Indiana turned 22 on Tuesday and boy did we surprise her!
My family LOVES surprises and the crazier the better! It was just she and me so I booked one of the retro trailers at Waypoint for the evening without telling her. I told her to pack an overnight bag with warm clothes and to bring her bike helmet and guitar. She had NO idea where we were going! But that wasn’t the ONLY surprise. More on that later.
Here is one of my favorite photos of my darling Indy. This was taken in Playa del Rey when she was about 5 years old.
Welcome to Lynn’s Latest #32…
December 18th
Watch for it every Friday or every other Friday!
Volume I Issue 32
I had a great time out in Palm Desert over the weekend of the 5th. It is always good to hang with my Palm Desert friends. We were able to support local restaurants on the 5th (Las Casuelas) and the 6th (The Little Bar) before everything was shut down AGAIN! Ughhh!
Here are photos of the amazing tile work on the bar at Las Casuelas in Palm Springs! I took these photos for my mama who wants to do her kitchen counters at the beach like this. Gorgeous!
In happier news, I found a ton of great stuff for the store and eBay. Here we are loading up my car with treasures.
My friend, Mo, who has been my eBay assistant extraordinaire for years, and I finally figured out how she could still work for me from Palm Desert. I will go out there once a month and heavily source. While I am in town, she writes it all up on the “I Sell” sheets that I invented back in 1998 and photographs it.
The “I Sell” Sheet is how I am able to have 15,000 items listed at auction and keep track of them. It also allows you to list from the sheet without having the item right in front of you. This is how Mo can list from anywhere once she has the item written up and photographed. Here is an example of a set of flatware all written up and ready to be photographed. I liken my system to an Assembly Line way of listing on eBay (Just like Henry Ford invented :)) Sorry! Don’t know how I got off on that tangent.
Once all that is finished, Cindy (my new eBay assistant here in Ventura) gives us empty shelf numbers so we can sort the new items in boxes by eventual shelf placement. Mo stays in Palm Desert with her stack of “I Sell” sheets to be listed when she has time and I haul all of the goodies back to be placed on shelves in Ventura. Voila! Problem of long-distance listing solved! Works for Me! I get a break from listing and Mo gets work. Win-Win!
Mo and I have been friends for a long time (way before she started working for me) and ever since our boys started playing baseball together back in 2002! This is a photo of Mo and me back in the day at an eBay event. This was the first eBay Live that we attended in 2005 in San Jose.
From left to right, Russ Grove (President NuMarkets), Jim “Griff” Griffin (eBay Spokesperson), me, Jesse Melton (NuMarkets), and Maureen (Assistant extraordinaire). This photo was taken right before I danced the Pogo with Griff to the B-52’s live performance of Love Shack….Those were such fun days!
Back to reality, here are some of the boxes that Mo had written up… all ready to head back to Ventura con migo (with me). I am in the Spanish-speaking mood because of those tile counters at Las Casuelas. I used to speak fluent Spanish when I lived in Spain for a year and also minored in it at USC. I do try and practicar whenever I can! There I go off on another tangent. Oy Vey! Ok, here are those boxes!
OK time for a future eBay score! This is from some of the stuff that Mo listed that you can even see in that photo. Pretty cool huh? This is a Wilton Armetale Water Goblet in the Plough Pattern. They sell for $45.99 on Replacements.com. I usually try and get 1/2 of Replacements prices at auction and then I price right at their retail when it goes into my store at a fixed price.
I cut off part of the title in this photo to make it larger for the ezine. This item will still be at auction until Friday, December 18th at 10:18 pm. To see the actual listing or to bid :), please click here.
Before I forget, talking about living in Spain for a year reminded me of a recent post on the Town & Country Magazine Instagram account. I follow them for fun and was scrolling the other morning when I saw this post.
Part of my year in Spain included six months on the USC Spain Semester with 50 other USC students and we were all super close. One of the 50 students was Sean MacPherson. LOL! He looks the same! Maybe a bit older, but still as quirky as ever.
I think it is time to talk about the store…OMG! We have been doing some super fun decorating. This past Wednesday, Val and I attacked the back wall of the store. Boy, did it ever need some TLC. I wish I had a before photo, but alas, I do not! Here is the after! Pretty nifty, huh? We have already sold some stuff out of the vignette, but it has been replaced with even better stuff. So, please stop in and check it out!
OK, now for some of the new arrivals to the store. This is kind of cool because in this photo of that same couch (taken for our website) you can see a “during” of when Val and I were decorating. Same sofa, looks totally different, doesn’t it? It all depends upon how you style it and with what accents.
Another great new sofa. Super comfy and suggested retail is $1,000.
And this driftwood look dresser just arrived!
OK, let’s get back to Indy’s surprise birthday. I am sure you are dying to know what went down or not? Hahahaha. The Waypoint was soooo accommodating that they let me get into our trailer early to decorate. Sweet! And I forgot to tell you, but the Waypoint has a few “dog-friendly” trailers and I was bringing Cha Cha as part of the surprise.
That involved a whole new level of packing! Much like in the old days when I would take the kids as babies to Mexico. OMG! Gotta find one of those ezines to share how crazy I was in packing for that….Anyway, back to today! Here is my car loaded and ready to go.
Here is what the setup looked like for my sweet girl! I even hung streamers outside…that was a bit tricky and you can barely see them in the photo, but trust me they are there! Then it was back to the house to pick her up. It was only 11 am and it was shaping up to be an EPIC day!
On my way to pick her up, I was following a car with a license plate that gave me goosebumps. OK, back story….(of course there is a back story)! My dad (aka Papa) was like a father figure to my kids. Actually, he was more of a father to them than their real dad and I have no problem saying that out loud. My dad made it a point to ALWAYS be in California for Indy’s birthday on December 15th. I don’t think he ever missed one. Well, he was missing this one, but maybe not?
Long story short. If you don’t know, my dad passed away on Cinco de Mayo in 2017 from Pancreatic cancer and broke all of our hearts. We miss him soooo much! He left me some money and that is what I used to open Lynn’s. That was a blessing, but I would rather have my dad.
So, as I was driving to pick Indy up check out this license plate on the car in front of me. BTW, my dad had his doctorate in Education from Indiana University and was known as Dr. Dralle. If that license plate wasn’t saying Happy Birthday to Indy from Papa, I don’t know what would.
I grabbed Indy and we headed out. I gave her a cliff bar to eat because it was going to be a long trip to our destination. Had to mess with her a bit. Told her I was looking for the terminal, no scratch that, the station. Hahaha. At first, she thought we were going on a boat and then a train. Finally, I pulled into the trailer park, and it all made sense. Fun!
Waypoint is so much fun! We grabbed bikes, road downtown got lunch and then I went and picked up Cha Cha from Puppy Play time. Cha Cha was so happy to see her! Here they are messing around in the camper before we all took naps. Little did Indy know that was not the only surprise.
As you may recall, my son Houston has been living in Oklahoma City teaching school as part of his Notre Dame Masters Program. He had to administer finals this whole week, so we didn’t expect to see him until this upcoming weekend. Now for the plot twist.
Unbeknownst to Indiana, Houston and I had been plotting. Houston administered his last in-person test on Monday, scheduled all the rest to be taken virtually, asked for a personal day off Tuesday and planned to leave OKC at 9 pm on Monday night. If he drove straight through (20 hours) that would land him in Ventura at 0400 hours (LOL no idea how that military stuff works) or 4 pm on Tuesday, her birthday!
Now that is sibling LOVE! Click here for the video on Youtube I filmed when I heard him drive in and start up the steps to the trailer.
This is from my Instagram post.
We actually pulled it off! Biggest surprise EVER! Well not ever…did I tell you about the Walt Disney World Surprise when she was 7 years old and Houston was 9?
Click here for the video on Instagram. BTW, Indiana makes the same noises in both videos and she apparently always points when surprised! I LOVE this! Here she is pointing at the cameraman (my brother Lee).
Thank you for letting me share all of that. It was soooo much fun! For me anyway 🙂
Time for a score! I bought this in November of 2018 at the Boys and Girls Thrift store on the Avenue here in Ventura. I paid $8. Finally sold for full price a few days ago. $130.49. Score! Kaching! Check it out here.
Back to the store…because that is why we are here…right? There are a lot of kids that come in with their parents and grandparents that just steal our hearts. One of those little girls, Emily, always likes to play hide and seek with us. Her mom was pregnant and I just knew that Emily needed a little gift. I found the most adorable blue bear that took batteries and would play peek-a-boo with her.
I bought it about 4 months ago and put it behind the counter and waited for Emily to come back in with her parents. I waited and waited and waited. Well, her mom was pregnant….give them a break! Finally, they showed up last week (with the new baby) and I was so happy to give Emily her Peek-a-boo gift. I think she liked it!
This past Sunday there was an epic estate sale in Carpinteria. I enlisted the company of my faithful and true companion, Indiana, and off we went at 9 am on a Sunday. Pretty early for us! We had about 2 to 2 1/2 hours that we could leave the Cha Cha alone and it was GO time!
I spent over $1,000 and got some amazing items! Can’t wait to get them all listed on eBay and the other items priced and in the store. Check out these photos of some of the items I purchased.
Here is one of the items from that sale that is currently listed at auction. Here is the link to check it out. If my calculations are correct, it should sell in the $250 range. I paid $12. .
Here are some more neat things that have come into the store recently. These are Leather Wing Back Chairs by the company Global Views. They retail for $1997 each! Our price is $495 each. Please come in and check them out!
Don’t forget about this killer Mid Century Modern Burlwood Side or Coffee Table that recently arrived. It is not going to last! 1950’s Vintage!
The store is PACKED…. I say PACKED with amazing gift items for Christmas! It is soooooo exciting…..with new stuff arriving daily!
I want to take a moment to thank all of you who are shopping locally. It means the world to me, my team, and my family. YOU are keeping us in business and we are extremely grateful.
Check out some of the fun Christmas ornaments that are still available.
Here is a new fun furniture piece that just came in done by our very talented Sandy. I love this Annie Sloan painted end table in Pure White with Blue Fish decor. Sooooo cute! And only $195. What a great Christmas gift this would make! It won’t last so check it out soon.
My grandmother ALWAYS said, “The time to buy it is when you see it” and that advice has never been so right on as it is for MY store! Things go quickly…don’t miss out!
Since we are closed on Mondays, I decided to do an experiment with the Cha Cha. I pretended it was “Take your Daughter to Work Day” and I gave it my best college shot. Didn’t work out so well…but baby steps…Right people?
In this photo, you will see spilled water and spilled lunch (those kibbles)!
Just a reminder of Our HOLIDAY HOURS:
Tuesday through Saturday 11 am to 5 pm
Sundays 11 am to 3 pm
We will also be open this Monday, December 21st from 11 am to 5 pm
We will be closed on the following days:
Friday, December 25th Christmas
Friday, January 1st New Years
CLOSING EARLY at 3 pm on
Christmas Eve Thursday, December 24th
New Year’s Eve Thursday, December 31st
Just had to share this photo of Indiana leaving to drive Cha Cha to Puppy Play time. Does it not look like Cha Cha is driving? LOL. We love her more every day. I am talking about Cha Cha here…not my daughter. Hahahah. Just kidding. Love them both more every day!
Time for another eBay score! I bought this crazy fun side coffee pot at a local neighborhood garage sale last month. I paid $10 or maybe $5. Nothing major. It was listed at auction for $49.99 and did not sell. Raised the price to $129.99 at a fixed price in my store and it just sold for $89.39 after I sent an offer to the buyer. Score!
Check it out here to see why it sold for so much more than I paid!
Soooooo many great things arriving in the store for the Christmas Season. Check out these amazing kitchen utensils that retail for $9.95 (well the spreader is $6.95 and the Spurtle is $12.95). These are selling fast and may sell out! Time to shop! Also, Free Shipping and available for sale on our website.
With the new Covid announcements from the Governor, 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 20% of capacity (which the Governor is suggesting), there can still be 17 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!
I have to apologize here to both y’all and to Carlos. This entire newsletter has been hijacked by Cha Cha.
I just mentioned to Indiana tonight that a year ago, we didn’t even have Carlos yet. How crazy is that? These pets that have totally changed our lives FOR THE BETTER, were not even here a year ago.
Carlos was NOT a covid pet…(ie adopted because of boredom and too much time at home) he is LEGIT. I decided to get him and surprise my kids WAY before this Covid Crap. Check him out in his adoption ad. I saw this and immediately teared up and raced to Newbury Park to grab him before anyone else did. Blessed? I think so!
OK, so let’s share a few throwback photos of our little Carlos! Here he is in his Christmas Sweater right after we got him! They grow up so fast!
And I will end this section with a fun picture of my kids with Cha Cha after her grooming today at Aloha. She is sooooo clean and fluffy.
Do you remember this piece that Sandy had just finished from the last ezine? IT IS AMAZING….all Annie Sloan…Aubusson Blue, Svenska, Old White with a Royal Design Stencil and Bubble mermaid knobs. This piece is a WORK of art! I LOVE IT!
Can’t wait to get it priced and in the store…
Uh oh…..It has already sold! Seriously? Yes! You must stop in and often so you don’t miss out on amazing pieces like this.
Let me wrap this up with a HUGE thank you for your continued support of me and my small business! You are keeping us going and my gratitude is immense! THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!
My mom is in town so please stop in and say HELLO! Finally, a great photo from back on March 1st, 2020 before all of this madness began and we could all be together.
My team, from left to right. Emma, Val, my mama, me, Indy, Cindy, and Peggy. Sandy, where are you????? Check her out in the photo after this one.
Since Sandy missed that group photo, here she is with Cha Cha in the store yesterday. Hahahaha! Cha Cha is bigger than she is!
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.
https://lynnsconsignments.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=1358893710d6b499048e37be1&id=0fa31ceabb
https://tinyurl.com/lynnssignup
P.P.P.S For those of you who don’t live close to Ventura…don’t forget you can shop our store online!
https://lynnsconsignment.ricoconsign.com/