Putting Our Money Where Our Mouth Is

On October 7th, we started giving away $50 each week to one Zazu customer.

Why? Keep reading...

 

That's why. It's got to start somewhere ...

So, for twelve weeks beginning October 7th, we randomly select one Zazu customer each week to receive a $50 bill. Our hope is that those $50 bills will be spent in some of our areas most loved independent small businesses. (yes, Zazu is eligible to be one of them!)

Each Friday, we will choose a winner and post on our Facebook page which local businesses earned a shout out that week for a job well done and appreciated!

There are several ways to enter, and yes, extra 
points for all doing all of them!
• "Like" us on Facebook
• Follow us on Twitter
• Share our 3/50 post (or share on Facebook)
•Tell us on Facebook which three businesses really trip your trigger
• Comment at the bottom of this post ... those three trigger trippers
• Email us the names of your top 3 businesses (to coolstuff@shopzazu.com)
• Write a recommendation for Zazu on Facebook

Need more details? Keep reading ... we know, it IS a long post! Just got to cover all the bases.

Terms and Conditions - What Kind of Businesses are Eligible?
What exactly is an independent?   
Short answer: Someone who sleeps little, eats on the run, balances their checkbook over the breakfast table, combs through order forms in bed at night, and is capable of sorting invoices, signing paychecks, fielding questions, responding to emails, and faxing confirmations while simultaneously explaining to a new employee how to check in UPS.

Long answer: There are as many definitions for the word "independent" as there are types of retail stores. For the sake of clarity, we cull the most salient points from the most highly respected "buy local" organizations in the country, and hold businesses fitting that definition in the highest regard. Don't assume that "independent" equates to a monotone description, however. The 3/50 Project supports locally owned brick and mortar businesses of all types: retail stores, salons, dry cleaners, movie theaters, restaurants, etc. The people behind the counter and in the back office are the same ones you see at the nearby grocery store (possibly another indie business), each of which has a personal stake in the health of your local economy.

More specifically defined, Independent means:

· The majority of the business' ownership is private, by employees, the community, or an area cooperative, and is resident to the community in which it's based

· The business operates out of a physical storefront or similar and is the only business residing at that specific doorway's address (not a kiosk, home based business, etc.)

· The business relies solely on its unique name and reputation (ie, does not "wear" a regionally or nationally recognized brand name)

· The business is registered only in its home state, and has no affiliation with an out of state headquarters or corporate office

· Full decision making function for the business is held by the local owner(s), including the name, signage, brand, appearance, purchasing, etc.

· The business is solely responsible for paying its own rent, marketing, and other expenses

· It has no more than two outlets, both located in a single state, with a central base of operations in that state 

· It is not a vendor (ie, does not sell wholesale)

Why don't you include franchises or regional/national brand names in that definition? 

The definition of "independent" and the resulting guidelines used by The 3/50 Project were not created quickly or without thought, but are based on widely recognized standards as defined by the three largest and most highly respected Buy Local organizations in the country: BALLE, AMIBA, and the American Booksellers Association.

Unfortunately, no one can be all things to all people. Given the wide variations in the amount of corporate input and support among the thousands of franchise and chain operations around the country, The 3/50 Project supports one very specific, very unique business model-that of the independent business who does not have the benefit of a preferred vendor list, specially negotiated vendor pricing, corporate office access, and a regionally/nationally recognized brand name (which, by extension, allows franchises to benefit from the halo effect when the corporate office runs national ad campaigns).

Whether a hardware store or a burger place, a regionally or nationally recognized name provides benefits that true "independents" don't have-otherwise, why would anyone pay for the right to wear them?

Please don't feel we're tossing you out the door if you own a business that fits into this group, though. Hundreds of chains, franchises, and recognized brands agree that supporting their independent counterparts is critically important to the health of their local economies, and register with us to show it. If you look on our Supporters page, you'll see them listed on the right hand side of the page. Just our way of saying thanks for their belief in The 3/50 Project.

Why don't you include home based businesses in The 3/50 Project? 

Short answer: Because they aren't brick and mortar independents.
Long answer: Because commercial property tax is one of the largest lump sum contributions a brick and mortar makes to a community (in addition to whatever property taxes they pay for their home). Businesses operating from a residence do not make the hefty contribution to a community's commercial property tax fund that brick and mortars do. That's not to say that all home based businesses are bad-just that they don't qualify as a 3/50 Project participant (sorry, but this is not open for negotiation).

And ... Ta Da! The comment box...

Week #3 of our $50 Giveaway!

Each week, Zazu is giving away $50 to support our local independent small businesses.

Why? You'll find all the details in our original post.

The easy peasy entry form is right here and you can also find it on our Facebook page.

$50 Giveaway Week Two ...

New week, new giveaway. Yes, we've got another $50 to give away this week in support of the 3/50 project.

Not familiar with the 3/50 project? You can read all about it on the previous post. Click here to go there.

And then, come on back and join the party!

A Trifecta of Terrific Tasks

Good things come in threes, right?

I'm heading out tomorrow to wrap up the buying of Zazu's holiday season goodies and will be back on Wednesday.

Couldn't leave you hanging, so I picked three doozies...

 Hey! Only 162 days until Christmas!

Just saying.

If you have no idea what this is all about, click here.

The Magic Bowl Continues to Mock Me

Alternate title #1: "You Have Got to Be Kidding Me"

Alternate title #2: "This is Spooky"

Alternate title #3: "It's Deja Vu All Over Again"

Here's the background info: I have been on a diet for approximately the last 30 years. But, I have been trying in earnest to shed the remaining "baby weight" (ok, she's nearly seven) for the last four months. The last two months have been in super earnest, and the last week has been in super duper earnest.

I'm serious.

Yes, it's kind of taking over, but I am trying to keep it in perspective and not obsess too much, which as you all know by now, is not my strong suit.

Stop laughing.

Then, this comes out of the magic bowl ...

Okay, I guess fruit and vegetables make good printing tools, but I am suddenly thinking chocolate could also work.

Please stop me.

If You Can Dream It, You Can Do it

I am going a little off script today.

I usually have music playing in the background while I am working. Luckily, everyone here at Zazu has an understanding of my eclectic tastes in music, which range from Broadway show tunes, to the Barenaked Ladies, to the Doors, to TV theme songs from the 70s, novelty hits, the Bee Gees and my absolute favorite singer of absolutely all time , Sir Tom Jones.

Yeah, really really. Tom Jones is my favorite singer of all time. Hands down.

Music can move me to create faster if I need to, more focused if I need to be, make me either happier or more contemplative, and untethers me from the routine.

Art does the same.

So combining the two makes perfect sense.

Today's challenge is this:

"Try to represent music visually."

Maybe this video will provide you with inspiration. Enjoy!

This is Spooky ...

Yesterday, we had a power outage at Zazu and had to close a little early.

Zazu is very very dark with no electricity and although we had a few determined folks still trying to shop with the flashlights they handily keep in their purses, browsing is kind of tough under those circumstances.

So, we locked up the shop, prayed that the computers hadn't been fried and the alarm system wouldn't go blaring off in the middle of the night.

I came in early this morning to assess the damage, but before I left the house, I picked today's challenge.

You'll never in a bazillion years believe this one.

I know I say this a lot but ...

I. Am. Not. Making. This. Up.

Rejoice, Bubble Writers!

I've got a surprising confession.

I failed penmanship in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades.

And when I say failed I mean as in a big fat "F" in the little square on your report card next to the word "penmanship".

I've got another confession.

I'm a lefty.

Back in my day you couldn't be a lefty. Try it and a big fat ruler would come flying out of the solar system directly on your offending left hand.

I am not a troublemaker, so I switched that pencil over in a mighty quick hurry.

And, then failed penmanship for the next four years. I just couldn't get the hang of it. It became an obsession in the most obsessive kind of way. Seriously, who fails something like penmanship? I don't even think that should be possible.

This whole situation bothered me. It bothered me a lot.

One day, my mother told me she had signed me up for a class at the library. It was called, "Calligraphy". When I asked her what that meant, she told me it was a class to learn fancy handwriting.

Really? I couldn't even handle the regular handwriting, I was really going to bomb at this. I wonder what that teacher will use to smack me in the hand? A fancy ruler?

Anyway, I had no choice but to go.

We started at the very beginning, "Okay, this is your hand. This is a calligraphy pen. You hold the pen in your hand. (Uh Oh, here it comes) Hold it in whichever hand you choose."

Is this for real? Whichever hand you choose?

Which hand do you think I chose?

Wrong!

I went with the right one.  I'm kind of a nut that way. I tend to do the opposite of what most folks would expect me to do.

I was thinking that maybe calligraphy would get this hand into shape.

So I took that calligraphy pen in my right hand, placed it in my hand at a 45 degree angle, and drew a tiny line straight down.

It worked. It was straight and looked just like every one else's.

So, I did it again. And I did it again. And I did it again about a thousand more times. I went home and did it about a million more times. I spent every day after school practicing stroke after stroke until I had mastered the entire alphabet. Upper AND lower cases!

Less than 10 years later, I entered college as an ... ART MAJOR!

No kidding.

Less than 10 years after that, I financed my wedding by providing calligraphy and envelope addressing services to other brides.


Yes, I was a professional (!) handwriter!!

No kidding.

The end.

Pants on FIre!

So, here I am scrambling around the house this morning - checking off all the to do stuff: Dishwasher unloaded, laundry in progress, mop at the ready to tackle that kitchen tile ... and so on and so forth.
You know, I love love love checking off to do lists. Sometimes, I do stuff and then write it down on my list afterward just so I can check it off. Weird, I know, but I love to have a true sense of accomplishment. Especially on Saturdays, when I do this catch up on all the housekeeping stuff.

What?!

You're kidding me.

It's not Saturday?

{imagine me blinking about a thousand times as this revelation sinks in}

How could I misplace Friday?

I should have put it on some sort of list and absolutely not have moved on until I checked it off.

Creative people can be weird.

But you already know that.

Here's FRIDAY'S Challenge. (I pinky swear this one was randomly chosen)

Phoning It In

Due to a whole bunch of early-ish appointments this morning, I'm picking today's challenge and running.

Today's challenge for our Summer Visual Journal is:

"Drip Something on a Page"

I'll be back later to say something funny.

I promise.

And .... We're Back!

Did everyone have a super holiday weekend?

In between unpacking the car, laundering the watermelon stains out of that red, mostly white and blue T-shirt, and getting recharged to take on the rest of summer - I've got a new challenge for you!

Get creative!

I normally remind you to, "Get messy!", but I suddenly remembered where I had heard it before.

So, now I'm channeling Miss Frizzle ...

Have fun, take chances, and get messy!

Just So You Don't Miss Us Too Much

The gang and I are headed out for the long weekend. We'll be back sometime on Tuesday.

We trying really hard to take advantage of the lawlessness of summer.

(For y'all Down Under, it's Independence Day on Monday and that is a huge deal for us here in the States.)

But, for those of you who might simply die as a result of not having enough challenges to keep your creative juices flowing, how about we jump ahead a little?

Here's the next four challenges.

They are in no particular order because I'm not particularly bossy.

I don't know why my kids are laughing. Stop laughing.

You stop laughing, too, Mom. (I'm pretty sure she's reading this)

OK, just get on it when you can. And, puh-leeze send me some of your creations.

Here's my email caroline@shopzazu.com

The Son Also Rises

I am happy.

Yellow smiley face, balloon releasing, clicking my heels kind of happy.

This One awoke before noon and agreed to pick today's challenge.

Guess what it was?

Oh man, this made me happy in a walking on sunshine kind of a way.

So, headed straight to You Tube, of course to get that video to embed into the blog. I figure if I'm craving to hear it, you are too. Right?

As I am previewing the video just to continue my happy groove, That Girl interrupts.

"I know that song! I love that song! But, who's that singing it?"

"That's Katrina and the Waves. This song was popular when I was in high school."

And then she said (this is an absolute quote, I swear), "Dude, Aly and AJ sing it faster."

What!?

 Did she just call me "Dude"?

And who are Aly and AJ?

Well, I still don't know, but in the spirit of learning and growing together, I guess I can learn how to sing a little faster ...

 So draw the sun and enjoy, Dudes.

Schlumpadinka!

I personally think "Schlumpadinka" is the MOST appropriate word to describe That Girl and her feelings toward today's challenge. Thank you, Aunt Oprah for coming up with that one.

So, who needs Websters? Make up your own word!

I've got one.

It's good.

Megudious.

It's pronounced Ma-goo-dee-us.

It's my new favorite word.

Who Makes Up This Stuff?

Sometimes, these sparks of creativity are mine. The Littles come up with some. Others come from a variety of random places and miscellaneous mines of inspiration.

Huh?

Consider me your Visual Journal Enabling Fairy.

Huh?

Well, you'll see what I mean when I post today's challenge.

Since it's a little hard to read I'll clarify. The challenge is this:

"Find an article of clothing or piece of fabric that should be thrown away. Paste it in and write a goodbye note."

That's a weird one, don't you think? I'm pretty certain I didn't make that one up. I don't remember the original source, but I would happily credit that person if I did. You know, credit where credit is due kind of stuff.

Keri Smith, author of "Wreck this Journal" has been a constant source of inspiration as has the book "Creative Juices". Generally, I read through hundreds of blogs (mostly design blogs) per week and can always glean some kind of new and exciting challenge. But, I've got to admit, I don't write each and every challenge myself.

Just your Visual Journal Enabling Fairy speaking...

Now get going! My husband's got some stuff hanging in our closet circa the Duran Duran era. That's the first to get going!

Add It to the List

Monday, Monday. Can't stop that day even during the summer.

My little folks were up early bright as squirrels (squirrels are bright, right?) all chipper and ready for their first week of gymnastics camp! That One hopped in the shower in anticipation of the first day of summer school. The Other One is getting started on that laundry.

Nope. Totally making that up.

The White Sheep and That Girl moaned and carried on that camp in the summer should start whenever you actually wake up and you should not have to set an alarm. That is because they are sooooooo tired from the complete lawlessness of the weekend.

That One thinks the first day of summer school is pointless because what are you actually going to accomplish the very first day? He thinks he should jump in tomorrow.

I don't know where The Other One is. Gotta be honest about that one.

Attitudes will be adjusted.

Challenges will be met.

I will find The Other One.

And all will be right with the world.
 
Until then, I'm going to work on this:

BTW. See the examples at the bottom; walking, riding in a car, DDR? This challenge is a repeat from several years ago when That One and The Other One were seriously into "Dance Dance Revolution". They won't admit that now, though.

BTW Part 2. If you don't have a clue what this photo is about. Please see my explanation of our Summer Visual Journal Challenge here.

Today I got an email from Chelsea, an art and fashion student from Western Australia. Yep, that is Australia as in way way way over there on the completely other side of the world! She is jumping in with us and I, for one, can't wait to see what she comes up with. Welcome, Chelsea!

Reminder: please share your designs with us. Email your pix to me at caroline@shopzazu.com. Otherwise you will all be visually assaulted by every adorable doodle That Girl comes up with. That email again is caroline@shopzazu.com

Not too subtle, am I?

Time for Reflection

Remember way back to yesterday when I said that it might get messy?

I have got to start being really careful what I say.

It wasn't because of yesterday's painting challenge - it was just because of the way life goes. Yesterday, life just kept on going and going and we never actually completed (or started) our painting challenge.

It was a day full of:
"I reeeeaallyy need purple high tops!"
"What did that dog get into? Get the hose. Stat!"
"But you called and said my prescription was ready"
"Boys, report cards came."
"Hello, Summer School? I need to enroll That One in a couple of classes."
"Would you like know how many soda cans I found under your bed? Just guess. Oh, that's right, you're not all that swift at math."
"Mom, I don't think Bandit is breathing."

Yep, we ended our day with a guinea pig funeral.

Just so you know, when you are required to preform a guinea pig funeral in the summertime it's a pretty sure bet that the ice cream truck will drive by with those crazy twinkling bell sounds at the very crescendo of tears and unfathomable grief.

After a guinea pig funeral you really don't feel like doing anything else.

A Sponge Bob push-up does lessen the sting a little, though. Thank you, ice cream guy. You came through this time.

The moral of this little saga is this: don't worry if you can't always stay up to date on these challenges. They are meant as an embellishment to your life.

Kind of like sprinkles.

Jump back in when you can.

The White Sheep is now okay with his grief and thought it should be his turn to Magic Bowl it.

Awww, that's a sweet one.

That Girl wanted to know what a childhood was. I told her that means all the time you are or were a child.

And then she screams, "BUT THAT'S MY WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE!!! I CAN'T PICK ONE FROM MY WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE!!!"

And the messiness continues...

This One May Get Messy

I warned you. I did.

Things may get messy. 

Now is that day.

Break out the maple syrup if that mood so strikes you. 

Any kids out there joining along? Note to kids: please grab a responsible adult and very very nicely ask permission before trying this challenge.

Asking nicely will serve you well in the future. I promise. There's no crying in baseball and there's no whining in any of my challenges. Okay, moving on ...

Here you go - get to it!

This One Will Get You Spinning

We're a little late posting our daily journal challenge. Our apologies to Sophia in NC who has been patiently chomping at the bit to get started.

The White Sheep gets up a little later than That Girl, and it was his turn to pick out of the Magic Bowl.

Still,  he gets up way earlier than That One or The Other One, so I don't think they will ever get a choosing chance.

One good excuse deserves another, right?

The blogging gods are not smiling down on us today and are not allowing us to post a photo of the challenge we chose.

Luckily, I can be resourceful (after trying 25 times and whining like a baby) and have come up with a solution:

Here is today's Visual Journal Challenge-

"Put circles all over a page and color them in"

The blogging gods will not beat me. At least not today.

This Will Make You Hungry

Visual Journal Challenge #2
(If you have no idea what I'm talking about visit here)

That Girl was so disappointed that we are not going to go out this very minute and buy her new high-tops that she refused to pick today's challenge.

Did you notice that it's not even 9 am?

And who needs a pair of high tops in the summer, anyway? That's just weird.

So, I saved the day and picked from the Magic Bowl. Have fun with this one.

 

All we really need is butter right now. But, I am now on a cholesterol reduced diet (hello, forties!) so I really shouldn't even get that. Then again, I do have French ancestry and you really can't claim you're French if you don't have butter in the house, right?

Lost focus again, didn't I.

Well, at least you know who you're dealing with.

Bonne chance!

GO!

Day one and we are psyched. Well, some of us are and some of us are still asleep. And by some of us, I mean That One and The Other One.

We're used to that.

That Girl could not wait to attack the Magic Bowl and dove right in once she was appropriately robed up enough to take a picture.

Note to self: We've gotta do something about that nail polish.

Here y'all go - Challenge #1.

Another note to self: do something about that nail polish after all the gluing.

Have fun, get messy and please share.

You can email your creations to caroline@shopzazu.com. We'll post a round up at the end of the week. Can't start today? Just jump in when you can ...

Get Set ...

We've got our journals.

We've personalized them.

We're ready to roll!

2011 Visual Journal Challenge Starts Tomorrow!

Who's joining us?

On Your Mark ...

I told you I'd be back ...

I hope you will follow me, my kiddos, and some creative pals this summer as we tackle our ...

2011 Visual Journals (imagine inserting James Earl Jones' voice here)

See. I told you this was going to be fun.

My kids, This One and The Other One, and I have spent the last several summers working on this project together. This year, I will including my younger two kids, The White Sheep and That Girl. Together our ages will range from 6 to 44 years old. Not including you, of course. I don't know how old you are.

Here's the gist:

Every weekday I will post a challenge.

You will accept that challenge.

You will email me a photo of your completed challenge. (caroline@shopzazu.com)

On the weekends I will do a roundup of all photos I receive.

We'll all share.

It'll be fun. (There will probably be random prizes along the way. TEASE!)

You need details?

The challenges may or may not be artistic in nature. (How vague was that?)

You may use any form of media you like. (Go ahead, paint using maple syrup. It won't fuss me)

If you've got them, please get your kids involved.

If you've got friends that would enjoy this - get them in on the game.

Enjoy playing along and don't sweat it. Perfection is not important. Trying is.

Need an example?

One of us randomly pulls a challenge out of the magic bowl. If the puller doesn't like it they may try to sneakily chuck it back in and pick another one. Although I try to police everything - no promises on that one. Often times, The Other One decided that he has a much better idea and wants us to try it his way. As long as it doesn't involve setting anything on fire, we usually go along with it. 

Here's the magic bowl.

And here's our dog. Her name is Magic, too. 

And here's our other dog. We are convinced that he dreams about sleeping.

And here's our other dog. He looks ferocious at this angle, doesn't he? Never noticed that before ... no wonder the neighborhood kids are scared to come over.

Okay, lost focus there for a minute.

I do that sometimes.

Okay, a lot of times.

This is what a challenge or prompt will look like:

 

What materials do you need?

At our house we use a variety of journals. I feel strongly about using whatever we have on hand. I am using a book I enjoyed reading and was probably not ever going to read again. Also, it was one the NY Times Best Seller List for about 87 years, so I'm pretty sure everyone else has already read it to. Yes, Tom Hanks was in the movie. That wasn't as good.

The Other One says he is using his Middle School History/Civics binder. He did not open it the entire year of eight grade, so it's pretty fresh. (Note: you're going to hear a lot about The Other One. He's pretty fresh, himself.)

You don't have to use a bound journal.  You don't have to use paper. We do because with all the people and things that reside in this house, we would absolutely lose them tout de suite. Also, we like to go back and "read" them again. Reflection is good for the soul, you know. But then again, sometimes you've got to just let stuff go. Decide that for yourself.

As for the other stuff you may need, well, that could be anything. Pencils, markers, pens, crayons, glue, glitter, collage materials - whatever makes you happiest.

We have all kinds of collected things all over our house that I hope will sacrifice themselves for great art this summer.

Yes, you may even paint with stuff you find around your kitchen.

And this is what it may look like when it's done: 

Or it won't look anything like that because it is YOURS! 

This challenge starts on:

Monday, June 20th

To repeat: 

Monday, June 20th

  

A Creative Kick-Start!

Hi. It's Caroline. Owner of Zazu and Trollbeads Studio.

I was just sitting here wondering how to keep all my kiddos occupied and brain-fed for the entire summer, keep the fun stuff happening at Zazu while I am at home tending to said kiddos, and start up my newest website - Trollbeads Studio. And ... how am I going to do all of that at the same time?

Meanwhile, over at the Zazu blog, it was getting pretty quiet.

Hear that?

Yup, crickets.

Posting was sparse. Comments were sparser. Ideas were sparsest.

This is me. (I swiped this pic off the internet. It sums the sitch up.)

Luckily, I know where to go whenever the "stuff I gotta do" is pulling me in a number of directions. That's right. I hit the Crayolas pretty hard.

You didn't expect me to say Crayolas, did you? 

I can be funny that way.

So, in normal-person terms, I can explain it this way; whenever I get stuck, I turn my creative juices way up in a seemingly different direction. This seems to un-stick me from wherever I am and I have a pretty good time in the process.

And you get to follow along.

How'd you get so lucky?

Details tomorrow. I promise. Get your juices and your Crayolas.

Viva La Vera!

Meanwhile, back at the Zazu ranch, we've had a couple of days to assess the success of our first EVER Vera Bradley launch.

How fast can you say "stampede"?

Those who know us wouldn't say we exaggerate. They may think it, but they'd never say it.

We can state, however, in total candor which of the new products in the Vera Bradley Spring Release really tripped our trigger.
   
1. Deco Daisy - Black and white and red all over with a deliriously fun daisy design! Simply striking, it combines both Asian and art deco influences into a bold, lively arrangement that will be a delight to carry through summer, fall, winter and spring. Inside, a statement-making, classic houndstooth pattern.

 

2. Tech Organizer - Techie + Organized = Bliss! Here's the sitch on this gem:

• Four elastic mesh pockets hold everything from power cords to flash drives
• Double-zip closure opens like a book, while the two carrying handles keep it moving
• Includes an ID window
• Two elastic bands can hold a power cord adapter
• Great for storing a handheld gaming system and games

#3. PARTY CUPS!!!!! Maybe it's because I went to college in the South, where these are de rigeur, and by de rigeur, I mean a must must do for any and all get-togethers. Maybe it's because I've got four kids who have a constant case of the dropsies. Or ... maybe it's because I live in one of those kinds of neighborhoods where on a beautiful Friday afternoon you and your posse naturally gravitate on one another's back decks to, um, discuss HOA issues and such.

Whatever the reason, I LOVE THESE PARTY CUPS. (Did I mention that they are dishwasher washable? That's kind of the best part ...)

And that's our top picks.

For now.

There's new stuff coming next weekish and we'll be sure to send you the hot skinny on that, too.