Thursday, July 29, 2010

Continuing Education

Hey y'all! So I'm sitting in a classroom for the first time in five years! I enrolled in a couple of continuing education classes at Gainesville State College - just up the road from our new house. The campus is beautiful - the class size is tiny (only 4 or 5 students enrolled) and the professor seems really nice. He's already cracking Baptist jokes so it'll be interesting to see where the day goes from here. I've got six hours to learn how to design a webpage, because my next big online adventure is going to involve completely rennovating our http://www.fkconsign.com/ website - which needs a little bit of a facelift. I'll let you know how it goes...

*peace*love*fashion
Casey

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Inspiration - Marie McGrath and The Joy of Fashion

Here at Finders Keepers Boutique, we love and live for inspiration. We spend countless hours searching other bloggers to see what they're up to, revel in some stroke of fashion genius, be moved by someone's words, or to feel connected to that universal sisterhood of style. So, once a week, we're going to repost bloggers who made us say wow - who kept us on their blogs for hours and hours as we scrolled through their pictures and thoughts.

This week: Marie McGrath with The Joy of Fashion @ http://www.thejoyoffashion.blogspot.com/

Marie takes pictures of her daily ensembles and she has grown quite a following. Her creative use of colors in combination with classic lines makes for a sophisticated, inviting style that I know our customers would love. She's Kate Spade's take on Audrey Hepburn, sweet through and through with a glint of sass that she'd be remiss not to satisfy. In one of my favorite recent posts, Marie adorned a side ponytail with vibrant little butterfly clips. Brilliant! Infact, I'm infatuated with so many of her looks that I kept changing my mind about which one to use. As soon as I settled on an outfit she'd post something else that caught my eye. So, I'll post a couple of looks (I couldn't choose!) featuring a favorite theme of mine (mixing black and white accessories) and leave the rest for you to discover!



Friday, July 16, 2010

It's a High-End Handbag Reunion

Now that I am only in the store a couple of days a week I realize how fast the turnover of inventory is. The Boutique feels like a whole new store every time I walk in. One shop tendency that continues to hold true is the waves and patterns of inventory that comes in. One day we might have every consignor bring in at least one piece of "Free People," or Anthropologie labels, or maybe it's a day of boots. The long and the short of it: Birds of a feather tend to flock together, even in things unfeathered.

I decided to come into town yesterday to take pictures at all three of our stores. Stephanie had called me the day before about a F*A*N*T*A*S*T*I*C Chanel quilted handbag that arrived on Tuesday, and I just had to see it for myself. It was all I hoped and dreamed, by the way. But I digress. Next to the most-perfect-Chanel-bag-ever was a candy apple red ankle-wristlet... also from the fine people at Chanel. I managed to close my mouth and tear my eyes away from the quilted sisters to stumble upon not one... not two... but three Louis Vuitton handbags. A couple of classics for the tradition LV fans (a speedy, in particular) and an oh-so-cute slouchy-denim number that puts the polish on any ensemble.

Since I was determined to pop into all 3 stores I didn't have time to style the bags, only to let them shine in all their glory - which they did and did well. BUT I couldn't help but take a picture of this adorable Marc Jacobs yellow floral handbag against Stephanie's yellow floral Maxi dress and also of a classic Burberry handbag against Carter's striped cardigan.


Oh Chanel! No such thing as too big... or too small

I had to do a close-up!



"I don't get it... ohh!!" So. Freakin'. Cute.




I did a double take when I saw them in the case!

Louis Vuitton: for the more classic fans

Another classic Louis Vuitton model


A more daring rendition!


Marc Jacobs: just perfect for summer!


Burberry Bliss: couldn't have styled for it any better!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Bohemian Rhapsody

I am a hippie. Total, can't-deny-it lover of cotton, linen, flowy stuff, messiness, easy-breezies, and sunshine. It turns out Barbara, retired school teacher, military wife, and marriage-counselor extraordinaire (who VOLUNTEERS at Boutique... works her hiney off for free with us 'cause she likes it so much) is too. It made me think that perhaps we all have an inner flower-child that we secretly (or not-so-secretly) like to get in touch with every now and then. Another bit of proof: we can't keep skirts in the Boutique. Not for five seconds. They come and go as fast as the Georgia temperatures rise in the morning (and for you northerners, it's quick... really, freakishly fast.) For those of you who aren't making bracelets out of clovers just yet, skirts are an absolute staple in any Bohemian's wardrobe. The good -- scratch that -- GREAT news, is that skirts are coming in just as fast! New consignments tend to taper off in July, but that has not been the case at the Boutique this summer. We opened ten NEW accounts on Saturday alone. So, it's safe to say that if you come in searching for that perfect summer skirt, we've got you covered! But back to Barbara: she makes the perfect summer hippie in this fabulous, free-flowing ensemble. Barbara, I'm jealous. Just so you know...

We Wanna Win Best Consignment Stores in Atlanta for Creative Loafing's Annual Survey!

Yeah, we want it!




Winning a "Best of Atlanta" consumer vote is like the ultimate shopper's high. It means you like what we do. It means a nifty newspaper article that we'll frame and hang proudly in our stores. It means we're doing right by our customers and our mission -- and that's what we work to do every single day.
And right now, we need you! Creative Loafing is holding its Annual Best of Atlanta Survey now through July 31st. This year they've made it oh-so-simple! Go to their website: www.atlanta.creativeloafing.com and click "vote now." You only have to vote for five categories for your votes to count. We want to win like a six year old at a kickball game.... really (really) bad! And we can't win without you!

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Do I Dare? Oh yes I do

Do I care? Nope. Fashion, above all else, is suppose to be fun. It's not suppose to be a source of stress or anxiety. It's practically its own sport... at minimum a wardrobe should be a recreational outlet. Have you ever watched children make up their own games or imaginary worlds? They become so entrenched that reality slips away and this fantastical world that they all really see becomes utterly, absolutely real.

On Meghann:
Romper: Miss Me $36
Heels: Qupid $33
Handbag: Coach $118