It’s been a really fun couple of months in my shop! Who could have predicted that the most proactive and productive days so far in the life of Buena Buena Vintage would fall during my third trimester of pregnancy? I have been wanting to participate in the Flea Off Market with my shop since last November when Javier and I visited the market for the first time, and it wasn’t until July of this year at 30 weeks pregnant in 90 degree heat that I FINALLY got my shop set up there! Nothing like the impending arrival of a baby to kick your ass into gear and make you appreciate every precious, self-centered, I’m-only-responsible-for-me-right-now moment.

It took me so damn long to set up at the Flea Off Market because I have seen the wonderful and whimsical shop fronts that folks set up at Porter Flea in Nashville, and I felt like I needed to have THAT level of shop / brand aesthetic down when I debuted my shop at the Louisville market. I had (and still have) ideas of hanging vintage drapes, a branded sign with Buena Buena Vintage marking my place in the market, decorated shelving and display boxes etc. etc…but if I waited for that level of perfection I realized I absolutely would never wind up at the market. Penelope would arrive, take over every waking minute, and I really didn’t want to juggle figuring out the logistics of the market for the first time AND the logistics of being at the market with a baby.

^^ I forgot to order business cards…so I bought some cardstock and made my own 

So back in June Javier and I went to the market, took notes on the absolute necessities of what I would need, made a list, and purchased the essentials on amazon. Since then I’ve set up at the July and August markets, and aside from the terrifying storm that turned the flea market into a tent graveyard on my very first day at the market, it’s been awesome. I love getting to meet the people who purchase from my shop, and in general getting to chat with folks all day who wander in and out of my tent is so much fun. It reminds me of running merch after the HH shows and getting to meet everyone who came out – except in this case I never know if people are actually going to buy something.

These videos were from my instagram story at the time – a couple of quick videos once we were in the car after running around helping other people pack up their stuff in the pouring rain.

At the July market I also happened to meet Mo McKnight Howe, the owner of my favorite local gallery and boutique Revelry. Mo purchased a badass vintage Louisville bomber from my shop (the one hanging from the front of the tent in the above photos), and when I found out that she’s the woman behind Revelry I contacted her to ask if I could set up a pop up shop in front of the gallery at some point. Mo and the amazing ladies at Revelry** have since hosted two pop ups for Buena Buena, and I can’t thank them enough for giving me the space and time to bring my inventory out of online-world and into Louisville! This is another thing I’ve been wanting to do for months – connect with other local shop owners and be more involved in the local Louisville community. I love running the online shop, but I’m a social person at heart and creating listings behind the computer all day can be a bit of a drag. I absolutely love the gallery and everything they have going on in the boutique, so if you’re visiting Louisville make sure to put it on your list of must-visit stops. Everything in the boutique and gallery is made by local artists, so you’re not only supporting Revelry but also a host of local freelancers and artists around the city. GOOD PEOPLE!

**check out gallery director Bri Bowers’ art!

happy customer Zahra (of sincerelyzahra.com) with a two-piece I found out in LA! 

^Mo & Bri rocking their new coats they purchased from the shop – f a b u l o u s 

So that’s about it for now, in addition to my post with the shop update yesterday. Penelope arrives in less than a month…and I’m still debating whether or not to set up my shop at the September market (Labor Day weekend). I’d love to get one more market in before she arrives, but I also only have a few weekends left to enjoy Javi + Leslie time before our lives are turned upside down! So we’ll see – I’ll definitely be back to the market before the year is over. Head over and give the new facebook page a like to get instant updates!