I am trying to get back into writing monthly ezines and weekly updates…so please bear with me. I have been pretty good with the weekly updates…”New Arrivals” as Emma likes to make fun of me…LOL….If she only actually read them she would know that I am making fun back at her. Oh well, someday….(wishful thinking)! That is Emma, me and Indy at our 1st or 2nd anniversary party.
Welcome to Lynn’s Latest #00003
Thursday, May 2nd, 2024
Volume V Issue 00003
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. April was another tough month and we are taking it day by day. Day by Day…..Hope to see you soon!
I think the thing that I am most excited about this year is our new design service. Susan Wheelan is an amazing decorator and I am so honored to be able to partner with her in this new venture. We got our first client in April and on April 16th we headed out to Sendia’s (she works in my store!) house to do our initial assessment. Remember, there is only a $50 fee for this portion.
I will share before and after photos in a hot second. LOL. I love that term for some reason. Anyway, just 2 weeks later on April 30th, Susan and I (with Kevin’s help) loaded up her son’s truck, my SUV and headed back to Sendia’s home.
I must admit, I was a little nervous about this design job as I have never “officially” done this before. Luckily, Susan is a pro and for the past two weeks we had been plotting, planning, doing scale models, sourcing and all around living and breathing this space.
My grandfather was an architect and my mom has a master’s in home economics and is amazing at design. Whenever I move, my mom and I always do a graph chart to scale of each room and then make models of the furniture (also to scale) so we can plan the room. Check out the model of Sendia’s living room. So much fun!
Before I share the before and after photos, I think it is time for an eBay score…. don’t you agree? And just so you know, I can’t share the before and after photos too early in my ezine, or you won’t read til the end. Hahahha.
Soooooo, I bought this lamp at the home of one of my consignors when she was having a garage sale. I think I paid $40. I sold it a few days ago for $465! And charged $129.95 to ship it to Florida. Fingers crossed it arrives in one piece, but I did purchase insurance.
If you want to check out the original listing, you can do so here.
Speaking of eBay, I have decided to teach a May eBay course while my mama is in town. She has been selling on eBay for almost as long as I have. She is thexstyles and sells about $3,000 a month and to put that in context…she is 87 years old. If she can do this…anyone can!
She arrives on Cinco de Mayo, so I am thinking about having the class either May 6th (a Monday), May 7th (a Tuesday) or an evening next week…..If any of you are interested, please let me know what day works for you and I can schedule it around that.
Our last class was this past Sunday and it was awesome! Everyone got items listed! Peggy (who works in the store) actually has some bids. Here is a photo of the class…but Peggy had already left. That is Tere (my friend who took me to that amazing Outstanding in the Field event in San Fran last year) and Leslie….they did great!
But here is Peggy’s text testimonial! And by the way, once you attend one of my classes, I am always available by text or email for any questions you have going forward.
OK, I think it is time I can share some before and after photos. So happy with the way the living room turned out. Here is the before. I will share some close ups of the different areas as well, but this is the best shot I could get of the entire room.
Here is the after.
Time for another eBay score and then some more design before and after shots. This sale blew my mind and my eBay student’s minds last Sunday. I priced it super high….$149.99 CRAZY since these pieces belonged to Houston and are so AS IS. I took a best offer of $65 last week. What in the World? As my dad would have said. Anyway, if you would like to check out the listing….here it is.
Here are some before and afters of some of the “areas” in the new and improved living room. Susan Wheelan is a fabulous designer and you can see her work around my store. But, just to give you an idea about her style, she likes to design “areas”…little vignettes within the entire room. I LOVE this concept and here is glimpse into that work.
Here is the corner, that really had no story before we added some depth and character.
Here is the after of that same corner.
Here is the mantle area before.
Here is the mantle area after.
Here is the area behind the couch before…actually just the couch area since there was nothing behind it before….LOL.
Here is the new area in front of the couch.
Here is the area behind the couch after. I LOVE it!
Here is the dining room buffet area before.
So Here is the dining room buffet area after. The entire room just feels warm, cozy and inviting. I LOVE all the changes and so does Sendia.
Here is the text that Susan and I got 5 minutes after we left. I think she meant to say “knocked it out of the park” instead of “knotted” LOL.
Susan and I are ready for our next client. Here are more of the details for those of you interested. And, btw, we only took about $2,000 worth of items to Sendia’s home. If she decided to keep them all this design job will only cost her $2,400 plus the initial $50 fee. That is a complete bargain to restyle a room in your home!!!! And we used so many things that were already there. Hire us before our prices go up! LOL, but seriously that is the truth.
Here is more info about the service.
Do you have a space in your home that needs a refresh or a bit of rearranging? Some ideas….
Under the stairs
A focal wall (amazing how one wall redo can change a room)
The wall behind your bed…we even have heaboards
Unused space
A corner
A Kitchen nook
A small office area
And apparently, we can do entire living rooms
Susan Wheelan and I will come out for a 30 minute consult for a flat $50 fee within Ventura. We will design a plan and will return and stage your project with items from your home, the store and others we source. You get to live with the design for 24-48 hours and may purchase what works for you at the item price plus a 20% service fee. You are under no obligation to purchase anything.
In addition to utilizing some of your existing decor, imagine how amazing some new throw pillows, throw blankets, art, decor, rugs and lamps can do to refresh a tired area of your home.
This is a service designed to be fun for all with the end result being a refreshed and beautiful space! Please email, call or come in the store to schedule your consultation! Remember this is a trial and we are only taking a few clients to start.
A little background about Susan Wheelan. She worked for Pennsylvania House Furniture for over 5 years as a design consultant and Top Producer. After Pennsylvania House (OMG, I almost wrote Transylvania House LOL), she worked 15 years as a designer for a prestigious home builder responsible for assisting clients in every aspect of building a home.
In addition, she has designed over 21 model homes. You have most likely seen her work in the store…she is AMAZING!
And as a reminder…here is an after photo from Sendia’s home. What a great refresh!
So my mom is flying in on Cinco de Mayo. She has decided to sell her beach house in Bellingham and relocate to Ventura. We will be checking out the Townehouse while she is here. I think that is a wonderful option for her as she is extremely social and they have a ton of great activities. I think she is gonna LOVE it! It will be great to have her closer to me and the kids, however, we will miss her beach house. Ughhhh. The trade-offs in life. Here we are on her deck.
In addition to me working at the store ALL THE TIME…anything to save this business and doing our new design business, I have been thrifting and garage saling with Sandy every Saturday. We have been having so much fun!
Here is a listing for some flatware that I bought this past weekend. I can’t wait until it sells! And yes, I am asking $150 for two salad forks, because they retail for $300. It is a bargain price! Here is a link to the auction if you would like to check it out...or purchase?
You have probably forgotten since my last newsletter, ages ago, but Indiana was in her first Indy film this year. She plays Beatrice in “Anyone Else but Me” and I finally got a link to share it with y’all. My friends that have watched it and thoroughly enjoyed it…so check it out! Here it is on Youtube.
It is official…… Goose aka my son Houston has decided to enroll in Pepperdine Law School. Super proud of him and excited for this next journey. He did attend Pepperdine undergrad and here he is Freshman year at Pepperdine after just winning the election for Freshman Class President.
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. Here is what the back Fun Fashions now looks like. Full of overflow and outdoor furniture for you to peruse.
Cinco de Mayo is coming up this Sunday and it is a sad day for me. My father passed away at 7:45 am on that morning 7 years ago. I was getting ready to head to the Palm Springs airport to fly home to see him and I got the phone call from my brother. Never an easy day. But in honor of Dr. Wayne Dralle (aka Papa) to my kids, I thought I would share one of my stories about him from my 100 Best Books. This is story #95 from my 3rd 100 Best Book Kaching.
Do you think Indy was giving me the evil eye when I was taking that picture? Oh for sure! If looks could kill.
Strangest story, a gal just walked in my store and asked for me because she had run into someone at a wedding in Mexico that knew me. It was Ryan Trott, my sister’s boyfriend for years and somehow Kelly and he got on the topic of Ventura and my store! Small world.
And then one of our favorite customers, Carol, came in. Carol is a natural redhead like me and both of us have never had to color our hair. Carol is going to be 80 soon…How awesome is that? Maybe, I will never have to color mine either!
With Mother’s Day coming up on Sunday the 12th, Sendia just did a super cute display with some gift ideas. Come in and check it out!
This photo just popped up in my Timehop from 3 years ago. I think it is one of my favorite front window displays that we have done. Thoughts?
And now the new arrivals….Wooden Bar Cabinet $295.00
Times Square New York Framed $49.50
Custom Made Small Bookcase Blonde Oak $145.00
Fufu and Gaga Wood Headboard Shelf With 5 Shelves and Led Lights White $125.00
Black Console with Baskets $295.00
Large Basket $49.50
Basket $39.50
Large Basket $49.50
Bfz Modern Velvet Dining Chair Grey/Black $69.50 – 4pcs in stock
Large Leaning Mirror $125.00
Silver Metal Trunk $65.00
Here are a few new Baggu items coming your way in the next few days!
Big Baggu Tangerine Wide Stripe $18.00
Big Baggu Orchid $18.00
Big Baggu Extra Pink $18.00
Big Baggu Dahlia $18.00
Standard Baggu Pansy Blue $14.00
Standard Baggu Rose $14.00
Standard Baggu Blue Thin Stripe $14.00
Standard Baggu Digital Denim Birds $14.00
An update…..as you may remember, I moved my office from outside of the house into Indy’s room. It has turned out great! We love the new indoor shared space. I wanted to share an updated photo of my former “out of the house” office, that has turned into a super darling guest suite. Check it out!
As I end this ezine, I just want to say THANK YOU so much for reading these and mentioning it to me in the store or by email.
I LOVE to hear that you enjoy reading these and it makes my day!
Again, thank you all for supporting me, my family. my amazing staff and my store as we transition to a new business model. We appreciate you!!!!
Sandy, Val and me!
Thanks for reading my ezines! I appreciate it….as always!
eBay with Heart, Design with Heart & Dress with Heart………Lynn
BTW, we now have a blog on the website where you can read all of our past newsletter
Link to Blog.
P.S. If you have a friend who wants to sign up for this newsletter.
