Shame on H&M and Walmart

Hello Lovelies...... Beauties.......you Yummy Angels, How has the first week of 2010 been for you? I hope amazing. I have been very, very busy. Fred and I had a great 1st.. We hiked Mandeville Canyon. Georgie did the hike like a puppy. He was a mad man. Running up and down the side of the mountain. It was a beautiful, perfect day:) The second was all about inventory. Pamela, Ornella, Bethany, Stefany and I conquered that s@*^!!!! Ashley and Amanda did the Inventory for the Westlake store. We rocked it, thank you very much!!!!

That weekend was amazingly beautiful here in LA. Fred and I rode our bikes to Quality cafe on 3rd for breakfast:) Hands down the best french toast in the city.













(Fred & I on our bikes!)

We went by Urban Tails pet store on Beverly for some George shopping , then home.





























(Urban Tails !)

This was after my pilates plus class in the morning. PILATES PLUS IS RAD:) Its a hard class that lets you know exactly how very weak you are!!! I have only been doing it 3 weeks and I have seen a major change in my body. WOOOHOOOO!!!!

We dorked around(Fred did), watched football(again Fred did..He thinks I did, but I just pretend to).












(My dorky boyfriend)


George got a bath at Sparky's on LaBrea (they treat your pet like the King that they are),
then just loved my beautiful LosAngeles:)



















That Sunday night I had dinner at my friend Brian and Timmy's.



















They own Ferrare With Company. They probably make some of the most beautiful stuff you have ever seen.














I'm getting something for a very old friend, Silvia, for her birthday this weekend. She owns a great clothing store in the Valley called Maxine. I normally get friends something amazing from Bleu, but she is in the business, so I had to go out of the box and what I got was stunning. Will show you after in case she reads this...

I have to tell you, while I am rereading this blog, I have to say that I am proud to see where I spend my money. I really do spend it in very small, intimate businesses that deserve my money. These people care about the quality of the product or service they are giving you. They do the work themselves, and spend money like its going out of style!!!!

I read an article this morning that broke my heart. H&M and Wall Mart got caught throwing out bags, and bags of clothing that were not selling. What makes it sick, and I mean SICK is that they cut up the clothes, put holes in the shoes, take sleeves off jackets just so people going through the trash that may find them cannot re-sell them, or even worse, wear them!!!! Why would they not want someone that must resort to going through the trash, wearing a warm coat, or sweater? Why, when they pay most of their employees minimum wage, would they just not give it to them as a "hey great job"? Why not drop them off at the nearest salvation army? I think both companies are very very sad. They will never get another dollar from me unless I know about some beautiful, charitable thing that both these companies do. I am posting the link to this story so you can read it for yourself.

(link to the article):
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/h-m-and-wal-mart-destroy-and-trash-unsold-goods-562909

Anyway, back to work for me. Our semi annual sale is a week from tomorrow.
Our lovely clients have been preshopping for a least a week. My accountant wants me out of the store for the 2 weeks before the sale. He thinks I am very, very bad for my business:) If I was big business maybe I would stay out and keep all of the money for myself, but honestly, I would rather share with you any day!!!!

2010!! We're living in the FUTURE!

Hi its me. So what should I say? 2010!!!! We are living in the future!!! I love it. I love that each and every one of you has been part of my journey. You have been part of the Bleu Journey. My love journey, my friendships, fashion experiences, fashion mishaps, the recession, the rock star President, the dud of a president, the hope of a president, full moons, new moons, blue moons (we are getting one this NEW YEARS eve), tears, laughter, everything. Thank you for making Bleu Los Angeles, Bleu Westlake and bleuclothing.com what they are today. Thank you so much for all of your love and support. Please know that every time you walk in to my stores or buy something online you are keeping someone employed. I am proud to say that I have not let one employee go because of the recession. I would rather take less for myself than let any of my wonderful girls go. This brings me to where I have been trying to go this entire paragraph. Supporting SMALL BUSINESS this year and hopefully all my life is my New Year resolution…

I am going to do my best to support small designers that do not own their own factories. I will try to buy my groceries at the local Farmers Market, I will go to the tiny tailor and the sweet little dry cleaners on the corner, and the amazing restaurant, and the pet store that is owned by the waitress that use to work at Flora Kitchen. I may make a mistake or two, but I am doing my best to support Mom and POP. I want to hear about all of the local great places you go. I want quality places that deserve recognition because of their great service, or their wonderful products, not because Paris Hilton shops there. I want to support business that give raises to their employees and keep them on even when they get beyond expensive for helping build a business. I want to hear only good from you in 2010. My mother always had one rule in our house that all four of my brothers and sisters and I had to live by…”If you have nothing nice to say, then don’t say it at all”.

SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS