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.

Months ago I was at an antique fair and happened upon this pink velvet settee and my first thought was "I HAVE TO HAVE IT" then my second thought was "Where are you going to put that?!" Well, I ended up buying it anyway because I have always wanted a pink velvet sofa, it's one of those girlie childhood things..when I grow up I want a pink sofa... and dagnabbit, I done and got it!



It hasn't made it's official home in my apartment or in my shop (still because of the whole "space" issue) But I adore her so very very much and she's quite comfortable to sit on. Perhaps I'll find room for her in my mini vintage shop and when I have lovely gals stop by for a vintage appointment they can sit for a spell and I'll bring out tea and we can gab about whatever our little hearts desire...

I was always one of those gals that preferred to make a gift for someone for Valentine's Day or share an experience instead of being handed a packaged parcel or going out to a fancy dinner. So, I rounded up some adorable Valentine's Day pretty craft and bake ideas for you to try out!



Edible Arrow Valentines | The Coterie Blog
52 Reasons Vintage Card Deck | Little Gray Fox
J'Taime Coffee Cups | Eat, Drink, Chic
Printable Arrow Cards | Sweet Muffin Suite



Butterfly Object D'Art | Sweet Paul Mag
Heart Art Decorations | Celebrations
Love Struck Place Cards | Fellow Fellow
Date Idea Arrows | Sugar & Cloth
Valentine's Treat Bag | Twig & Thistle

Progress has officially been made in the shop! A new door has been installed so now I can move to and fro much easier than the past few weeks since I've moved! I don't know why, but this ONE single "to-do" (ie. Get New Door Put In) has been such a mental block for me about owning a retail store. Maybe one of those when one door closes another one opens...except there WASN'T A DOOR so...ya dig?

So now that THAT'S done, I feel like we are moving forward! The shop doesn't have great lighting as is. There is a single ceiling fan light. I'm not in love with the ceiling fan but the tiny shop REALLY heats up during the day so for practicality, the ceiling fan stays. As you know, this is our first time opening up an actual store front, so we're getting ideas and figuring stuff out as we go. First on the list... lighting! So naturally, I went on a hunt on Pinterest for some retail lighting ideas.


src: // Afflante.com


src: // House of Bliss via Artilleriet


src: // Pinterest


src: // Rose and Grey


src: // Blood and Champagne


src: // Pinterest


src: // April May Studio


src: // The Pantalones


src: // Pinterest


src: // Pinterest


src: // Pinterest


src: // Flickr

I spent last week photographing a portion of our collection of antique and vintage 1920s and 1930s purses and bags for the vintage shop. I love fancy little purses like these to dress up a simple skirt and blouse outfit or understated dress. I have this one vintage purse that I purchased awhile back from A Current Affair Vintage Market and I went through a phase of carrying it to the grocery store.

Of course I should have known a 1920s beaded beauty shouldn't be taken to a grocery shop (or in a bike basket on the way to farmer's market) but I was so attached to this vintage purse... the lining finally started shattering and there were a few bead casualties... anyhow... if you are looking for your own antique beaded (or crochet purse) to fawn over, here are some coming soon to Adored Vintage!



Shop Vintage Bags + Purses

I wasn't going to go to the Santa Monica Vintage Fashion Expo this past Saturday, but some other plans fell through, so then I decided to attend! And boy, am I glad I did! There were so many gorgeous frocks to be admired, tried on, and taken home! I was particularly enamored by all the floral silk chiffon 1920s and 1930s dresses and there are a few sellers that specialize in only these dresses!


These amazing dresses are all from Unforgettable Vintage who has a hearbreakingly beautiful collection of 1920s and 1930s frocks. She was very kind to let me photograph her vintage as some dealers don't allow photos (since many designers come here to poach design ideas but don't buy the pieces!) There were lots of gorgeous lace Victorian and Edwardian era dresses from one of my favorite vintage sellers 1860-1960 whom I also see quite often at Rose Bowl. Beth and Julie are the sweetest ladies and I always enjoy chatting with them about antiques and vintage! And lookie who I ran into! The one and only ginger haired Rebecca of Rococo Vintage!




I can't remember which booths these dresses were all from, but I wasn't allowed to take as many photos as I would have liked as quite a few sellers didn't allow photos. I understand from a business perspective, but I also DON'T understand from a business perspective. I tried to explain to few sellers that I'm a seller myself and I write a vintage blog and just wanted to share, and while no one was outright rude about photography, I did feel some just weren't willing to listent to what I had to say. Oh well, can't win em all!

One of the reasons I LOVE this vintage show so much is because the vintage sellers bring the best of their best. It's like going into the MET Museum and being able to try on and BUY the clothes on display. I get quite emotional sometimes and I squeal and coo over vintage clothing like they are adorable puppies walking down the street.

If you follow Adored Vintage on Instagram you'll see some previews of the treasures I found that I will be adding into the shop soon!

Wow! Where has the time flown! February is already upon us and I feel like it was just yesterday I was packing up my apartment and my work studio in Los Angeles and preparing to move to Long Beach. Here are some snaps from our Instagram Feed for those of you that don't use or follow Adored Vintage on Instagram.



January has been a fairly trying month. A lot of successes and a lot of stress. Back in December I thought it would be a brilliant idea to move both my apartment and my studio on THE SAME DAY (because I'm secretly a crazy person!). I went from two small studios to a loft style apartment (with a retail shop in front for the Adored Vintage shop!) with one small closet. Storage has been the number one problem so far.

If you are anything like me, the site of clutter (or perhaps the reality of how much I actually own) makes me feel a little anxious. I don't like seeing things just haphazardly laying around. I want to tidy it up, put it in pretty boxes, make vignettes... and well, my apartment and my shop or in the current state of "piles here" and "boxes there". Can you relate to this? I think I seriously had a mini panic attack after a week here and the boxes just did not seem to be going away!

Luckily the light is at the end of the tunnel. Moving to a new city, moving two different studios into one space, and running a business with you as the sole employee... it's been a hectic crazy month.

I'm excited for February to be a lot more mellow and to really focus on the Adored Vintage shop and really putting down some roots into this garden I am cultivating!

What are you excited for and looking forward to in February?

I've officially been in the city of Long Beach for three weeks! Ok, ALMOST 3 weeks, so this outfit is definitely inspired by my new cirty. There are several farmer's markets here in Long Beach (there are three every week!) and happily enough Long Beach is a very bike friendly city! There are bike lanes everywhere and you often see bikers zipping around town. Which is good news for me as I dislike driving (unless it's scenic drives along the Pacific Coast Highway) and prefer to get around town on foot or via a bicycle.

The other thing I learned about Long Beach is that it has a "Bag Ban" meaning you can't get plastic bags anywhere! So I've made sure to have my trust grocery tote or basket whenever I go to the market. Loving the bag ban law by the way...way to be eco friendly LBC!



The Shop List
1. Hat, The Outnet
2. Top, Monki.com
3. Pants, Forever New
4. Boots, Isabel Marant
5. Bike, Aha Life
6. Basket, Williams & Sonoma
7. Scarf, Gucci


Fresh flowers, a loaf of bread (usually rosemary or olive), and various fruits and veggies are my farmer's market staples. What's in your farmer's market bag?

Here are some rare fashion sketches from the house of CHANEL through the 1950s and 1960s. Coco Chanel was most famous for her suit sets and it is amazing to me to be able to see these before they were ever cut and sewn from cloth. A fashion sketch is at first a dream then later materialized (and most are not). Which Chanel suit from the 1950s and 1960s is your favorite?








These CHANEL vintage fashion sketches are from the Bergdorf Goodman archives via Ana Lee Russian blog. Check out the link for more sketches!

A few weeks ago I purchased a vintage black wool hat with worn in leather trim and have religiously been wearing it on a daily basis. I think I'm going through a Wild West phase.

I also found out recently that my beau has never been to the Grand Canyon besides spending a few years in Arizona as a kid and visiting Arizona a few times a year. So, needless to say, a trip to the Grand Canyon is a MUST for us soon. And a picnic! Most people invision having picnics at the park, somewhere green and woodsy...but I've never really heard anyone say they want to picnic in the desert or in the canyon.



1. Hat, ForwardForward.com
2. Dress, Marc Jacobs
3. Earrings, SSense.com
4. Picnic Set, Lampsplus.com
5. Boots, Bonadrag.com
6. Blanket, Pendleton

What do you think? Would you ever want to picnic in the desert?