So much has happened since my last ezine on 1/21…My head is spinning! I am sure yours is as well!

So, let’s start off with a fun picture…why not?

Indiana and me at our grand re-opening anniversary day party!

Welcome to Lynn’s Latest #00002

Thursday, March 21, 2024
Volume V Issue 00002

So amazing that we were able to keep the store open. Thank you Ventura for all of your LOVE & Support! We still need your help. March has not been the best month so far and again, we are taking it day by day. Day by Day…..Hope to see you soon!

At the end of January, Sandy and I attended a party for the back “basement” room at Barrelhouse 101 for our friends Nidia and Jobe. So much fun and Nydia has purchased a lot of items for this room from the store. Love this shot of the three of us in front of a picture that she bought at Lynn’s. It came from one of my favorite consignors, Bob, who brings us amazing things!

OK! More about that later…or not….but it’s time for an eBay score! So, I bought this Frankoma Wall Pocket about three years ago out in Palm Desert for $20. I listed it on eBay and was asking $200. Just sold it at the beginning of March for a best offer of $170. Score!

Click here to see the original listing.

In more eBay news, I just hosted my first EVER Ventura eBay course with four of the coolest gals…It went great and everyone left with at least one, if not three actual listings on eBay. I would say it was a success!
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Here we are in the store (while closed this past Tuesday), From Left to Right, Evie, Janet (who was at my FIRST ever Live Boot Camp back in 2006 at the Ritz Carlton in Rancho Mirage), me, Valerie and Nicole. Thanks gals!

Here is a testimonial from Val that she posted on Insta…..”Thanks for the great class, Lynn!! I came in feeling totally intimidated about eBay and left with a feeling of accomplishment and a path forward. Love the swag bag with all those great tools for success”

And then one from Nicole, “Good Morning Lynn! I had such a great time at the class yesterday!! Thank you so much for helping us get started with eBay! You are a wealth of knowledge!!”

Awwww, next in person eBay course is going to be Tuesday, April 9th from noon to four and we have six spots open. This is the basic course. You will need to bring a laptop computer and several things to list. You will leave the class with items actually listed for sale on eBay! Here is a link to sign up.

Here is a shot of the setup before my students arrived to claim their goodie bags and eat a light lunch.

And back to January, on the 25th I attended a Celebration of Life for Teri Bailey. She was my mom’s roommate in rehab here in Ventura after my mom fell and broke her rib after Thanksgiving back in 2022. Teri was a sweetheart! Such an amazing woman who was battling Alzheimers. Ughhhhh. If any of you knew her, you know how amazing she was. I was so happy to be able to attend the service and show our support for her and her family.

My friend Lori from Palm Desert, came out to visit for the first time since I bought my house! Our daughters were best friends back in Pre-School in Palm Desert and we became fast friends. Still friends today, 20 plus years later!

She sells on eBay and we are both Cancers and always have the best time! It was so fun to have her stay at my new “old” house. We also did some thrifting in the rain and I found some great things!

Here is a cute story about Paige and Indy from my “3rd 100 Best” book “Kaching”. Story #11.

Then Jo Dallas came into town to help me with the store closing…little did I know at the time then, that we would eventually remain open. Such a blessing. Both staying open and having such great friends come to help for FREE!

My friend Chris Wade happened to stop by on the day Jo Dallas was flying in and he went up to the Santa Barbara airport with me to pick her up. He went into the terminal to find her and was saying, “Jo Dallas, Jo Dallas” and she was like, what guy knows me in Santa Barbara? Hahahaha. Anyway, we all went out to dinner at Cafe Fiori after.

After Jo left, I was talking to my mom on Valentines Day and she was mentioning how Kai guy sounded a little down. Kai is my nephew and he and his brother Zach lost their mom (my sister) 12 years ago to cancer.

I gave Kai a call that night and asked him if he would like to visit for his winter break. Done and done! I thought he could use a little one on one time with his Auntie Lynnie.

My kids picked him up at LAX for me and put him in an uber out to Ventura. We had a great time. He helped me at the store pricing new artwork and changing walls, we did pedicures, worked out at Fit Buddha, played scrabble and went out to dinner a few times. BTW, he kicked my butt at scrabble :).

Then I put him in an Uber back to Marina del Rey so that he could hang out with his cousins (my kids) for a few days. Actually, I tried to put him in a Lyft first and because he wasn’t 18 they couldn’t take him. Who knew?

Time for an eBay score! I bought this piece of scrimshaw on a Whale’s tooth at a thrift store in the desert for about $2.99. Can’t remember exactly.

But, you can’t sell ivory on eBay anymore. Endangered Species etc. Even though this piece was done on an antique Whale’s tooth that was caught way before all of the regulations, eBay doesn’t care.

I still listed it on eBay though and called it a replica. Yes, say what you will, but I do live life on the edge because I am a risk taker…. LOL. Anyway, I rolled the dice. eBay did not shut down the listing and I got $128.50 for it at auction and now it is in a beautiful collection with other pieces in it’s new home in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

If you want to see the original listing, click here.

Back to the store redo…OMG, we all worked so hard! Thank you to my amazing people/staff and my friends and family. You are all invaluable and greatly appreciated!

And to my amazing customers and consignors, thank you for your support! It means the world to us. And now for a few pics from the Anniversary Party. My kid’s friend Brittney Lucy did a fabulous job!

Thank you to everyone who came out to support us on that rainy day!

In between all of the madness of the Grand Reopening and everything else, Sandy and I managed to see a band at Vacquero y Mar that my friend Jeff Stroud fronts. Jeff was a buyer at May Co. California at the same time that I was, so we have been friends for a long time!

His family also owned Strouds, the linen superstore, that I miss so much. Anyway, super fun night!

The next week, Sandy and I had the pleasure of attending another concert. The one that I told you about in a previous email that Marc Kettle’s daughter Shanti was opening for his best friend Beth, who was also my friend Pam’s best friends. Small world! We had another great time. Shanti is so talented and Beth is a phenomenal performer. So much fun! Then out to dinner after.

When I got home from the concert in Ojai at 9:30 pm, Indiana and Larissa were at the house visiting from the Marina and they dragged me to Dairy Queen. OMG! Talk about exhaustion. But, Dairy Queen was Indy’s favorite place to go with my dad, so how could I say no…..and apparently we took the cha…didn’t remember that until I saw this pic LOL!

After all of everything…closing the store, keeping the store open, completely gutting the store, wall to wall company etc, I really needed some time off. So the morning after the Ojai concert & DQ, I headed out to Palm Desert.

Thank you to Sandy for manning the store! I sooooo needed a break.

First stop, lunch with Tina Burke…one of my best friends from high school.

After lunch with Tina, I paid a social visit to my attorney, Bob Stewart. I have known Bob for 15 years and he is like a dad to me. I met him at his house and his wife had passed away last year so we talked a lot about her and he showed me a photo album that she had made for him. Broke my heart. She was a Theta at USC and I was also in a sorority at USC so we had something in common.

He was telling me how he golfs everyday with his Portuguese water dog Riley. Cutest dog! I asked him where he golfed and he said Shadow Mountain. One of my good friends from high school, Teresa Thornberg’s dad Bob, moved to the desert years ago and had also lived and golfed at Shadow Mountain. Just for a fluke, I asked Bob if he knew Bob Thornberg. Well, yes he did and in fact drew up his last will. They used to golf together! OMG, doesn’t the world get smaller and smaller every day?

Here is Riley.

The next day I headed into Palm Springs to take my mom’s cousin, Gwen, out to lunch at Billy Reeds. Gwen’s dad was Houston Sussex, my grandma’s brother. That is where my son Houston got his name…we are related to Sam Houston, Battle of the Alamo.

Gwen fell and broke her hip right before COVID and had been in a rehab facility for over 5 years. UGHHHH. She finally got out and has a cute little apartment across from the tram. We had a delightful lunch. I really enjoy her company. She is funny, witty, smart and is one of the last few relatives (besides my mom) who was close to my grandma, Cheryl Leaf. I plan to see her the next time I am out there.

Had a great time in the desert, relaxing with my friends and doing a bit of thrifting. Headed back to Ventura on Monday, the 11th. On Tuesday, the 12th Sandy and I headed out to Camarillo to see Val for her birthday. Boy, do we miss Val!

Then that Thursday, Indy & Larissa came back out to Ventura for a doctor’s appointment. We went out to happy hour at Prime and then back to Dairy Queen. Apparently, every Thursday evening late will find me at DQ in Oxnard. Let’s hope not!

Then we went back to my house and watched Indy in her first Indie Film. So proud of you girl! And loved seeing her name in the credits :)!

An update on the Goose aka my son Houston. He has been super busy applying to law schools So far, he has been accepted into both Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount. I am rooting for Pepperdine and the Caruso Law School! This was a picture he posted when he won the election for Freshman Class President at Pepperdine back in 2015. LOL.

Let’s chat about the store a bit. The vignettes have never looked so good…if you ask me! The store is open, breezy and ready for customers. Please, please, please let all of your friends, relatives, neighbors and acquaintances know that we are still OPEN and would love to see some customers. Store hours are….

Weds-Sat 11-5
Sun 11-3

We need your continuing support. OK, I am begging…just a little bit! Here is what the store looks like when you walk in the back roll up…Asian Inspired Garden and I LOVE it!

Indy had two shows this past weekend and amazingly enough, I made it to both of them. Friday night and Saturday night. Here are the flyers. The first one was in the Groundlings Teaching Center….Love that venue!

The Saturday night one wasn’t in the Groundlings Theatre, but was directed by a Groundlings Teacher who Indy LOVES! He is the best. Here is a picture of her with Roy Jenkins and then a pic of all of us after the show. Sooooooo much fun! Indy you rocked the house!

And now, for what most of you have been waiting for….our new arrivals. But, before I get to that, this pic of my sister was posted on Facebook by one of her best friends, Shauna…..It totally cracked me up and I had to share.

And just one more thing….do you remember that $17,000 couch that I showed you in the last email. The amazing teal/blue distressed leather one? Well, we now have two of them in stock…and the price has been reduced. They are now only $4,995 each. If I had a house big enough for the both of them, I would buy them…they are insanely decadent and amazing…please come in and check them out. Here I am enjoying one of them during the Grand Reopening!

And now the new arrivals….Outdoor Sunbrella Chair with Ottoman $495.00 – 2 sets available

Antique Wicker Coffee Table $245.00

Vintage Asian Screen Room Divider $595.00

Large Wine Cabinet with W $395.00

Florentine Framed Art $49.50 – 2 in stock

Assorted Metal Planters $22.50 each – 4pcs available

Metal Urn Planter $49.50

Elan Pink Floral Long Wrap Dress $39.50

Here are some of the new arrivals from our fave brand, Myra Bags — here’s a new addition of beautiful collections of bags for people who love to have everything matched perfectly.