Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in town?
I am originally from Lake Orion, Michigan. We moved to Naples 12 years ago when my husband was offered a job transfer shortly after I had an emergency appendectomy and spent 2 weeks in the hospital. My recovery was in cold and dreary February weather, so we decided life is too short and made the move for the sunshine and warmer weather.
How many children do you have and what are their ages?
We have 2 daughters, Ava (almost 15) and Audrey is 13.
Funniest shortcut/ routine for helping you through parenthood?
When we moved here our daughters were 1 and 3 yrs old. So we went to the beach A LOT to run off the toddler energy. My best shortcut routine was keeping the shampoo/body wash (all in one) bottle in my beach bag and showered them off at the beach before getting in the car. It was a great time saver and saved my car from all the sand. Then, if I was lucky, they would nap in the car all clean on the drive home.
Best mom hack that makes life easier?
My Keurig Coffee Pot. One of my favorite saying is “everything in moderation, except coffee!”
One thing people would be surprised to know about you…
I think people would be surprised to know that I love black and white photography. When I was a teenager I learned to develop film in our high school dark room and have enjoyed taking photos since.We have some amazingly talented photographers here in SWFL including big papa Clyde Butcher, known for his large scale black and white Florida landscapes. I am a big fan, so when Clyde came into our store a few years ago and wanted to buy a club chair I felt honored. We ended up bartering a “swamp tour” of his property in the Everglades in exchange for the chair. Touring his Big Cypress Gallery and walking in pristine clear water surrounded by beautiful nature is breath taking and a must do in SWFL.The people in Naples are my favorite thing about living here. In my store I have met some of the most interesting people– I always enjoy learning the backgrounds of our customers since so many are from around the globe.
Do you have a family favorite restaurant in Naples?
I have a few. Workdays we’re lucky to have Goldies in our plaza for breakfast and lunch. On weekends our family loves Sunburst Café. Other lunch bests are Patrics and new fav Giardino Gourmet Salads!
What do you love to do with your family around town?
Our kids keep us busy and have us going a million directions each day. When we do have family time we love going on a boat, hitting the Botanical Garden or sneaking away for a night in Captiva.
Tell us about your business and how it came to be, what you love about it, what makes it unique,what your goal is, etc…
My husband and I have always been interested in markets, small boutique shops and collecting unique odd pieces. Prior to opening, our 3 car garage was so full we could never park in it! In my prior career I was the HR Manager for Nordstrom in Michigan and in for The Waldorf Astoria in Naples. We strived for the best customer service; however, it’s the kind of career that can burn you out. In our spare time I continued to collect and design on the side. I went back to school to study InteriorDesign and worked for Robb Stucky and Ethan Allen.
At our store we strive to offer exceptional customer service. Our uniqueness in Naples is simple, we are not the norm. In a town of polished, clean, coastal this and coastal that we try to mix it up. In 5 years we’ve seen so many trends come and go, we’d rather customers find the pieces that make them feel good. We started as 1 consignment store and now have 3 stores. 2 where we mix new furniture with consignment and our newest baby is our 3 rd store of unique gifts and jewelry at great prices.
Are you involved in anything else within the community?
We have 2 teenage daughters who are active many school activities and sports: band, dance, swim, tennis or lacrosse teams…you name it…. they are involved in it. Basically, I’m a bus driver for them eachday! On the weekends, were lucky to have some family here (my in-laws and my brother in laws family).We try to support many local events and booster both Pine Ridge Middle and Barron Collier schools.
How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
We started visiting here 13 years ago with friends. At that time, we never imagined living here. Fastforward 2 years later and we’re living here!
Honestly – we like the pace of Naples. Were up early, we reside within a mile of our businesses and we love meeting and learning how people found Naples to be home or a part time home.We get our customers from word of mouth referrals. We have a lot of repeat customers and do not advertise. We sometimes refer to Naples as a bubble, but we wouldn’t want it any other way. Naples is a beautiful city that we are lucky enough to call home as others save up and strive to visit. Being fromMichigan – we never had the international and national appeal. Here, so many of our customers,neighbors and friends are from all over the world – It’s really what makes Naples special.