Where are you from originally? I was born in Norfolk, Virginia.
Where do you live now? Our home is in Chestnut Hill, biasedly my favorite section of town. Our home was built in 1903, and all work since inhabiting the semi-detached row home 10 years ago has been a labor of love, transforming almost every inch for modern living and entertaining.
Where did you go to high school? Hempfield High School (Go, Black Knights)! There, I was hit with the theatre bug and immersed in dance, plays, and musicals that I’ve carried an appreciation for ever since.
Where did you go to college? Fox School of Business, Temple University. I majored in marketing and minored in IT and entrepreneurship, deemed “the trifecta” by my college counselor, as marketing was pivoting from traditional to digital mediums at the time. I’ve also taken fashion, graphic and interior design courses at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. If you ever want to learn something new that sparks your creative side, they have excellent continuing education offerings with accommodating evening/weekend class schedules.
Profession: Digital strategist for Armstrong Flooring
What do you find most fulfilling in your job? The challenge. The landscape of digital marketing is always changing, so you constantly have to think of new ways to reach people so your messages not only positively resonate, but also are meaningful. Delivering messages at the right place and right time has evolved into creating 360-degree experiences that evoke engagement and loyalty, which are truly the challenges that inspire better work and ultimately earn results.
What makes you happiest in your personal life? I have this affinity for plants. I love incorporating them into every room in our home, bringing the outdoors in and creating a year-round greenery escape from our downtown concrete jungle.
Tell us about your side hustle: I started Yesterday’s Wardrobe in 2016, a micro vintage shop located within Building Character, originally to unload years of amassed wears, wares and whatnots from flea markets, estate sales, and travels. I’m now in the process of migrating my brick-and-mortar space to an online-only shop, which will hopefully launch this fall, just in time for holiday shopping.
Do you speak any other languages? I currently dabble in Italian with the help of the Duolingo app as I prep for my first venture to Italy this fall. I’m truly just hoping to speak the language well enough to negotiate my way into some rare curiosities at Porta Portese, Rome’s largest flea market outside the Colosseum.
Favorite jeans? This is a toss up! I bought my first pair of designer jeans from a boutique called Mimi’s where I was a buyer. They’re a classic, stone blue rinse bootcut, by California designer Trina Turk and 10 years later I am still grabbing them from my closet as my go-to jean.
I recently purchased my first pair of Driftwood jeans after years of ogling the bohemian inspired jeans online. They’re distinctive, with floral embroidery strategically positioned in all the right places, so they’re not for everyday but certainly are my new go-to jean for a special occasion and maybe a compliment.
What perfume do you wear? I adore the vintage-inspired perfume bottles and scents by The Parlor Apothecary. The fact that they include the old-fashioned atomizer pump is everything and transports you to the Victorian era.
Favorite piece of fashion you own? I love vintage accessories and tend to err on the side of unusual when it comes to vintage jewelry, which brings me to my latest obsession: vintage fur animal brooches from the 1930s-50s. I purchased a lot of them at an estate sale and ever since then have been on the hunt to collect more, which are rare to find in good condition. I simply love to pair them with a cardigan or sweater dress in the fall to add that “conversation piece” to an ordinary ensemble.
Any particular piece of your wardrobe that you buy over and over in multiple colors? Vintage dresses. I can’t help myself from stockpiling these one of a kind pieces and discovered the Holy Grail last year. Enter Brimfield, the largest and oldest outdoor antique flea market on the east coast, held three times a year in central Massachusetts. It’s truly a haven for vintage clothing, and you could spend all week there and still not be able to see everything.
Everlane makes quality-weighted (unlike thin cheaper production), ethical cotton t-shirts in various cuts/styles. I have accumulated almost every color of their tee rainbow. My backup quality tee brand is Cynthia Rowley.
What are you watching? All things HGTV, all the time. Of course Fixer Upper plays a big part in that. Anything Chip and Joanna Gaines collaborate on turns to magic, and my husband and I admit we’ve picked up a thing or two watching the show together. A year ago, they even inspired our shiplap wall and brick faux fireplace installation that now separates our living and dining rooms. We’re even looking for other properties to renovate and invest in downtown, spreading our love of home transformation and demo day even further.
Favorite movie? I first knew I was in love with my husband when we were watching the movie Big with Tom Hanks together; an unlikely connection, but we were just friends at the time and shared our first kiss shortly after the film, creating that pivotal aha moment. Plus, my love for Tom Hanks movies has only grown fonder since Big, even with Joe Versus The Volcano. In my book, Tom can do no wrong, brain cloud and all.
What do you do to unwind? I retreat to my spa-like bathroom we renovated a few years ago, combining two bedrooms into one. I draw a bubble bath and get lost on Chairish, the perfect juxtaposition of flea marketing and online shopping with vintage curated items added daily.
Beer or wine? I don’t discriminate. I think it depends on the mood and setting. I’m currently enjoying a Saison Rose by Ommegang Brewery from upstate Cooperstown, New York, that is just delightful. It’s actually a lovely shade of pinkish red, crisp, and pairs nicely with cheese.
Salty or sweet? I have a notorious sweet tooth. I prefer dessert to dinner and have often replaced dark chocolate for the latter. One of my all time sweet-tooth experiences was dining at Hotel Chocolat in St. Lucia. A breathtaking open-air restaurant set within a cocoa plantation serving a cocoa cuisine that creatively infused sweet with savory. From a chocolate-infused vinaigrette to seared yellow-fin tuna with a cocoa nib crust, everything was harmoniously balanced and I often dream of going back there.
Most meaningful possession? For my birthday last year, my husband surprised me with a vintage Edwardian right hand ring from one of my favorite antique jewelry purveyors, MaeJeanVintage. The intricacy that went into making this ring so many years ago is beyond my wildest detail-oriented dreams, and each time I look at it, I think of all the stories this ring has and will share past my renting period.
Who is your style icon? Iris Apfel is a muse and style icon to many, but I think “giant” is the more appropriate term. Her statement jewelry and color manifesto can be heard around the world, but her spirit and attitude are what truly inspire me. I will leave you with “Irisism” as I often relate:
“I’m a hopeless romantic. I buy things because I fall in love with them. I never buy anything just because it’s valuable. My husband used to say I look at a piece of fabric and listen to the threads. It tells me a story. It sings me a song. I have to get a physical reaction when I buy something. A coup de foudre—a bolt of lightning. It’s fun to get knocked out that way!” -Iris Apfel
A few of my favorite things:
- Vintage 1956 boxing kangaroo dresser caddy. If you’ve seen Pulp Fiction, this may look familiar. Bruce Willis’s watch was left on the tail.
- My latest obsession: vintage fur animal brooches from the 1930s-50s
- Victorian cameo earrings
- Vintage salesman sample boxing glove
- Antique brass crab ashtray used as our ring holder for our destination wedding
- Vintage brass miniature golf set
