Winter Leaves Part 1

 

Happy holidays! I've moved all the Willie & Lu business to the bottom of the page -- PLEASE check it out, b/c there is a ton of good info and impossible-to-resist holiday specials. Even if you haven't thought about shopping w us this season, take a look.  But first...

happyholidayshohohohappyholidayshohohohappyholidayshohohohapyholidayshohohohappyholidayshohohohappyholidayshohoho

happyholidayshohoho!

 Autumn comes in December in LA, and for the first time in the 14 years we've lived here, we get to SEE it for ourselves: The trees & vines in our re-designed back yard make some of the most beautiful color combos I have EVER seen in fall foliage.  I think colors on the leaves of our southern walls are determined by the amount of sun each leaf receives -- A leaf that has another partially covering it will be green underneath, red (or orange, gold, etc.) on top.  Here are a few photos of the early round; a week later, the colors changed completely, and a week later, we had a wall covered with a beautiful, network of bare branches and the little "ghecko pads that cling to the wall. I'll post pics from the 2nd presentation -- and the exposed wall, which is every bit as interesting (albeit slightly less gorgeous) as the colored leaves a little closer to Christmas.

Above and directly below are three of the photos that I'd hoped to make into Christmas/holiday cards -- The only arranging that I did in these was placing the 4 leaves in the center (representing the four of us), removing a few dead leaves, and tucking the ends of two vines behind the others.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS 

FROM JOOLS, JEREMY, AIDAN, & LUCY

             

 STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT INSTALLATION OF "COLORS CAN ALMOST CONVINCE ME I LOVE LIVING LOS ANGELES"

Now for the the business at hand:  There is still PLENTY of time to order Xmas gifts from Willie and Lu. We'll have a little extra time since Christmas is on a Sunday ~ Gifts sent as late as the 22nd have a good chance of making it. I'll do my part to pack & mail quickly: I'll gift wrap and mail your present by the next day and send it priority mail, so you can expect it to arrive w/i 5 days (usually less) in the continental U.S. However, I can't guarantee delivery unless you order expedited delivery. *If you'd like to have your order sent over-night or 2-day, drop me a line.* I will be mailing packages every day except December 25.  Be advised that I'll be travelling on Dec. 18, so orders placed on 12/17-18 may be shipped on the 19th.

Now the really GOOD parts: Through Dec. 16, my blog friends can use the coupon code ULTRABLOG25 for 25% OFF everything in the shop ~ PLUS, through January 5, you'll get a FREE pair of earrings (or a gift certificate) with every 3 pair you purchase!  With free shipping & gift wrapping, you can just send me your whole gift list and I'll do the rest! Sip cocoa by the fire with a good book in hand, knowing that you aunt, niece, sister-in-law, mom, BFF, boss, Secret Santa, and even your grandmother will have beautiful, one-of-a-kind, gift wrapped presents from YOU under the tree!  Please note 25% discounts and Free Shipping will END after the holidays (January 5), and the Frequent Buyer plan changes (buy 5 items, get 1 free), so if you have your eyes on something for yourself, don't delay --- If there is something in the shop that you really, really love but can't buy til after the holidays, do drop me a line. We'll work out something.

                                                        

    

    

Earring Give-Away WINNER: Chelsee of Selah Essentials!

 

 I'd like to announce that Chelsee is the winner of our Treasury Festival Earring Give-away, and has won her choice of earrings from the shop! It's been great getting to know Chelsee and her WONDERFUL shop ~ SELAH ESSENTIALS' all-natural soaps & body products sound so yummy, you'll want to dive in: How delicious does Cranberry Fig Exfoliating Salt Scrub sound? Or Lemon Verbena Goats' Milk Soap? Mmmmmm.... Visit Chelsee's shop: www.etsy.com/shop/SelahEssentials.

Thanks to everyone who entered -- I so appreciate the comments and support; the treasury festival was more rewarding than I can tell you! As thanks, just for my TT Team pals, I'd like to offer 25% OFF every order through 12-10. Shipping and gift wrapping are FREE, so this is a terrific opportunity to cross some important names off your Christmas list! I'm listing new pretties every day, so come back often. I'm sorry about the pictures below -- I can't align them to save my life, but I am seeking professional help!
Thanks to everyone who made me feel so good about...well...EVERYTHING during this festival!

xo

                   

           

WIN A FREE PAIR OF EARRINGS!!!

I'm participating in the Top Treasury Team Treasury Festival, and I want to share my collections with you! Win a free pair of earrings for yourself or someone you love (mark HER off the Christmas shopping list!). Earn entries for our drawing JUST by checking out my treasury/treasuries (the more treasuries you visit, the more chances you'll have to win)! 


Between now and 11/28, visit my treasuries (they'll be listed here and our FB page (facebook.com/joolsyetmanmichaelson), and earn an entry every time you:

1) Comment abt the treasury on our FB page &/or blog (1 entry/ea comment)
1) Leave a comment at the bottom of the treasury page;
2) “Heart” or “favorite” the treasury on Etsy; 
3) One entry for every share on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Stumbledupon
4) One entry for every 4 items you “heart” in my treasury;
5) Purchase any item in my treasury
6) One entry for each: Sign up to follow my blog; follow me on twitter, “friend” me on my Willie&Lu FB page

I’ll pick a winner next Tuesday. You’ll be able to choose a pair of earrings from the shop ~ If you’d like, I can gift wrap and send your earrings to a lucky someone…

Please convo me on Etsy, leave me a message here, or email me at wilieandlu@yahoo.com with questions and comments, and send me the details of your treasury-surfing, so I can submit your entries to the drawing.


So let's get started with my FIRST treasury, w my sincere apologies to Neil Young: "The Needle and the Beauty Done": 
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/ODA2MDk5MHwxMTkyMDUzMDQ3/the-needle-and-the-beauty..

Holiday Contributions

At Lucy's urging, we've earmarked our holiday (November 25-January 1) donations to Children's Hospital Los Angeles' "Holidays From the Heart" program:  

The Holidays from the Heart Program serves Children's Hospital Los Angeles families who are financially unable to provide for themselves and their children during the holiday season. Hospital social workers identify families who meet these criteria and invite them to be a part of this special program.

Having a chronically ill child has a tremendous impact emotionally and financially on the entire family. The Holidays from the Heart Program seeks to acknowledge that burden by helping families with limited financial resources to have a special holiday celebration that they will remember.  The program is unique because it identifies and acknowledges patients, as well as all family members, who live in the same home and thus are impacted by caring for a child who is ill.

Questions about the ProgramContact Rosalind Grushkin
4650 Sunset Boulevard, Mail Stop #54
Los Angeles, CA  90027
rgrushkin@chla.usc.edu

~ ::: ~ ::: ~::: ~::: ~::: ~::: ~:::

For more information, visit http://www.chla.org/site/c.ipINKTOAJsG/b.6538899/k.1D30/Holidays_from_the_Heart__Gifts_for_Families__Volunteer.htm

Lucy has been a patient at Children's Hospital in the last few months, and she's been eager to reach out to the children who must spend a lot of time -- particularly over the holidays -- at the hospital. In addition to financially contributing to the Holidays from the Heart program, we'll be organizing a book & toy donation for the kids who may not qualify for the program, and welcome your participation. 

Thank you for your support!  We'll be posting our year's donation rundown at the beginning of January; feel free to contact us for more info.

Etsy Top Treasury Team - My new link to a whole lot of fun

FEEL FREE TO SKIP STRAIGHT TO THE LINKS! 

There's quite a bit of late-night rambling afoot here...

In order to broaden my personal circles at Etsy, I've joined the Top Treasury Team. I wasn't really sure what it was all about, but it's turned out to be loads of fun, as well as a semi-productive use of my semi-creative energies.  In addition to serving as a forum for sharing new items from my shop, it's a team that, of course, encourages the making & sharing of treasuries (if you don't know what the treasuries are, please drop me a line).  The most enjoyable and rewarding part of this for me has been the challenges ~ I won 2nd place in the first game I played! Let me see if I can explain concisely:


Okay...There are over 20,000 members of this team! Of course, a very small percentage are active in the team, but those who are keep things rolling.  About 2 weeks ago, I signed up to be part of the Chain Game.  It went like this: 50 people (i.e., 50 shops) signed up for the game.  The mission was for these 50 people to create 3-4 treasuries that featured ONLY the 50 shops involved -- and to include EVERY shop in at least one of these treasuries.  This is more challenging than one would expect!  Not all 50 shops were full of items that appealed to me, to say the least.  It was often a struggle to find creative connections between items.  Some shops list really unappealing images -- some are blurry, some too small, some have no color, etc..  But the whole thing was FUN.  Not only was it exciting to visit all the new shops and "chat" with the players, but it was a total thrill to see pieces from Willie and Lu featured in oodles of beautiful treasuries!  The goal of this game was to get as many people as possible to visit -- and to check out the pieces listed -- and to "heart" (like/favorite) my treasuries. We all vied for the title of "prettiest treasury". Sad to say, I didn't win "prettiest," but I did get 2nd place in popularity: i.e., one of my treasuries logged over 230 visits!


Now what does one win in a game like this?  Oodles of LOVE!  The other members of the team -- even some who weren't involved in the game -- chose jewelry from my shop to post on their Facebook pages, to tweet about, to post on their blogs, etc.. In other words, it was free advertising of the best sort -- word-of-mouth/personal--and, more importantly to ME, lots of good strokes, which I needed, with my sales down and my spirits lagging. 


SOOO...I'd like to share with you my winning treasury: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/ODA2MDk5MHw5Mjk0MDYzNTI/feeling-purpliscious-or-is-it-purple-is?index=3 (I don't know if I've posted this right...)


As is my responsibility and pleasure, I'll be trying to post a few of my favorite items from this week's winner, LCatla.  Here's one..  It's quite likely that none of this will work, in which case I'll try again tomorrow: http://www.etsy.com/listing/79823273/violet-purple-handmade-cz-teardrop , when I'll be adding a few more of LCatla's GORGEOUS jewels!  Let's see if I can post another; I am crazy about both the purple and golden topaz necklaces! http://www.etsy.com/listing/82422340/necklace-sunshine-yellow-crystal


Hopefully you've been able to view some cool images and skimmed the rest.  I'm tired, and now, I'll bet you are too. * IF YOU'VE READ THIS, YOU DESERVE A REWARD!  Here's the rarest of all coupon codes -- 25% off for you to use now, later, forever -- as many times as you'd like! Use code BLOGPALS -- Remember, 25% off your entire order!


Thank you thank you thank you!


xo


jools

I'm TWEETING about the Day of the Dead

I'm not proud, I admit.  I held out as long as I could, and gave in to the lure of TWITTER! I don't really get it yet. If you really want to talk to me, go to Facebook.  Now I have to manage the shop(s), the blog, 3 Facebook pages, email, and Twitter. I'm missing something, but the point is that all this SO goes against my nature, I ask for the patience of all involved.


In the meantime, I've got just a few BEAUTIFUL earrings for Day of the Dead! My dear mother commissioned me to make colorful skull earrings for each of the ladies on the Yetman side of the family -- My Arizona relatives gather in Tucson every year for the November festivities, and some day we will get there too.  These are cool earrings, and I know a lot of people who will want to wear them year 'round.  

PLEASE stop by Willie and Lu to see what's new.  In honor of FALL (yea!), Halloween, and the Day of the Dead, use coupon code BLOGPALS for 25% off your entire order(s), through Thankgiving!

xxx ooo !

jools

End of Summer Blues...

I'm having trouble getting anything done. I feel like Christmas is tomorrow and I haven't even thought about presents.  If I can get my Day of the Dead pictures posted tomorrow, I'll feel like I'm back on track. Want to make a wager, anyone???

In the mean time, please enjoy the following picture. One point if you can find the hummingbird, two points if you can find its wings. And if you'd like a PRIZE for even looking at the picture, drop me an email: willieandlu@yahoo.com


xx oo j

Up to the MInute with Willie & Lu

Just a Little-Bitty Update

HOWDY!

 

While the rest of the country bids adieu to the swelter of this terribly hot summer, as you begin to watch your leaves change and your winds turn cool and blustery, and as you pack up your shorts for sweaters, we head into our hot season. So I'm going to follow you and pretend that autumn exists here in LA. Maybe we'll try to get seats at a USC football game (a mighty tough ticket to come by!) ~ I think a marching band is just what I need!

There are a few good things about this season, no matter where we happen to be.  Basketball season is just a few months away.  Leaves turn, even here, though you have to look very closely. And the holidays are on their way.  

And for three of us, school is just 2 weeks underway, so it's still thrilling, especially for Lucy, who is taking dance and French, and, as one might expect of Lucy, working extremely hard, making friends quickly, and dressing like the style icon she may be one day.  

Aidan is more interested in crafting his Halloween costume ~ He's Link from the video game "Legend of Zelda":

  Aidan purchased a ginormous sword, and he & Jeremy are creating a sheath for it from cardboard, as well as a matching shield. Jeremy's teaching seniors for the first time, and doing the canon, to an extent.  All this learning is making me jealous, so I've got a Rosetta Stone Spanish course I just might start using one of these days...

WILLIE and LU NEWS

I am so thrilled that the coolest new store in Lawrence (that's Kansas, y'all) is now carrying my earrings! Check out Made on Mass on Facebook.  It's a terrific shop with a really lovely selection of unique handcrafted & local items, a lot of which come from Etsy artisans.  Yea!

Lucy and I are considering opening an adjunct shop in which we'll sell jewelry designed by Lucy and her BFFs Eva & Alexa, and me too! We're hoping to have a small number of designs that we'll keep in continual production. Something like that.  These girls are amazingly creative, so it should be fun! Stay posted!!!

Aidan and I are stocking our vintage shop, Picfair Village Vintage (www.picfairvillage.etsy.com) slowly but surely. We have a nice collection of very nifty items, and just need to collaborate (attn Aidan!) on listing these pieces more quickly! Please visit!

SPECIAL DEALS FOR BLOG PALS:

If you've read all of this, you more than deserve a big discount! Just for YOU, here's a coupon code that will give you 25% off your entire order @ Willie & Lu AND Picfair Village:

At checkout, enter BLOGPALS for your discount.

For Blog Followers only:  Through 1-20-2012, get a FREE pair of earrings with every 3 purchased!  While you can't use the BIG coupon code with this deal, please use coupon code BLOGSPOTROCK for an additional 10% off your already swell deal.

so long....

That's about it for now. But before we go, here's an update on our charitable contributions through 2011.  We'll post a complete summary here after the new year:

->> Willie & Lu Gives Back <<-

We are committed to giving a substantial (at LEAST 20%) portion of of our profits to environmental, humanitarian, and social/educational organizations. Please be aware that through September, we'll continue to support the Red Cross, a vital first responder to emergencies in the U.S. and abroad, particularly in the wake of devastating tornadoes and continued flooding in the Midwest & South. Additionally, the Red Cross maintains its relief efforts in areas of Japan that struggle to recover from the earthquake & tsunami.*

When donating to the Red Cross (or other relief agencies), we encourage you NOT to earmark your contribution to a specific event (e.g., tornado in Joplin, tsunami in Japan), as this prevents your funds from being put to use where they are most needed. Instead, simply contribute to THE RED CROSS or its general operations. You can be sure that your generosity will be well-used.

The Huffington Post maintains excellent pages on each disaster, providing up-to-the-minute news and very comprehensive info about agencies providing relief. Please visit http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/23/joplin-missouri-tornado_n_865608.html to find out how you can help the victims of the Joplin tornado -- You'll be able to find similar pages on each event.

Our Red Cross donations include $20/March, $30/April, and $40/May. We detail our contributions on our blog, so PLEASE visit www.willieandlu.blogspot.com, for more info, preview photos, and tidbits about Willie & Lu, our friends, and family. There's also a great savings coupon for visitors, info on our new referral bonus, and contests soon to come.

THANK YOU for your support!