Toula's Home Gift Garden

I know I talk about LA a lot in this blog, but I have to confess that many of the cool and trendy items we carry in the store come from California. I think naturally the wave of fashion and trend moves across the country form west to east often times. People say New York is where it is at, but in my opinion many trends start in the west (Japan, a lot of the time!) and migrate to the east coast.

One day about eight years ago I was shopping at Kitson (some of you may know this store on Robertson in West Hollywood where the likes of Britney and Paris run in for a manic shopping spree) and ran across these really fascinating leather bracelets from Dillon Rogers. They came in different widths and colors. Some had pretty colored gem stones attached to them, while others were just plain. All of them had symbols or phrases etched into the leather. I noticed a card near by describing the celebrities who had been spotted wearing them (Paris, Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Jennifer Aniston, and the like). I actually bought one for myself that day.

Many years later I was still wearing that leather bracelet. I couldn’t believe how well it had held up. I am notoriously hard on things, so I knew if it could survive my wear and tear it was a good product. I decided when I opened Toula’s that I would carry Dillon Rogers bracelets if I could score the account. As luck would have it I had no trouble getting the designer in my store and catching the eye of almost every customer who walks through the door.

These bracelets appeal to everyone. I tell people all the time that teenagers buy them, college kids buy them, soccer moms buy them, and even grandmothers buy them (for themselves!). They are a great all around gift for someone you know who likes fashion, but they have also struck a nostalgic cord with people who remember making something not as sophisticated when they were a kid.

Like I mentioned before, they come in several band widths, many colors, and you have the luxury of stopping by Toula’s or calling us and designing one just for yourself. Not to sound too cheesy, but they are like a little bit of inspiration (and trendy fashion) around your wrist. Please drop by and check Dillon Rogers out. We receive a shipment almost monthly, and often times you will catch us wearing one we designed ourselves! They make a really cool gift for someone or a personal statement of cool for yourself.

Eric

Ps.  If you check us out on Facebook you will see a fun picture of a couple of my favorite Dillon Rogers bracelets on my wrist!

Posted in Uncategorized on June 19th, 2010 | No Comments »

It always amazes me how we can fret over pulling the trigger on a big buy, something we found in our travels to bring into the store. Some really cool items that we know our customers will love, and are so excited about displaying in Toula’s. Then there are those items we stumble on that don’t blow us away, but we invest in simply because we think they are unique or just cute. We don’t spend a ton of time or energy on them. Sometimes it’s those little items that we don’t give much thought to that capture our customer’s imagination and end up blowing out of the store like hot cakes. It always tickles me when customers hit the door and come immediately to us asking for “that certain item” they saw someone buy, or heard about from someone else, or maybe received themselves and want another one for a gift. It almost becomes a cult item.

One of those cult items turned out to be really sweet  clear glass bird vases this year. They come from Canada and are offered in two sizes, and aren’t expensive at all. They are blown hollow and accommodate a flower bud or herb stem.  They are very simple and very practical. They turned out to be the best thing for teacher gifts, Mother’s Day, hostess gifts, or just for that person you know has absolutely everything and doesn’t need one more trinket. And now we can’t keep them in stock! I have placed several orders in Canada for these glass birds. The official name of these little creatures is “nesting bird vase”.  We turn around and before long we are sold out again. I just  today contacted the French Canadian company again and ordered a bunch to keep us in stock during the summer months ahead.

So if you are stumped over what to give someone who has everything, or running to someone’s home for a lovely summer fete and need a unique hostess gift, pop in Toula’s and we will gift wrap one of these delicate little bud vases for you. You can’t go wrong with a best seller! You’ll probably pick one up for yourself too.

Eric

Posted in Uncategorized on June 3rd, 2010 | No Comments »

I hope if you are reading this that you will be able to stop by TOULA’S on Tuesday, May 4th from 5 pm until 8:30 pm for our spring party. There will be so many fun things going on in the store that evening. We hope you can join us.

The biggest news about this event is we will once again be featuring an amazing jewelry trunk sale by MARIE CHAVEZ. If you  have read this blog in the past then you know how much we love her (and she has a huge following here in Athens)! We expect to offer  hundreds of options at amazing sale prices that night, so please come by.

We planned this event to fall just before graduation and Mother’s Day. The perfect time to pick out gifts for those you love, and save some money too! We will be offering some fun give aways, and also a store wide discount!  You won’t want to miss this party. Of course, our gatherings would not be complete without champagne and petit fours too!

It has been a long, cold winter and we are so ready to celebrate warmer temps! Come celebrate with us in May. Mark your calendars for a fun evening. Like I always say, you will kick yourself if you don’t make it!

Eric

Posted in Uncategorized on April 10th, 2010 | No Comments »

I am not sure if you know about the Robert Osborne Classic Film Festival that occurs here in Athens every spring, but if you are a movie buff, you need to listen up! We love going to the Classic Center each year to see a weekend of really good movies picked and hosted by Robert Osborne of Turner Classic Movies channel. The best part of the event are the special guests that fly in to talk about each film. They are usually actors that have appeared in the movie. It is great fun to hear the inside scoop about the filming, or being able to ask them questions regarding their part. One year Parker Posey came and had the whole audience laughing (the movie was “Best in Show”, by the way). This year TOULA’S is proud to be one of the sponsors of the film festival, and Robert Osborne will be giving away a gift basket worth over $300 of fantastic products from TOULA’S. Please come out for a taste of Hollywood in Athens starting March 25th. Please go to www.robertosbornefilmfestival.com for more details. We hope to see you there!

Eric

Posted in Uncategorized on March 9th, 2010 | No Comments »

Everyone knows that February is the month of love, and that time of year when you should stop and seriously pay some attention to the special ones in your life. I personally feel this action should be taken every month, but it is always good to get a kick in the pants for good measure. We at Toula’s certainly want to show the love to all our awesome customers this month. Times are tough and we REALLY appreciate all the support we get from everyone year round. This month to make it a little sweeter, we decided to do two special things. I hope you like them!

The first idea we had (and it really isn’t anything new for us, but we decided to make it official this month) was to keep a sort of “wish book”. The concept being that you come in, tell us what unique Toula’s gift you would like to get for Valentine’s Day and we make a note of it. Then you send your sweetie down to fetch it. We wrap it up, and send it home to you! That way you get exactly what you want from your love (or lovely friend).

The second thought we had was to offer a little sale for the month to spread a little love around. So…ALL FURNITURE, LAMPS, and MIRRORS are 30% off through the end of February. This is a nice perk and people are taking advantage of this sale, so please stop in if there is something at Toula’s that you’ve been coveting! You may treat yourself to a sweet discount.

February is a cold month, and very short, but that doesn’t mean you can’t feel love and spread some around. Like I said, this should be the case every month, but it is great to ensure you let your feelings of appreciation be known around Valentine’s. We certainly appreciate you!

Eric

Posted in Uncategorized on February 8th, 2010 | No Comments »

Are you on Facebook? We just created a fan page to keep up with all our customers who have a profile on Facebook. I thought it would be fun to post pictures of our Toula’s family, events going on in the store, and maybe a few new unique arrivals. We’d love to use this as another way to interact with our wonderful customers. I get many e-mails from people who have either visited the store or have moved away that tell me they miss shopping at Toula’s. We figure Facebook is a good way to stay connected. We look forward to seeing you there!

Eric

Posted in Uncategorized on December 9th, 2009 | No Comments »

Every once in a while I am shocked by one of our customers when they tell me they had no idea our furniture is for sale. Despite having price tags strategically placed on each item, some folks don’t know we sell all our display items. To be fair, we do have lots of lovely things to distract shoppers from looking at the beautiful furniture thoughtfully placed around Toula’s. It is hard to see things at eye level when there are items dangling from the ceiling or grouped together on the floor!

The great news this holiday season is I have decided to treat everyone to a 20% off FURNITURE SALE starting the day after Thanksgiving and running through December 24th, 2009! I am very excited about this decision as we have never put any furniture on sale before. There are many times we have had conversations in the store with people about a certain piece of furniture and how it would fit perfectly in their home. Now is a excellent time to bring a piece of Toula’s home for the holidays!

I spend a lot of time picking out items from around the world, both old and new, that I think will fit right at home at Toula’s. Every item we buy for the store is fully functional with wonderful appeal and character. Some items were made last year while others were made over one hundred years ago. I think my favorite items are those “shabby chic” pieces I have retained from Eastern Europe. They bare the signs of a well worn life, but still have many years left of function and appreciation. I always select items that I would have in my own home. This benchmark seems to pair well with all our other items in the store and allows me to convey my passion for each piece of furniture to the customer.

So when you visit us at Toula’s this season for your unique holiday gifts, please notice the wonderful furniture every item is meticulously displayed on. If it catches your eye and you have the perfect spot for it, this might be the best time to bring it home.

Eric

Posted in Uncategorized on November 22nd, 2009 | No Comments »

I noticed on TV last week advertisers were running holiday commercials. I got a little anxious thinking about the coming weeks and everything that needs to get accomplished by the middle of December. I also remember passing by a rather huge holiday section in a national chain I was in recently, while looking for something like paper towels. I  think that was in the middle of October! We tend to let retailers rush us into the next holiday before we have settled into the current one. I know we battle that idea at Toula’s every year.

I worry about missing sales if we don’t decorate our store early, but then I feel like we lose the specialness of the season if we stretch it out too long. There is always something odd to me about glossing over Thanksgiving to race for the holidays in December. This year I think we are striking a happy balance.

We have been selling assorted holiday candles for a few weeks now. We put out our very best sellers for those customers who like to start early with their gift buying, but we are saving some surprises closer to December. We also plan to decorate the store this year close to the end of the month with our fantastic assortment of ornaments and decorations we have collected this year from around the world. I am VERY excited about our selection this year!

So if you pop in the store today, you may find some great smelling seasonal inspired candles that will transport you to holidays past, but you will have to wait and come back soon to see Toula’s transformed into a holiday gift store. Be patient, don’t rush the season!

Eric

Posted in Uncategorized on November 11th, 2009 | No Comments »

October is breast cancer awareness month. I wanted to let you know that in conjunction with BreastFest here in Athens we at Toula’s are donating 15% of our total sales on Wed, October 14th. So please stop in and feel good about shopping local and helping a great cause. All proceeds go to St. Mary’s Woman’s Diagnostics Center here in Athens. Let us shop for a cure!

Eric

Posted in Uncategorized on October 9th, 2009 | No Comments »

I don’t think our customers have been jazzed about anything like they are regarding our Marie Chavez jewelry sale on October 20th (that is a Tuesday) from 5 pm until 8:30 pm. If you haven’t heard about this event you MUST come. I found Julie Marie Chavez in Los Angeles and I have been obsessed with her beautiful, easy style ever since. Her jewelry is delicate and simple (www.mariechavez.com). Everyone tells me her creations are so easy to wear, and even easier to pair with other pieces of jewelry one might already have in their collection. We have built a great fan base here at the store. I am excited about this party fast approaching. On a side note, we will be giving away one of Julie’s necklaces to a lucky customer the night of the party!
This will be a perfect time to start Christmas shopping for those loved ones that have an affinity for stylish jewelry. Of course, we will also be serving champagne and our famous Toula’s petits fours. We will be offering well over two-hundred pieces of jewelry at discounted prices. If you’re in Athens you have got to stop in for the party! We look forward to seeing you at Toula’s.

Eric

Posted in Uncategorized on October 8th, 2009 | 1 Comment »