Sir Renna Tea wins new monthly storefront window contest in downtown Lincoln

[May 10, 2019]  

LINCOLN 

On Friday, it was officially announced that Sir Renna Tea and Eileen Mullins were the winners of the first downtown storefront window contest. Winning the contest for April, Mullins said she was really excited because it was absolutely the first trophy she has ever won.

The award was presented to Mullins by Kathie Williams of Small Town Creations. Williams is the one who came up with the idea to hold a contest for storefront windows on a monthly basis. As the owner of STC, she creates trophies and awards for various purposes as a part of her business. Williams said she was planning to create a traveling plaque and finance the contest herself, but Michelle Bauer of Country Financial stepped up and volunteered to take on that sponsorship.

Bauer is paying for the traveling plaque and is also sponsoring the monthly gift cards that are being given to one lucky voter each month. Williams said that Bauer had heard about the contest and wanted to be a part of promoting downtown shopping. Bauer herself doesn’t have a window to decorate, so she thought she could contribute by helping foot the bill for the plaque and gift cards.

Friday, Williams said that in the month of April, 12 downtown businesses participated. Throughout the month 421 shoppers placed votes for their favorite windows. Mullins window smoked the competition with 91 votes. The second place window, if one had been named, came in with 49 votes.

Mullins said she really did work at getting the votes. She had her sign in the window, she put a sign at the cash register and when she could she spoke directly to customers asking them to vote, and suggesting they might win a $10 gift card if their name was drawn at the end of the month.

On Friday, Mullins was very excited not only to have won, but to be the first winner of this new downtown contest. Mullins will have the traveling plaque in her store until the next winner is announced.

In addition to Mullins winning, one of her customers also won. The name drawn from Mullins votes was that of Carolyn Williams. Williams will receive a $10 gift card to be used at Sir Renna Tea.

For those who have not been to Sir Renna Tea, don’t be fooled by the name, this store is so much more than tea. While her signature bubble tea made with black pearl tapioca is the inspiration for the name, the store itself offers hundreds and hundreds of really amazing items from jewelry to glassware, decorator items, to pampering products and a ton of really wonderful miscellaneous items from puzzles and games to books and knick-knacks.

All in all, this is the kind of shop where one goes in can sit a spell and just enjoy allowing time to pass by. Sip a tea, shop a little bit and just relax. It is a visit well worth making.

April 2nd, Mullins decorating her window for the contest

The April window display at Sir Renna Tea included her beautiful collection of lamps that draw attention wherever they are. Mullins said the lamps are popular. She said that people buy the lamps in spurts. She noted that sometimes she will go for a while not selling any, then all the sudden she’ll sell three or four in a day.

She said that looking at the lamps in the window is nice at any time, but she especially enjoys how they look glowing softly in the night time.

Congratulations to Eileen for her first trophy ever, being the first ever winner of the window contest and for having a lovely store that many enjoy visiting.

Thanks to Michelle Bauer and Kathie Williams for putting their heads together and sponsoring this great way to promote downtown Lincoln.

For the businesses that participated in April, good job, and for those in May, good luck!

Any downtown business that is interested in participating in May, but hasn’t signed up yet may still do so. Simply contact Williams at Small Town Creations and she will help you get started.

For shoppers, look for the signs in the windows that say the store is a participant. Check out the windows, then go inside to place your vote. Remember, voters of the winning store are entered into a drawing for a $10 gift card to be used in the winning store.

[Nila Smith]