Tuesday Inspiration - Meet Courtney of timelessNchic

I am so excited about my interview today.  I met Courtney on Twitter years ago.  Well, I don't think it was years ago, but she's the kind of woman you feel like you've known for a long time.  In fact, I think she was the first person to strike up a conversation with lonely old me.

The first thing I learned about Courtney is that she is warm and welcoming and plays it straight.   She's got a big Texan heart and is bursting with enthusiasm.  (And I know all this just from the internet....)

The next thing I learned is that she is an amazing creative!  Her shop, timelessNchic , is filled with beautiful creations and colors! She had an amazing collection of candlesticks in an array of colors that would have been perfect for my Tuscan dinner party!  (Of course they sold.)

So let's meet Courtney....

Tell us about TimelessNChic?  

It is my BABY, my little corner of the world on Etsy! I sell picture frames, candle holders, furniture…. If I can paint it – I will sell it!  It embodies everything about me and what I love to do… which is make things look OLD!  I have such a passion for old rustic, weathered time-worn pieces – so why not create a product that exudes that feel?  I went with that feeling years ago and have no regrets!

I also hate using periods for sentences… so you will see a lot of these……. (------- LOL!  (Another TimelessNchic fact!)

What was your inspiration?

I actually started making things look old MANY years ago when I would frame my son’s artwork (over 10+ years ago)…..  That was BIG for me.  I wanted to express to him how proud I was of his work – so I would frame them in frames that I painted and distressed to look old.  You can say that my son was absolutely my inspiration. 

How did you get started? 

It took many years before I decided to open up shop (Ebay) and go for it…… I think that was a little over 5 years ago that I originally started on Ebay….. I started there selling just vintage pieces and I kept seeing distressed frames being sold, and I immediately knew from that point forward that is what I wanted to do and sell…...I was more of the artistic person, rather than the one selling someone else’s work of art… I wanted to show people what I had been doing for so many years, so I started with frames and smaller pieces, and grew from there.  I still love selling vintage/antique pieces, but mostly prefer to do my “timeless thang”.

 

How long have you had an Etsy shop?   

I opened my Etsy shoppe in April of 2009.  WOW!  How time flies!  It will be three years before I know it.  AMAZING!  I couldn’t be happier…..

Walk us through a typical day.

I work a full time “corporate job”….. so… I wake up each morning and get ready for my typical “work day”.  I do wake up earlier than required so I can try to answer Etsy conversations, or even get some pictures in of new items so I can “secretly” list them while at work.  SHHHHH…. Don’t tell anyone.  When I get home from work, I will get dinner done (if I don’t already have something in the crock pot – I thank GOD for those – they save many women’s lives I tell ya!)  I also try to walk every other day… And depending on the day, I will watch tv with my family and package up Etsy items, or I am in the garage painting!  I don’t stop…. and when I do – I am like trying to wake up the dead.  With that said, I DO try to limit my “daily” Etsy activity as much as possible though, and have “family time”, because, well, that is what matters most in this life!  Etsy definitely takes up my entire weekend though….  Listing, staging, painting, measuring…. It is a full time job !  Did I mention I also go “junkin” 2-4 days a week? 

What do you love/hate about blogging?

I just started blogging and I hate that no one comments… LOL… I hate that I have literally NO followers… (I know – want a little cheese with that wine??)… but BOY DO I LOVE WRITING… even if no one comments, I know, deep down that someone is reading it.  Whatever the topic of the day, I KNOW they felt something from it.  Whether it be a laugh, some inspiration, or another emotion.  Someone somewhere was touched, so I feel my job for the day is done…

Do you enjoy other hobbies?

I LOVE to junk.  Is that officially a hobby?  LOL… it sure is therapeutic.  Even though I am spending money, it is such a wonderful feeling… I get such excitement out of my finds and thinking of what I will do with them.  I love doing anything and everything with my teenage son, if I am invited… and I LOVE raising my other children – my 3 dogs and 3 rescued cats – folks neuter/spay your animals!!!!!  They are definitely my free therapy and there is SO much to learn from them!  Animals ROCK! 

Do you work and/or study outside the home?

Just answered that question up above!  And helping my son with his homework is like studying all over again…. TOUGH STUFF!  (He is a senior in high school and the light of my life btw…)

How would you describe your fashion sense?

With my self-image, I am leggings and tunics with boots (in the cold, and in the summer, I am a typical Southern “belle” – flip flops every day, long skirts and/or dresses and MORE TUNICS!!!!  LOL!  I LOVE coloring my own hair, rockin’ out different cuts/styles… I love tattoos… I mean I LOVE tattoos.  I have A LOT and want many more…  I am very eccentric and outgoing and wish I could express myself more artistically, but cannot do so with my day job… *sniff, sniff.  My home décor is simplistic modernism with lots of color.  I have literally NOTHING in my home, but every wall is a different color.  My husband says we live in a crayola box!  I DIG IT!  Less clutter, less stress, less to clean – MAMA IS HAPPY!  It just makes me FEEL better.  What is odd is that my home is completely opposite of my Etsy shoppe and what I sell…. but I hope to one day to own some land in the country… far, far, away… and live in a little abode filled with wonderful weathered treasures!

Are you a small town or big city girl?

Definitely small town… but live in a big one… Dear God – please make me a bird… well, you know how that goes.

Favorite vacation spot:

Anywhere in the Hill Country in Texas… also loved Germany, but was literally there for less than a day.  I want to go back and I want to go back BAD… such amazingly beautiful countryside and extremely warming people….and the HISTORY… okay, I will shut up! 

Fondest childhood memory:

Camping…. We went camping religiously…. Had camp fires… walked trails…fished….. took many a bike ride… Ate roasted marshmallows (most importantly!)……all that fun stuff!

Who would you like to be for a day? 

Any type of bird that can fly… just would like to make it through the day without getting shot…lol.  Birds sing a lot… they fly… soar… and have, what seems, not a care in the world…. I love them.

Best advice on raising a son:

Talk to them… keep those communication lines OPEN at ALL times.  Tell them how much you love them.  Show them how much you love them (hugs, kisses, read books, etc)….. Be proud of them, but make sure you instill in them to be proud of themselves too!  Tell them to dream big…never give up hope…. and to study HARD!  Too not be judgmental, be well mannered, be chivalrous, have respect, be respected… and never, ever give up on something you believe in.    

What's your favorite chain type restaurant?

I love Chinese buffets.  There is such a variety of what you can eat.  Plus, you think you are REALLY eating healthy and that it could not possibly add 10 pounds to your butt, WRONG! 

What things are unique to where you live?  As in special customs, favorite restaurants, slang, etc. (I love to find the unique things of an area when I travel. So much of the US is homogenized - Anywhere USA). 

Using slang words for sure!  Our Southern drawl, our hospitality…. Just the fact that no matter what your age, you will (or should) be treated with respect and get a ma’am, thank you, bless you, and/or your welcome.  MANNERS are big here.  SONIC is also big here!  It is a staple for the town I live in (Humble, Texas – used to be a small town, now it is ENTIRELY too over-populated, but isn’t everything?)…. It has been around for so long.  Tuesday night is ½ price burger night… 2-4 is “happy hour” on drinks – but can I just say “CHERRY LIMEADE”?  Oh, and their ice… they have THE BEST ICE hands down! 

Favorite candy:

NERDS!!!!!!!!!!  Love me some nerds!

Your scariest moment? 

The day I became a Mother… I was young and the first thing I said to the doctor was “what do I do now?”…. It is the best ride, but oh so scary – because you do not get a manual.  It is a learning experience from birth and you only hope that you make the right decisions.  I think marriage is right up there with it!  It is so scary, because of the fear of failure, in either circumstance…. (boy, these are some tough questions!)

What helps you when you are in a bad mood? 

MUSIC!  It is the healer of the soul……

Use one word that best describes yourself. 

Original….

And that she is!  Thanks Courtney for sharing a bit about yourself today.  Be sure to connect with timlessNchic

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