One small claim to retail fame

I was shopping with my Mother-in Law yesterday; we were killing time while our husbands played a round of indoor virtual golf. I'm all for riding around in the cart on a pretty day, but sitting inside watching men play a giant video game version of golf wasn't all that entertaining. So, we walked around the nice shops at the Domain for a bit. We hit the usual stores, and then I noticed a really cool display window with fun whimsical clothing, and did a double take at this apparently new store. Just by the looks of the displays and beautiful clothing and accessories, I figured this place would be uber expensive. I told her I would just check the price to see if it is even worth browsing; I was shocked to see reasonable prices on the tags of Bohemian and vintage-style romantic pieces. Think Anthropologie style with a pricepoint somewhere between Antro and Forever 21. Sounds good, right!?

We explored the store and found the jewelry racks - fun chunky necklaces and awesome leather cuff bracelets adorned a table. 

I was admiring the cuffs when all of a sudden I noticed this:

Not the signage, but the old door knob converted to a frame. Wait a second - I have door knobs just like these at my booth! I wonder if they got them at the antique mall?! Sadly I can't claim creative genius or even the assembly work on this awesome repurposed item, but I can claim knowing a great item when I see one! My good friend Karen, for whom I worked at the Country Living show last May, is the designer of these. I bought a couple dozen from her and they have been great sellers at the booth. I love them for pictures and business cards. Here it is showcasing a line carried by this new boutique. 

I get giddy with excitement thinking that someone from this adorable store had not only visited my booth, but purchased something from Barn Chic. I started asking the girls at the counter about the store. Altar'd State is the name of this trendy new store, and the Austin location is the 21st shop for the brand. Based in Knoxville, TN, the other locations are mainly in the Southeast. The store's motto is 'fashion focused; cause motivated.' Every Monday is "Mission Monday," where they donate 10% of their net profits to a local charity. Already I am liking this store - cute clothing, reasonable prices, community-conscious, AND vintage decor! 

I end up buying a necklace, and on our way out, my MIL spots a fun dress. I walk around the table to look at it, and my foot bumps into something under the table. I look down, only to see three suitcases that came directly out of my booth less than two weeks ago! I'd like to say I played it cool, but I was nearly hysterical and took lots of terrible phone photos as if I just spotted a celebrity. 

 

Here they were at Barn Chic's space a few weeks back:

I always love knowing what becomes of the goods I sell after they leave my space, but running into them (quite literally!) while out shopping in a chic new store at my favorite outdoor mall was the ultimate discovery. 

I plan to become a frequent shopper at Altar'd State; maybe we could set up a barter to trade junk for attire?!

Have a chic week,

~Sarah