Whitney Rife

WE BOUGHT A HOUSE

I know, I know.  I am married to a builder, we have two lots to build homes on over the next couple of years, two beautiful house plans that we drew together, more story boards than we could ever count and we bought a home, one with the most incredible rooms, y’all the kitchen + closet = LOVE, and to die for views.

Back in May, I was at the doctor with Bo for his shots and just so happened to look on Realtor at homes for sale (near me) in Murrells Inlet, SC as that is where Shawn and I wanted our forever home to be.  This beautiful, southern home on the inlet popped up, I swear I looked at Realtor.com everyday and why on this day this one popped up, I didn’t know then, but it would be our forever home.

Shawn was out of town so I called our good friend Bradley Parker to take me to it.  My mom and brother were with me, so we went to look at it, and as soon as I pulled into the driveway, I knew it was our home.  The driveway, the architecture, the southern charm, the landscaping, just every detail was everything we have ever wanted in a home, and the views were TO DIE FOR.  I immediately called Shawn and told him I had found our home, and he laughed and never said anything else about it, we had our house plans, we were building.

As soon as he got back to SC, I called Bradley and made him set up another showing, mind you, Shawn is a Realtor too, he he, but I felt like it was more of an experience if Bradley were with us.

Shawn and I went and looked at the house, and Shawn loved it, but his dream was for us to build and so he didn’t really take it serious.

Over the next month, we’d take the boat by the house and look at it and he would bring it up…okay, I would bring it up every chance I got and we would talk about how beautiful it was.  Literally, there was not one thing we would change about the house.

Another month went by, and a lot of begging and pleading, but the day finally came we decided to put an offer in on the house.  Shawn and I are so busy with work,  I think we finally came to the realization that time isn’t slowing down, and we are so ready for life to start in a new home-that we didn’t want to wait another year while our home was being built, especially when this one was so perfect. With a little negotiating, the sellers accepted our offer and we closed on our dream home yesterday!

I cannot wait to watch Bo grow up on the inlet.  I am saddened at the fact that Shawn and Bo will be out on the boat and fishing everyday so I will barely get to see them, he he, but I know it is somewhere Bo will LOVE growing up, and his dad too!  When we were doing the walk through on Wednesday, I already pictured where Bo’s kindergarten pictures would be, where he and all of his buddies would be playing hide and seek, where I would take his first prom pictures followed by graduation, and finally, where I would see him pull in and out of the driveway when he will come home to see us from college. The number of memories that will be made in this home are uncountable and it makes my heart so happy to see Shawn so happy!  Murrells Inlet is his happy place and he deserves this beautiful paradise to come home too because he works so hard for us and everyone else.

I wanted to share so much of this with you all, but I also didn’t want to jinx it-I swear it all feels almost too good to be true.  

I will be updating and sharing pictures + decor with you all but for now, we are just SO excited to get moved in and make this stunning house our home.

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Q & A #WIFELIFE

 

How did you tell Shawn you were pregnant? How did he react?  How did your parents react to having a baby before marriage? Or was it not a big deal at all?

I really cannot sum this up in one paragraph.  You can read ALL about it here.

The Guy I am dating isn’t always nice to me but I really like him.  What do I do?

UMM GET RID OF HIM! I sure wouldn’t want my daughter settling and dating some guy who wasn’t really nice to her and I am sure your mom feels the same way.  There are PLENTY of dudes out there for you to be wasting your time on him.

 

What do you do to make your relationship successful?

Keep it sexy, girl! He he, I hate to say it like this, but guys are very simple.  I flirt with him, I let him choose where we go eat dinner sometimes, we “cuddle,” we still date…We talk business, we talk relationships…we communicate which I think is the number one thing in keeping relationship successful.

What do y’all do to shop being mad at each other during a fight?

Shawn always caves in first, hehe! Kidding-he just never ever likes to go to bed mad at each other, and I am very spoiled and often very selfish and can go a day without talking to him-OVER NOTHING (omg y’all I am such a baby).  Shawn never lets anything really bother him, he sees time as way too precious and valuable so never lets petty stuff take up his time.  Before Bo, he’d just offer to go to my favorite restaurants or mention Krispy Kreme and we were over it, lol, now that we have Bo, Bo is kind of the ice breaker and since he hasn’t slept for 9 months and pretty much cried all day everyday, we both walk around on pins and needles because WE ARE EXHAUSTED.  When he stays with my parents or Shawns parents we are like HALLELUJAH! SLEEP!

 

How do you know if someone is the one or if you’re wasting your time?

If you are already questioning that you are wasting your time, you are probably wasting your time.  I say this because I knew Shawn was the one the first evening we hung out.  I never once questioned if I was wasting my time, and I don’t think he did either.  I know it is so cliche to say “you know when you know” but it is so true.  You just click and everything makes sense.

What are you and Shawn favorite thing to do together?

Be on the water.  We love being on the boat and “bar hopping.”  We bought our lake home based on the bars around the lake, hehe! 

Before Bo we would get on the water at 10AM and not get back in until 4AM.  Those were some of the best times of our life! Me + him + music + the water = heaven.

 

 

How would you get through a big bad bump in a relationship?

I am the wrong person to ask this.  There are a lot of things, as women, no matter how hard we try, you just cant get over/get through it.  I understand one day we may go through a bad bump, but I also know Shawn will try everything in his power to never put me in that situation and I feel the same way towards him.  The main thing is love someone so much that you know one day you may go through bad bumps, and know your love is strong enough to overcome it.

Are you and Shawn a lot alike or different and how do you make it work?

We are a lot alike, we have the same wants and taste, but we are very different, if that makes sense.  I often live in la la land and Shawn is very grounded.  However, our core values and the way we love are very similar.  

We make it work because no matter what at the end of the day, we know we are each others person.  We are best friends and we love to love each other.  We only ever want the best for each other, our family and each others businesses.  He is so supportive and hands on with everything I do as I am his businesses (sometimes I act like I own his too, hehe).

Advice for a new mom/working wife and trying to do it all?

Know that you can do it all! You can be a wife, a mom, AND work if that is what you want to do.  I want it all! I want to be the best wife to Shawn, the best mom to Bo, and the best BOSS BABE, to my employees and for YOU all!  Shawn understands and respects that.  Often times when I am at the point of trying to grow, he has to remind me, “babe, can I have you this evening,” and I will take a break, but sometimes I remind him, “it wont always be like this.”  He allows me to do it all and never once makes me feel guilty for working 12-14 hours a day after he’s worked all day and barely slept from Bo and then will come home and take care of Bo. 

How do you and Shawn manage to find quality time together?

Right now it is tough.  He’s at work at 7-8 AM, I wake up with Bo around 8:30 AM, our sitter is to our home by 9:30 AM, I work until 5-6PM. Shawn comes home, we will grab some dinner, with Bo, give Bo a bath by about 8:30 PM then we are in bed by 9-10 catching up on a show we are watching.  Lately it has been Southern Charm and The Bachelorette.  

Tuesday or Wednesday evenings, we will shoot new arrivals from about 6-9PM then grab a quick bite by ourself but thankfully Shawn agrees we need our own time/days sometimes, so if Madison or his mom is free on a Friday or Saturday evening/night, we will take them up on it and go out to dinner and for drinks, just us two. 

How do you never lose interest?

We do not ever quit dating, ever! 
Shawn is very good at keeping things exciting and not letting our relationship get in a rut, plus he is SO DANG HANDSOME! I always find him so attractive and he just makes my heart flutter.  

How big of an adjustment is it form engaged to married? 

Married life isn’t that big of an adjustment.  Moving 7 hours away from my store and my family with a baby has and was the biggest adjustment for me.  

How did you know Shawn was the one?

A few dates in, we stood in front of his pantry and he said “do you want to make a bunch of random crap for dinner tonight” (as we were eating pasta salad with our fingers out of the bowl)…I knew then he was the one I wanted to “make a bunch of random crap” with, he he! So we made Spaghetti-O’s, Sea Salt Edamame, Ramen Noodles, 5 Cheese Garlic Cheese Bread, Eggs and Salsa…you name it, we had it!

How did you know you wanted to marry him?

I never was the girl to dream of being married.  I wanted my boutique.  When I found someone who accepted and supported that as well as loved me and my family as much as his, I knew that was who I was going to marry…and he was that.

I can remember a few boyfriends ago, my mom said “one day you’re going to lose your dad and I, who do you want by your side when that happens?” As AWFUL as that is to think about, I couldnt imagine going through those traumatic events without Shawn by my side.  

What is your favorite date night date?

No matter where to, taking the boat to dinner.  We love being at the lake and taking the boat to dinner at The Blue Parrot, or if we are in Myrtle Beach going to Wahoos.  Lately we have been going to Wicked Tuna and we love that to.  I love to ask his help on what to wear out for date night, and he will me too!  We jam the whole way there to music with a Bud Light in hand and its just he and I! 

What does your husband do and was he scared when Bo was first born?

He is a land developer and home builder.

He was never scared (or if he was he hid it very well).  I mean we are all scared to an extent.  He was just very cautious, especially of GERMS, he he!

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Easy Chicken Casserole Recipe

The other day, I was literally so tired of eating out, and tired of fixing the same 5 meals Shawn always wants, Chicken Bog, Tacos, Spaghetti, Cabbage and Ham, or Steaks, so I reached out to my mom for one of my favorite recipes she always made! It is super easy AND DELICIOUS so I wanted to share it with you all! I think it would be a hit with your boyfriend, husband, and even kids! I actually SHOCKED myself, hehe!

Plates and Table Cloth from Home Goods

Ingredients: 
2 Packs of Chicken Tenders
1 Box Stove Top Stuffing (Chicken Flavor)
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
Milk
Slices of Cheese (American)
Raw Broccoli
Mrs. Dash
Salt & Pepper

Recipe: 
1. Boil the chicken until done.  Cut into smaller pieces (cut the hard ends off).
2. Put In Baking Dish and Sprinkle Mrs. Dash on the chicken
3. Mix the soup with 1/2 cup of milk and pour over the chicken.  Add salt & pepper.
4. Cook Stove Top Dressing like the box says the put on top of soup.
5. Cut the Broccoli into small pieces and put on top of the stuffing.
6. Place pieces of cheese over top of the broccoli.
7. Bake on 375 for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

I served the Chicken Casserole with Cranberry Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, and Sister Shubert Rolls.  We had chocolate chip cookies for dessert!

Hope y’all enjoy! Let me know if you make it and send me pics!

 

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Q & A #BOSSBABE

Dress c/o The Retail Therapist | Sunglasses | Purse (Similar) | Shoes | Earrings

How did you get started?

I have answered this question pretty much here and here.
Here is a look into what the first year open was like.
I did a Q & A a while back, so posting that for y’all here.

Would you buy an established boutique or start your own if you had to do it all over again?

I would start my own, ALL over again. You learn and grow SO much through the entire process. Now that I have, I wouldn’t be opposed to buying an established one now.

Do you promote things you truly love or are there some collabs and such you should pass on?

I 100% love every thing I collaborate on or post whether it is why blog or my boutique.   For my boutique, I only buy for the store what I would buy for myself and I really think that is why it is successful.

I’ve never seen where you have been to market, so how do you find items for your boutique
I have been to market, quite a few actually, Atlanta and NYC are my favorite.  I have built wonderful relationships with my wholesalers there and they keep me updated on new pieces.

Do you use Shopify to run your boutique website?

Yes, I have used Shopify for my online store and storefront since we opened.  I love Shopify and their customer service is THE BEST.  I used wordpress for my blog.

My family has a 78 year old boutique but doesn’t have a website yet.  How do I go about getting one?

78 years?! WOW! Something is working so I am not sure I would go online! BUT if you are, I use SHOPIFY and I LOVE THEM!

Are your pictures taken with your phone? They are always so perfect.

Some are taken with my phone.  We also shoot with a Canon 5d Mark IV and the Fuji XF100F, which we just got and I LOVE!

Would you recommend an online only boutique for getting started versus an actual store?

No, there are so many online boutiques popping up these days.  It is much harder to grow online these days than it was 4-5 years ago.  You could be stuck with the same merchandise all summer long, having to run sales often.  You need that storefront in my opinion to get people in…to get the word out.  

Do you get your size from the store to try on?

Yes, every Saturday my girls will box up a package from The Retail Therapist and send me one of everything new we got in that week, I will have by Monday and do a try on session on Tuesday for you all then send the pieces I don’t want back to the store.

Does the company you order from send you samples for you to try on for us?

No.
If I am trying on The Retail Therapist pieces, that is pieces I ordered from wholesalers to sell in my store.  My girls send me one size small in the new pieces every week.

If it is from other places, all pieces I wear I purchase from boutiques, Nordstrom, Amazon, etc.

How do you run your store long distance?

Make sure you have amazing employees, which I do! If it wasnt for them, there is NO way we would still be in business.  They treat TRT as if it were their own and I am FOREVER grateful for them.

Best tip for starting a blog?

Stick with it. Post often.  BE YOU.

I started in 2011 and opening my boutique in 2014, my blog suffered a little because I was so focused on making my boutique successful.  I wish I would have grown them both at the same time.

How do you get brands to collaborate with you?

I am still trying to figure this out.  Right now, I reach out to companies I love.  Or companies that I am sharing on my Instagram will reach out to me after they see what I have done with their products.

Do you take a salary? You’ve said in the pasts posts your profit goes back into your boutique…

Yes, I do take a small salary.  My brother takes a small salary, and my employees are paid hourly.  Other than that, every single dollar goes back into my store.  Personal things I purchase are purchased outside of any dollar made from the store.  

How do you handle payroll and expenses? Do you pay the bills or have an accountant?

My mom handles all payroll (sometimes my brother does it if she is out of town) but we also have an accountant who looks over everything and handles monthly taxes, yearly taxes, etc.

What is your IG strategy to attract more clients?

Stay true to me and remain personable.  I told myself form the beginning if I couldn’t be me on social media I didn’t need to have it.  I am real.  I experience life.  I don’t hide things from you all.  

What advice do you have for people wanting to open a small town retail business?

Know not everyone in your town is going to support your business, and that is fine.  At first, I was so stressed thinking “my store is the only boutique in town, why would they not shop here…” now, I do not waste a second of my time wondering why they don’t, some people just don’t want to be fashionable…lol, JK, some people just will not support you because no one ever wants better for anyone or to see them succeed, which is really sad but often it is just how a small town is.  

Do NOT get me wrong, you will have those customers who you love so much and you work SO hard for, they’re the reason you love what you do.  They help you overcome the “why don’t they shop here” mentality really fast.  Every single customer that walks through those doors, you treat THE SAME WAY! You never ever know who is going to be your best customer.  I live for the 17 year old girl working at Sonic, saving up to come and buy the dress she’s been eyeing in our window for a few weeks on her way to work.  Of course the customer who can come in and spend $500+ is always nice, but I was once that 17 year old girl who had no where to shop in town but just wanted to look cute-do it for her!

Also, many people will copy what you’re doing-let them.  “Neiman Marcus is not concerned with what K-Mart is doing.”

After obtaining your license what should we do next?
Before obtaining your license, figure out the name you are wanting to use.  I wanted TRT to be named Closet Rich, but it is trademarked and already a boutique, therefore I knew if we ever grew, there may be issues.  Double check all names, actually triple check!

  1. Obtain your business license.  
  2. Get a sellers permit
  3. Get an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
  4. Open a business account
  5. Business Email
  6. Business Social Media Accounts
  7. Depending on where you are located, you may need certain licenses and permits (such as zoning and signage), check with your local government for those details. 
  8. GO TO MARKET
  9. Set your GRAND OPENING DATE (or you will never open, and do not push it back) #makeithappen
  10. CELEBRATE, YOU DID IT!!! 

Was your store successful from the beginning?

When I opened my store, I had about 13K followers, my store wasn’t successful from the beginning but we were busy.   Those followers read my blog and when I launched my boutique website, I just redirected those readers to my boutique.  

When owning your own business, do you put money back for retirement?

At this point I will be working until I am 100, lol.  I haven’t started putting money back for retirement yet but that is in my 5 year plan, especially now that we have Bo.

How much money should you budget for market the first time?

The first time I purchased merchandise for the store, I bought $13,000 worth of clothes! My budget was $10,000 but I am really bad at sticking to a budget.  I can now justify that it was worth it, lol!

What were your startup costs?

I took $15,000 and launched my website May 1, 2014. A week after the launch, I set up at Myrtle Beach Bike Week and made every dollar we invested back and we were able to keep buying merchandise for my online store.  I am forever grateful for The Beaver Bar, hehe!

When I opened my storefront, it cost us about $25,000 JUST to upfit my store (it was an old used parts store).  We redid the flooring, built walls, built changing rooms, changed all the lights, painted, built shelves, etc.  We later added our tanning salon and spent about $20,000 more to do that.  

Most of our racks etc. I had picked up when I saw things closing down over the years when I was in college.  We still use all of those racks today.  I am not sure we will ever not use them, they were the first pieces I was able to buy for the store on my own with my paychecks from places I worked when I was in college.

Biggest pieces of advice for an aspiring business owner?

Don’t give up. Understand there will be more hard times than good for the first few years, but it is so worth it!  You also have to understand being your own boss, you can get lazy sometimes…YOU DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR THAT!

Do you think you will ever sell the business to work on blogging full time?

No, never.
I am The Retail Therapist, I buy everything for the store, I handle the social media, I handle the website…I couldn’t ever imagine one day getting on www.shopretailtherapist.com and knowing it wasn’t mine anymore…I love blogging, but I LOVE HAVING MY OWN STORE.

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TGIT! Sales Galore!

Oh my gosh y’all! I swear it’s like Christmas! There are SO many sales going on this weekend and I wanted to link my favorite things on sale + new arrivals for yall!

Urban Outfitters (25% off Bedding, Pillows, Home Decor, and More)- I am decorating my selfie room so sharing the pieces I just bought below!

Nordstrom– Of course the #NSALE is still going on and it opens to the public TOMORROW!!! Thats right, that means ANYONE can shop the sale starting TOMORROW! Im sharing some of my favorite pieces I have gotten in so far! The rest of my stuff will be delivered Saturday and Monday so I will share more then!

Levi’s– 25% off + FREE SHIPPING on your first order or use code BOGO50 for Buy One Get One 50% Off! Linking my favorite red tag jeans for you-and y’all know I take my jeans VERY seriously, so trust me!

Williams Sonoma– 20% off + FREE SHIPPING with code FRIENDS! I am linking things I am ordering from Gift Cards we received at our wedding for our lake home!

Loft– My fave! 40% off, 50% if you are a cardholder!!! I just went shopping and this is what I got! I wear size XS in tops and 2/26 in bottoms!

Hope everyone has the BEST day! We’ve almost made it to Friday, babes!

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