Floral suitcase tutorial from A Beautiful Mess

1. Great quick and easy tutorial from the awesome blog A Beautiful Mess.

Picnic basket made from vintage suitcase tutorial from funkytime.

2. Repurposed vintage suitcase as fun retro picnic basket tutorial from funkytime.

Red Hen Home DIY for vintage suitcase shelving.

3. Repurposed vintage suitcases as shelves tutorial from Red Hen Home.

Soft and comfy chair from vintage suitcase DIY from see kate sew

4. Repurposed vintage suitcase as soft and cozy chair tutorial from see kate sew.

Beautiful revamped dresser with vintage suitcases from The Painted Home

5. Dresser drawers replaced with vintage suitcases from The Painted Home.

Beautiful vintage suitcase dog bed tutorial from mox & fodder

6. Super quick and easy dog bed tutorial from a vintage suitcase from mox & fodder.

Functional storage table from vintage suitcase DIY from Good Housekeeping

7. Functional vintage suitcase table tutorial from Good Housekeeping.

Vintage cosmetic case turned docking station tutorial from Design Sponge

8. Vintage traincase docking station tutorial from Design Sponge.

Vintage chic suitcase nightstand from Cupcakes and Cashmere

9. Soft and pretty stacked vintage suitcase nightstand from Cupcakes and Cashmere.

Bathroom vanity from vintage suitcase tutorial from Design Sponge

10. Vintage suitcase vanity and towel holder DIY from Design Sponge.

We have a great selection of vintage suitcases for $20+ at Blue Hawaii Vintage. Stop by our store or email for details so you can get working on one of these tutorials ASAP!

Since opening my store, I’ve come across so many amazing vintage finds that I couldn’t have dreamt of before! I picked up a stellar beach umbrella from the 60s at an estate sale last year (I was way too jealous when I saw a super stylish vintage maven on the beach in Ocean Grove, NJ with one the summer before). Today, I picked up a super cute black parasol at a sale. It is super ornate, with a gold design on the handle. So chic!

What I love about vintage parasols and umbrellas is that since they weren’t used as much as other items (as opposed to items that were used every day which are harder to find in mint condition, ex. lingerie, briefcases), they are usually in great shape. The price tag can sometimes reflect the amazing condition, but if you do some digging you can find some amazing pieces! Estate sales and flea markets are the best to find killer deals on these beauties, but if you are looking for quality without the hassle, definitely try a vintage store or Etsy. If you go the store route, you can always call ahead to make sure that they have some in stock before you head out the door.

So stand out on the beach or have the best umbrella in the office umbrella stash by scoring a vintage umbrella of your own!

Here are a few of my current favorites from Etsy:

Fabulous 60's Beach Umbrella from InWithTheOld on Etsy

Beautiful Black Parasol from CoyoteMarmalade on Etsy

I’m so psyched for our Mad Men viewing party on 3/25 and I seem to come across references to Mad Men everywhere I go! While I prefer the actual vintage frocks from the 60′s to wear and am addicted to the retro inspired Besame Cosmetics makeup line, there are so many options now where you can buy new garments and makeup that pay homage to the timeless style of the 60′s.

Some people prefer these options because in terms of clothing,  they have never been worn and you can easily find the style in various sizes unlike true ‘vintage’ pieces which are usually only found in one size due to the rarity of the item. For the makeup lover, the new makeup lines can make it slightly easier to buy, but beware because limited editions are ‘limited’, so if you want a lipstick that you can wear season after season, you might want to stick with an established line, so you know you can get it when you need it.

Banana Republic has its latest Mad Men collection currently in stores and the price points are really reasonable. This cute pink number is very wearable and the perfect pop of color for Spring!

Betty Dress in Future Pink - $150

Estee Lauder is also getting on the Mad Men bandwagon with a line of makeup debuting on March 18 and available on www.esteelauder.com/madmen and www.bloomingdales.com only. This dreamy line will have a limited-edition Estée Lauder Mad Men Collection Crème Rouge, a cream blush, and a lipstick in Cherry. All will be adorned with delightfully 60′s gold packaging and the lipstick will come in the traditional bullet casing with a carrying gold pouch according to Style.com.

Estee Lauder's Mad Men Collection

So put on your Mad Men makeup and Betty inspired dress and get comfy for the 2-hour season premiere on 3/25 at 9PM on AMC!

The thought of starting my own business was daunting. There are so many things to consider in terms of size, locaiton, merchandise, etc. It’s hard to know where to even start. Luckily, I have an amazing group of friends and family that were able to connect me with other business owners in the community and learn from their experiences. I also did research online and still research on a weekly basis to improve my business.

I was thrilled to recently come across an article from Software Advice–an company that reviews consignment software. In their blog, Michael Koploy wrote ‘Five Tips for a Successful Consignment Store‘. It is such an insightful article and I was able to pull several items from the article that can help me take my business to the next level. Aligning with a national organization like NARTS is a great way to meet other peers in the resale. industry and pick their brain on issues you are facing. Also, thinking of other similar local businesses as allys rather than competitors is key. Aligning with them and doing join events is a great way to promote the area and your collective businesses.

A great example of how a ‘competitor’ helped me out was with regards to creating a contract for consignors. When I first started consigning items, I didn’t have a contract and  took garments on good faith. This model didn’t work out well and I had issues with keeping track of the inventory and also having the consigners pick up their items in a timely fashion if they didn’t sell. After talking with a local business woman about my issues, she showed me links online of consignment agreements and I was able to use them as a template and come up with my own contract terms which I now use with every consignor that does business with the store. It’s helped out tremendously and I wouldn’t have even know that such contracts existed if I didn’t reach out to local businesses for advice.

Has anyone else had similar experiences with gaining industry knowledge from their peers? What other advice do you have for starting and/or growing your resale business?

Blue Hawaii Vintage Storefront

I love holidays! Valentine’s Day is one of my faves because of the abundance of yummy conversation hearts and chocolate. Ok, maybe I just like candy, either way, you can’t go wrong.

I wanted to update the store window with some festive color and this is what I came up with. Let me know what you think!

Vintage 60's Saks Fifth Avenue Leather Poncho

Vintage 50s Mexican 3-piece dancing outfit along with a vintage men's windbreaker

Vintage 70s poly day dress in crimson with a repurposed vintage necklace in red and white beads

I was disappointed that my favorite team the New York Jets were not in the Superbowl this year, but Madonna’s throwback nod to Liz Taylor’s Cleopatra character from the 1963 Academy Award winning film of the same name got me up off my seat and pumped for the second half of the game.

Liz Taylor in the 1963 film Cleopatra

Madonna channeling Liz Taylor in Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy

All of Madonna’s halftime attire was Givenchy Haute Couture by Riccardo Tisci and absolutely stunning!

Thanks to Madonna for an amazing performance of her great retro classics “Vogue” and “Like a Prayer” and for giving all of us vintage lovers something to get excited about!

I started wearing Besame Cosmetics’ Crimson Cream vintage inspired rouge a few months back and also started stocking it in the store. For $22, it’s a great buy as it doubles as both a blush and lip stain. I was skeptical at first using one product for both, but it actually works out great. Wearing the color on your cheeks give you a slight pink dewy glow. If you want a darker look on your cheeks, you can apply more of the rouge. I love the way it feels on your lips too. It’s almost like a lip balm more than a lipstick feel. It’s super moist with a little shine and loads of great color.

The crimson retro color is not as red as a true red, but not as pink as lighter shades. It’s the perfect inbetween color to take you from day to night.

Below is the latest writeup of the product in the February 2012 issue of Marie Claire as well as two shots of me on New Year’s Eve wearing it. I like a really light blush look and loads of color on my lips, so I applied accordingly. It went great with my vintage 60′s mother-of-the-bride embellished sheath dress (and matching jacket not shown) and Nana’s rhinestone clip-on earrings. Now I’m on the quest to find other double duty products that can save me time in my beauty routine!

XOXO Meg

Marie Claire February 2012 Issue Mention of Besame's Crimson Rouge

Wearing Besame Crimson Rouge

Besame Crimson Rouge on Cheeks and Lips

I was trying to find a cute vintage outfit the other night for a holiday benefit party and wanted something casual but still fun. I opted for black skinny jeans and paired them with this cute yellow vintage acrylic sweater. The thing is itchy as heck, but it looks so darn cute and was bearable with a long-sleeved layering top.

Caring for Vintage Sweaters

I picked up my yellow sweater at a local flea market several years back and it has held up extremely well throughout several washings. Key to taking care of these delicate garments is handwashing in cold water and woolite dark so the colors don’t bleed. I’ve also heard Ivory liquid soap is another great alternative. I put the majority of my vintage garments on a wood drying rack to air dry. This keeps them looking fab for years to come.

You can find vintage sweaters at most thrift stores, vintage stores, and local flea markets. The good ones will run you about $50+, but you can get a decent one similar to what I have on for around $20.

Moth Patrol

The biggest piece of vintage shopping advice I can give people is to ‘check the garment throughly’. I can’t tell you how much time and effort I’ve spend finding the most amazing dress, coat or sweater only to take it out in the light and find it covered with moth holes.  A whole or two can be easily fixed (check out this tutorial - It’s my go-to for repairing pesky moth holes), but it really isn’t worth the time or effort to care for something with more than a few holes. Check even in the most reputable of dealers. I found moth holes in countless garments at the high-end LA stores I went to on vacation. A little detective work in the store will save you time in the long run!

Stay warm!

-Meghan

I admit it, I’ve been a wash and go girl basically all my life. So, when I heard about a Beauty Boot Camp at Chakra Salon and Spa (conveniently located across the street from Blue Hawaii Vintage in Asbury Park, NJ), I couldn’t say no!

Nancy and Steph 'before' boot camp.

My friend Steph, her friend Nancy and I headed out last night to learn great tips, techniques, and tools to help us tame our tresses.

Ray, the owner of Chakra started the night off with a great talk on the three P’s of styling your own hair – Patience, Practice, and Product. I of course lack all three, so I was nervous, but excited to learn more.

Me sneaking a mirror pic of stylist Cookie helping The Dawg Joint's Cindy tame her tresses.

Kelly, one of Chakra’s stylists taught Steph, Nancy, Cindy from The Dawg Joint, myself and other guests how to dry our hair with a round brush (The thicker the barrel, the better for drying medium-long length hair. (I realized I was using one that was too small and that was why it wasn’t working as well.) She was so patient with us newbies and we all left with amazing looking locks and great tips like:

• Blow dryers with nozzle attachments help concentrate the airflow and eliminate frizz when used correctly.
• Always point the nozzle of the dryer down the hair shaft. Blowing air towards the roots will only make the hair frizzy.
• Ceramic or metal round brushes allow you to get more curl and set the hair, but for a newbie, wooden round brushes work best so you don’t expose your hair to too much heat.
• Root lifter is essential to add volume to fine hair. Kelly used Purology’s product, but I also have used Pantene’s root lifter with similar (but not quite as voluminous) results.

Ray and Cookie helping out Cindy at boot camp.

Thanks so much to Ray, Kelly, and all the Chakra staff for hosting such an amazing girls night out and giving us the tools for perfecting our look. It was this vintage girl’s dream come true.

I had the pleasure of having tea in Ocean Grove today at the Tranquil Garden Tea Room. I had the amazing Coconut Vanilla Tea and my hubby Craig tried the English Breakfast Tea. We both were thrilled with our choices and it was a great little oasis from the usual go-go-go of the everyday.

Owner Pat Betty has great plans for the future of the space with a Caribbean and Latin American Tea tasting on 11/19/11 at noon, book clubs, and tons of other fun events in the works.

In addition to a great selection of teas, the Tranquil Garden Tea Room has a great selection of sandwiches, scones and other pastries!  Enjoy them seperately or o as a traditional English tea complete with three-tiered china.

Before you leave, don’t forget to check out the amazing array of aromatherapy oils and books for sale.

It was a trip back in time with amazing vintage china, furniture, and amazing service!

Tranquil Garden Tea Room is located at 62A Main Ave in Ocean Grove, NJ and is open from 11:30AM-5:30PM Friday-Wednesday. Reach them at (732) 308-8159 or on their website.