Linda Garner - Designer
A native of Washington State, Linda has lived most of her life in the state. Born to parents who lived through the depression, they instilled in her a strong sense of work ethics and responsibility; however, they also nurtured her creative and artistic nature. She learned many of her skills used today from her parents and grandparents. Her mother taught her to cook and sew at a young age. At age 10, Linda's father purchased her a sewing machine and that was the start of everything. In her childhood years, she made most of her own school clothes as well as some for her friends and family. She would take babysitting jobs in high school and college to pay for the supplies for all of her projects.
Linda continued her sewing and creative skills all through her own children's growing up years and continues to sew for them today. She is mother to Jennifer, Jason and Jessica and grandmother to Hailey, Kaiden, Bryce and Lewis. Linda now resides on a little farm in the small town of Tenino with her husband John, and two dogs, one very ornery cat and numerous chickens. While the kids were growing up, she combined a busy home life with a career for the state of Washington in an administrative position. At one time, she also owned and operated a party and costume store, while still finding time to be creative making things for the family. Through the years, her many projects included wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, mother of the bride suits and dresses, flower girl dresses, baby clothes, window dressings, crib sets, bedroom sets, and may costumes.
While she has taken many interesting turns in her careers, probably the most out-of-the-ordinary was her decision to work on a small cruise ships and travel the entire west coast from Southeast Alaska to Baja California. She was a self-taught naturalist and loved being outdoors in the wilderness of Alaska guiding guests on hikes and kayak adventures. Even while working on these unique tours, Linda's creative side always came out. On her time off between trips, she would sew costumes for the many fun skits done aboard ship to entertain the guests. Her most memorable was the mermaid costume she wore herself to reenact the trials of Ariel. Even though all of this was very fun and exciting, she missed home and family. When the grandchildren started to arrive, she decided it was time to stay home and enjoy them.
Linda started JenicaJ Creations in May of 2005. The name is a combination of her children's names. Her design philosophy is to create unique, beautiful, well fitting and comfortable items to be a cherished addition to any woman's wardrobe. She celebrates the "fantasy and magic of romance" by using sexy lines, luxurious fabrics, and a unique palette of colors and textures. Each garment and accessory is handmade and she considers each one to be a work of art.