www.lesleesbitsandpieces.com

Okay I am officially bummed, summer is soon to be just a memory. Out go the sandals, tank tops, and swim suits are gone and sweaters and boots come out of the closet. But there are some positives when the Fall rolls around.. New Fall merchandise!
What is new> Purple handbags are the rage! Sounds a bit iffy? Purple is the rage coming right off the runways... the bags are stunning! So come take a look ...while browsing check out our amykathryn handbags, vegan and animal friendly. For those that love leather floto imports has beautiful handbags and travel bags. Lifetime guarantee! Made in Italy using old world crafts they are works of art :)
Come take a look

We have some new merchandise stocked. very cool and luxe belts! You have to see them to really appreciate how beautiful they are

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.

Come take a look... and while there we have the Fall handbags arriving :)

In my travels for beautiful accessories I have come across Calico Juno designs.

Here is a bio of the talented artist

Bonnie Riconda's jewelry design philosophy is based on her love of brilliant, bright colors, a light feeling of airiness, and of all things truly hand-created by the artist. She uses no pre-made or fabricated parts, but wraps all gemstones and beads by hand, and even makes her own hoops and french wires. Precious and semi-precious gemstones, austrian crystals, freshwater pearls, and other stones are used in combination to create a wonderful palette of colors in her original designs.

After getting a BFA from York College of PA and an MFA in painting and sculpture from Long Island University in New York, Bonnie's love of jewelry and creating things by hand determined her course in starting her business Calico Juno Designs. With no experience in jewelry creation, she started experimenting with some gemstones and wire she bought in a little store in Long Island, and after many trial-and-error flops came up with about 30 original designs, and with pictures that were all photographed, imaged, and formatted by her onto the website www.CalicoJunoDesigns.com which was also created by Bonnie and her husband.

After 4 years later, the website now features over 450 designs and Calico Juno Designs is now carried by retailers across the country, and many places internationally as well. Magazine features include MARIE CLAIRE, SHOP, SEVENTEEN, GLAMOUR, INSTYLE, LUCKY, MODERN BRIDE, THE KNOT, YM, FIRST, BRIDAL GUIDE, JEZEBEL, COSMOGIRL, FAMILY CIRCLE, REDBOOK, ESSENCE, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, and many more. Calico Juno Designs has been worn by MTV and VH1 vj's, by Eva Longoria of Desperate Housewives, Dylan Lauren, Kathy Lee Gifford, and Geri Ryan. She has also been featured on many other jewelry websites. ( and leslees bits and pieces very soon!)

Keep an eye out for this beautiful jewelry being added within the next month. This is handcrafted. Every piece made by Bonnie.

Also keep an eye out for the Spring Melie Bianco and amykathryn handbags.. Happy Spring. Can't wait :)

I am always on the lookout for cool and beautiful items. Throughout my travels I came across the artisan Charles Albert. His pieces are unique and beautiful. I ordered a few pieces and frankly was very pleased with the quality of his work. It has a very classy and exclusive look. Among one of the interesting stones that he uses is Moldavite. This stone is 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. Sleeping with Moldavite activates the Dreams State and wearing it helps manifest positive life change.

I only have one piece of this jewelry but plan on ordering more. I also have a very feminine blue lapis piece. Come take a look and give that significant other a unique gift this holiday.

One of the line of handbags I chose to stock was the Melie Bianco handbag line. I was a buyer way before I became a retailer and I loved these bags. Let's face it. I would love to own a designer bag( who wouldn't?) But with the economy the way it is and raising 4 children I was lucky to afford lunch money ;). I absolutely hated the cheap bag I would find in the local stores. What were they made of anyway~plastic? Ugh they would crack the first sign of winter. They were cheap and LOOKED cheap. Then I saw a Melie Bianco bag. It was the Laguna Beach Hobo bag and I had to get one. I raced to Ebay and bought it.I found out later that the lower prices for these bags are not necessarily on Ebay so I paid a bit more than I probably should have. However I loved the bag. I got loads of compliments and it looked nice and did not break the bank. When I went into business this was the first product I thought to sell. And so i became a retailer. since then all I wear are these bags and my amykathryn line (I will take about these in my next lens update). They really age well and the faux leather gets softer in time. When i became a retailer i had to sign a document saying i would not sell these on ebay. Melie bianco wants to set price limits for her bags and there are many on ebay that will violate that rule. However on the more popular bags ebay prices can be higher. go figure. Anyway, I am lost in the deep sea of the internet. Google throws my rankings around so one day you may see me for a keyword and the next day I am nowhere to be found. I think the term is sandboxed. Thus the need for my lens. I have this great product at great prices and I am floating in the deep abyss of the internet. so as I continue to try to figure out google, i wanted y'all to know what you are missing. These seriously are very nice bags. I checked ebay the other day and someone bought a bag I stock for $15 more than I sell it for. Why do people always think they are getting the best deal there/ It's an illusion. :)Sometimes the best deals are in the little boutiques floating in cyberspace. I hope y'all land at my boutique and take a look at the great products and prices I have. i will be playing in the google sandbox ;) Happy browsing and stay happy

One of my biggest sellers is the journey diamond necklace.Do you know what defines a "Journey" diamond jewelry piece? It is a piece of jewelry containing at least four diamonds of different sizes, arranged in a pattern from smallest to largest, with at least one stone of significant size. The message of journey jewelry is how a couples love has grown stronger throughout their own personal journey. The jewelry is the celebration of that love.It is a symbol of what has been and what will be. What a unique and special way to communicate your love. A perfect romantic gift to say what words cannot seem to....

Come check out Leslees Bits and Pieces and see the wonderful selection of journey pendants. the quality of the diamonds are premium( Color G or H and clarities up to VS1) You won't find this quality at your typical mall jewelry store. Stop buying the jewelry these stores have under their glass. Pick the pendant YOU want. Choice of 2 types of chains and 16,18 or 20 inch lengths are available. Happy browsing!!

We made it through Halloween and now the local elections. Yikes! Here comes Thanksgiving and then the dreaded Black Friday! It's crazy to think the holidays are just around the corner. Now if you don't like the hustle and bustle of the holiday shopping( or should I say grabbing and pushing ;)) The internet is the way to shop. Browse at your leisure, compare prices, customer service etc and then buy.
In my store this holiday season, I have a lot of great diamond jewelry. Pendants such as circle of life , journey and single solitaires are all available for purchase. The cool thing about these items is that you have a selection. What do I mean? Have you ever gone to a mall jewelry store and wished that the necklace you liked was in a different clarity or color? ( That is if they even tell you the color and clarity. Most mall jewelry store diamonds are J,K color and I clarity)Or how about the chain? Wished for a 20 inch? Maybe want a box chain instead of a cable chain? Well at Leslees Bits and Pieces you finally get to choose! AND if you don't see a particular style of chain email me and I will try to get it for you! I also have a lot of different clarities( colors of diamonds are usually G or H) so shoot me another email if you don't see the clarity you want. Wow what a great concept! Tailor making the necklace you want!! This is a small boutique so each order gets my personalized attention. Diamond items usually ship 2-3 days from the manufacturer. I have expedited processing and shipping of items and usually for no cost or very little cost
The economy is crazy right now. The gold prices have passed 800 dollars an ounce and buzz is it may go as high as 1000/ounce! We haven't seen these prices since the Carter Administration! My advice is to buy your gold and jewelry purchases Now before the prices get any higher. You won't be seeing many lower prices on these items even as the holidays get closer. The economy is preventing that. Any questions about items please feel free to contact me. I want your purchase to go smoothly.

I can't let the month of October slip by without mentioning the fact That October is Breast cancer awareness month. Yea yea I know there seems to be an awareness month for EVERYTHING. And we usually all just go on with our lives and don't even think about any of these awareness months,. Well maybe we will mutter " Wow that sucks" or " What a shame" But it doesn't affect us so off we go on with out own lives.
Maybe I feel a bit differently as breast cancer affected our family when I was 11. My 36 year old mother was diagnosed after she found what she thought was a cyst under her armpit close to her breast. Six months later she was dead. I had to watch her go through her mastectomy, hysterectomy, and then when it spread to her brain watch her seizures. I heard her crying in the bathroom and could feel her hopelessness. I was 12 when she died and she left behind a 2 year old, 6 years old, 8 year old and 13 year old as well. My life was never the same again.
I lived with the fear of breast cancer and all it could do all my life. I hated when people said I looked like my mother because they meant I would get breast cancer too. Silly huh? I was breast cancer AWARE and went in for mammograms and yearly physicals and was watching and waiting. Always.
2 Years ago, after a routine mammogram found an abnormality I too was diagnosed. My fears became a reality. All I could think of was would I be around for my 7 year old son? Would I leave him as my mother left me? So here I am In breast cancer awareness month surrounded by pink. I think of all the woman yet to be diagnosed and all the lives soon to be changed. We can't stop the diagnosis BUT we can get early detection to increase our chance of survival.

Here are some numbers straight from the Komen organization
1.1 million people may be diagnosed with breast cancer this year worldwide
35 % having regular mammograms lowers a woman's risk of dying from breast cancer
15-20% of cancers are not caught by mammograms but by self exams, mri and ultrasound
78% of women who smoke a pack a day for 10 years before having children are more likely to develop breast cancer
1 out of 33 women will die from breast cancer
410,000 are expected to die from breast cancer this year
1,690 men were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005
Less than 5 % younger than 40 are diagnosed with breast cancer
Every 2 minutes someone in the US is diagnosed with breast cancer
Every 13 minutes someone in the US dies from breast cancer

Please get those mammograms, do those self breast exams and if any doubt get the biopsies. The only good lump is the one in the jar. Don't wait and watch to see if it changes. As you wait the cancer can be spreading.
Here is to the courage of our sisters, moms, daughters, aunts and all males that fought the battle against breast cancer and lost. I honor you all and you give me courage to fight my own battle with the beast.
Any sales this month of Breast cancer awareness bracelets I will be donating 10% to the Susan Komen foundation. Even if for a few more weeks. Think Pink!

I know there are a lot of businesses out there selling the same products. There are people that look for the lowest prices and if they find them that's all they need. In times where the economy stinks, this approach is understandable. However I have found through my travels of shopping that you really do get what you pay for( although sometimes the prices are a bit inflated.. what can I say GREED?) Customers can get lost among the many orders but a small boutique can give individual attention

Okay why buy from Leslees Bits and Pieces?
* I am intensely honest. As a consumer I hate a con. A hard sell with rhetoric which is so obviously hype sours the best of transactions. I am not sure if anyone remembers back in the 70's( if you are an oldie like me) but on the East coast there was a commercial for an electronics store and it was called Crazy Eddie. I think they did a lot of business but the ad was so over the top. Crazy Eddie was INSANE ( his words not mine). I was only about 16 at the time but I thought I would never buy from this guy. I couldn't connect with the manic nature of the sell.
I still see this type of selling in brick and mortar stores as well as on Ebay.
When I first started selling on Ebay I had a small store and sold some jewelry pieces. I had manufacturer pictures which were given to me with permission. Apparently a power seller who did business with this same manufacturer decided they didn't want any competition. They reported me to Ebay for copyright infringment. Listing after listing I would defend myself. Eventually I had to shut down my store. It finally did get worked out and Ebay saw I had legitimate pictures but not until I had lost a lot of money and potential business. This power seller, who decided to unethically put me out of business, is well respected in the community and people buy off him all the time. I guess I find it scary that a person would buy an 3000 dollar item off of a liar. But ignorance is bliss. I am sure if this is what he did to me then certainly the customer cannot be his top priority. The priority is himself period. If you shop with Leslees Bits and Pieces I will be upfront ethical and honest. No hype. No used car rhetoric. The truth.
* Great prices
I will be honest, I want to make money. However that does not mean I would ever inflate prices to unreasonable amounts. I would rather sell many items at a lower profit than a few at a larger one. My goal is to have the customer come back, To shop again.
* Personalized attention
Being a small business has its advantages. I can give my personal attention to each and every sale. Customer service is important to me and I will do my best to make the transaction to go down smoothly
* Great merchandise..
I have been on the search for great merchandise at great prices. I sell cuban chains for men which are hard to find and in big demand. I also have some great designer handbags by melie bianco and amykathryn. I will entertain ideas from customers as to what they would like to see. I will also do special orders of handbags that they like( melie bianco, amykathryn) but don't see.
* Simply put I will treat the customer as I would want to be treated. I can't promise all transactions will go down smoothly but I can promise that I will everything I can to address all issues and concerns
I hope that gives you an idea to my commitment to the store and the customer. Hope to be doing business with you real soon! Until then keep browsing and stay happy
L

Okay let me give you some back ground on Leslee. I am a 51 year old mother of 4 children ( ages 9 through 31--don't ask LOL) I was a single parent and never had time for fashion. I mean it was just enough to go to work and take care of the kids. Plus I just didn't have any extra money for what I deemed was nonsense. Fast Forward to 2 years ago. Most of the kids are grown up and only my youngest was left at home. Life never runs smoothly and then was no different. I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I do remember during that time of treatment how ugly I felt and how I had the NEED to feel beautiful. I found myself gravitating toward beautiful items. Jewelry and purses were items I looked at all the time and I slowly found myself giving in to the addiction. I was excited and wanted to share what I thought were great products. I started with the Melie Bianco line which really has shot to fame after Lauren Conrad wore MB's white hobo purse. I bought my first off of Ebay. I recently was approached by a manufacturer asking if I wanted to carry the amykathryn line. Who was amykathryn? Amy Hall is the brains behind the amykathryn design and she has come up with a winner. You are not going to see these bags everywhere but that doesn't mean they are not high quality and fashionable. These bags are really amazing. Made from a custom printed ultrasuede these bags are not only animal friendly but ecofriendly as well. I also sell on Ebay. Usually the inventory is a bit different from my online store. I sell mens jewelry which includes cuban chains, figaros and rope chains. I was surprised to find that men really are into jewelry. Guess I always thought it was a female thing. Shame on me! Never again:)