We moved our shop----again!!!!

Ok, so I know it looks like we are uhmmm, wishy-washy when it comes to our shop but we really aren't!  We really know what we are doing---sometimes.

I said all that to say, we have moved our shop in Winnie--AGAIN!  The little house we moved to only a few short months ago just wasn't working out.  It was TOO small (yes, our first shop was TOO big) and the porch was just un-usable for us.  On top of all that, the customer traffic wasn't very good.  And so, we asked to move again, whenever something came available.  Little did I realize it would happen so fast!!

I received a call within 2-days of the March show saying there was an opening if we wanted it.  And boy did we want it!!  It's larger than the little house but not as big as our first shop--1/2 it's size.  AND we have 3-covered porches--lots more space and even better traffic!!

So once again we had to move--quickly!!  And this time I had to do most of it myself.  My son was working and couldn't help much so every weekend I went to Winnie and moved, moved, MOVED again, all the displays, all the decorations, all the items for sale.  Don't mean to sound whiny but it was really hard work and I'm glad to be finished----and I have sworn to never, ever, ever move again!!

Here are a few pictures of our shop 'in progress':

My son got this clothing rack for me from his job--for FREE!!

Nice corner of the shop--we also have some wonderful windows!

This is one side of my covered porch

I'm working on making part of the shop a boutique for vintage clothing & accessories

I had to sneak in a picture of my wonderful grandson who is now 2!!

This is our 'counter'--we can sit behind it.  This is also what you see from the front door

So that's it for now.  I'll keep you updated on how the shop is looking--we are really excited about having this new opportunity to share God's blessings----and hopefully sell a few things too!!

God Bless all and any who read this,

Pat, A Remade Life

Lake Houston Trade Days tomorrow!!

And here we go again!! Tomorrow is one of my local shows, the Lake Houston Trade Days. It is a great show that is just 5-minutes down the street from where I live--awesome, right?!? The gentleman who hosts it does a pretty decent job AND it's one of the shows I use to coordinate with the city, however the city no longer hosts it, sooooooooo--I am just a vendor! I must say, I really like that. Coordinating and running a trade show is NOT easy and can be very trying--after all, you know how we vendors are!! (hehehe). I will be setting up tonight till 'dark-30' as we use to say since I had to work today, but I've pretty well got it down and should be able to get it done quickly. Well, that is, after I visit with my fellow vendors and we all look at each others 'treasures' then visit a little more----ok, so I'm going to be there late! But that's ok, I love my fellow vendors and look forward to see them at each show. If you find yourself in the Humble, TX area tomorrow, come and visit me at the Lake Houston Trade Days at 8133 Will Clayton Pkwy, Humble, TX 77338. I'll be the one with all the cool treasures for sale!! ;)

Not my booth contents but just a sample of some of the good stuff you might find!!

God Bless All and Any who read this!!
Pat, A Remade Life
www.aremadelife.etsy.com
www.lovethatvintagestyle.etsy.com
'like' us on facebook - Remade Life Emporium

"Whatever" Purses are here!!!!

     As some of you may know I had foot surgery almost 5 weeks ago---and, although it went very well, a reaction to the meds and edema in my foot caused me to be laid up a little longer then usual.  Now, I am NOT one to just lay around and watch soaps (and what's up with cable?!-all those channels and nothing good to watch!!!) so I decided to try to get a little creative work in.  However, not being very mobile kinda limited what I could do.

     So, I gathered as many bolts of laces, trims, fabrics, kitschy items and STUFF that I could grab, sat myself down on my sofa, propped my foot up on a pillow and started sewing!!

     The one rule I made myself stick to was "JUST HAVE FUN"!!!   Under no circumstances would I let myself stress out over, 'does it look right?", 'is it too small', is it too big', is it kitschy enough', 'is it too odd'!!?? and on and on and on........NO!!

    And so I just started grabbing whatever was within my reach and sewed it on the purse.  Some purses turned out cute, some turned out a little odd, but ALL were fun to make!!!  And it was GREAT therapy as I recovered.  As a matter of fact, it was sooooooooo much fun that I decided to finish them up and I've posted them in my etsy shop for sale- www.aremadelife.etsy.com  .

     And that's how the "Whatever Purse" was born!!!  I do plan on continuing making them, even though my foot is doing better.  (I'm still in that silly 'boot' thing but will hopefully be out of it soon!)  Here are a few pictures of my Whatever Purses---let me know what you think!

Please be sure and leave me a comment, let me know what you think!
And be sure to 'like' us on facebook--'Remade Life Emporium"
Until then, God bless all and any who read this,
Pat, A Remade Life
www.aremadelife.etsy.com
www.lovethatvintagestyle.etsy.com

The Ever-changing Business of...uh, well, Business!!!

It always amazes me how the hills of valleys of business are so much like the hills and valleys of life!  Not trying to get all philosophical or nothing, but there are so many similarities.

You ever noticed how life seems to run in cycles?  Things are going well, flowing nicely from day to day and then, BAMMMM, it hits!!!   Both tires on the back of your car go flat and make you late for an important meeting---the vending machine at work eats not one, but two of your dollars and seems to almost dare you to try again!!  Your hair starts falling out for some unknown reason, your dog poops in your most expensive pair of shoes and you discovery the strange smell in your refrigerator is coming from the tomato that fell behind the vegetable drawer and now looks like a science project!!  No, none of these things happened to me...well, maybe the tomato thing, but that's all.

Our good times are high, our bad times are low and everything in between is what keeps us going.  And so it is with business as well.

Things have been pretty 'low' for us business-wise for quite a while now.  Online sales have been almost 

non-existent and, as you know, my shop has been equally slow in sales.  It has been an unpleasant valley!

Well I'm here to say that we are starting the upward climb on that hill and have started enjoying the high that comes with success!  Sales at the shop have picked up greatly and that by itself is a blessing.  However, I seem to be on a roll with my online sales as well!!  I've been posting vintage clothing on ebay (my seller id is 'aremadelife' in case you would like to check it out!)  and, good news, THEY ARE SELLING!!  Not only that but I've been doing well in both my etsy shops --lovethatvintagestyle and aremadelife---check those out too if you have time!!

So, we are currently on a really nice HIGH----a blessing indeed!  But, I keep remembering that those low valleys are just on the other side of that hill and that I need to keep my 'feet' planted in reality.  Some days are good, some days are bad, but thanks to our Heavenly Father, we get through them all-----and if we remember to trust in Him we will enjoy those wonderful highs and learn from those unpleasant lows!

So we are enjoying this time of success and wanted to share it with you!  Here are a few picture's of my items on ebay and new pic's of the shop!

Vintage 1920's dress--sold within 45 mins.!!

Child's vintage real fur hand muff

Vintage 1940's Fashion Dress

Fantastic vintage Fashion Wrap

Very unusual vintage full slip!

Vintage 1960's Mod-style knit coat

Thanks for listening to me, hope all is well with you!  Leave me a comment!!

God Bless all and any who read this,

Pat, A Remade Life

Best Customers in the World!!

This past weekend was the Winnie Trade Days show and what a good show it was!  Although we didn't make as much money as we did last month we did ok-- but the real joy came in meeting some of the greatest customers in the world!!

I had the great pleasure of meeting many new customers as well as seeing some long-time returning ones. What fun it was to visiting with people, make new friends and 'share' the love of God with so many!!  I felt truly blessed to meet each and every one that came into my shop.

There was the lovely mom-in-law and daughter-in-law who came in with the cutest of babies (don't worry Brayden, grandma still loves you the best!).   The young ladies husband was in the military and had been deployed.  She was part of a military group that was raising money for the troops by creating a calendar of military wives dressed in vintage clothing---which just happens to be one of my specialties.  We talked and shared thoughts about vintage clothing, she checked out all the different vintage styles I had and even purchased some.  I gave her my contact info and hope we will stay in touch with each other.

Then there was the young girl (17 yrs old) who came in with her mom to look for and buy vintage clothing, not for any party or event but just because she LOVES vintage clothing!!  It just thrills my heart to see young people enjoying great things from the past.  And her mom was the best--she bought her daughter a complete outfit, dress and matching hat.  This young lady is a definite individual, one who knows who she is and not likely to fall into the 'status quo'!

And remember my little buddy Zack, the one who won the American Pickers youth contest, a $10,000 scholarship and a trip to the Smithsonian?  Well, my little buddy ain't so little anymore!!  I saw him walking down the hall and almost didn't recognize him!!  He's grown a foot and it now taller than me and has 'leaned-down' and lost his baby fat.  And even though he's a young teenager, he stopped to visit and we had a good hugging session!!  That kid definitely has a place in my heart!!

Well, that's pretty much how our weekend went.  We only had one minor issue that was our 'fly in the ointment'.  I was cleaning off one of our glass shelf units when one of the shelves collapsed and all the glassware on that shelf broke.  But I count my blessings cause I could have been hurt/cut my the flying glass however, I came away without a scratch!  Thank you Lord for your protecting hand!

So, here are a few pictures for you to enjoy, unfortunately none of our customers--it was just too busy to stop to take pictures.

My 'little' buddy Zack in a 'before' picture---he's NOT this little now!!

The top shelf is the one that collasped--pretty much everything on it broke

And of course, the most beautiful baby in the world, my Brayden!

I had to include this pic of Brayden in NOT one of his finer moments--that's not chocolate he's covered in--ughhh!

Here is he all cleaned up and happy again

He's full of McNuggets, french fries and a smoothie--not his usual diet but ok once in a while

And that's it for now, thanks for stopping by and taking a peepie-poo (sorry, didn't mean to mention 'poo' again!).  God Bless all and any who read this,

Pat, A Remade Life

NOT a messy house-------really!!!!

Have you ever got into one of those moods where all you want is a clean house?  You know, you want everything in its place, no extra 'treasures in boxes' lining your hallway, everything neat and tidy?  Well, I'm here to tell you I'M IN THAT MOOD!!!!

Having a resale business can, uhmmmmm, overwhelm your otherwise normal life.  You begin by finding a few really nice items for your shop then, before you know it, those items have multiplied and are now in every spare spot in your home---at least, that's what has happened to me!!

I love going to garage sales, estate sales, resale shops, etc.---it's just so much fun looking for that elusive 'big' find, you know, the one that's going to make you rich and famous or at least make you smile.  But, as I began to look around at all my resale treasures, I realized that I could no longer live with them overtaking my life.  And so, the MOOD came over me and I began a new adventure, one that promises to give me a clean start (pardon the pun!) and a sparkly home.

I started by cleaning out all the closets that house my wonderful finds---and there are a lot of closets in my house that fit that description!  I never realized how much you can stuff into such small spaces.  I found tote after tote of items I forgot I even had!  I had four piles going--pile #1 was for items going to my shop (yes, I still plan on closing down my Winnie shop but NOT until most of this stuff is gone!), pile #2 was for donating to a local resale shop/ministry,  pile #3 was items that were just 'not so wonderful' and were being trashed and pile #4 was for items I will be placing either on ebay or in my etsy shop - www.lovethatvintagestyle.etsy.com.

It's slow going but I've made some real progress.  I've taken several loads to the resale shop and numerous bags to the trash.  The pictures I'm posting here are the rest of the stuff for the shop and internet.

Please, don't judge me I am not a hoarder, just someone trying to supplement their income and also make a difference by recycling.

So, I take my heart in my hand and share these pictures of the fruits of my labor--piles and piles of cool vintage clothing, nifty kitchen items, lots and lots of baby clothes (my grandson Brayden is growing soooo fast) and just about anything you can think of---and it will all be leaving my house soon!!

                                 This pile is lots and lots of linens and vintage wedding dresses

                                                               same pile as above

                     This is the largest pile full of clothing, vintage quilts, more vintage wedding dresses
                  and tons of baby clothes from Brayden--I think there's a sofa under there somewhere!

                     This smaller pile is lots of great vintage ladies dresses, coats and purses


As you can see, I've been busy.  I will be so happy to get my house back in order and hopefully make a little (or a lot) of money as well.

Next project:  my garage and warehouse unit----I think I'm going to need help, anyone interested!!  ;)

God Bless all and any who read this,
Pat, A Remade Life

New Adventures are a-comin'!!

So, had a very busy weekend getting all my 'treasures' out of the antique mall.  It was a lot more work than I originally thought--who knew you could put so much in such a small space?!?!?!  Anyway, the antique mall is now just a memory.  It was an easy decision to leave--I wasn't making any money and it was becoming more and more difficult to get over there and work on my booth.  There are lots of good workers there and the fellow vendors I met were great.  Also, Kudos to the manager, Susan, who was always very kind to me. It was very much appreciated.

And now, on to our next adventure!  I still have to close down my shop in Winnie, TX ( now THAT will be work!!)  but that will be a much slower process, one we will probably spread out over the next few months. We are hoping to be out by October at the latest but really shooting for September.  In the meantime, I have begun working on my next project, one I am truly enjoying.  It's not something I can discuss at this time (I am working on trademarking it) but I will share a few photos.

It is amazing how God directs our steps when we let Him!  He is a loving heavenly Father and wants only the best for us in ALL areas of our lifes.  I know He is guiding me even though at first I wasn't happy about closing my shop--I couldn't see the path God was taking me down, all I could see was 'failure'!    But He has better plans for me, plans to prosper and excel (as He does for us all!)  God is good.

So here are the photos of 'what's to come', just a little sneak peak into an adventure I am looking forward to!!

And of course, a few pics of my wonderful grandson Brayden--sitting in the refrigerator!!!

That's it for now but there's lots more to come!!
God Bless all and any who read this,
Pat, A Remade Life

Another one bites the dust!!

Well, the Winnie May show is now done and over with.  It was a very difficult one, one that was once again  not very profitable!  The weather was terrible the first day and the crowds were sluggish, even after the sun came out.  My son and I are now left with making the decision of giving up our shop or hanging in and renting out part of it.  Not a pleasant decision and not one made quickly, however, we can't keep working so hard for such little return.  Please pray that God will direction us to the right path to take!

We would so hate to leave Winnie---we have soooooooo many great customers and visitors to our shop.  There are many who will stop in just to say hello or to let us know the latest happenings in their lives.  We are so honored to know them all.  It is our hope that we will be able to stay in Winnie, but only time will tell.  We are very thankful for the many friends we have made there and pray God's blessings on each and every one of them!  We will, of course, let everyone know as soon as we decide.

In the meantime,  here are a few pictures I thought you might enjoy--hope all the moms out there had a wonderful mother's day!!

                     My mom, Goldie Marie Shockley and her great-grandson, my grandson Brayden

                                                 Mom, Brayden and my son Jonathan

I'll be posting again soon with some new ideas and possible plans for the future!!

God Bless all and any who read this,

Pat, A Remade Life