Le Classic Vintage business owner seeking toy donations for children
Published 12:20 am Friday, November 17, 2023
Le Classic Vintage is located at 2926 Nall St. in Port Neches. (Mary Meaux/The News)
Karen Chandler’s husband Michael hand made the ladder shelf, which is one of a number of items he created. (Mary Meaux/The News)
Karen Chandler of Le Classic Vintage is collecting donations of toys through Dec. 9. She will hold a toy giveaway Dec. 16. (Mary Meaux/The News)
The shop is filled with festive items and more. (Mary Meaux/The News)
Alizo’s Aesthetics is opening up inside Le Classic Vintage. (Mary Meaux/The News)
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PORT NECHES — The owner of a Port Neches business is hoping to bring some holiday cheer to children and needs a little help.
Karen Chandler of Le Classic Vintage, 2926 Nall St., is seeking donations of toys for ages infant to pre-teen or monetary donations to purchase the toys through Dec. 9.
Chandler plans a festive toy give-away on Dec. 16 with food trucks, activities for the kids and a visit by the Grinch.
Some businesses have already reached out with donations, and Chandler has been shopping locally on a weekly basis. As the gifts come in, she brings them to her nearby home, wraps them, then labels them according to age and gender.
The reason behind all of this is because she wants to give back.
“God put it in my heart,” Chandler said.
The business
Le Classic Vintage features a variety of furniture from vintage to antique, as well as handcrafted items created by her husband, Michael. She worked from home and later had a shop in downtown Port Neches before moving to the Nall location.
“It’s something I prayed for for a very long time,” said Chandler, a New York native. “I already knew I was horrible in art, can’t draw a stick figure to save my life but I knew God had a gift for me and I waited for Him to show me.”
She found her gift when she bought a piece of furniture and learned to sand. The crafty website Pinterest is her favorite, and she gets ideas for her work from there.
There may be a piece of furniture with an ugly top or the finish is warped. That’s when her husband steps in and makes it like new.
“We work really good together,” she said.
Inside her shop this week was some of her husband’s handiwork, such as wooden Grinch trees, a ladder shelf and a small pie safe. The wooden trees are top sellers, she said.
Inside the shop are several other businesses that take care of their own sales, such as Lone Star Designs, Grace and Camille, Teleger’s Creations and Wicked Impressions. Also starting this week Alizo’s Aesthetics is opening her second location, which is inside Le Classic Vintage.
