Happy New Year!

Hi,
Happy and Healthy New Year to all of you! I hope you had a wonderful break.

Well what can i say about ours/mine? As you all are probably aware we have had some teething problems with our new website, which has been keeping us all very busy indeed. I do feel terrible about this and want to let you know we are doing absolutely all we can to resolve these issues and get everything back on track so please bear with us. As you know technology is not one of my strong points, so i am not even going to begin to tell you what the problems have been, all I can say is that we have set up a fantastic team to help and assist with orders and your queries so hopefully it won’t be too much of an inconvenience to get your hands on some of our great sale items. There are going to be more pieces being loaded onto the site in the next two weeks, so please do keep coming back to check. Plus, very excitingly we will be getting more of our Spring Summer collection for the web.

This collection, as previously mentioned, excites me so much and i am so pleased by some of your emails and comments about the new Coral Quartzite and the Montana Agate. The colours, once we get all the collection up for you to see, work so well together. So, if you are layering or stacking your bracelets, the Coral, Grey Agate, Montana and Lemon work really well together.
Please do let me know if you have bought any of the new season and let me know what you think.
Also, please let me know your thoughts on the new Spring Summer Scarves. I gave them as Xmas presents to my family this year and my mum has literally not taken hers off. She looks so sweet and cosy in it, as well as looking as glam as always!

Moving on very quickly from the web to my gorgeous Freddie! Poor him, he had his MMR jab last week and had such a bad allergic reaction. His leg swelled up to the size of a balloon and it was hurting him so badly that he kept touching it and then telling the floor that it was naughty – he must have imagined it was hurting because he had fallen and banged it. Bless him.! Anyhow after a weekend of Piriton, doctors and lots of Calpol, he finally seems to be on the mend and running around like crazy agan! This new period of walking/running is so bad for my nerves as he does not go five minutes without banging his head. He is so used to me saying or rather screaming “Be careful of your head Freddie” that he now walks around the house holding his head! Poor boy i am making him neurotic already. I have attached some recent pics of him as you wont believe how grown up he has become. He is the image of Justin I think?

I am on QVC this Friday at 4pm and 10pm, on Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 3pm, so if you do get the chance please do watch and try to text or phone in to say “HI”.

Diet began today and yesterday and everyday last week but not actually started yet! I am on my 8th Satsuma of the day not that they are doing the same trick as all the Xmas chocolate that we still have in the office. But i guess it is cold and dark and one piece wont make that much difference?

Have a fab week and catch up with you all next week once QVC is over.

Much Love

Nikki
x

Snow business!

Hello everyone,

I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend despite this cold weather. The funny thing about snow for me is that although I dislike being out in it, I absolutely love what it does to our world. It just makes everything seem so peaceful and magical!!!! Saying that though one weekend of it is plenty! Funnily Fred did not like it at all and I think was a little freaked out by his world turning white and refused to walk in it. He did find huge enjoyment though out of watching Justin and I have a big snowball fight.

I really hope that you all have managed to get all your Xmas gifts and can now enjoy this lead up week without too much panic shopping. Due to my disorganisation this week always is stressful trailing the internet trying to find something that Justin will like! He is so difficult to buy for as is gadget crazy and has most of it just cluttering up every spare drawer and cupboard in our house. So my aim is to find something small enough to not cause any more mess!

The new Lola website……….please tell me your thoughts and share your experiences if you have time because without your invaluable comments and suggestions, we will not be able to continuously improve your shopping experiences. I am super excited though because hopefully Spring Summer 2011 will be launched next week, technology allowing! I know you have prob seen the new colours in stores, but I am truly excited to share them with you because they are so fresh and pretty for me and I hope you feel the same too.

If you are QVC watchers I am on for 10 minutes tonight at 10pm for a crazy easy pay hour. If you are still deliberating on gifts then please tune in as I am hoping for a crazy easy pay on my favourite set of bambi and velma bracelets. And please don’t be put off by thinking they are only for the dainty wrists! I wear them daily and you can hardly call me dainty!!! I know a couple of people have asked what colours I wear, well I actually don’t have a set rule with these bracelets and literally grab in the morning whatever comes out my drawer first… They most certainly never match what I am wearing though but you know I love that mismatch look! It’s all about having fun and playing and being able to accesorise without the stress of worrying about it …..well I hope so anyhow!!!

Also hopefully launching this week is our new Spring Summer scarves. The prints are super cute and just like the jewellery, whenever I am out in one someone always comments which still brightens my day. The wool is new to us and is very soft and wearable. Hopefully you will love them as much as I do and grab one early before they hit all the stores.

The Lola office is open all through the holidays apart from the bank holidays so I will definitely write again after Xmas. So if I don’t see you tomorrow night on QVC, I wish you all a very merry Xmas, enjoy your day, eat loads, relax and stay warm

Much love
Nik

xxx

The Lola ring in Coral Quartzite

Velma Bracelet set

Cherries scarf

The Lola ring in Coral Quartzite

Velma Bracelet set

Cherries scarf

The new website is finally here!

Hi Everyone,

So sorry for not writing for a few weeks!
We have all been really, really busy with the launch of our new website and the Lola Rose 10th Birthday party.

The party was held at Home House – a beautiful Georgian townhouse in the centre of London.
Of course, before the event I had a major panic and didn’t know what to wear. I eventually settled on a full length gold dress which I accessorized with a Lola necklace, lots of stacked up tumble bracelets, earrings and one of our statement cocktail rings (Brandy in Gold and Peach).
We had 250 guests turn up to celebrate and they were a mix of magazine fashion editors, buyers from the big department stores plus my closest friends and family.
We spent the evening drinking delicious cocktails supplied courtesy of Chambord. They concocted a new cocktail in our honour called a Lola Rose Flirtini. Scarily scrumptious and incredibly popular with everyone there!!!

We also had the most amazing birthday cake made by Lisa at www.theboutiquecupcake.co.uk I honestly don’t think I have ever seen such a beautiful cake. It was so pretty that we almost didn’t want to eat it!

Once the excitement of the party had died down (and our sore heads had recovered!) it was time for us all to focus on the new website.
This has taken months and months to develop as we wanted to bring you the best shopping experience possible. There are many new features on there, such as being able to select items by colour group or individual stone, or even by price. You can also see pictures of the team and all the latest press. All in all it should make your shopping experience a much smoother process and more fun too!!
Having literally just launched we need to see how things go but there could be further tweaks to it later on, as we learn more about how user friendly people are finding it.
It should however, be a huge improvement on the old site. Please go on and have a good look because as you know, your feedback is invaluable to me.
Also, to celebrate the launch we are offering free shipping within the UK until the 21st December 2010 to all of our customers, so make the most of that whilst you can!

I hope that you will enjoy the new website whilst you are tucked up nice and warm at home. It’s been so cold hasn’t it??
Freddie saw his first snowfall last week which was hysterical as he thought the snowflakes were bubbles!!

Anyway, I must go and get ready for QVC now. Our TSV launches at midnight tonight and we are so excited about it. It is really easy to wear and such good value.
Sorry to be a tease but we can’t tell you what it is now – you’ll have to tune in tonight.
Alternatively if you can’t keep your eyes open until then, we will have several shows tomorrow 9th December…………….Roger is on the morning show at 9am and also on the 11.00am show (I will be spending time with Freddie) then I am on at 3pm, 7pm and 10pm.
Please tune in and watch me! There are some great new items and it’s nice to know that you are watching because believe it or not, I still get nervous!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Much love always
Nikki xxxx

Giggles

Hi everyone,

I hope you’ve had a good week?

This week has been such a long and tedious one of admin and tying things up – Holly is going away for a few weeks so we’ve been busy trying to get everything booked and organised so things run smoothly whilst she’s away.  We’re also finishing off the last stages of the new website which means lots of double checking and proof-reading, hopefully I will be able to invite you to have a look at the new site very soon!  Every time I look at it, I feel like a child with a new present.  I am so excited for it to launch and to finally HOPEFULLY make all my very loyal customers much happier.  I know the last site has been a complete nightmare for you all, but anything technical is not really my forte and therefore I always put it on the back burner.  So sorry if that seems horribly selfish.  Anyhow I bit the bullet and we are nearly there – hurray!!!!!

Yesterday though had to be the best day as our new Autumn Winter 2011 samples arrived! It’s the most sparkly collection yet, we’ve introduced the most fantastic new facets which I’m really pleased with. The girls in the office have been enjoying trying on the new pieces and seeing a preview of pieces which will hopefully find their way into stores next Autumn.  There are some fab new shapes, very deco, along with some lovely new flower shapes and some really dramatic statement pieces which I can’t wait to share with you nearer the time.  You know me, I would show you them all now, but I need to wait patiently until someone at Lola photographs them all for me.

Latest Freddie news as you know I have to talk about him………….well he is as giggly and crazy as ever.  I have attached a video of us in his room at 6.30 am this morning.  Please please excuse the state of me, and concentrate on turning up your volumes as loud as possible.  Our nanny returned home this week so I have been able to get back to normal working hours and coming into the office for full days and you know what, I miss him so much and as I write this can’t wait to get home to give those gorgeous cheeks a kiss.

Enjoy your weekend and be safe if you are going to fireworks!!!

Much love always

Nik xxxx

Strike a pose!

Hi everyone, I hope you have had a good week.

Mine has been a little hectic due to the fact that my nanny is on holiday and juggling Lola with Fred has proven to be more difficult than I had imagined! Bless him, Freddie has been so poorly with an ongoing cold and throat infection. Plus, he has now mastered a fake cough to entice me into his room at all hours, which even though I know it’s not real, still gets me running in!  How he rules our house???

Yesterday was quite exciting as I had a photoshoot in our showroom.  The shots were taken for press coverage of our upcoming 10^th birthday, which we are all very anxious and excited about.

I’ve added a few of the photographs for you to see below.  I’m a bit of a creature of habit and have been working with the same make-up artist (also called Nikki!) for years – she is a life saver whenever I go on QVC, especially now that Fred keeps me awake at all times of the night!  The shots took all day and our very lively photographer got me doing full blown model shots which did not come very naturally at all. But, you know what, the shots look amazing – it’s a wonder what a bit of lighting and great photographer can do!

Thanks so much to those of you who commented last week, discussing your favourite stones. I think the frontrunner was probably Blue Sandstone? A fave of mine too. And…. designing watches as a suggestion, now there’s an idea!

Now that November is almost here, our web customers have been stocking up on our gorgeous winter colours.  Smokey Quartz, Aubergine Quartzite, Tomato Red Quartzite and of course Blue Sandstone have all been really popular this week.

I can’t wait for our new website and for you to all find shopping with us a much more pleasurable experience.  It will also be great for me to be able to let you know all the time which are my favourite pieces and hopefully help you find your way around  and choose so much easier.

I’m really looking forward to the weekend to catch up on everything that I have not had a minute to do this week and watch the X factor – one of my guilty pleasures!!!!

Have a fantastic weekend guys and enjoy every minute,

Love always

Nikki xxxx

Keep sparkling despite the cold!

Hi everyone – wrapped up warm I hope!?

My week has been more relaxed than last, what with QVC, general business and Fred’s party (which went so well, thank you all for reading about my worrying and planning woes these past couple of weeks!). He was happy and smiley, and made some new friends. No girlfriend on the scene yet though!

It truly has been too cold to cope this week, hasn’t it? Which is why I have been thinking more about how us ladies can still remain stylish, even when all we want to do is be wrapped in two duvets and a blanket… And don’t forget the slippers. The problem with having to wear heavy and cosy coats is simply that no-one gets to see your fab accessories! The answer? Earrings. They can add the glamour and sparkle to an outfit that we love, and can really make an uggs/duffle combo into a feminine look. They will also see you through to the evening, glamming up an outfit for when it’s time for a mulled wine at the bar (ok – perhaps we’re not quite there yet!). My suggestions, and I have already integrated these into my winter wardrobe, would be the Dolly earrings in Dark Teal Quartzite, as the colour is bright and fresh, but the gold spiral adds that glam we were talking about. Also, the Paloma earrings are particularly gorgeous in Black Agate – how much can we praise such a certified classic colour? – and Lulu in Aubergine. The long length of the Lulu earrings will elongate your neck and make you look that bit more elegant, and is a nice accessory swap for a necklace. Earrings, of course, are perfect paired with a matching (or not – be daring!) ring.

And what rings we have! The Phoenix and Sadie rings both have the faceted ball going on, and look simply divine as they catch the light and glisten. Alternatively, take a look at the unique and very on-trend cut of the Norma ring, which is particularly sophisticated in Black Agate. I could talk about jewellery for days!

Before I give you a run-down of the week we have had at Lola Rose, just one more tip. Scarves. Been thinking about donning one lately? I know that the freezing chill of the London winds has ensured I am constantly covered up, as are all the girls here at Lola! Take a look below at some of our popular designs – and if you’re looking for warmth and softness in feel, our scarves are 100% Bubu Panama Wool. Ahh. Lovely.

I have been busy this week beginning designing – my favourite aspect of the job. It is what I started out doing and what I hope to always be doing! So, I’ve been looking through all the stones (and there are surprisingly many!) for inspiration… But, as ever, I just can’t decide which is my fave. I’d like to know your opinions on this! Which stones do you love?

On that note, I’ll leave you to your weekends, and await replies about your favourite colours of Lola Rose…

Lots of love,

Nikki xx

Back to the hustle and bustle

Hi everyone,

You may recall that last week I had said that it was fairly calm in the Lola offices…..Well that has all changed now! We are back to the more familiar hustle and bustle. We have had so many meetings with Buyers and Journalists that it really has been non-stop. On the plus side it has meant getting some incredible feedback on the new SS11 collections. I can’t give too much away now but the bold colour choices and introduction of new flower shapes (the tropical flower carving) and heart shapes (beautifully puffed really feminine silhouettes) have gone down a storm. I am really sad that I can’t show them to you all now but have been reliably informed that I can give you all a sneak peek of the new collection once we are ready for our 10th anniversary celebrations. I really hope you love them as much as we all do in the office. The collection looks so bright and fresh. I keep popping my head around the showroom door just to get another glimpse!

We also this week finalised our collection for the website. All the seasons key colours are covered and there are so many fabulous new pieces for you to choose from. All of this will available from early December, so not long to wait now!!

Along with a packed meeting schedule I have also been preparing for this Sundays QVC shows. The butterflies have started already, I have two shows to get ready for (2pm and 10pm) and both have fantastic new pieces to showcase so I am really nervous about showing them to everyone. I think they are beautiful but a big part of my nerves in the run up to a show is always the worry of what all of your opinions will be. I honestly don’t think that will ever change so you think I would be calmer by now. But no, every time a show is coming up I have the same old worries re-surfacing. Luckily I now have a gorgeous little boy to take my mind off these worries a little bit……

On the subject of Freddie he has been an absolute delight this week. All smiles and chuckles! I am sure he knows that it is his birthday weekend and he will be even more spoilt than usual. Also I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for all of the gorgeous messages and gifts that you have been sending to Freddie this week. I appreciate it all so much and am making sure that my boy is well aware who the presents came from! Who knew that a one year old boy could be so much a part of the Lola Rose world?

Anyway, I hope you all get the chance to tune in on Sunday, and as always I am looking forward to getting all of your texts and calls. I’ve added some pictures of my favourite items this week below.

I hope you all have a great weekend.

All my Love

Nikki xx