Spring - A Great Time to Host a Party!

I was anxiously awaiting spring this year - mostly because I was REALLY ready to have my baby, but also because it is such a wonderful time of the year. Full of new beginnings and occassions to get together with friends, I always feel inspired at this time of the year.

Speaking of new beginninngs - I am settling in as a new mother of 3... wheh! I am impressed with all of you who have already accomplished this feat. All kidding aside though, baby Grey is a very sweet little guy. He has been my easiest newborn yet and I'm really enjoying getting to know him. He looks a lot like Joey did as a baby and when wearing some of Joey's old clothes, I flash back 5 years and have remembered lots about Joey that I had forgotten. Pretty fun time. Thank you for all the kind messages after his birth. I've attached a couple new photos of the three, though haven't figured out how to get them all into one picture yet. :-).

We are finally seeing real signs of spring here in Chicago. I hear it may be 70 and sunny on Friday. I hope you are all also experiencing some signs as well. I love this season as it brings about lots of reasons to get together with friends or coworkers to reconnect after months "on the inside." Its the season for showers and weddings, for celebrations of mom and graduations. With all these occassions I find myself looking through my closet and needing something to refresh my wardrobe to match the enthusiasm I feel this time of year.

This year I'm looking to brighten my wardrode with accessories. Its a logical choice given that I still have some baby weight to take off, but also a smart financial choice. With a few added accessories this spring, I can revitalize my wardrobe with something I can wear everyday and feel good about. And what better way to start than to get some friends together to catch up after a long winter and help each other create some versitile spring accessories for all those upcoming occassions.

From exciting style introductions to inspiring new fabrics, LILL has a lot to offer both new and returning customers. I am really pleased with our most recent additions - the Nikki (above on right) and the Brianna (above on left - coming soon!). Nikki is selling very well so far and from the initial reaction by those who have previewed the Brianna, I think she too will do exceptionally well. I am currently pondering fabric for my first Brianna and am looking very forward to regularly sporting it this spring/summer. It will be tough to replace the Charlie I've been carrying for a while, though - I just love it and am not sure if I'll be able to give it up. And, I'm not sure if I can reduce the contents of my purse down to fit in a Nikki yet, but it is a goal. I've tried her out a few times and I love how she feels and looks on my arm.

So many options with our current line and more great things to come.... Its a great time to host a party and check them out yourself!

Happy Spring!

Jen

Founder / President

1154 LILL Studio

2009... SO FAR...

I don't quite know where January went, but as February begins, I realized I haven't posted a blog yet in 2009. And,...as one of my New Year's resolutions was to get a bit more tech-savvy and participate more in the blogging community. I guess it's about time for me to get started. Here's a quick catch up on the highlights of my year so far....

New Year's Eve with Friends..... I toasted at midnight to being pregnant on New Years (again) and to a happy and health year ahead.

Family trip to Mexico...... My mother-in-law plans a trip for my husband and our kids each year. Usually it is in March, but with the pending arrival of her 3rd grandkid, she planned it earlier this year. What a wonderful getaway (and mother-in-law)!

Returning to sub-zero temps in Chicago was not fun, but our month of snow and frigid temps has provided for some cute shots of my "snow bunny" and some fun indoor projects for Joey....learning to bake cookies at Nana's, and several nights of "pirate ship building" in our living room.

January at LILL is full of planning for the year ahead. My favorite project for the month was our Spring/Summer fabric buy. At times this month Winter has seemed relentless, but with beautiful fabrics arriving daily at our production offices, Spring is definitely in the air at LILL! Look for them to arrive shortly on the web, in our stores and with our reps.

We've also been working on a number of new style introductions and the implementation of new technology systems aimed at enhancing the shopping experience for our customers as well as the management and marketing tools for our internal team. All of the projects have our team excited about the prospects for the year ahead.

Our team at LILL HQ watched the inauguration of President Obama together. No matter your politics, it was a historic moment and you couldn't help but feel proud to be an American. Witnessing such history with our team was something I won't soon forget.

We have a monthly potluck lunch at our LILL HQ offices. It is something everyone looks forward to. At our January potluck, we also announced the winners of our 2008 LILLies Awards for everything from Team Member of the Year to Most likely to end up with 7 kids. Our internal "social committee" makes these potlucks so much fun.

As January ends and February begins, I'm looking forward to being a month closer to better weather, longer hours of daylight, new spring fabrics, new spring styles and a new baby. I can't wait to spend more time outside (seriously suffering from cabin fever) and generally be renewed by a fresh new year and the forthcoming change in seasons. Happy February!

Jen Velarde

Founder / President, 1154 LILL Studio