A Vintage Blonde: Let me Re-Introduce Myself
Going through my old blog posts I felt the urge to update a bunch of them and keep others. I think it’s great to archive where I was, my interests, my particular branding and thought process but also do a much needed refresh on my blog where I see fit. This was first published April 8th, 2018 and updated March 21st, 2022.
In 2018 I did a Q&A with my Instagram from my followers and wanted to update that along with my mission on my blog and re-brand to A Vintage Blonde over a year ago.
Q: What's your favorite lipstick brand?
Besame cosmetics is my favorite brand and I love reds and pinks. I think a red lip is SO classic and not seen enough.
Q: How do you plan your posts and seek inspiration?
On Instagram I (usually) post three fashion shots and then three shots of flat lays or other “pretty” pictures. I don’t see the photos that aren’t of me as filler which is such an important shift in my aesthetic and view of “my brand”. I don’t feel I have to post within a “vintage” standard or have to create flatlays that only show off jewels and pictures of Marilyn. I am passionate about everything I post which is very different from how I posted and viewed my social media 3 years ago.
I was very connected to the number of Instagram followers and spent money on giveaways to get more followers but in the end it just inflated my numbers but didn’t bring authentic interest. After taking a hiatus from 2019-2020 I became to feel better. I didn’t tie my self worth or esteem with social media and followers and noticed some of my favorite bloggers were not participating in the rat race of inflating numbers. I decided to let go of hitting 10k or any special number and just not focus on that. I decided to focus on putting out my best content and connecting with an authentic, interested audience.
I seek inspiration from other blogs, bloggers, Instagram, magazines, and Pinterest.
Magazines: Victoria and The Cottage Journal and Bella Grace
Instagram Influencers/ Bloggers: Krystal Desantos, Storybookstyle, Suburban Crunchy Girl, Pastel Antoinelle, Laura Jade Stone and many others!
Q: What's your favorite CT Vintage shops and how do you edit your photos with a consistent theme?
Homemaker Thrift Store in Branford is excellent - I've found some amazing clothes, brooches and clip on earrings. Coco's on the Green in Branford and Back on the Rack in Hamden are both consignment shops with a gorgeous mix of vintage and modern clothes.
Adorn Vintage and Restoration in Southbury, CT. Their nine retailers specialize in restored furniture, vintage collectibles, artisan jewelry, clothing, upcycled home goods, pottery and glassware
I get all my photography done by Lucy LaRiot so I use no filters or apps on those. For photos I take of nature, flatlays and other various treasures I use VSCOCam and love the “Vibrant” section. I often use “Analog” or “Kodak”.
Q: What's up with the name change?
This was in response to my Blog name change 3 years ago. When I first started blogging it was The Heart of a Flower. I took a photograph of a beautiful flower outside the Blackstone Library in my hometown of Branford, CT. It seemed like all I could focus on was the “heart“ of it. As I honed in on my vintage aesthetic and wanted to streamline both my blog and Instagram account I changed the name to Betty Juliet Diaries. Betty and Juliet both have a vintage ring to it and I added the “diaries” for an old time charm. Still unsatisfied, I changed my name to Valentine Everly (it was two names I found pretty and timeless). I wanted to evoke a vintage sounding brand but also to be able to NOT just be a vintage blog. I wanted to write about various topics.
Still unhappy, I finally landed on “A Vintage Blonde”.
I thought of it sitting down on an airplane before taking off on my way to Miami. I felt it fit my vision perfectly and as I get older/old I can say I am a vintage blonde. I don’t feel I HAVE to just post vintage or vintage inspired posts and feel my blog and branding will grow with me over time.
Q: Tell us more about your muses and why you love them!
Many of my muses I listed above are current, modern women that feature vintage style, fashion and decor in their life. As for Golden Hollywood - I love the classic, easy elegance of Grace Kelly and the daring sensual vibes of Bianca Jagger.
The first two photographs are of Krystal DeSantos with credit to her and Pastel Antoinelle (in the pink) with credit to Frank Lam Photography
Q. Why did you start blogging?
I started blogging with the hopes I'd chronicle my life in Mississippi where I was working for a real estate company that did foreclosures. I got to see so many towns, so many houses, so many little diners, jazz bars, and art galleries. I wanted to share the gorgeous, seaside towns that became ghosts. It didn't pan out and I used blogging as a platform for my writing.
Q. Where in the world would you live?
I love Stony Creek in Branford, CT and the Thimble Islands . I also would love Cape Cod and Kennebunkport! Having a summer house will always be appealing to me as a Northerner as well.
Q: What are your favorite places to shop?
I’ve trying to shop in a more sustainable manner - I love consignment shops including the aforementioned Back on the Rack, Goodwill and Poshmark.
