PackRats

The End of the World Sale!

2011-03-31T14:43:00.001-07:00

We're having the sale to end all sales! Pun intended. The End of the World starts Friday April 1st (No joke.) and ends Saturday April 9th. Between now and then you're gonna get 50% off all vintage and up to 30% off all handmade. To sweeten the deal for every $100 dollars you spend, you're gonna get a can of SPAM for your bunker! Don't miss it for the world!

While we were away...

2011-03-18T14:49:00.000-07:00

Some of you locals might have noticed our "Road trippin'" sign in the window while we were closed the first week of March. It was time well spent! We enjoyed our fair share of nature and as a result we shot a little promotional video for Rachael's softspoken line. She recently designed a series of Love Crowns and you can take a look at them here...

Winter Clearance is Happening Now!

2011-02-17T21:45:00.000-08:00

We're ready for Spring. Seriously. The snow was fun, but the cold weather has worn out it's welcome. We're clearing out pretty much everything and getting ready for warmer weather. You win! We're taking up to 50% off vintage and up to 30% off handmade. Sale starts Friday February 18th and keeps on going 'til Saturday the 26th.
Get ready for days like this...

We're carving your initials!

2011-01-23T16:36:00.000-08:00

Pack Rats is carving your initials plus the object of your affection's, surrounded by a heart onto a tree! If you're local you can order by Friday February 11th and pick it up pick it up at the shop on Valentines Day. If you're in the U.S. or Canada you can order from Milton's Etsy shop here.
This one is reserved for us!

Scarves are in season!

2010-12-10T13:03:00.000-08:00

We've been waiting all year to talk about these...

They're extra long too!!!

Pack Rats is at

2009 Greene St. #114

Columbia,SC 29205

craft-in craft night!

2010-11-17T08:07:00.000-08:00

This Sunday Pack Rats is having our first ever Craft Night! This is something I've been wanting to put together since we opened and I hope we can make it a regular occurence. So come by 11.21.10 for a night of crafts - bring your own project you've been working on and get it done. We'll also have a few supplies and instructions available for some quick 'n easy projects if you just wanna drop by - first come first served.

And while I'm no certified teacher or nothin' - if you want to learn to crochet or need a little help getting started - I'll do my best to help you out. Our friend, Alisha, is also available to help you with a few knitting basics. Check out our facebook event page on more info on what to bring if you want to learn.

Also, to kick off Craft Night, we are ecstatic to be able to offer a giveaway of the hottest new craft book to drop this season - Craft In: 12 Project Booklets for Your Own Crafty Gathering which was put together by none other than our very good friend, Kathleen McCafferty.

Kathleen

Kathleen and Ira G.

me & Kathleen @ Broadway's after King Khan.

Sorry, I couldn't pick just one. She's too cute.

Kathleen is not only one of the nicest gals I know, but also extremely talented. An editor at Lark Books, she writes and illustrates This Dog's Life for the Lark blog and also drew and animated and voiced this adorable little promo for her book:

While there are 12 total projects to choose from - I'm most excited to try these crochet cacti. I think they'd be perfect lined up on a windowsill. Milton's been wantin' me to buy some houseplants for our place since my cat ate his old ones and our aloe died - so maybe these will do till then.

Watch this cute video of Craft-In contributor, Katy Yellen, stitching them up:

Craft-In was also just featured on the Bust blog (yay, Kathleen), so you know it must be good!

To enter our giveaway just leave a comment with your email address (so we know how to contact you if you win). Hell, we'll even throw in a $10 Pack Rats gift certificate on top of it.

Entries must be received by Saturday, 11.20.10, 11:59pm.
Winner will be chosen via pull a name from the hat method.
The winner must be able to pick up the prizes @ our shop.

Artist Spotlight - Valerie King

2010-11-03T11:27:00.006-07:00

You know, I really do try to not gush too much when it comes to featuring our artists. And it's hard. But I, myself, get tired of everything being described as darling, amazing, fabulous, etc and roll my eyes everytime I hear/read someone mention the phrase "quite lovely", but when it comes to Valerie of neneee you're just gonna have to pardon me a bit. Valerie has been such a sweet supporter of me when I decided to quit my day job and become a full time self-employed DIY-er, and though we've never met - hooray 'net buddies! - I do consider her a friend. I first came across Valerie years ago through our participation in the flickr group, Wardrobe_Remix, and became a fast admirer of her style - only to learn that the majority of her wardrobe was made herself! Since then I've always been eager to see her newest creations and she truly never ever dissapoints. I'm thrilled to finally have a shop of my own and the ability to bring neneee creations to Columbia. But enough from me - here's a few words with the quite lovely, darling, amazing, and fabulous Valerie:

-Name, Age, Location:
HI! My name is Valerie King. I'm 24 years old and live on Guam. Guam is a small, wonderful island in the Pacific; you should come visit sometime!

-5 words to describe yourself:
always trying to keep afloat

-Your day job:
Running Neneee I suppose is my day job. At night--well, technically early morning since I work the graveyard shift--I am a Beauty Advisor/Make-up Artist for DFS/MAC Cosmetics.
It's kind of amazing and I thoroughly enjoy working both jobs.

-A typical day in your life:
wake-up
food
coffee
email
food
sewing
exercise
food
t.v.
nap
food
make-up*
break
more make-up*
post office*
home
read
sleepytime

*on my days off I just bum around the house with a bag of Hot Cheetos.

(Valerie in her Indian Summer dress - available at Pack Rats)

-Top 5 books, movies, songs/bands, food:

My all-time favorite book is (and probably forever will be) Tumble Home by Amy Hempel. I was 17 and trying to remedy a hangover with a Western Family blueberry popsicle when I first opened this book on my bed. Discovering Amy Hempel's work was like waking up from a long nap. Although I have to add that her entire bibliography is equally exceptional--the story "In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson is Buried" always ALWAYS makes me cry; reading that last paragraph of "The Most Girl Part of You" made my heart fall to my stomach, and my jaw ached from laughing through "Jesus is Waiting".

> Fight Club changed the way I look at things. Lost in Translation makes me want to quietly fall in love again.

There are just too many songs I love to narrow it down to just 5, but if I could see any band or artist live it would without a doubt be Ben Kweller!

The only food I could eat everyday without ever getting sick of it is eggs (any style). But when I'm feeling indulgent, it's usually pasta.

-Current crushes/obsessions:
Bill Hicks--right now I am so fascinated by this guy. I admire how resilient he was too--how he hit bottom and was still able to work his way back up.

-Your vices/guilty pleasures:
Laziness. Sometimes I feel like I should be doing more: going to new places, experiencing new things, coming up with new ideas... but sometimes I am just too goddamn lazy.

-Favorite youtube video:
This video, hands down:

-When/How did you gain an interest in fashion/designing/sewing?
Getting into fashion design was a lot like falling in love--it happened gradually and then suddenly. A little alteration here, a little self expression there, next I find myself getting depressed if I go too long without making something.

-What was your first creation?
I have been reconstructing clothes for too long to remember the very first piece, but my first real made-from-scratch creation was a miniature apron top and skirt set I made for my niece Kristen. It was a combination of care bears + rainbow circus polka dotted fabric and finished in lemon yellow bias tape. It looked ridiculous, but her tiny cuteness made up for it.

(Carnival Dress - available at Pack Rats)

-From what or whom do you draw inspiration from?
I think it would be easier to ween it down to what doesn't inspire me because there's so much to be inspired by; I am inspired by everything! Some of those things might include what I read in books or online or even watch on TV, to the way a man picks out a gift for his mother, smart jokes (and some stupid ones too), my handchum chubby nephew Zachary not having any neck, my niece Gabby's hilarious non sequiturs, or how my dog never even gives me the chance to get out of the car before forcing her way onto my lap... More often than not I am inspired by people, especially ones who are kind and very aware of themselves. One time, I pronounced I had a small crush on Jesse Eisenberg and my boyfriend said, "you like twitchy guys, don't you?" I said, "well it worked out in your favor, didn't it?"

-What sort of person do you imagine being drawn to your work?
In her book "The Entrepreneur's Guide to Sewn Product Manufacturing", Kathleen Fasanella says that independent designers are successful because the are more attuned to their customers' needs. I imagine the person drawn to my work is looking for an alternative to what you might find at a mall. I make stuff that I like and would wear myself so maybe somebody who is very particular about fit and silhouette and prefers a more personalized touch to their clothes.

-What's the importance of handmade to you? Do you feel a part of the DIY movement?
There's this kind of personal satisfaction that you can't get anywhere else--not from buying that investment bag you saved up for for months, not from acing your last exam, not even from finishing top place at your last 5k race--it comes from making stuff with your hands. I'm not sure how to describe the feeling, but I'm sure most DIY'ers and all the amazing artists on etsy and everywhere else, creating incredible stuff everyday can agree that it's there. Robert Pirsig called it gumption, I think.

-Final words?
Th th th that's all folks!

Thanks, Valerie! Look for more artist spotlights coming soon! Any questions you'd like to see our artists answer? Lemme know @ shop@packratsshop.com.

<3,
Rachael

Zombies overtake our town !!!!!!!!

2010-10-29T17:15:00.000-07:00

...and we love it!

WUSC, one of the best college stations in the whole country
(don't take our word for it though, check it out!) sponsored
a zombie parade from campus to 5 Points tonight - right past Pack Rats!

naked boys! naked girls!

2010-10-16T20:44:00.000-07:00

This Thursday we were excited to have our very first Pack Rats event. The PACK RATS - NAKED Boys/NAKED Girls Party!!! was our play on the traditional naked lady party which typically involves a group of friends who bring their old clothes, shoes and jewelry to throw in a pile and swap amongst themselves. Clean out your closet, get "new" clothes, eat a cookie, have a beer - for free! We had hoped to have a few guys in the mix, but poor ole Milton was the only boy to clean out his closet. Luckily, someone brought a nice heavy men's flannel so he didn't walk away empty handed.

Over the course of the night we had about 15 girls show up each with a bag or two of clothes in hand and each with their own individual and amazing style, so there were plenty of goods and a wide variety to choose from. I know I was happy with my finds (walking away with a poofy teal dress which will be perfect for prom in November) and I think (I hope!) everyone else walked away with some happy picks, too.

We had enough leftovers to fill Milton's trunk and most of his back seat which he took and donated today. Also, the past two days have found me in clothes I picked from the pile - including this ensemble I wore the very next morn' which is mostly made of swap pieces 'cept the shoes from Goodwill Clearance Center and the jacket which was my mom's:

Plus Milton wore his flannel this morning to fight off that autumn chill we've been having round these parts. We hope you all are getting as much wear out of your finds (and send us photos if ya wanna let us feature them here)!

Did you miss the invite? We didn't print flyers or anything (oops!) and only really advertised it on facebook, so be sure to follow us for more upcoming events. We'd love to have another swap - we were thinking one for each season, perhaps? Stay tuned...

<3,
Rachael

90s revisited

2010-10-04T13:58:00.000-07:00

Are you tired of seeing these photos? I'm not and they're everywhere these days. But the 90's are back - actually they've been back (did you miss the short floral dresses, bare knees, and docs look of the summer?)- though it seems to be coming on stronger these days. And i s'pose Marc Jacobs for Perry Ellis is a fairly decent mainstream place to start to get our 90's post goin'. These looks are what launched Jacobs onto the scene when he put these layers of flannel and floral on the runway in '92 - supposedly even being fired for it. Jacobs was going for clothes that looked "a little fucked up" - and if you're trying to add a little 90's into your wardrobe that's as good a description to stick to as any. It's probably the easiest look to achieve ever, but if you need a little help - we've got you covered with some inspiration photos as well as a handful of picks from our shop.

vintage dress - $15

vintage blazer - $18, hand stencilled kathleen hanna tee - $30

vintage flannel jacket - $10, vintage shirt - $10

vintage shirt - $12, normaltown tee - $5

vintage shirt - $1, vintage skirt - $10, handmade bag - $75, vintage shoes - $20

handmade dresses - $110 each

vintage cardigans - $8/$5

vintage espirit dress - $15, vintage wrangler jacket - $18, handmade bag - $59

vintage denim dress - $22, vintage long floral dress - $30, vintage loafers - $10

All available at 2009 Greene Street, #114 - Columbia, SC 29205. Need some
help finding us? Give us a call at 803.765.0060

much <3,
Rachael

The Cutters Revenge

2010-09-27T11:08:00.000-07:00

So I know this is no hipster movie or art film but if you want to be "well-watched" I think you need to see Breaking Away. To me in a way, it's about not fitting in but more importantly a study of class warfare. The setting is a small Indiana town with a college that brings ivy league types to rub elbow to elbow with kids from a blue collar ancestry. The haves and the have-nots are clearly apparent here. And I love the slang, "cutters" that the preps use to demoralize the working class kids. "They're just a bunch of cutters!".

Another story going on at the same time is the conflict between the lead Dave Stoller, played by Dennis Christopher, and his father. Dave has latched on to a cycling phase after watching the Tour de France and his dad cannot relate on any level. He has adopted European culture, listening to and singing opera and constantly craving Italian food. Beyond foreign to a Mid-western used car dealer. This relationship scenario has been played many, many times of course but they do it so well here.

Dennis Quaid got one of his first notices here, too. He plays Mike. A former high school football player who wasn't interested in college and swears he is better than the current players on the college team. He's an awesome 70's tough guy type who drives an Oldsmobile with mags that's jacked up in the back. Peels out a lot, too!

The "cutters" go head to head with the preps several times and always get put in their place until the end. I normally dislike happy endings but you will appreciate this one after what the "cutters" have to endure thoughout the movie.

Granted one academy award and 4 nominations in 1979, back when academy awards actually meant something. Oh, I almost forgot! We have a sealed VHS copy at the store. 4 bux.

PACK RATS

2009 Greene St.

Columbia, SC 29205

Facebook.com/packrats

-Milton

Customer Crush Of The Month - Dana!

2010-09-17T16:06:00.000-07:00

we're crazy over these photos that one of our most favorite customers, dana, posted of the snoozer loser necklace from our shop! should we not play favorites? oops. but if you've ever met dana you surely know why we're smitten. not only is the girl extremely stylish in that seemingly effortless way - proof:

but she also makes these art cards which we find pretty super:

AND she hosts one of the best shows on WUSC - thursday nights @ 8pm. and it's not only that... dana has also been a huge supporter of pack rats since the beginning - and we couldn't be more grateful! so many people have come in cause "my friend dana told me about your shop" and, man, if there's anything we need right now it's all the help we can get with getting the word out. sooo...

thanks, dana!

hope this doesn't embarrass you too much.

<3,
Rachael

p.s. read her blog!

p.p.s. - wanna be a customer crush? then come see us! talk to us! or send us a photo of you wearing/using something you found at our shop!

Artist Spotlight - Regina Pruss

2010-09-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

we've been meaning to start an artist spotlight series - a way to showcase all the abundantly talented folk who grace our shop with their wares - but modcloth beat us to the game on featuring one of our favorite jewelry artists, regina pruss, and her line, chain chain chained, which you can read here. you gotta love a girl who names al stewart's "year of the cat" as one of her obsessions.

at pack rats we've been lucky enough to carry the following pieces:

we also received a new shipment in the mail from regina quite recently. no photos yet, but if lions, tigers, elephants, skulls, or raw gems tickle your fancy - you should run over to take a peek immediately. and though we don't have these in shop - just staring at them is like looking at a billion stars:

to me sliced geode always seems like the universe captured in stone.

geode:

hubble space images:

similar, no? and stunning. but i digress, regina's work, with it's whimsical charm, has that effect. come see for yourself.

<3,
rachael

DIY - bleached jeans

2010-09-09T15:12:00.000-07:00

At Pack Rats we not only want to encourage you to buy vintage and handmade, but to also encourage you to MAKE, REMAKE, and do your own thing...

So welcome to our first DIY post!

This is a quick and easy one I did last summer on a pair of red skinny jeans. They just weren't quite skinny enough in the leg and had a silly scrunching effect at the bottom that always kept them in my closet.

Turns out altering the leg of your jeans into super skinnies is pretty easy. All I did was turn them inside out and placed a pair of my favorite skinnies on top. Matched the outer seams of the legs on the two pairs and drew a chalk line along the inner seams (the one that runs along your inner thigh and calves) of the pair being altered to show the amount that needed taking in. Sew along the line and they're done.

Maybe 20 minutes tops.

But here we're going to focus on the bleaching. Using bleach on your clothes is an easy way to achieve a tie dye effect without the messiness of dyes, though that's not the only look you can achieve. For example, Sarah over at Silence Sweetheart was inspired by these amazing galaxy prints from Christopher Kane's Resort collection:

and used bleach and a black tee to create her own version:

check out her DIY here.

But back to the bleached jeans.

I was going for a look similar to these from Madewell, a sort of tie dye scrunchy effect:

What you need:

Bleach
Spray bottle
Rubber bands
Jeans

Attach bands in random intervals on front and back...

Keep going till they start to look something like this...

Now. Pour bleach into your spray bottle and spray jeans till they start to
look wet. When bleach starts to take effect wait a minute or two and remove
the bands. Step back and admire and then spray any additional spots where
you think you may want more splattered/bleached areas.

When it looks about right, throw them in the washer and run em through the cycles...

The finale*:

Way better than the baggy shapeless things I started with - though honestly, it's still hard to find something to wear them with, but still - super easy, fun, and satisfying. Maybe I'll drag them out for a day at the shop tomorrow.

<3, Rachael

---- *I dunno. the red frames were my thing last summer. Also, this van in that shady lot behind the West Columbia public library was (and still is) my style icon of the summer:

Maybe when Pack Rats turns a profit I can track down the owner and make 'er my own. Here's hopin'.

100%

2010-09-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

We at Pack Rats realize that although there are some amazing vintage and secondhand items out there, most do enjoy the quick in and out of big box easy fashion. And we get that, really - though there's a little fretting that we'll see at least ten others wearing that same little made in Cambodia dress too. We ourselves usually choose to mix our vintage pieces with, say, some newer jeans or maybe a fresh pair of shoes - some happy medium between the newer pieces in our closet and the old beauties we so adore. But to inspire us all here are a few ladies from the 100% thrifted flickr group who manage to be thrifty, eco-chic, and pretty damn stylish - from the top of the head to the tip of the toe.

candimandi

Roseate Spoonbill

atriuum

pineapplemint

nemrešpobjećodnedjelje

lucyinthe7thsky

thriftcandy

madam 0wl

sunshineupton

Wanna get your vintage fix? Come see us! We've been out shopping for fall/winter wear and should have some new things coming into the shop over the next few weeks. Stay tuned - we'll let you know when it hits the racks.

<3,
Rachael

Things you can get at Pack Rats

2010-09-07T13:12:00.000-07:00

Monster pouches $16, vintage clock radio $6.

Wooden fork and spoon set, $12.

Disc-go-case - $12, vintage Pioneer SX-650 receiver - $75,

Rick James Super Freak I & II single - $5.

Red Lamp $16, "I Know You Are But What Am I?" print $20,
Paint by numbers Jesus $10

2009 Greene Street, Columbia SC 29205

Directly across from Papa Jazz for you locals!

Indie Film

2010-08-23T19:48:00.000-07:00

A scene from Downers. Get the DVD at our store for $6.

the classic

2010-08-16T13:47:00.002-07:00

(A.P.C. - f/w 2011)

there's nothing that makes me yearn for fall more (besides the
long string of miserably sweaty late summer days) than the appearance of
trenches and plaids and boots in the back to school catalogs
that begin to grace my mailbox each august.

(A.P.C. - f/w 2011)

though the style's stuck around since it was first introduced for
the british army by thomas burberry in 1901, we at pack rats are
particularly partial to the coat's appearance on our favorite girls
of the late 60's whose looks seem as if they'd fit in perfectly
still today.

(francoise hardy. 1966.)

(anna karina. made in the usa. 1966.)

(audrey hepburn. breakfast at tiffanys. 1961.)

(jacqueline bisset. bullit. 1968. though not technically a trench - i always think of her in this scene when i think of 60's trench stylings.)

the trench coat - with its lightweight design - is the perfect
coat to transition you from the cool days of fall (which, let's
be realistic, here in south carolina won't truly hit till sometime
round october) into the chillier months of winter. plus with our
milder days, a nice trench could even take you through the entire
season. of course here at pack rats we have our own selection of
vintage trenches - all priced at $35 and under.

($25)

($35)

($20)

<3,
Rachael

We got these!

2010-08-11T19:42:00.000-07:00

Classic country $3. Swing'in doors, pick-up trucks and PBR's

Arena Rock $8!

Blue eyed soul $4. Everybody had their Sgt. Pepper back then.
The Rascals went more psych-soul than psyche-rock. Double LP.

Jazz cornerstone $10. Monk, Hawk AND Art Blakey? Oh yeah.

You can take a listen to these and anything else
we have at Pack Rats. Drop by 2009 Greene Street
Columbia, SC 29205.

Sweet System

2010-07-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here's an outfit for ya!
As a whole or by the piece.

The 70's-era Toshiba receiver has over 100
watts per channel and a ton of filters and tone
controls to dial in any sound you like. $70.

This Pioneer turn table is serious. $30.

2-way Advent speakers for 20 bucks?!? They sound like a million. $20.

Try it out. Drop by and play an album.

If you're looking for any other vintage audio,
tell us what and we'll try to find it.

Pack Rats is at 2009 Greene St. Columbia,SC 29205.

guess what?!?

2010-07-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

we added a sale rack! rompers, florals and 80's swimwear for under
10 bucks?!? it's just what we do, ya'll.

This Saturday!

2010-07-12T19:42:00.000-07:00

The Five Points Carnival of Savings comes to town. All kinds of crazy in the street fun 11-3. Rumor has it that Claussen's Inn, two doors up from us, will have chair massages and sangria. Sid and Nancy will have karaoke and we will have a sidewalk sale complete with magician. Look for $5.00 t-shirts, 50 cent books and who knows what else at 2009 Greene Street 5 Points USA!
Keep up on Facebook.

10-4-1

2010-07-07T18:44:00.000-07:00

spend $10 and get one free grab.

take another dip in our goodie box for every ten bucks you lay down.

sylvia plath, glenn gould, jethro tull, thomas wolfe, dwight yoakam, primal scream and steinbeck.

come early for the best free books and records around. come late and get what's left.

offer good thursday july 8th and friday july 9th.

Now our own Etsy Shop...

2010-07-06T14:51:00.000-07:00

For all you out of towners that want to visit, visit us here.

Vintage office

2010-06-24T07:30:00.000-07:00

How's that desk at work looking? Give it some flair...

Yep, that's one of those vintage phone indexes that pop up!

Conniption!

2010-06-16T17:24:00.000-07:00

These tapes came from The Choir Quit. They are a Columbia band. This recording sounds like a Flying Saucer Attack record, but with pop songs. This recording sounds like an early GBV single from the basements days, but with some synth / keyboards added. This record sounds like a Ween album, but less stupid. The cassettes themselves are little works of art suitable for framing.

Also,in the ever expanding Columbia/Indie music section is American Gun, Grey Egg, Snowy Cougar and Ghetto Blaster. If you want to consign your music or independent film let us know. Pack Rats is at 2009 Greene Street #114 Columbia,SC 29205 or shop@packratsshop.com.

grand opening!

2010-06-11T21:21:00.002-07:00

thanks to everyone who stopped by!

store hours
monday - saturday: 11-7
sunday: 1-5

the fastest growing sport in america

2010-05-31T20:49:00.000-07:00

mustaches...
feathered hair...
flannel shirts...
high waist denim...
and skateboards.

we dig it.

the skateboard book - 1976 - available at pack rats!

come browse our book selection - grand opening - june 11th

<3,
rachael

what pack rats watch

2010-05-30T21:23:00.000-07:00

after a night at the shop spent on inventory and pricing we packrats
came home to a fridge of beer, cut up a few squash and sat down to
věra chytilová's 1966 film sedmikrásky a.k.a. daisies.

we generally enjoy any late 60's -70's film no matter how bad as we
love to soak in any bit of visual candy they provide and have
sat through our fair share of terrible psychedellic cash-ins (many somehow
starring peter fonda) or plotless self-described "urban action" flicks,
but daisies was not just eye candy but a full intellectual meal.

banned in its country (after a letter by the deputies of the czech national assembly
which refer to the film as unintelligible trash), daisies follows two girls,
each named marie, who decide that since the world is bad they should be
bad too. the two maries go on date after date, teasing older men then
listening and laughing together afterwards at their pleaful i-love-you phone
calls while cutting sausages with scissors and spearing eggs with forks.

feminist, psychedelic, surreal, nihilistic, existentialist, political - take
yr pick. made by a woman who, according to the guardian- gleefully
admits to beating up her cameramen when they prove unwilling to
try out new ideas - daisies showcases that very same angry strong
and in your face character with its young rebellious in your face
maries. but we won't go on and on - we liked it- and as věra chytilová
herself said, "i'd rather have cash than laurels."

<3,
rachael

behind the scenes

2010-05-22T19:17:00.000-07:00

most definitely a labor of love.

<3,
rachael

well read

2010-05-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

books? we got yer' books right here.

<3,
rachael

boom

2010-05-19T19:21:00.000-07:00

we had a crash! a shelf came down and we lost two vintage
mugs and an am/fm tube radio. 'least nobody was hurt.
shelf plan B in the works...

hardware

2010-05-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

hauling in more items. everything's sort of a jumbled mess right
now as we have to keep swishing things from left to right as we
work on installing racks and unloading boxes and moving in
larger fixtures.

speaking of racks - we spent quite a bit of time installing our first
set. it took more than a few trips back and forth to lowes as well
as our fair share of sweat, cursing, and head-scratching. they're
really very simple in theory - we just happened, as usual, to hit
every bump there was to find. lesson: don't go cheap on yr
masonry bit and you'll save lots of time and frustration and effort.

and finally, here it is along with the first unpacked box of vintage dresses:

yr tired shop owners in need of a good drink which we so
happened to find underground at the Whig:

<3,
rachael

setting up shop

2010-05-11T20:57:00.000-07:00

so very sorry for the absence, but we have been the busiest of bees
round here lately. today we made trip after trip to pick up fixtures
and our counter and our jewelry case and our tables and loaded and
unloaded them all ourselves. now our store is beginning to look like
a real store and at the end of the day we stood around exhaustedly
admiring our very low-budget but perfect selections. this is so
exciting and dream-fulfilling but also stomach-clenching and terrifying
at the same time.

if anyone is interested in possibly having their handmade items in our
shop please do let me know. you can email me at reoglesby@yahoo.com
to discuss everything. i don't know how much we'll be able to take to
start with, but we want as much handmade as vintage so there's a nice
mix. we also need more things for the boys.

anyway, that's our life currently. store store store from wake to sleep.

<3,
rachael

the load

2010-05-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

a tiny sneak preview.

hauling in all the vintage we've collected over the years
almost feels like we're moving out of our home.

now for all these dresses...

<3,
rachael

secret doings

2010-05-08T10:37:00.000-07:00

you don't know what we're up to....

coming soon...!

<3,
rachael

fresh coat

2010-05-07T09:08:00.000-07:00

a fresh coat of paint - the floors have since been buffed and
waxed and we'll be able to walk on them tomorrow.

<3,
rachael

parking

2010-05-06T10:34:00.000-07:00

now if we could just get people to stop parking in our spots.
i foresee a towing sign in our future...

<3,
rachael

gonna do it

2010-05-02T06:03:00.000-07:00

We're opening our own brick and mortar! Pack Rats - a vintage and handmade shop, coming soon to 5 Points, Columbia, SC. We're gonna be located on Greene Street next to Andy's Deli right between Body Rites and Immaculate. If any of you have any experience opening your own shop - we could definitely use your expertise and wisdom :)

on our way

2010-05-02T05:06:00.000-07:00

a day of big decisions...