A Sad Goodbye

With heavy hearts Katie and I have made the grown up decision to close the Button Factory. After several months of idling by we finally realized that both of our focuses had shifted, and our once fiery passion for selling vintage was burnt up. I think we both felt disconnected from the brand, and didn't find the community we'd hoped for online. Our real dream was to open a brick-and-mortar shop, but we quickly realized that neither of us was in a financial position to make it happen right now.

We are so appreciative of everyone who bought items in the store, and hope you love your pieces for years to come. We learned a lot about ourselves through this journey, and each other. Running an online store is no easy task; I have upmost respect for those of you who do this for a living. I know I still have dreams of owning a vintage store one day (maybe when I retire), and I betcha Katie does too.

We will be officially closing the store on March first, but in the meantime we hope you'll buy up some of our stock online! EVERYTHING is 50% off!! No coupon required, we already marked it down. This is a great chance to snatch up your favorited pieces for an extra low price. We won't be discounting them any further so make sure to buy it now. You can visit the store here.

It was fun while it lasted. We hope you enjoyed it too. big kiss, bekuh

the Button Factory Fall/Winter Update

Your wait is over! We've updated the Button Factory with all kinds of fun pieces for layering as winter draws near. Be sure to scroll to the bottom for a special announcement. 

Here's a sampling of what we've added, but be sure to visit the store for more:

In celebration of Thanksgiving, and the coming shopping season, we're offering 30% off everything in the store (even reduced merchandise) until December 1st!!!! Enter the code JINGLEBELLS at checkout for the discount.

Snatch up your favorite piece before it's gone, or go crazy and get gifts for all your friends. Happy shopping friends. big kiss, bekuh

Behind the Seams: Photo Shoots

Last week Katie and I had the chance to get together, with her sister, for a little photo shoot. We took a majority of the pictures for our Fall/Winter update on the Button Factory, and before we got started I took a couple of behind the scenes photos to share here. Though the shop update won't be ready for another week I couldn't resist giving you a peek at the clothes and accessories we used this time around.

It was a lot of fun getting to layer for this shoot; we wore tights, knee socks, boots, hats, cardigans, and lots of belts. We both love fall clothing, so I think we got a little more into the whole process this time around. Every single item we're listing is great for layering, and a lot of them would work in both Spring and Summer as well. I'm a huge fan of versatile clothing as I've got one wardrobe all year to work with, not each season.

The biggest challenge we face going forward is the fading light, as it's getting darker so much earlier. I'd love to hear tips from other shop owners on how they shoot in the winter months. Looking through all the pictures I can't help but wish I could keep some of this stuff for myself. I'm really excited to share the shop update with you soon! big kiss, bekuh

BFV Autumn Additions

Katie and I will be stocking the Button Factory with lots of new dresses for Autumn TONIGHT! just in time for our free shipping discount code ("BACKTOSCHOOL") and the back to school season. Both long sleeved and short sleeved dresses will be added in a variety of fall themed hues. Grab one for yourself and don't forget our newly added shoes too! Let the fall season grab hold of you; if you're anything like us you can't wait to pull out those tights. big kiss, bekuh

PS: The lovely red head below is my good friend Lauren, we're so excited to welcome her to the modeling team. She's gorgeous. Also, Don't forget to enter the $25 Anthropologie gift card giveaway!

How to Wear Vintage Without Looking "Old-Fashioned"

This post was originally shared with Allie's readers over at Beauty and the Feast in April, but for the benefit of my newer readers I thought it would be fun to share it here too.

I’m no expert at vintage fashion but I have learned a lot about styling vintage to look current and trendy in my eighteen years (plus) of experience. It’s pretty easy to look “old fashioned” when purchasing a dress from a local thrift store, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Simple styling tips and advice on what to choose, and what not to, when buying vintage clothing can save you from making a fashion faux pas the next time you walk out the door.

When you’re new to purchasing vintage it is best to start small, with accessories. Scarves, belts, and shoes are a perfect way to start incorporating vintage into your wardrobe. The recent trend of wearing scarves (as a belt, headband, or around the neck) makes it especially cheap and easy to add a little splash of vintage to your outfits.

Today’s fashion is all about the right mix of personal statement pieces, old standards, and fun prints. When I put an outfit together I try to pick out at least one vintage/thrifted piece to add to the mix. If you wear vintage head to toe it can sometimes look really great, but more often than not you’ll end up looking dowdy and not at all chic. By mixing the vintage pieces into your wardrobe stealth-like you’ll never appear like you’re trying too hard and it will help make your old standards seem fresh and new.

My number one pet peeve about vintage clothing is shoulder pads. In what world was it ever okay for women to look like football players? That being said there are a lot of really great pieces that have those nasty little pads sewn in. Those beauties shouldn’t be left on the racks to spoil, simply snip out the pads, or if they’re sewn into the lining enlist the help of a tailor or your grandma if you can’t do it yourself. DO NOT KEEP THEM IN, nothing will age an outfit like a pair of shoulder pads.

Most pretty patterned skirts and dresses at thrift stores are a really unflattering length by today’s standards; hitting mid calf or just above the ankle. The key is to tailor pieces so that the lengths are flattering to your figure, and the item fits right (If that’s mid-calf rock it). Again contact your tailor or closest family member with sewing skills to help you shorten the skirts if you can’t do it yourself.

It doesn’t matter how cute a top is, or how pretty the print of the dress, if the integrity of the piece has been compromised (i.e. it’s stained/torn/poorly altered) do not buy it. No amount of camouflage with accessories and cardigans can hide a ragged, and worn-out piece of clothing. Make sure you look for sweat stains, tears in the seam, and disintegrating fabric before you walk up to the checkout line. Skip this step and you may look dirt poor, instead of hipster-chic.

I’m still learning the best ways to wear vintage in a modern world without looking like a grandma and the internet is a wealth of inspiration on that front. Pinterest is a great place to start collecting inspiration. Create a vintage style board and pin any outfit you see that matches your aesthetic. Sooner or later you’ll start to see a trend in what you pick out online and you’ll know what to be looking for the next time you hit a vintage clothing shop.

My number one piece of advice for you today is to be brave with vintage clothing. No fashion maven got where she is today without taking risks with clothes. I’ve had way more outfit duds than outfit successes, but you just have to laugh at yourself and move on. Have a sense of humor when you get dressed in the morning, and take at least one risk a week.

What are your vintage styling tips? I’d love to hear what you have to say about incorporating vintage into your wardrobe. Leave a comment below, and let’s chat. big kiss, bekuh

Coming Soon to the Button Factory

I've been a little hush hush about the Button Factory lately, but it's not because we're not doing anything. It's quite the contrary actually, and today you're getting a little sneak peak at the necklaces we'll be releasing in the shop next week! 

These necklaces have been a long time coming addition to the shop and I'm so happy with the way they've turned out. I spent a majority of the winter creating prototypes, trying out different feather designs, and asking the opinion of anyone who would hear me out on this concept. You may have even seen one of the designs a time or two on the blog in some of the My Closet posts.

Then it was time to hand cut, hand wrap, and hand make each necklace individually. I'm honored to have the opportunity to release these with Katie in our little online shop. We will be releasing a limited edition necklace with seven different leather and suede feathers, and the simpler two feather charmed necklaces in charcoal, light grey, and tan. We have limited quantities in the first run so grab them up fast. We'd love to hear what you think about the collection.

PS-When we launch them in the shop next Wednesday there is going to be a very special post on the blog and one lucky reader could win one of these beauties! big kiss, bekuh

My 8 Tips for thrifting quality vintage

I originally shared this post with Lena's readers on Musings in March, but after a surge of wonderful new readers on the blog, I felt like it was time to share my 8 tips for buying quality thrifted items on Secondhand Sundays too.

A little background: I’ve been thrifting since age eight, and it all started with a pair of Jackie-O style glasses. Since then my closet has grown to include well curated vintage pieces from shops across the country, thrifted pieces from local spots and around the world, and a home filled with roadside found treasures. To hear a little more about my love of vintage I hope you’ll check out this post.

I am by no means an expert on thrift shopping, no book credits to my name yet, but I do get a great deal of satisfaction from finding a vintage Lanvin piece for $2, or a dresser for free on the side of the road. I do feel that my 18 years of thrifting experience has given me a fairly good eye for quality vintage and I hope you’ll find the following tips useful in your own vintage pursuits.

1. Go to thrift shops frequently, as in often, as in once a week if you can. I often hit up all of the thrift stores in my area on a weekly basis. Sometimes I find a plethora of items to choose from and sometimes I don’t find a thing. 

2. Look at everything in the store and pick up anything that might interest you from skirts to housewares (This can be a long and tedious process but well worth it). I have this rule when I’m shopping that if I’m not sure about something I carry it around with me while I look for other items and if it’s still in my hand by the time I get to the register I need to buy it. About 90% of the time I end up putting it down before I check out.

3. Always try the clothes on. Vintage sizing is very different from today’s sizing standards. A tag may say it’s a size 12 but it could very easily fit like a size 4; as my mother used to say, “size is just a number.” This also applies to things you think have a nice pattern or feel but look a little blah, try it on. You might be surprised how well something looks off the hanger. Thrift stores don’t care about presentation it’s all about pushing inventory for them so their dressing rooms are your best friend.

4. While in the dressing room check for stains, holes, and split seams. With the garment on the hangers run your hand along each seam, test zippers and buttons, look at the armpits and around the neckline for discoloration, and look at the tags (if available) for care instructions. Never buy a sweater that looks shrunken or a piece with extreme stains, they cannot be fixed.

5. Sometimes all a thrifted item needs is to be altered (slightly). It never fails that I find a skirt that’s too long, or too big, or a dress with an ugly collar that is almost perfect and sometimes the print is too cute to pass up. In cases like this it’s important to either have sewing skills yourself or a seamstress/tailor on speed dial. I try not to buy things that need a major reinvention but if it’s raising a hemline I can do it myself. All of my thrifted skirts have been altered, do I need to repeat that?

6. Double check the Men’s section. A majority of my button down shirts come from the men’s section at thrift shops. There are two reasons for this: 1. Men’s shirts look awesome slouchy or tied with a pair of jeans or leggings 2. A lot of thrift stores mix up men’s and women’s shirts and so women’s button down are often hiding amongst the xx-large men’s items.

7. When you’re checking out at your regular thrifty spot ask the cashier when they normally restock items. This is such an easy thing to do but something most people overlook. I know that on Tuesdays and Thursdays the local Goodwills in my area will have a fresh load of goodies for me to peruse and snatch up.

8. Hit up an estate sale or two. There is this fabulous website called estatesales.net where you can plug in your zip code and it will spit out all of the upcoming estate sales in your area in the next couple of weeks. I am always checking this site for sales that list “clothing” as one of its items because fabulous vintage pieces can be found at these sales. One of my goals this summer is to hit up at least one estate sale a month, but more if I can.

Bonus Tip: Google all of the thrift/consignment shop in your area and map out an easy route to each of them from your house it will save you time and you’ll be able to visit more in one day using this method.

I wish you the best of luck on your hunt for quality vintage at a low, low cost. big kiss, bekuh

The Story Behind the Button Factory

With the launch of the Button Factory coming up this Thursday, I thought it was high time I shared with you the story behind our little shop and our big dreams for it. We have both loved vintage since childhood (you can read my vintage story here) and the small step we are taking this week towards opening a boutique is a testament of our commitment to achieving our dreams, and a testament to our friendship. Let's start at the beginning though...

It all started about two years ago when Ryan still worked at a coffee shop. While working at said coffee shop he met and befriended a guy named Bentley. Bentley introduced Ryan to his brother Austin, and Austin introduced his girlfriend Katie. We started hanging out around one another a lot because our boyfriends liked each other so much, but both Katie and I are a little socially inept and we were just too shy to actually talk to one another. Surprising I know, but very true.

Enter Randy Newman, sort of. Sometime two winters ago Ryan, Austin, Bentley, and some of our other friends started a now defunct band called Death Newman. Death Newman was a hard rock Randy Newman cover band. They started playing a lot of shows, and Katie and I started spending a lot of time awkwardly sitting next to one another.

Before one of the shows a bunch of people were standing outside talking when Katie and Austin arrived. Katie was wearing the cutest little jumper ever and I suddenly blurted out, "Did you get that Red Velvet!?" And she looked at me with the biggest eyes and said "Yes. Do you read A Beautiful Mess?" That was the moment we instantly became friends; similar taste in blogs and clothes have started many a friendship. We started talking more and more and found a common theme in all of our conversations: vintage, local, art, blogs, and passion.

Since that day we've shared a lot of our dreams and goals and found that they are so similar it's scary. Our backgrounds and passions compliment one another and we've both been inspired by a lot of the same people. We individually came to the conclusion that owning a small business was our goal in life, and we came together understanding the importance of this partnership in achieving those goals. Reading about the success of others through blogs only helped to keep our dreams alive while we waited for the day our shop could become a reality.

Now the time has come for us to launch the first chapter of our dreams online. Each sale will immediately go to making the next chapters possible, not to our immediate personal gain. We are determined, focused, and ready to act. You can get a sneak peek of what we'll be listing on Thursday by liking us on Facebook right now! I hope you'll join us on this journey. big kiss, bekuh

Our Launch Day is Set

It's official we've set the launch date for the Button Factory, our online vintage boutique, for April 26th, 2012. I'm so thrilled that we're almost ready for our store launch, and we've been feverishly preparing everything for you! From photos and packaging, to store policies and shipping rates we're super busy ironing out the littlest of details and it is probably some of the most rewarding work I've ever done. Check out our Etsy banner below:

Our first collection will all be dresses- perfect for spring and summer- with more pieces scheduled to be added in the coming months. The two dresses shown above will be for sale on opening day. You can expect more pictures and more highlights as the launch gets closer, because I just can't keep my excitement from boiling over! I love sharing my big dreams with you on Secondhand Sundays. big kiss, bekuh

Why I Buy Vintage

I talk a lot about my love of vintage on Secondhand Sundays, my love of vintage is part of why my blog is named what it is, but I have yet to share with all of you why I buy vintage clothing and housewares or when all these crazy shenanigans began in my life. So today I'm going to talk from a very personal place about this crazy passion I am so deeply in love with.

The first vintage outfit I remember wearing and feeling transformed by was in third grade. My Mom bought me a pair of dark brown polyester pants and a brown floral polyester top at the local thrift store because I had been obsessing about the 1960s and 1970s for months and months. She hated buying me clothing because more often than not I'd hate what she picked out and end up hiding it somewhere so she couldn't make me wear it; this outfit was different. I'm pretty sure I wore at least one piece from this ensemble every week in third grade. I somehow felt "cooler" because I was wearing something that had so much history behind it and because I felt like it wasn't too late for me to attach myself to the movements of the eras they came from. I know it sounds like I was a really deep third grader, and I was. I was passionate about recycling and feminism and these clothes let me express that in a way I didn't yet understand.

I'm jumping ahead though, because this love affair started so much earlier, like neo-natal earlier. As soon as I was born I wore vintage, not because of some conscious choice but because I come from a long line of strong women who identify heavily with their past and held on to little mementos to share with future generations. As soon as I was out of the hospital I was wearing clothing my mother once wore and my aunts, pieces my grandmother had saved to be passed down. I grew up wearing hand me downs of my sister's and watching old movies from the 1950s, '60s, and '70s on my grandma's couch. I had no idea that women didn't dress the way Audrey Hepburn did in Funny Face or Julie Andrews in Sound of Music. My reality was that old things were beautiful and worth coveting.

Fast forward to today and vintage clothing is so much a part of my shopping psyche that I do it without thinking. But, there are still list-able reasons I like vintage clothing and prefer it to brand names and box stores.

1: I feel good about buying vintage/thrifted clothes because it keeps good clothes out of the landfills, and the 3rd grader in me still yearns to save the planet. 2: I buy vintage because it's unique and you would be hard pressed to find someone with the exact same piece anywhere. 3: I like how vintage clothing feels, the materials are often more natural and have that worn in feel that takes years to perfect. 4: The silhouettes of the clothing tend to be more flattering on my ultra petite frame. 5: I don't feel bad buying a lot of clothes because it usually costs less than new. 6: I find I'm much more likely to alter, or have something altered, if it's vintage. I don't know why this is true but it is. 7: The thrill of the deal. 8: I can usually predict trends based on what there is a lot of at local thrift stores. 9: Vintage clothing is typically well made and has already survived countless years so I find it holds up very well under heavy use. 10: People always compliment my vintage/thrifted pieces a thousand times more than the joe schmoe pieces I buy at target.

There you have it, my vintage clothing back story and reasons (selfish and otherwise) that I choose to buy vintage time and time again. If you have questions for me feel free to contact me and I'd love to hear your reasons for buying vintage clothing. big kiss, bekuh

A Year of Dreaming Big

Hello, there. Can you believe it's two thousand and twelve already? Every time I say what year it is out loud I find my mind wandering to flying cars and alien best friends, it sounds so sci-fi for some reason. But that's not what I'm here to talk about, I'm here to talk about all the adventures that are to be had in 2012. You're probably going to be seeing a lot of posts like this across the web from websites to bloggers and you're probably thinking not another goals post!? 

Well, I'm here to tell you that yes this is another goals post and it probably isn't the most original one you'll read on the internet but these goals are a BIG deal to me. Why you may ask? Well I have a lot of big plans for this year and solid goals to get me to where I need to be at the end of it. I even have a goal so big it has to be kept a secret until I reach this goal. I tried to be super realistic with my goals, but also reach a little in hopes of big things happening. The past was yesterday and today is the start of something fresh and new and the year ahead looks bright.

I have so many goals for myself this year I had to split them up into four categories: Life, the Button Factory, Blog, and Home. Each list has around 26 goals because, well, that's how many lines were on the paper. Some goals are really big like "complete the Button Factory business plan," and some goals are really small like "laugh until I cry, often." I wanted my goals to fill every part of my life so that I'm always pushing myself to move forward, to grow, to change, to be better than I was last year. If all of these were easy I'd never fill fulfilled but if all of them were hard I'd feel defeated when they were not reached at all. You have to find your balance in goal making.

I'm not going to share every goal I have with you today, that would be a little tedious for both of us. I will however share some of my goal highlights from each category so you can get an idea of my progress throughout the year.

2012 Goals for Life:

1. Complete the Button Factory business plan

2. Buy an old bike and fix it up

3. Take at least three weekend trips alone with Ryan

4. Host a craft night or all of my girl friends

5. Learn how to fully use the manual setting on my camera

6. Take a class

7. Sew a Summer dress

8. Find a new mixed drink I like

9. Redecorate my studio

10. Start a family tradition with Ryan

2012 Goals for the Button Factory:

1. Launch the Button Factory online

2. Finish the first jewelry line for the store

3. Create our branding

4. Do a photo shoot with Katie

5. Incorporate

6. Build our website

7. Organize our inventory

8. Go to at least one estate sale each month

9. Buy some display pieces to store

10. Get our social networking organized

2012 Goals for the Blog:

1. Work towards a clearer writing voice

2. Get a post featured on a bigger blog

3. Hit 1,000 views per day for a week

4. Advertise on at least one blog per month

5. Consistently link and share Friend's content

6. Feature more DIY projects in new ways

7. Try a hair tutorial

8. Plan out posts a month in advance

9. Create more in depth posts about things I'm passionate about

10. Share my goals and their progress more often.

2012 Goals for the Home:

1. Recover the chair in my studio

2. Fix the paint spots in the bedroom

3. Buy a piece of art

4. Finish the living room redecoration

5. Find a new dresser for our bedroom

6. Buy shelving units for all of our storage closets

7. Redecorate the kitchen

8. Finish hanging art in the Dining Room

9. Print more pictures to hang around the house

10. Buy rugs for the living room, bedroom, and studio

As you can see my goals are all over the place and some of the goals almost act as gifts, or rewards for other harder bigger goals. For example, I'm not going to be able to hang more pictures in the Dining room until I have more pictures printed out, or that new piece of artwork I hope to buy etc. As you can see in the blog category I plan on continuing to share my goals with you and the progress I'm making throughout the year. Would it be wonderful if at the end of the year I can look back with you at all the big dreams coming to reality? I think so. What are your goals for the new year? If you have a post you'd like to share about your big dreams please leave it in the comments below. big kiss, bekuh