Friday, April 3, 2009
Emily's Pick of the Week
Meet Nikki!


Now, meet the name behind the bag – Nikki!
Nikki is the sister of Adrienne S. – Senior Fabric Associate.
(Adrienne and Nikki, at Nikki's bachelorette celebration!)
Nikki recently tied the knot to her true love Lou on March 14th.
She was kind enough to share some photos of her special day with us. As you can see, she is stylish and sweet just like the bag named after her.
(Photo is of Nikki on her wedding day, looking elegant and carrying her GRACE.)
Now, let's get to know Nikki:
Favorite LILL style: ANDI
One unique or funny thing you carry in your bag: Everyone else's stuff because it's so roomy!
Pets: Two rescue cats – Omar and Tim – Meow.
Favorite TV show: Rock of Love – hahaha!
Favorite Celebrity: Justin Timberlake
Last great book you read: Body Surfing by Anita Shreve
Hero and Mentor: Lou Dragisity (my hubby!)
Favorite Food: Oh man, Lou Malnati's pizza!!! - And citrus fruits more recently.
Hobbies or Activities important to you: Working out, cooking, being outside, being with friends, reading and learning
Thanks, Nikki! It was great getting to know you a little more, and what a beautiful bride you make. We wish you a lifetime of happiness with your new hubby, Lou!
-Lilly S.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Emily's Pick of the Week

In a few weeks, Brandi will not only receive her darling new CHARLIE, but she will also receive a LILL purse hook. You still have time to get your own LILL purse hook! If you place an order for a custom or ready made Simply Chic bag between now and Sunday, March 22nd, you will receive a LILL purse hook with your bag! You can order any one of our three Simply Chic bags, CHLOE, CHARLOTTE or CHARLIE. If you are going out to dinner and you don't want to hang your LILL bag on the back of your chair or put it on the floor, just attach your new LILL purse hook to the table and hang your purse from the hook. What a brilliant idea! Check out our ready made Simply Chic Bags here or custom design your own here. Have a great weekend!! Emily R.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
LILL's "Team Member of the Month"

Fun Fact: The above photo features Kate with her 2 pups, Olive and Grace. She occasionally brings them to the HQ office. We love their company and they make great office companions.
Let's get to know Kate a little more:
Where are you originally from? "I can claim to be from Nashville, TN since I was born there. My family moved up to IL when I was about 3 so I really grew up in Rockford, IL, but I migrated back down to the land of shorter - and warmer - winters for college and returned to Nashville after graduating. I’d been living happily in Music City (Viva NashVegas!) for almost a decade when LILL convinced me to make the move back up to IL."
How long have you been with LILL? "I started at LILL in the spring of 2005 as one of the LILL On Location Reps. I think my training group was maybe the third group to get started in the program. I moved up to Chicago in 2007 to work at HQ to oversee the further development of LILL’s rep program."
What’s your favorite LILL style? "Oh, it’s always so hard to pick just one! I love my DONNA for when I need to carry a bunch of stuff with me, my SOPHIE is fantastic for running around town on the weekends, and I have totally embraced the AUDREY/JANE concept. I now have 2 JANEs to interchange amongst my four AUDREYs. But... I think right now I am most excited about the BRIANNA. It officially debuts in May and is such a cute, perfect summer bag! I’ve already ordered one and have only 21 days left until it should be ready. Not that I’m counting or anything."
Top 3 fabric picks: "LILL has a ton of great spring and summer options right now so it may be tricky to narrow down to just three, but I’ll try.



Flower Press G is For Giraffe, Flower Press, Lemon Zebra (my BRIANNA is in this!)Lime Leaves and I like Tucan Leaves so much I may have to have the fabulous Jess Audey make me one of her dresses or a skirt out of it."
What do you love most about working for LILL? "Well, I get to play with handbags and fabrics all day so coming to work here full-time was somewhat like having the mother ship call me home. But, really, I think what makes working here so great is the people with whom I get to work. LILL is very lucky to have attracted some seriously cool people to work here. The three girls in my department are amazing – they make my job easier, better, and more entertaining every single day. My team of LILL reps are some of the most fun people I’ve ever had the chance to work with. I’m certain that if we all lived in the same city we’d all get together for drinks constantly. Actually, when I put it like that, it’s probably better for our health that we don’t all live in the same city!
Jen V., our founder and fearless leader, makes running a business seem largely effortless and like it’s the most fun she’s ever had. When you have that kind of attitude and outlook in charge of the whole show, it’s hard not to be happy where you are working.
In the end though I think it’s the general atmosphere of creativity and enthusiasm here that makes working at LILL the treat that it is. Because, when it comes down to it, making purses is fun. It’s not like we’re in the business of root canals or brain surgery. People come to our stores and our parties to have a good time and it’s nice to be able to be a part of that. I remember how thrilled I was when I received the first LILL bag I had designed (props to Becky F. for introducing me to LILL!) and I know our customers feel the same way when they get their bags in the mail."
Favorite musician, band or music genre: "Can I just rattle off a string of names here? Lloyd Cole, Dido, Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, Belle & Sebastian, Kings of Leon, Johnny Cash, Dave Brubeck (few things better than a Sunday morning with some coffee and Dave Brubeck), Old 97s, Robbie Williams, Allison Krauss (have you heard the Allison Krauss and Robert Plant album? It’s so good.), REM, The Beautiful South, and I’ll round out the list with Elvis Costello."
If you were a mix of any 2 fictional characters, who would you be and why? "Elizabeth Bennett and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Elizabeth because she is possibly the cleverest and best of all romantic heroines ever and Buffy because she is the cleverest and best of all vampire slayers. When combined, I would not only get to be clever, I’d also get to be stylish, have quality time with Mr. Darcy and Spike and there would be my seriously impressive kick-boxing skills (helpful for slaying vampires or caddish Lieutenants)."
Where did you last go on vacation? "Vacation? Huh? Well, I did take a week off over Labor Day last August and drove down to Kentucky and Tennessee to visit family and friends. I made the trip to visit a dear friend whom I hadn’t seen in far too long and have the chance to meet her new baby. The visits were great and the drive was fantastic, too. It was nice to take a leisurely route across those two states and see some green hills and mountains again. Chicago is great, but IL is too flat."
Thanks, Kate! You are a joy to work with and truly bring a fun dynamic to our company.
-Lilly S.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
St. Paddy's Day Potluck!
The Chicago weather has graced us with a pleasant 70 degrees today and it's potluck day here at LILL. What a wonderful day.
The theme for this month's potluck was "Go Green". LILL team members donned green attire and contributed vegetarian food to complete the theme. The spread consisted of delicious and healthy foods such as breaded eggplant, veggie wraps, Dal (a spicy Indian lentil dish), Smart Dogs, Edamame Salad and much more! Not to forget the many delicious desserts like Laurie's famous oatmeal cookies.
We also hosted our 2nd annual St. Patrick's Day Bingo! Prizes were give to the top 3 winners, 3 of our Simply Chic bags. The competition was heavy as everyone had their eyes on the well sought after prizes.
First round was a basic round of straight Bingo, won by Amy F. - Web Store Manager
Second round was Four Corners, a bit of a tougher feat, won by Bob V. - Photographer
Third round was Full Card, quite a challenge and marathon of a game, won by Sarah R. - Store Operations.
Wish wish you all a happy and safe St. Patrick's Day with a bit of luck of the Irish!
-Lilly S.