what i bought // minkpink and vintage rocking horses

WIB 1-1I am an avid supporter of shopping online. I even do my part to contribute to this new age phenomena. Gone are the days when you have to physically walk into a store to find some really great items. There are quite literally millions of websites that will allow you to shop their inventory without lifting so much as a finger. Ok, so maybe you will have to move just one, but not more than that.

One of my favourite clothing stores in the province, Cade Style Lounge, is located 2.5 hours away from where I live. I follow their Instagram page as a way to be able to shop and support them since they, too, are a small business. Plus they have some really cool stuff. I previously dedicated an entire post to a purse that I bought from Cade. I still wear it, and only it.

WIB 1-6Last week I ended up seeing a shirt that I liked on their Instagram page. I contacted them through direct message, and after it was all said and done, I ended up getting:

1. Vintage Rocking Horse necklace

2. MINKPINK crop top

3. Gentle Fawn leggings

4. Cade bracelet (free)

Obviously, the many advances in technology make our lives so much simpler. They also allow small businesses to increase their traffic by reaching further audiences, which consequently increases their sales. As an owner of a retail store, I know that I would never be able to operate successfully without my presence on these sites, namely Instagram. While many may disagree with my proclamations on the benefits of social media platforms, I personally think that the strengths outweigh the negative aspects. At least in regards to local shops. I can only hope that these advances will persist. Until then, I will not only continue promoting my store, Potomac Trading Post, Ltd., but will also be an avid supporter of other independent shops. I hope that you will too!

Have the best weekend! See you on Monday.

<3

Emory

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buy this: vintage barn lighting

rustic-exteriorOur biggest inspiration behind The Little Barn was this Cruz Cabin (see above). After coming across it nearly eight months ago, we have tried to model almost every detail on The Little Barn’s exterior after this cabin.

TheLittleBarn6The remainder of the photos are of The Little Barn. See if you can you spot the resemblance!

So, why is this post on vintage barn lighting then, you ask? Prior to selling our last home and finding the lot for our new one, I purchased a barn light for the exterior of Little Green. It was very expensive, but it changed the exterior of our little 1920s bungalow from cute to sophisticated. I bookmarked the seller on eBay, and knew that I was going to purchase more barn lights from their store, Vintage Barn Lighting, in the future.

TheLittleBarn1Fast forward a little bit. One of the first things that I noticed about the Cruz Cabin were its lights. That, the barn doors, and the fact that it reminded me of Little Green’s exterior. Those three elements were what drove me to build something similar looking. It also went without saying that I already knew that I was going to hang several barn lights on its exterior.

TheLittleBarn3Working the lights into the plans was a different story. I told our contractor to draw in five lights (four is bad Chi). I wanted two in the front, two on the side, and one in the back. When we received the blueprints, there were only four. Not wanting to cause a fuss, I went ahead and bought four vintage barn lights. A few weeks later we went out to check on TLB, and Geoffrey noticed that the exterior was now wired for five lights. Confused, I sent my contractor a text asking why there was now an extra light, and he said something to the effect of, “Is there?” Knowing that the lights were vintage and one-of-a-kind, I panicked and immediately assumed that I would never be able to find another similar one to match any that I had just purchased. After a few days went by, I finally got a text back confirming that I would have to buy a second and a replica light for the front of the house.

TheLittleBarn2Taking a stab in the dark, I contacted the store seller and told them my predicament. They were already so kind in reducing the shipping fees on my previous purchases since I had essentially bought so many lights from them. I was told me to wait another few days, and that they would try to track down a duplicate light. So I waited again, and to my surprise, I received a message saying that they found one that would work, and I could have it at a discounted price. I counted my lucky stars and thanked them, and was once again reaffirmed as to why I prefer to shop with small businesses rather than big corporations. Sometimes, you can’t put a price on quality customer service.

TheLittleBarn4Six months later, we’re finally in our new home! The exterior lights were the last thing that needed to be installed. When they finally did go up, The Little Barn went from beautiful to jaw-dropping. The whole wait, confusion, cost, and stress over these lights were worth it. Don’t you agree?

Oh, Little Barn. You are by far the nicest looking house that we have ever owned. 

<3

Emory

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  • Hello! My name is Emory. I am a wife, mother of four (three on earth in heaven). This is our life on the Canadian prairies.
    email: helloscarlettblog@outlook.com

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