Who We Are
Sandy and Rhonda started Etoile in September 1988 in a tiny 1200 sq. ft. storefront on Ventura Boulevard, just across the street from our current location. We started as a gift and party store doing event and party decorating, gift wrapping and balloon bouquet and gift basket deliveries. We morphed into what we are today in less than 5 years, with the help and suggestions from friends and customers.
After the Northridge earthquake in 1994, we moved into our 4000 sq. ft. location, feeling somewhat overwhelmed with it’s seemingly massive size. Today, we have 300 lineal feet of rental costume racks, with platforms built on the tops to accommodate rental hats, wigs and crowns; 325 sq. ft. of gridwall filled with retail costumes and accessories in all sizes and genre AND we still have to hang stuff from the rafters. We also have 2 storage containers filled to the brim and a storage unit with additional costume and accessory inventory.
Did we mention that Sandy and Rhonda are sisters? Both born in Santa Monica and raised right here in Tarzana. Their family home, only blocks from the store, is still the gathering place for family and friends, and often used for extra storage when the Halloween season rolls around.
RHONDA – Our dearest Rhonda was found dead at her home on Saturday, January 9, 2021 from a suspected heart attack along with other health complications. Her roost was a chair in the back of her store. Rhonda could mend a damaged costume in a jiff, put a disrespectful customer in their place with one raised eyebrow and a few well-placed words, and curl the ribbons on beautifully wrapped packages with her two-inch-long fingernails. She poured her heart and soul into her store, working seven days a week, year-round with only one exception. Each year she and her dearest friends would rent a house on a beach or up in the mountains and spend one week together. We miss her every day, never forgotten.
THERESA was with us for over 25 years. She is still with us in spirit, after losing her 10 year battle with cancer. She was a loving wife and mother of 4 grown children, and grandma to 5 wee ones. We wouldn’t have known what to do every morning if we didn’t see her smiling face! Theresa was our morning manager during the week. For some reason she seemed to think she’d like to spend her weekends with her family, so you wouldn’t have found her around here on Saturday’s or Sunday’s. We miss her terribly!
- AXEL – He’s a terrific guy. He knows our stock and can find whatever you need. For having no experience with gift wrapping, balloons or costumes when he came to us, he’s become an outstanding, invaluable member of the team.
- NINA – Nina went to school for costuming and has worked at Etoile for over 9 years. Took a couple of years off but now she is back and is a great asset to the store! Anything you need to know about costumes, she is the girl to run to!
- CYNTHIA – Brings creativity to our window displays and helps keep our store organized and tidy. Anything to do with costume jewelry, she will be the one to ask!
Our Furry Companions
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Other Happy Rescues
PIPPIN
This furry beast is Nina’s big, lazy ball of floof (her words) that she adopted from a cat rescue suffering from an eye ulcer and ringworm…the kitten, not Nina. A frustrating month later, Pippin’s ringworm was gone and his eye had cleared up. His eye does flare on occasion, but she keeps a close watch to stay on top of it. He’s spoiled rotten and has breakfast with her every morning, stretched out on the back of the breakfast nook bench, no doubt to keep an eye on her.
OLIVER
Nina spotted this sweet kitten in downtown L.A. being carted around in a basket by a homeless man who was swinging Oliver AND the basket wildly, causing Nina to take action. After much discussion and pleading and cajoling, she was able to get him away from the man and gave Oliver a forever home with big brother Pippin. He was so young that she fed him with an eyedropper for several weeks, until he was old enough to eat on his own. He’s grown into one handsome devil!
TIGER LILY wasn’t really rescued, but she was taken in from Rhonda’s niece who just didn’t have any more room for another kitten. Lily tormented big sister Gabby, as you can see by this pic of Lily lying on top of her while she’s trying to sleep. She was nick-named BEAST KITTEN because she was a relentless troublemaker. Gabby learned to tolerate her and even groomed her occasionally, until she passed about 2 years later at 16.
LUCY (IN THE SKY) was found one early one morning, all alone, crawling up the screen door of a friend of Nina’s, demanding to be let in; but she, couldn’t keep her. Rhonda had room for another, so she brought her home to meet her big sister Lily. We’ve all heard of Karma? Well…Lucy is Lily’s Karma. At 2 years old, Lucy still badgers and provokes Lily. But you can often see them snoozing together or grooming one another, so they do love each other. Lucy was very young when Rhonda adopted her and even though the vet told her she’d probably grow out of her need to suckle and knead, she still crawls up on Rhonda at night and suckles the sheet while kneading and making cute whiny noises until she falls asleep.