It was a scary day, two years ago. They day that I hit the GO button and started to learn how to build my own website. It was time to leave eBay and make it on my own. 

I had no idea what I was doing, but I had to do it fast. I am a single mom and I have a daughter to support. It was do or die! I worked really long hours, studied, learned, visited developer sites and made many phone calls to Shopify gurus. After several months of working, crying my eyes out with frustration and having very sore finger joints from too many hours on the computer, I got the site up. It was messy and I had no idea what I was doing, but it was up. 

At the same time I was accepted as a One Kings Lane vendor so I kind of had to divert my attention for a while and let my website wait on the back burner, so to speak. Almost a year went by and I was introduced to a "Web Designer" who told me that my website was all wrong. She told me that my business name was worthless and that using Shopify was bad. I paid her a lot of hard earned money to build me a new custom, free standing website with a new name "The Vintage Jewelry Chick". We did photo shoots and bought special inventory for the new name and website. When she finished it, I hated it, just hated it. It was not me. She made pretty collages and such, but it wasn't me. I shut it down and wrote that off as a loss and a lesson learned. 

Last summer, I rolled up my sleeves and started giving my website the attention that it deserves. I started to just "let it rip" so to speak and not do what everyone else does, but just be myself and go with the flow. That is how the Messy Bowljust happened. 

I pulled a bunch of inventory that had been around too long, put it in a big old wooden bowl so that I could mark it all down and it was a mess. But it looked cool sitting there. So I took a picture of it and I shared it. And now, we all know what that messy bowl is all about. 

As my website has more and more traffic everyday, it was high time for me to suck it up, and learn more so that I could clean it up and make it work better. THAT is what I have been doing for the last 30 days. I learned a lot and with no tears this time. I still have more changes to make, but I would like to introduce my new look!

YOURGREATFINDS

One improvement that I made is the page system. I was going out of my mind having to click next, next, next to look at my collections. I am thinking that for you as a shopper that must have been so annoying! So now, I have numbered pages. You can go backwards and forward as well as skip pages. 

I have deleted many of the collections that I had and have consolidated them. There were too many. Two new collections: Classic Coral  and New Arrivals have been created. There is such a huge demand for vintage coral that it needed it's own place to live. 

New arrivals feeds the new arrivals section on my home page. It will not have every new arrival, just some featured pieces. 

Some of you have seen the wish list app that has been installed on my website. Those little hearts on every item, well, I love them! You can save your favorite things in your wish list, even sold items if you just love looking at them. Wish lists are sharable and you can send them by email. This is great when it is time for your sweetheart to give you a gift. You can post it on facebook for (him/her) or send it in an email. 

I am pretty excited about these upgrades and changes. So what's going to happen? 

Well, I am almost to my big turquoise season. I have a buying trip in a couple of weeks and a turquoise event on One Kings Lane in June. I need to move product out of the One Kings Lane docket to the Messy bowl. I also am still downsizing my Etsy store and moving those items to the Messy bowl as well. 

Then, there is the Banana Box. I need to get that box emptied. It will go away in a couple of weeks. I have about 125 items left and will be doing some "Handfuls" this evening. You'll see...

I appreciate so much that you took the time to read this post! 

Of course I am celebrating my new look with an event.

Even with the new layout, the system can only take one coupon code at a time and today...we have THREE! If you use all three, I will combine your order. 

Here are the codes:

Messy Bowl: 75% OFF!!!       Code: "MessyBowl65"

Banana Box: 60% OFF!!        Code: "Banana66"

The rest of my website:40% OFF everything. 

                                               Code:" NewLook 40"

When will this start? Now (Why not?)

When will it end? Sunday (May 1) at midnight PST. 

SHOP HERE

I will be creating fresh listings though the weekend as well as making adjustments to the website as I go. It's a work in progress, but I am so glad that you are here sharing this journey with me. 

I appreciate you so much!

Linda

Yourgreatfinds