Meet {City Thistle}

Today's post is a special interview with this month's featured sponsor, Bethany of the Etsy Shop City Thistle and writer of the blog Still in St. Louis. Bethany is a talented jewelry artist, Doula, insanely stylish thrifter and super mama to two little ones.

Hi Bethany! Please introduce yourself to the GoatNotes Readers:
I'm 28 and married to my best friend. I've been a wife for 6 years and am a mother of two boys, Elijah (3) and Lazarus (18 mo). My husband is a seminarian, studying to teach theology over seas. We love getting to know new people and new places. I'm a thrift-aholic and can't live without my Burt's Bees chap stick. My dream girl's night out would be hanging at a karaoke bar with Tina Fey and Kristen Wiig.

How did you start your Etsy Shop/Blog? And how did that cute name City Tthistle come about?

 I needed a project and jewelry was something I had dabbled in before. I'm the type of person that goes all the way when I start something new. I jump all in. My younger sister helped me come up with the name City Thistle. I needed a way to describe myself without writing a novel. I grew up in the boonies, but I love walking to my grocery store. I have an eye for design and enjoy fashion, but I want to live in Africa where things are more rustic. As well, my jewelry style is a marriage between my two personalities-rustic modern, or better said-City Thistle.

Where do you blog and create?

I make jewelry at my dining room table. I love being able to spread everything out! I stay up way too late blogging in my bed. It's a bat habit I'd like to change some day, but for now, it works.

Also, talking about your blog, why do you blog?

 I began blogging (over at Robbins Abroad) when my husband and I moved to Malawi 5 years ago. It was the easiest way to update friends and family, so long as we had electricity! Still In St Louis is how I am able to keep in touch with our dear friends back in Africa. It's where I promote my Etsy shop City Thistle and is also a platform for issues concerning living on a tight budget and women's health care in childbirth. It's also where I vent :)

 What is your favorite material to work with when you are creating?

 I don't sell sewn crafts in my shop, but fabric is actually my favorite material to work with. So many possibilities with endless choices of color and patterns! I need a little more experience with my dear sewing machine before I put any work out there.

Tell us more about being a Doula. How did you end up studying to be Doula? 

My mom has been a midwife for more than 15 years. I grew up learning about natural childbirth and respecting the female body's ability to produce life. My mom delivered both of my boys at home and I treasure those experiences. Last year, I attended a birth as a friend and realized how useful it would have been had I been trained as a doula. I immediately set out to get certified by DONA so that I could better help and support my dear friends and neighbors to make healthier choices for their families in childbirth. I love advocating for women and being there in the final moments when they learn how strong they truly are through birth. Every time I go to work, I celebrate someone's birthday!

 It sounds like you have gotten to live all over the country/world. Do you have a favorite place you have lived? Where do you see/hope to see your family living in the future? 

I count down the days until we return to Africa. Life is simple, yet full of community and love. My family thrives on African soil. My dream home would be near the water in Capetown, SA. It's the perfect mix of African and urban. I'd also love to live on the coast of West Africa. The culture, heat and French language is what draws me there. We've got one more year in seminary, so we are definitely in the 'planning for our future' stage right now. Elijah and I are both hoping we end up in Africa!

You seem to have an eye for nifty-thrifty finds, what is one thrifting tip you can share? 

Go often and with few expectations. If I've got 15 minutes to spare, I run into a Goodwill and quickly browse the housewares section. Usually, I'm not looking for anything in particular. Just that one unique item that surprises me is what makes it worth it.

 What is your favorite healthy and easy dinner you and your family enjoy?

 Zucchini, Black Bean and Rise Skillet! We always have left over veggies on hand and this is super easy. My secret? I throw in a small bag of fully cooked brown rice from Trader Joe's instead of cooking my own. Cuts down on dishes and time. We often eat it with tortilla chips, sour cream and avocado.

Where do you turn to when you need inspiration? 

I look through pictures from our past travels. Between different cities in the US, France, Peru, various countries in Africa-they each have colors and textures unique to them. I draw inspiration from each of the places I've called home.

Thank you Bethany for sharing a little about yourself and your life with GoatNotes. Please make sure to take a moment and check out Bethany's shop . You can also read about her daily adventures on her blog.

Vintage Back Talk: Redux Lounge

Hello Wonderful Readers! Today I am so happy to share  an interview with Jill and Kristin of

Redux Vintage

 These two Vintage Hunters will help you the next time you in pursuit of that perfect piece of vintage luxury wear with a little flair.

1. Why do you love Vintage?

Kristin: I personally love vintage because it feels more unique as opposed to buying something at a department store. the pieces feel like they come with a story or two attached. i find the past to be romantic.

Jill: I love vintage because it adds romance and eccentricity to my wardrobe. I also enjoy a good treasure hunt. Finding an amazing dress in the way back of a store, or at the bottom of a pile is absolutely thrilling. A sense of pride and satisfaction washes over me as though I’ve completed a crucial mission

2. What Sparked Your Interest In Vintage?

Kristin:  I grew up in a military family, often moving from city to city. as a kid, no matter where I landed I never seemed to be wearing the "in style" at the local school.
Eventually, perhaps by eighth grade, I decided to embrace my differences, as opposed to adapting. Vintage finds were an easy choice. Sometimes i would choose a piece for its fabric and create a totally new garment (like making leopard print pedal pushers from a frumpy housecoat).

Jill:  My favorite vintage items are those that come with a history. As a child my parents were on The J Peterman mailing list, and I loved the stories that accompanied each piece. It was romantic. My mother read fantasy books to me when I young, and I believe this too colored my imagination with exotic images and extravagant royal costumes. Unable to find clothing off the rack that resembled the images in my mind, I turned to vintage ingredients while assembling the outfits I craved.

3. What Lead you to begin selling Vintage?

Jill: Last year I worked in a vintage store, Macalistaire at 1850, in Laguna Beach and was immersed in a fabulous collection of vintage furniture, art, rugs, pottery, fabric, jewelry, and clothing, all curated by the owner and school teacher Rachiel Macalistaire. Not only is she a vintage encyclopedia, she is the person who gave me the title of Stylist. That moment was important for me. Although styling was something I’d been doing all my life, the name had been missing. Most of what I know I learned from her, and from working with Kristin Skubinna.

At Macalistaire at 1850 I was introduced to ETSY, and finally reached the point where I felt confident in my ability to operate an ETSY store with Kristin. History is not one of my strengths, however I’ve found that my enthusiasm for vintage fashion is giving me an accidental education that’s pain-free. I admire Kristins personal style because she takes huge fashion risks and they pay off. She combines patterns and colors effortlessly.

Kristin: I've been collecting for probably 25 years...then i met Jill. She was working at a vintage store in Laguna Beach. I would travel there to visit her and spend long chunks of time perusing every rack, shelf, box, etc. She would even go into a back room and pull things out for me. I was in heaven. then one day I proposed the etsy idea. People had been telling me for two years "you should have a store on etsy"...i also heard the phrase "that (fill in the blank) is so cute! you always find the cutest things!"...i harped Jill for three months until she gave in:) we were off and running!!

4. Do you have a style, decade, and type of fabric that is your favorite?

Jill: According to Kristin my favorite decade is the 90’s. She calls me Linda Evans and says I need to get the Dynasty box set. I’ve never seen it. Personally, I think there’s nothing wrong with looking like you’re on Safari all the time, with a dash of Dubai royalty, and Victorian lace. I like to layer and mix it up.

Kristin:  I love BARKCLOTH...50's, 60's 70's any decade of barkcloth...possibly an addiction. I also have a ridiculous soft spot for 60's slips , petticoats and peignoirs:) I wear underwear as outerwear all the time: I'm glad I've been transplanted from Seattle to LA so I can do this with great frequency.

5. If you could only pack one vintage item with you on a vacation, what would it be?
Kristina 70's floral baby doll

6. What are your tips to sizing when it comes to vintage? Especially vintage luxury wear?

Kristin:  you really have to go by measurements rather than sizes...
I tend to err on the larger size if I LOVE a piece, cuz I can always add a dart to a garment that's a wee bit too big ...I can't always lose a rib to fit in that XXS.

Jill: [With vintage clothing]“divide the size in half and add a size” it seems to work. so if it says it’s a 12 its really an 8. 

Thanks Ladies! 

This is the last installment of Vintage Back Talk, but don't worry, I have something up my sleeve for the fall! Please share what your favorite interview from Vintage Back Talk was this summer! I would love to hear your feedback about these sets of interviews!

Vintage Back Talk: Divine In Time

Hello long time readers, and welcome new reader friends!

Today I am happy to bring you an interview with the lovely Elise of Divine in Time Etsy Shop and blog of the same name. Enjoy!

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1. How long have you been shopping vintage? What got you started/interested?

I’ve only been shopping vintage for about two years. My obsession began innocently, but how I got started is a little twisty turny. Long before Divine in Time, there was Divine in Mind, my jewelry business. I even have another shop on Etsy for my jewelry, but lately I’m so busy with vintage I don’t have time to make things. 

I started to putter around with a lot of vintage bits and pieces I’d salvaged from old jewelry and I really, REALLY liked the results. I started buying lots of broken or “junk” jewelry on Ebay but after a while I wanted to see what I might be able to find locally. 

I did a little digging online, found a couple of estate sales in my area and the rest is history.  At first I concentrated mostly on jewelry and other stuff that could be made into jewelry, like old game pieces, scrabble tiles and things like that.  But it wasn’t long before I found other stuff I couldn’t resist.

It really didn’t seem like I was buying that much. I’d only spend $15-20 when I’d go out, but the next thing I knew, every nook and cranny in my apartment was stuffed full of  “treasures”.  I had to do something. I gave myself an ultimatum. (in fact, I am once again in ultimatum mode) I couldn’t buy anything else until I had listed at least 25 items. Well, that was a strong incentive because I LOVE to buy stuff. So I got busy, listed 25 items my first weekend, and before the weekend was over I made my first sale!  

 

2. Why do you love vintage?
I love vintage because to me, items are more than just inanimate objects. In some ways, they are repositories of the memories of the lives of the people who used them. We are here for a short time, but the things we used, the things we touched and admired, the things that brought us joy, the things we made with our own hands remain. The stay behind and they tell the story of who we were.

Sometimes it’s a personal story, like a photo album, or an old letter or a scrapbook or diary. Sometimes it’s a much bigger story. Sometimes it’s the story of our shared history; it’s about the events in our history, how that history impacts the people who lived it.  It’s not about The Liberty Bell or the Mona Lisa, it’s about something as simple as a rubber button marked “Goodyear” on the back.  It’s about the past showing us who we are and why we are where we are today.  It’s intriguing. 

 

3. Do you have any tips or tricks you could share for those wanting to start to collect vintage pieces? 
I only have one tip, and that is BUY WHAT YOU LOVE. Don’t worry about value or whether it will be worth something one day. If it intrigues you and you like it, buy it, collect it, admire it, share it, love it.  I find myself drawn to the strangest things  like my collection of thermoses and carafes. I don’t know why they interest me, but they do. I haven’t paid more than $8.00 for any of them and my entire collection would likely fetch under $50, but I love them. 

4. How do you know if something is "vintage" or "Retro?" Is there a difference?
I don’t know if there is an official difference, but I consider “retro” to be more of a style description rather than the age of an item.  Vintage usually means that an item is older than 20-25 years.  An item that is “retro” will also be “vintage”, but not all “vintage” items are “retro”. 

Example-A pair of chunky patent leather Go-Go boots from the 1960’s would be “retro” in style and also vintage. A 1965 Monopoly game would be “vintage” but not “retro”.

5. What are your favorite vintage pieces to shop for?

O boy, that’s a loooooooooong list. I’ve never been good at focus when it comes to vintage. (as you might have noticed if you perused my shop).  But I do have a few categories that always pique my interest.

Anything related to home crafting just cannot be passed by. I guess because I have always been an artist and crafter I love anything that was made by hand like old tin can dollhouse furniture or hand tatted pieces or paint by numbers etc… I love to see what crafters of the past used to do and the materials they used.

I also love anything travel related.  I can’t seem to pass up old maps, or travel brochures, especially from the 1960’s or earlier. As exciting as travel is now, I think in the past it was even more mysterious and exotic and even taking a plane trip might have been a once in a lifetime experience.

I also have a soft spot for barware. I love how quirky and weird and sometimes even a little creepy it is.  I don’t always buy it, but I have to look at it. 

Vintage Back Talk:: Rachael Brooke Designs

Hello friends! Today I am thrilled to share with you an interview with artist Rachael Brooke of Rachael Brooke Designs. She not only is going to share her beautiful vintage upcycled jewelry with you today, but she is also offering 1 GoatNotes reader a chance to win $40 to her Etsy Shop! (See Giveaway Below). But, enough chat. Let's hear what Racheal has to say.

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In Rachael's words:

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I’m Rachael Brooke Winkley and I’m a jewelry artist. I have been selling my work at art fairs, outdoor markets and to stores and galleries since 1998. I began my adventure as a full-time artist just a few years ago and launched my Vintage Metals Collection in June 2010.

I became an artist-in-residence at Mendota Mental Health Institute (MMHI) and moved into my studio there in May 2010. I’m part of a group of artists who teach classes or facilitate other arts/creative projects throughout the facility. I teach a Monday afternoon art class with a group of 4-6 men.

I’ve just started my studio blog for several reasons: to give readers a view inside an art studio; to share the fun I have in the process of creating my jewelry; and simply as a way to connect with the world after spending so much of the day alone in my studio.

1. Why do you love vintage?


My parents sparked my love of vintage things by instilling the thrill of the hunt for treasure and a love for selling it at an early age. They were broke college students with loads of creativity and a knack for finding great stuff at rummage and estate sales. I grew up in a small Wisconsin town in a very eclectic 1970's home (i.e. artsy-hippie-bohemian) filled with second-hand furniture and vintage decorative items. My parents would also take their finds to sell at the 7-Mile Fair Flea Market in Milwaukee, WI to make rent and grocery money. A few times, they set me up with my own table where I sold old beer cans my dad and I had collected (i.e. they threw really good hippie parties). I made my first $200 selling those beer cans somewhere around 1978

2. What sparked your interest in using vintage pieces in your jewelry?


My love for vintage clothing and jewelry started in high school. I went to all the dances in head-to-toe vintage outfits. Back then (in the now vintage 1980's) I could score vintage wear for super cheap at the second-hand stores. That was before they knew what they had and started tagging stuff as "retro" or "vintage". At some point after high school, it occurred to me to start taking apart ugly costume necklaces with great crystal beads and use the beads in my new jewelry designs. I started Rachael Brooke Designs selling my vintage crystal jewelry.

3. Where do you get your ideas for new jewelry?


I’m always looking around at shapes and designs and thinking about how I might use them in jewelry design. I use plastic design templates for many of the shapes in my Vintage Metals Collection. I have a simple fan shape design that is the corner piece of a sectional sofa on a furniture template. I also make my own templates by tracing designs on to Lexan (plexiglass) and cutting them out with my jeweler’s saw. I get the Lexan scraps from the framing shop at MMHI. I also find fantastic designs on the tins I turn into jewelry. I traced a design from a Russian tea tin that I call my “pointy cloud” design which you can see in my Barn Dance necklace:
www.etsy.com/listing/73801298/barn-dance-vintage-candy-tin-necklace

4. Where do you find all of your vintage materials you use in your jewelry?


I find my materials at flea markets, estate sales and resale shops. I'm also game for picking through curbside piles of garbage or diving in a dumpster now and then. It's very time consuming and sometimes a bust, but I love digging around at the markets and shops for tins, trays and other metal objects to turn into jewelry.

5. Tell us more about your studio


My studio is in a 1920’s one-story bungalow style building on the MMHI grounds that was built to house World War I veterans who were being treated for “shell shock” symptoms. It’s just under 200 square feet (198 to be exact) with high ceilings and three huge windows. I've decorated it with the really exceptional tins I can't bring myself to cut up. I love being part of a group of artists who share the same building. It’s simply the best studio I’ve ever had. Of course, my last studio was in our basement so I would have been excited to move into a big walk-in closet on the first floor.

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GIVEAWAY!!!

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Rachael is also offering 1 lucky reader a $40 gift certificate to her Etsy shop! To enter do one of the following 3 options. Do all three to increase your chances of winning! A winner will be announced on Saturday July 1st by 12:00 PM PST on GoatNotes.
1) follow Rachael on Twitter, tweet about this Vintage Back Talk post and about Rachael and post a comment on Goat Notes
2) Like Rachael's Facebook page, post a comment there about about this Vintage Back Talk Post and post a comment on Goat Notes.
3. Or Become a follower of Goat Notes & Leave a Comment that you have done so!

Interview With Me On My Pangaloon

Happy Sunday everyone! I am so thrilled to say that I have been interview by the lovely Jo of My Pangaloon! If you would like to know a little more about me and  my reasons for doing what I do, click here.