’Tis the season for Searenity
Lincoln City boutique offers clothes, gifts and community
By Sabine Wilson
For the TODAY
Photos by Kaley Mays, Dreamy Perspective Photography
“I didn’t know you could be exactly who you are and wake up every day loving what you do,” said Jen Lee, owner of Searenity Boutique. “I still can’t believe I own a business where you can sit on a couch in the middle of the store, try on shoes, smell candles and read books.”
This quote sums up the boutique that Lee has built, which goes so much further than clothes. Lee has cultivated a community of people through her ever-growing events, including a consistent book club, a successful annual fashion show fund-raiser for the community and her well-attended vision board workshops to name a few.
Customers are greeted by a comforting and welcome space enhanced by the beautiful coastal boho clothes, fun accessories and cute shoes. The space flows into a separate room where you’ll find the flower bar with the words “She Shed” over the entrance filled with what can only be described as a crafter’s dream.
And, of course, you cannot ignore the comfortable and inviting couch positioned right in the middle of the boutique. It is clear that Lee goes above and beyond to create a space for a wide array of her customers.
“After starting my business, I have consistently been amazed with how the community shows up not only for Searenity, but for one another,” Lee said. “I am always asking myself, ‘How can I show up for this community the way they do for me?”
Lee’s background prior to being a small business owner was as an HR executive for a well-known financial institution. But when COVID hit, as with many people, she started to re-evaluate her priorities. She and her family moved to their vacation rental in Lincoln City and became full-time locals and the space that is now Searenity became available.
She had toyed with the idea of starting her own business, but the safety of a steady paycheck, health insurance and other benefits was present in her mind.
“Being in a career for so long based on not taking risks, I thought the opportunity was nuts,” Lee said. “But I learned there is no magic without risk and this has ended up becoming a sincere work of the heart.”
Lee points to the sign on her wall that reads, “What if you fly?” The full quote it refers to is by poet Erin Hanson. "What if I fall? Oh but darling, what if you fly?"
Almost three years later in December, Searenity has hit the ground running. Lee has organized a book club where members meet every third Thursday of each month from 6 to 7:30 pm.
“I have always loved building relationships and connecting people,” she said. “When it came to the book club, I decided that if just one person shows up, then we have a book club. At our most recent meeting we had 21 people. I’ve gotten to the point where I have to rearrange the whole store. It’s amazing.”
She also organized a fashion show in partnership with the Beach Club and Events Center to raise money for the nonprofit Family Promise, which supports low-income families and people that are unhoused. The fund-raiser attracted more than 200 guests and raised more than $7,000.
The message?
“We rise by lifting others,” Lee said.
With the growth of Searenity, naturally the space must expand as well. And that is exactly what Lee’s plans are after the holiday season.
“The business is growing and I can’t wait to let it flourish in a bigger space,” she said. “This is why we are so excited to announce we are moving to Salishan after Christmas. This is the boutique’s next natural iteration and I’m so excited to collaborate with the small business owners there who have such great leadership.”
Searenity will be closed for the first two weeks of the new year to get everything moved over.
As far as the upcoming holiday season, Lee could not be more ready. After her first year in business expecting Black Friday to be the biggest event, she was pleasantly surprised to learn how much the community shows up for Small Business Saturday.
“In my three years I have been so amazed at how this community shows up for the small businesses both online and in person,” Lee said tearfully. “It is phenomenal how much more Small Business Saturday blows the socks off Black Friday. I am so appreciative and proud to be a part of that and this year we will be more ready for that than ever.”
This is exactly why Searenity is one of the businesses to watch for amazing gifts with great prices.
“We have a lot of amazing seasonal items and sales that are coming,” Lee said. “Stay tuned to our social media on Facebook and Instagram to stay on top of the sales.”
Searenity Boutique is located at 2143 NW Hwy. 101 in Lincoln City and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm. For more information, go to searenityboutique.com or the Searenity Boutique page on Facebook. In January, Searenity will be moving to Salishan Marketplace located at 7760 Hwy. 101 in Gleneden Beach.