sommer and i worked together at metier when i first moved to the city two years ago and i was immediately won over by her wit, wacky jokes, and awesome come-backs. since those fateful days she's been in and out of the fashion world, the fancy bakery world, and the san francisco world, but now she's gone her own way (so fleetwood mac of her!) and is opening her own vintage boutique. full of handpicked clothing, jewelry, accessories and art (this time around by stephanie adams), ramona lou promises to bring a little bit of sommer's style to her hometown of auburn, ca-- a little mixy-matchy, a dash of polka dots, and just the right amount of crazy. we can't wait to see what sommer has "in store" for us!!!! (yes, pun totally intended.)
stop by the grand opening of ramona lou this thursday, september 23rd at 923 lincoln way in auburn.
Name: Sommer Naffz
Age: 30 (at press time)
Hometown: Auburn
Where are you right now? In the loft at my new shop sitting at an antique desk which belonged to my mom (she's still alive, by the way, the desk is just in my possession now). She was planning on refinishing it but never got to it so now I'm working at/on it with all of it's chips, nicks and glory!
What do you do? Good question. I try to translate my thoughts into something comprehensive to others. Right now I'm doing this through opening up a vintage/ random-things-of-my-choice shop. My goal is to make a living doing something I enjoy. I do have a back up plan of stand-up comedy though. Really, I'm going to make people piss themselves laughing if this clothing boutique explodes into one ginormous lint fireball.
Where are you going? Currently I'm going a little nuts but really liking the high of it all. I almost think I'll be able to keep my Windex sniffing habit at bay now!
What will you be doing when you get there? When I get to nutsville? Well, I hear they have a great tour of the city on a hot pink double-decker bus. I may grab a flask of Horonitos and go for a spin. I hope business owners aren't super serious :)
How did you decide to go in this direction? Honestly, I just sort of decided that collecting old things and cleaning off the stink was something I enjoyed and, maybe, just maybe I could do it for a living and be able to shoot-the-shit with folk in a creative space, play music I like and hope that some of my vibes (or whatever) spill onto one person having a crappy day and then they fall in love with a troll later that day.
Do you have any expectations? Expectations... great ones. :) In my heart I really just want to be able to do this and enjoy it!
Are you excited? Nervous? Terrified? Thrilled? Totes! Nervous? Like a 16-year-old boy pinning a dyed-carnation on a bosom. Terrified? Nah. Thrilled? I don't know if I thrill that easily but I sure hope others find the shop thrilling!
What are you looking forward to? I'm looking forward to getting up in the morning and being happy to go to work! I'm also looking forward to meeting and gaining a new clientele. I've been away from Auburn for over ten years now so I'm stoked my shop will be an outlet for me to meet some wonderful new people who dig on the old threads as much as I do.
What are you scared of? These really are deep questions. There's all sorts of risk involved with starting one's own business and of course you have those moments of, "I hope someone's going to actually going to shop here!" But for me the scariest part, making the decision to do it, is over.
What happens if it doesn’t work out? If it doesn't work out at least I can say I tried it. Life changes with every second and you have to be able to roll with the punches. I'm going to roll with it.
What is the worst thing that could happen? The worst thing that could happen... Yikes? I'm thinking someone breaks my front window and puts a dead cat in the store with a note attached saying, "I like your style."
What is the best thing that could happen? The best thing... I wake up tomorrow and own a furnished apartment in San Francisco, New York and Paris and unlimited miles so I can travel and gather amazing pieces for the shop and not have to worry about the major expenses involved! I could also let my family and friends enjoy the apartments too!
Did you ever think you’d be where you are now? No way. I never thought I 'd be back in Auburn. It must be something they put in the Taco Tree. (Taco Tree is an Auburn institution more sacred perhaps than the historic Courthouse or Gold Rush history. In particular, Placer High School Alumni need it to survive and most tend to have life-threatening withdrawals once moved away from Auburn.)
What are you leaving behind? I'm leaving (or have left behind) the luxury of being able to see my SF friends at the drop of a hat. (Insert tear) It's a little tougher now but we aren't too far apart.
What will you miss? I will miss having a weekday off to watch Ellen and raid my parent's pantry.
What did your friends say when you told them? My friends said: "Go for it you sexy bitch!" ;) Well, they encouraged me!
ARE YOU READY? Am I ready??????? Ask me in 10 years.
thanks to sewthrifty and sommer for the photos!
