My Summer of Vintage Collecting for CharmingShopVintage

Hello everyone! 

I hope you're having a great day today. The other day I said I was going to be letting you in on recent shop details. This summer has been hectic and I realize I haven't been blogging as much as I want to. I strive to be as transparent as possible, so you can get a good view of how I operate CharmingShop and my daily life. 

So here's the news: I've been working hard this summer, curating a collection of amazing vintage items to start up my new vintage shop section. Now I say section, because yes, it is an extension of CharmingShop. The only thing is it will be a completely different shop. Don't worry it's not up yet. You didn't miss a thing. I will provide links as soon as it goes public. My goal is to provide items that I know for a fact you will love. If you share my views on adorable vintage clothing and unique retro housewares, you are going to love everything I've been collecting. How do I know? Well pretty much everything I've found so far, I've wanted to keep for myself! I know I have to show some restraint, because my house is beginning to be an all-vintage-all-the-time antique store. I can't hoard everything! So I've put my own collecting on hold to bring you pieces that would mean something to me personally. Things I would keep for my own collection. It's a little bit of my own vintage collecting style, all in one place, just for you. What's best is I've made everything very affordable. I've been thrifting all my life. I know what prices are right for things, and I know what I would pay. So everything in CharmingShopVintage is priced according to what I would pay myself. I want to make vintage available and affordable. We have everything from small figurines to amazing designer purses to incredibly collectible kitchenware. Just you wait, guys. I can't wait for you to get your hands on some of this stuff! Here are some photos of a few things I've found recently. You're definitely going to see some of this in CharmingShopVintage. 

CharmingShopVintage should've launched already, but we've had some minor setbacks. Not to worry. We have a new goal date and we're on course to meet it. On September 4th I will be on the road, travelling to Minneapolis and then Wisconsin. (I wish we were going further to Chicago.) After a week of road-tripping, I'll be home and back at CharmingShop, preparing the heck out of the new Vintage section. 

I hope you're as excited as I am! Vintage is such a HUGE part of my life. I couldn't live without the attachment I feel towards history. All items have a story and an energy. I feel like it's my job to collect these things and be a part of their journey. And now I'm ready to help you all to find amazing items and be a part of their journey too. 

See you later, you lovely people. The sun is starting to set here already and I'm ready to enjoy the evening. Enjoy yours too!

Marissa

CharmingShop

Happy Tuesday and Welcome back to the CharmingShop Blog

Hello ladies and gentlemen! How are you on this fine day? I haven't been on here in a few weeks. Mostly because I wanted my blog to have time to breathe, so the very top post would still be about my CharmingShop Contest. If you're new here, welcome! Just scroll down a bit to the post below. There you will find all the details of my contest, which is still going on by the way! It ends August 31st and that day is really creeping up on us now. Gosh, I can not believe summer is almost over already. What happened there?!

I have so much to tell you about, but I really want to let you in on the details! So no quickly mushed together post about a million topics. I'm going to spread it out and tell you over the next few days. Sounds like a plan? Okay! As I have touched on before, I've been at the Red River Farmers Market here in Winnipeg, selling my art prints, fashion jewellery and hand-punched confetti sachets! I've also been scouring the city with my volunteer vintage hunting buddy (my mom!) to get started on my new Etsy shop, CharmingShopVintage! It's just bare bones at the moment, but when I get some items listed, you lovely people will be the first to know. It will be postponed a bit, because I'm helping the comic artist boyfriend of mine meet his artistic deadlines. And on the 4th, I head out on an end of summer road trip to Wisconsin! Hooray! (Expect some travel posts! Did I really even have to warn you?)

CharmingShop is becoming more than just a dream for me. Every day I get closer to my goals and the expectations I set for myself. That's more than I could ever ask for. And you know what? You are the reason that's happening. You, sitting there reading this. You're contributing to the movement propelling me forward and pushing me to invent new ways of expressing my art form. So thank you, dear readers!

I'll keep developing CharmingShop, and giving you sweet atomic era eye candy.

Speaking of Atomic Era eye candy, I have a little interview on the Winnipeg Etsy Street Team Blog today! It's Who's New Tuesday. I joined my local Etsy Team a couple months back. And although I'm naturally shy and enjoy working alone, I'm really blessed and happy that I joined WEST. Just knowing that I have a group of people to potentially reach out to if I need help is really relieving. Sometimes you just don't know all the answers. A new pair of eyes on your work gives a fresh perspective you might not have gotten otherwise. Not to mention some emotional support from people who know exactly how tough it is to create your own small business and stay positive, so you can keep going and not give up. Never give up. If you're on Etsy and you don't have a team, I recommend finding one for yourself. Stop by the WEST blog and take a look at my little interview. While you're there take a look at all the other incredibly talented artists (of all kinds) I share this city with. Winnipeg is home to some really creative and hardworking people. I think you'll love the brilliant Etsy shops that come out of the Winnipeg team.

Enough rambling on for today. I thought I said I wasn't going to talk about a million different topics... What happened there?

All you need to remember are these things:

* I will be posting about shop life and my life for the next little while, updating you on the past few weeks.

* Vintage section coming soon!

* Hurry and get yourself in on my contest because time is running out!

* Check out my interview on the WEST Blog and browse other incredible WESTies.

See? Wasn't that a good and simple recap? I'll see you guys tomorrow. Enjoy your Tuesday!

Marissa

CharmingShop

CharmingShop Contest - A Closer Look at Your Prize!

So did you see my post about the CharmingShop Giveaway and wonder what was in the goodie bag? Well you don't have to wonder anymore! Here it is for you all to see! You could win:

*1 of my 11 prints (you can pick which one!)

*a pair of CharmingShop turquoise metal earrings

*a sachet of my glittery handmade confetti with the saying "Congrats." 

(No explanation needed. Congrats is right if you win this super amazing prize pack!)

*3 of my teeny tiny hand braided bracelets - perfect for layering.

*a secret coupon code for 10% off anything in my shop!

That's pretty great, right?

If you're interested in entering, it's SO easy. Just look at the last post below for the instructions. You'll be entered in a flash!

                                                        

Good luck, my dears!

Marissa

CharmingShop

CharmingShop Contest Rules

Hi everyone! It's contest time! To thank you for all the love and support CharmingShop has received, I am holding my first ever contest! Win 1 of my 11 prints (your choice) and a special CharmingShop goodie bag! What are the rules? Oh, they're a piece of cake! It'll only take a few

minutes of your time. Follow me on Instagram and tag a friend in my contest photo to get your 1st ballot. Receive a 2nd ballot by reposting the contest photo and tagging @marissahowes and #charmingshop. AND get a 3rd for following me here on my blog, CharmingShopLife! It's up to you how many ballots you choose to get, but the 1st Instagram follow and tag is mandatory.

This contest is in effect until Aug. 31st 2013, and open  to Canada and the US only. I'm very sorry to those of you who live elsewhere. I will have different contests in the future. Once the contest ends, I will choose my winner! I will announce the Winner and then ask for your email. From there I will correspond with you privately for shipping info. Your prize will be shipped through Canada Post/ regular mail. I will pay shipping. It's your prize after all! Prize will not be shipped right away. If you unfollow/ delete photo, your ballot and prize will be forfeited.

The last rule? Tell all your friends! If I happen to get over 100 of you lovely people entering, I will do two giveaways instead of one. Everyone has equal opportunity. If you're already following me, don't worry. All you need to do is tag a friend to get your first ballot. Just remember the Initial Instagram follow and tag is very important because once I see your username, I put your name in my real life ballot box. Make sure I know you have entered by doing that first!

Entering this contest says you agree to all my terms and conditions. Please let me know if you have any questions! You deserve this prize! Thank you for all your support. It makes me so happy to see how much you enjoy my work.

Good luck to you!

Love,

Marissa

CharmingShop

Winnipeg Red Diver Farmers Market - Dates for CharmingShop

Happy long weekend, lovelies! As I told you last weekend was my very first Farmers Market day. It was busy and I got a fantastic response to my table, which was truly inspirational for me. I snapped a few shots. I apologize in advance for the blurriness and in all, very bad photos. My table was in front of the window, which was great for me, because it helped me stay warm all day, but it didn't make for the best photos. I took these just before packing up for the day. People came earlier than I expected, so my initial photo shoot time was put on hold. Check 'em out!

 

I was right beside the Tupperware table! It was so hard not to peek over and look at all the neat things!

P.S. Did you know they make replacement lids for vintage Tupperware?! That is so awesome!

It was wonderful to be able to chat with some great people. Just having nice conversations with customers about retro items they own or have owned was so fun. I talked with an older lady about her fabulous collection of 1900s to 1920s jewellery. I got vintage and jewellery lovers of all types. I really enjoy finding out how other people celebrate history and embrace the heirlooms life passes to us, whether we seek it out or it's given to us from family. We are so lucky to be able to collect old treasures. And because my whole shop focusses on the past, I'm so thankful to be reminded of my passion day in and day out. If you've got a treasure, I want to know about it! 

If you live in Winnipeg and the surrounding areas, come out and see me at the Red River Farmers Market on Saturdays! I will be there tomorrow (August 3rd), Aug. 10th, Aug. 17th and Aug. 24th! If you just want to say hi or check out my jewellery or art, come on down! 

I just wanted to give you a heads up, because GUESS WHAT?

My jewellery and artwork is cheaper than what it would be in my shop. No shipping costs, because you're right there in person to take it home with you! Pretty awesome, huh? I think so. 

I hope you come and enjoy my candy-coloured 50s fantasyland!

See you there!

Marissa

CharmingShop