i have been stumbling upon some really great *new* people lately and am now thrilled to introduce to you fellow graphic designer, blog writer and vintage shop owner alexandra charitan of blue carrot shop. alexandra has a ridiculously cute logo and some seriously great finds! read on for more...
01. tell us a little about yourself...
My name is Alexandra and I'm a graphic designer by day, a treasure hunter by every-other-time of day. I've lived in Ohio my whole life, but I frequently escape to New York City (my favorite place in the whole world is the Brooklyn Heights Promenade). I love looking at/touching things, finding treasures for my shop, taking photographs/playing fetch with my cat (Mozart), buying used books, baking cookies and writing things by hand.
02. how did you get started? when? obstacles?
I launched the shop web site in January of this year, but I started designing it/seriously collecting things about a year ago. I've really been collecting things my entire life, from thrift stores, garage sales, auctions, etc. but I always just bought things I liked, and intended to keep for myself.
I love magazines, newspapers (I have a special place in my heart for the Sunday New York Times), museums, parks, people-watching, old government pamphlets, vintage advertising, trashy tabloids and anything tacky or odd.
04. what's a typical day like at blue carrot shop?
Well, I have a day job at a graphic design firm in Akron, Ohio (427 Design). I've been working here since I graduated from college (2008), and I love it. We have tons of fun and I have a great office with not one, but TWO windows, which I keep open all summer long. I work on mostly print projects, but I've been picking up more web site work which is a whole different animal, but I'm enjoying the challenge. If I've sold something from the shop, I'll pack it up at home and ship it from work (until they catch on that I'm totally stealing tape). I usually do my treasure-hunting on weekends, but occasionally I'll hit up some thrift stores on my way home. I love when I get an e-mail notifying me of a sale, it makes my entire day better.
For right now, it's just a side business, more of a hobby. I desperately needed something to keep me busy- I was so bored after I graduated college and got a real adult job…maybe one day I'll have a store-front somewhere, but I'll probably always be a designer in some sense.
I have been really lucky to work in a place where I could mine resources (web programmers, photography equipment, etc.) for my own selfish endeavors. I think that helped me a lot. I blog about things I like and think (or hope) other people find interesting. I try to add at least one photo to every blog post, and keep my rambling to a minimum. I like to look at things on the internet, not read them. I'm a print girl all the way for reading.
07. if you could pick one place to be right now where would it be and why? The Brooklyn Heights Promenade. It's a magical place to me, especially when it gets nice outside. I have a special bench there where my boyfriend carved our initials. There are so many places, however, that I haven't been that I'd love to go, like Charleston, SC, California and most of New England. I would also love to drive across the country and stop at all the weird roadside museums and diners. Please buy things from my shop and make these ridiculous travel plans possible ;)
w: http://www.bluecarrotshop.com
b: http://bluecarrotshop.blogspot.com/
t: http://twitter.com/bluecarrotshop
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thanks for the interview, alexandra! it's great to 'meet' you!
if you'd like to submit a shop for the Nice To Meet You collection, send an email on over to sweetbeaker@gmail.com!
images from Blue Carrot Shop
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