Wasn’t it just yesterday that I blogged about Summer being here? YIKES! Now we are winding down and into Fall. I am not so sure I am ready to give up my warm days and those wonderful daylight evenings…. But the days ARE getting shorter and like it or not we are on our way into another Fall AND Winter. But there is good news.. Leslees Bits and Pieces is having some great sales on Summer handbags. Now is the time to check out the Melie Bianco and amykathryn bags and get GREAT deals while you are doing it. Also check out the great prices on Koralia Greek handmade wire belts, and Charles albert jewelry. There are great prices EVERYWHERE!!!
What is new??? Fall merchandise is arriving. Amykathryns fall line includes her NEW laptop bag, new bag, the LILY, and wonderful new shades for her Gladioa diaper bag/tote in shades of royal blue and ruby red. And Melie Bianco? The runways are full of the color purple and Melie Bianco is NO exception… Take a look at her mahala inspired handbag and double pleated tote in the glorious Fall shade of purple. I wasn’t sure I would like that color but once I saw it in person I was HOOKED. Her valentino inspired side bow bag is back in glorious shades of Rust, black, purple and grey….Keep checking back as the Fall bags are just starting to arrive. Have you seen a Melie Bianco bag( or amykathryn bag) you would like to see stocked? Please I would LOVE the input. Feel free to email at sales@lesleesbitsandpiueces.com with any suggestions
New artisan GOLD handcrafted item have been added. As well as some GORGEOUS fine jewelry items such as the sterling silver artisan cluster bracelet and necklace. SO feminine. It reminds me of wedding jewelry although I would not save these pieces JUST for weddings. Way too beautiful
Very cute Charles albert sterling silver jewelry has some new pieces which included an unique boulder opal ring as well as an absolut vodka glass bracelet. All items are .950 sterling silver. Looking for a Charles Albert piece? Ask and I will do my best to get it for you. If Charles has it I can get it:)
Don’t forget about the stunning Floto LEATHER Italian handbags/totes/carryalls. These pieces are guaranteed for a lifetime.. That says a lot doesn’t it?
Keep checking back as the new arrivals are just beginning. Until then please enjoy the rest of your summer
Stay safe
Stay healthy
and Happy browsing
L
Wow I never thought we would make it to Summer!!! The snow, ice and cold temps are now becoming a distant memory. We are entering flowers, green grass and yes even gypsy moths( if you live in the East).. I have been busy adding Spring and Summer merchandise as well as adding a brand new line Koralia Belts and Jewelry
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Koralia belts are hand crafted in Greece from Copper wire and then overlaid in either 22K gold, Nickle or Sterling Silver. It is a timeless art from Athens Greece and very unique. The belts are one size fits all! They can be worn many different ways~around the waist, through belt loops~over jeans, slacks, sun dresses. The matching jewelry accents the belts perfectly! The earrings are all very light weight and the bracelets have a cuff look and are also adjustable to any size wrist. I loved the pictures and have ordered a small sample to see if I would like them
Well my inventory is here and I LOVE THEM! How cool are these belts that look crocheted but are in fact copper wire? These belts have been featured in Vogue and Elle magazines and are the newest luxe accessory for 2008! Wear them over pants, shirts or sundresses… This is the ULTIMATE accessory. What is cool is the matching handcrafted jewelry that matches the belts. Jump on over to leslees bits and pieces and take a look. It really is unique and beautiful!
What else have we been stocking? The latest Melie Bianco summer handbags which include the Valentino inspired hobo with side bow. This bag is so cute and comes in white, pistachio and yellow . It is a lightweight bag and PERFECT for those lazy Summer days.
Also stocked is the latest Melie Bianco Vuitton inspired mahina Handbag. This bag LOOKS expensive… but it’s NOT~ An absolutely stunning bag!
For the hot sunny days bring a piece of summer with you with the Birds of Paradise Hobo bag. Melie bianco makes a fun summer bag. It screams SUMMER and is adorable.
Amykathryn has her Summer line of vegan handbags out. The bestseller Gladiola now is available in vibrant Green, the hydrangeas in orange and blue and a brand new Handbag/messenger bag has been introduced. The freesia. Come take a look at bags that are all perfect accessories for those Summer months
Don’t forget to take a look at the Floto Luggage if you are taking any trips during the upcoming months. these bags have a lifetime guarantee and age wonderfully. Made in italy out of the finest leather, these bags are sturdy yet attractive
Until then Stay healthy
Happy Browsing
and don’t forget to wear your sunscreen
YEA for SUMMER 
L
Wow, Have I been busy. Let me apologize for such a late blog entry. I have been checking into the latest trends and gearing up for the summer months. I don’t know about you but I am ready for the sun and fun! Keep checking the site as Melie Bianco bags are being added. Some old favorites like the RAW edges convertible clutch have been given new life with a change in color. Vibrant greens and oranges really make this bag sparkle! For all the Gucci lovers out there Melie Bianco has added a Gucci inspired “aviatrix Boston” handbag. The bag is stocked in white which is perfect for the summer months! Melie Bianco’s Kooba inspired Paige double handled tote is now available in beige/ivory tone. This tote is wonderful for the office and really is classy. i think this is of of my biggest sellers. I have never heard one customer say they didn’t LOVE this bag.
If you are looking for a stylish vegan handbag , amykathryn has come out with beautiful vibrant colors for Spring and Summer. Green, lavenders and beautiful blues really make these bags unique and stunning!. Her summer line will be available for purchase end of April
For all those thinking of traveling this Summer , Floto Imports Italian leather totes/hanbags/Luggage is THE perfect accessory. This is built to last! What other accessory like this has a lifetime warranty? The manufacturer is increasing the prices on these pieces very soon and thus my prices will change as well. Purchase this while the price is low.
Of course we always have our beautiful Handcrafted artisan sterling silver jewelry( check out the beaded jewelry it is BEAUTIFUL) and our diamond and gold jewelry. We are always adding inventory so please bookmark us and keep checking back
Until then stay healthy and happy browsing
L
Happy February! Ground Hog Day is past and I hear we are getting 6 more weeks of Winter! Blah! Well at Leslees Bits and Pieces we turn a deaf ear on those remarks and we gear up towards SPRING!!! Yes you read correctly! We are marching into Spring… the winter clearances are winding down and Spring handbags are being stocked… What do we have? great new Spring Line of amykathryn. Lots of Hot pinks and Lavenders the hot colors for Spring 2008!! Melie Bianco is slowly introducing their Spring Line… we have a beautiful coral multi color Clutch that just YELLS SPRING!!! Keep checking as we get more Spring bags… Of course we have the popular bestsellers the Choo inspired ramona( in black, ash and brown) and mahala( in tan and brown)
Flotos 2008 Resort Collection will be coming out the end of February so look for those items to be stocked soon. And out latest addition is Calico Juno Design handcrafted jewelry. I am just starting to add these pieces but they are exquisite! These earrings and necklaces have been worn by the celebs and once you see them you will know why. Pieces come in sterling silver or 14 kt gold filled.. Both simply beautiful. More on Calico Juno Designs will be coming later. keep checking back as I add inventory.
Until then Browse the store for some great Valentines gifts..
Stay healthy and happy Browsing
L
Wow has it been a month since my last blog posting? Shame on me! The holidays are such a hectic time and it was no exception for me. Hope you all found what you were looking for at great prices. Currently Leslees Bits and Pieces is having a winter merchandise markdown. I am preparing for the arrival of Spring merchandise( yes I know it is only January!) so I need to make room for the new. There are some seriously great deals on both amykathryn and melie bianco handbags so please hop over to the site and take a look. I am also taking preorders for amykathryns new spring line. I find i never seem to order enough and sell out quickly so if you are interested please shoot me an email and I can make sure that you get the item you are interested in.
So what is new for Leslee’s Bits and Pieces for 2008? The most obvious would be that we have now added The Floto Import line of Italian Leather totes, handbgas, duffles and luggage. These pieces are handcrafted and are rugged enough to endure the abuse of the airlines. There are some really cool pieces that can be used as carry ons and these pieces age beautifully!~ Floto guarantees them for life so if they do not last you can get the item repared by sending it back to them. Where else does a manufacturer believe so much in their product that they do this? Take a look and you will love what you see! Also by March we will be adding their 2008 Resort Line
Valentines Day is appraching and I would be remiss if I did not mention all the fine jewelry we have that would be a perfect gift for that special day! I sold a journey necklace at Christmas and the purchaser could not believe it sparkled in any light( so unlike the ones in the mall stores that sparkle only under THEIR light) Come take a look. Shop early and please feel free to email me if there is something you want but don’t see. I don’t have all my inventory listed so I may be able to find what you are looking for. Until then Stay safe and have a healthy happy New year!!
L
Forgive the late post. I have had a very ill brother who is now on the mend. Then my dog was diagnosed with elbow dysplasia and had to have surgery. I am now trying to keep a one year old lab quiet( yea riiiiiiiight!!!)
If you are like me and have been busy then you don’t have much shopping done. I hate to admit this but I have NONE done. The great thing is we have another few weeks. The bad thing is the crowds are getting worse. I shop online most of the time because of this. There are some really cool little shops out there in cyberspace that have great customer service AND great prices. Contrary to popular belief,auction sites are not where the best deals are. Maybe they once were but that time has come and gone. It is an illusion that many people still buy in to. My advice is to shop around before you make that purchase. A lot of items on theses sites are final sales and NO customer support once the item ships. I don’t know about you but that makes me nervous.
Onto my latest find. Charles Albert Fine Sterling Silver Jewelry. In my journey to look for item unusual and beautiful I came across this wonderful artisan Charles Albert who created pieces with unusual gemstones, fossils and minerals. I only bought a few pieces to check out his work and I am astounded at the beauty. Needless to say I will be purchasing much more. Currently In my store I have stocked one of Charles Alberts Moldtivate pendants.
Made from Moldavite , a product of a meteor collision with Earth nearly 15 million years ago, these gems are the most rare on earth..The collision occurred over the Moldau River valley in the Czech Republic
It is legend to be the stone of the Holy Grail and has the power to quicken one’s spiritual evolution. Some believe that Sleeping with Moldavite activates the Dreams State and wearing it helps manifest positive life change.
It is a beautiful pendant and I personally find the possible metaphysical properties very interesting. I only have 1 stocked( although I can order more quickly) and have it up on ebay as well as my store. So if you are interested in purchasing it please know there may be a slight wait if the item has been sold. I also have very cool Beach glass jewelry made from beach glass that has been collected from the Outer Banks. I also have stocked a unique blue lace agate and topaz pendant. I love Charles Albert Jewelry and want to keep it all. LOl Come and check it out at my store.
Until then stay sane.. keep cool and have a great time shopping
First of all let me apologize for not blogging sooner. Had some issues going on at home. I was bitten by a tick( IN OCTOBER IN PA!!!!) and then got the bulls eye rash so am currently being treated for lymes disease. So I guess this is a heads up about ticks and ALWAYS be on the lookout for them. Cooler weather didn’t seem to matter in my case.
Okay so I survived the tick bite, the gypsy moths, Halloween and now we are barreling ahead into the holiday season! YIKES!!! Black Friday( oooooooooh I just got the chills from typing those 2 words!) is approaching and if you are one that doesn’t like the chaos of the shopping experience then internet shopping is for you. Where else can you take your time to browse, compare, browse and compare again? Where else is the selection so vast? I was an internet shopper long before I was a retailer and that is where I will be doing my shopping again this holiday season.
In my previous blogs I have been focusing on my handbag selection but Leslees Bits and Pieces is so much more than handbags. We have a unique and beautiful selection of jewelry! I do have advice though. Gold prices are on the rise and now passed 800/ounce. Buzz is it may hit 1000/ounce in the future! It is crazy. The longer you wait to purchase your gold jewelry the MORE you will pay. There will not be many low prices on gold jewelry. The economy makes that impossible. So go out and do your research and BUY NOW
I will be showcasing some pieces I have in future blog posts but I do want to say that when you buy diamond jewelry off of my site you have CHOICES. Unlike mall jewelry stores, you can select clarities of diamonds and lengths of chains. Even the type of Chain! Don’t see something ? Email me and I will tell you if I have the inventory as a lot of my inventory is not listed!
So on your mark get set Go!!!!!!!!!!!! The holidays are here. Good luck and happy bro
wsing!
October is National Breast Cancer awareness Month and I began to scour the internet for relevant articles to post on my blog. I did come across a few good ones but it dawned on me how ridiculous my search was. I didn’t need someone else to write about breast cancer. I could do it. I am a breast cancer survivor and who better to write about its awareness?
First some basic facts about breast cancer.
- The lifetime risk of getting cancer is 1 out of 8. That means that 1 woman out of 8 ( 13%) who live to age 85 will get breast cancer
- White women are more likely to get breast cancer than any other race
- The older a woman is the more likely she is to get breast cancer
- Men can get breast cancer also but it is rare.
- African American woman are more like to die from Breast cancer
- If diagnosed the 5 year survival rate is 90%. That means 90 out of 100 women will still be alive at the 5 year mark ( I am hoping that applies to me as well!) A lot of woman will never have a recurrence. A woman’s chance of survival is better if the cancer is detected early before it has spread. The survival rate is 98% if the cancer is contained in the breast
- Risk factors include previous diagnosis of carcinoma in situ or hyperplasia, BRAC1 or 2 gene mutation, being a woman, being older,menopause after 55, never having children. having first child after 30, early menses before age 12, more than one alcoholic drink a day,personal history of breast or ovarian cancer, overweight, never having children, high breast density on mammogram,& currently or recently using HRT
What can we do to fight this disease?
- Women should be giving themselves monthly breast exams(BSE) Learn your body and you are better able to feel something that is going on in the breast. Do it in the shower with a soapy hand and allow the hand to glide over the area slowly looking for any abnormal changes
- yearly Clinical Breast Exams by womans doctor
- Mammograms-Mammograms are Xrays of the breast. They can detect small changes they cannot be detected by any other means. Woman 40 and above should be getting an annual mammogram and woman with a history of breast cancer should speak with their doctor about starting mammograms before age 40.
October is the month where Breast cancer is once again put into the spotlight. You will see more pink than you will ever see in your lifetime. Pink ribbons, pink shirts, pink bows, pink hats … If that does the job getting you attention than I can deal with that nauseating color 
Woman need to take control of their lives and be proactive in the fight against this disease. There are many breast cancer survivors out there. They are our mothers, daughters, sisters and friends. And sadly there will be many more but by educating ourselves and being proactive in our fight against the disease we may not have to succumb to this insidious disease. Go out and get that mammogram you have been putting off. Start your self breast exams. And donate to breast cancer research. I lost my mother to this disease when I was 12 and now my son who is 9 is watching his own mother battle the disease. There are many of us, all sisters, bound by a common desire to beat and defeat the beast. I hate October. It reminds me that I have Breast Cancer. But at the same time it brings awareness to this disease and maybe by educating some woman one life will be saved. Then is is all worth it.
In my store I have breast cancer awareness bracelets that are custom made. I donate 10% of the proceeds to the Susan Komen Foundation. If you have someone you would like to support then these are beautiful bracelets to show your support for you mothers, sisters and friends.
These bracelets can be personalized so please email me if there is something you would like to change on the bracelet. For more information on breast cancer please visit www.komen.org. Most of the information presented in this blog can be verified on the k
omen site or the American Cancer site.
My son stopped by last night to buy a handbag off of me. His girlfriend had been by earlier in the week and fell in love with one of my amykathryn bags. They had a * one year* anniversary coming up and he told me the bag would be the gift. While he was here we got on the topic of handbags. He just doesn’t get it. Why do we carry these bags around? And why do we have so many? He told me his girlfriend had dozens of handbags and carried everything but the kitchen sink in most of them. Yes it happens. the bigger the bag the more we carry, just in case we need it. You see my son doesn’t see the handbag as a fashion statement he see it to the equivalent of a lunch bag and that is where he goes wrong. The handbag is so much more. It is an extension of the woman carrying it. It is an accessory that can change the outfit a woman is wearing. It will dress it up or can dress it down. Yesterday at Petco I saw a woman with a Gucci handbag and I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. Beautiful bag and it really looked great on her. Handbags are one of the only accessories that woman buy even when they feel they don’t have the money. Outrageous amounts of money will be paid for the ultimate bag. And in the end we feel it was worth every penny
I think it will always be like this because as long as I can remember woman have carried their handbags. It’s the first thing we grab if there is a fire. Crazy huh? I feel bare without mine.
So what are the Fall trends for handbags? Metallics and Patents are hot right now. Get a bag with either one of these and you are carrying a hot bag. The clutch is also big right now After some of the larger bags that have been out there some might wonder how they can adapt to a clutch. Personally it wouldn’t work for me as it is not big enough but I love the look. Clutches are great for a night out and really can dress up an outfit.
Metallics have been in for most of 2007. One of the colors that is hot right now is silver. melie Bianco has a few totes that are absolutely gorgeous and would make a great fashion accessory especially around the holidays.
We are seeing more structured purses as well as more studded purses. Both can be currently seen in handbags this Fall.
The convertible can be seen this Fall in different styles. These bags are great. You can wear them over the shoulder, use as a clutch etc so it is very versatile. These are selling very well right now as woman seem to like a bag that can change looks for the outfit. Of course any bag that is simliar to a designer bag is a hot item. Melie Bianco has a few bags that look very similar to bags from Jimmy Chou but not the price tag!
Ultimately when choosing a bag you need to get one that will work for you. Fashion comes and goes so although it is great to take into consideration the current fads, matching the handbag to who you are will be better in the long run. Fashion can be so fickle and what is in today can be out tomorrow. I will be adding some Fall handbags to my store in the upcoming weeks. Please keep checking back. Until then take a look at some of the latest bags by Melie Bianco. Feel free to email me if you would like me to stock a particular bag of hers that is not currently in mys tore. Until the keep browsing and stay healthy
L
I am not done talking about Amykathryn bags and will be spotlighting her other bags in future blog posts. However I thought I would give a shout out to a really hot designer right now Melie Bianco. Melie Bianco shot to fame when Lauren Conrad from the Laguana Beach reality tv show wore MB’s Hobo bag. That’s all it took and Melie Bianco was on fire. I have to admit I rushed to ebay and bought myself the hobo purse and loved it. As beautiful as that purse is I have fallen on love with a lot of Melie Bianco’s designs. One of my favorites is the Ethnice Applique Hobo Bag. I am partial to the mint color but frankly all of these bags are great. More expensive similar bags have been seen on the shoulders of celebrities and Melie Bianco has designed a similar bag with a great price tag. I love the softness of this faux leather. I recently sold a bag to a friend and she called to tell me that she gets comments on it all the time. It is unique and cannot be found anywhere in town. I am not sure why the local stores are not stocking Melie Bianco but their loss is my gain. These bags turn heads and the colors are just gorgeous. I will tell you a secret. I used to thin k a woman needed just one handbag! YES! The horrors!!!! But thankfully I have come to my senses and now realize a woman cannot have too many handbags. They are like shoes. Each bag accessorizes outfits differently. Dress an oufit up or down. Add a splash of color or keep the color conservative. Handbags for the office or an evening out. So many choices and the cool thing is there are so many great bags to choose from. Melie Bianco designs bags that are designer inspired. Love the designer bags but not the price tag? Finally a bag that is classy and trendy enough for celebrity shoulders can be worn by you too.
I am a authorized distributor of Melie Bianco Handbags. There seems to be some concern about Melie Bianco knockoffs and frankly that just doesn’t happen. Melie ’s Bags are so reasonably priced there is no need for knockoffs. Melie Bianco recently required that certain prices be adhered to when pricing the bags. Retailers who do not abide by this request( and I have seen that with some sellers on Ebay)) will lose their wholesale connection to Melie Bianco.
I am willing to get a bag( preorder) of Melie Biancos that a customer would like but doesn’t have. Please feel free to email Leslees Bits and Pieces for any requests.
Until then stay healthy and keep browsing