Driving through Neptune and Atlantic Beaches with a camera on my lap lets me indulge in spontaneous photography. I was on my way home when I happened to see the lovely Lula opening her shop, Capri, this morning, glowing in the light of the eleven a.m. sun. I called her name, and she turned, probably startled. I got my shot like a sort of paparazzo and drove off with a wink, a wave, and a wish for a good shopping day. A little while later, I received her email:
Hi Jeannie,
You are so silly, crazy!!! I’m going to have to warn everyone to be on the look out for a crazy (sweet) lady with a camera. She’ll get you when you least expect it. Have a great weekend and enjoy this beautiful day!
Your Pal, Lula
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Lula opened Capri at the end of last summer. I remember watching with interest, sad that the former shop of many years had closed – ah, the seasons of life – but glad that the space had been snapped up right away and was being remade into something new. I drove past nearly every day, mining for clues as to its theme and eagerly monitoring the progress of the build-out. Come on, you have to give me credit for admitting this; I can’t have been the only person who was interested! Soon, and likely because I was asking around, I learned that it was Lula who was opening a shop. We had a nodding acquaintance is all, but I was as excited for her as though she was an old friend. When someone pursues a dream, I like to know their story if they’ll share it. So one day I saw her in the gym, got bold, and asked about her plans.
Lula has a serene and genuine spirit, with a gracious smile. There is no pretense about her: she allowed my inquisitiveness, and I got to know her a bit in the process. After that, I could call her by name, and felt emotionally invested in her success. And it’s good for the community to have a thriving, walkabout environment: who doesn’t love a small-town storefront shopping experience? Lula’s Capri is a great shop for casual clothes, resort wear, skin care and accessories, all priced right ( read: the every day shopper can find something there). It’s in Atlantic Beach, on Ocean Blvd. just north of Atlantic Blvd., across the street from from One Ocean and the next door neighbor to Ocean 60, where I had so much fun one night a few months ago.
It’s the entrepreneurial, sole-proprietor that I can’t help but root for, and I’m really rooting for Lula and Capri ~ Beach and Beauty.
Sounds like a lovely shop and I really like the photo you captured. Very pretty!
What a great shot of her you got. I so miss living on a sunny beach, but I am happy with my beach here in WA.
–Mari
The perfect shot of Lula and Capri!
As her sister-in-law, I'm admittedly biased BUT the photo and article has now been shared with lots of Pennsylvania friends–we love visiting Atlantic Beach, the perfect little beach community with the most unique shops.
And that store owner is SO NICE too! I wish her great success there.