BIG NEWS!!

It's been almost five months since publishing our initial post...and A LOT has happened! I won't bore you with all the details, but between family health issues and a destination wedding, I can say the last five months have not been boring!

We had several EliRae Trunk Shows, with relative success. Our website is up and running; almost all the kinks have been worked out. We have been busy with social networking with the hope of getting our name out there. Speaking of which, take a minute to visit the following and "Like" or "Follow" us!

Facebook: EliRae LLC
Twitter: @lifeintheoyster
Pinterest: EliRae
Instagram: @lifeintheoyster

The BIG news we want to announce is...drum roll...WE'RE OPENING A RETAIL STORE!! Let me provide a little background...

We invited our close friend who also happens to be incredibly talented with vision and creativity that we generally lack, to be an EliRae partner. This has turned out to be one of the best business decisions we have made thus far! Holly has afforded EliRae with tremendous improvements – from display ideas to inspired photographs of our pieces, and much, much more! Holly also just started a vintage goods business with her sister Kim called HodgePodge Garage. They have the most wonderfully charming and nostalgic vintage items...from furniture to luggage, and everything in between! As luck would have it, we happened upon a fantastic space in Downtown Louisville, Colorado...we got a great deal, and a TON of space! So...EliRae and HodgePodge Garage are opening a store for all to enjoy in the Marketplace building!

Many people in Colorado are already aware of the fact that Louisville, Colorado was ranked by Money Magazine as the Number One Best Place To Live (Money's list of America's best small towns). Louisville received the designation as the winner in 2011, 2009, and ranked third on the list in 2007 and fifth on the list in 2005!! (Check out the link).

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2011/index.html

Louisville was also recognized by Westword Magazine's Best of Denver 2011 as the Best Small Town Shopping District! (Check out the link).

http://www.westword.com/bestof/2011/award/best-small-town-shopping-district-1770153/

Louisville really is a delightfully quaint town, and Main Street boasts a variety of restaurants, cafes, and shops…everyone is friendly and enthusiastic…it really is picturesque, almost like it was modeled after a set of the family TV shows of the 50’s and 60’s. Ozzy & Harriett and Leave It To Beaver meets Modern Family in the mountains.

We are aiming for a November opening, so without further ado, I present to you our little labor(s) of love…

EliRae * HodgePodge Garage
820 Main Street, B1 & B2
Louisville, Colorado  80027
www.elirae.com
http://www.hodgePodgeGarage.etsy.com

Stop by our websites, Facebook page…but more importantly, stop by our store in Downtown Louisville in November…we can’t wait to see you!


(More regular update to come)!

More on Louisville, Colorado USA!

http://www.louisvilleco.gov/VISITING/AboutLouisville/tabid/196/Default.aspx

We are two sisters (and our amazing mother), who grew up just outside of Boulder, Colorado. We are close in age and in spirit, and for as long as we can remember, we have wished to combine our talents and start a family business. We are profoundly fortunate to have the most adoring, selfless and loving mother (and father…we can’t leave you out, Dad), who would do anything and everything to help us achieve our goals. Although the two of us bear a striking physical resemblance, we have very different and very distinct personalities. While we have unique abilities and characteristics, we share an innate admiration for fashion and travel. Between the two of us, we have visited five continents and countless countries. In 2010, I (the older sister), moved to Beijing, China for one of those unfathomable life experiences one must not turn down. Beijing has many fantastic markets overflowing with everything from silk flowers to jade and “faux” watches to “faux” iPhones. By chance, I was introduced to a wonderful fresh water pearl vendor, and the rest is, so we say, history!  Incidentally, shortly after my providential discovery, my sister and my mother were scheduled to make the long trip from Colorado to China for a visit. Before their arrival, I had relayed the stories of the markets, and more specifically the pearls, oh the pearls! If my memory serves me, I believe I took them to see the pearls even before the Great Wall or the Forbidden City. If all three of us were keener on the pearls than the Great Wall, this must be something momentous. At last, we had found the opportunity we had been searching for…pearls! Of course, pearls! What is a more classic, elegant and timeless symbol of fashion than the pearl? From Julia Child to Jackie O, the pearl represents simplistic beauty, femininity and grace. From China to Colorado, the three of us would embark upon this adventure together, and this would be our thing, the thing that brings us together wherever we may be in the world, the thing that we would do together. What’s more, our charming pearl vendor owns her own pearl shop and she works seven days a week, nearly 360 days a year. “The pearl lady,” as she is affectionately known, is the supplier of our exquisite pearls, which in effect, enables our humble family business in the US to serve a more globally beneficial purpose. Our company benefits the three of us by allowing us to work together and provide a superior product at a reasonable price, and what makes this a truly circular and extraordinary venture is that our success in turn generates success for a hard-working, well-deserving and exceptional small business owner in Beijing. My sister and mother have poured their hearts and minds into establishing this business. It is with the utmost pride and pleasure that I now present to you…EliRae.

We just want everyone out there to know, as cliché as it may sound, that our business was discovered in and will maintain its foundation in love. Love of one another, love of fashion, love of culture, love of beauty. Love is precious and essential. So too, are pearls.