Changing lives... one handbag at a time

Think Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2010-10-15T10:56:00.001-07:00

Laga handbags have always been more than a fashion statement. The beautiful, one of a kind handbags are custom made by women who survived the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia. Countless lives were destroyed after the terrible disaster. Roy and Louise van Broekhuizen founded Laga Designs International in order to give survivors a chance to rebuild their lives and support their families. Laga is proud to offer fashion handbags that are not only unique but also give hope to those in need.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. This month, you can buy a Laga handbag to help tsunami survivors support their families as well as support breast cancer awareness and research efforts. Roy van Broekhuizen has lost two sisters to breast cancer and feels very strongly for the cause. Although many people know someone who has died from breast cancer, losing two members of one’s immediate family is especially heartbreaking. Carrying around a pink handbag is a great way to show your support for those affected by breast cancer. Laga has many functional yet fashionable handbags featuring pink designs. Many businesses show their support this month by selling pink items and donating a portion of the profits to breast cancer treatment and research. During October, Laga is offering a collection of specially priced handbags in pink. Ten percent of your purchase will go towards fighting breast cancer in America. This funding helps to ensure quality care for breast cancer survivors as well as fund research into finding a cure.

One of Laga’s featured items this month is the pink Pulih handbag. Pulih means “recover” in Indonesian. This handbag is a great choice if you are looking for a smaller handbag that is perfect for either daytime or evening. The bag is beautifully embroidered and has a double-zippered closure. The bag is normally sold for $49 but is on sale during October for $39. The Pulih handbag is just one of many featured pink bags on sale this month at www.laga-handbags.com/handbags-in-pink.html.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month was founded in 1985. The main focus of the month-long event was to promote mammograms as the best way to fight breast cancer in its earliest stages. In addition, there are many lifestyle choices a person can make to decrease the chance that they will get breast cancer. For example, eating lots of green vegetables as well as a low fat diet have been shown in studies to decrease the chances of getting breast cancer. Today, Breast Cancer Awareness Month is recognized around the world. Fundraisers and events held during October raise millions for breast cancer research and prevention. You can join the fight today and make a difference simply by carrying a pink handbag!

An Exciting Year for Laga Designs

2010-10-15T10:52:00.000-07:00

After one look at a Laga handbag, one can immediately tell that it is no ordinary bag. Not only are the designs striking and beautiful, they are individually handmade by survivors of the devastating tsunami that struck Indonesia in 2004. Laga handbags feature unique patterns and designs that are native to the province of Aceh, passed down from generation to generation. The one of a kind bags are a way for tsunami survivors in Indonesia to share their culture with the world while earning a living that allows them to support themselves and their families.

On December 26, 2004, one of the deadliest natural disasters in history struck off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. An earthquake and subsequent tsunamis killed over 285,000 people and destroyed the lives of countless others. Aceh, Indonesia was the closest major city to the earthquake’s epicenter. After the disaster, Roy van Broekhuizen was asked by his church to lead a trip to Indonesia to bring medical teams and funds during the initial relief crisis phase. After several trips to Indonesia, Roy, along with his wife Louise van Broekhuizen, founded Laga Designs International as a way to help survivors rebuild their lives. The company is dedicated to providing income and a secure future for as many victims of the disaster as possible. When Laga first started, there were only 12 women making the handbags. Since then, the company has exploded with orders. Today, Laga Designs is proud to employ over 300 tsunami survivors. They hope to expand further as the demand for the beautiful handbags increases.

2010 turned out to be a very exciting year for Laga when Malaak Compton-Rock, a social activist who wrote the book, If it Takes a Village, Build One, began to work with Roy and Louise. Malaak recommended Laga handbags to be featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show because she thought that Laga story was a great example of what she wrote her book about. The Laga handbags as well as the story behind them were presented by Malaak on the Oprah Winfrey Show on Tuesday, April 13, 2010. Although the segment was less than a minute, orders for Laga handbags began pouring in. Additionally, airing on Oprah gave Laga the opportunity for more coverage through other media. Since the handbags were presented on Oprah, the Laga team has been hard at work to fill all the orders they have received. Although they are very busy, they feel truly blessed to be given such a great opportunity.

Laga has something for everyone! Priced as low as $15, Laga’s exquisite fashion handbags are beautiful and affordable. In addition, Laga offers small and large travel bags, backpacks, wallets and more in many different colors and designs. You can find more information about Laga products at www.laga-handbags.com.

Laga Launches New Affiliate Program

2010-08-05T08:58:00.000-07:00

Laga Handbags was founded as an extension of our involvement in the relief efforts in Aceh, Sumatera, Indonesia following the 2004 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that ravaged the “Land of the Beautiful People.”

In our humble beginnings we started our small workshop with 12 women, providing food, housing, medical treatment, training and sustainable income in order to help them rebuild their lives.

We originally chose to take these handbags, indigenous to the province of Aceh and not found anywhere else in the world, as a means through which to perpetuate the story about the people most severely affected by our generation’s most devastating natural disaster and to take all the net profits to help them rebuild and financially sustain themselves.

In the last four years, our Laga Handbags have made their way into the hearts and homes of people all over the world and we have been able to increase that number to over 300!

Having drawn the recent attention of celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey (Laga was featured on The Oprah Show in April 2010), Malaak-Compton Rock (wife of comedian Chris Rock – she introduced Laga Handbags on The Oprah Show), Amy Grant (Grammy winning music artist – Laga founders were invited to her home in October 2009), Whitney Houston (Grammy winning music artist – Laga founders were invited to meet with her in Beverly Hills in early 2010), Kim Coles (actress/comedian – staunch Laga fan and supporter), Pauley Perrette (television actress – staunch Laga fan and supporter for several years now), Lil Kim (American rapper, songwriter and actress) and many more, we want to take advantage of the momentum and increase our scope of reach even further, our goal being to help 1200 people.

But in order to reach that level of commitment, we need more people to come alongside and help. And that is where you come in!

We have developed what we call our Laga Affiliate Program through which not only can the net profits from Laga Handbags help to provide sustainable income for the people of Aceh, but we have found an amazing way to share a portion of those profits with you!

Laga Handbags Affiliate Program is easy and it is FREE.
Click on the link to sign up:

You don’t need a website. Although the sign-up form asks for your website address, you can just leave it blank if you do not have one. A personal affiliate link will be issued to you. If you do have a website, a nice variety of banners is available for you to use on your site.

For every sale that comes through your Laga Affiliate link, ShareASale will pay you 20% of the purchase price. The program also provides a cookie which remembers your customer for 90 days.

“How are people going to know about my link,” you might ask? Well, this is what you can do:

Send an introductory email to your data base, including your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, classmates… anyone you might know. Include your new Laga Affiliate link and ask them to check out Laga Handbags through your personal link.

It’s that easy!
Again, for every purchase that comes through your link, ShareASale will pay you 20% of the profits!

The more Laga Affiliates we have, the more people hear our story and reach our website. And what a wonderful (and EASY) way for you to also have the opportunity to play an integral part in helping us to provide sustainable income for more people than we would ever be able to help on our own.

With the state of our economy, we can all use the help!

We’re all in this together!
These amazing handbags and accessories are lovingly handmade in the tsunami-ravaged province of Aceh, the intricate embroidery work lovingly and individually hand-guided on a non-electric, foot-powered treadle machine, making each a priceless work of art. It’s no wonder why people all over the world have ordered Laga Handbags online and why celebrities are also beginning to notice Laga!

Won’t you help us spread the word?

Click on the link to sign up TODAY!

Laga Consultants participating in events around the country

2010-07-28T12:19:00.000-07:00

Laga Handbags was founded as a result of the desire to meet the needs of those affected so severely after the 2004 earthquake and subsequent tsunami.
These amazing bags and accessories are lovingly handmade in the tsunami-ravaged province of Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia.
The intricate embroidery work is indigenous to that area and not found anywhere else in the world.
Each piece is an individual work of art, which has drawn the recent attention of celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey (Laga was featured on The Oprah Show in April 2010), Amy Grant (Grammy winning music artist – Laga founders were invited to her home in October 2009), Whitney Houston (Grammy winning music artist – Laga founders were invited to meet with her in Beverly Hills), Malaak-Compton Rock (wife of comedian Chris Rock – she introduced Laga Handbags on the Oprah Show), Kim Coles (actress/comedian – staunch Laga fan and supporter), Pauley Perrette (television actress – staunch Laga fan and supporter) and many more.

Laga Handbags was based on the concept of home shows and has thrived since its inception in 2006.

Our Consultant Program is like others in the industry in that ours is a direct sales company.
We offer incentives to Hostesses for agreeing to host a Laga Home Show.
However, it is unlike other direct sales companies in every other way.
Ours is not a tiered or multi-level program. There are no monthly minimums or quotas to meet. We do not require you to sign up other Consultants. There is no down line. There is no pressure.

Laga Consultants purchase stunning Laga products that truly sell themselves at $ and resell them to their customers at $ x 2… it’s as simple as that.
As a Laga Consultant, a one-time $300 referral credit is yours when you bring on another qualified Consultant.

The main thrust of our program is to provide long-term sustenance and a better future for those who have suffered through the most devastating natural disaster of our lifetime.
Click Here to read more about us

Through our program, women and men have the unique opportunity to play an integral part in our work whilst also providing a way to meet their own financial needs in these difficult economic times.
Our motto is, “if you’re going to carry a handbag anyway, why not carry one that helps rebuild lives?”
We agree, of course!

Our dedicated Laga Consultants who now consist of close to 90 in number and of which four are men, facilitate home shows throughout the US.

We are also very proud of the fact that two of our amazing Consultants do not keep any of the profits they earn for themselves but have designated all of their profits to help others:

Jill Lillie, our State College, PA Consultant, gives all of her profits to an organization called Altrusa International in which she has been involved for many years. Click Here to read her story

Kimberly Mead, our Buena Park, CA Consultant, chooses to sell Laga bags in order to raise funds for cancer research due to her husband’s diagnosis with Lymphoma. Click Here to read her story

Laga Consultants are not limited to facilitating home shows by any means.
Many are also successful participants in events local to their respective areas.

Here is a list of events in which some of our Consultants have been involved:

31st Ocean Beach Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off Festival
Sylvia Hassard-Johnson
Abounding Grace Fundraiser
Wendie Madrid
Alamitos Bay Marina
Beckie Welty
Alternative Christmas
Louise Bauwin
American Cancer Society
Jerrod Carter
Anaheim Farmers Market
Wendie Madrid
Beechwood Elementary Craft Fair
Terri Spencer & Sharon Fry
Beehive Family Expo
Sylvia Hassard-Johnson
Brea Country Fair
Desiree Thomas
Carlsbad Village Street Fair
Sylvia Hassard-Johnson
Cherry Blossom Festival
Irene Zuehlsdorff
Cleveland’s Arts & Crafts Bazaar
Lynn Ketchem
Dana Point Farmer’s Market
Vivian Vanderwerd
Dog Walk & Family Festival
Beckie Welty
Glacier Arts & Crafts Fair
Irene Zuehlsdorff
eWomen Accelerated Networking Event
Jessica Randolph
Encinitas Fall Festival
Sylvia Hassard-Johnson
Fashion Day Soiree
Sylvia Hassard-Johnson
First Choice Décor Kiosk
Irene Zuehlsdorff
Flat-Iron Quilt Show
Irene Zuehlsdorff
Halecrest Tennis Club Harvest Boutique
Sylvia Hassard-Johnson
Heritage Day Festival/Parade
Sylvia Hassard-Johnson
Home Show – Great Falls, MT
Amanda Kohut
Home Show – Corona, CA
Amber Moore
Home Show – Corona, CA
Brandy Dominguez
Home Show – El Segundo, CA
Brandy van Zitter
Home Show – Las Vegas, NV
Briana Bergier-Williams
Home Show – El Segundo, CA
Drew Jongbloed
Home Show – Milan, MI
Jacquie Feliciano
Home Show – High Point, NC
Joyce Darr
Home Show – Lakewood, CA
Kelly Carter
Home Show – Orange, CA
Kristan Hinman
Home Show – Buena Park, CA
Kimberly Mead
Home Show – Burr Ridge, IL
Linda Puccinelli
Home Show – Orange, CA
Maggie Mora
Home Show – Orange, CA
Megan Helgeson
Home Show – Mission Viejo, CA
Melissa Holaday
Home Show – Weston, FL
Melissa Morris
Home Show – Richmond, VA
Paula Quick
Home Show – Fountain Valley, CA
Rachel Kaufman
Home Show – Cranford, NJ
Robin Hoy
Home Show – San Antonio, TX
Rose Stewart
Home Show – Glenville, NY
Sandra Stewart
Home Show – Clark, NJ
Shenaz Nasser
Home Show – Rohoboth, MA
Susan Huling
Home Show – Cerritos, CA
Tammy Rijkschroeff
Home Show – Centereach, NY
Robin Mitrani
Howl-o-Ween Cat Show
Lynn Ketchem
Inland Empire Super Show
Sylvia Hassard-Johnson
International Street Faire
Beckie Welty
Irvine Global Village
Wendie Madrid
LA Wine Fest
Wendie Madrid
La Habra Women’s Club
Desiree Thomas
Ladies’ Night
Luann Giusiana
Laguna Road SOS Foundation
Barbie Novaselec
Lee Elementary Carnival
Lauren Jarvis
Long Beach Farmer’s Market
Beckie Welty
MOPS Fall Boutique
Sylvia Hassard-Johnson
MOPS Spring Boutique
Audrea Heitzman
Mother’s Day at the Mall
Irene Zuehlsdorff
Multi-Cultural Festival
Sylvia Hassard-Johnson
Nutcracker Marketplace
Sylvia Hassard-Johnson
OC Green Solutions Festival
Sylvia Hassard-Johnson
OC Marketplace
Wendie Madrid
Oktoberfest
Wendie Madrid
Open House
Lyn Empey
Open House
Jessica Randolph
Open House
Stephanie Palumbo
Open House
Yolanda Mathey-Chavez
Open House Boutique
Wendie Madrid
PWOCN Career & Biz Summit
Fancy Frenchwood
Pahlki Kioske
Swati Sharma
Roots Fest on Adams
Sylvia Hassard-Johnson
Rose Bowl Flee Market
Wendie Madrid
Santa Ana ArtWalk
Beckie Welty
SCORE Women’s Breakfast
Vivian Vanderwerd
Silverado Days
Beckie Welty
Slate Hill PTA Bazaar
Jessica Randolph
Spring Craft Boutique
Desiree Thomas
St Patrick’s Day Parade
Sylvia Hassard-Johnson
St Joachim Holiday Boutique
Wendie Madrid
TSK’s Double Barrel Shootout
Rosalyn Morales
Teresa’s All Girls Martini and Laga Night
Beckie Welty
Ultimate Shopping Event
Wendie Madrid
Village Homes Holiday Boutique
Rodney & Desiree Thomas
Winter Reflections Craft Show
Jill C. Lillie
Winter Wonderland
Lynn Ketchem
World Cultural Festival – Global Bazaar
Jill C. Lillie

If you are interested in obtaining more information on how you can become a Laga Consultant, we have lots of information on our website. Please feel free to CLICK HERE and read more. This will give you the information you need and answer most of your questions. Then, if you’re ready to join, we now offer the ability to order your Starter Kit directly online. CLICK HERE to see the kits available and click through to make your purchase.

If you would like to contact us for any reason, feel free to email us at consultants @ laga-handbags.com or call our office toll free at 888.524.2224.

We look forward to hearing from you and to welcoming you into our Laga family!

Holland Festival

2010-06-02T06:37:00.000-07:00

My husband and I are from Dutch-Indonesian heritage, thus the connection to our involvement in Indonesia. It is actually an amazing story, our background. Perhaps in my next few blogs I'll touch more on that subject. For now, suffice it to say that our parents knew each other in the "old country" of Indonesia. And both our families relocated to The Netherlands (or Holland, as it is informally called) where it is that I was born, thus our connection to the Holland Festival.

Every year in Long Beach, California, the Dutch-Indonesian community gathers for special a day, always on the Sunday before Memorial Day, to celebrate our culture with a day in the park with lots of food, music, friends and family. And this year was no exception.

People came from across the country for this amazing day.

The weather was exceptional, probably the most perfect weather anyone could ever ask for, and the day was filled with wonderful aromas from the food (LONG, LONG LINES)....
can anyone say, "SATE?"

....fun music from bands of the older and the newer generations....

....children had fun in the bouncy houses and with the "bubble guy"...

....and there was a larger attendance of family and friends than I had seen in a very long time.

Laga Handbags participated in this event as a vendor as we we've done in years past.

It has been great to see the support for our work in Indonesia grow from year to year, and how our Dutch-Indonesian community of friends have really come alongside our efforts. We had a record number of sales this year, and many of our past supporters came out once again to see us, visit with us and make yet another purchase in support of the people of Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia.

As the day progressed, it was a blessing to be able to tell the Laga story to those who hadn't yet heard it, to share with them that the people of Aceh are so blessed to know that Americans love their traditional embroidered handbags we are bringing to them and to know that our hard work gives them hope for a better tomorrow.

We spent time with old friends, met some wonderful new ones, had special family time, and all-in-all had a wonderful day in the beautiful California sunshine.

But I would be remiss by not taking the time to mention two people who have been absolutely amazing in their continued support of Laga:

Henk and Louise Bauwin, or OH and TL, as I like to call them...

(shown here with TL's favorite show NCIS' "Abby" - Pauley Perrette)

As they've done many, many times before, they came out very early in the morning, helped us set up our booth and helped sell our handbags all day long.

And if that wasn't enough, and because Roy and I had to leave early to attend a wedding for one of our Laga Consultants, they single-handedly (well, technically double-handedly) tore down our entire booth and brought "lock, stock and barrel" back to our house in Irvine when it was all said and done.

They are two young-at-heart individuals and definitely an inspiration to the older generation and to us all: they have two children, five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, and will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary next year. Seriously, if it wasn't for these two beautiful and dedicated "Indos," there is no way we could accomplish everything we do. We love you OH and TL!

Holland Festival 2010 was a great success and a great day for everyone who was there, and really relaxing for some!

Thank you to all of you who came out to support Laga, and for giving of yourselves and your time and resources to partner with us as we continue to help the people of Aceh!

We love you all!

During the Effect

2010-05-22T12:39:00.001-07:00

So perhaps you figured out that we were slammed after the Oprah Show featured our beautiful Laga handbags? Well, you were right! And that is the reason why I haven't posted anything on this blog since then.

Lots of changes have been happening at Laga Central and, although we are thrilled with all the wonderful attention we've been getting, we're pretty exhausted!

It's so ironic that, at the exact time Laga was being featured on Oprah, I was in the air on a flight headed to Chicago for a pre-scheduled show. And I was away for two weeks while all the excitement was happening at home! But my dear friend, Louise Bauwin, and I had a bit of excitement on the road as well!

Our dear Chicago friends, Juan "Pooky #2" and Michelle Quintero, were wonderful hosts as always. Here we dined at a favorite Mexican restaurant with Michelle's father and aunt.

And here is the amazing food I had there! Yumm!

The International Quilt show in Chicago went well...
Here is the only picture I took of our booth...

After Chicago, we rented a car and drove down to Paducah, Kentucky, a first for us. We had a really nice time there. The town is adorable, we met so many really friendly people and stayed in a beautiful bed & breakfast

...owned by Chad Wilson who was a wonderful host. He even played the piano for us!

Thank you, Chad, for showing us your amazing southern hospitality!

I took pictures all over town...

And we met some amazing people at the AQS Paducah show as well

Here are the McCuan's... thank you so much for your support!

Our trip back to Chicago was so beautiful... we were blessed with fields of yellow flowers on our way...

...and gorgeous weather!

And of course we ate well! ("Chinese or Mexican???")

Last but not least, thank you, TL, for sharing this memorable trip with me!

The Oprah Effect

2010-04-17T20:59:00.000-07:00

It has been the beginning of a pretty spectacular ride at Laga.

Malaak Compton-Rock gave us the opportunity of a lifetime by recommending that our Laga bags be featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show as an example of what her book, "If It Takes A Village, Build One," was written about.

As I wrote in my previous entry, Malaak (which means "angel" in Aramaic) has lived a life of service, learned from and taught to her by her mother, Gayle Fleming (read an exerpt here from her book where she mentions her mom).

And thanks to her, service has been Malaak's passion in life and she has now expressed it in her new book. And Laga fit well into the show aired on Oprah Tuesday, April 13th which featured Mary J. Blige and Malaak herself, both of whom shared their stories and how they are making a difference in the lives of others.

Malaak introduced our amazing Laga handbags on that show, using them as a product on which people can simply exercise their consumer power to help others, in our case, those affected by the 2004 earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia.

Since the show aired, orders have been coming in and they haven't stopped yet. Although our portion of the show represented a mere 10 seconds of the entire program, Malaak was able to give a concise and eloquent rundown of what Laga handbags is all about.

And since airing on Oprah, we have had opportunity for more coverage through other media, including a Salem, Oregon-based radio station KXL/KEX interview with reporter Gina Parosa, and yet another article in the Business section of the Orange County Register, written by Jan Norman. Jan will be doing another feature story on Laga which will be out soon. And the OC Register has been so kind in featuring Laga in other articles in the past.

Although I am out on the road for a couple of shows, the rest of our team is hard at work at home, fielding calls and filling orders. We have been blessed.

We started Laga four years ago with 12 women in our small factory in Aceh and blessed to be able to take that number to 300. And we are excited about the prospects of being able to provide long-term sustainable income for many, many more. With the help of the Oprah airing, we are confident we will make big strides in accomplishing that in 2010!

If It Takes A Village, Build One

2010-04-11T07:31:00.000-07:00

We've been trying to prepare ourselves for great things coming up.

What were our chances of having our Laga handbags on The Oprah Winfrey Show? I mean, she is pretty much the most influential woman in our lifetime, this is her final season on television, why on earth would they choose US of all the people in the world to be amongst those featured?

Crazy as it may seem, the taping of her show is happening TODAY and Oprah herself will be introduced to our story and our Laga bags TODAY!

SURREAL!

I shared the connection with Malaak C. Rock in my last blog. Feel free to read it again. Well, the story just gets more amazing...

So, after two years of trying to connect with her, she decides to follow me on Twitter (you are welcome to as well, of course!). And on Thursday I happened to read her tweet: ..."book signing at Vromans Bookstore in Pasadena this Saturday."

O M G

This was our chance to finally connect with her. We started thinking of ways we could make it special. So we invited everyone we knew in the So Cal area to join us at this event. We asked our dear friends and staunch supporters at McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants to provide some goodies for the event(thank you so much, Rene!!!!). We offered to purchase Malaak's book for everyone who attended. And, even though it was pretty last minute, we had a really great turn out ~ at least half the crowd consisted of our faithful Laga family!

I just have to say, the signing event for Malaak Compton-Rock's new book, "If It Takes A Village, Build One" was one of unforgettable inspiration for me. Malaak was everything and more of what I knew she would be. Incredible. Her heart and passion for living a life of service touched me so deeply and inspired me to no end.

She shared her life's story, how her mother had always been a social activist and how she too now is living that life and teaching her children as well. It brought tears to my eyes (ok, more than just a few I must admit, especially when she called me out on it!) when she talked about her program (one of many) called Journey for Change geared toward at-risk youth (empowering youth through global service), giving them an opportunity to travel with her to an area in South Africa to see first-hand and personally talk to other children who are enslaved there (yes, modern-day slavery exists!). She has dedicated her life to teaching these inner city kids that they, even in their hardships and impoverish environment, can make a difference in other people's lives. That they are important and can have a wonderful future and life of service.

O M G

In her book she tells those stories and then goes on to tell the world how, in your small or large way, can also live a life of service. Helping Others. In her book "If It Takes A Village, Build One" she explains 100+ ways you can do that.

I can't even begin to express what an impact I think this book will have on your life. PLEASE GO OUT TODAY AND GET A COPY!

This Tuesday, April 13th, Malaak will be on Oprah to talk about her book, and she will be the one to share our Laga story as an example of how we are making our small difference in the world.

Thank you everyone who came out in support of Laga! Without your love and dedication, it would be impossible for us to exist, let alone thrive!

Thank you, Malaak, for making such a wonderful impact on the world. For dedicating yourself to a life of service. To teaching your children and ALL of us that "service is the rent we pay for living."

Laga Handbags on Oprah

2010-04-08T05:54:00.000-07:00

So, 2010 started out pretty uneventful, really. As opposed to 2009 when we we hit the ground running on January 2nd participating in 6 trade shows setting the tone for the entire year, this year we decided to concentrate our efforts on marketing our website. We also did a LOT of networking!

One of our networking ventures involved Malaak Compton-Rock, who recently wrote the book entitled, "If It Takes a Village, Build One."

We have been communicating with Malaak via email over the last two years, trying to hook up. She is an amazing woman, the founder of AngelRock Project, and who is accomplishing amazing things and we were hoping to perhaps work on our Laga project together.

Well, although she showed tremendous interest in our story and expressed an affection for somehow finding a way we could collaborate, the timing was always off. Either she was away in Africa on a mission or we were away on business.

But then last week we received a surprise call from Harpo Productions telling us that Malaak Compton-Rock had recommended our Laga bags for a segment they're doing on "Companies That Give Back."

WOW!

It was a fairly short conversation, requesting us to send samples as soon as possible as they were scheduling taping for which was to be 10 days later. We scrambled to put together the best selection of our bags and sent them on their way. I followed up with an email three days later to be sure they received our bags but I heard nothing back.

"Ok, they probably aren't interested..." I thought.

Not wanting to give up and trying to maintain a positive outlook, I waited a couple of days and decided to give them a call. It was late in the day, 5pm in Chicago, so I was expecting just to leave a voice message. But I found a cheerful voice on the line.

"I'm so sorry I didn't return your email... I can't believe I didn't tell you: YOU MADE THE CUT!"

What? We got cut?

"Everyone here absolutely LOVES your bags! We're taping the segment on Sunday the 11th and your Laga bags are going to be on The Oprah Show on Tuesday, the 13th!"

OMG... OMG... O M G!!!!

So apparently, Malaak will introduce our story and our bags to Oprah and her audience on the 13th...

WOW!

I'm still a little dizzy and we have so much to do to get ready for what we hope will be the opening of "the flood gates of heaven!" I need to focus... I need to get prepared... and I need to leave the rest to God...

"Thank you sooooooooo much Malaak!"
And thank you to all of you who have been praying for us, for your support and encouragement!

Well, gotta run and take care of the details.... but don't forget to watch The Oprah Show this coming Tuesday, April 13th at whatever time she comes on in your area! If you're not home during the day, DVR it!

Hershey, PA

2010-04-01T23:15:00.000-07:00

I have to say, and I think I can speak for Roy as well, our trip through Lancaster, PA and the surrounding areas was filled with surprises for us... one of the most inspiring and life-changing business trips we've had yet.

OK, I think I know what you might be thinking right about now, "What, you're thinking about joining the Amish now?" Well, not quite THAT life-changing. But the "heart" of a life-style separated for service is what we were most drawn to.

Although there were many things we enjoyed, there was one particular place that really inspired us.

When one hears the word "Hershey" one immediately thinks of... of course: CHOCOLATE! As a mtter of fact, when you drive into the town of Hershey ("the sweetest place on earth"), it even smells like chocolate!

Now, I know there's nothing spiritual about chocolate but indulge me for a moment. What Hershey really and truly represents is much more profound and certainly much more than we had expected to find.

** Milton Hershey, with only a fourth grade education, started the very first nationally marketed product of its kind
** He built a town around his business to benefit his workers
** He gave Penn State University the funds to start their medical school and teaching hospital
** He invested his time, money and talents to ensure that the town of Hershey would prosper long after his death
** He left his entire fortune to help educate poor orphaned children and today the Milton Hershey School houses and educates, free of charge, children who come from families with limited income and/or are not receiving adequate care from their natural parents

Milton Hershey built a business.
He built a town.
He built a legacy.
And he did it all smack in the middle of the Great Depression.

If that doesn't inspire you, I don't know what will!

Believing in something is one thing. Living what you believe is quite another. And then giving back to others in order to stay true to your beliefs... well... that's what we found to be so life-changing.

That is the kind of life I aspire to live, the kind of life I aspire to give.

If you are interested in reading more about Milton S. Hershey and the legacy he left behind, I invite you to click here.

Days Two and Three in Lancaster, PA

2010-03-28T06:14:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-26T18:13:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-25T19:12:00.001-07:00

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

2010-03-23T22:01:00.000-07:00

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!"

2010-03-22T12:52:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-17T02:56:00.000-07:00

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!

Finally an update from Laga!

2010-03-16T18:08:00.000-07:00

So, it's been just waaaay too long since I started this blog and I'm feeling a little guilty about that. But in fairness, I've been absolutely crazy busy with the business of Laga! Knowing that blogging is an important part of getting the Laga story out to everyone, I am now committed to spending the time I need to do a lot more here.

Gosh, where to start is a daunting thing. Soooo much has happened since we started Laga. And the last post was from back in 2008... wow! It's hard to believe I let this sit for so long! OK, enough of the guilts... I'm back!

We finished 2008 with about 50 home show consultants. This is the way we started our business: through home parties. This was an amazing way to start... it gave us a platform to tell the Laga story, sharing the stories of the people who were so devastatingly affected by the 2004 earthquake and tsunami that literally rocked the world! We just were so blessed to be involved with such a "giving back" kind of project.

It was also in 2008 that we started participating in the wholesale trade show circuit. We began with Accessories The Show in Las Vegas, and then we grew into Accessories The Show in New York, Dallas Market Center, AmericasMart in Atlanta, San Francisco Gift Show, LA Mart and the New York International Gift Show. We got the attention of retailers all over the United States, as well as some outside the US such as Japan, Great Britain, Australia, Canada and Puerto Rico.

To quickly bring you up-to-date, we have now been selling our Laga bags in close to 400 retailer shops and we have almost 80 home show consultants. Can you believe it? When I look back, it's even difficult for me to believe what we've done in such a short amount of time.

In 2010, we have been blessed to have been exposed to yet another segment of society: celebrities.

To date, we have had enthusiastic endorsements from:

Pauley Perrette (actress, "Abby" of NCIS)

Mikalah Gordon (singer, season 4 finalist of American Idol)

Jimmy Palumbo (comedian, and his wife Stephanie, who is one of our Laga Consultants)

Amy Grant (singer, married to Vince Gill)

and Whitney Houston! (unfortunately, we were unable to take a picture with her but we'll be meeting with her again soon and be sure to check the celebrity magazines as she is sporting our large Laga Harapan handbag!)

What a wonderful response we have received to our Laga handbags, a traditional artform handmade in the area of Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia. We are the first to bring this amazing artwork, indigenous to the Aceh area, to light in a major way here in the United States. And we are proud that we have been able to play a part in history having started with a small factory of 12 and now being able to help nearly 300 people with sustainable incomes.

The Laga Saga will continue. This I promise you...

http://www.laga-handbags.com/

Bringing home the Bacon, uhm, I mean the Bags...

2007-03-10T16:04:00.000-08:00

I am just about ready to head out~ currently I'm in Jakarta after having spent the last couple of weeks traveling around Indonesia in an effort to expedite our influx of bag orders... It's so great to see that Orange County, among others, is getting behind us as we endeavor to help the people of Aceh restore their well-being after the tsunami two years ago.

So this trip I was in Tokyo, Singapore, Jakarta, Semarang, Salatiga, Yogyakarta, Bandung, Lhokseumawe and Banda Aceh (the latter two in Aceh province). It's been an exhausting trip but well worth it. Wish I could have stayed longer but I have to get back for all the upcoming shows and to help my husband fulfill the internet orders!

If you want to check out our website, you can read all about the things we're doing and the people we're helping. We even have pictures and stories from some of the victims themselves...
www.laga-handbags.com.

Also, you can find online some of the articles written about us this past year, here is a recap, starting with the most recent:

OC Register, update, "Orders pouring in for tsunami victims' handbags": http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/money/homepage/article_1609732.ph

Irvine World News: http://epaper.ocregister.com/Default/Client.asp?enter=true&skin=OCW&Daily=OCWIrvineWorldNews&AW=1172011565203

OC Register, "Giving is in the bag": http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/money/homepage/article_1574125.php

Parenting OC, "OC Woman": http://parentingoc.com/womens_11-2006.html

We've also been written up in Body Beautiful Magazine and the OC Post, both of which I cannot find online, but they both did really nice articles on Laga bags also~

It's been a ride, I must say, but well worth the effort~

Laga Designs International, Inc. will be a force to reckon with; our hopes and prayers are that we can employ 1200 tsunami survivors and that the memory of what happened to these gentle people will live on in the hearts and minds of people all over the world. And that they will, for the first time in history, be acknowledged for their beautiful artisanship which before now has gone unnoticed for generations past.

Check out our story (www.laga-handbags.com/about.html) and our beautiful handmade bags, purses, handbags, pocketbooks or what have you~ no matter what you call them, they are stunning works of art that we hope you will show the world on your arm!!!

If you're interested in representing Laga bags at Private or Public Home Shows or Boutiques, go to www.laga-handbags.com/purse-parties/ and you can get more information there. We also consider, albeit very carefully, retail sales in nationwide boutiques... If you have a shop and would like to be considered for carrying Laga bags, please contact us through our website
www.laga-handbags.com.

Let me hear from you!

Laga Lady

Handmade Embroidered Handbags

2007-02-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

MOVED TO ACTION:

Roy van Broekhuizen and wife Louise founded Laga Designs International, Inc. to provide employment and income for tsunami survivors of Indonesia. Two years after the tsunami in Indonesia, Roy and Louise Van Broekhuizen keep helping the survivors of that devastation. They sell handmade bags by the survivors of that deadly event on Dec. 26, 2004. The founders, quit their job to run the business, work out of their condo in Irvine. The bags are mostly traditional to Aceh, the province that was devastated by the tsunami, but with a modern twist.

The bags are often popular among women who love designer brands such as Coach but hate that those purses are now everywhere and want something fresh.

"Our dream is to provide employment for 1,200 people," he said. "We cannot give them back the loved ones they lost. But we can… help the people of Indonesia restore their economy."
To achieve this goal, the van Broekhuizens are exploring several growth opportunities.

Laga Designs International Inc.
1-888-LAGA BAG
Founders: Roy and Louise van Broekhuizen
Headquarters: Irvine
Where to buy: http://www.laga-handbags.com/boutiques.html.
Materials used: Nylon-polyester blend, water-resistant exterior (polyurethane backing), polyester-cotton blend stitching, satin lining
How bags are made: The bags, which take roughly a day to make, are slightly tweaked by Louise to give them a contemporary flair without compromising the original Acehnese design that's been handed down through generations.