Let Me Do The Shopping!

Hi there pretty people! My friend Emily over @ The Object Enthusiast shared a few sweet words about her personal shopping experience with moi at the helm. I had so much shopping for Emily and I am happy that she loved her items. Read her post here and if you didn't know Emily is a talented ceramics artist who you need in your life. I did a post on a ceramic jewelry box that I purchased from her and am in absolute love with! If you are looking for those pieces that you will be able to love and pass down generation-to-generation then Emily is your girl.

 Here is a little sampling of Emily's work:

If you want an international vintage shopping trip, but can't afford the plane ticket then just let me take care of it. All you need to do is send me those measurements and consider me your girl. ;)

Visit my vintage shop for the details, Seoul Sold.

Swing by Emily's shop, here.

How To Thrift Like a Pro

Today I am going to share some tips on how to conduct a successful thrifting shopping trip. I am NO stranger to the world of thrifting and I used to frequent second-hand shops, garage sales, markets, and estate sales where I thought I might have a good chance to pick up a unique item. However, I was an amateur and it is only since moving to South Korea that I have blossomed into the thrifting beast that I am now. Oh, the hours and hours that I have spent sorting through piles and piles of clothing is enough to send most people running, but I have enjoyed EVERY second of it and I even opened my own Etsy vintage shop, Seoul Sold, to prove it!

I am excited to share what I have learned and I hope that maybe one of two of my tips will make your next thrifting adventure more enjoyable.

Here is what you NEED and this is non-negotiable. If you listen to me I can make sure that you have EXACTLY what you need to be happy and productive while out scouring the secondhand haunts.

Bag
A big 'ol bag and the bigger the better, but keep in mind that when I say big I don't mean something that is cumbersome for you to carry. Think about your preferences, do you like backpacks, messengers, or an over-sized purse? Whatever you choose make sure that it is light-weight, and doesn't have a lot of straps or zippers to get in the way because we want to be able to jam as much clothing as possible into it with the least effort. Also an easily identifiable bag is good for keeping track of it if you set it down in the mountains of clothing so choose a brightly colored bag. Plus, if you are able to quickly see what you have at a glance you will be able to reassess your shopping strategy easily. Because no one really NEEDS a bag full of polka dot dresses just because you found 5 in a row!

I have a favorite Aerie tote that is my go-to bag when I hit the vintage markets. My aerie bag hits all the right notes being light-weight, easily accessible, I love how easy it is to carry, and I  won't lose track of it with it's bright pink pattern.

All of this is in that Aerie bag! 6 tops and 7 dresses, plus a skirt that isn't pictured!

Cash
I know that a debit card is amazing and we get so used to using them on a daily basis that when we go shopping we  usually don't think to bring cash, but a thrifting trip is different from a regular shopping outing. You aren't going to the mall and your card is useless if whomever you are buying from doesn't have the means to process a card payment. Cash is king in the world of thrifting and you can usually get a discount if you are buying multiple items. ALSO, cash is critical for budgeting, if you take out a set amount of money for your trip then when all the cash is gone you are done! Only carrying cash to thrift with helps you pace yourself and makes you keep an eye out for those one-of-a-kind items. No buyer's remorse for you, hooray!   

Tape Measure
A tape measure is your best friend when you are on a serious thrifting mission! Stopping to try things on can only slow you down and it tires you out a lot faster than if you are able to just measure the garment and make a quick informed decision. Also, you may not be able to try it on if you are at a market or estate sale so make sure to ALWAYS have your tape measure on hand.

Snacks/Water
Snacks, you need them. I can't count the number of times that I have been finding amazing pieces only to have my stomach start to growl and yell at me making it pretty much impossible for me to focus until I ate. Pack a snack that is easily eaten without having to touch it directly because no one wants dirty hands on their food. I usually bring along a good granola or protein bar to tide me over until I'm shopped out.

Don't forget your water! Staying hydrated is another great way to stay focused AND refreshed. You will be able to shop for longer no matter the circumstances if you make sure that you have a water supply on hand so grab your favorite water bottle for your next trip.

Comfortable clothing/Walking shoes
You are going to be spending a lot of time on your feet so don't wear any footwear that you won't be able to comfortably walk, climb, and lug your vintage finds around in. Yes, I've climbed a mountain of clothing and lived to tell the tale! Also dress in layers if you aren't sure how the weather will be because you can always take off a layer and keep on trucking if you have to.

My last and MOST important tip: Don't get discouraged! You won't always find amazing things at great prices when you are thrifting because there really is no rhyme or reason to it. Some days you are lucky and others you strike out a lot, but can pat yourself on the back for all of the walking that you did! Yay for being active in any way possible. ;) You will encounter piles of clothing, walk till your feet fall off, and probably sneeze your head off thrifting, but it is so worth it when you find an amazing item!

My friend Seung-Wan's victory yell as she finds the perfect dress for summer.

Here are a few shots of what a normal trip the vintage markets looks like for me. I have no idea how I manage to FIND anything in all of this, but it is so much fun!

A look at what I climb, dig, and wander through in the quest for vintage items.

Staying positive as I dig through a massive bag of dresses.

I hope that your next thrifting adventure is full of awesome loot and if you haven't tried out second-hand shopping I hope you do! Finding a one-of-a-kind item is thrilling and you'll love knowing that you won't see ANYONE else with it.

Make sure to swing by my vintage shop for some great items and let me know what you think. 

Find my shop, here.

Happy thrifting!

BEDM Challenge: Day 28 Shop Photos!

I'm almost at the end of the blog challenge! I am so excited that I have been able to meet so many great bloggers and that I've managed to stay on track with posting every day. :) Here is day 28's writing prompt:

"Only photos."

It rained and was generally gloomy today so a shop photo shoot was in order!

Keep an eye out for these beauties in the etsy shop, Seoul Sold!Have a wonderful day and I hope the weather is fairer wherever you are!

Shop Update//Exciting News!

How is everyone? 

I hope that your Friday is shaping up to be as great as mine is, and in celebration of kicking off a great weekend I am sharing some vintage pretties that I just put in the shop!

Vintage Maroon Secretary Blouse, here.

Vintage Key-Hole Dress, here.

Vintage Blue Floral Dress, here.

In addition to these great listings I am going to share some really exciting news about a new option that I am offering in my Etsy shop, Seoul Sold. I just rolled out my personal shopping experience for great vintage clothing in Seoul! How great is that? I am so excited to start personal shopping for any and everyone! :)

The normal sights on a shopping trip into the city's vintage markets.

With just a click of your mouse you and I will become best buds and talk about your dislikes and likes and what kind of vintage garment your little heart desires. I will then head out into the city and do all of the leg work for you and find the perfect vintage item to add to your closet! Check out the details, here, and let me know what you think!

Have a great weekend everyone.

Day 9: BEDM Challenge A Moment in Your Day

I am a very happy blogger today. BEDM's challenge is simple, sweet, and to-the-point! Day 9's super awesome prompt:

"A moment in your day"

I was torn between what moment to use! But I went with what I spent a majority of my time doing today, which was taking photos of new inventory that will soon be up in the shop. Here is my chosen photo of the prettiest floral dress for spring!

Keep your eyes open for this blue number and a few other spring items that I will have up in the shop in time for all of the warm weather!  Just for fun I have one extra moment that I have to share. 

Look at this pretty piglet in pearls. 

Styling and profiling in pearls and Chanel!

Isn't it sweet? I love running into things like this in Seoul, I am going to miss this city when I leave.

Also, if you haven't checked out my Etsy shop and are into vintage clothing, take a peek at it, here.

BEDM Challenge: Day 2 Let's Model: How to Take Self-Portraits

Here is day 2 of the BEDM challenge! 

I was a bit conflicted when I read the prompt: Educate us on something you know a lot about or are good at. Hmmm....a thousand things ran through my head so I guess that's a good thing? Right? Yay, I'm a woman of many talents! While this challenge was a little tough to pin down it was a great opportunity to share a post that I have been procrastinating about like nobody's business.

How to take self-portraits/How to successfully model clothing

When I opened up my Etsy shop, Seoul Sold, less than a year ago I had absolutely NO idea what to do when it came to showcasing the clothing that I hoped to sell. While I had taken tons of photographs of other people I was lost in the woods on the modeling front and had never been the subject before. I'm not going to lie it was NERVE RACKING to be IN FRONT of the camera and not the photographer. 

There is a sort of power in the anonymity that being the photographer grants you, you are able to see all the perfect angles, make instant adjustments to your camera, give instruction, and can make the most of what light you have available. But what do you do when you are pretty much your own photographer AND model? A model's power is different than a photographer, and is even more potent by the images you can create, but to do this you have to be adaptable. 

First, things first
You'll need:
A tripod
Camera Remote (preferably wireless, don't worry if you can't find a remote, because I take ALL of my photos without one)
A light background
YOU

It's important to have a good background ready to go for your photo shoot. A blank wall works well or if you want some decorations pick something that won't be distracting or interfere with your modeling. For my own uses I picked a room in my house that had decent light exposure with a white wall, and to add some interest to it I added a small string of bunted flags I made. The flags are useful because not only do they add fun to the photo, but they also help me mark my spots! When I look through the camera I usually take note of which flags I can stand between and in front of to get the best light. 

My special little makeshift photo spot!

Know your body, know your face
Having a working knowledge and command of your own body and face are musts and I had to spend some good old fashioned alone time staring in the mirror discovering which angles worked the best for my face and body. Not to mention it was hard work mastering my facial muscles! Just because you think you are giving your best bedroom eyes doesn't mean that is what your face is ACTUALLY doing. I have found that unless you feel your muscle working then you are probably looking flat faced with no emotion. The trick for me has been to OVER react with my muscles because that is where the life is put into my photos. Even when I want to look serene and quiet I have to actively force my face to calm and I must be careful to control my face otherwise I look lifeless. Another point is to make sure that your smile reaches your eyes, like Tyra said SMIZE! Whatever emotion you are trying to convey MUST reach your eyes otherwise you'll look fake and tired.

Lighting, Lighting, Lighting
I cannot stress the importance of natural lighting and the major role that it plays when you are trying to make your photos look polished and put together. Since I have mastered the use of lighting I do absolutely ZERO touch-ups to my photos, which is awesome because I lack the necessary skills to even make a serious attempt at this. The photos below show what a difference in lighting will do with the exact SAME pose in the SAME place.

Marking my spot let me take two separate shots that were almost identical!

Mark your place
When you start to take photos make sure to mark where the best lighting is in the room. Once you have marked the best place to stand then you can cut out a lot of guess work on where you were standing when you achieved lighting heaven. A word of advice is to NOT TAPE if you are going to eventually include your feet in your photos....I did this on tile and I am still trying to scrape up the tape gum. The spots on the floor drive me crazy when I want to photograph my cute shoes, but I'm kind of a perfectionist so that might not get on your nerves quite like it has mine. Marking your place also let's you be more methodical in your poses by letting you go through a series of poses a bit faster. I would suggest maybe putting down a piece of colored cloth or even a coin to help you remember where you were standing. Plus, if you know exactly where you are going to stand then it will cut down on you moving as the timer for your camera goes off which will eliminate the dreaded FUZZY shot! 

Casualties of the fuzzy shot!

Test Shot
Test shots are so IMPORTANT! I can't count the number of times that I didn't test shot and I was so annoyed with myself because I had either put on too much make-up or misunderstood the lighting for what I would be modeling. At the start of each modeling session I like to do a test shot and then adjust the camera settings. Also, I like to do the first shots with no make-up so that I can get a better idea if dramatic make-up will best suit the lighting or if I need to go with a fresher face. Test shots are also great for determining where the shadows will fall during your shoot so that you'll know whether or not to keep your face face east or west, and which position your body should be in to stay out of the shadows. 

The Fun Stuff: MAKE-UP & HAIR
Make-up and hair go along way to making your photo shoot a success and I always end up putting more make-up on when I take photos as opposed to days when I don't. Using more make-up when I take photos goes beyond wanting to look my best and is due to the fact that the extra make-up helps my features pop on camera. I usually snub lipstick in favor of chap stick or a light gloss, but it's a fact that lipstick is the key to helping your lips show up on camera. Extra eye-liner and mascara help create a pulled together look that is based on the drama and polish that made-up eyes grant you. Make-up and hair also let you put your own particular spin on the photo shoot and help give you a vehicle to communicate personality and feeling into your photos, so don't skip this step!

Tell A Story
Telling a story with your photos is very important so that you don't lose your point-of-view during the photo shoot. Sure, a bunch of good looking photos are nice to have, but if they aren't cohesive then they won't communicate to your audience. I know that for a while taking photos was a chore because I always felt confused when it came to what I should be DOING in the photos, but trying to tell a story helped me have a clearer idea of what to DO on camera. For example, when I started doing the photos for this little how-to I decided that I wanted to create a fun beach type look and so I used that as inspiration and grabbed a hat and bag to add to the feel. Remember that props are useful and will help you create the look you want, just don't let the prop become the focal point of your photo!

Move
Don't be afraid to move or try new poses. Taking your own photographs can be so much fun if you just free yourself up to look a little silly. A trick that I got off of ANTP (Yes, I ran to Tyra when I had no idea what to do!) is to laugh out loud to get a natural look to your face you might feel silly doing it, but it will make look natural easier. Another trick for me is to put my tongue to the roof of my mouth when I smile, doing this helps me keep my neck relaxed and also hasn't let me down in created a genuine smile. New poses can be fun, so don't be afraid to try new things to keep the lines of the photo interesting. Switching things up regularly will help breath life into your photos.

Mistakes Happen!
Don't freak out if you don't do well your very first photo shoot and even if you are a seasoned veteran like me, you won't always be perfect and it could be 200 shots later that you FINALLY get into the groove. Taking photos is supposed to be fun and mistakes happen alllll the time! I love to have my husband photograph me because not only does it cut down on the time that I have take photos, but I always have more fun and laugh a lot more. Here are some of our outtakes that I wanted to share with you to prove that even if you know what to do mistakes happen!

Time
One way to NOT get frustrated when you take photos is to make sure to block off enough TIME so that you can take your time and figure out what you are doing. I usually pick a morning or early afternoon that I have nothing going on so that I don't have to worry about being on schedule. Sometimes I take up to 400 photos over 2 hours when I am photographing by myself, guhhhhhh! Really long sessions can leave me pretty tired and they aren't the regular, but they can happen. I have gotten really good at taking photos and now that I have a system I can be done with photos in 45 min to an hour, but it is important to be patient and make the time to go slow and relax when you do your own photos. 

Stay True To Yourself
Make sure to stay true to the vision that you have for your photos. Don't let anyone else get in the way of the type of photos that you want to take and mastering how to take your own photos is definitely the route to keeping complete creative control over what you do. Before I took my own photos I had a few friends that would graciously swing by and help me out, and even though they had the best intentions I was often left with photos that weren't quite what I wanted. Taking my own photos has given me the freedom to do as I please and I notice that my photos are more creative, happy, and better composed as a result.

I hope this blog post about how to take your photos with confidence was helpful to anyone that wants to get started on doing their own photography. If you have any questions that I might be able to answer, please let me know and I will do my best to help! Have a great day and I hope you enjoyed the blog post because I know I had fun putting it together and sharing what I have learned with all of you. What a great blog challenge!

Shop Update!

Today I wanted to share a few pretties that have been put up in the shop and to give a little sneak peek of a dress that I am smitten with! I am beyond pleased with all of the spring dresses that I have been getting my hot little hands on and I can't wait to make another shopping trip! Make sure to let me know what you think about the update and share any thoughts on what items you would like to see in the shop!

Vintage Navy Polka Dot dress, here.

Vintage Red Sailboat Skirt, here.

Vintage Button-up Floral Dress, here.

Vintage White and Black Polka Dot Dress, here.

I am SO IN LOVE with this dress!!! It isn't up yet, but keep an eye out for this beauty!

Have a wonderful day and make sure to let me know what you think about the recent additions! Make sure to visit the shop, Seoul Sold, on Etsy regularly to see the inventory first.

Also, keep up with us on facebook, here!

New Inventory!

Today I wanted to share a few new pretties that have made their way into the shop! I am really happy with the items that I have been coming across for the spring and summer and I can't wait to share every one of them with y'all. Feast your eyes, swing by the shop, and let me know what you think!

Vintage Red Polka Dot Dress, here.

Vintage Secretary Top with Triangle Pattern, here.

Red Dress with Abstract Pattern, here.

 

 

I hope that you enjoyed the new inventory and let me know if there is anything you want to see in the shop! I will be adding more items, and the option of a customized shopping experience VERRRRRY soon! 

Have a wonderful day!

Sneak Peek!

After being computerless for much longer than I liked, I am finally back! I didn't end of getting a new computer, but instead got my old one repaired which was a relief! I had thought a new computer was a must since every service center I visited refused to work on macs....or to speak English. My Hangul is improving everyday, but a discussion about hard drives and ports is still waaaaaaay out of grasp for me. To help me out in my language fix a Korean friend of mine helped and went with me to the nearest mac specific service center we could find in the city, and they handled the linguistic side of the visit!

HAPPY DAY!

Now I have my computer back with a brand-new hard drive and I am ready to start reinstalling all my software, AND have started getting together a major shop update! Here are a few of the newest items that will soon be making it into the shop! I hope you all like them, are as excited for the spring season, and all the great fashion and colors that come with it like I am!