Playing With Pinterest, pt. 2

Yesterday I shared my first possible color scheme, Yellow & Orange, for the Giddy Canary shop, using my new favorite inspiration finder Pinterest. I love the bold look of yellow and orange together, very 60's mod. The second color scheme still incorporates yellow and orange, but in a more muted way. Very warm and earthy, reminiscent of fall (my favorite season!) and a bit more of a retro 70's vibe.

Yellow & Brown

From left to right: Print & Pattern, Design Seeds, Fast Company, Things Organized Neatly via Happiness Is..., Whole Living, Dribble, Design Sponge, Etsy

Playing With Pinterest

I've had a Pinterest account for a number of months, but haven't really explored it until now. I decided it might be a great place to get some color inspiration for the shop website. However, when it comes to color I cannot seem to get enough. After just a couple hours browsing the site I realized I had accumulated quite a few colorful pins, which I've now condensed down to four possible color schemes. I thought I would share what I've come up with!

Yellow & Orange:

                                      1. Flickr

                                      2. Etsy

                                      3. Etsy

                                      4. From Sthlm

                                      5. Esque Shop

                                      6. Haute Design

                                      7. Etsy

                                      8. Design Seeds

My First Mini-Room Tour

For some reason when I read other blogs my favorite posts are the ones that showcase the author's living and/or work space. Maybe it's my love of interior design or the fact that it seems to give a much more intimate look at the author, which makes you feel closer as a reader. I don't know about you, but I definitely prefer reading blogs that make me feel like the person I'm reading about is a close friend.

Now, most of the room tours I've seen the space is stunning and spotless and it gives you magnificent ideas on how to style your own bedroom/kitchen/office/shop. Well, since the purpose of my blog is to document my shop's progression I thought it reasonable to show how my storage space looks right now. I'm currently using our guest bedroom, which still houses a queen size bed, dresser, and all the knick-knacks I didn't have room for anywhere else. The nicest possible term I can think to describe the situation is Organized Chaos.

For storage, I'm using the headboard of a full sized bed frame we inherited from my husband's grandpa. The queen bed we inherited from my cousin, which used to be perfect for guests to crash on after a long night of partying. However, now it acts as a very large shelf where I pile everything I haven't had time to put away.  

The dresser was also inherited and matches the full sized bed frame. The drawers hold fabric and sewing stuff for crafting, garments and purses for the shop. When the top isn't covered with various knick-knacks I drape over the window curtains and it becomes my photography space. The small two-shelf bookcase sat empty and obstructing the doorway into the guest bedroom for a silly amount of time before I realized I could use it for storing shop items.

The hanging garment rolling rack was bought for a flea market last summer, up near my parents' place in the mountains, where I publicly showcased Giddy Canary for the first time. It was a total bust, but I had a great time merchandising my tent. The rack does come apart and can be stored in a small box, but I just love hanging up new purchases and gazing lovingly at the pretty details. Like this amazing aqua and sequin dress! I'm bummed I didn't find it in time to wear for New Years Eve.
The rack is currently blocking the closet, where I hang most of the garments and bags for the shop (along with my own collection of purses I cannot fit into my bedroom. Perhaps I have a problem with clutter?) The doors are painted a clean shade of white and have nice shutter like details, so they make a great backdrop for the photos of the clothing.

So there you have it, the current, embarrassing state of Giddy Canary. I'm a firm believer that creating an organized and serious work space is the first step towards success. I still have a lot of work to do, but I think just having access to this space is valuable to realizing my dream.

Inspirational Ladies

If I could change -or rather- improve one thing about myself it would be to become much more self-reliable and motivated. I have all these fantastic ideas about starting a vintage shop, and I have made a couple attempts, first with renting a booth at a flea market then opening an Etsy shop. Unfortunately I tend to run out of steam and these projects disappear into oblivion. I'm determined not to let that happen this time around. I know it's going to be hard to accomplish this goal, especially considering I work a full-time day job. The key, I think, is to keep myself inspired. I find what does the trick is reading blogs written by real people who are successfully living their dream. Here are a couple of my favorites:

Elsie writes the fantastic blog A Beautiful Mess, where she shares great ideas about staying organized and motivated, and I especially enjoy her tips on what it's like to own a vintage boutique.

 

Stefanie & Erin are the super sweet duo of Oh So Lovely. It's been wonderful to read about their journey, from renovating an old trailer they named "Olive" to finally opening (after a bit of a bumpy road) their own brick and mortar shop Rhymes With Orange.

Reading about these fabulous ladies everyday gives me tons of ideas for my own aspiring blog and shop, AND the confidence to keep at it.

First Post!

It's always been my dream to have my own vintage shop. Without the funds to splurge on an actual brick and mortar shop, I'm determined to use the conveniences of the internet to my advantage and set up a (successful) website from scratch. This blog is to document my journey, a place to feel inspired, but most importantly to keep on track with realizing my dream.