This month’s local Meet a Mom is all about Chrystal and Natalie with Love Linde Boutique. Natalie has two children, Olivia is 15 and Abby is 12. Chrystal is blessed with two bonus kids, Hunter is 21 and Bri will be 20 this summer. Together they own and operate Love Linde Boutique in Winter Haven, Florida. Here’s a bit more about Chrystal and Natalie, what they do, local favorites, and more.
Tell us about your business and how you came up with your name?
We own Love Lindie Boutique in Winter Haven on Overlook Dr. We have hand-painted furniture that are all unique, one-of-a-kind pieces along with home décor and gift items. Our boutique name came from combining our mom’s names, Linda and Connie. We both lost our moms to cancer and this was our way of honoring them and having a consistent reminder of their support and encouragement.
What is your job?
We are furniture artists! ☺ We take furniture pieces that have seen better days or that nobody wants anymore and we give them a new life. We love taking in old pieces that have history and stories and having the opportunity to give them a fresh look so they can continue their life in a new home.
How did you meet?
We are both safety professionals by trade which is how we met and became friends. We met almost 10 years ago when working at a local theme park and had an instant bond. Everyone has that one friend that truly “gets” you and we are that friend for each other.
Why did you decide to pursue this career?
We both found ourselves unemployed when COVID hit hard last year and we were looking for something to do to make ends meet and use up some of our free time. We got this crazy idea to find furniture and paint it and see if we could sell it. Little did we know, we were actually good at it! We started with opening a booth at the Lakeland Antique Mall and we did really well so at the beginning of this year we decided it was time to open our own store. In April we opened Love Lindie Boutique and expanded our offering to include trendy home décor and unique gift items.
What’s the best thing about your job?
The people and being able to let our creative sides shine! We get the pleasure of meeting wonderful locals that stop in to look around and we truly enjoy getting to know each of them and hearing their stories. Our previous jobs required us to be very numbers-driven and focus on reporting and statistics. Now we get to use our creative sides and we’ve found that we get a lot of joy out of being artistic. There are also aspects of what we do that include things we used to do with our moms so its nice to be able to enjoy those things again and be reminded of the great memories with our moms.
How do you juggle work with mommyhood?
Natalie – I have been blessed with fantastic children and an incredibly supportive husband. While I’m working my day job AND building a business, my husband takes the girls to and from school, appointments, and after-school events. Some days it’s truly a juggle! My children are proud of me and are inspired every day and that keeps me going!
What’s your favorite restaurant and/or place to shop in Polk County?
Chrystal – My favorite restaurant is Tsunami Sushi and I love to roam around vintage or antique stores like Lakeland Antique Mall looking for treasures.
Natalie – I don’t really have a favorite. I love trying new restaurants and I am always ordering something different. Winter Haven has a lot of great restaurant choices so it’s difficult to pick only one.
What’s your favorite thing to do with your family?
Chrystal – I enjoy taking the camper to local state parks and camping for a few days. It’s always nice to disconnect for a bit and enjoy hiking and kayaking in some of the most beautiful areas in Central Florida.
Natalie – I love having new experiences with my family. New shows, rides, travel, shops, and food.
What do you love about living in Polk County?
Chrystal – I love the people. I have had some of the best conversations with complete strangers while waiting in a checkout line or sitting in a restaurant. My husband always jokes with me that I never learned the rule “don’t talk to strangers”!
Natalie – I love that it’s a large county but still has a small-town feel.
What’s the best advice you have received?
Chrystal – my mom would always tell me “you won’t know unless you try”. That is the advice that stuck with me when we were trying to decide if we should take the leap of opening our own brick-and-mortar storefront. She was my biggest supporter and made me believe I was capable of anything as long as I set my mind to it and tried my hardest.
Visit Love Linde Boutique in person at 900 Orchid Springs Suite #101, Winter Haven, Florida 33884. You can also follow them on Instagram and Facebook (see links below)
