LEMON LOVES: 5 Curated Pieces + Charity

We are excited to tell you about a new thing we are doing at Bon Lemon. We are calling it Lemon Loves. Each month, a fashionable curator of our choosing will select their 5 favorite Bon Lemon pieces. They will tell you a little bit about themselves and why they picked what they picked. Then, they will tell you about their favorite charity. For the following month, we will donate 25% of the sale price of their 5 favorite pieces to their chosen charity. How sweet is that?



This month, we are excited to welcome our first curators: Kristin and Cayden over at NWProdigys. These ladies have made fashionable and philanthropic a full time job by founding NWProdigys, a new breed of nonprofit. They describe NWProdigys as: "a stylish and sophisticated socialite on a mission to recreate the world – one party at a time. As a premier event planning organization, we inspire a generation to philanthropy, bring fun, joy and excitement to fundraising, and create unforgettable events that benefit our communities."

So basically, NW Prodigys inspires people to wear cute outfits and attend fabulous parties, and they do it all to send children with life threatening or incurable disease on life-changing adventures, as well as to support other nonprofits, charities and philanthropic organizations. Why didn't I think of that? Fab! I can't think of anybody better to kick off our Lemon Loves.

Here are Cayden and Kristin's top 5 Bon Lemon picks. Purchase any of them throughout April at www.bonlemon.com, in the shoppe, or at a trunk show and 25% will be donated to NWProdigys.



Swarovski Dark Night Bauble Cocktail Ring

WHY: What girl doesn't love SPARKLES with a dark edge.



Ms. A Stingray Bracelet

WHY: Unique and will go with everything.



Midnight Love Necklace

WHY: Dress it up or wear it with Jeans. Absolutely STUNNING!



Bedazzled Bow Headband

WHY: What's not to love about a little black bow in your hair!!!



Peacock Skeletal Earrings

WHY: Just because I love feathers!!!



For the month of April, 25% of all sales of these 5 items will be donated to NWProdigys, Kristin and Cayden's philanthropic event planning company. (They also have a sassy magazine.) We think Lemon Loves is here to stay, because we love it, but please tell us what you think. Love it? Loathe it? Have any suggestions? Know someone who would be great curator? Let us know!

You Get What You Give (Literally... Give to Kids and Get Bon Lemon)

"For it is in giving that we receive." Saint Francis of Assisi

I truly believe the words of Saint Francis of Assisi as they have been echoed by mystics and scholars in every culture throughout the world. You get what you give. This year it is true. If you help us give to local child cancer patients, we will give you Bon Lemon. Woo hoo!



You have heard me talk about Rally NW, a local organization focused on raising money for childhood cancer research. This great group of volunteers also sets out to do things to make the lives of these child cancer patients a little more fun. This holiday season, they are doing a toy drive. Because, cancer or not, all kids like toys.

Bon Lemon is proud to be a drop off point for the Rally NW Cheers for Children Holiday Toy Drive at our new shoppe at 2938 Limited Lane, Suite C-1 in Olympia. We also decided it would be fun for Bon Lemon to sponsor a particular Rally kid. (We wanted to join in all of the fun!) But Rally's #1 Elf must have known who she was talking to, because she didn't just match us up with any Rally kid; she matched us up with Robby. She knew we couldn't wait to spread the Bon Lemon love.


***This is Robby and his sister.***

Rally Kid Robby
Robby, a local 3rd grader, was diagnosed with leukemia in September. In a recent journal entry Robby's mom posted the following story: "Tonight we had dinner at a friend's house. Before the meal, for grace, each person said something they are thankful for. Robby: "I'm thankful for everyone who has helped me along this journey with leukemia." What a sweet and mature boy. Robby has asked that we help other kids too by collecting donations to go to the clinic at Mary Bridge in which many children receive treatment. The toy shelf in the playroom is pretty sparse, and many toys are missing pieces. There is also a Family Resource Room, which should have books for everyone, and games for families to share. By donating things on this wish list we will be able to make their clinic visits a little brighter. Robby lives with his parents and little sister.
For updates on Robby please visit: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/robbyheckard/mystory
For more information on Mary Bridge please visit: http://www.multicare.org/marybridge



***These are the toy shelves Robby is talking about. They need us!***

I melt. Seriously. I melt. A 3rd grader who has foregone presents for himself, so there could be more toys for all of the kids to play with... if you want to read this story to your teenager who "needs" the new iPhone, please feel free.


***Click on the image to make it bigger. (I can't read it either :)***

So... here's the deal. Above is a copy of the Mary Bridge wishlist. (They also need gas cards and gift cards.) For every new toy, gift card, book, gas card, or game you donate to Robby's Family Resource Room, you get to pick one item from Bon Lemon's $5 basket. (We are adding more good stuff to the basket just for this event with some values upwards of $75.) If you bring 1 gift for Robby and his friends, you get 1 Bon Lemon gift. If you bring 10 gifts for Robby and his friends, you get 10 Bon Lemon gifts. And, between now and December 10th, whoever brings in the most donations (feel free to collect from your family and friends and take all of the credit :), gets a $75 gift certificate to Bon Lemon. (And have you heard about all of the ridiculously fabulous stuff we have coming in for holiday? Alexis Bittar, Liquid Metal, monogrammed stationery, readers, stocking stuffers, and more! You need a gift certificate.)



On Friday, November 18th, in honor of the grand opening and holiday party at our shoppe, you will get double Bon Lemon gifts. Bring in 1 donation, get 2 pieces from our $5 basket.

We aren't excluding our non-Olympia Lemon Lovers. (We love you all!) If you have been touched by Robby's story, you can send gifts or gift cards and you will receive a surprise Bon Lemon package in return. Give the most, and get a $75 Bon Lemon gift certificate! (Double gifts for any donations postmarked this Friday!)

We are super excited about supporting Robby and all of the Rally NW kids. This holiday season at Bon Lemon: You get what you give.

Warm Fuzzies

For those of you who read my blog regularly, you know Bon Lemon is committed to charitable giving. And you know, recently, we donated some books to my friend's classroom in need.

Today, I received an envelope full of handwritten cards from the students in my friend's classroom. They are soooo cute! A whole stack full of thoughtful cards like these. I was welling up. Seriously. Warm fuzzies. Tear.

And in case you were wondering, I like the book The Alchemist. I do not have any kids. (Well, Dolce Vita Evans...) I do sell shiny stuff! And we have snow in Washington, but not nearly as much as these guys do.

Clearly, each of these cards will be getting a written reply.

What made you feel warm and fuzzy today?

Charitable Giving: When Is It Too Much?

I like giving. I started volunteering at a young age. I like giving gifts. I like helping my Grandma. I like attending charity fundraisers. I have always felt lucky I was genetically predisposed to enjoy helping others. If it didn't make me feel good, I might not do it as often. But lucky for me, making other people feel good, makes me feel good. It is quite selfish, really.

When I founded Bon Lemon, charitable giving was a fundamental tenet of the Bon Lemon business plan. I wanted to create a business that brought fun and meaning to people's lives. All at once. I don't see them as being mutually exclusive. The world can be a heavy place, and sometimes feeling like you are making a difference in a small way can be very meaningful. A sparkly, cocktail ring can bring a smile to your face. And when a portion of the purchase price goes to help those in need, you have helped to bring a smile to someone else's face. It feels good.

Starting a new business is quite a financial undertaking. There are still people who ask what I am doing for work aside from "that little jewelry thing." There are still people who assume I started this business with a week's worth of my trust fund distributions. (I am still holding out hope I have a trust fund that kicks in at 35. Mom? Dad? Great Uncle?) There will always be people who don't understand what you do, when what you do is not the norm. But one thing is for sure, this "little jewelry thing" is what I do 40, 60 or 80 hours a week and it is what allows me to continue spreading the Bon Lemon love with jewelry and dollars.

I often start hyperventilating when I look at the personal debt I have taken on to start this business. (Does anyone have a paper bag handy?) Earlier this week, when I looked at my credit card statement and then wrote donation checks to two fabulous charities (one inspiring self-esteem in girls and one helping a young girl with leukemia), I wondered: Am I giving too much? Is 10% of profits and 20% of trunk show sales too much? Am I giving so much away that I am not creating a strong foundation for Bon Lemon? We all know you have to give to yourself if you want to give to others. Am I depleting the mothership or creating a culture that will attract people to Bon Lemon?

One of the great things about blogging is you can ask vague questions that have no answer. Sometimes people respond. Sometimes they don't. Writing words often helps me process my own thoughts. Today, it has helped me find my resolve. I give to charity, because it is important to me as a person and I want to create a corporate culture that supports giving. Maybe 10% feels like a lot right now, when every penny should be going towards getting Bon Lemon in the black. And every penny that doesn't goes to support my restaurant habit. (Hey, it is better than smoking...) But I have plans for this "little jewelry thing." And when I can write a check for 10% of $100 million and know I got there, because other people believed in spreading the Bon Lemon love one bauble or dollar at a time, it will all come together. For now, I will keep working. And keep giving. Today I know, I give away a part, because it is what makes me feel whole.