Did You Know We Sell Eyeglass Chains?

We have been selling these functional but not farty eyeglass chains for years, but kind of only to our customers who knew about them.  Kind of like when you order off the menu in a restaurant.  I've decided it is time to start publicizing these little blessings for 'women of a certain age'.  When a buyer notices them at our shows she gets so excited, and usually exclaims how she has been looking for them for ages, or owns one but her friends all want one too and never knew where to get them.  It's nice to be needed, so it is time to go public with our Eyeglass chains!

My plans in the next month are to start really putting a lot of energy into updating some of our styles and adding color and other elements to the designs.

Some people sometimes balk at the price of our eyeglass chains, but these hand-made necessities are for the long haul, not an impromptu purchase because you left yours at home.  I know some women who have had their same chain for over ten years.  I'm not saying you have to wear the same eye chain for ten years, but you could is the point, and it'll always look good. 

Below are our current styles, soon to be joined with some new friends!

Soon this will be available to purchase wholesale for your company on our website.   If you have any questions or would like our line sheet to order these chains please email us at sales@lisaaugust.com

Showtime!

Ah, trade show season.   Exactly what we need after the holiday season!  ENK Accessories Circuit has come and gone, and in a couple weeks the NY NOW will be upon us.  I'm looking forward to this show.   It does very well for us, we get to see a lot of old friends and the booth is going to have a new look! 
THEN, a couple weeks later we are heading west for the WWD Magic show in Vegas!  We haven't done this show in years, and it seems very different than it used to be.  I'm looking forward to some fresh faces and maybe reconnecting with some buyers who don't make it to New York, and why should you in the winter time! (Except for the NY NOW of course!)

Come see us!

NY NOW

Javits Center

2/1/15-2/4/15

Booth # 8517

WWD Magic

Las Vegas Convention Center

2/17/15-2/19/15

Booth # 74240

So Long, 2014 Hello 2015!

This has been a long year.

When I look back on it, I immediately think what an awful year, but then the good parts also creep into my mind.  Personally, I suffered two very tough losses.  My GRAND Grandfather Augie in July and my beloved, to the moon and back Miko right after Christmas.  Trying to get over a father figure and a best friend has been a challenge, but both were so wonderful I'm focusing on the fact that I had them.  Having to see my family also go through this has been equally as tough, because they meant so much to all of us.  I have friends and family who have had to face scary challenges that we hope to not have to go through in life.  I've seen some favorite celebrities (actual good people) pass away this year, and the news is just the WORST.  As I took care of my dying cat this holiday season, and I tried to find some peace at this time of year, we had to all watch this taboo subject of race play out on TV and on the streets of New York, and silly me, I really thought our society was above this.  I think of the economy, missing planes, wars and hate and I wonder why things have to be this bad.

Then I think of all the good.  I'm in a wonderful relationship that keeps getting better and better, sometimes it scares me how good it can be (so I pick a fight with him to keep us grounded).  A very dear friend of mine gave birth to a beautiful healthy baby boy.  My family is even more supportive and bonded to each other than ever.  I have a roof over my head and too much food and wonderful friends and too much heat in my apartment.  I am loved and I love.  Last but not least, Lisa August is doing pretty well!  We hit a lot of bumps on the way, some a little bigger than we would like, but in today's world we are doing ok!  We have a good time for the most part, and my last couple of months have been fun creative times.

Life is always changing, and I've learned to expect the unexpected and I try so hard to see the positive.  There are always going to be highs and lows, so when I'm low I wait for the high, and they're out there, sometimes they are just hidden.

As we say good bye to 2014 and head into 2015 we also head right into show season and I'm ready for it (mentally, not physically!).  I'm excited for it at the moment, although my mood may change during set-up!  So I wish for all of you, no matter how your 2014 was: a wonderful, lucky, safe, exciting, healthy and prosperous 2015 filled with love.

Love, Lisa

I Heart Our Spring Line!

Our catalog is being produced, we're finishing up all our samples, and I'm actually very excited to unveil the line, which I think is a great mix of everyone's favorite pieces of ours, ie: our classics mixed with new.  A new look: trendy, fun and functional mixed media pieces.  This is how I described it in our catalog:

The following are some of these new styles that incorporate new techniques I've been playing around with this fall, I hope y'all like!

One of our favorite filigree pieces now on a stretch gemstone bracelet

A new little crystal bracelet, perfect for stacking or to make a mini statement

It's got bling, beads, it can be worn alone or in bunches. 

I love this little bar chain, I wore a prototype on Thanksgiving and all the ladies in my family were like vultures!

These are great crystal post earrings, they have a optional backing to add a little intrigue.

I love this new cord neck.  It's edgy (for us) but also beautiful.

These are so great!  I'm a big fan.  I can't wait to wear these (and to sell these!)

These hoops are wrapped in thread, and make a simple pair of drop hoops a lot more fun

This necklace looks so great on.  You just slip is over your head, it's so easy to wear, I'm loving it.

Last Minute Shopping Advice!!!

When did it become December 12th!?!?!
I'm half way done with my shopping, and hoping Saturday will really put a nail in my list.  How are you guys doing?  Need to get a little Lisa August for someone?  I've compiled a list of our favorite stores online that you can shop at.

Max and Chloe is a great website for jewelry gift buying.  Right now they are offering 20% off sitewide too! Max and Chloe

If shopping on Gilt is your thing, we still have a few of our exclusive items on sale there:
Gilt.com

I like shopping local as much as I can, and my favorite boutique to do so in Astoria is Lockwood, it's the type of store you can get lost in, and the type of store where you wish people would shop in for you! It's a great place to buy a pair of our famous tortoise hoops: Lockwood

Tuckernuck is a very tastefully edited online lifestyle store, with lots of clothing and accessories for everyone.  They do very well with all of out cabochon styles if that's your thing: Tuckernuck

You can find many of a styles at Anna Gray in Austin, Texas.  They sell our things both online and in store! Anna Gray

Fab.com is also a great lifestyle website that can really knock people off your list, and there are still three Lisa August styles you can purchase through them! Fab.com

So there you have our little Holiday Shopping list, hope this helps!

A Heavy but Thankful Heart

It's that time of year to be grateful, and I think it is a healthy exercise to look back on the year and pay some mental tribute to what it is that makes you grateful.  I've been somewhat anxious about the notion of Thanksgiving this year.  Thanksgiving in my mind is an image of my Grandfather Augie surrounded by his gaggle of grandchildren, turkey in front of him.  This has always been the one picture a year I find enjoyment in being a part of.  I'm not sure what we will be doing this year, but I assure all my readers, I don't think any of us are looking forward to it.  Instead of giving in to my sadness and the hole in my heart I want to be yet again grateful for my Grandfather.  A year did not go by that I wasn't grateful for him when he was alive, and why should it be different now that he is gone, which still in all honesty doesn't seem possible.

Me and Augie, let's say circa Thanksgiving 1987

I was in the grocery store a few weeks ago and I went to grab some lemons.  Naturally, I thought of Augie (lover of grocery stores) and how he taught me to choose the juiciest ones (his trick works every time).  Suddenly I had the urge to scream, cry and launch one of those lemons across the supermarket, hopefully pegging someone who had parked their cart and blocked some produce I couldn't get to earlier.  Since that time,  I go right up to those lemons and try to just feel grateful that I know how to pick out citrus like no other, and it's because I had the greatest Grandfather.  So much of my skill set, tiny and large, I possess because of him.  Some people don't even get to know their Grandfathers.  I got to be his Grandchild, his friend and eventually his employee for 34 years. 

The week before Augie died he was in the hospital, and we knew it wasn't going to be long.  I went over there on a Thursday afternoon with my brother.  Some of my cousins and my Grandmother, of course were there.  We actually had a nice time, as nice as it can be.  When Augie threw out one of his off color jokes to a nurse that he had a thing for, we all laughed, but I really wanted to cry.  I thought my heart might burst upon realizing this was going to be one of the last wisecracks I was going to hear out of him.  He delivered many that afternoon and I desperately clung to and soaked each one up, he really was a genius when it came to one liners.  This is another grateful moment folks.  I got to hear his perfectly delivered one liners for 34 years.  Training myself to be grateful instead of sad in these moments is not easy but necessary.

I have the PO box of the nurse who bared the brunt of his humor.  He really liked her a lot, and that is no small feat on her part.  She was one of those great nurses: positive, caring and not at all desensitized, at least not towards her patients.  Augie wanted to send her some jewelry and then with his passing, the funeral and my laziness nothing was sent to her.   He would not be happy with me if he knew I hadn't done this deed for him.  I'm going to put together some Lisa August jewelry and write her a nice note, to show my appreciation so she can know that there are people grateful to her this Thanksgiving.  Maybe she won't remember him (she probably will), but I will remember her because she gave him comfort when he was the most uncomfortable.

Just to not leave you hanging, she had the word Bell in her name and when she gave him her contact info, he simply told her: 'You could ring my bell anytime'.
Classic.

It's the Holiday Season...

Yes, yes it's early on in the holiday season, but it is upon us people, like it or not!  I'm starting to get my list together, so for those who know me, it's time to start behaving!  I know some of you are like me, and you like to get your shopping done early.  This year Lisa August is one of the featured artists at the Guilford Art Center's show, Artistry.  There are over 300 artists represented there, and it goes on from now until January 4th.  So if you are anywhere near Guilford in Connecticut or you like to take interesting day trips, this show sounds like winner.  I'm really hoping to find a free Saturday to check it out.

Check out the flier, and some of our pieces that are being featured at the sale below!