Preparation

I finally decided to open an Etsy store comprising mostly of Vintage clothing and jewelry. This idea has been floating in my thoughts for years. Initially it was to sell handmade jewelry. It all started after a trip to the Philippines. I bought strings of fresh water pearls for myself and a friend of mine. My plan was to wear the pearls at special occasions. I never saw how the pearls would fit with my "everyday" wear. But my friend had a brilliant idea. Being the dedicated learner that she is, she taught herself how to make a modern and chic long necklace out of the pearls. She was inspired by a beautiful necklace Mandy Moore wore on a cover of Lucky Magazine. This awesome friend of mine was kind and patient enough to teach me how to make the necklace. After careful observation on my part, I picked up the task and made my own. The success of making the necklaces gave us an idea of producing more and selling them on Etsy. This idea came to us, hmm...let's see...almost 5 years ago? Yes, that long ago. Needless to say, the plan never came into fruition. Not because we didn't want it to, but making the necklaces are labor intensive. We were both in grad school when we came up the idea.Eventually, we both became newlyweds and were establishing ourselves in our professional roles. It seemed the "dream" was moving further away.

The Necklace:


But the idea of joining the Etsy community has always been a goal I've wanted to reach. And just a few months ago I decided to make it finally happen. But this time with different merchandise; Vintage clothing. For many years, I've collected some vintage clothing and accessories. And I've always enjoyed rummaging through thrift stores, my mom's old boxes of clothing, and flea markets. The search for these items is still a labor, no doubt. But it is one that I consider less intense than making jewelry and perhaps even a labor that is more out of love. The preparation process has been in a way, therapeutic for me. It's been such a creative experience for me to plan out certain details like the name and the logo. Starting the store is thrilling for me due to the balance it's bringing to my day to day activities. I am undoubtedly excited.

I plan to "launch" before the end of May. At the latest June.