Monday, April 15, 2013

The Vintage Barn's Roll up Your Sleeves, Tie Back Your Hair get Junkin' GIVEAWAY!!


I know you need a really cool head band to tie your hair back with so...abracadabra...boom! 

Shabby Cowgirl Head Band!!!  


You're Welcome!

This SUPER CUTE black and white head band is the one you have the chance to win!

How do you enter you ask...well, it's EASY!  
Take a minute to follow these few, easy steps...and you are set!

GIVEAWAY starts at 12:00am, Tuesday April 16th and ends 12:00am, Sunday April 21st...
winner announced on Monday, April 22nd!!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

the link for the GIVEAWAY on my the Vintage Barn Facebook page is Here.



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 Enter my GIVEAWAY NOW...to win this cute, hand made head band. (Remember...the one on the right, the black and white flower print,  is the giveaway one.)


I needed one as well...here is mine!  SO in LOVE with the chevron for me...


If you are not a winner (bummer) but, go check out Barbara's cute stuff HERE.


These colors are SO cute for spring...lovely!



Remember, this black and white one below is the GIVEAWAY one you have the chance to win!


Ok, so who is this Shabby Cowgirl??
(I know only a FEW of you are wondering...she has over 17,000 Facebook Fans.  WOW!)

I met Barbara, AKA "Shabby Cowgirl" about four years ago.  She was working in a cute little boutique in Clovis, CA...and I had just started selling my vintage furniture in this store.  She was just so sweet to me and I could tell she was a genuinely lovely person...inside and out.



Fast forward four years...and Barbara and I have remained friends and have shared a similar story.

As I said, I met Barbara when she was working in a little boutique.  She told me that not too long after that...she was no longer working there.  I shared my story with her of a home school teaching job I though I HAD to have...and when I was not rehired I bawled like a baby...for about an hour.
Then I picked myself up and followed my dream.
Same business plan Shabby Cowgirl has!!!
(I knew I liked her!)
I asked Barbara to tell me a little more about what led her to where she is today...


We lived in Bakersfield out on farmland and I had a small commercial embroidery business about 12 years ago. that was when the Shabby Cowgirl vision started but without much direction or knowledge of how to make it a real business. WE moved here in 2008 after the land we lived on was being sold, I had to get rid of my horses and we had no place to go but a chance trip through Clovis, CA and the knowledge that the schools and sports were amazing prompted me to take a chance. We packed up everything in a moving van and drove up without a home or knowing a person here. It was the biggest risk I have ever taken but we found a home after 3 weeks and have found a great town to call home.
After the job at the shop (where I met Julie) ended, I was unable to find anyone to hire me in my previous paralegal profession, too many years had passed and although nobody said it, my age was a factor, I knew that. Times were very tough and all I had was a bunch of fabric, baskets of yarn, a big dream and a little Facebook page. I think there were about 64 people on my page at that time. I just started making things and posting them and made some great connections. The big change came when I made contact with Melissa from The Bake Shoppe and Cafe in Cypress Texas because somehow I saw that she made giant ding dongs and I commented on them. She looked at my aprons and asked to carry a few in her shop. As luck would have it, she threw those aprons over some clothing by her friends The Junk Gypsies and they did an amazing photo shoot. The resulting photo propelled my page into a whole new arena and my business changed within minutes. I remember watching the numbers on my page go up by hundreds before my eyes and jumping up and down. My kids thought something was wrong and came running as I said "something is happening here and it's really good".
I just kept going with what I was doing and have worked hard every single day to keep moving in the direction I always knew Shabby Cowgirl could go.
Aprons and bags are the items that started it all, however I have always intended for there to be housewares and a clothing line and I have been working on the designing of sundresses, skirts and tops. I am working really hard to learn how to manage the growth and build the business so that it keeps the original intention and look that inspired me so many years ago. People ask me all the time how to grow their business and my biggest advice is to find something that you are in love with, something that is your passion . Work hard and then work harder. STay true to your own work and don't worry about what anyone else is doing. Infuse your business with positivity and joy because you will be spending a great deal of your time working or thinking about it and it should be about doing what you love.
I am just a girl doing what she loves at her kitchen table, sewing barefoot and happy with the music turned up. But I do it 7 days a week and 10 hours a day knowing that every single day I am blessed to see my big dreams become my job.
I have 5 children. My oldest daughter who is married with two adorable and energetic little boys is a college professor in Bakersfield, My son who just got married is a jr High math teacher in Oakland, my younger daughter and fiance just bought the Lincoln Market and Deli in San Luis Obispo and they have a 4 month old sweet boy as well. Hank is 15 and at Clovis High and Jack is 12 and goes to the Jr. High here. I am a busy sports mom which I love.
My items are carried locally at 3 Oaks Studio in Old Town Clovis and at Embellish and Restore in Visalia exclusively.

I have ALWAYS enjoyed Barbara's cheerful spirit, encouraging words when I ask her advice...and just her friendship.  Our business philosophies are the same...do what you love, work hard and then work harder...and don't worry about what everyone else is doing!!

Okay...go enter the GIVEAWAY now!!!

Love & Junk~
Julie



2 comments:

  1. As always Julie, your blog is so cute and fun, I can just hear your voice reading it to me. I hope to swing by your event this weekend. You never know what I may need (want)!!!

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    1. Thanks, Robin!!! You have been so sweet to me...since I started this whole venture!!

      I would LOVE to see you...come by for a glass of wine on Friday night!!

      THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT...I TRULY appreciate it!!

      Julie

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