Shops where people can find you: Coco Milano’s  Mesa, Here On The Corner  Tempe, Campus Corner in Tempe, Campus Flowers Tempe

Personal bio: I’m from a family of 7 kids with very creative parents. Ruby was my maternal grandmother & Patty Mae was my sweet mom. My sister Jen also has a booth, vintagebyjen & we have a blast working side by side. For 25+ years my second career has been working as a TV Stage Mgr at the Phoenix Suns games & various live sporting events. I did 8 days with NBC Sports Network at our recent Super Bowl.

How did you start your business & why? I was inspired by vintage buttons I found at my friends antique shop. I created a few pieces of jewelry made from buttons & wore them. Encouraged by friends at a party, we tipped over their grandmothers button jars & I made gifts for their moms for Mother’s Day.

How would you best describe your style and the items you sell? My bracelets & necklaces are unique in that I include interesting vintage buttons, a wide assortment of charms and lots of pearls and beads. My dad Jake makes all of our hand stamped charms and clients personalize their pieces or gifts with these charms. Buttons connect generations. Frequently clients hand me button tins passed down thru their family members. I then make sentimental pieces for their family members. For instance, I’ve done this with military buttons collected from distant relatives and belt buckles grandfathers have worn.  I also sell buttons sorted by colors and at the upcoming September market I will have two booths and will be bringing LOTS of interesting & collectible buttons.

When was your first JITT?  My first market was outside in the Westworld parking lot and there only 79 vendors. I’m not sure what year that was? Spring 2012? (I think it was the 1st JITT at Westworld).  Yes that was our first market at WestWorld in the end of April 2012!  Crazy!

And what is your favorite part about the event? Or favorite memory?  There are many reasons why I LOVE the JITT event but mostly it’s the shoppers. It touches me deeply when shoppers say, “I come to your booth every JITT show”. Two little girls in my booth saw my photo from my Go Daddy commercial on my welcome stand and they were so excited and they said, “our names are famous”, they were Ruby & Mae. Every time someone buys a button or charm or jewelry piece from me, I’m thankful. I know they can shop anywhere and they are shopping with me.

What’s your favorite place to get away in the summer? I love to go to Carlsbad State

Beach with my husband & 3 sons and 50 people that are fellow Tempe fireman families. This year I’m taking my dad on a 3 week road trip all thru Montana to see all of his family & Mt Rushmore. We will be junking all the way.