REMINDER!!!  Preppy In Paradise will be Closing early on Wednesday, November 24 - 2 PM folks!  We will also be closed Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday.  We will resume normal business hours on Friday, November 26th. 

HOW many days until Christmas??!!!

Hello everyone!  We are thick in the middle of holiday orders now - so our production time will go from 1-2 days to 1-2 weeks!  Also, we probably wont be working until Christmas Eve this year!  Watch the website, in-store postings and this blog for holiday closing dates as well as the final day to order things!

If you need help deciding on gifts for those hard to buy for people on your list we are always here with some good ideas!  Don't forget about your children's teachers and the other people in your life who help your day go smoothly!

New in the store:  Nam's Bits - those tasty little chocolate chip cookies and festive candies that are packaged adorably and at every price point.  No, we can't monogram them, but we always loved them when Swoozies had them and we know everyone needs stocking stuffers and quick grag and go things, so, here they are!

We have a lot of other new things, but you'll just have to stop in and visit to find out what they are!

Call or email if you have any questions:  (239) 481-1995

Holiday dresses

We are ordering holiday dresses this week - if you think you may want one, now is the time to let us know as they are made to order and take several weeks!

Whats new!

Cute new bags!

I simply cannot believe how the summer has just drifted away from us - and that we are celebrating our 6 month anniversary in the new shop!  So many changes is such a little bit of time - and all of them great.  We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we have the greatest customers - and we really appreciate each and every one of you!  These last six months have brought many new customers into our little family and we hope everyone will be happy with the new products we are bringing in. 

This fall watch for a new line of affordable and stylish bags, holiday items, collegiate items, oh, the list goes on!  In fact, we're out of space, so we are pleased to announce that we are expanding!  We looked back at the last few months and thought about what we need to do to serve our customers better and get us ALL through the upcoming holiday season and none of it can be done without some more square footage!  and low and behold, there just happened to be some next door!  What does it mean for you - just that you'll be able to browse in comfort and enjoy our increased efficiency!

Watch for the coolest thing to hit rainboots since, well raindrops! . . .coming this October only to Preppy In Paradise

A couple of other quick items to mention

• we'll be hosting a few 'drop in' backpack monogramming dates to eleviate some of the strain of waiting!
• there will be a Customer Appreciation event later in August - make sure we have your email so you get an Evite!
• the customer rewards cards are in - get yours today!

Okay, who wants to earn cash back???  Hello, everyone!  Watch for details as we host a Customer Appreciation night and hand out these cute cards that will allow customers to accrue cash back and rewards!  It's like our very own frequent flier program - for monograms!  Refer someone - and we'll be putting money on your card!  Card holders will also be invited to member-exclusive events throughout the year as well as be given scheduling priorty on special 'Monogram Mondays' - fun, right!  Let us know what you think of the card design!

From engraved soap to sterling silver jewelry!

We are always looking for unique things for our customers to order as gifts - or for themselves!  In addition to the great engraved silver jewelry we are now offereing cufflinks, money clips and engraved acrylic housewares!  Everything is the highest quality as usual and you will be proud to wear it yourself - or give it as a gift.  Stop in to see all of the exciting new engraved things!

What do you get for the person who has everything?  Monogrammed soap of course!  Featured on Opraph's O-List, tis is the most exquisitely carved fresh soaps in a variety of scents, styles and boxed sets - and this is a luxury gift that everyone can afford!  You can get a name, monogram, initial EVEN a logo!  We can also do collegiate and Greek soaps!  The possibilities are endless and we know you'll be impressed.  This is a family-owned, made in the USA product and we can't wait for you to experience it!

We are planning on opening Saturdays to accomodate those customers who can't make it in during the week, so watch for the change in our business hours.  Thank you, to all of our loyal customers.  We will be starting our customer loyalty program in the coming month which will allow customers to accrue preppy points resulting in cash discounts!  Everyone has been so supportive and we are excited with how well the new shop has been received.  A special thank you to our great customers for being so patient as we have had to figure out how everything works and where everything goes!  It's a work in progress but we're having fun!  Right?!

Watch the blog and Facebook for the next 'event' and coupons!!!

XO

Leanne

Dads, Grads and Other Needful Things!

Get your Father's Day orders in ASAP if you want it personalized!  Its really difficult for us if you wait until the very last minute because y'all know I have a hard time saying 'no' and so we end up working all hours!  We have some very cool things for Dads and if you need help coming up with ideas we have some very unique ones!

What's new?  We have some adorable invitations and personalized notecards made by a very creative mom in California - there is something for everyone and they arrive in 1 week!  Check out some of the cute designs on the left!  We have sample books in the store for you to browse through!

What ELSE?  Can there possibly be more!  Yes, we are bringing in some engraved acrylic housewares, wooden housewares, engraved silver jewelry and some casual handbags.

If there is something you think we should carry, just let us know!

Yours,
Leanne

Father's Day is coming!

We have had so many requests for some 'manly' products and we are so happy to report that we have found the perfect company to fill the void in our product line! 

Picnic At Ascot (http://www.picnicatascot.com/) "combines European elegance with the great American spirit of adventure" and carries a wide selection of suprerior products that "capture the the essence of the traditional picnic while providing the convenience of today's lifestyle."

Please check out their website and let us know of any products you are interested in - we are placing a big Father's Day order for rolling coolers, trunk organizers and other insulated 'manly' totes this week!  Their prices are so reasonable for the quality of their goods and we think our customers are going to be very happy!

Yours,
Leanne Luehrman
preppyinparadise@comcast.net

What a night!

We really had a great time last night at the Grand Opening!  It was hotter than hades inside the shop but that might be due to the 70 plus people we had squished in!  ha ha ha   It was great to see some old friends and make some new ones too!  This last two months have been amazing and we have had such a positive response to the shop - I'm really so thankful for everyone!  We have been in the News Press several times in the last couple of weeks and that publicity has brought us many great new customers.

Our job now is to keep finding great new products that a the perfect combination of useful, affordable and gorgeous!  We're on it people!  Remember, if there's something you think we should (or could) do, please, please tell us! 

If you didn't make it to the party last night don't worry, it will not be the last one we have!  We already have several events in the works for the coming seasons! 

Okay, I have to get back to work now, but I love you guys!

~Leanne

You're Invited to our Grand Opening!

Please join us as we celebrate the Grand Opening of our new location! 

Sunday, April 25th

5 - 9

9541 Cypress Lake Drive

Fort Myers, Florida

Phone (239) 481-1995

It's going to be a party - we'll have drinks and yummy treats provided by Webster's - oh, and did we mention door prizes!

Check out the menu below!

~Mini Shrimp Scallop Ceviche

~Philippine Lumpia Spring Rolls w/ Plum Sauce

~Cajun Seared Sirloin on Baguette

Cajun Rubbed Seared Sirloin w/ Boursin Cheese, Raspberry Onion Confit & Chive on Toasted Baguette

~Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna Cucumber slice

~Chicken Fajita Rounds

Chicken Fajita Garnished w/ Mango Salsa, Sour Cream & Guacamole

~Beef Pepper Steak

~Red Grape Truffles, Red Grapes Rolled in Goat Cheese & Pecans

~ Chicken Salad Crisps, Chicken Salad w/ Grapes and Pecans

~Shanghai Pepper Shrimp

Fresh Shrimp Sautéed in Sambal, Ginger, Garlic & Green Onions

~Bacon Wrapped Scallops with sarachi aioli

~Brie Cups

Baked Brie w/ Raspberry Sauce in Phyllo Cup

~Herb Marinated Mozzarella

Fresh Mozzarella Balls Marinated in Herbs & Crushed Red Pepper

~Coconut Shrimp

Hand Battered Coconut Shrimp w/ Honey Poppy Seed

Dipping Sauce

~Chocolate-dipped strawberries, passed

The new dresses are here!!!

We are SO excited because the new Messy Girl dresses arrived today!  They are a reversible dress that ties at the back with a grosgrain ribbon and is constructed out of two different complimentary fabrics - perfect for little girls of all ages who always like to look crisp and clean - perfect for mommies who know they can simply flip the dress over when their messy girl needs to look crisp and clean again!  Come check them out!

They come in a variety of hip, stylish fabrics and although we can't personalize them, we know you're going to like them!  Alex has already claimed one of them for herself so don't delay!

One month open . . . and counting!

Whew!  It has been a busy month in the new shop - thank you so much to everyone who has stopped by and given us encouragement - it really means a lot to know that people like what we've done!
So far the move seems to have gone very smoothly - of course everyone has been so patient with us as we search for prices on things and occasionally look dazed - and we are hoping things are just going to keep on growing!
Congrats to the winner of the Easter basket drawing - Kelly Beck, a Fort Myers resident and long time PIP customer - she is a fantastic woman who is constantly thinking of others and giving her friends and family gifts - she has a big heart and we were delighted to pull her name out of the box!
Check out the blurb about PIP on another blog:
http://preppydebutante.blogspot.com/2010/04/preppy-in-paradise.html
. . . so cool!
So, what's next - well, the Grand Opening event will be on April 25th, though I'm still ironing out details - if you have any inspired ideas please share!  So far I know that Heather Harris will be on hand doing photography, my dearest pal Angela Brant is (hopefully) going to assist me with making some hand painted one-of-a-kind wine glasses, there will be champagne and cupcakes (of course) and door prizes - did I mention that one of them will be for Stephen Bonanno Sandals???  Yeah, we're generous, but our customers deserve it!
Okay, that's all for this week - I'm dog-tired from our trip to the Sony Ericsson Open and monogramming Easter baskets - I hope everyone has a great holiday and if you're going on a spring break trip be safe and come visit soon!

What we're excited about this week!

I am so excited to announce that we are going to be offering Stephen Bonanno monogrammed sandals to our product line!  They are highly personalizable - you choose the leather color, the accent whipstitch color and monogram!  Made famous by fashion icon Jackie O, they are the quintessential sandal - oh and did we mention that we will have girls sizes too!

Spring is here!

Can you believe that Spring has sprung?  We have been so busy setting up the new shop that time has just flown by and now its time to get ready for all of the great events coming up! 

• Easter - April 4th
• April 22 - Earth Day
• PIP GRAND OPENING - April 25th
• Mother's Day - May 9th
• May 31st - Memorial Day
• Father's Day - June 20th
• End of the School Year (teacher gifts)
• Graduations, Weddings, Birthdays

We have a few Easter totes left, but they are disappearing quickly!  If you have another Easter basket you want personalized then try to get it to us ASAP!
If you're like us, then you have a birthday or some other special event at least once a month! We always have new things arriving to help you get gift-ready so don't forget to stop in with your list!
Some of our new products include:  insulated beverage tubs, 2 new lines of girls dresses, umbrellas, bags, plush animals for personalization, new hat colors and a whole bunch of other things!
We also have new frames and personalized plaques made by a company in Colorado called Danielson Designs.  They are truly lovely and they ship your personalized items in less than 48 hours!  You can visit our Danielson Designs portal at http://preppy.danielsondesigns.com/  (note, there is NO www. in the address).  Let us know what you think, and don't forget to stop in and enter the Easter Basket contest!

The First Contest in our New Shop!

You KNOW how we love contests, and today we received the great news that one of our vendors, Princess Linens, drew our name in THEIR contest!  What did we win?  Well, a fabulous Princess Linens Easter Basket!  and what are we going to do with this fab basket?  Give it away to one of our loyal customers, of course!

We love Princess Linens - they are our supplier of Baby Scrubs, Garden Princess Dresses, Hampton Shortalls and the various crayon bags and keepers.  Stop in to our new shop and check out the lovely products we carry from their line.  You can also visit their store at:  http://www.princesslinens.com/

Now, about OUR contest:  Stop in to the shop and fill out an entry form, easy as that!  If, and only if, you don't live in the area, just comment on this post and we'll fill out a form for you!  Mostly, we want you to come visit us in our new location:  9541 Cypress Lake Drive, Number 4, Fort Myers, FL 33919, PH:  239-481-1995

Check out the basket:

Stuffed with a Doodlebugz Doodlebag, a Doodlebugz Chalk Talk Chalkboard Placemat, a Doodlebugz Crayon Keeper, a cuddly bunny and plenty of candy to keep your budding artist's creativity soaring!

The Latest and Greatest

Hello friends!  Good news - we have just returned from the ISS in Orlando (that is the Imprinted Sportswear Show - trade show for embroidery and screenprinting basically) and are happy to report that we have a THIRD machine!  What does this mean for you?  Well, if you need something 'on the spot' - there is a greater chance of that happening with us having so many machines.  Its allllll about you, our wonderful customers!
The contractors are finished with the building and the alarm is being installed today so we are preparing to move the last of our equipment in and as soon as we have the last of our inspections we'll be open for business!

New products, new space and a whole lot of dust!

It's official, well, the lease is in our hands so its almost official!  Look to see info about our Grand Opening coming next month!  We have a lot of work to do in order to make our new preppy space perfect, but our goal is to make a better shopping experience for our customers, who are so loyal and encouraging and wonderful!  It's happening, and soon! 
We are also bringing in some new products we think you will really like the great things we have found and products will continue to inspire you to give the best gifts!  Additionally, we will be offering services such as gift wrapping, event reminders, teacher gift registry and a special occasion registry.  Also, we will maintain a monogram database to assist customers in remembering people's monogram details - never again will you have to call someone and come up with a good excuse to ask them their middle initial - at least not after the first time!

Now, its back to paint color selection . . . as always we are open to suggestion!

Newsflash! Bricks & Mortar in Preppy In Paradise Future?

Is it really going to happen?  Are we actually going to open a retail location that doesn't require getting through a high-security gate?  Stay tunned and we'll let you know in the next week!  Of course the location itself will remain secret until our GRAND OPENING!!!!  Oh, and if you're good with a paintbrush, please don't hesitate to contact us with your availability!!!!  Yikes!!!

Preppies for Piper

Before Christmas this year, Preppy In Paradise had the privilege to personalize some items for little Piper.  We were devestated to learn that God called her home on Christmas day and are therefore asking our customers to join us in participating in the first annual Piper 5K, this February 13th.  The 5K race will also include a walk and a stroller push, with all monies raised going to a fund in Piper's name that will benefit the NICU at Healthpark Hospital. 
Preppy In Paradise is proud to be a sponsor and we will be including gift certificates for some complimentary embroidery in every bag handed out to race participants.  Additionally, anyone who wants to run/walk/jog with us please let us know - we have something special for you!  Lets all join together to support this Fort Myers family - its a loss that touches our hearts and it is an opportunity to do something special. 
Click on the link below for more information.

http://www.fortmyersfitness.com/trainerfinder/websites/60122/fmf/photos.html

The new Scout patterns are here!

Finally, Scout has released its product line for 2010 - and I think you will all be very pleased with the new patterns.

Available in the Original Deano size (you know, the bags you see at the beach and pool that everyone loves) as well as the Mini Deano, which is good for smaller trips or so your daughter can have her own matching one - and believe me, they ALWAYS want their own matching bag!

They have added another petallica pattern in pink and orange which I am pretty sure will be my new fav, and the other petallica patterns have been 'tweaked' to have (in my humble opinion) more complimentary accent colors. We have to say good-bye to some of our favorite patterns, such as Paisley Princess, Choco Twist in Pink, Petallica Red and Stripes Away - but the new patterns have a lot to offer.

We will also continue to carry the ever-popular Baguette Market Tote and you can see the available patterns on the website - if you're not shopping with one of them yet, you are seriously behind the times!

This week we are in the process of updating the website with some of the new products that they have added as well as removing the ones they are no longer offering (boo hoo, by cooler sets!).

What does all of this mean for you, our loyal customers? While we await the arrival of the new bags, we will be selling out existing stock at a whopping 30% off! So get 'em while they last folks!

Happy New Year!

I know, I know - its time to take down the Christmas posts! I just love that little gator with the Santa hat so much I couldn't bear the thought of replacing him! No, really, I've just been to busy to blog!

So . . . a new year is upon us and we here at Preppy In Paradise have been shopping for new and exciting things for you guys! You should stop by and see the new tennis bags that just arrived as well as the Easter baskets! To say they are cute would be an understatement - but we don't just buy things because they are cute - we always look for things that are useful, high quality and stylish.

If you like the Halloween totes you must see the Easter ones - they are gorgeous!

In other news - Scout is releasing over 300 new products this month - that means new patterns for all of you Scout bag lovers! They told me last week that the new catalogue would be available mid-month and as soon as it is you can be sure we will put it on the blog!

We have restocked the Piggy Paint also - a girl has to be able to have her nails pretty for Valentine's Day - even if it is at the preschool!

You may have heard the rumor that we are looking for additional retail space - its true, but nothing solid yet - so stay posted! We want to find the most convenient and comfortable place for our clients. Drop us a note if you have any questions, watch for an upcoming contest and let's all have a wonderful 2010!