I don’t like to be like everyone else. Ever since I was a little girl living in Washington, D.C., I have been different:
I dressed differently,
thought differently,
and just looked at life in a DiFFerEnT way. You could say I was a modern kind of gal. It often got me into trouble though — sometimes I was too far ahead of the parade to even be in it! That’s not always good. Slowing down has been a learning experience for me.
Where did the name for the store come from? When I was a high school I
was the official “office messenger” and my task was to carry the daily
announcements to all of the home rooms first thing in the morning (after
we mimeographed them; remember those anyone?). I would get all dolled up
in my best, radical outfit every day and make grand entrances into all
of the classrooms. The boys started singing “Penny Lane” to me because
my nickname was Penny. So it stayed with me. My yearbook was even signed
“To Penny Lane” by the whole class. So it was a proper fit, don’t you
think? Anyway, I feel like a Penny Lane. In Brighton, England, there is
a winding road of unique shops called The Lanes, and I like to think I
have combined my store name with the idea of The Lanes.
>Voila!< Penny Lane Shops!
A bricks-and-mortar shop can be fun,
but as proprietor, I also needed to spend time looking for the great things
we carried, which took me away from of the shop. So this proprietor decided
to go completely virtual. Now I can reach people from all over the world. I
can show everything I have in one place and do more treasure hunting!
Already I have struck up friendships with people from Australia, Malaysia,
France and throughout the U.S. Isn’t it wonderful what the internet has done
for us all?
But then, you say, what about the touch-and-feel aspect of shopping? I
know. I’m one of those, too. I like to feel the texture and smell the
leathers of old furniture. It’s a trade-off, I guess. I still have some
of my furniture on display in a few antique malls around the
Virginia/D.C. area, and I am holding monthly warehouse sales in
Charlottesville, Virginia:
Check my Links page for more information.
I’ve also worked to ensure that my website brings you the most vivid
images of the items, along with complete, informative, and captivating
descriptions. You’ll feel like we’re standing side-by-side exploring my
latest discovery!
I have been asked if I’m an interior decorator. No, not exactly. My
background has been in the fashion industry. I think fashion and art are
closely related. I have studied color extensively and have a passion for
paint. My style is eclectic, comfortable, sensible, and
whimsical, mixing the old with the new. Go figure. It’s not for
everyone, but I think it’s heaven. I love repurposing and refashioning
something that might be discarded into an object becomes new and useful.
I am hard at work on my own handmade line. Keep watching my site for my
first showing this Fall, 2008.
My children are (somewhat) grown. Husband Joe just retired, the boys,
Charles and Robert, both gifted musicians working on their craft of
songwriting and playing, live in Philadelphia and Northern California,
respectively. We maintain a home in the Northern Neck of Virginia and
Charlottesville, Virginia, where I hold the warehouse sales, just around
the corner from the home of Thomas Jefferson and the fabulous University
of Virginia. You’ve probably read about this being the best place to
live.
So play around with my site. You’ll find a whole array of ideas for home
décor, gift ideas, decorating ideas on my blog and just plain eye candy.
- Penny
