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22 | March 5, 2020 | the frankfort station life & arts
frankfortstationdaily.com
Evilena's open house thanks community for support
Laurie Fanelli
Freelance Reporter
Evilena's Red Dresser,
located at 20887 S La
Grange Road, has offered
upscale consignment
items and unique
gifts in Frankfort for more
than 10 years. While every
visit to the shop feels
like a reason to celebrate,
a true party atmosphere
was found during an open
house on Feb. 29.
The event served as a
celebration of the second
anniversary of the store's
expansion while also giving
Evilena's owner Jan
Sabey a chance to say
thank you to the community
that has embraced the
shop's merchandise and
message with open arms.
“I'm so grateful to the
community for everything,
my goodness,” Sabey
said. “They have just
supported us all 10 years.
We try to give back to the
community, and I love the
whole consignment idea
where forty percent of it
goes back into the hands
of the customers, truly.”
The layout of the shop
was redesigned in advance
of the open house,
so customers enjoyed a
fresh look at Evilena's
offerings as harpist Trish
Boril added a whimsical
soundtrack to the event.
Mike Drozd, of Grandview
Woodworking, was
on-hand for a Q&A, and
Donna Balsavich, pen
name DL Rudd, added to
the fun with a book signing.
Many customers were
blown away by the special
open house clearance sale,
which featured items for
as low as $2 apiece.
“We decided to bless
the community with a
sale,” Sabey said. “A lot
of these things in here are
Harpist Trish Boril adds a whimsical soundtrack to the
open house festivities.
worth $50, some higher,
and they are getting it for
$2 if they buy five items at
a time. We decided to have
the harpist, and Donna, a
friend of ours who just authored
a book, is going to
be here for a book signing
this afternoon. Mike, who
does the tables, will be
here too. It's a great day.”
Longtime customers
Kathy James and Angie
Sechrist, both of Peotone,
each left with a few
new pieces to add to their
homes' décor.
“I bought a tealight
holder for the yard and a
photo frame,” James said.
“There's a lot of things in
here I would take home,
but you can only have so
much in your house.”
Sechrist added, “We
love the individuality of
the items that you can
find here. It's so unique.
It's fun and everybody's
friendly.”
Unique clothing, furniture,
jewelry and décor
are not all that Evilena's
Red Dresser has to offer.
The shop also provides a
sense of community and
hosts a prayer corner for
anyone who would like to
write down a prayer.
“We revamped our little
prayer corner, so we're
handing out prayer requests
at the door and they
Evilena’s Red Dresser owner Jan Sabey (right) chats with Yvonne Mills, of
Bourbonnais, on Saturday, Feb. 29, during the Frankfort boutique’s open house
event. Photos by Laurie Fanelli/22nd Century Media
Orland Park resident Mary Griner browses the ring selection during the open house.
can put them in our prayer
box,” Sabey said. “My
husband, John, always
prays over those every
week. We also give away
Bibles as a gift if anyone
wants them. They are by
the prayer corner as well.”
Manhattan resident Julianna
Makuch said she
loves everything about
Evilena's Red Dresser,
and she frequents the shop
as both a customer and a
consignment seller.
“It's so diverse,” she
said, noting that she appreciates
being able to
upcycle clothing. “There's
great quality merchandise,
and the people that
work here are fabulous. I
love the sense of community.
I love the giveback. I
love the spirituality. I pop
in here at least two times
a week because there's so
much. If you find something,
you'd better buy it.
I found a pair of shoes,
waited two days and they
were gone. The products
they get in are just amazing.”
In a note on the company's
website, www.
evilenasreddresser.com,
Sabey explained how
her mother, Evilena, inspired
the shop in name
and heart as a recycling
enthusiast with a creative
streak. Now, Sabey appreciates
having the opportunity
to continue that
legacy through Evilena's
Red Dresser.
“We want to help people
through transition and
we want to inspire them
with creativity and great
deals,” she said.