This sums up how I feel perfectly. : ) Start over! Meet some new friends. You'll get your stuff back eventually, but you'll be enjoying yourself so it won't be as much of a chore as you might think it will be.
Streetpass definitely helps, since you can order furniture there. Other than that, furniture's kind of tricky in my experience. Shake all of your trees every day to find the two furniture trees? Check your police station? Be incredibly, unbelievably patient and just check Timmy and Tommy's store...
My sig isn't really up to date anymore, haha. Vesta and Bob were given away awhile ago, and I got Rooney and Graham both from the same town (bleh...can't wait to get them out!!) and I got Erik from my campsite!
Robin has been one of my favorites for a long time, but I have noticed in this game that she was toned down a little - it was much easier to get on her nice side than in previous games. Snooties have almost become somewhat of a motherly, prim normal type. I mean, they still have that proper air...