You are cordially invited to our 3rd Year Anniversary Party!
MONDAY, March 1st from Noon to 4 pm.

 

OMG! We have made it 3 FULL Years!
Thank you soooooo much for the LOVE and support!

It will look a little bit different than last year’s party….

Here is what we looked like at last year’s celebration……
it almost looks fake doesn’t it?

Left to Right, Lori, Peggy, Emma, Sandy, Indiana, Me, Kathy, my mom, Gala, Joanne, Steve, Jo Dallas, and Valerie!

 

Welcome to Lynn’s Latest #04…

February 26th, 2021
Watch for it every Friday or every other Friday!
Volume II Issue 04

 

This past year went by sooooooooo slowly and yet on the other hand it almost seemed to fly by. I can’t believe that the photo above was taken just a year ago. So much has changed. I am not sure we will all ever be the same again. I feel like innocence has been lost.

Nevertheless, we will be holding a small socially distant celebration on Monday, March 1st from noon to 4 pm. A day that should have been my dad’s 87th birthday. Here’s looking at you dad! Hope you are NOT washing dishes in Heaven!

And another photo that just popped up of my dad and my kids…love this shot!  We were at a baseball tournament in Las Vegas and had dinner at the expensive steak restaurant in our hotel.  Such fun!

Time for some Friday Flashback Fotos from the past 3 years of the store’s life.  Let’s start with the very beginning…..Click here for a short video posted on Instagram that Joanne Carolan (Realtor Extraordinaire) took of the progress back in January of 2018.  WOW!  We have come a long way!

Here are my kids and their Pepperdine friends posing in the empty store right before the concrete floors were stained.  From left to right, Reilly, Houston, Indiana, Carmen, and Sydney.

Here is a fun photo of one of our first consignors….George helping us to fill our empty space (my mom is helping him)!  We LOVE you George!

Here is George dropping off a beautiful Kidney shaped desk yesterday and Val is helping him.

Here is that desk that is currently for sale in the store.  It is priced at $325.

Here are the girls with one of our first pieces of furniture!  This photo was taken on February 13th in 2018…..That is Val, Lyn Summer, and Gina Cole!

On February 22nd, Signarama hung our signs!  We were almost in business…..

Alrightyo, let’s check out some of those first vignettes!  Here we are working on the very first one that we needed for our newspaper and Breeze ad….crazy huh?  That is me, Mor Mor, and Bridget Boland (my first Ventura employee)!

It was February 23rd at 3:30 pm, the clock was ticking.  We were set to open in just 5 days!

Here is that first finished vignette…WOW!

Here are Val and my mom working on Vignette number 2.  It was February 24th, 2018 at 4:20 pm and we had just 4 days til opening.  Would we make it?

Here is that finished vignette and this photo were taken the first time I met Jimmy Ventura (as I call him, but in reality, he is Jimmy Hibbler) and he sooooo matched that second vignette that I had to ask him for a photo :)!

OK OK…….

MORE DETAILS ABOUT OUR UPCOMING Anniversary Party

As per state mandate, we can allow 25% of our max occupancy of 88 in at one time.   There will never be more than 22 people in the store at one time.  There is also plenty of room outdoors to celebrate!

Monday, March 1st from Noon to 4 pm

Individually wrapped appetizer type food, individual drinks (beer, wine, soda, etc.), and Door Prizes!

Please stop by and help us Celebrate!

Back to the store and those days leading up to the Grand Opening.  Here is vignette #3 being worked on by Indiana, Carmen, and Mor Mor.  This photo was taken on February 25th, 2018.

Here is completed vignette #3 with Carmen, Carmen’s mom from Washington and Indiana.  We were on pace for about one vignette per day!

My neighbor Rebecca actually bought that creepy silver boy.  Here is a photo of her and me at her Halloween Birthday party in 2018.  She dressed him up like a creepy clown!

And finally, here is the “in progress” of Vignette #4.  That is Carmen, Indiana and Houston all working their magic.  The Date was February 26th, 2018.  2 Days until the Grand Opening!

Here is the after and they called this one “The Holland Garden” complete with a bicycle (thanks to JD!)  But remember, you can only say “The Holland Garden” while using a European accent.

It has been crazy for me to look back on these first vignettes because as you all know, the store is sooooo packed right now.  Here is what the back corner that originally housed “The Holland Garden” looked like a few weeks ago!  WOW….we have come a LONG way!

So, while all of this vignette building was going on over on the right-hand side of the store, what in the world was happening on the left-hand side?  The left-hand side is where the cash register and counter would be going.  Well, first of all, we had Toni build us an amazing distressed front counter cabinet.

Then Leslie and Gary (from House 466) stopped by to lend their support. They were so kind and helped me price some things for the Ventura market (of which I knew nothing about and had no idea it was known as “Ventucky”)!  They also told me about Howard’s furniture polish, so I will forever call Leslie and Gary, Leslie and Howard!

In the back was Addie putting together our Popcorn machine!  Which we wish we could put out again….I miss the popcorn!  Hopefully, someday soon 🙂

Then we started working on the two vignettes that would be on that side.  The first one was made up of mostly items from my Rancho Mirage neighbor, Sandra.  It was all of her really cool Folk Art Pieces.  She is the one that blessed us with Harry!  How many of y’all remember Harry?  More about him later.  But here is that first vignette next to the front counter.

I can’t remember what was in the vignette next to that…..Hmmmmmm, let me think.  Oh, I remember!  It was awesome furniture that Andi Malone brought me.  A full living room was literally the first furniture we received.  Thank God for Andi & her husband….

I don’t have a photo of it from the front, but here it is with my Mom standing across from it.  We still had a lot of stores to fill up!

Next up, the front windows.  Thank God for Harry!  Harry was the prized possession from my friend Sandra and her husband Alan’s private collection.  He was a racing horse from Coney Island, OHIO circa 1905.  Still had all of his original paint.  He came by private sprinter van from Rancho Mirage to Ventura.  Here he is displayed in Rancho Mirage where he had a lovely garden view.

Here he is covered up as a surprise in our front window!  And also to protect his paint.

Harry sold to the most wonderful couple who live in Malibu above Nepturne’s Nest Restaurant.  Harry now has a full ocean view.  Way to go Harry!

We were blessed with Harry for just over a year.  It seemed like forever!  We miss our mascot.

For the other front window, I was lucky enough to find two brand new custom sofas at a business that was going out of business by the mall.  Our front window looked pretty decent….Check it out here.

Thanks to Doug and Sandy for providing that amazing rug!

A big shout out to our first consignors that really rallyed to help us fill the store.  THANK YOU THANK YOU!  Here is a list of some of y’all by first name only….

These are the consignors that brought us merchandise BEFORE the store even opened and we are forever grateful!

Indy, Houston, Sharon, Sandra, Valerie, Gina, George, Lyn, Colleen, Tina, Lyssa, Joy, Andi, Denise, Chris, Shannon, Toni, Peggy, Rose, Crystal, Teresa, Pamela, Gina, Anna, Jenny, Pat & Bill, Jeff, Ellen, Harriet, Claudio & Maggie, Bethann, Addie, Nancy, Adolio, Sherry, Chris, Fay, Cindy, Sylvia, Lynda, Carol, Christine, Rosemary, Rick, Gerri, Sandra, Dean, Tammy, Deborah, Ingrid, Tim, Sandra & Doug, Christine, Frank, Tracy, Dick, Judith, Christine, Manjo, Midge, Leslie & John, Jeanine, Cheryl, Karl……and the list goes on!

THANK YOU EVER SO MUCH and I hope that a few of you will be able to stop by on

Monday, March 1st
from noon to 4 pm
OR at least HONK your car horn when you drive by!

And then Breezy from The Breeze showed up with this super special ad that my “Queen’s Court” members (special eBay group) had placed in the paper.  Aawwwwwww!  Love that group so much!

And miracle of miracles, we were ready to open on Thursday, March 1st at 9:30 am!   AND it did NOT rain!  Even though it was in the forecast.

First surprise of the day, Pam & Terry Clayton showed up to represent the Queen’s Court and they brought many gifts!  Flowers, spa treatments, and their smiling faces.  It was such a special treat to see them in person!

Here we are at the ribbon-cutting.  From left to right, unknown, Terry & Pam Clayton, Stephanie, me, Indiana, Mor Mor, Amy, unknown, unknown, and Ashley!

And then the flowers started rolling in!  So amazing 🙂  Here is Indiana reading one of the cards to my mom.

And my stepmom, Sue, sent the most beautiful arrangement from Mom & Pop Floral.  I really felt like my dad was with us!

From left to right, Mor Mor, Terry & Pam Clayton :), me and Indy.  I look soooooo exhausted in this photo and I seriously was!

On the docket for the day was a catered spread from Santa Cruz Market and a string quartet (The Cherry Quartet featuring Bridget Boland)!

Not on the docket were the surprise guests!  First, Kimberly Wallace showed up from Orange County and THEN, Jo Dallas and Kathy Rutan walked in from Bellingham, WA, and McMinville, OR.

To say I was shocked would be putting it mildly!  I asked Kathy and Jo where they were staying and they said, “With you”!  And they were not kidding!

None of this incredible experience would have been possible without my friends and family.  It is very interesting, I didn’t mention employees in any of that.  You know why?  I don’t consider them employees at all, but rather friends and extended family!

A HUGE THANK YOU AND SHOUT OUT to this crazy GROUP!  LOVE YOU ALL MUCHO!  From left to right at our 2nd year Anniversary Party.  Indy, Val, me, my mom, Sandy, Steve, Peggy, Joanne, and Kathy Rutan.

Another great photo from our 1st year anniversary. From left to right, Ktea, Sandy, Indy, me, Val, Adolio, Peggy, and Mor Mor.

Well, that about wraps up our Grand Opening Journey and a little glimpse into what it took to get us there!  My mom and Jo Dallas are on a plane headed to LAX as you read this.  Unfortunately, Kathy couldn’t make it this year and the jury is still out on Kimberly Wallace.  She does love a good surprise!

Since Kathy couldn’t make it, I have decided to share a few candid photos of us in the Santa Cruz Market Bar winding down after one of the store’s first Hectic days.  On the left, she has just picked up her beer glass and on the right, I caught her in motion as she falls off of her stool.  I bet she will join us next year!  LOL!  Just kidding my friend!

Just a reminder of Our CURRENT HOURS:

Tuesday through Saturday 11am to 5pm
Sundays 11 am to 3pm

Regarding Covid, I just want to reassure you that we are taking this very seriously and following protocol. We sanitize, wear masks, request that you wear a mask (unless you have a health issue that exempts you), and have a very large store.

With over 5,000 square feet our max capacity is 88 people. WOW, I wish I could have 88 customers at once when covid is over! Wouldn’t that be amazing? Just kidding, but kind of serious.

Bottom line is this, even at 25% of capacity (which the Governor is suggesting), there can still be 22 of you in the store. We never get that busy, so please feel safe and please ask us if you have any special requests. We are more than happy to make your shopping experience a great one!

HOPE to see you on
Monday, March 1st
Noon to 4 p.m.

And a final flashback photo from March 1st, 2020 before all of this madness began and we could all be together.

My team, from left to right.  Emma, Val, Mor Mor, me, Indy, Cindy and Peggy.   Those were the days my friends!  Soon to come again I believe…Keep the faith and keep smiling (as my dad would say)!

 

Thanks for reading my ezines!  I appreciate it….as always!

eBay with Heart & Design with Heart……Lynn

P.S.  All of the professional photos I use on Instagram, Facebook and in these newsletters were taken by my friend Denise’s daughter, Jaclyn Sabo.  She is amazing!   To learn more about Jaclyn….https://www.jaclynszabo.com/

P.P.S.  If you have a friend who wants to sign up for this newsletter.