First and Foremost, my thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected by these fires.  This is a tragedy of enormous scale.

AND a huge shout out to the First Responders and Fire Fighters who are putting their lives on the line EVERY DAY.  Y’all are the real heroes in this world so THANK YOU!

I can’t even wrap my head around all of this.  I have been glued to the tv, which is definitely not healthy.

Indiana and Larissa are back to work at Caffe Luxxe in the Brentwood Country Mart and Houston is back to school at Pepperdine, but online this week.  Next week the Pepperdine Law School goes back in person.

Several of my Grad School friends have lost their homes in the Palisades.  Luckily, my friend’s homes in the Pasadena area have survived the fires.

Houston has been cycling through Malibu and the Palisades and taking some photos.  They really speak to me about the magnitude of this tragedy.  Isn’t it amazing that the little library survived?

Welcome to Lynn’s Latest #000029

Thursday, January 15th, 2025
Volume VI  Issue 000029

This past Monday night a fire broke out on Auto Center drive in the riverbed in Ventura.  Auto Center is a mile from my home.  This dry riverbed burns frequently because many homeless live in it.

However, with the high winds, I was not taking any chances.  I packed up my car with my favorite things and important paperwork.  Then I text the kids and asked them what they wanted.

Indiana wanted her yearbooks and her winnie the pooh collection.  Houston wanted his lettermen’s jacket.

Both kids text me and said, “this is so sad”.  It really brought home how devastating this has been to too many families.  We are definitely one of the lucky ones.

We are extending our holiday sale until next Sunday!  Don’t miss out on stocking up for next year.

Time for an eBay score!  I have been shipping A LOT lately for eBay.  Crazy right?

Check out this coffee mug that sold for full price of $46.79. I probably paid $1 for it!  Cute huh?   You may view the actual listing here.

I stayed close to home this past week because of the fire warning.  I did meet a friend in Santa Barbara for coffee on Saturday and then stopped off in Carp for lunch.

Cha Cha joined me on the patio at Teddy’s by the Sea.  She is such a good patron, especially when I am feeding her steak and chicken on a fork!  Hahaha.

We have started the tradition of sharing photos of happy customers and here is another one.  They bought a ton of pillows!

In more comical news, the employee restroom needed some repair and I got to work in my office yesterday next to a toilet.  Gross!

Since I shared that darling photo of Indy with her Winnie the Pooh collection earlier, I thought it only fitting that I share story #68 about her from my “3rd 100 Best Book Kaching”.

One last score.  I bought this ashtray at an estate sale earlier this year for 50 cents.  It just sold for $31.19 which isn’t a ton, but the back story is what is so cool!

Check out the auction here.  The buyer is from Greece and here is what he wrote to tell me….

“Hello,
Thank you for product. This hotel was my grandpapa’s hotel. Now the hotel is under construction under different management and I am making a collection of items of the old days of the hotel.  This item I have never seen before and I am wondering how did you get it?”  Vasilis Mentzelopoulos

My response…
“Hi there that’s so cool that you bought this to remember your grandfather! I love that! it got shipped out today and I bought it at an estate sale probably in Palm Springs California. I’m guessing that somebody had visited your grandpa’s hotel and probably stole it lol! please let me know when it arrives safely. Lynn”

Indiana’s show ended up being postponed due to the fires.  I will let y’all know when it is rescheduled.

I went to Fit Buddha last night with Sandy and then we went to Jaguar Moon and Cocina Jaguar to check it out.  Super cool new place right off of Main Street.

It is two separate businesses.  One is the bar that is mostly tequila based.  Then there is the restaurant that “is a harmonious blend of Oaxaca’s robust moles and Yucatán’s vibrant, citrus-infused dishes, creating a unique dining experience.”  Check it out!

And now, for what most of you have been waiting for….our new arrivals

Reclining Sofa Parker Living Swift Bourbon Power Brown $1295.00

Joybird Grey Sofa MCM $396.00

Modway Baronet Button Tufted Faux Leather Dining Chair Grey $57.00 – 2 in stock

Beach Chair Picture $38.80 – 2 in stock

Thrush Bench $63.60

Annie Sloan Athenian Black Bar Table with Transfers $150.00

Nautical Lamp $57.00

Dining Chairs With Cross Back and Woven Seat Mavery Natural $68.00 – 2 in stock

Glenys Dining Chair Brown $125.00

Green End Table Cow Print $145.00

Tiled Round Standing Platter $69.50

Blue/White Cermaic Asian Dish $75.00

Round End Table w/Small Drawer $75.00

white night stand $195.00

white painter night stand $125.00

Wheat Lamp $23.10

Floral Table Lamp Vintage $49.50

Tree Stump Lamp $49.50

Asian Bust $34.50

Rope Table Lamp $85.00 – 2 in stock

Wine Barrel Peace Sign $85.00

Vintage Floor Lamp, Gold Tone $149.50

Courtyard Building Painting $125.00

Asian Figure Painting $64.50

Thanks for reading my ezines!  I appreciate it….as always!  Lynn, Houston & Indiana and Carlos and Cha Cha!

eBay with Heart & Design with Heart……Lynn

Past Newsletters can be found on my blog.

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

First and Foremost, my thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected by these fires.  This is a tragedy of enormous scale.

My kids are safe in Marina del Rey.  Indiana was working at the Cafe Luxxe in the Brentwood Country Mart and this is a photo she sent me as she was leaving work last night.  Most of the Cafe Luxxe locations are closed.  Ughhh.

Houston has been biking around the fires and it makes me super nervous.  Pepperdine, I am sure, will be closed for a while.  One of his finals was rescheduled for today and I am sure it will be rescheduled again.

Of course, this is nothing compared to those who have lost their homes, pets or lives.  It is simply heartbreaking.

Houston actually made a short youtube video about the fires that you can watch here.

I skipped writing an ezine last week.  I must admit, it was kinda nice.  The week before, I was writing my ezine on Christmas day…not optimal.  LOL.

The day after Christmas, I had the day off to keep an eye on my Mama.  I was running some errands when I got a text from Emma (Houston’s former girlfriend)…she and her mom were headed to my store in Ventura.  I LOVE Emma and her mama, so I raced over to see her :).

Welcome to Lynn’s Latest #000028

Thursday, January 9th, 2025
Volume VI  Issue 000028

After meeting Emma and her Momma, my brother and I went out to lunch with my mom at Harbor Cove Cafe.  It was a family meeting to discuss how to sell my mom’s house FAST!  We are going to get a new realtor and are interviewing for that as we speak.

After the recent hospital stay, we need to get her down here ASAP.

We are extending our holiday sale until next Sunday!  Don’t miss out on stocking up for next year.

That Sunday, Susan and I headed to Pasadena for our 8th design install.  Sooooo exciting!  Here we are with the uhaul getting ready to hit the road.

Here is Kevin with the Uhaul Loaded and ready to go!

Here are some of the before and after pictures of the install.  It looked sooooo amazing when we left!

These are the before….

Here are the during shots! It takes a village 🙂

Here are the afters….doesn’t it look amazing!

After a super long day in Pasadena doing the install, I got a call from my friend Marc. He said, “do you want to meet me and Shanti (his daughter) for dinner?”. Heck ya!

LOL. He wanted to meet me downtown and I said “for once, can you come to my side of town?”…so he and Shanti met me at the Victoria Pub. Super fun!

I think it is time for an eBay score…don’t you?  I LOVE pottery by David Salk.  He is so talented and is an Idyllwild potter who makes his pots look like Native American Woven Basketry.

Anyway, I bought this in Palm Desert for $10 back in 2016 when I still lived there.  Just sold it for a best offer of $250.  Check out the listing here.

New Year’s Eve my mom was supposed to fly out. We were a little worried about her, so we decided that we would drive her to LAX and make sure that she got on her plane safely.

I was prepared to drive her and meet Houston and Indiana for lunch. Well, my brother stepped up and said he would drive her! Awesome…especially because I was wiped out from the holiday season.

Instead of having lunch with my kids in LA, we took my mom to the Harbor Cove Cafe here in Ventura. It was lovely!

My mom made it home safely and now it is “Operation Sell the Beach House”.  Wish us luck.

For the New Year, I have started to edit my eBay Inventory and streamline my operation.  First up, getting all of the flatware off of the eBay shelves and organized by Brand.

It takes me a lot of time to go through each shelf with 20-30 bags of flatware trying to find a certain pattern.  Alphabetizing it by Brand and then Pattern will make my eBay shipping a breeze!

Guess who came back to help with this project?  Sandy!  Here she is with the before.  Plan is to pack up all of my decor and use these shelves.

And here is a shot of the progress during the project.  I know I know…what is she wearing?  It is a Reyn Spooner Dress that I had listed on eBay and it sold for $125, but had a small hole in the front and I couldn’t ship it.  Ughhhh.

I think it is time for an eBay flatware score.  Just sold these 3 Pottery Barn Teaspoons for a best offer of $91.25.  Yowza!

Check out the auction here.  Mo found this set for me out in the desert and paid $35 for 42 pieces.

It has been a USC Kappa Sig Frat kind of week.  After Fit Buddha on Monday, I went out to lunch with Marc and Sandy.  Then on Tuesday, I got a phone call from Chris Wade (another USC Kappa Sig) and he was in town and wanted to do lunch as well.  LOL.

The store lost internet on Wednesday so we closed early.  Hopefully, it will be back up today and our hours will be regular as usual.

Indiana has a show in LA on Sunday.  Well, hopefully she will have a show if anyone wants to attend :).

And now, for what most of you have been waiting for….our new arrivals

Leather Sofa 84″ Trumbauer Brown $995.00

Leather Sofa Foster Full Grain Italian Brown $995.00

Loveseat Parker Living Swift Bourbon Power Brown $995.00  There is also a matching sofa that has three seats for $1,295.

Dining Table and Bench Name Brand Burlywood Rectangular Solid Wood Natural $1195.00

Retro Formica Dining Table w/ Leaf  $245.00

Wooden Bar Stools $95.00 each  These actually sold yesterday!  Sorry!

2-Drawer Nightstand Picket House Furnishings Charlotte White $149.50

Green Velvet Settee $495.00

Cranberry Slip Covered Chair $245.00 – 2 in stock

Taupe Velvet Dining Chair $74.50 – 4 in stock

Thanks for reading my ezines!  I appreciate it….as always!  Lynn, Houston & Indiana

This is our Christmas Card from 2023 that I didn’t send out until this year because I was so sad about closing the store.  I just couldn’t send them, so am sharing now!

Pretty clever card…we wanted to put little kid pics of all of us on the back, but we needed a tag line and Indy came up with “We have good Jeans” since the card was all about denim!  Hahaha.

eBay with Heart & Design with Heart……Lynn

Past Newsletters can be found on my blog.

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

I hope your Christmas was EXCELLENT!  Ours had some twists and turns.

On Monday, my mom was at the store when she passed out.  She was unresponsive for 25 minutes and it was really scary.  This has happened before, but it lasted longer this time.  We called the paramedics and she ended up in Community Hospital for Monday and Christmas Eve.

Here is Houston and Mor Mor with my big gift to the family on Christmas Eve….will tell you more about that later.

She is doing much better and was able to come back to my house for Christmas!

Also, this past week, my computer completely crashed.  Ugh!  If I haven’t been responding to emails that is why.

I am a shopping for a new laptop and should have one soon!  Fingers crossed!

Before I forget, we are having a sale….

Save 10% off everything Storewide!  Now Through Sunday, December 29th.

We will be Closed Monday, December 30th, Tuesday, December 31st and Wednesday, January 1st.

And 25% off of any Christmas in the store through January 5th!

There is no additional discount on the 25% clearance garage items out back.  See you soon!

Now that the sale is out of the way, let’s rewind to last Thursday.  If you remember, I was going to a Progressive Dinner.

It started out with Appetizers (Cheese Fondue yum!) & Champagne at Lisa &.Gary Schoeffler’s house.  It was amazing!

Then when we went to Susan & Brad Wheelan’s house for dinner.  Susan is the better half of our design team here at Lynn’s Consignments!  We have a big design install this Sunday in Pasadena.  So exciting!  Dinner was Chicken, Layered Salad and Twice Baked Potatoes.  Delicious!

Final stop, was Jill & Lee Allen’s home for dessert.  Such a fun evening!

My mom flew in the same night as the Progressive dinner and luckily Indiana was able to pick her up at LAX and bring her to Ventura.

Indiana got her hair done on Friday (as part of her birthday present). and Mor Mor and I worked at the store.  That night we decided to try a BBQ place near my house where I had never been.

Marshall’s Bodacious Barbecue.  It was delicious.  We are now fans!

Saturday, Mor Mor and I had the day off and I got my Christmas shopping finished.  I am never this late!  Oh well!

Sunday, we worked and Sandy had text me “What hours are you working today?” and I said “11 to 3”.  I just thought she and her son Alex were gonna stop by so I could give her a present.

I failed to mention that I had to pick up our Honey Baked Ham Christmas Dinner at noon and drive it home.  When I pulled into my street, I could have sworn that I saw Kirby and Sam (their chocolate labs) in Doug’s truck.  It WAS them and what were they doing at my house?

Then Sandy peeked her head out from my front yard, and then Alex and then her husband Doug.  “What in the World”? as my dad would have said.

Turns out, for my Christmas gift, the three of them came over to clean up my front yard, trim and decorate my outside tree, rehang my Christmas lights that had fallen and wash all of Cha Cha’s toys.  OMG!  What an AMAZING and THOUGHTFUL friend!  Thank you Thank you!

I mentioned that I had an interesting Christmas gift for my family this year.  Well, let me tell you about it!   25 years ago, I took all of the 16mm film that my grandpa had shot back in the late 1930’s.  Isn’t that crazy that he had a home movie camera when my mom was a year old in 1937?

Then I found the super 8mm that my mom and dad had shot of my brother and me.  Finally, I grabbed all of the Super 8mm that my ex-husband, William’s family had shot.  I took all of it into a place in Bellingham to have it put on VHS tapes.   Here is what they looked like!

I  have been carrying around those VHS tapes, the tape of my wedding, my sister’s wedding, tons of VHS that we had shot of my grandma back in the 1990’s and then the footage that we shot of Houston and Indy when they were little.  I was always scared that they would get ruined.

I finally dragged that entire box over to Dexter’s Camera last Wednesday and met with Gregg the owner.  Could he have it all transferred to flash drives by Christmas?  He looked at me like I was crazy, but said he would do his best.

And boy did he!  It was only $20 a tape.  It turned out to be about $440 for a priceless Christmas gift.  In her hospital room, my mom and I watched her as a toddler. Then when watched their family trip to Sacramento and the World’s Fair in 1939 with a stop over at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk.  Priceless!

Here is my mom climbing on her mom’s back….her mother is my grandma Cheryl Leaf.  Crazy right?

And here is my mom with her cousin Gordon playing with a hose in 1938.

Houston arrived home for Christmas on Christmas Eve and we got Marshall’s Bodacious BBQ for dinner and then went up to see Mor Mor in the hospital.  We finally got around to that first picture in this ezine!   That is the two of them in the hospital on Christmas Eve!

Houston had just returned from a four day bike ride from Los Angeles to Palm Desert along the Stagecoach 400 and he shared the video with Mor Mor.  He went by himself which always worries me, but he had a great time.  Here is a link to his video if you care to watch.  It is very interesting!

After visiting Mor Mor on Christmas Eve, Houston and I watched 3 hours of old home movies out of the 15 hours that I had just paid to get transferred.  We watched the entire 1:15 of my mom when she was little and then 1:45 of he and Indy as toddlers.  All I can say is….Priceless!

Here is Houston pushing Indiana down the slide at our house on Hawthorne in Bellingham, WA in 2000.

And here is Houston driving Indiana around our driveway.

Christmas day, my mom came home from the hospital.  Houston went on a 68 mile bike ride.  Indiana, Larissa and Larissa’s parents arrived to Ventura at about 4pm and we had a lovely Honey Baked Ham dinner and then watched more home videos.

From now on, I am going to be doing “experiences” instead of a ton of gifts for Christmas.  The time spent making memories by watching old memories was AMAZING!

Here we are cleaning up after dinner.  From left to right, Houston, me, Diane, Rob, Larissa, Indiana and Mor Mor.

Merry Christmas to your family!  We are so grateful for all of you.  Our customers, consignors and friends!

Take care and SEE YOU SOON!

Lynn, Houston & Indiana!

The back of our Christmas card this year!

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

eBay with Heart & Design with Heart……Lynn

Past Newsletters can be found on my blog.

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