Accessories at Upshift

We love accessories just as much as the next gal.  That's why I'm here to tell you that when you swap you can take anything from the boutique as part of your swap, even accessories!  This is the number 1 question we get asked during a visit and yes, you can take them even if you didn't bring accessories as part of your swap.

On that note, it's a good reminder to be sure to dig through your accessories at home to get rid of anything you don't use anymore; shoes, handbags, jewelry, watches, sunglasses, and scarves to name a few.

Check out this short video to see what items we've gotten in and good examples of items we accept!

Field of Screams Costuming

I was involved in creating the costumes for an amazing movie shot here in Madison, Field of Screams.  The cast and crew were amazing and absolutely a blast!  The movie shot through the weekend in the middle of the night and we had the wrap party last night, October 20th.  We got a sneak peek of some of the rough cuts and it looks phenomenal!  I took pictures while I was at the shoot on Friday and Saturday night.  Below are some of the shots of the actors in costume.

Weekend Anniversary Party

It's here!  Our anniversary party, join us for a weekend of amazing fashion, booze, food, and swag!

Friday, October 16th
Open 12-8pm
$5 off 4-8pm
Complimentary wine; red and white

Saturday, October 17th
Our 2 year anniversary
Open 10-4pm
Party 12-4pm
Custom brew beer, wine, and food
Swag bags

Sunday, October 18th
Hangover party
Open 12-6pm
Complimentary bloody marys and mimosas

2 Years Strong

Time is such a tricky little bitch, on one hand it feels like we opened the doors of Upshift just yesterday, but on the other hand (and according to my newly sprouted gray hairs and under eye wrinkles) it was eons ago.  2 years ago today I was drinking wine and setting all the trends at Upshift while holding back a cacophony of emotions; excitement, nervousness, anticipation...well, you name I was feeling it.  Fast forward to October 17th and we unlocked the doors at 10am.  We had a great first day with a ton of curious visitors from the neighborhood and a handful of customers, mostly loyal customers that wanted to shop our new digs.

It's been one foot in front of the other day-by-day since that Thursday 2 years ago.  I've learned so much and realized that opening a business that isn't modeled after any other type of small business...anywhere, ever is an incredible journey. The success of Upshift has been possible because of Dustin's limitless support and hard work.  He is, hands down, the most incredibly supportive husband; he dresses mannequins and offers support to a whole bunch of female staff and customers all while working his ass off at his full time job.

Beyond support from the world's greatest beer brewing husband I have to send out so much love and hugs to all my friends and staff.  My dream was to open Upshift by August of 2009, yes, you read that right.  I wrote the business plan the day Obama was inaugurated in January of 2009 and reached out to many, many banks that all shouted a resounding no. It was heartbreaking, but hindsight also being a tricky little bitch, I now know the reason for this very long delay; I was meant to meet all the key players that would be a part of the foundation of Upshift, these people are some of the most wonderful, loving, kind, silly, outrageous people in the world and wouldn't you know it Dustin and I found them right here in Madison.  Too many to list, but you all know who you are (if you've gulped wine or beer with us you're on the list).  My staff, volunteers and interns are on that list as well because of their dedication and complete understanding of all we do at Upshift.  Behind the scenes we have a whole team of people that support all we do as well; a photographer, models, and stylists.

Bottom line, we are incredibly blessed to be where we are at in Madison surrounded by (in my humble opinion) some of the most beautiful people, both inside and out. Our foundation here in Madison wouldn't have been possible without all the support of family and friends that live in other beautiful places near and far.   2 years later, and 6 years after conceiving the idea for Upshift I can hardly begin to fathom where the future will take us. I send love and many thanks to all the people that have supported Upshift.

Join us in celebrating beginning Friday, October 16th. Get $5 off your swap from 4-8pm.

First day with keys to the building

Costumer for Field of Screams

There's a gem of a movie being shot here in Madison called Field of Screams, and it's the brainchild and passion project of Natalie Pohorski.  Her journey in making this movie struck a cord with me and I knew I had to help out by pulling together the costumes.  Her journey, like all creative endeavors, echoed my journey in creating Upshift.  It combined meticulous planning (knowing that it will likely stray from the plan) with a huge amount of faith that all the right people and resources will come together to make it all happen.  Here we are 3 days before shooting starts and it looks as though it's all going to happen.  Ironically, the shooting of this film is happening the same weekend as our 2 year anniversary at Upshift. It's perfect timing for a thriller to be shot, fall is ideal for shooting a baseball, zombie flick.  Without giving too much away let's talk about the costumes...

I agreed to help out the first weekend in August, which for personal reasons was a very difficult weekend (Dustin and I had a family funeral and also lost a beloved pet all while trying to rebound from the robbery at Upshift).  Meeting with Natalie and discussing my involvement was a much needed distraction and October 16th seemed eons away.  Well here it is and the costumes are finally coming together.

Wardrobing is a hurry-up-and-wait game.  It all depends on casting along with last minute script changes.  Everything solidified last week, so it was go-time for tracking down costumes that would make the cast come to life for this movie.  I had to take the vision of the director/producer and combine that with my own ideas of garments that would tell a story while supporting the cast in becoming the actual part they are playing.

I shopped a lot, and committed to mostly used clothing.  I wanted the garments to look worn in, realistic.  The cast includes a lead lady, man, two young boys, and eight baseball players (and possibly an ump).  The trickiest items to pull were the 8 identical baseball uniforms.  Try as I might I couldn't track down vintage baseball uniforms so we settled on ordering new ones from Amazon.  Below are images of each costume.  I'll update the blog to show images of the cast in the costumes once we start shooting, which takes place at night between 5pm and 2am.  Each night as we wrap up shooting I plan to snooze a bit and then party on down for our anniversary party at Upshift.

Lead female - Kay

Lead male - Max

Boy - Flynn

Boy - Casey

Baseball Ghouls

Ump

2nd Anniversary

We turn 2 this week!  We've been at our current location since October 17th, 2013 and owe this successful milestone to our loyal customers and dedicated volunteers!

Join us in celebrating during our weekend long partayy!

Friday, October 16th
$5 off 4-8pm

Saturday, October 17th
Craft beer especially for our anniversary
Swag bags
12-4pm

Sunday, October 18th
Hangover party
Bloodys and Mimosas
12-6pm

Trends of the week

Here are a few of the amazing items we have in today (and other exciting events happening at Madison's only swap shop):

September 2015 Newsletter

My awesome exchange

As the owner I get the perk of making an exchange whenever I want.  However, as a business owner my time is pretty limited.  I make time about every 3-6 months and I love to share the awesomeness that I find.

Check it out:

Awesome Fashion in a Tiny Bag

I challenged myself to limit my packing for a 5 day trip to a small backpack.  Considering I'm headed to New Orleans where the weather is sweltering and the lifestyle is pretty chill I had the upper hand at achieving this.  I did with lightweight fabrics and a lot of flowy styles and fabrics.

I'm heading down to party it up with my sister and her hubby who have lived in The Crescent City since 2005 right after Katrina hit.  They headed down for relief efforts and never left.

I head down every year, sometimes twice a year, to visit and take in all the city has to offer (usually booze, food, and a ton of fun).  This time is no exception since I'll be there to celebrate my favorite brother-in-law's 40th birthday.  I'll take lots of pics and post them afterwards.  Until then enjoy this little packing adventure:

August 2015 Newsletter

Fresh and airy is the name of the game:

Transition to Fall 2015

It's been ages since writing a blog post with a video.  Well, here we go.  This one is about transitioning your wardrobe into fall.  It's simple, it's all about layering up with pieces from your wardrobe that you love or pieces from summer.

Upshift News

We have a couple fun things happening this week along with a sneak peek at some of our newest, cutest items.  Check it out:

Cool bonus video (22 measly seconds):

This month's event

Our ever popular stylist event is August 16th this month!  This will be the last time we do this event monthly (we'll sporadically do it during specific months, so we aren't totally ending it).

Get in and swap for $10 and get stylist advice while sipping wine and swapping!

Sunday, August 16th from 2-4pm

2 for 1 This Week!

Bring a friend and she swaps for FREE!
12-8pm this Thursday, August 6th
Complimentary wine and kick ass clothes!