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!

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!

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!

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.

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!

Window of Opportunity

It really is the most wonderful time of the year for us at Zazu!  Our creativity is at its peak and the Starbucks doth flow!

Next week, we completely demolish the joint and resurrect our sweet shop with all the tinsel and trappings we can get our hands on.  The first spot we tackle is our front window, which is always spectacular!

We are channeling our inner Simon Doonan, the celebrated creative director of Barneys this year.  Hoping for something even {dare we say} grander than previous years, we are pulling out all the stops.

Simon Doonan and some of his fabulous installations. Mr. Doonan is also the author of several novels, a columnist for The New York Observer, and a contributor to many other publications. On the shelves at Zazu, we have his Wacky Chicks - classic Doonan!

Stay tuned for sneeky peeks along the way...

Please Be Seated ...

Your two aunts have been feuding since the 80s, you have out of town friends
flying in that know no one, and your last single girlfriend is ULTRA
sensitive about where she will sit because the last wedding she went to she
was intentionally seated next to Mr No-Way-In-Hell.

And quite honestly, you may feel you're simply not up to the task.
"If there's enough chairs for everyone, can't we all just get along?" you
ask. You have obviously never been to a wedding with no seating plan and it's a good thing because you might not have survived the mass trampling as people were jockeying for position.

What to do?

Enter Bridal Tapestry seating charts now available at Zazu.

Table assignments are slightly less work for you (lets face it, you have

enough to take care of) and your guest will still have some say in where
they sit!

Beautifully presented, your guests will immediately be assured that you have
thoughtfully placed them. These also make beautiful mementos of your special day.

Taking the time for a table plan will be well worth it and - with these charts -
beautiful to boot. 

Extra, Extra, Blog All About It!

We are spreading the Blog news! See today's article in the Loudoun Times Mirror chronicling Zazu's experience with this new media format.

Totally cool...

For the whole story, click here.

I Thee Wed (nesday)

They call me mellow yellow, quite rightly!

It may be nearly November, but around these parts it feels as if spring will be resprung. I just feel a little yellow today (in a good way) and wondered if I could take this light and springy color and sexy it up a little by combining it with black and pewter ...



How do you like this color combination? Feel free to comment below.

Center Photo: Zazu Invitation using Envelopments Paper Stocks
Photos 1,2,12: Ballard Designs
Photos 3,6,7: Ann Taylor Loft

Photo 5: Amy Atlas and Hostess with the Mostess

Photo 9: Neiman Marcus
Photo 10: Dolce and Gabbana

The Great Sock Monkey Debate

I am on the fence on this one, folks ...

I just got an email from a manufacturer's representative with great news! When the economy is sagging, you need a hot product to get everyone excited and back on track. She has that hot product, the ultimate solution, our salvation ... sock monkeys!

I'll repeat that.

Sock Monkeys.

Now, here's my situation. In case you have not heard, (while you were under that medically induced coma) small businesses have been taking quite a punch lately. We at Zazu have had to face some very difficult questions lately; (a) can we pay the rent? (b) can we make payroll? (c) will it be 80 degrees at our holiday party next Thursday (OCT 23rd - come on over)?

So, you know, I am going to leave this one up to the people to decide.

If we bring in the Sock Monkeys, something else will have to go. I'm thinking Webkinz.

So this is the part where you choose sides - Sock Monkeys or Webkinz? Webkinz or Sock Monkeys? To be fair, I have included video of both candidates below. A coin toss determined which was presented first. This is democracy at its absolute best, don't you think?

Please consider all sides of this great dilemma. Cast your vote by posting a comment below.

Enjoy the videos.

So, which is it? Please cast your vote for either candidate by posting a comment below by clicking on the tiny "comments" in light blue. We will post the voting results daily.  And ...

There will absolutely be some kind of big giant prize at the end!

*Note: No sock monkeys or Webkinz were harmed during the making of these videos.  I am pretty sure of that.

I Thee Wed (nesday)

Okay, got a great idea today! Actually, I have seen this done before but never with invitations actually designed and printed at Zazu. So, in that regard - this is new ...

New to the blogosphere, we figure out something special about the whole workings nearly every single day. Last week, I figured out how to do one of these photo inspiration things. I was so happy with it, in fact, I think we'll trot one out every week. Yep, every week.

Every Wednesday, (okay, I know it's Thursday, but I just thought of it today) look for our stationery showcase here. That's Wednesday, not Thursday. On "I Thee Wed(nesday).

Get it?

At our most recent Bridal Show, the most popular section of our booth was the section featuring chocolate brown invitations. It has been for a number of years, but this year the secondary color was green.

The invitation is one of Zazu's designs and this is how we imagine the rest of the event panned out.




Most photos courtesy of The Knot. Photography by: Valls Photographic, John & Joseph Photography, Stephen Karlisch, Man & Clark, Roy Liera, Amanda Kraft Photography, Anderson Photography. Flowers by Dragonfly Event

Zazu Puts Loudoun County on the Map!

It pays to speak up.

We have been carrying the famous Cat Studio drinking glasses and pillows since the very beginning days of Zazu. In fact, on my desk I have a framed copy of an InStyle magazine spread from December 2004 where Cat Studio and Zazu shared the very same page.

Cat Studio has now expanded their geography line to include a host of products; glasses, pillows, hand towels, aprons, totes and trays. The glasses and pillows have always been a major hit with our customers. The "Virginia" design has always been the most popular (no kidding!) But ... there was one problem ...

Anyone see it?



We didn't either. Where is Loudoun County? Considering it is one of the fastest growing and wealthiest counties in the U.S., you'd think we would be getting some love from Cat Studio. So, what did we do about it?

We asked Cat Studio to add it. Truthfully, first, we suggested the Zazu logo - when the laughter subsided - we asked for Loudoun County. Got that one!


To finally lay this question to rest ..

Yes, Virginia, there IS a Santa Claus.
He's got his own pillow, too!

**Note from the North Pole - this newest geographical hotspot is sure to be on everyone's list this year - the elves may not make them fast enough. Order them early, so they make it down the chimney in time.

Crane's Personalized Stationery Event

Replenish your cache stationery cache - or someone else's - during Crane's personalized stationery event.

October 11 through November 8 is the perfect time to renew your reserve of notes, cards, or sheets with envelopes.  When you purchase 75 or more of Crane's 100% cotton, personalized stationery, you'll receive an additional 25 FREE. 

Create your signature style through choice of paper, color, lettering and monograms.

Crane's personalized stationery event is also the perfect opportunity to create a unique gift for someone special.  

Shear Genius in Ashburn

I have never ever been happy with my hair. It is super-fine, limp, and I have been told that it is turning gray in parts that I can't even see. As far back as I can remember, dealing with my hair was one of the biggest challenges and most time-consuming part of my get-up-and-go routine. Did you notice that I said, "was"?

About a year-ish ago, one of our Zazu customers, Anna Michelle Jackson, let us know that she had opened up a hair salon in Ashburn called Modern Concepts.

Anna Michelle and her business partner, Cathleen, had been long-time supporters of Zazu, so I challenged them with rescuing my failing follicles.

Before and after pictures speak volumes!

Always great with words, Anna Michelle shares her own thoughts ...

The scent of fall in the air is invigorating, but when I looked in the mirror at my hair color, invigorating is hardly how I felt. Why is it that highlights look so great in the summer sun, but as soon as the weather cools so does our color! I have already indulged in this fall’s jewel toned clothing; a rich amethyst blouse and an emerald top are mocking my dull flat color from my closet. Time to get to work and formulate a new invigorating me!

I have one of the best occupations; I am a hair stylist! I am the stylist to Ashburn’s super- star Moms and Divas! I make women feel good about themselves all day long. They tell me their woes as I color and shape their tresses. Today it’s my turn to be the guest in my salon, bye-bye to my blah color.

So I stand in front of our wall of color tubes, the possibilities are endless, but I mix some copper, a little gold, and a smidgen of red to create that jewel tone look in my hair, perfect! I choose to use Schwarzkopf color, a German cream color line that creates amazing grey coverage with low ammonium and has vibrant reds. One of my stylists applies my re-growth area and then we mix a similar blend of “Personality Color” - this is also known as a glaze - for my washed out ends. A glaze is a semi-permanent color that deposits rich color with a lot of shine and conditioning. It is the answer to the damage left by the summer sun. My glaze is applied and so I wait to process with a People magazine in one hand and a glass of wine in the other.

Thirty minutes later its time for the best part of my day, the shampoo! Our shampoo assistant has put me asleep on many occasions, she has a magic touch! She uses Sudzz Cashmere shampoo and Moxee conditioner, the aroma fills the air and I can feel my hair soak up its goodness. My hair feels like silk as it slides through the brush, the heat and the noise of the dryer keep me in my Zen like state. The dryer turns off, and I am turned to the mirror to reveal the new me! Invigorating is a good word it is exactly how I feel - my color is rich and shiny deep and beautiful like a garnet or a ruby.

Our make-up artist comes over and compliments me on my new color as she leads me to her station. How many times have you changed your color and used the same old make-up, or use the same make-up from season to season? She touches up my foundation with a loose mineral, flawless finish. Rich brown on the eyes, highlight the brow, and the crème de la crème a lip pluming gloss in copper. Even I need a make over from time to time. I feel great; I think its time for a new purse to match my fall mood, happy times!

- Anna Michelle Jackson

Times Are Tough, But So Are We

As the economic news gets even gloomier – gas prices at a ridiculous level, grocery prices that make you want to start your own crop, a real estate market bordering on disaster, and mighty, mighty banking institutions being bailed out by the government – who wouldn’t want to hide their money in a mattress?

So, how are mom and pop going to keep open the shop?

This is the question being posed to us at Zazu, a locally owned gift and stationery store in Ashburn, Virginia. Opened in 2004, we had hoped that this would be the year to see some benefit of all the hard work we put into establishing ourselves as the most fabulous shopping experience in the community. All the books we read told us that’s what would happen if we followed all the rules: develop a kick-butt brand, offer unparalleled customer service, fabulous and trend-setting products, and a moderate pricing structure. That’s when we got hit by 2008. Ouch!

So, being the creative and stick-to-it types, we needed an extension to our plan. As luck would have it, our CEO and Chief Decision Maker, Caroline Haddad, recently learned of a new marketing tool called, “the Internet”. What a fabulous invention!

When sales are down, marketing and prospecting at every opportunity is critical to get more feet pounding your carpet. On the horizon, we at Zazu see social networking and blogs as becoming the channels to shamelessly self-promote and widen brand awareness. Being creative-types (and soon to be techno-types) we have decided to embrace and conquer this new media.

On Tuesday, September 23, 2008 Zazu published its very first blog, “The Little Blog that Could”. We invite you to join our adventure as we explore this brave new world.

Cheers!