Heather Duncan, Owner, Blue Windows

PHOTO by SCOTT JONES

“There are definitely some difficult times when you’re a store owner, but sometimes I stand in my store alone, and I can’t believe it is mine,” says Heather Duncan, owner of Second St. boutique Blue Windows. “My desire from the start was to make Blue Windows into a lifestyle store, where someone can find something for just about anybody.” And from cookbooks to women’s clothing, custom-made jewelry and cute baby gifts, Duncan’s store truly covers it all.

Having grown up near El Dorado Park, Duncan attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and studied classical singing. But her secret joy was frequenting the city’s small shops. “I guess you can say I was always a buyer. I had a hope chest, even as a teen, that was full of things for my future,” she recalls. In 2004, after working for the store’s previous owner for a few years, Duncan seized the opportunity to own Blue Windows, recently mentioned in Sunset Magazine’s Belmont Shore Holiday Shopping Guide.

“A huge part of the success of the store has been my loyal customers and my great staff,” Duncan says. She looks forward to new ways of being creative and to making a difference in Long Beach. “I have recently come up with the idea of dedicating our store window display each month to a different charity. A portion of the store’s profits will be donated. I’m excited to see how this new challenge effects me personally, and my customers, too.” SCOTT JONES

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Tags: belmont shore, blue windows, Long Beach, store