Days Two and Three in Lancaster, PA

Once we figured out where we were setting up, it only took a couple of hours before we had it all done.
This is our first time at this show and our first time in Lancaster, pronounced “LANG-kiss-ter” – a Chamber of Commerce representative at the show who, by the way, was extremely helpful and courteous, explained it this way: “put a KISS in it.”
I thought that was so cute I had to share it!

Day Two
We set up at the AQS Quilt Show on Tuesday at Liberty Place.


After set up, we were pretty hungry and so went on the hunt for a local lunch spot.
We ended up at a very low-key place that looked to us like a great “local” hang out Niko’s Pizza & Grill.
Check out their menus here.
Roy ordered an Italian Grinder (toasted in the oven) and I had the Meatball sandwich.
Both were so delish, we were happy our choice ended up being a good one.
(Travel Tip #6: unless, of course, you’re really hungry as we were this day, try ordering a foot-long sandwich and share it. Since you now have water from the grocery store, bring a bottle or two with you and drink that instead of expensive and unhealthy soda.)

That night we stayed in our hotel room and just ate fruit and “snackies” for dinner.
(Travel Tip #7: fruit and healthy snacks that you have already picked up at the grocery store work great as after-meal snacks in your hotel room and sometimes even for dinner when you have an early morning and don’t want to overdo it.)
I had difficulties sleeping so I was up working on my computer until 4am.

Day Three
The next day came really early.
Roy dropped me off at the front door of the show to open the booth and he headed out to pick up our daily ration of... you guessed it: Starbucks!

Although the traffic coming through our venue today was extremely light (typical for the first day of any show), we experienced a good steady flow.
Since our Laga bags are not an item typical for quilt shows, attendees are usually pleasantly surprised when they find us.

When we tell them that they are not made of leather and that they are embroidered, they stop and take a second look.

Then, when we tell them the story about how this is an extension of our tsunami relief work in Indonesia, we are helping people in the area that was most severely affected by the tsunami, where they lost half their population, and we’re helping them with long-term sustainability and that all profits go back into the project, they are full of awe.

But it is when we explain that the women who do our beautiful intricate embroidery memorize all the patterns and then hand-guide those patterns free motion onto the fabric on non-electric treadle machines, they almost stop dead in their tracks.

We just love quilters for their appreciation of the work that goes into each Laga handbag, and that they truly do realize that each bag is a one-of-a-kind work of art.

We ordered lunch from The Neptune Diner the first day and, I must say, I had one of the juiciest and most flavorful hamburgers I’ve ever had.

We ate in our hotel room again that first night of the show.
Lots of computer work to do and, again, a very late night at that!

Day One in Lancaster, PA

As we drove along Highway 30 on the way to Lancaster (otherwise called PA Dutch Country) on Monday, we really enjoyed the scenery.
The simple things like the beautiful diverse architecture of the homes located sparsely across the plains, the many open fields and farms and the beautiful silhouettes of tree branches against the blue skies are visions to which I am rarely exposed.
It was so great to just roll down our windows and breathe fresh crisp air and take in everything around us, so different from the commercial structures and landscapes with which we are surrounded in Orange County California where we live.
We drove for miles and miles in silence, just enjoying our senses: sights, smells, sounds.

It was so enjoyable, I didn't even once think of taking out my camera and photographing our drive.
That just doesn't happen because I have my camera around my neck nearly everywhere we go.
But this was really an unusual drive... so calm and serene.

By the time we arrived in Lancaster, were both pretty hungry.
We had seen signs for a cute restaurant that sounded to be a typical local chain so we thought we’d stop there.

Our first meal in Lancaster was at Friendly’s restaurant on Highway 30, whose tag line is “where ice cream makes the meal.”
The wait staff really knows how to make you feel welcome.
Our waitress, Michelle, really embodied the name of this restaurant.
She was also very accommodating and helpful as we were making our way in Lancaster for the very first time.

We drove around for quite a while before we found a grocery store.
(Travel Tip #5: stock up on bottled water, orange juice, fruit, muffins, bread, peanut butter and snacks to save money on breakfast, the cost of individual drinks and high-priced meals if your stay is longer than a day or two.)
We finally found a Giant, supermarket located on Fruitville Pike Road.

Next on the agenda was to find a Starbucks.
When we’re on the road doing shows, days are long and nights are short, so good strong coffee in the morning is a must!
We can always count on Starbucks to consistently deliver good, strong coffee which I believe is the key to their success.
We quickly found out that there were three locations in town.
The one we frequented and for which we posted a link for directions is located also on Fruitville Pike Road.

We found another beautiful treasure in the The Cork Factory Hotel which, as the name indicates, used to be an old cork factory that they transformed into a hip/trendy hotel concept.
Complete with wireless internet in each room (a necessity for us), this hotel is unlike any other we have stayed in.
Having opened barely one week prior, we were pleasantly surprised to see they had already worked out most of the kinks.
Everything from the granite counters in the bathroom, slate in the shower, refrigerator, high open-beamed ceilings and wonderfully comfortable beds, we were very pleased to have found this quaint hotel.
The staff at the Cork Factory Hotel is very friendly and helpful and they make you feel right at home.
We would be very happy to stay here again whenever we return to Lancaster.
(Travel Tip #6: Check online for coupons or find out if your frequent flyer miles apply to your hotel. In this case, because the hotel was brand new, they offered two free nights as an “opening” special.)

We were told that the Cork and Cap Restaurant, located on the same property as the Cork Factory Hotel in Urban Place, is a must try.
We haven’t yet had the opportunity to try it but hopefully we’ll get to do that in the last few days we’re here.

Our first dinner in town was at Good ‘n Plenty.
Here there are two ways to eat: family-style all-you-can-eat dinner or individual platters.
If you choose the family-style dinner, you will be seated with others at a 12-seat dinner table and share the three courses and desserts.
If you choose the platter which we did, you will have your choice of 3 meats (I had the fried chicken and Roy had the sausage), 2 sides (Roy had the mashed potatoes and coleslaw, I had the buttered noodles and sweet corn). Every meal comes with home-made bread served with fresh-churned butter, apple butter and cottage cheese, and 2 desserts (Roy had the apple pie and ice cream and I had Jello and shoo fly pie).
After dinner we went out to the cashier to pay our bill and then browsed in their cute little country gift store before heading back to the hotel for the night.



Tomorrow I’ll continue with more of Lancaster, PA...

Philadelphia, PA

For me, PA is a first.
And so far it's been a great experience!

We flew into Philadelphia on United Airlines...
(Travel Tip #1: Sometimes you're able to get better rates for flights just a day or two before departure. Of course that only works if your time is a bit flexible. Also, you can get out of paying the extra baggage fee if you bring your extra roll-on with you to the gate and have them check it in there.)

Roy found a really unique hotel experience for us: the Sheraton "Aloft" Hotel...

(Travel Tip #2: When booking your hotel room in a town that is generally known to have small rooms: ask for two beds! Also, ask if they have free upgrades available. You might get lucky and get a premium room for the same price! And be sure to always ask for the highest floor possible. Generally speaking, better rooms and amenities [including more comfortable mattresses] are found in the higher floors.)

We arrived around 1:30am so we didn't get out to see the town until the next day.
It was an amazingly beautiful, sunny day!
Our rental car was a Kia Soul, another first for us. Cute car...

(Travel Tip #3: carrentals.com is a great source for rental cars. Compare the different companies. Dollar and Budget are known to have the best deals and are the two we normally use.)

We drove around Philly for the first time and enjoyed the sites very much.


1-freeway sign for Independence Hall exit
2-quaint little row houses line the beautiful streets
3-amazingly beautiful historic church buildings can be found everywhere
4-Independence Hall
5-cute carriage rides give tours for $30
6-Liberty Bell
7-the most beautiful food court we'd ever seen
8-"greatest cheese steak in Philly" in business over 25 years... so the sign said
9-our first Philly Cheese Steak, yum!

Then, another first for us, we went on THE DUCK!


(Travel Tip #4: Go online to see if they have any coupons. Ask if they give discounts for AAA membership and/or senior citizens. [if applicable, of course])

1-duck tours sign, registration is in Independence Visitor's Center
2-they give away quackers for each duck tour
3-on the boat

We had an awesome time in Philly the short time we've had there so far but are looking forward to coming back on Monday to spend some more time there before we head home on Tuesday!

In the meantime, on to Lancaster, PA for the AQS Quilt Show!

Women Helping Women

Beginning in April 2010, Laga Handbags will be looking for quality individuals who are interested in joining our team!!


Pictured above is our So Cal team at our Annual Christmas Dinner 2009

Becoming a Laga Consultant will enable you to...
• work out of your own home!
• set your own schedule!
• be your own boss!
• enjoy a pressure-free career!
• create the income you desire!

And at the same time...
• empower and connect with other women!
• make a tangible difference in the world!
• be the 1 out of every 11 women who start their own business this year!

Consultant earnings
The plan is simple.

No down lines
No pressure to recruit others to join
No minimum monthly quotas

You make 50% of everything you sell.

Period.

So how does $75 per hour to start sound?
Based on our Laga Home Show average of $750 in retail sales, nearly twice the direct selling Home Show industry sales average, you can earn $375 a week by holding one Laga Home Show each week, working just 4-5 hours.

That's $1500 a month!

This chart will help you realize your earnings potential as a Laga Consultant:


We have three (3) Starter Kits to choose from:

SATU
DUA
TIGA

hostess incentives
Your hostesses will love you when they see what they can earn in Laga handbags by hosting a Laga Show for you! At an average Laga Home Show, they can earn enough credits to get a free travel bag and more!

Laga Home Party sales average around $750 but many have had sales DOUBLE and TRIPLE that amount! With a little pre-planning and follow up…
…it is very possible to have sales over $2,000 at your Home Shows!
The record for High Sales at a single Laga Home Show event is $3,600. At our 50% compensation structure, that would be
$1,800 in your pocket for ONE SHOW!

This chart shows the potential incentives for your Hostesses:


Click here to see additional FAQ


Host a Laga Home Show


Would you like to help and earn FREE Laga bags as well? It's easy and fun!!!

As a Laga Hostess you will earn these credits:
• 10% if the total sales comes to $100 to $1500 OR
• 15% if the total sales exceeds $1500 PLUS
• $25 for a minimum of eight (8) guests (*1) in attendance PLUS
• $25 for a minimum of eight (8) orders (*2) at your Laga Show PLUS
• $75 for every qualifying (*3) Laga Show booked at your show

Types of Home Shows you can have!
• Catalog Purse Party
• Internet Purse Party
• Office Purse Party
• Standard Home Party

*1 Guest must have the ability to make a purchase (children under the age of 18 do not qualify as guests)
*2 Outside orders qualify, as long as they are paid and received by our office within two weeks of show
*3 With a minimum of $750 in total sales; credit will be honored once booked show is held and closed

If you are interested in receiving more information regarding either becoming a Laga Consultant or hosting a Laga Home Show, please contact us via email at info@Laga-Handbags.com or call us toll free at 888.LAGA BAG (524.2224).

We look forward to hearing from you!

"What? Seriously? That is so cool!"

Do you recognize this house? Probably not. It could be anybody's. But in this case, not just anybody's. This is the home of Amy Grant and Vince Gill.

Why am I posting this? Let me explain.


Chris Fekete, owner of Think Happy Stuff , was one of our vendor neighbors at the Dallas Market Center last year and we became fast friends. She was so taken by our story and loved our bags so much that she suggested she try and bring one to some people in Nashville who may be interested. And, since we are always interested in promoting our Laga bags wherever possible, of course we gave her one.

Well, what she told us next was that one of the main investors in her company is Amy Grant! "What? Seriously? That is so cool!" I gasped. "Wouldn't it be great if she really liked our Laga bag?"

Well, after becoming Facebook friends with Chris and chatting every now and again, I received an email from her saying that she had indeed given our bag to Amy. So guess what? SHE LOVED IT! And get this: she wanted to meet us! "What? Seriously? That is so cool!" I gasped again. "Wouldn't it be great if we could actually make that happen?"

Well, needless to say, we started brainstorming as to how we COULD make that happen. Our next show was to be in Houston, Texas and, after making sure the timing would work out, we made arrangements to fly over to Nashville right after.

Thanks to Chris' intervention, we were so graciously invited by her friends Chip & Jen Nietfeld to come and stay in the guest room over their garage in Franklin for our first-ever trip to Tennessee... "What? Seriously? That is so cool!" I gasped for a third time. We were so excited to have another opportunity to see Chris, to actually meet her family (that is a whole other story I'll have to share with you another time!), friends and hometown which we had heard so much about.


We had an amazing time in Franklin. If you ever get the chance to visit, we highly recommend it! What a beautiful, quaint little town! We met Chris' family and friends. Roy was invited to play his guitar at Kimbro's Pickin' Parlor with Chip and their other musician friends... "What? Seriously? That is so cool!" They had a blast!


The following day, Chris drove us out to Nashville to meet with Amy Grant at her home (now, that should explain the reason I posted the first picture).

Amy met us at the door and welcomed us with a big hug. She offered us something to drink and then went into the kitchen to make us a cup of coffee. As we were waiting, Vince Gill came into the room... "What? Seriously? That is so cool!" He couldn't stay long because they had just finished building a recording studio in their home and he was doing their first recording there and he had a bunch of people waiting for him. But he did stay long enough for me to take a picture of he and Amy together.


We are so blessed for the opportunity to share our Laga story with Amy. She was so impressed with what we were doing for the people of Aceh. She asked a lot of questions, made a few great suggestions for us and asked how she could help. "What? Seriously? That is so cool!" Now it's just up to us to figure out what she can help us that would have the most impact!



"What? Seriously? That is so cool!"

Thanks, Chris! You are the best! And we encourage you all to check out Chris' website: www.thinkhappystuff.com. She has some really amazing products that will make your day!

Oh, and we'll make sure to let you know what comes of this great opportunity with Amy...

Special Rewards for our Special Customers

We’ve accumulated quite a following over the last four years, thanks to many loyal customers and their willingness to share Laga Handbags with their respective circle of influence.
During the year we try and find creative ways to show our appreciation.

One way we do this is by hosting a special event at which we offer our current customers the opportunity to purchase a new Laga bag at a discounted rate.


We open our showroom for just this purpose right before Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Christmas, and provide a relaxed boutique-like shopping atmosphere with refreshments and music.
For each new friend you bring with you, you receive an “appreciation gift.”

Two years ago we did something that has since become really popular and we have adopted it at each “boutique” since: our “Discount Grab Bag.”
At checkout, you can reach into our special Laga bag and get a discount, which ranges anywhere from 10% to 50%, and good on your entire purchase.

Another event that we have held in the past is our Customer Appreciation Night.


Designed as a treat for our loyal customers, we provide an evening of entertainment, food and of course, the opportunity to pick up another Laga bag.
Our Master of Ceremonies introduces several segments for the evening, including music (since Roy is an accomplished musician, having toured professionally through the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, he puts together a band which he appropriately calls “Collaboration,” each year featuring different local musicians), a special speaker, fashion show, silent auction, drawings, a door prize and several other surprises.

It is always a fun evening that gives us the opportunity to meet and “give back” to our supporters.
This year we are in the planning stages of holding our Customer Appreciation Night on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

For those who do not live the in Southern California area, we provide special discounts through the year.
We are currently in the midst of our 6-week Spring Special series.

If you would like to get on our mailing list and be privy to any of these “By Invitation Only” events, make sure you visit our website at www.laga-handbags.com and register.

Pauley Perrette

OK, so we met Pauley at an HUMC event we did about 3 years ago. Here's how it went:

We had been invited by our dear friend, Rae Sowell, to set up a table in the fellowship hall in the back of the church and sell our Laga bags. It was to be an "alternative" Christmas boutique as it was held sometime in October. It was pretty cool because, during the service, Reverend Kathy introduced us and requested the congregation to be sure and visit us in the back after the service.

Anyway, people were coming in and browsing through our bags and we were telling everyone the story behind how we got started. Most people were buying our smaller handbags and wallets. But then this girl came over and started oohing and aahing over our bags. She was picking up three or four of our bigger bags and asking her friend what she thought of them. I didn't really think she was gonna buy all the bags she was holding but lo and behold, she came over and said, "I'll take these." She must have had about 6 bags and two were the large travelers. Nice sale, I thought!

As I was taking her information, I looked at her driver's license and it didn't have an address. I always make sure to get all the information and asked her why she didn't have an address on her DL. She just casually stated, "I'm a public person, I never give out my address, for security reasons." I thought to myself, "what the heck is a public person?" but of course didn't say anything out loud. I just thought it a bit odd.

Anyway, her friend came over to buy two more bags and just to make conversation, I asked her what she did for a living. She pointed to the first girl and said, "I'm her personal assistant." Hmmmmm.... At the risk of sounding really stupid, I asked her, "who is she?" And she answered, "she's Pauley Perrette, she plays Abby on NCIS."

OK, by this point I should have known who she was but unfortunately I never watched that show. :(

My husband was standing behind me and I heard him blurt out, "I KNEW IT!"

Anyway, to make a long story short, Pauley was buying our bags to give out as Christmas presents to her family. We asked if we could take a few pictures with her and she was very kind to agree.



We've done the event at HUMC twice after this and each time Pauley has been so supportive... the following year my husband Roy wanted to be in the picture with her:

She has become one of Laga's staunch supporters, as is Rae and Rev. Kathy and Angela and many others at HUMC. We thank them heartily for giving us the opportunity to share our mission with them and for always being so kind to invite us to be a part of their HUMC family!