Spring At The Attic

The ladies at The Attic were celebrating Spring today with lemonade, homemade cookies, and a sale!  What more could you want?

If you can't shop here in person, stop by The Attic Girls' Blog.  You'll love it!

The World of Dolores Forsythe

Dolores

Mabel

A child's Turkish ceremonial gown is draped above

Walking into Dolores Forsythe's jewelry boutique is like jumping into a box of chocolates; you never know what you're going to get, but it's all so fabulous you just don't care!

Dolores has made a career many of us dream of... she travels the world in search of jewelry, textiles, stones and curiosities, then brings it all back to her second floor shop in Coronado's historic Winchester building.  With every trip her boutique is transformed with new exotic treasures.

Dolores was inspired to start her business ten years ago while traveling through Asia with her husband.  During her stay in Vietnam, she got to know some of the local women who sold pearls to support their families, but they had very limited sales opportunities.  Dolores saw a chance to make a difference, and a new business was born.

Moved by the difficult circumstances she witnessed, Dolores contributes a portion of her sales to Grameen Bank's micro loan program, which enables women in third world countries to start businesses and improve the lives of their families.

  What began as a small pearl business quickly grew into a popular Coronado boutique as word spread about the one-of-a-kind jewelry, and the charismatic woman who sold them.  I met Dolores five years ago at a jewelry sale in her garage (those were the early days remember) on my way home from school drop-off, and have been a fan of this remarkable lady ever since!  

The Attic

Meet Nancy, one of the owners of The Attic.

 

The Attic is something of a well-kept secret in Coronado.  It's only steps from Orange Avenue (our main street) on Tenth Avenue, and carries the types of vintage and new treasures from the U.S. and Europe you thought you only dreamed of. 

 It's been one of my favorite shops for years, not only because they have something for everyone, but because the three ladies who own the shop, Nancy, Jane and Kandi, are a joy to visit.

I'll tell you a funny story about the world of blogging; even though I've shopped at The Attic for many years, I got to know Nancy because we both follow a French blog about brocante (French for flea markets) called Tongue in Cheek.  I left a comment mentioning Coronado one day, and Nancy followed the link to my blog.  We've been blogging friends ever since!

Here's a little back story on some of the merchandise shown:

The old repurposed window above was left in a dumpster, but Nancy's keen eye saw its potential, salvaged it, then embellished it with The Attic logo.  It now holds a place of honor in the shop.

The necklace with a Hotel Del Coronado key fob charm is one of many the ladies had commissioned from an old key.

The large iron crown hanging from the ceiling once graced a florist shop here on the island long ago.

Those two vintage dresses above?  They were owned by the same woman; the first was her prom dress, and the second was the gown she wore to a midshipmen's ball many years ago...  romance lives in the corners of this shop.

Let's Go Shopping

If you've ever visited Coronado, you know part of its charm is its selection of gorgeous locally-owned shops, most of which are walking distance from the beach.

The newest in town is Cotier, a home decor store with a seductive mix of coastal style and french country sensibility.  Here's a little peek inside.  Isn't is lovely?

Thanks Pat, for letting me shoot these photos for my blog!