Getting to know GRANDMA JUNE

I love finding out about new vintage sellers on ETSY! Often times they've been on Etsy for a while and are new to me. One such sweetie is Mandy of Grandma June. She's a purrrdy redhead from Maine who also moonlights as a band member of the Foam Castles. (See rockin' out picture below!) This is my first interview with a fellow etsy seller, and I'm hoping to do more in the future because it was fun getting to know about another vintage-lovin' dame in a different part of the world. I am especially fond of her last answer, and finding out that both of us were highly influenced by the style of our Grandmas! :)

~ Meet the girl behind GRANDMA JUNE ~

1. What's your name and in what state do you currently reside?
My name is Amanda Louise Wheeler (Mandy!), and I live in South Portland, Maine.

2. How did you get started with Etsy?
You know, to be honest, I can't really remember! Hahaha! I think I must have just stumbled across the site, and thought that it was awesome. So often would I go to a thrift store, find something unbelievably fantastic, but not be able to buy it because it wasn't my size. Starting my shop was incredibly exciting because it meant I could buy all of those items and share them with other fashionable ladies!

3. Describe your perfect day.
I think my perfect day depends on my mood. Lately I've been craving long road trips on sunny days. I love driving around Maine, it is truly as scenic as they say it is. I am longing for summer in the worst way. Just today I was out on the road, and seeing that the grass was turning green really made my day! I love the ocean, shopping, and cuddling with my cats, so my perfect day would probably include those things, as well.

4. What fashion icon (past or present) do you most admire?
Well, my grandmother is my #1 fashion icon, for sure. Her taste was impeccable, and the way she paired pieces together was, well, THE BEST. Even her taste in decor was incredible. I've looked up to many fashionable females throughout the years though, including Chrissie Hynde, Ingrid Bergman, Little Edie, and Coco Chanel.

5. What continually inspires you?
I think the ever-changing fashion trends inspire me. I love combining styles from different decades. My state inspires me, and so does the weather. The local girls here dress WELL, and I love checking everyone out! Maine is way more fashionable than you'd think!

6. List your current favorite: book, movie, and song.
My favorite book is by Haruki Murakami, and it's called "Kafka on the Shore". My favorite movie is a hard one to answer because it depends what I'm in the mood for. Lately, my favorite directors have been Sofia Coppola and Wes Anderson, and my favorite actors are Bill Murray, Ingrid Bergman, and Shirley MacLaine. My favorite song is also completely impossible for me to answer, but I will say that my favorite band of all time is the Pretenders.

7. Your best advice for other sellers.
If you don't love it, don't buy it. Specifically I am speaking of the items in your shop. I think it's so extremely important to show your style in your shop, and not just buy anything because it's old. I only sell items that I stand strongly behind, and that I'd wear myself if it was my size/color/whatever. I always encourage people to look at my "favorites" on Etsy, so they can see my style and then figure out if we think the same way about fashion. Then of course there is the Etsy 101 rules, like take clear photos, and update your shop as often as you can. Ship items quickly, and with care.

(I'm in love with this dress from her shop!) 

8. The one vintage item you own that you'll never give up, not in a million years IS. . .
My wall of hats in my bedroom that was passed down to me from my grandmother, Grandma June.

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Thanks for the interview, M! xoxo

Find more of Mandy on her blog HERE.