The Elves are Hunkering Down

A warm a comforting holiday season to you from Zazu.

We will see you again after the holidays as we spend this next weekish attending to our customers in their quests for the perfect holiday prezzies!

May your days be merry and bright!

Gimme Dat Ding

Anyone remember Zazu's first blog post?

Okay, I'll remind you - we posted a video we found on You Tube of our Zazu theme song, Gimme Dat Ding. You know, that upbeat, peppy song from the 60's by the Pipkins? Okay, I'll remind you again. Just click "play"...

We have gone and done it! We have (with major major help from Bad Weather Productions) created our first evah Zazu video!

Please enjoy!

I Thee Wed (nesday)

When thinking about weddings today , all I could see was red ... I mean ... cranberry.



I hope you find today's cranberry winter collection inspiring!

Photo credits: Eddie Ross, Life Mosaics, Meredith Mascola, Joanne Bartonne, Chris Humphrey, Goodlight Photography, Rebecca Hutchins

Really Great Giveaway!

Updated: Kathemc was the winner of the fabulous damask journal! Congrats!

We are the gals of 1000 lists. We list "what to do", "what we wish we would do" and "what to absolutely never do again"! We know there are more of you out there - so we are offering a list-making space of your very own for this week's Really Great Giveaway. Win your very own black and white damask graphic journal by Peter Pauper Press.

With cover art inspired by patterns from tapestries, this journal invites you to weave the threads of your life into the design of memory. Embossed with gloss highlights, 160 lined pages, and bookbound with elastic band place holder, you'll be all set to tackle those New Year's Resolutions in Zazu-style.

So, what would you list on the very first page of this journal?

Let us know in the comment section of this post. We will choose a winner next Monday, December 15th.

Last week's winner was 3squares - congrats!!

I'm Sticking with Diet Coke

A long time ago, when this blog was started {ok, it was only two months ago, but that's a long time in the blogosphere} some ground rules were laid out; 1) no kid talk 2) no sex talk 3) no religion talk and 4) no political talk.

We really like to accent-u-ate the positive.

However ...

I recently came across an advertisement being run and targeted to teens by Pepsi Max. The point is that Pepsi Max has only one calorie. Good for you, but it must really suck to be that one lone calorie. It depicts this sad calorie commiting suicide in a number of ways.

Here is one ...

I would love to know how you feel about this ad. Does it make you want to run out and stock up on Pepsi Max? Do you feel that this is an irresponsible media attempt at gathering attention through controversy?

Comment away! The next time you're in Zazu, the Diet Coke is on us!

Really Great Giveaway!

Got deja vu?  Yep, we are reprising last week's Giveaway and offering another pendant for this week.  Last week's winner was H.S. and this week it may be you!

Cousins Glena and Sabrina grew up in Logan, a small town in rural New Mexico which boasts a population of 500. The most entertaining activities in this rural area were swatting flies on their great grandmother's porch, building miniature houses out of rocks and bits of glass, seeking out hidden patches of wildflowers, and searching for the perfect smooth stone. Their great grandmother was the best playmate in New Mexico; leading them to explore a world of tiny hidden treasures, investigate abandoned houses and frontier dumps, while encouraging them to fill their pockets with sticks, stones, glass, feathers, and flowers.

In 2001, the two combined their love of family heirlooms, antique finds, and time-worn treasures with their experience in the fields of art and business to start a company of their own; Pick Up Sticks Jewelry Co., LLC. What started as a new business venture has become a way for the cousins to revisit their past and those times spent with their great grandmother in a small town. Now, Sabrina and Glena invite others to preserve their own memories via the photo charm and unique jewelry designs incorporating antique sentiment and collectible items.


Vintage images inspire this collection of collage art which is framed behind glass, encased in pewter and ready to be worn as a charm or pendant.

And now you know this week's Really Great Giveaway ... a Pick Up Sticks pendant of your very own!

To be considered in the running, please leave a comment by clicking on the tiny "comment" below. We will email the winner next Monday, December 8th and announce the next Really Great Giveaway.

Good Luck!

East Meets West

By Steven (the other half!)


If you Google "Zazu", it seems we are not the only ones! A restaurant out west keeps challenging us for the top spot, so..... On a recent trip to the Bay area of San Francisco, I decided to pay a visit to the "west coast Zazu". They are not a gift store , but a "roadhouse restaurant" located in the very pretty Santa Rosa area, about an hour north of San Fran. I couldn't help but take a few pictures, one of myself by the road sign and one with the lovely owner and her manager and chef.

What struck me most were the similarities of style between us. We shared many of the same design philosophies and even use the same fonts for our branding- not to mention the level of whimsicality! The food was great, with the choices of such wonderful items as Fried Okra, Rabbit Pate and a delectable Antipasto plate being offered in the "Nibble" category. Main courses were offered as "a nosh", with delicasies such as Chestnut Fazzoletti Lasagne, Duck Breast, Venison Bolognese and Rabbit Loin Saltimboca. For the "Sideways" items, I chose "mo rockin' Orzo" from the list that also included Ruby Chard, Rapini and Roasted Squash.

For most of us, we call it dessert, but in true Zazu fashion, they just had to add the twist! In the "Save room" category, devoto and apple + Cranberry, dark chocolate fondue, butterscotch pudding and orange pistachio biscotti with Vin Santo were on offer. "Artisan Cheeses" showcased such local items as Point Reyes Blue, Laura Chenel Cabecou and Bellweather Carmody to name a few. Whilst I did not partake in the cheese or desserts, I did have an excellent cup of Flying Goat French pressed coffee.

So, if you are ever in the area, stop in to "Zazu West" and enjoy a great meal at a reasonable price. The owner and her staff are extremely nice and hospitable.

Really Great Giveaway!

Cousins Glena and Sabrina grew up in Logan, a small town in rural New Mexico which boasts a population of 500. The most entertaining activities in this rural area were swatting flies on their great grandmother's porch, building miniature houses out of rocks and bits of glass, seeking out hidden patches of wildflowers, and searching for the perfect smooth stone. Their great grandmother was the best playmate in New Mexico; leading them to explore a world of tiny hidden treasures, investigate abandoned houses and frontier dumps, while encouraging them to fill their pockets with sticks, stones, glass, feathers, and flowers.

In 2001, the two combined their love of family heirlooms, antique finds, and time-worn treasures with their experience in the fields of art and business to start a company of their own; Pick Up Sticks Jewelry Co., LLC. What started as a new business venture has become a way for the cousins to revisit their past and those times spent with their great grandmother in a small town. Now, Sabrina and Glena invite others to preserve their own memories via the photo charm and unique jewelry designs incorporating antique sentiment and collectible items.


Vintage images inspire this collection of collage art which is framed behind glass, encased in pewter and ready to be worn as a charm or pendant.

And now you know this week's Really Great Giveaway ... a Pick Up Sticks pendant of your very own!

To be considered in the running, please leave a comment by clicking on the tiny "comment" below. We will email the winner next Monday, December 1st and announce the next Really Great Giveaway.

Good Luck!


ps. last week's Really Great Giveaway winner was Karen Orr - Congratulations!

Where Are We Going To Hide That Pickle?

It never fails. Every December someone asks about the German Christmas pickle ornament that's supposed to have a long tradition in Germany.

Here's the pickle “legend” from one Web site: “A very old Christmas eve tradition in Germany was to hide a pickle [ornament] deep in the branches of the family Christmas Tree. The parents hung the pickle last after all the other ornaments were in place. In the morning they knew the most observant child would receive an extra gift from St. Nicholas. The first adult who finds the pickle traditionally gets good luck for the whole year.” This Christmas pickle story, with a few minor variations, can be found all over the Web and in print inside the ornament package. It says that Germans hang a pickle-shaped glass ornament on the Christmas tree hidden away so it's difficult to find. The first child to find it on Christmas morning gets a special treat or an extra present.

So, each and every MONDAY, one Zazu crewmember is tapped to hide the pickle somewhere in our store shelves. Hint: not on a tree - on a shelf - practically in plain sight.  Whomsoever findeth such pickle gets one really great prezzie - The Pickle!

So, come on over to Zazu and get pickled!

I Thee Wed (nesday)

Laure and Anis - Part Deux
Cote d-Azur, France



As blogged last week, our cousin, Anis recently wed the sinfully adorable Laure. Twice. The first wedding was in his hometown of Beirut, Lebanon. The second wedding was one months later in Laure's hometown, Pierrefeu de Val, in the South of France. My husband was lucky to snag the spot as best man and I was lucky enough to snag him a long time ago, so he had to take me and two of our kids along with him.

Wow! A wedding in the South of France is EXACTLY as you would imagine. Understated elegance, cobblestone alleyways, dappled sunlight through the chestnut trees, a sweet french dixieland band, and ... champagne!

Bonne chance Laure and Anis!


p.s. I absolutely know that this is actually Thursday. I am about to post more pix about my Wednesday adventures that took me away from posting...

Really Great Giveaway!

Hey y'all! Yep, it's Monday - which absolutely means giveaway day! I've got a little question for you first...

"If you had to gain 10 pounds, what one food would you eat?"

That's the kind of inquiry you'll find in the Girl's Night Out Edition of Table Topics. One box of Table Topics can spark about a thousand conversations.




So ... what would you eat? Chocolate? Bacon? To be honest, I'd eat nothing but Bearnaise sauce. To win your very own pink box of conversation starters from Table Topics, please submit your answer to our "comment" box below. I will announce the winner next Monday, November 24.

Good Luck!

Last week's winner of the Switchflops was .... Elsie!! Congratulations!

I'm Turning Off the News

Sorry, Larry, Anderson, and Maria - we are parting ways.

Going Green

With all this talk of the economy and global warming, we at Zazu have made a conscious effort to reduce our impact on the environment and at the same time tried to make our operation more efficient. How you ask?

Our CBP (Chief Bill Payer, and computer guy) has kindly agreed to provide you with some ideas that we are using:

In the past several months, we have begun our paperless initiative, sounds kinda funny for a paper store to be talking such rubbish. What I mean is we have replaced many of our back-office tasks with an automated and computerized system. We no longer print every invoice etc.

Our first foray was an investment in a Neat Receipts Scanalyzer; What an amazing piece this is. It scans and reads our invoices and then saves them in an IRS approved format. We no longer have to print out any vouchers and have saved a ton of space by not needing to store the old papers.

Once we got that going, we realized that we had boxes and boxes of old Merchant copies of customer sales receipts, you know the ones. So, with the advent of upgrading our software, the makers of Quickbooks Point of Sale introduced a Signature Capture/PIN Pad device. Voila, we cut our receipt printing in half! They also released their newest version of the software, POS V8. This release has streamlined much of our day-to-day business and allowed our employees to be more efficient, to better serve you- our customers. We also upgraded our financial software to the latest version of Quickbooks 2009, now we're cooking with gas. Monthly bookkeeping and inventory tracking have been cut tremendously, thanks Intuit!




We then thought of what else was being wasted..... Diet coke! That's right, cans and cans of the stuff get summarily dismissed every day and we were just throwing them in the trash (No recycling here for some reason). So, we now have our very own bin in the office that gets taken to the recyclers once a week.

How about the temperature you ask? Well, our store has a great corner window, it lets in lots of sunlight in the afternoon, creating a warm and toasty reprieve from the cold. So, we decided to make the most of nature's free offering and have fine tuned our thermostat to account for the increase in afternoon heat. Our lights rely on timers to get them up in the morning and shut them off after the madding crowds have abated. No sense lighting up the midnight parking lot!

So, there you have it! We have started and will continue to look for ways to help ourselves and our environment. We have cut our administrative paper usage by approximately 75%, our receipt paper by 50%, our energy costs by 10% and saved the landfills from zillions of empty Diet Coke cans. Sorry Staples, our office-supplies spending has been reduced at your expense!

So, what have you done? Let us all know by commenting on how you have managed to get your kids to turn off the lights, driven a bit slower, changed your thermostat to an electronic type (far more efficient) and programmed it according to your occupancy. Let us know what fancy or basic ideas you may have for the rest of us. Remember, not all these ideas are free but an investment in the right ones can provide long lasting benefits.

Really Great Giveaway!

We just loaded these onto our website!!

The entire Zazu crew parades their pedis in Switchflops by LuLu Designs. The story behind Switchflops is my absolute favorite "small town girl goes big time" kind of a thing.

Switchflops started as a high school project. Repeat: a high school project! I may be dramatizing the actual event slightly but this is how I remember it when it was told to me by Lindsay (incredible girl designer) and her mom at the Atlanta Gift Show last year ...

It was a high school project. Her teacher felt very highly about Lindsay and her project. The teacher called Linday's parents to tell them what a super job she did and that they should really consider bringing this product to market.

The parents said, "what project?"

As you can tell, Lindsay and her parents figured out all the details about manufacturing, marketing, and shipping Lindsay's high school project to hundreds of stores across the globe.

Want to see Switchflops in action? Click the little triangle below ...

Want to win your very own pair of Switchflops? Leave a comment below ...



This contest ends on Monday, November 17th. We will then announce another "Really Great Giveaway. Last week's "Really Great Giveaway" winner of the Thymes candle was FatalisFortuna.

A Day that Lives in Infamy?

I will totally admit this; I was absolutely stumped for blog topic today. Stared at the laptop pretty hard, too!

Zip.

I thought I might find something brilliant somewhere on the Internet that would inspire great content for our little blog. More pondering commenced, "I wonder if anything interesting happened on this day in history?" I was hoping for something along the lines of "Take your Guinea Pig to School Day" or the day the largest ice cream soda was sipped by the entire town of Peskatilla. Straight away, I stumbled upon the website Brainy History.

Hmmm ... with the possible exception of the day the movie Bean opened, a lot of really impressive stuff happened on November 7th.

It just goes to show you, even when you've got nothing, there is always a potential something lurking around just in case you decide to go looking for it.

November 7, 2000 Al Gore wins the popular vote but loses the electoral vote to George W. Bush
November 7, 2000 Hilary Clinton is the first former First Lady elected to the Senate
November 7, 1997 "Bean" opens in US
November 7, 1996 "3 Sisters" opens at Lunt-Fontanne Theater New York City
November 7, 1996 NFL/Heisman Trophy Winner Mike Rozier, is shot several times
November 7, 1996 Wasim Jaffer gets 314* in 2nd cricket FC game for Mumbai vs. Saurashtra
November 7, 1995 Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania on WXDX 105.9 FM
November 7, 1995 Howard Stern's 2nd book "Miss America" released (fastest selling ever)
November 7, 1993 Betsy King wins LPGA Toray Japan Queens Cup Golf Tournament
November 7, 1992 1st NBA game at America West Arena, Phoenix Suns beat Clippers 111-105
November 7, 1991 "Brigadoon" opens at New York State Theater New York City for 12 performances
November 7, 1991 "Park Your Car in Harvard Yard" opens at Music Box New York City
November 7, 1991 1st NBA game in Delta City, Utah Jazz beats Seattle 103-95
November 7, 1991 Magic Johnson announces he has HIV virus and retires from Los Angeles Lakers
November 7, 1990 "Little Night Music" closes at New York State New York City after 11 performances
November 7, 1990 "Those Were The Days" opens at Edison Theater New York City for 126 performances
November 7, 1990 Cleveland Indian Sandy Alomar, Jr. wins AL Rookie of Year, unanimously
November 7, 1990 Mary Robinson elected as 1st female president of Ireland
November 7, 1989 Balt's Gregg Olson is 1st relief pitcher to win AL Rookie of Year
November 7, 1989 Douglas Wilder elected 1st U.S. black governor (D-Va)
November 7, 1989 New York City elects it's 1st black mayor (Dinkins) and female comp (Holtzman)
November 7, 1988 MLB all stars beats Japan 16-8 (Game 3 of 7)
November 7, 1988 Sugar Ray Leonard KO's Donnie LaLonde
November 7, 1987 Tunisian premier Zine al-Abidine fires president Habib Bourguiba
November 7, 1985 Colombian troops end 27-hr siege of Bogota's Palace of Justice
November 7, 1984 STS 51-A launch scrubbed because of high shear winds
November 7, 1983 Ali Haji-Sheikh kicks his 2nd New York Giant record 56 yard field goal
November 7, 1983 Bomb explodes in U.S. Capitol, causing heavy damage but no injuries
November 7, 1982 "Your Arms are Too Short to Box" closes at Alvin New York City after 69 performances
November 7, 1982 Liz Taylor's 7th divorce (John Warner)
November 7, 1982 Nancy Lopez wins LPGA Mazda Japan Golf Classic
November 7, 1982 Turkey adopts constitution
November 7, 1981 France performs nuclear test
November 7, 1979 Cub reliever Bruce Sutter wins NL Cy Young Award
November 7, 1978 Boston Red Sox Jim Rice wins AL MVP
November 7, 1978 CDA-chairman W Aantjes resigns due to his war past
November 7, 1976 "Gone With the Wind" televised
November 7, 1975 Kidnapped AKZO director Herrema freed in Ireland
November 7, 1974 63rd Davis Cup: South Africa beats India in (w/o)
November 7, 1973 New Jersey becomes 1st state to allow girls into little league
November 7, 1973 U.S. and Egypt announce restoration of full diplomatic links
November 7, 1972 President Nixon (R) re-elected defeating George McGovern (D)
November 7, 1970 "Purlie" closes at Broadway Theater New York City after 689 performances
November 7, 1970 Race riots in Daytona Beach Florida
November 7, 1969 John and Yoko release their 2nd album "Wedding Album" in UK
November 7, 1968 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya U.S.S.R.
November 7, 1967 Carl B. Stokes elected 1st black mayor of a major city-Cleveland, Ohio
November 7, 1967 Lyndon Baines Johnson signs a bill establishing Corporation for Public Broadcasting
November 7, 1967 Richard G. Hatcher elected mayor of Gary, Indiana
November 7, 1967 St. Louis Cardinals Orlando Cepeda is 1st unanimous NL MVP
November 7, 1967 Surveyor 6 launched for soft landing on Moon
November 7, 1966 Jean-Claude van Itallie's "America Hurrah," premieres in New York City
November 7, 1966 Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Titleholders Golf Championship
November 7, 1966 Lunar Orbiter 2 launched by US
November 7, 1965 Marlene Hagge wins LPGA Tall City Golf Open
November 7, 1964 NL keeps Braves in Milwaukee in 1965, may move to Atlanta in 1966
November 7, 1963 Carole Joan Crawford, 20, of Jamaica, crowned 13th Miss World
November 7, 1963 New York Yankee Elston Howard is 1st black ever voted AL MVP
November 7, 1962 Glenn Hall set NHL record of 503 consecutive games as goalie
November 7, 1961 France performs underground nuclear test at Ecker Algeria
November 7, 1960 KNRR TV channel 12 in Pembina, ND (IND) begins broadcsting
November 7, 1959 13th Ryder Cup: U.S. wins 8 -3 at Eldorado CC California
November 7, 1957 Phillies pitcher Jack Sanford wins NL Rookie of Year
November 7, 1957 WEEQ (now WWTO) TV channel 35 in La Salle, IL (IND) 1st broadcast
November 7, 1954 U.S. spy plane shot down North of Japan
November 7, 1954 Cleveland Browns' Chet Hanulak sets club record with 7 punt returns and win by their largest margin of victory (59) beating Washington 62-3
November 7, 1953 WIS TV channel 10 in Columbia, South Carolina (NBC) begins broadcasting
November 7, 1951 Constitution of Jordan passes
November 7, 1950 Carlo Terron's "Processo Agli Innocenti," premieres in Milan
November 7, 1950 French women and children leaves Hanoi/Tonkin-delta
November 7, 1949 King Faruk disbands Egyptian parliament
November 7, 1946 "Bal Negre" opens at Belasco Theater New York City for 54 performances
November 7, 1944 Franklin D. Roosevelt wins 4th term in office, defeating Thomas E Dewey (R)
November 7, 1944 Train crashes in tunnel of Aguadilla Spain; about 500 die
November 7, 1943 Detroit Lions 0, New York Giants 0; last scoreless tie in NFL
November 7, 1942 1st U.S. president to broadcast in a foreign language-FDR in French
November 7, 1942 Bicyclist Fausto Coppi establishes world record (45,848 km)
November 7, 1941 British air attack on Berlin, Mannheim and Ruhrgebied
November 7, 1940 Stravinsky's Symfonie in C premieres in Chicago
November 7, 1940 Tacoma Narrows (Galloping Gertie) Bridge collapses, Wash
November 7, 1936 Battle of Madrid begins
November 7, 1935 23rd CFL Grey Cup: Winnipeg Winnipegs defeats Hamilton Tigers, 18-12
November 7, 1934 Arthur L Mitchell, becomes 1st black Democratic congressman (Ill)
November 7, 1933 Pennsylvania voters overturn blue law, by permitting Sunday sports
November 7, 1932 1st broadcast of "Buck Rogers in the 25th century" on CBS-radio
November 7, 1932 Bradman scores 238 NSW vs. Victoria, 200 mins, 32 fours
November 7, 1931 Chinese People's Republic proclaimed by Mao Tse Tung
November 7, 1929 Museum of Modern Art opens in New York City
November 7, 1928 Herbert Hoover (R) elected president
November 7, 1925 Italians liberal-national party joins fascist
November 7, 1921 Ed Wynn's musical "Perfect Fool," premieres in New York City
November 7, 1919 U.S. police raid offices of Union of Russian Workers
November 7, 1918 Goddard demonstrates tube-launched solid propellant rockets
November 7, 1918 United Press erroneously reports WW I armistice had been signed
November 7, 1918 Vladimir Mayakovsky's "Misteriya Buff," premieres in Petrograd
November 7, 1917 British capture Gaza Palestine from Turks
November 7, 1917 October Revolution (Oct 26 OS) in Russia, Lenin seizes power
November 7, 1916 Grand duke Nikolai Nikolayevich warns czar of uprising
November 7, 1916 Jeannette Rankin (Rep-R-Mont) elected 1st woman Representative
November 7, 1916 Woodrow Wilson (D) re-elected president
November 7, 1915 Austrian submarine torpedoes Italian passenger ship (272 killed)
November 7, 1914 Japan attack German concession on Chinese peninsula of Shanghai
November 7, 1909 Knights and Ladies of St. Peter Claver organizes in Mobile Alabama
November 7, 1908 Dutch capture Venezuelan navy
November 7, 1907 Dynamite explodes on locomotive kills engineer Jesus Garcia in Mexico
November 7, 1907 Test tokens are struck in 1st production of Canadian coins
November 7, 1893 State Colorado accept female suffrage
November 7, 1885 Canadian Pacific Railway completed at Craigellachie
November 7, 1876 Edward Bouchet, is 1st black to recieve a PhD in U.S. college (Yale)
November 7, 1876 Meharry Medical College forms at Central Tennesse College
November 7, 1876 President Rutherford B Hayes and Samuel J Tilden claim presidential victory Tilden (D) wins election but Electoral college selects Hayes (R)
November 7, 1875 Verney Cameron is 1st European to cross equitorial Africa
November 7, 1874 1st cartoon depicting elephant as Republican Party symbol, by T Nast
November 7, 1872 U.S. cargo ship Mary Celeste set sail from New York on a journey which ended when it is found mysteriously abandoned the following month
November 7, 1865 London Gazette, oldest surviving journal, is founded
November 7, 1864 2nd session of congress of Confederate States of America reconvenes
November 7, 1863 Battle of Rappahannock Station and Kelly's Ford, VA
November 7, 1861 Battle of Belmont, MO
November 7, 1861 Battle of Port Royal Bay, South Carolina (Ft. Walker, Ft. Beauregard)
November 7, 1848 General Zachary Taylor elected as president of US
November 7, 1831 State Gran Colombia disbands
November 7, 1824 St. Petersburg flood
November 7, 1820 James Monroe elected 5th U.S. president
November 7, 1814 1st sitting of States-general in Hague
November 7, 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe, gave Harrison a presidential slogan
November 7, 1805 Lewis and Clark 1st sights Pacific Ocean
November 7, 1794 French troops conquer Nijmegen
November 7, 1775 Lord Dunmore, promises freedom to male slaves who join British army
November 7, 1747 Organgist in Netherlands revolt under Daniel Raap
November 7, 1733 France and Spain sign Escoriaal Treaty
November 7, 1722 Richard Steele's "Conscious Lovers," premieres in London
November 7, 1667 Jean Racines "Andromaque," premieres in Paris
November 7, 1665 1st edition of "London Gazette"
November 7, 1659 Peace of Pyreneeen: French king Louis XIV and Spanish king Philip IV
November 7, 1651 King Louis XIV of France (13) declarer of full age
November 7, 1637 Anne Hutchinson banished from Mass bay colony as a heretic
November 7, 1631 Pierre Gassendi observes transit of Mercury predicted by Kepler
November 7, 1597 Emilia of Nassau weds Dom Emanuel of Portugal
November 7, 1581 Queen Elizabeth I and Francois of Anjou wed
November 7, 1558 French king Henri II occupies Calais
November 7, 1519 University of Leuven convicts teaching of Luther
November 7, 1512 Medici's discharge Niccolo Machiavelli from Florence
November 7, 921 Treaty of Bonn: East France and West France recognize each other
November 7, 680 3rd Council of Constantinople (6th ecumenical council) opens

I Thee Wed (nesday)

Alright, I realize it is now Thursday. That darned election got me all twitterpated and I seem to have lost all sense of time. Speaking of twitterpated {nice segue, huh?}, I hope you enjoy the wedding photos of Laure and Anis.

Anis is my husband's first cousin. He lives in Paris, which is where he met the glorious Laure {and ... she is ridiculously nice, too.} We did not attend their nuptials, but Anis forwarded these pictures to me.

What you see below is a typical and low-key wedding ... in Beirut.


And, yes, those are sword-swallowing, flame-spitting, uh, what's the word; sword-swallowing, flame-spitting guys? Yep, fireworks, too!


Next week, I will share with you Laure and Anis' second wedding two months later ... in the South of France.

Seriously, I don't even have to make this stuff up.

The Great Sock Monkey Debate Election Results

I am really glad we are only discussing plush products here ...

The results of our recent Sock Monkey vs. Webkinz debate was so ho ho hum that we at Zazu have decided two things:

1. We will not be ordering any sock monkeys.  Hey, even the manufacturer wasn't interested in casting their ballot. Not even one tiny little comment.
2. We will be having a ginormous Webkinz sale. Yep, I'd say we are done.

For a limited time, we are having a BUY ONE / GET ONE FREE Webkinz sale here at Zazu.  That includes the plush toys {regular size and L'il}, clothing, ornaments, trading cards, carryalls, figurings, mouse pads, spritz and lipgloss. The whole works!!

And then they will all be gone ...

We The People

Are you wearing red, white and blue today? Well, you should be. It's election day! Whether you voted absentee (while sitting on the living room floor in your pajamas), or plan to go to the booths today (in your red, white and blue outfit - go ahead, we'll wait for you to go home and change), you can feel good about being an American. Vote.

We wanted to remind everyone, not to mention ourselves, why we vote. This may or may not have involved watching a few old Schoolhouse Rock videos. Please enjoy Holiday Golightly's Top 10 Reasons to Vote, with a little help from the Preamble to the Constitution.

1) To form a more perfect union - okay, perfection is overrated and can be boring, but we love a good union! The union of two people in love, the union of peanut butter and chocolate, the union of the snake. Discuss!

2) Establish justice - yes, please! We would also like to see certain injustices rectified: guys who say they'll call, then don't; the drastically escalating cost of designer footwear; the return of leggings-as-pants.

3) Ensure domestic tranquility - because tranquility is contagious, and if we can be tranquil domestically, we can work on being tranquil internationally. Can't you just picture all of us swinging in hammocks, collectively sipping glasses of Semillon?

4) Provide for the common defense - normally we find defensiveness kind of annoying, but protecting ourselves is just good policy. Just ask the people at Kotex.

5) Promote the general welfare - welfare has become somewhat of a negative term, with loaded political connotations. The main definition is "Health, happiness, and good fortune". We're going with that one.

6) Secure the blessings of liberty - we love a good blessing; particularly when we sneeze.

7) Life - yes, because without life, what do you have?

8) Liberty - liberty = freedom, and we rely on these things to live our lives the way we want.

9) The pursuit of happiness - "Happiness" is our new nickname for Zac Efron. and last, but not least

10) Because you CAN - you know how sometimes someone says "You can't have a cupcake, because they're for the party", or "You can't just take those Christian Louboutins out of the store without paying for them"? Doesn't that just boil your butter?

Get out there and make your opinion count!

Really Great Giveaway!

Ok, it's Monday ... time to offer up another sweet surprise from Zazu.

This week, we would like to introduce you to our best selling candle ever - The Thymes' Frasier Fir! Although we only stock it from mid-October through December, it is clearly the shopper's favorite. Last year, we sold out and customers demanded to be put on a waiting list in case any were returned. None were ...

We are so hot for this product that it was the first thing we added to our website. {Yep, we're working on it ... great stuff being loaded by the minute!}

Listen to the description from The Thymes themselves:

Mountain fresh and glowing with the aromatic snap of crisp Siberian Fir needles, heartening cedarwood and relaxing sandalwood. The Thymes Frasier Fir sets the mood for those special moments that make up your life stories. Creating a tradition to savor ... and to share. Burns cleanly for approximately 50 hours.

And ... here's a picture ...

To enter to win this really great giveaway, please post a comment below. Next Monday (Nov. 10th), we will randomly choose the winner and post the results on this blog.

Good Luck!

Note: Last week's winner was rainydaygirl! rainydaygirl, could you please email us with your contact information? www.coolstuff@shopzazu.com

Voila!

Alternate Headline:
Who Needs NYC When You've Got Ashburn?

So, friends, this is what we've been up to all week. We've pinned, glued, glittered, tinselled {is that a real word?} and hauled out more holly than we thought was possible.

Sharing time! Our piece de resistance must be our ode to Marie Antoinette. This was absolutement{!} our most challenging and rewarding window display. Truly a group effort, there was not one member of the Zazu crew that did not have a hand in on this one.



I will let the pictures speak for themselves ... but, yes, Virginia, it is a Christmas tree!




Hey ... wait ... there's more!

We had to pull in a few ringers from the outside world. A most sincere merci to Lisa Schulz, party planner extraordinaire, owner of The Posh Planner.

Lisa created the fabulous tablescape {with literally no notice} complete with gateau!


Obviously, we also needed a royal hairstylist. Anna Michelle Jackson, owner of Modern Concepts Salon was summoned, tout de suite! A few pins here, a little spray there, and a ton of hair {yep, its real!} and the magic was complete!




Here's how happy we were with ourselves ...

But, most importantly, here's the reaction we have been getting from our customers!



Joyeaux Noel!

Really Great Giveaway!

We are keeping it pink!

Look here every Monday for another great giveaway from Zazu. This week, we chose a staff favorite - a wardrobe of stationery designed by Anna Griffin! Within the hot pink, zebra trimmed box, you will find 20 note cards, 20 correspondence cards, 20 letter sheets, 60 envelopes and 3 adhesive note pads. Wow, another great excuse to keep in touch!

Just post a comment below (click on the tiny "comment") and we will announce the winner next Monday!

Good luck and good writing!

Note: The winner was rainydaygirl! rainydaygirl, could you please email us with your contact information? www.coolstuff@shopzazu.com