behind the business: viva la thrifty ( + a giveaway! )
Hi Folks! I’m here with the second installment of our Behind the Business section here at CLC. Last time, we brought you a look at Claire Sommers Buck, a local metalsmith and jewelry crafter. This month I spoke to Malori from Viva La Thrifty, a brand new antique and vintage apparel store in the Riverside area of Jacksonville.
Name: Malori Rodriguez
Business: Viva La Thrifty, Inc
Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida
Neighborhood in Jax: Riverside (King Street District)
Favorite Artist: I couldn’t pick. I get inspiration from everyone.
Favorite Restaurant: I can’t stop eating shrimp tacos from Lola’s Burrito Joint.
Favorite Coffee Shop: Sweet Theory Baking Co.
What were you doing before you pursued your current job? Working at Mellow Mushroom in Atlanta.. Using every ounce of free time scouring Georgia for vintage goodies.
What inspired you to open a vintage shop? My grandparents sold antiques, so it’s always been a huge part of my life. It’s really about passion for me. Nothing makes me happier than hunting for vintage treasure all over the southeast. I enjoy both the hunt and the find, I never get bored doing it. Opening a vintage shop was the only way I could make a living doing what truly makes me happy. Plus, I love finding vintage treasures a new home, so they can be appreciated for generations.
What sets your store apart from the rest? I guess the best way to answer that question would be my unique taste. My boyfriend, Nate Futral, is my business partner, he helps in finding things that are aesthetically pleasing for men and I find the more female-oriented pieces. It’s hard to find a shop like ours where couples can shop together and find things they both like.
You deal with antiques and vintage finds on a daily basis (something that greatly excites the CLC girls!); but does the business side of things interrupt the fun sometimes? You have your good days and your bad days with any business. Some days I go on perpetual shopping spree and some days I spend hours filling out paperwork. I wouldn’t say one interrupts the other; it’s just what’s necessary to keep the shop’s doors open.
How do you juggle the whole work/life balance issue while running your own business? Running your own business, especially in the beginning stages is a 24/7 gig. I force myself to take at least one day a week off and catch up things around the house or go see a movie.
What is your favorite creative outlet? How do you “recharge”? I love going to the library and reading vintage and antique books. It’s quiet in there and it allows me to concentrate. Plus drinking a glass of wine and reading new posts by my favorite vintage bloggers is a great outlet.
What is your favorite item at your store right now? My favorite piece is definitely this gorgeous 1960’s credenza we have right now. It’s so hard for me not to take it home.
Do you have any advice for people like yourself who want to pursue their creative desires as a profession? It takes a lot of passion. You are going to have many sleepless nights, early mornings and you often have to take your work home with you. Plus, if it’s your own creative business, you often have to sacrifice your personal profits for the betterment of your business. But it’s a small price to pay to spend every day doing what you love.
Well put, Malori!
To celebrate their opening, Malori and Nate were happy to do a giveaway with us! Check out this precious dining set that Malori styled for one lucky winner! {could be YOU!} The sets consists of six owl & flower patterned place mats, a milk ware vase and the sweetest little serving dish. Perfect for your next dinner party! {be sure to invite us!}
Please comment and/or share on twitter ( + leave a comment for each ) before Tuesday, February 12th at 12:00 a.m. EST to enter to win. We love stories, so tell us about your favorite vintage item in your home! The winner will be announced February 13th. Consider it an early Valentine’s gift!
If you are in Jacksonville this Saturday you should stop by Viva La Thrifty because they will be open late from 7:30-9:00pm for Ella Meets Vintage, a combined event featuring the modern women’s clothing and accessories of Ella Lane in the setting of the amazing vintage finds of Viva La Thrifty. For more information, check out their facebook event page.
1510 King Street
Jacksonville, FL 32205
904.379.4527
Thursday – Saturday: 11am-7pm
Sunday: 12-6pm
till next time – taylor
i buy things from here every paycheck, its a beautiful thing!
I’ve been blessed to acquire vintage hand-me-downs from my mother-in-law who raised eight children and lived in an awesome old farmhouse in Southern Michigan. My in-laws didn’t have much money but they seemed to pick up treasures where they could. Many of their treasures were divvied among the siblings; you go back in time when you see various items decorating our homes.
You may think this is crazy, but my favorite item is an old crockpot that my mother-in-law used. I think back to the many meals she must have cooked for all the family gatherings. Of course there are newer and bigger models, which I do have and use most of the time. There’s nothing like having a connection to our past. I was a mere 14 years old when I met my in-laws so I definitely feel like I’m part of the family and they are a part of me.
Thank you for the post, Tay!
So cute!
My favorite vintage item in our house is a mid century tension pole lamp!
My favorite vintage piece is an old dry sink with original knobs. My in-laws gave it to us for our first home & I’ve contemplated refinishing it a hundred times…but there’s just something so lovely about it’s current state!
Malori – As a fellow small business owner, I loved reading your interview. Kind of inspired me to get back to the roots of why I started the company in the first place! You definitely don’t own a business to do less work, but you do it because you get to spend every day doing something you love. You said it well!
My fav vintage score is the brass sculpture of a german shephard I have on my side table. My bf named it after his childhood dog Tasha
I love old things, but one of my favorite vintage things is a little clock I bought while living in Italy at a flea market. The man told me it worked, but I’ve never figured out if that’s true. It’s been years and I still haven’t taken it anywhere to sort out, I guess I just like how it looks without working.
I am OBSESSED with this shop. I have made the trip over there from the Southside TWICE & both times I’ve walked out with Pyrex & glass mirror trays. Love love love them!
What a great giveaway! I wish I lived nearby – or maybe not, for my paycheck’s sake! My favorite vintage items in my house are the granny square blankets my grandmother crocheted. They may seem a little too 70s-tastic for some people, but I love the colors and the work that went into them.
I just interviewed Malori on my blog today, glad to know some more of her story. Her shop is beautiful! My favorite vintage item in my home is my Scandinavian mid century modern couch, but it’s a close call between that and my vintage cuttlefish anatomy poster.
My favorite vintage item is an old dining room table and lucite chairs I found on Craigslist. I also recently bought an owl needlepoint from Viva that I have hung in the dining room, so the placemats would find themselves a nice home in there :)
The only vintage item I own right now is an Owl Bank a friend gave me. It is really cute (and very green).