We got some really great news this past week!
Val is back to work 🙂
As you know, Ron has beaten cancer!!!!!
and she is able to be back in the store!
Hallelujah we sure did miss her!

Welcome to Lynn’s Latest #26…

September 11, 2020
Watch for it every Friday or every other Friday!
Volume I  Issue 26

 

I have received quite a few inquiries as to which days Val will be working…you can stop in and see her on Wednesdays, Fridays, and the occasional Saturday.  Welcome back Kotter!  Oops, I mean Valerie!

Sandy had a great idea to surprise Val with balloons and flowers.  I also managed to pick out a nice bottle of Chardonnay for her.  Here she is in the back parking lot with her loot!  And getting a hug from Adolio….the last photo shows her getting a hug from Adolio back on March 1st of 2019 during our one-year anniversary!  Seems like Eons ago.  Am I right?

Does anyone else feel like it is almost Christmas?  Not sure why I am feeling this, but it certainly seems like we all want 2020 to be over sooner rather than later!  And also that many of us are skipping Halloween and rushing right into Christmas.

We have been selling gift items like crazy in the store!  It has been so much fun to help y’all (I apparently miss Houston who is in OKC so please forgive my y’all) shop for Christmas in September!

We are getting in a ton of new gift lines, so please stop in and check us out!  Here is one of the items that will be arriving in mid-October.  Does this wrap up the year or what?  Presale for this little guy can be found here.  Santa with Face Mask is only $21.99!  He is blown glass from Old World Christmas and the detail is amazing!

New gift lines that we will be carrying in the next few months are La LaVande soaps, Royal Design Stencils, Old World Christmas, and a “surprise” line of Candles.

I will feature a new vendor in each of my newsletters.  This week it will be La LaVande French Milled Soaps.

This is from their about me page.

“The concept of La Lavande began in the early 1980s out of our family’s desire to bring the finest French soaps to the United States. While my husband was teaching music in France we were inspired by the variety and quality of scented soaps available. Because of my family’s sensitive skin, we were impressed by the mildness of the soap as well as its long-lasting quality. In 1986 inspiration became reality as we began to manufacture and distribute soaps from Provence. Today we are honored to be one of the earliest family businesses importing French soaps to the U.S. and other markets and we remain as hands-on with our business as when we first began. We produce pure vegetable hard milled soaps in keeping with the time-honored tradition of French soap making.

It was our concept in the beginning, as it is still is, to produce the finest quality French soaps while keeping our packaging simple and using recyclable materials to minimize waste and landfills. To this day we do our utmost to keep our footprint small.

— Robin Cunningham”

Soooo excited to have these soaps, sachets, and other items arrive next week!

We tested some Kilim pillow shams in August and they were such a hit, that we have a HUGE order coming in next week.  I was able to source these at an incredible price and we are passing the savings on to you….

I forget that for the majority of my life I have been a buyer.  First for my grandmother’s antique store, then for May Company Los Angeles where I bought comforters/bedding accessories with a 12 million dollar annual budget, still buying/sourcing for eBay and now I can put those well-honed buying skills to great use here in Ventura!

This pillow covers retail for $29.95 to $39.95.  Just a few of these pillows can completely change and update your look.

Here is a sample of what they look like.

OK, enough about the fun goings-on in the store.  Let’s see what has sold recently on eBay!

Do y’all remember this Awaji vase/candle holder from my grandmother’s antique store that I wrote about a few months ago?

Well, my research paid off and I just took the best offer of $100 for it!  Whoooooopppppeeee!  Check it out here.

Just a reminder of our current store hours…..
Tuesday to Sunday 11 to 3. Saturdays from 11 until 5 pm.
We do stay late if there are customers so if you are in the area check us out to see if we are still open after 3 pm.

The yellow front window has been such a hit! I can’t even believe how much has sold out of it. I was going to change it out to green this past week, but we have decided to let our winning hand ride…just like in Vegas. So, it will be yellow for a few more weeks and then on to green!

Just looking at this picture from the first night it was finished, we have sold the Don’t Walk sign, 7 pillows from the couch, 3 throws, the large canvas artwork on the wall, the yellow child’s sun hat (I didn’t really need to mention that it was yellow did I?), the rabbit picture under the lamp, tons of smalls from the cabinets and the chair that the yellow hat was hanging from. WOW!

Customers have told me that this window makes them smile! Another good reason to leave it for a bit longer. Right?

We have been getting in so many great consignments.  Seriously!  Check out this Mid Century Modern Desk and Vanity by Bernhard Pedersen and Son Denmark from the 1960’s.  It is a BEAUTY and very RARE!

Check out this hidden secret vanity.  What a great Christmas gift this would make!  Not going to last long.  Come in and see it in person before it is gone!

Let’s take a second to share some of the fun amazing new items that have come into the store recently!  Check out the new arrivals by clicking this link.

We have also taken in some amazing couches.  Check out this darling Ethan Allen Floral, this super chic outdoor sofa, the Natuzzi fine grain leather, and the super comfy sectional.

Time for an eBay score!  This is an interesting piece and for some reason, I can’t remember exactly where I got it.  I think I bought it at an estate sale for $5.00.  In any event, I did my research and these usually don’t sell for more than $20.  I still priced it super high (my modus operandus) and took the best offer of $50 for it a few days ago.  Check it out here.

I have been going a little bit crazy over at Pier One as they wind up their going out of the business sale.  I have purchased about 25 etageres and some we have spray painted white and others we have left brown.  Such a huge improvement to showcase our amazing inventory!

Here is what the Annie Sloan section looks like.

Here is one of the smaller etageres with our amazing new rugs on it.  These rugs are an amazing value and sell for between $14.95 to $34.95 with most around the $20 price point.  OMG, I sound like a department store buyer!  Which I was….falling back into old but good habits :)!

I LOVE these new fixtures because not only do they make the store easier to shop, but we can also push a few outside every day.  THANK YOU Sandy for finding these awesome fixtures!

Here are another one of the taller etageres that we are using in a vignette to hold unique consigned items.  FUN!  Thanks to Kel and Mo for doing this display when we broke down the orange front window display!

I finally broke down and bought my daughter a new phone!  LOL!  But seriously she was walking around with an iPhone SE that is about 2″ by 1″.  She is super creative and she needs to have a phone that she can create with.  I got her the 11 and she had to drive home to Ventura to pick it up.  See, I had an ulterior motive for buying her the phone….I got to see her!

We went out to Casa Bella (delicious) for dinner and then had the bright idea to get up early and go on a bike ride at 9 am on Sunday.  This past Sunday (mind you) was the one that was about 90 degrees and unbearably hot….the one that almost set records.  Seriously, I almost passed out, but it was fun and I am proud of both of us for going for it!

Another great gift that is coming her, and my and Houston’s way, is going to be a Goldendoodle Puppy in less than 3 weeks!  YAYA.  Here is one of the puppies that she will be picking from.  Is she soooooo darling?

Oh, before I forget, I did some more great product sourcing for y’all.  See I told you I missed Houston.  Kazi is one of my favorite product lines that we carry and for so many reasons.  The hand-woven African baskets are not only beautiful, but they provide a living wage for so many families.

From their website,

“We founded Kazi on the belief that every individual on this planet deserves the right to provide for their family, not through charity, but through their talents and skillsets, with pride and joy.  We’ve taken a modern approach to a traditional craft, wanting to bring soft woven textures into your home while keeping luxe design in mind.”

Please join me in supporting this amazing company.  But back to my sourcing….once a year Kazi has a sample sale and I was one of the first to order these unique one-off pieces that NO ONE else will be able to own.

Here is a photo of the shipment that arrived last night.  I still haven’t had time to price them.  They were sold at deep discounts and I can’t wait to pass those saving on to you.

You can see some of these fans in the boxes, but here is an up-close photo of the 19 bright multi-colored handmade fans that will be for sale in the store tomorrow.  Can’t wait to do a display with these!!!!

OK, one more eBay score.  Oh, wait….let’s talk about the surprise visit from my eBay friends Tiki Jason and Staci this past Wednesday.  They drove out from Las Vegas and we got to hang out and grab some drinks at Ventiki.  Always fun to see Staci and Jason!  Here we are at the restaurant.

OK, now for the final eBay score.  It is a Joan Rivers long necklace that I bought about 4 years ago at an estate sale in Palm Desert.  Didn’t pay more than $10 for it.  Just sold it for the best offer of $110 Australian dollars this week!  Yipppeeeee!  Check it out here.

For those of you who are consignors and for those of you who are not…just a huge heads up!  We need DESKS and anything that can be used as a DESK.  All of this homeschooling and work from home has created a HUGE shortage.   Please help us out!   Also, anything that is GREEN!  We will change out the window to Green starting Tuesday, September 22nd! 

Yikes!  Before I forget, please please please please VOTE for us for BEST OF VENTURA 2020.

Last year we made it to 2nd place in the category Home Furnishings! Thank
you for your support…. It means the world to me!!!!!

This year we made it onto the ballot again in category #13
Home Furnishing Stores for The Ventura County Reporter’s 35th Annual
Best Of Ventura County!

Please vote for us at HERE.

Here are the IMPORTANT rules…

1. One online ballot per person.
2. Ballots must have at least 10 completed categories.

Ballots will be accepted through 5 p.m. Wednesday, September 30, 2020.

To find Lynn’s Consignments Fun Home Furnishings scroll to Category #13.

Thank you so very very much in helping and let’s hit #1!

Time for a potential eBay score!  My really good friend from high school, Tina Burke Brown, text me the other day with this photo.  She said, “does anyone care about these?”  Well, I knew what they were immediately….Herend figurines from Hungary and usually worth a good chunk of change!  YES, WE CARE ABOUT THESE!

I immediately text her back and said, “ship to me and I will sell for you on eBay”.  Well, they just arrived and all in one piece!  Way to go Tina 🙂  I have only had time to list one of the elephants, as I have been super busy getting the store ready for Christmas.  Here is a link to a potential score for both Tina and me in the making.

Here is a recent Instagram post from Annie Sloan Home with a gorgeous lamp in Green.  I LOVE this and it is really in line with our upcoming Green window.

I had to laugh when I pulled up Annie’s Instagram page and read what she had written about the “occasional bad joke”  LOL.  She is such a cool chick and has a great sense of humor!  Another thing I loved from her Bio is this line “Supporting fabulous indie shops globally”.

I LOVE that I am one of her fabulous “indie” shops!  Annie is such a staunch supporter of small, local businesses owners and I am so beyond blessed to be able to carry her wonderful paint and entire product line!  Thanks ANNIE!

Don’t forget that you can always order your paint supplies on our website……….

Shop Annie Sloan Here
https://lynnsconsignment.ricoconsign.com/store/category/Annie%20Sloan?sort=HL

We also just received the new Fall 2020 releases from Iron Orchid Designs….their Stamps and Moulds. There are some really cool stamps with new letter fonts, Santa Claus and Evergreen trees and a sea shell mould! These are available for sale on our website with free shipping! Check them out here.

Carlos has been getting too used to having me home.  Wednesday night I was out until 9 pm with Tiki Jason and Staci and when I got home, he was pissed!  Wouldn’t let me out of his sight.  Ughhh.  I am going away for a few days soon and I hate to leave him alone (not really), but he is NOT going to like it.

Here he is NOT leaving me alone while I try and work on the computer.  How cute is he?

I decided to get a new coffee table for my living room and OMG, it is beyond awesome!  Totally changes the entire look of the room and makes it seem way more beachy.  I bought it at Lynn’s Consignments….go figure!  You know, you really should vote for that store for the BEST OF VENTURA!  LOL  Please and thank you!

Oh and that coffee table…it got the Carlos stamp of approval!

One of my really great friends has always had cats.  Lori is kind of known as the “cat lady”.  She told me about a cool thing you can buy for your window so that your cat/or cats can hang out.  I immediately bought one.  How cute is Carlos chillin in his window hammock?

I will be heading out to Palm Desert for a sourcing trip soon and taking a little detour to Bellingham to hang out with my mom.  Can’t wait to see what treasures I can pick up.  Wish me luck!  The Palm Desert girls will be joining me in Bellingham on our 5th annual trip to my mom’s beach house and to hang out on the biggest deck on the beach.

Here we are during our 1st trip up there.  Crazy that this was back in 2016 and my Dad was still alive.  This picture comes from an ezine I wrote in October of 2016.  Here is a link to that ezine if you want to read the entire thing.

This picture was taken behind the Fairhaven Fire House that was up for sale and a location I was considering to put my new store….”Lynn’s Consignments”  Isn’t that crazy that only 4 years ago I had no idea that Ventura would even be in my sightline?

From left to right, Audrey (my first employee at Cheryl Leaf Antiques and a good friend), her daughter Anabelle, Kel, me, my dad, Candy, my mom, and Mo hiding behind her.

This September marks the 25th anniversary of eBay.  Pierre Omidyar founded eBay in September of 1995.  I started selling on eBay in September of 1998.  Crazy!  In any event, a ton of pictures have been popping up in my time hop from this week a few years ago.  In the past (pre covid) eBay always had the most amazing celebrations.  Here are a few pictures of those “good old days”.

Mo, me, and my mom at the 20th year celebration.  Now, that was fun!

At that same celebration, the headliner musical group was Elle King….sooo much fun!

And here is a picture from long ago….when eBay did those “eBay on Locations” and I was flown around the country to appear on stage with Griff and a panel of other sellers. Those were such fun times! I can’t remember what year that was, but I am thinking 2009….anyone knows for sure? What city was this one in?

Alrighty then, I was not going to write a lot this week since I am so behind in all of my other “work”.  LOL.  You must realize (by now) that I tend to write a lot.  It is actually fun and therapeutic for me.  A few last things before I wind this up.

I had a little shindig for my Ventura peeps last week.  Here we are (socially distancing on my deck).  From left to right, Steve, me, Sandy and Joanne.  Love these people!

And one last photo of Indy stopping by the store and meeting Joanne’s daughter Alana for the first time.  I have had all of my good college friends and Spain roommate Joanne’s daughters work for me.  Katie, Vivienne and now Alana.  Alana just started and she is a doll.  Stop by and meet her on any given Sunday.  LOL.

Let me wrap this up with a HUGE thank you for your continued support of my small business!  You are keeping us going and my gratitude is immense!  AND thank you for voting for us!!!!

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.

Who wants to know how those Head Vases Sold?

I will update you a bit later, but let’s just say they have already paid for themselves!

So my mom’s real birthday was celebrated in Bellingham on the 18th.  I am taking the time here to share some photos of her birthday’s past.

Here we are on August 18th, 2018 (right after moving to Ventura) and celebrating with a few of our favorite customers/consignors Leslie and John Mackey at their Octoberfest party held on John (Mac’s) birthday…which also happens to be August 18th!

Pictured from left to right, Sue, my mom, Paula (Steve’s mom), Dar, not sure, Steve, and finally not sure!

Welcome to Lynn’s Latest #25…

August 28th, 2020
Watch for it every Friday or every other Friday!
Volume I  Issue 25

That party was so much fun!  And I met so many new people who would eventually become my good friends.  How cool is that?  Ventura is just that kind of a town.  I have only lived here 2 1/2 years and yet, it feels like forever!

Here is another photo from the party…this one is Mac and my Mom celebrating with their birthday cakes.  You can see Leslie right behind both of them and the amazing Polka band behind her!

The Mackey’s were sooooo sweet to include my mom in Mac’s birthday celebration.  BTW, the Mackey’s have moved into a home with no yard.  I offered to host this year’s Oktoberfest at my home and Leslie even had the Polka band booked….but then…COVID!  Yes, COVID really should be a 4 letter word!

One more last photo from that EPIC party two years ago on August 18th….and I do MEAN epic.  Here are my kids getting ready to head over to the Mackey’s house.  Leslie and John were so kind and let me invite Houston’s roommates from his Pepperdine year abroad which he spent in Heidelberg, Germany.

Left to right…Indiana, Emma (this was the first time I met Emma!!!!), Reilly, Houston, and Alec.

I text my friend Steve this picture and he had the best comment….”The kids look like a John Hughes Movie Cast”.  SOOOOO True and HILARIOUS!

O.K., one last picture from that super fun party!  It is from my Instagram account.  Please follow me at LynnDralle.  To get in the spirit of the party, everything I wore to the party I had purchased in Heidelberg…the hat, shirt, jeans, and even my shoes!  LOL

From left to right, Alec (Pepperdine class of 2017 Valedictorian), Reilly (Houston’s best friend), Emma (Houston’s girlfriend), me, my mom, Houston, and Indiana (wearing my Heidelberg sweatshirt).

After that party, Steve and his mom, Paula and my mom got to be really good friends and we would go on “play dates”.  Steve’s mom passed away this year right as Covid was starting.  We sure loved her and miss her!  She was into Beanie Babies and back in 1998, my brother and I wrote some books on Beanie Babies.  One of our books was published by Scholastic and sold 150,000 copies.  BTW, I did all the artwork by crayon for the book…it was my design…did you know I wanted to go to art school?  and my dad wouldn’t let me….I am sure I have told you that before…..

Yikes!  I gave a copy to Paula shortly after this party and a few days ago, Steve text me this photo and said “I think my mom liked your book”.  Awwww…we miss you Paula!

OK, that was a fun walk down memory lane…so back to reality and the store.

Just a reminder of our current store hours…..
Tuesday to Sunday 11 to 3. Saturdays from 11 until 5 pm.

We do stay late if there are customers so if you are in the area check us out to see if we are still open after 3 pm.

Another reminder that this is what our front window looks like…with the neutral pallet of furniture that is staying in place. This all started back on July 22nd! Although, we did sell the cabinet on the left, the desk, and the round distressed mirror recently. We have been able to replace those items with more neutral pieces that are (believe it or not?) for sale…I really don’t like selling anything out of my front windows. LOL!

For the first two weeks, the window had red accessories.  It was a hit!  Here it is from the street at night.  The red window was in place from July 24th to August 5th.

On August 5th, we changed the front window out to orange accessories (this was right before I left for my recent Washington trip).  Here is a photo of that front window at night.

Do you remember from the last newsletter (ezine) that I begged you all to NOT buy that hall tree?  Well, NO ONE listened…It sold for full price last week!  Hahaha  Thank you for your business!

So, a lot has been going on.  Two of my best friends from Palm Desert arrived here for a visit this past Monday.  Our goal for the store…change that window to Yellow.  You do all realize what is going on here, right?  ROY G. BIV, remember that?  Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.

Here are my besties out for drinks at Limon y Sal with Sandy!

Their first day here, we sourced Yellow all over town!  Here is a picture of the new yellow window from the side.

And here it is from the front on the first day it was yellow, August 25th.  Thank God I took a photo that night because the next day we sold the “Don’t Walk, Walk” sign for $295, the huge piece of artwork on the wall, and three pillows from the couch.  Trust me…Yellow is the way to go!  Seriously, I might leave the yellow window up FOREVER.  Everyone seems to LOVE it!

OK, I think it is time for an eBay score.  Don’t you?

Check out this listing for a lamp part that I inherited from my grandmother.  It sold for almost $150. Yes, I really did say that.  And, WOW!  It is a shade of yellow 🙂

Let’s take a second to share some of the fun amazing new items that have come into the store recently!  Check out the new arrivals by clicking this link.

This past week should have been the first day of school for both of my kids.  Well, I guess it was, but not in the traditional sense.  I am sure most of you can relate.  Ughhhh!

Well, my time hop showed some fun first days of school from days past and I thought it would be fun to share them with you.  Thanks for indulging me!  I miss my kids sooooo much!  Although, it is nice to have my house back.  It is hard to go cold turkey with Houston being in OKC and Indy living in Agoura Hills.

Thank you for that walk down memory lane.  Let’s get back to the store.  Sandy had a great idea recently.  Well, she has a lot of great ideas…some of which I actually listen to.  LOL.  Since Pier One is going out of business (super sad), Sandy found some amazing etagere rolling racks that they were selling.  I ended up buying 18 of them for the store.  Yikes!  Here we are loading them into Sandy’s truck.

I decided that I wanted them painted white, so Sandy, Wayne, and I went to work.  We gutted the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Iron Orchid Design display and completely redid it.  I must say it is BEYOND AMAZING and looks so incredibly clean, neat, and professional.  I am so thrilled with how it turned out!  Please stop in and check it out in person.  It really is incredible!  Annie Sloan herself even commented on my Instagram post by saying “Looking good Lynn and I love the new Painter Hutch”  So very British!

One of my best friends from USC, Joanne Carolan, offered up her daughter Vivienne to work for me a few days this summer.  LOVE THIS KID!  She is super sweet and has a great sense of humor just like her parents.  Here she is in front of the paint section before we redid it.  She is now away for college at Northern Arizona University.  Go Viv!

I miss Indiana A LOT!  She has been super busy at Pepperdine (well at Pepperdine adjacent in Agoura Hills).  Here are some of her recent doings.  She is the current President of the Pepperdine Improv Toupe (PIT) and they have a live show this Friday (TONIGHT) at 6:30 PM.  Please check them out on Facebook.  Here is a link to their Facebook page.  And the live event.

Here is another photo of Indy on Instagram promoting PIT…Pepperdine Improv Troupe.  She has also been rehearsing for the Fall play (she has a lead role)…not sure how that will play out, but it may be a zoom performance.  I will be sure to get you all the links. Indy is amazing in the role of Molly in “Polar Bears, Black Boys, and Prairie Fringed Orchids.”

I love her post and I think she is getting pretty excited for the puppy that is coming our way soon!  Here is a recent photo of the puppies and one of these will be OURS…or HERS!

Let’s get back to eBay and those head vases that sold.  But since we are on the subject of eBay, I had some wonderful eBayers, Dublin Kim and Terri, come into the store to visit me this past week.  I have known these gals for almost 15 years.  Wow!  Here we are in front of the new paint display.  Thanks, girls!

Here is a photo of all of the head vases that were listed on eBay back in my storage room behind the store.  For those of you interested in seeing my eBay room, I am more than happy to show you how I get 14,000 items listed on eBay into a tiny 300 square foot area!

The head vase that sold for the most so far was the nurse that I pictured in the last ezine.  It ended up selling for $118.50.  I sold 10 of the vases at auction for a total of $490.43.  Not as much as I had hoped for but still a great initial return on a $360 investment.  Here is the head vase that sold for the next highest amount.  Check it out here.

For those of you who are consignors and for those of you who are not…just a huge heads up!  We need DESKS and anything that can be used as a DESK.  All of this homeschooling and work from home has created a HUGE shortage.   Please help us out!   Also, anything that is YELLOW!

Exciting News!  Baggu (who makes those amazing reusable bags that we sell), also makes masks!  The masks are now IN STOCK.  $32.00 for a set of 3.  My kids LOVE them!  Come in and check them out!

Time for another eBay score! I bought this Tommy Bahama embroidered men’s shirt in Santa Paula about 6 months ago for $25.  Sold it last week for over $100!  Yay!  Check it out here. 

Here is a recent Instagram post for a GORGEOUS Ombre Amsterdam Green Piece that has got me excited to try painting an Ombre piece!

Don’t forget that you can always order your paint supplies on our website……….

Shop Annie Sloan Here
https://lynnsconsignment.ricoconsign.com/store/category/Annie%20Sloan?sort=HL

You know what is so weird?  Most of the last photos I have shown have been very GREEN.  Wouldn’t you know that in about 3 weeks we are going to be changing that front window to green!  So please bring in any YELLOW and GREEN items to consign.  Can’t wait for the fun next window!

Carlos has been very happy having me home!  It was also great to have my friends from the desert as house guests this week.  He SOOOOOO loves to have company.  Each night after work we would sit out on my deck with Carlos in his harness.  Not ready to let this guy go off on his own in the wild….yet.  Maybe never, as we love him too much.  Check him out hanging out in the sun.

I couldn’t find him the other day and I had to laugh when I saw him underneath one of my marble top tables.  The two Victorian Marble top tables that I own were my grandmother’s pride and joy.  I love trying to make them work into my design aesthetic (it isn’t always easy).  Here is Carlos wrapped around the feet of one of them.

Since Carlos is now 10 months old, I thought it would be fun to share a throwback photo of him when he was just a tiny guy.  He is still just a kitten as far as I am concerned.  Love this photo of the little guy in his Christmas sweater with Indiana!

My best friends from Palm Desert left yesterday to go back to the desert.  We are baseball mom friends since our boys have played ball together since they were about 5 years old.  The boys aren’t necessarily still friends, but our mom crew has been such a blessing!

Candy didn’t make it out this trip, but Mo (also my original and longest-running eBay assistant) and Kel did make the trip.  The gals were such great help and I was sad to see them go. For our last night, we headed down to the Saloon for drinks, got Gyros at that new place downtown, and wound up at Finney’s for a drink before our Uber home.  Here is a photo of Kel and me at the Saloon.

I so love that my friends from far and near LOVE Ventura.  It is so crazy that I picked such a great place to live!  I am sure my grandma, my sister, and my dad had something to do with guiding me here.  However, I am beyond BLESSED to be a part of this amazing community!

In my time-hop from only 3 years ago this week….THIS BLOWS MY MIND…was my first time ever stepping foot in Ventura.  I had traveled to Santa Barbara many times BUT never stopped here.  So, three years ago, after dropping Indy off at Pepperdine and having 3 days of parental orientation, my mom and I made our way to Ventura.

I obviously didn’t need three days of orientation since my son was in his Junior year at Pepperdine.  One of the Pepperdine security guards had mentioned to my mom and me that they lived in Ventura/Oxnard and commuted.  My mom and I decided to check it out!  We made our way to the Goodwill across from Rice by MAMA and the rest is history.

I fell in love with this town and am so happy here!  Check out this photo from three years ago of my mom crossing the street by the Goodwill.

Thank you, Ventura for supporting my small business! I appreciate it very much. Stop in and see us soon. Always lots of fun and shenanigans at the store!

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.

Just got back from a wonderful “busman’s” holiday in Bellingham!

A “busman’s” holiday is basically a working holiday.  I was in town to source for the store and eBay.  Think about a bus driver who goes on vacation with his family and spends the entire time driving…get it?

Here we are visiting my sister’s grave.

We may look happy, but of course, we miss my sister and the boys miss their mom more than we will ever know.  We were just so happy to see one another after a year of being apart because of Covid etc.

From left to right are Kai (age 12), their Dad John, Zach (age 14) my mom (we will leave her age out of this), my brother Lee, me, and Indiana.

Welcome to Lynn’s Latest #24…

August 14th, 2020
Watch for it every Friday or every other Friday!
Volume I  Issue 24

 

I shouldn’t have left my mom’s age out of the intro since we just got back from celebrating her 84th Birthday!

Her actual birthday is August 18th, but Indy has to head back to the Malibu area for school this week and wouldn’t be able to travel any later.  The party was a success!  About 15 people came in shifts and we were able to socially distance quite well.

Pictured from left to right, Sue (my stepmom), Anita (one of my mom’s good friends), Cole (Sue’s grandson and Indy’s cousin), Indiana, Brandon, Sharin (another of my mom’s good friends), my mom and my brother Lee (holding the screen door that he fixed for her).

But let’s rewind to the beginning of our trip.  Houston wasn’t able to join us because he was back in OKC getting ready to teach high school.  We had invited Brandon (Indy’s boyfriend) to go with us and we are sure glad he accepted the invitation.  The trip was a blast!

Here are the kids on the plane (which was super empty btw).

I have never seen LAX so empty!  The restaurants and bars were closed except for takeout.  When in your life have you ever been able to walk around with a “to-go cocktail”?  Try never!  I had to snap a pic of my screwdriver on my knee.  Crazy!  Some perks to this Covid.

Just a reminder of our current store hours…..
Tuesday to Sunday 11 to 3.

We do stay late if there are customers so if you are in the area check us out to see if we are still open after 3 pm.

Another reminder that this is what our front window looks like…with the neutral pallet of furniture that is staying in place (until someone buys something) like someone did a few days ago…..ugh! Just kidding! We appreciate any and every sale!

For the first two weeks, the window had red accessories.  It was a hit!  Here it is from the street at night.

Here it is from the side in red.  Check out that cabinet to the very left on the table (you can see just a corner of it)…that is the one that sold.

We changed the front window out to orange accessories before I left for Washington.  Here is a photo from the side.  I need to stay out past dark to get a good photo from the street.  If anyone reading this does travel past at night and can get me a good shot, I would greatly appreciate it!

Sandy and Doug replaced the cabinet that sold with a darling hall tree (entrance piece).  You can see it pretty clearly in this photo.  It really made the window POP even more!  Great choice guys!

Here is that Hall Tree for sale on our website.  But, please don’t buy it.  Just Kidding!

Sometime next week or the week after.  I will be changing the window to YELLOW.  Please look around your homes, go outsourcing and help me gather YELLOW accessories.  I look forward to seeing what you all can bring me!

One of my consignors brought in a carload of yellow while I was in Washington and we were too busy to take it all in, so PLEASE bring it back.  This is what some of it looked like.  FUN!

Time to share an eBay score before we get to some AMAZING news!  Check out this set of brass napkin rings that sold for $97.43 this past week.  Aren’t they cute?  Check out more about the maker at the listing here.

While we were in Bellingham, my time hop showed a photo from just 4 years ago.  It was my family (including my dad) at Dos Padres in Bellingham for dinner.  We typically go to Bellingham every August to make sure that my mom gets a birthday party!  So lots of memories and it just highlights how much I miss my Dad.

In this photo from Left to Right, Houston, Mor Mor, my stepmom Sue, Indiana, my dad, and me.

Here is another photo that popped up from that same day 4 years ago.  The kids standing outside Dos Padres with my dad.  Dos Padres is no more (what I wouldn’t give for one of their taco salads right now) and my dad is no more (what I wouldn’t give for one of his “What in the Worlds? right now).

Whenever we go to Greenacres Memorial Cemetery in Ferndale, WA, I have quite a few folks to pay my respects to.  Of course, my sister, my grandma, my grandpa, and my dad.  Here we are at my Dad’s final resting place in the Veterans section.  Miss you Papa!

One of my best friends from high school is also buried at Greenacres.  Usually, I can find her right away as she is under a huge tree (probably the one right behind me in the above picture).  But, for some reason this time I couldn’t find her.  I had everyone helping me and we walked round & round with no luck.  Jodi Cadman, I know you know that I was there to pay my respects.

Another way to keep Jodi in my heart is to share story #38 about her from my book “eBay Money Making Madness More 100 Best Things I’ve Sold on eBay”.

The picture on the cover of her funeral program was taken on a cruise to Mexico that Jodi talked me into going on with her husband Bob, and our good friends Kathy Rutan and Jo Dallas. It was just the five of us and we went on that cruise in 1998 just two months after Indiana was born. I still don’t know how Jodi talked me into leaving my newborn to go and celebrate her cancer remission, but she did! She passed away 5 years later. One thing that sticks out in my mind about Jodi is it’s “I hope you dance!” Don’t forget that!

BTW, Kiki, my dad, and Jodi all died from Cancer. CANCER SUCKS.

Time for an eBay score that could have happened, but did NOT. This cameo belonged to my grandmother and was the pièce de résistance in her collection. She wore it almost every day on her jacket lapel. The reason she loved this cameo so much is that it had two things that were very special to her Cherubs/Angels and playing marbles. What a great hand-carved antique shell cameo.

Here is a link to the listing.

This is a super rare cameo and while we were in Bellingham, I got an offer of $4,500 for it.  I conferred with my mom and brother and we decided to take it.  The buyer NEVER paid!  I hate it when that happens on eBay and it happens A LOT!  I guess my grandmother wants us to keep this little piece of her for a bit longer.  Fine with me!

Here is a photo of her wearing it at my 2nd graduation from USC (this time for my MBA).  Left to Right….Lee, Kiki, Cheryl Leaf (my grandma), me, my mom, my dad, and William (my ex-husband).

OK, back to the store!  See what happens when I go on a “busman’s holiday”…I forget all about my super fun store.  Check out some of our new arrivals and don’t forget we try and upload as many new items as possible each week to the website.

For those of you who are consignors and for those of you who are not…just a huge heads up!  We need DESKS and anything that can be used as a DESK.  All of this homeschooling and work from home has created a HUGE shortage.   Please help us out!

Exciting News! Baggu (who makes those amazing reusable bags that we sell), also makes masks! The masks are now IN STOCK. $32.00 for a set of 3. My kids LOVE them! Come in and check them out!

While in Bellingham, I stumbled across an estate find in one of the local stores.  36 Head vases!  What pray tell is a Head Vase?  Well, let’s find out together.

This is from Google….

“The terms “head vase,” “lady head vase,” or “head planters” refer to a style of ceramic vase popularized during the 1950s and generally featuring the head or bust of a person, usually a woman. … Originally, head vases were produced by florist companies to hold the bouquets they sold.”

Nice!  I bought 36 of them for $10 each or $360!  Here is a photo of them while I was packing them up for shipping on my mom’s deck this past Tuesday morning.  Seriously?  Was that only 3 days ago?  Yikes!  No wonder I am exhausted.

I ended up shipping 25 of them and I took 11 of them on the plane with me in my carry-on.  OMG!  The Bellingham TSA had to search my bag and take each and everyone out.  Give me a break!  Here is one that I already have listed on eBay.  Fingers crossed that I make 10 times my money.  That is ALWAYS my goal on eBay.  By the way, this got a bid right after I listed it.  Now, this is going to be FUN!

Check out that listing here.

For those of you who want to follow along with my “head vase” auction drama, here is a link to see them once they are all listed.  It may take me a few days….the box hasn’t arrived yet, so check back often.

Many of you have asked me if I would teach a “How to Sell on eBay” course here in Ventura.  The response has been phenomenal.  I will be announcing a course in the next few weeks!

But for now, we are going to announce a PAINT YOUR OWN PIECE with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Class.  Socially distanced in my back parking lot!  You bring the small piece (approved by us) and we provide the paint, the wax, the brushes, and the guidance.  Can’t wait to see 8 of you on Tuesday, August 25th from 3 to 6 pm.  $99 per person.

You can sign up here NOW before we sell out!

Here is a recent Instagram post for a GORGEOUS Turquoise piece that has got me excited to teach the upcoming class.  I might even attempt this in front of my 8 students! FUN FUN!

Don’t forget that you can always order your paint supplies on our website.………

Shop Annie Sloan Here
https://lynnsconsignment.ricoconsign.com/store/category/Annie%20Sloan?sort=HL

Carlos was beside himself that we left him alone for almost a week.  I am kidding.  He had someone (Cindy’s son) come in twice a day for the 6 days we were gone.  He still missed us like crazy as we did him.  Here he is when we got home.  Not taking his eyes off of us!  LOL…we LOVE you King Carlos!

Indiana was so upset when Pepperdine announced their news two weeks ago regarding in-person classes. I can’t blame her. We did find her a place to move into that is Pepperdine adjacent and that has cheered her up a lot. She has been doing a floor plan (just like my mom and grandpa used to do with graph paper etc.). Here is her layout and Carlos just knows something is up and is not happy about it. He couldn’t stop rolling all over the graph paper. LOL.

Last photo of our “King”. Yes, he is really cute and regal and he knows it. Here he is just being “Carlos”…the best cat ever!

Before I forget, let me wrap up my recent Bellingham trip.  We usually head over to Lummi Island on the Ferry for lunch or dinner during our stays.  Unfortunately, the Beach House Cafe was closed…so we decided to take a picnic over that we ate at Legoe Bay.  So much fun!  This might become a new tradition.

For mother’s day, my kids gave me a Fire Stick. So awesome! Now, I can watch Netflix and Amazon prime shows on my tv and not on my computer. I love it! So, I decided to get my mom one. However, I knew that it would be hard for her to change from HDMI 1 to HDMI 2, etc. When I was ordering I saw that there is a FIRE stick TV. OMG! Problem solved. I would just buy her a Fire TV to put next to her regular TV. She loved it! AND a great gift idea for anyone in your life that is remote challenged. All my mom has to do is say “play Casablanca” or “play dirty dancing”.

Final update from our Bellingham trip.  One of my best friends, Jo Dallas, came out to spend the last night watching the sunset on the beach with us.  Check out this crazy photo we took!  Love the sunset in the background.

There is some AMAZING news that I have been waiting to share!  Indiana is getting a Goldendoodle puppy on October 3rd!  We found an amazing breeder in Ventura County and we are over the MOON!  Check out the mama dog with her puppies.  One of these will be coming home with Indiana soon!

In more Indy news, I helped her move into her new off-campus apartment last night.  I am exhausted as I am sure she is and also Sandy who loaned us her truck and helped us tie down the furniture!  Sure helps to have a mom that owns a furniture store…right?  Here are Sandy and Indy with the truck loaded and ready to go to Agoura Hills!

Here is Indy in her new room after her bed was made.

Here is Indy in her and Syd’s new room with a sectional (she bought it at Lynn’s Consignments)!  The sectional was originally left-facing and I am beyond proud of my daughter who was easily able to change it to right facing.  Way to go Indy!

I am going to end this ezine with a photo of Hous the Goose and Emma on their road trip back to Oklahoma City!  I miss you two!  Come back soon 🙂

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/

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