Hello Awesome: Spotlight Saturday presents Etsy Vintage Shop, The Cottage Cheese!

I'm guilty.

I shop at local thrift stores and I'm addicted to 1950's style clothing, chipped picture frames and that perfect piece of porcelain...

Today I'm pleased to be featuring my first vintage shop!! (whoohoo, happy dance)

I know you guys will appreciate Marsi and her quaint Etsy shop called The Cottage Cheese. Let's see what she has to say about selling vintage!

1.) Who is behind The Cottage Cheese? Tell me about yourself.

My name is Marsi, and I live with my handsome husband and two sweet mutts Molly and Dodge in Chattanooga, Tennessee – a beautiful city nestled in the foothills of the Appalachians. I drink too much coffee, have an insatiable wanderlust, and I am addicted vintage.

2.) Where did that name come from and how did your shop start?

At the time that I opened my Etsy shop, my husband and I were in the business of renovating/restoring historic homes. I was thinking about starting a design website that featured homes of various eras. During a brainstorming session, my husband and I combined our love of food and houses and came up with category names for various home décor/styles: “Ranch Dressing” (ranch homes), “Farm Fresh Eggs” (farmhouses), “Banana Split (levels)”, and “The Cottage Cheese” (cottages & bungalows). The last one was a fun play on words as well as my favorite home style, and thus became the name of my shop and blog.

3.) When did you start collecting?

My parents liked antique furniture, so I grew up with vintage. However, I have only been collecting vintage for about 12 years. I began looking for vintage furniture and rugs to decorate my first home, because it was inexpensive. My husband (then boyfriend) introduced me to mid-century design around that same time, and I was hooked. Having grown up in a home filled with traditional furniture, I was instantly drawn to the more organic mid-century lines.

4.) What do you like most about selling vintage?

Selling vintage allows me to constantly be on a treasure hunt. My husband and I share the love of the “hunt”. We visit almost every local estate sale, and our searches occasionally take us on fun impromptu day trips out of town to pick up Craigslist finds.

5.) What do you think makes your shop stand out?

My shop stands out? Thanks for the compliment! (Blushing). That question is tough to answer. I truly like the items that I choose to sell. Perhaps my affection for these things is apparent when one views my shop.

6.) What do you like to do when NOT collecting?

I take hikes or go camping, work in the garden, watch football, cook & bake, spend time with my dogs, and travel every chance that I get.

7.) What's the best part about running your own shop?

The freedom to make my own schedule. My family is scattered all around the country, and being self-employed (at least for the time being) allows me to travel and see them more frequently.

8.) What do you like about about selling on Etsy?

I love the sense of community and the friends that I have made. I find most sellers to be really supportive of each other. It also makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside when I receive thank you letters and e-mails from my buyers, who tell me a special story about the item that they purchased from my shop.

9.) Any advice you'd like to give other shop owners on Etsy?

List, list, list. The larger the quantity of items you have in stock, the more eyes that see your shop! Also, spending a little extra time on photography will land your items in more treasuries and blog features, resulting in more views. Using Picasa, Photoshop, or even iPhoto (if you have a Mac), you can easily brighten dark images, straighten crooked ones, correct colors, etc.

10.) Where do you see yourself/your business in 10 years?

Where I hope to find myself in 10 years: Living in a small art-filled town somewhere on the Southeastern coast. Owning a shop/gallery that sells original, affordable paintings & mid-century furniture and décor. Spending my evenings and weekends renovating old cottages, doing art, and having clambakes on the beach. And sharing it all with my husband and a couple of pups.