE VINTAGE STOCK - working on it
So a couple of months ago I bought an entire vintage store that went out of business. I think I've acquired some 1500 pieces of clothing, jewelry, accessories... and well I wasn't anticipating how much ROOM all this stuff would take up! We now have two storage units and they're both full and the shop currently still houses a few more unopened boxes and several racks of clothing I have to still go through. I think this is going to be the biggest problem I have to solve.


4.] I NEED HELP - working on it - almost solved
Ahh I suppose it was going to be a lot sooner than later that I need some help around here... so next week I am interviewing for an assistant! At my old job I interviewed a fair number of girls that became my interns that I later trained and then eventually they took over what I did. I'm confident in my interviewing skills and actually very excited to meet the new prospects in person! Hooray!

5.] MANAGING PERSONAL TIME + WORK TIME - almost solved
Because I now have a live/work situation it has been very difficult for me to NOT work. Sometimes I'll stay up until 12-1 AM and just tinker away on the website or read up on new modules to add to the site or research costume jewelry... but lately I have been more firm with myself to work from 9-6 (UM, to be honest though I don't really stick to it as I still work until about 8 usually...) BUT, I am getting a lot better at taking little breaks, managing my time better, and being OK that there isn't enough time TODAY to do everything I want to do so there is always TOMORROW.

- - -

I do wish things were progressing faster around here. But then again, I am just one person. For now anyway. :)

Vintage Shop Inspiration: Shop Fixtures

I have been a huge fan of FOUND Vintage Rentals for awhile and was browsing around and instantly realized I basically wish I had everything in their warehouse to furnish the ADORED VINTAGE shop! This afternoon my fella and I had a relaxing visit with some of our shop friends over at Individual Medley and Myrtle and being in their shops just really inspired me to really get going with the brick + mortar.

The past month has been spent trying to catch up on work, processing tons and tons of packages coming in (I don't know if I mentioned this before, but I bought a vintage store that went out of business in the Midwest...so yeah, LOTS of deliveries to process lately!), and getting my new dwelling in order...so needless to say, the brick + mortar went to the back burner. Now that everything is all good to go with the apartment, it's time to really focus on the shop! For the most part I have just had the hardest time getting into some kind of schedule or sense of order because I was half living out of boxes and moving stuff around...do you get like that? Like you JUST CANNOT FUNCTION properly because half of your life is out of order?

ANYHOW... back to FOUND rentals... I was revisiting their lovely site again and started saving pictures as inspiration for store fixtures for my vintage shop. I spent about 2.5 hours doing research for other shop decisions, but the part I am most excited about is decorating the vintage shop and sourcing fixtures at the flea markets! Sometimes I can't believe I do what I do. It's pretty incredible and humbling.

If I may just go on another tangent for a minute... if you have a dream to do something (open a shop, write a book, become a designer...), you can bet your bottom dollar that if I can do it, YOU can do it. It won't be easy, it won't be cheap, and it won't happen right away. I get emails from women asking how I did it, if I have advice, what are my sources...and the best advice I can give is that if you're committed to your dream, your vision, it will come true because you'll do whatever it takes to make it happen.

When I went full time with Adored Vintage back in October I had no idea that in 5 months I'd be opening up an actual shop! It's pretty crazy. And wonderful.

First Look: Adored Vintage Brick + Mortar in Downtown Long Beach

The day is fast approaching! It's so soon! I am still in slight disbelief this is happening. I'm still thinking "What!? Am I doing this? Is this for real?"

But tis is!

By this weekend I will be moving into the new Adored Vintage retail + work studio. I feel that until all my things are actually in the space, I won't feel like it's real. There are so many things to do, I have so many ideas, so many plans! Part of me wishes I had some sort of device that would allow me to look at my future so I could see what the shop will eventually turn into.



Well, that's the other thing, I'm not sure what I want the space to be yet exactly. I really don't have plans to do a full time brick & mortar, not in the near future anyway. Although the space is a full front retail, I'll actually be curtaining off all the windows as about 50% of the time the space will be used as a photo studio and another 30% of the time I'll be sitting around the computer working in the space. And well, with this many windows and right on the street, I'd feel rather like a goldfish in a bowl (and the idea of that just makes me a bit ill).


This afternoon I had a bit of an anxiety attack because I don't know nor do I have definite plans for the space. Other than of course it is where I will work. What will it look like? How will everything fit there? All the "What?? When?? Where?? " questions swirling around my head were driving me crazy. And I'll be honest, I'm still anxious about not knowing. I plan so many things. I write lists. I have a backup plan for my backup plan. I'm THAT girl.

But diving into this new adventure is one of the scariest things I've ever done! I've never done it before and unlike most things in my life, I didn't spend months of research and writing pros and cons list and making Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C for it.

I just did it! (And I'm scared shitless, but like in a good way!)

So, lovelies, won't you dive into this adventure with me?

Maybe A Vintage Brick and Mortar?

I've been dreaming of a new space and I wanted to share what's been happening with you. It was just about a week ago that I declared I would begin my search for a new live/work situation for Adored Vintage HERE and within a matter of days an ideal place has opened its doors.

So here's the dealio. I had hoped to have a live/work loft where I could schedule vintage visits by appointment only. I looked into other cities, into other states...and by chance happened upon an interesting listing of a retail store with a loft behind it. I must have sputtered coffee at my computer when I saw this and immediately sent an email inquiring about the location.

No answer. No email. No call. Panic sets in. (Mind you this is only in a matter of hours, but in LA if you spot a space, you need to JUMP on it!) Determined as I am, I hitch a ride with the fella to just scope out the space and lo and behold, I was able to see the space first!

And oh yes...it feels so right and better than I had hoped for! I have a separate WORK STUDIO for Adored Vintage right now which I've found really isn't my thing. The back and forth and scheduling of projects and always feeling like I never had enough time and the battle with traffic and parking tickets...it's been really fun having a little workshop, but I'm ready to move forward!

Everything is in the initial stages, but on Monday I find out if my application is approved. I am praying to God I am approved! I have so many plans and ideas for the new space. And it will be nice to use some new pieces of furniture I've acquired that's been sitting in storage (impulse flea market purchases...you know how that is!)