I, little Lauren over here, figured I would share the news on our blog for anyone that may miss our LIVE announcement on Instagram this evening.
Okay here goes... I am happy to announce that VGB will be under new ownership starting this month! Whew.. now that I have announced that, and shaking from typing this, I can get into all the details.
The new owners Carole and Becca are phenomenal women and both have an extensive background in the retail industry. The boutique couldn't be in better hands with me making my transition out of this business. The ladies will continue to keep VGB alive and will create an even better shopping experience for you that I could ever imagine. In other words, you girls are going to love them and love what they will be offering going forward.
So you might be wondering, "Lauren, where are you off to then?" Well, I have had the wonderful opportunity to move to Florida to embark on a new career. I couldn't pass up the chance to live somewhere I love and to focus on "me" again after 10 years. It is very hard to walk away from this business, especially since to me, it has been my whole identity in life. I have lived, breathed, and made every part of my life this boutique. I am very happy and proud to say that I have done so, but it is time for me to pass the torch and utilize what I have learned in a different way. My family and I are very excited to start fresh and I hope that you will follow me along in my new journey- You will still see this girl on social media... don't worry haha.
I am going to miss seeing and chatting with all of you ladies. You are what made me keep going all these years. I cannot thank you enough for all of the support, love, and friendships. I can never forget or pay back for what I owe to you ladies for everything that you have given me. Please know that each and every one of you have played such an important part to VGB. As I cry writing this, I love you all and THANK YOU for allowing me and VGB be a small part of your life.
Cheers to the next chapter and thank you again for everything!
With Love & Hugs,
Lauren
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Here are a few of the amazing events we will be popping up at these next few months!
July 17th-18th {Food Truck Festival} at the Meadows Casino & Racetrack located in Washington, PA. This event takes place outside on the Racetrack from 11am-8pm.
July 22nd {Miraposa Launch Party} at our VGB Dormont location from 6p-9p.
August 21st-22nd {Corks & Kegs} at the Meadows Casino & Racetrack in Washington, PA. This event takes place outside on the Racetrack and time is TBD.
August 28th {Allentown Warehouse Event} that takes place in Allentown on 829 Industry Street.
Crop tops take up that precious mid section space that can be hard to fill out, but also give you a slimmer appearance. They all show off a great tan in the summer months and actually makes your waist look smaller. There are also so many different fabrications of crop tops out there that are very flattering! Our favorite are the seamless styles- no buttons, no zippers, and just pure stretchiness.
Crop tops are generally sized much like t-shirts, but you may want to size down. You don't get the benefit of wearing crop tops unless it is form fitting to your midsection. You're probably thinking... okay, but what kind of bottoms do I pair with a crop top? Great question! The answer is high waisted everything. High waisted jeans, high waisted skirts, high waisted trousers, literally anything high waisted that will touch the bottom half of your crop top. If you still feel iffy on wearing a crop top, then pair it with a cute longline blazer, a cardigan or a button down top to give you extra coverage, but to still achieve that crop top look.
Don't be afraid to experiment with your look and add in a crop top or two to your wardrobe. You might just be pleasantly surprised.
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This year marks 6 years that we have been in business and it has been a blessing to continue to serve our customers every single day. What started as a jewelry business in my spare bedroom has now turned into 3 storefronts and an e-commerce site. We have a wonderful VGB crew and we couldn't manage all of this without them- love you girls to pieces.
Okay on to our story.. I will try to keep this short for ya. In 2013, I started creating jewelry not thinking that it would turn into my dream of owning a boutique. With the help of friends and family spreading the word, I was given the opportunity to make this side hustle into my full time job. I worked full time for 2 years while creating and selling jewelry during the evenings and weekends. I did every craft show, event, and home party I could to build a wonderful clientele who have now become great friends of ours! It came to a point where I was faced with taking that leap of faith of leaving that secure paycheck and health benefits to opening a storefront. Welp.. you guessed it, I took the leap and have not looked back since.
In 2015, VGB Dormont was our first location and has been through 5 renovations! Yes.. 5... I am tired just thinking about it haha. This recent renovation we have done was completed right before Covid and then you know what came next. So if you haven't been to the Dormont boutique within the past year, we would love for you to check out the newest renovation!
In 2017, we opened our second location right in Washington, PA in a shopping plaza. This location was challenging for us, because it was much larger and was in a brand new plaza. This meant more merchandise, acquiring new customers, and managing 2 locations at once. Let me tell ya, I have had experience of managing 5 stores as a district manager, but when it's your own with limited resources, it is a whole new ball game.
It took some time to adjust, build a team, and to find our customers. Luckily, with a lot of hard work, tweaking the selection of merchandise, and finding the right team of employees, we have been able to continue to grow. We currently have our friends from Oui Glam Makeup & Skincare Studio sharing the Washington space with us and it has been the best fit! Our Washington location is our largest location with the most selection of merchandise. If you are looking for a little bit of everything, then this is the VGB spot to visit.
In 2019, we expanded once again and opened our third location in Coraopolis, PA. A little crazy, right? Once we saw the cute town of Coraopolis, we knew it would be a great fit for us. It is our smallest location, but has the biggest heart. We are grateful for the love and support the Cory community has given us as the "New Kids" on the block.
We are beyond grateful to still be standing after the rough year 2020 brought to all of us. With the support and love from of our customers we were able to pull through and can only go up from here. We cannot thank our customers enough for following us, shopping with us, and becoming family to us.
As for what's next for VGB... you'll have to wait and see. But, a dream of ours is to open a boutique at the beach.. any beach.. with lots of sunshine and daiquiri's. Sounds nice doesn't it? #retirementgoals
Thank you for taking the time to read a little bit about our journey! If you are local to the Pittsburgh area, we would love for you to celebrate with us at our 6 year anniversary party taking place on Thursday, April 1st from 6-8pm at our Dormont location. To register your spot for the party, click here to be on the VIP list.
Cheers to 6 Years!
Timeline of photos over the past 6 years
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Looking for something fun to do with your girlfriends?! Well you are in luck because we love to host private boutique parties here at VGB!
CLICK HERE to book you FREE VGB Boutique Party!
Here is how it works!
*Select the date that will work best for you and your guests. Each party is a maximum of 2 hours long and is held after store hours on Sundays from 4:30pm-6:30pm. Your guests may come and go within that time frame. To host a boutique party is also 100% FREE!
*We will contact you one week prior to your party to confirm the details and amount of guests. If you need to cancel, we just ask that you give 24 hours notice for cancellation. A minimum of 5 guests is required to host a boutique party.
What you and your guests will receive!
* A private experience to shop any of our boutique locations all to yourselves!
*A Complimentary FREE VGB GIFT to each guest and the hostess
* Each guest will receive 15% off their purchase on regular priced items during the party.
*The hostess will receive a hostess credit to use during the party in the form of a VGB gift card. (The VGB Gift card, can only be redeemed during the private party) The hostess credit will be 10% of the total sales (minus sales tax) from your guests purchases during the private party.
*We can also host virtual boutique parties as well! Please email shopvgb@gmail.com for more details or questions.
*Please visit our About Us page for each VGB location address information and store hours.
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Spring is right around the corner and we couldn't be more excited for sunshine, bright colors, and let's be honest... not having to wear a winter jacket!
This year's spring color palette is made up of different hues, but this particular combination is one of our favorites.
Pop's of marigold yellow, crisp mint tones, muted olives, and tan will be featured in spring apparel and accessories this Spring of 2021. Along with this color palette, comes with some unique silhouettes and fabrications too!
With the pandemic at hand, we have been accustomed to comfort with working from home. Designers have taken this into consideration this season when creating looks for the runways. For example, you will begin to see looser bottoms, such as wide leg pants and sophisticated "loungewear" that will keep you comfortable this season as well as fashionable.
At VGB we like to have our pulse on these trends when it comes to buying for our customers. With that being said, here are some NEW items that have rolled in for Spring at the boutique. Browse the site to see more spring arrivals each week!
Here's to warm weather and actually getting to wearing cute clothes in public!
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We are very excited to have made the list in Travel Mag’s edition on the top 12 shops and boutiques in Pittsburgh! Click the link above to read about all of the wonderful places to check off of your list when shopping in Pittsburgh ❤️
]]>1. Our customers are amazing and without their support we wouldn't exist. THANK YOU!
2. I am worried that we may no longer exist after this pandemic and we will be forced to close the doors to all of our locations, no longer be able to provide jobs for our current employees that we love so much, and will not be able to see all of our awesome customers daily.
3. What can we do to give back in a time like this? Is there anything we can provide to help those in need or those working day in and day out taking care of the sick.
Yes, all of those thoughts are all over the place, but as a business owner, I have a million and one things racing through my mind as I am sure other fellow business owners are experiencing right now. This is nothing I would ever think to be facing with at the moment, and I look at my past frustrations with being an entrepreneur as being very miniscule in comparison to what is happening right now in the world.
You see, we may just sell clothes and jewelry, but we also care deeply, love what we do, and only want to see our communities flourish. Owning a boutique means more to us than just selling clothes. I personally chose this path, because I not only wanted to share my love for clothing, but to teach, educate, and celebrate big win's and small wins with our employees and our customers.
I have had to pick myself up many times in life and push ahead, and this one stings the most, because this is truly my life and livelihood. I know things will work out just how they are meant to be and maybe it won't be so bad after all. This is a great time to re-evaluate everything in life and how to become a better boutique for all of you.
We are thankful for this opportunity to provide a service that we love so much and we will be pushing forward with everyone in this crisis with grace and positivity. Hang in there folks, and please cherish the time you are able to spend with your family at this time. Thank you for reading these thoughts and if you can, please support your favorite local restaurants, nail salons, hair salons, boutiques, and any small business in your community, because you cheering us on, is what keeps us going :)
Much Love and God Bless,
Lauren
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Here's a little look at our setup from our event! We will be hosting another succulent workshop for Mother's Day and we cannot wait!
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March 28th, 2015
The day has finally came where my dream has come true.. to open a fun, fashionable, and unique boutique!
My journey actually started in college, where I originally went to school to obtain a degree in Education, as an Art Teacher. I quickly realized that in the state of Pennsylvania, to actually find a teaching job in that particular field, I would have to 1. wait for someone to retire, or 2. wait for someone to die (sorry, I know that sounds harsh, but its true!) I quickly changed my major to Business Management and minored in Art History. In my senior year of college, I had to complete a thesis upon graduation. Of course I didn't want to write a fifteen page paper, so I opted to do something creative and join the other art students for a gallery exhibit. My exhibit consisted of my favorite artist, Georgia O'Keefe; with my interpretation of her artwork with modern day clothing. The clothing was constructed by myself as well as the elements used to display my work.
Who would have thought, that after graduation, my passion for art and fashion would then lead me into many years in retail management. I worked for a major department store, where my career and creativity collided. I became a Visual Merchandise Manager and loved every aspect of the job. For those of you that are unfamiliar with what a Visual Manager position entails, lets just say it consists of ladders, mannequins, hanging tons of stuff from the ceiling, signage, windows, managing placement of fixtures, cosmetic events, basically anything that you see while walking through a department store or any store that catches your eye. So for those young folk that are not reading this, there ARE creative jobs in Pittsburgh, and great one's I might add.
To say the least, my job experience and education, has led me to this fortunate point in my life. It is funny how God puts you on a path that you least expected, not realizing that your dream, that you have tucked away for years, is coming to fruition. I started Vintage Grace Boutique by making jewelry that women already loved, but wanted to add my own flair and creativity to it. The jewelry was my way to eventually open a boutique and to meet so many wonderful customers, who are now my good friends. (love you girls!) So a year and a half later, the VGB doors are open and the real journey begins!
A little side note as to why I chose Dormont, PA for the boutique location.. it was pure luck and a little push from my late grandfather, Giuseppe. My grandfather passed away a few years ago and he is still a huge part of my life even though he is no longer here. He moved to this country from Italy, with my grandmother, mother, aunt, and uncle. When they settled here in Pittsburgh, they lived on Hillsdale Ave., which is in Dormont, AND which is literally the street next to where the boutique is located! I had no intentions of opening up in Dormont, but there was a listing posted online and I thought, okay lets just take a look see. To my surprise, the address was 2991. When you mix the numbers up, it becomes the year my grandfather was born, which was in 1929. (Do you have chills yet?) So yep, I like to think that my grandfather had a part in making this dream come true for his little granddaughter. That is why when you enter the boutique, you will see a photo of my grandfather and I, because he, I believe, has been guiding me all this time. Ti Voglio Bene Nonno.
Thank you for taking time to read this, and I apologize in advance for any grammar errors, misspellings, or any thing else written incorrectly in this blog post.. :)
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