"I get excited about old, cruddy stuff," partner Thomas says. "I imagine the life it has lived and make up stories about it."

Located in a house at 1404 Meridian Ave., the cluttered store provides enough material for hundreds of Thomas' fictional yarns. But there is at least one item that comes with a ready-made story--an elephant-hide suitcase perched atop a shelf.

"This suitcase belonged to a German masseur on a luxury liner," Thomas says. "During World War II, he was captured and the liner was sunk."

Though no one knows what became of the masseur, his suitcase survived the voyage and is now waiting to continue its adventure in the hands of a new owner.

Thomas says her affinity for all things antique began when she was a young girl living on a farm near Happy Hollow Park and Zoo. Although she enjoyed visiting antique shops, she didn't have to leave home to find historical objects because her backyard was chock-full of hidden treasures, like pottery shards and coins, just waiting to be unearthed. Owner Marx also says she learned to appreciate--and salvage--antiques at a young age.

"I always liked finding old things that needed help," she says. "I like helping old furniture. It's like furniture therapy."

But working as a full-time furniture therapist was not Marx's original occupation; she used to own a print company called San Jose Label until she decided to pursue her love of restoring antiques. Leaving the print company under the care of her son, she opened the first incarnation of Forget-Me-Nots three years ago at the Princeton Plaza in Almaden Valley.

Though Marx rarely goes back to her old print store, there was one part of San Jose Label she couldn't leave behind--employee Thomas.

"I always loved working at San Jose Label," Thomas says. "But after Linda left, it wasn't the same. I thought to myself, 'I guess it was Linda who made me want to stay.' So I gave up a pile of money to be happy."

Though Thomas began a year after the first store opened, Marx says she was an integral part of the business from the beginning.

"She came up with the name," Marx says. "I was trying to think of a name, and none of them clicked. So Pat said, 'What about Forget-Me-Nots?' I thought it was a great name."

Marx liked the name so much that she adopted it immediately and printed her business cards on a package of forget-me-not seeds. And the name survived the antique store's relocation from Blossom Hill to Willow Glen.

But the store's moniker isn't the only thing that has followed Marx and Thomas to their new location.

"We get a lot of loyal customers that used to come into the shop at the mall," Thomas says. "We have been really busy. It's very fun."

The two women say their close and personal relationship with some of their customers keeps them motivated to stay in business. And sometimes the distinction between customer and proprietor can become a bit blurry.

"Our customers will bring us things that they bought 50 years ago intending to paint," Marx says. "We'll fix it up and sell it in the store."

In addition to timeworn furniture, the women say they are occasionally called upon to become renovators of the human psyche.

"Sometimes, if customers are having a down day, they'll come in here and just hang out," Marx says. "We don't mind."

For more information about hours, contact Forget-Me-Nots, 1404 Meridian Ave., at 408.448.4600.