Featured 'LILL Girl' - Meet Hillary!

Some LILL Fans have just discovered the joy that is creating your own handbag and others have been long time dedicated, die-hard fans who spread the word to anyone and everyone no matter what state you are in. With that, I'd like to introduce you to Hillary, an ER nurse. Her love for LILL began in 2004 when she was a student nurse in Chicago at the Children's Memorial Hospital ER and would walk by Lill everyday on her way to work.

She was one of 30 attendees who attended a LILL on Location party in Seattle. She has a great history with LILL and fun stories to share.

Hillary is originally from Fremont MI, lived in Chicago for a few years, and has since been in Seattle for about two and a half years.

Let's get to know Hillary and share in her fantastic journey of becoming a "LILL Girl".

"I was a student nurse in Chicago at the Children's Memorial Hospital ER and would walk by Lill everyday on my way to work, since I actually lived on Lill Street. I told myself that when I graduated and started working I would buy a "work bag" with my first pay check. I ended up working at the Children's Memorial ER for two more years and carried Pamela with me every day. So total now I've been a "Lill Girl" for close to five years!

The Seattle Children's Hospital Lill madness began the first day I went to work with my new Hadley, which I had just picked up during a trip back to Chicago. Since that day I have found my bag missing with ransom notes left, and other nurses walking around holding onto the bag. Despite work's "no Internet rule", I can usually spot one of the nurses at all times with the Lill website open or minimized at the bottom. When my good friend Sara, hosted the Lill party for our work, over 30 women showed up, and it's still the talk of the ER. "

Let's get to know Hillary by learning of her favorite things!

Hobbies or activities you enjoy doing? "Lately my husband and I have had some serious Monopoly matches, other than that I love to shop, drink coffee, hang out with friends and travel."

How many LILL Bags do you own? "I think 7, but Carolina should be arriving any day now. That doesn't include all of the bags I purchased as gifts though, my bridesmaids loved them!"

Favorite LILL Bag style? "Right now it's probably HADLEY, with my BRIDGET being a close second."

Top 3 fabric picks:

Spring Sprigs, Yellow Stone and Ring Around the Rosie. All different bags of course.

If you were crowned the Queen of LILL for the day, what would you do?

“If I were owner for a day of LILL I would do nothing more than design design design!!! I will always love my Lill bags, but the actual process of designing them is my favorite part!"

Thanks for sharing your great stories with us, Hillary! It was fun getting to know you and we look forward to creating with you again real soon!

-Lilly S.

December LILL Team Memeber of the Month!

December's LILL Team Member of the Month is.....Alexandra A. from LILL's HQ Cutting department! You may also recognize her from an earlier post.

Alexandra is from Mundelein, IL and joined the LILL team in February of 2008. She also works as our Jr. Fabric Associate and works with the Design team. She exudes a feeling of teamwork and positivity. She is known for being a speedy worker and a joy to work with. Alexandra’s hard work ethic, as displayed in her assistance with the new fabric system and dedication during the busy period of the cutting department, influences those around her to push a little harder in all that they do. Whether in cutting or design, Alexandra is always giving her all, learning and implementing as much as she can and always willing to share what she has learned with others.

Let's get to know Alexandra!

Favorite LILL style?
HADLEY…I already have 2!

Top 3 fabric picks:
Tomato Faux Suede, Higan Bloom, Fruity Pebbles (This is my all-time fav!)

What do you love most about working for LILL?
"That all day long I get to look at purses and think about what I’m going to purchase next!"

Nickname: "For the most part I go by Alexandra, but my brother and the girls at the restaurant I work at all just call me Al."

Favorite bands or music genre?
"I am a long time lover of the band Green Day but also hold all genres of Spanish music very close to my heart!"

Where did you last vacation?
T"o Huatulco, Mexico almost two years ago."

Anything else fun you’d like to share?
"I love to sing out loud at work and annoy all the girls by knowing every song that is on the radio no matter what station we are listening to lol!"

Thanks for sharing your fun info with us, Alexandra! It was a pleasure to get to know you better and is truly a joy to work with you.

-Lilly S.

Emily's Pick of the Week

Happy Friday LILL Fans! I am excited to post my pick this week after a short hiatus. This week's pick was designed by LILL customer Elizabeth S. Elizabeth designed a custom BRIDGET. BRIDGET is a reversible bag!

For the exterior, she chose the fun Topsy Turvy fabric. For the interior, she chose the whimisical Bangladesh Paisley with a zipper accent that really pops in Tomato Faux Suede.

Check back next week for a new post. Have a great weekend! Emily

SOUS-CHEF, AT YOUR SERVICE!

Can you believe Thanksgiving is already tomorrow? We are hosting at our house this year, so its time to dust off all those seldom used serving dishes and table settings! Fortunately for my family, I will not be the head chef - I'll serve as "sous-chef" to the wonderful cook that is my mother-in-law. I'll do what I do best - I'll supply the tools and dress the space and leave the "concocting" of the meal to her.

As I see the holiday decor (and hear that familiar music) everywhere I go, I am really starting to "feel" the holidays. It seeps in slowing and before I know it we will be at the height of the holiday season and I will be wondering how Christmas is tomorrow and how I still have a huge list of things to finish. I relish so many of the special things that happen this time of the year, but am always amazed at how quickly the time goes.

So before it gets too far away from me, I wanted to send a note of thanks out to our amazing customers. I truly appreciate your patronage and support of our brand. Your feedback both pushes and inspires us every day. I love hosting you in my "home" that is the LILL brand and I love being the "sous-chef" to the true creators of our products - you! I feel so fortunate to have such wonderful, engaged and loyal customers! Thank you for your business and for sharing your love of LILL with your family and friends. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Jen Velarde
Founder/President - 1154 LILL Studio

Featured 'LILL Girl' - Meet Briana!

Meet Briana, a LILL Girl since March of '08. Originally from Atlantic City, New Jersey, but now resides in Los Angeles, designer of 12 LILL Bags! I received a few emails about a particular LILL FANatic, Briana. Her love for LILL was spread about the office, bringing cheer to us all. This is why we love what we do and why we love to hear your stories.

Jenny W., our LILL on Location rep for the OC/LA area wrote a post about Briana's party on her blog.

Lets get to know Briana by learning some fun facts about her.

Briana featured on left loving her DONNA.

Special hobbies or activities you enjoy doing?
"I really love to travel. I love exploring new places and cultures. I've been to 41 different states and a number of countries (USA, Mexico, The Bahamas, Venezuela, Brazil, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Vietnam, Burma, Hong Kong, China, Japan, England, Scotland, Spain, France, The Netherlands and Italy).
Any fun facts you’d like to share?
I once lived on a ship with 600 college students for 100 days while traveling around the world!"

What began your love for LILL and how long have you been a LILL Girl?
"I was first introduced to LILL while I was at a conference in Boston in March of '08. A friend from grad school told me that she had just designed her own bag at a store on Newbury Street, and I was immediately intrigued. Being someone who has a pretty healthy obsession with bags, I knew immediately that I needed to check this out for myself. So I went back with her, and the minute I walked into the shop, I knew I was hooked. I made two bags that day for myself, one for a friend and got the phone number for the LA rep."

How many LILL Bags do you own?
"Let's see. I own an ANDI, a MOLLY, a DONNA, an ANNE, a DREA, two LESLIEs, a SAM, an ERIKA, a LIZ, an ERINN and an AUDREY JANE. Oh...and a CONNOR! I believe that is 12 in total!

Favorite LILL style?
"This is a tough question. It's hard for me to choose. But, I think my favorite is the ANDI. She's such a great everyday bag. She has plenty of space for all of my daily needs, and she can easily hold some of the smaller LILLs inside (like the SAM!)"

Top 3 fabric picks:

Calla Lily - It's just such a beautiful fabric, and I love the different textures of it!

Paisley Party - When I first saw it in person, I was blown away by how appealing the different colors and patterns were. I knew I needed it on a bag immediately!

Central Park Tweed - I love green and tweed, so I think this fabric was made for me!

“If I were the queen of LILL for a day of LILL I would….invite all of my favorite bag-lovers to come make a bag. I love introducing new people to LILL and seeing how much fun they have while designing their own purse. I would especially invite those who are skeptical because they can't picture what the bag will look like in the end because I know once they see the end-product, they'll be a LILL fan for life! I would basically host one large LILL party!"

Thanks so much, Briana! It was certainly fun getting to know you better. We can't wait to create with you again and see what creation you come up with next!

-Lilly S.