Friday, October 2, 2015

Hey Britney! Do You Remember All Those Times We Went To Vegas?

The first time was pretty epic.


 Look how dark my hair was!


 I LOVE THIS PICTURE!


 On the way home, still smiling! Love those Elvis glasses.


The second time to Vegas for Valentine's Day when we were BOTH single. Epic as well.


These drinks went down pretty easy.


 Right before it all went to hell. One of us threw up in a cab. SO MUCH FUN!


And the third time for your birthday. 24 hours in Vegas!


At Fogo de Chao.

YUMMY!!!

 Remember this guy? After The Laugh Factory!


I think we need to go back. Maybe for my dirty thirty?

Xo,

Rachel

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Shop The Trunk Consignment!

Recently I had the opportunity to visit my friend Angie's Consignment shop in Brighton. If you are in that area or close by, this is a shop you have to check out!

Angie is the new owner of the shop after taking it over. She is a hard working woman and it shows!



The place was so well organized and spotless. It is the perfect place to shop or consign your cute and gently work things so you can make room for new additions!




The store was organized by style and color. She has so many ways to put together great outfit ideas and her staff is super friendly! All of these items can be found at The Trunk!


I snapped up an orange Michael Kors bag that I LOVE! Here I am wearing it the very next day!

The Trunk also boasts some beautiful house furnishings and candles and cookbooks!



The Trunk is happy to host private shopping parties or pop up boutiques outside of the store!

Give Angie a call if you have any questions! She can help style you, figure out an outfit for any kind of event, or hep you host a really fun party!

Check out their website: http://www.thetrunkconsignment.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetrunkconsignment

Happy Saturday Friends!

xo,
Rachel

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Don't Feel Sorry For Yourself. Only Assholes Do That.

Last week, I was offered a position for a special assignment, one that I was really excited about and was offered after several interviews and for a reason regarding a mistake I made when I was 22, the offer was rescinded. It wasn't in the interview process or on the application. I just told them about it for complete disclosure and I was immediately let go. I have told many important employers about it and it was never an issue. It was something we all have done and either got caught for or should have - that is not the point here though. The point is, it's part of me now and suddenly, I felt really bad about me.

 I spent the whole week in and out of tears and feeling sorry for myself. It was really hard - part of it was the swing of emotion. Total elation to be the chosen one for the job and then total disappointment to have it taken away so fast. It was just a tough week until I saw this on Instagram. Not only is this SO true, Murakami designed some of my favorite Louis Vuitton handbags in 2009 (I own two!) and so I know this post was a sign that it was for me! 


The picture spoke to me right away. I thought about it and realized that it's OK to mourn the loss of something you really wanted and to feel disappointed but after awhile, if you keep feeling sorry for yourself, do you know what it makes you? An asshole. 



I woke up from my haze of feeling sorry for myself, blaming myself, rehashing what I should have said, counting all the money I was now not going to make and decided that I was no longer going to be an asshole about it. The mistake I made when I was young, I needed to suffer the consequences of my actions and learn an important lesson. We need our mistakes to grow.

 
 The last thing you want to do is beat yourself up over the "shoulda coulda woulda's" because that just inhibits personal growth and meaningful experiences you can have TODAY and in the future.


Today, I am telling the universe that I understand that the opportunity wasn't meant to be and that I am grateful for the person I am, the mistakes I have made, and for how far I have come. I have come a damn long way and I am proud of my hard work. I have lived a pretty incredible life that I have worked for and being grateful for my life and the blessings I have, makes me teary just writing this.



Does this sound like something you may have experienced? Are you held back by something? Are you sick of being an asshole? The way to change is through gratitude. Let's be grateful today and forgive and love ourselves. Today I decide to shift my focus back to gratitude and be thankful for all of the amazing opportunities I have now and that I know are coming to me.
 
Have you ever tried a positive affirmation? Try it. Look in the mirror and tell yourself something kind. You can start with this: I love and approve of myself. I am grateful for the person I am, and I am grateful for today. Do it everyday for a week.





Have a great rest of your week!

XO,




Thursday, June 4, 2015

Ever Since I Was A Child...

Did you see the movie "Then and Now"? I love that movie. When I think of then and now, I have always loved three things.

Flat faced little dogs. This is the one that started it all. Rosie. We were born in the same month of December and grew up together!



Here I am with my current flat face. I am sure you guys know who this thing is :) 
 
Being a show-woman! Here is my first appearance with my mother in Colorado Homes and Lifestyles.


 and last year on Pawn Stars!


and dressing up! 


This is a shoot from when I posed for a painting by fashion icon Jim Howard. I was fortunate enough to purchase the painting this year and I cherish it! It was a fun time of my life and I still have this outfit! 


Friday, April 3, 2015

What If Antique Dolls Posted On Social Media?!

As you guys know, I work with dolls. I am also pretty highly involved with social media. Sometimes when I am cataloging a doll, I imagine what the doll has experienced in its life - like what would it say if it has an Insta or Facebook account. Here are a couple that have come across my mind in the last few days. This is either a sign I need to take a day off from dolls - OR - I am really tapping into my inner doll appraiser because they are actually SPEAKING to me! (with #hashtags!)

Guuuuuuurl I just got my hair DID! #CantStopWontStop #ShortHairDontCare #loveit #beauty #nofilter #memyselfandi #selfportrait


The dry air in Colorado is making me break out! #UGH #TheStruggleIsReal #FirstWorldProblems


Date night with my #bae! #Friday #weekend #TGIF #DateNight #twerk #epic



I seriously can't wait to wear this dress in Vegas for Laura's bachelorette weekend!! #yolo #TurntUp #livingforthemoment #doingthingswewillregret #crazy #friends




Girl this IS my casual Friday bonnet! #lol #instagood #hot #selfie #style #swag



Loving my new bob haircut! Rocking it #likeaboss #winning#RetroHairThrowback


That #AwkwardMoment when I got mistaken for my husband today. #lifetimemoviesbelike



Wednesday, April 1, 2015

WOW! Look At This Vintage Bob Dylan Poster!

So while organizing the back portion of our antique store this past weekend, I uncovered this awesome vintage Bob Dylan poster. It's from a concert in Greenwich Village, September 19th, 1960. 


This thing has got to be worth a fortune. Look at how distressed the corners are! It's been carefully preserved in this nice frame - professionally mounted. This has got to be worth a lot of money, right?! 
Bob Dylan collectors pay a LOT for posters. 

Well the excitement stops right there because...this is a fake poster. Even though it LOOKS real, smells real, is the real color, the edges are distressed, and it is mounted in a $300.00 mounting job and frame, this puppy is not the real thing. 

How do I know? 

Bob Dylan never performed a concert on September, 19th, 1960 in Greenwich Village. 

In April 1961, Dylan played his first paying gig at Gerde’s Folk City, in Greenwich Village. He didn't become really popular (to have posters made like this one) until around 1964. 

Another telltale sign is that most concert posters don't have the year on them. When you are looking at a music poster on a building or concert venue around town, look next time and see if it has the year on it. Most FAKES, have the year on them. One of the easiest ways to tell a fake poster is to see if the musician actually played a concert on the advertised date and location. It seems pretty self explanatory but you wouldn't believe how many people don't think of this. 

The End.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Appraiser Polish - Wedgwood Pottery



Lately, I have been doing a special trick to learn my antiques...I have been choosing polish that reminds me of a kind of antique that I want to learn more about. 

I choose this polish by Nails, Inc this week because it looks like Wedgwood porcelain.

Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, commonly known as Wedgwood, is a pottery firm. Wedgwood was founded on 1 May 1759 by Josiah Wedgwood and in 1987 merged with Waterford Crystal to create Waterford Wedgwood, an Ireland-based luxury brands group. 

Wedgwood is most famous for their blue and white design – which I LOVE.




The color blocking effect and timeless blue and white is SIMPLE but so vivid and exciting at the same time. I really like the matte finish. It's also somewhat affordable right now - it's also very durable and if you get the earlier pieces, it's really high quality. (Hint - blue is the most common but also my favorite - green is rarer!)




You can find cameos, pendants, and other accessories in this pattern. The neoclassical patterns are really fun and if you look closely, you can see how the Romans lived and get a little peek into history on your vase!

Next time you are out and about, keep your eye out for some of this porcelain. If you need a pop of color in your decor, I highly recommend it.


Friday, March 6, 2015

8 Things People Who Work in the Antique Industry Can't Stand Hearing When You Are In Their Shop


Y'all know I work in the antique industry in sales and as a professional personal property appraiser. I absolutely love my career and so many things about it. It's exciting, interesting, every day is different, and I have met so many amazing people and seen some incredible things over the years...and I am just starting out. I love the history, research, and stories...but there are also some times when I just want to scream - mostly in my shop. 

I am guessing almost anyone in retail customer service can identify with these things that we just can't stand hearing - especially those in the antique industry. If you say any of the following things, you can expect this reaction: 




8) "I am just wasting time." 

I know people don't mean anything by this but you wouldn't believe how many people say it. "Wasting time" just carries a bad oura with it unless you are Dave Matthews saying it and then SWOON. Unless you are Dave, don't say it when sales people are working and come up to help you. Basically anything else is better.

7) "Do you BUY antiques?" 

EVERY TIME I fight the urge to say, "No. We steal them. Or better yet, all these things have been donated to us - do you want to donate something to us, too?!" 


6) "I saw the same one that I have on Pawn Stars, Antiques Roadshow, etc." 

That's awesome for you. Keep in mind - those shows DO accurately represent what the item IS but the values are generally inflated retail prices - like when two people duke it out with the heavens aligned and they just won the lottery kind of prices. They do not give a fair market value - an FMV. That is the price that would happen in a normal day between several sets of people under no compulsion to buy or sell. Kind of like saying, "Oh, that's a good deal, I will take two, thanks!." That is a fair market value.

5) "I am downsizing." 

UGH. It always reminds me of someone on Biggest Loser or something. Generally, nobody ever downsizes something awesome. They are usually downsizing something that is dragging them down, right? Right. People always expect us to do jumping jacks because they are now "downsizing". What happened to UP-SIZING? Come in and tell us you are up-sizing and you might see those jumping jacks. Hell, I would even drop disco balls and bring in the dancing girls for the right "up-size".

4) "I have some junk I want to get rid of." 

When I get one where they actually say "JUNK", I tell them we do have a dumpster out back they can use. Sometimes, people even tell me that they have "had it listed on Craigslist for three months and not one person has called or emailed."  


3) "We already sold all the good stuff at the garage sale." 

People ACTUALLY tell us this on a regular basis. I literally just can't anymore. Not even. CAN'T EVEN. 




2) "Grandma owned it and she was 90 when she died so it has to be old." 

Newsflash! Grandma might have gone shopping when she was 85 or could have been given a gift when she was like 89. Or went to target two weeks before her death. Just because Grandma owned it, doesn't mean it is "antique". Here are some easy tips - if it's microwave safe, or has a UPC code, or a certificate of authenticity from the home shopping network, it's not antique.

1) "Can I see the price on this, I have one JUST LIKE IT, will you give me $85 for MINE?!" 

Awesome. Let me stop what I am doing to actually generate income for myself and pretend to be interested while you make me pull something out of the case to tell you what the price is just so you can then try and sell me the item for the SAME PRICE as I  have it for sale in my shop.