We were on Oprah!

Sort of. While catching up on our favorite show yesterday, Oprah was covering the topic of Quints by Surprise. Low and behold, one of our gifts to the Jones Quints appeared - La Plates Placemats on their kitchen table. Seems that our personalized mats keep them entertained and organized at mealtime! Glad they are a hit with the kids...now Oprah might need a few!

Happy Second Birthday to the Quints! And cheers to their big sis and parents for leading the way! Here's a link to our original Jones post.

LAVISH, A Great Group of Bloggers

We had the opportunity to be a part of a great gathering of lifestyle bloggers this weekend: LAVISH! in Atlanta, GA. As sponsors, we decorated for the final toast & cupcake treat, take a look at the tables:
Each place setting had a dessert plate, frost cup + a notepad:
We met one of the first bloggers to introduce La Plates to their readers, Melissa C. Morris:
So fun to meet someone in person, after loving her blog for years!
The creator of LAVISH, The Broke Socialite:
Plus all the sponsors behind the event:

Congrats to Honeysuckle!

We love this year's PANTONE winner!

We think Honeysuckle on our GREEK design is FAB with a little pop of charcoal. Look for more custom options, coming in our 2011 Collection!

Holiday Backup Plan

Did you miss our December 5^th cut off? Not to worry! We are happy to send you proofs to wrap up with a pretty bow:

PLATES

PLATTERS

PLACEMATS

CUTTING BOARDS

COASTERS

Wanting to order other items? Just copy a photo from our website, wrap it up and we’ll send the real deal as soon as it’s ready.

Not sure what your friend or family member would like? Why not buy them a gift certificate?

We have our elves working around the clock here at La Plates. While we don’t guarantee a December 24^th delivery for orders placed after December 5^th, they just might get there!

La Plates CYBER MONDAY

We have all survived Black Friday and Small Business Saturday - now it's time for...

Shop at La Plates now until Monday, 11.29.10 @ midnight CST and receive
10% off all of your purchases.
Use the code:
holiday10
for 10% off at checkout.

This is a great time to order SETS of LA PLATES. Valid until 11.30.10:
BUY 5 identical plates,
get 1 FREE!
No code needed, we'll add the free plate during production!

All orders placed by December 5th will arrive by December 24th
Any orders placed after December 5th will be processed as quickly as possible,
but we can't guarantee a holiday delivery.

No refunds can be given for previously ordered items or for orders entered Monday without a coupon code - it will give our elves a headache & might slow down production!

Buy Set of 5, Get 1 FREE!

We love a good deal, so we're really excited to offer one to you this holiday season! Now until November 29th, 2010 @ midnight CST, buy a set of 5 identical La Plates 10" melamine plates and get the 6th plate FREE! No need to enter any codes at checkout, we'll add the free plate to the order. No additional discount codes may be entered for the FREE plate deal to be applied to your order. Set of 5 plates must be identical in design + colors + font + personalization.Customers should only order 5 plates and we'll throw the 6th in for FREE. We will create the plate during production just for ordering 5 of the same identical plates. We can not refund money if you order a 6th plate - but we'll still throw one in for FREE!

Christmas Card Photos

In an effort to motivate our kids to take Christmas card pictures, I found some old photos of Uncle Matt & me. I had to laugh at the number of monogrammed sweaters my mother dressed us in...La Plates was in the cards long ago!

Let's begin with 1981's sweet leaf pile pic...
A few years later, things got a little ugly...my bad teeth, the pom-pom hats over the bowl cuts, our "friend" Joey...but I've got a monogram!
May you have good luck in snapping a classic of your kids...dog...whoever you plan to show off this year!

Rainy Day Fun - Placemats

Thanks to our fabulous art class teachers, the kids had a new batch of sparkly play dough. With an afternoon rain & no tv (mean mommy) the kids came up with a new use for their Handwriting Placemats - pretty creative, if I do say so myself!

We also write directly on the placemats (washable markers only) - it's great entertainment while mommy & daddy are trying to get dinner on the table!

The Nest - what a fab mag!

From the days of planning my wedding, I've been a huge fan of The Knot. Their sister publication, The Nest is just as helpful & fun for home decor & lifestyle. The Nest Fall 2010 issue has us already thinking about our holiday lists...a great collection of "gifts under $50"! We're partial to the La Plates Cutting Boards on page 24, but found something for everyone. Pick up a copy today - it's great!

Lonny Mag Love

One of my favorite online magazines - Lonny Magazine - turns one today. While I still wish I could flip the real pages, I adore everything about the content of this publication!

Last week we were thrilled to be a part of the countdown to Lonny's 1st Birthday (sorry it was only a 1 day giveaway). Then to see our VIP wallet in the "We went mad for..." was a thrill!

Balliets, here we come!

Back in 1992 (Stanton Hall - Miami University) I met a woman that I knew would be a friend for life. At the time, her parents had just moved to Oklahoma City to take over Balliets. It was a great store back then, but this year they moved in to a brand new building - AMAZING!

On Tuesday, October 26th, from 5-9pm, Balliets is hosting a Girls' Night Out. La Plates has been invited to attend and share our products. We can't wait to pack up and head on down! If you're in the Oklahoma City area, join us for the fun!

"Balliets is Oklahoma City's premiere destination for fashion, be it apparel, shoes, cosmetics, accessories... you name it. We have recently relocated from 50 Penn Place and now anchor the upscale retail complex at Western and Grand called Classen Curve.

From the infusion of natural light pouring in all around the store, the three-and-a-half miles of rough white pine on the walls, the pale Italian travertine grand staircase, the revolutionary cosmetics and fragrance studio on the second floor, and the 12X12 foot projection screens inside the store, there is nothing usual about the new Balliets. Each individual dressing room is even uniquely and sumptuously appointed.

A bigger, better Balliets awaits you at Classen Curve. A Balliets with more space, more lines, an expanded shoe department and a brand new contemporary department. Balliets has been reborn and we can't wait to show it off."

If you see me at Balliets later this month, you can bet I'll be having a ball! Nothing like hanging out with an old friend and calling it work...and now for the 90's flashback:

2010 Holiday Trunk Shows

Today begins our Holiday Trunk Shows! We love our online boutique, but it's also a lot of fun to be able to get out and meet our customers in person. All the trunk shows listed in BOLD are open to the public. Feel free to follow the links and learn more about the location and any fees for entry. Hope to see you this holiday season!

October 5^th – Leawood, KS – Mill’s Farm Girls’ Night Out

October 12^th – Prairie Village, KS – home show

October 13^th/14^th - Wayne, Pennsylvania – home show

October, 21^st - Oklahoma City, OK – home show

October, 26^th - Oklahoma City, OK – Balliets

November 2^nd – Fairway, KS – La Plates Headquarters

November 4^th/5^th – Macon, GA – Sorella

November 3^rd & 5^th - Western Springs, IL – home show

November 11^th-13^th – Chicago, IL – St. Chrys Holiday Faire

November 18^th - Houston, TX – home show

November 18^th-20^th – Franklin, TN – Nashville Junior League, Tis’ The Season

December 2^nd - San Antonio, TX – home show

Home Shows are hosted by La Plates clients who want to bring our products to their hometown. Because they are opening their home, we leave the invite list to them. All Trunk Shows in BOLD are open to the public, some require an entry fee.

Meat Mitch BBQ

One of our favorite fall events in Kansas City is the American Royal BBQ. On this night, teams from all over the US host tents to show off their BBQ skills. While I'm not an expert - I like a good beef brisket sammy + a cold beer! We enjoy stopping by a lot of parties, but we seem to end up at the Meat Mitch event for most of the night. This team knows how to throw a party!

Now you can take the BBQ home with you. Meat Mitch has bottled his BBQ goodness...if only I could get his brisket to go!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

MODERN HOT PINK - PLATES
MODERN HOT PINK - PLATTERS
MONOGRAMMED HOT PINK - WALLETS

10.1.10 - 10.31.10
Donation will be made to:
Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Tervis Tumbler Giveaway!

We're teaming up with Tervis Tumbler for our September/October GIVEAWAY. Be sure to invite your friends to enter - you'll have more chances to win!
Can't wait to see if you're the lucky winner? Head over to La Plates & get your Monogrammed Tervis Tumblers today!

Hoddy Toddy, we're at the Party!

We were thrill that Invitation Oxford featured La Plates in their Fall, Football & Fashion Issue. What a fun combo of plates for the next tailgate in The Grove!

What's in your bag?

I'm the victim of a tragic wallet situation. I refused a proper wallet and insisted on a pencil case 10 years ago {Kate Spade, great product, still use it for my glasses}...I'm a bit of a creature of habit...I didn't give it up until this came along:Our new leather wallet is the best! There's a place for every possible card, coin, dollar bill + receipts. And of course, a classy monogram - your choice of BLOCK or CIRCLE. You pick the leather: HOT PINK (my choice), MANGO, NAVY or BROWN. All leather colors match our Sunday Catchall...are you thinking great holiday gift? Us too!

September is Ovarian Cancer Month

We are huge supporters of Ovarian Cancer research + early detection of the crappy cancer. We think it's so incredibly important, that we're donating a portion of all sales this month to a national and regional ovarian cancer organization. Women must know the signs of ovarian cancer - heck, it's important for men to know the signs and help women in their lives! You are your own advocate for your health - make your doctor listen if you have any symptoms.

My super amazing mom lost her battle with ovarian cancer. We're fighting to make sure all women know the symptoms of ovarian cancer.

Ovarian Cancer Symptoms:

• Abdominal pressure, fullness, swelling or bloating
• Urinary urgency
• Pelvic discomfort or pain

Additional signs and symptoms that women with ovarian cancer may experience include:

• Persistent indigestion, gas or nausea
• Unexplained changes in bowel habits, such as constipation
• Changes in bladder habits, including a frequent need to urinate
• Loss of appetite or quickly feeling full
• Increased abdominal girth or clothes fitting tighter around your waist
• Pain during intercourse (dyspareunia)
• A persistent lack of energy
• Low back pain
• Changes in menstruation

If you have a history of ovarian cancer or a strong history of breast cancer in your family, strongly consider seeing a doctor trained to detect and care for ovarian cancer patients so that you can talk about screening, genetic testing and treatment options while you are disease-free.
(source=www.mayoclinic.com)

And then there was pre-school...

Not to be out shined by the big kindergartener, the little man started pre-school this week. After watching his brother pose for 1st day pictures, he was all about having his day documented. The child that wears only vintage (washed 100 times) t-shirts was looking dapper in his "work shirt".

Happy Labor Day!

We've been a little behind on blogging this summer. But in the spirit of the patriotic Labor Day upon us, we thought we'd share a little something red, white & blue. We are huge fans of Rainy Day Books - a local bookstore that hosts a fabulous author series. Earlier this summer, we attended a gathering with Laura Bush, talking about her recent book Spoken From the Heart. We gave Mrs. Bush a La Plates treat, because we think she's an amazing woman!
Wouldn't you know, just days later, a thank you note arrived? I knew our former first lady was a class act, but a thank you note for little old me? We were very honored to have Mrs. Bush take a liking to La Plates, but more importantly, take the time to write.
Have a great long weekend - safe travels and fun times!

A Big Day

As a former teacher, the first day of school has always been a big deal for me. This week was a whole new ballgame...We got him all ready with school supplies + backpack + lunch bag...
But then he got the "hot lunch" menu. Nachos Grande won out over carrying his new lunch bag with my healthy, organic ingredients. Maybe next week he'll take me up on a packed lunch & he'll be rolling in style!

What I did for Summer "Vacation"...

This summer has brought a lot of travel for work + pleasure. It's always nice to mix in a little of both, then you're not feeling guilty for leaving family OR work - I loved it all!

MEMORIAL DAY - Sea Island, GA:

If you haven't been to the Golden Isles, you deserve a trip down! We love staying at Sea Island or St. Simons Island. Jekyll Island has great camping too...if only I could talk my husband into my dream RV!

FATHER'S DAY - Chicago, IL:

We stayed at my brother's girlfriend's...hopefully he'll get hitched to her one day! Highlights of the weekend were: hanging with family in Lincolnshire & friends from Hinsdale, Gino's East Pizza, Lincoln Park Zoo, Children's Museum @ Navy Pier, shopping, grown up's night out and Father's Day Brunch @ Feast - delish!

WEDDING WEEKEND - Bar Harbor, ME:

The bride and groom had every perfect detail planned for our weekend stay in Bar Harbor. We stayed at the Harborside Resort - perfect location & great accommodations! You really can't go wrong with meals or activities in Bar Harbor - be sure to grab a lobster roll!

HOMETOWN WEEKEND - Indianapolis, IN:

We love going to Indiana whenever we get the time. I grew up there & love visiting family and friends. This summer I took my boys for a long weekend while their daddy played in a golf tournament. Highlights of this trip were: hanging with Nana & Uncle Dave in Rush County, meeting the newest addition to our family, Children's Museum, Hinkle Field House and Traders Point Creamery.

FAMILY VACATION - Carbondale & Aspen, CO:

Escaping the August heat of Kansas City is especially delightful if you get to go to the Rocky Mountains! We spent our family vacation in Carbondale, CO. We love to fish, hike, golf - basically anything outside in the cool mountain air! Favorite restaurants include Taqueria El Nopal (great Mexican) and my temporary "office": Dos Gringos - Burritos & Coffeehouse. We finished off our week with a night in Aspen, CO. It was the perfect end to a fabulous adventure. We stayed at Hotel Aspen, rode the gondola up the mountain, played in the fountain and had dinner at Brunelleschi's Dome Pizza.