IN MEMORIUM

This has been a tough week, but one that has taught us a powerful lesson in courage and inspiration.

Monday of this week we lost our dear Louise, or Weezie as she was affectionately known. She was not only the inspiration for part of our name, Weezie & Rumble, but more importantly, our beloved Golden Retriever whose soul, wisdom, spirit and kindness were felt by all who knew her.

Louise came to live with me about 9 years ago, an unexpected inheritance from casual friends who could no longer care for her in addition to their growing family. The story goes that Louise was a shelter dog, having been dropped off by some passerby who found her running loose on the streets with her sister. Both dogs were taken in by the shelter and named Thelma and Louise. There is no record of what became of Thelma, but Louise eventually was adopted by my friends, who looked after her until she was about 4. That’s when she came to live with me, changing my life in unforeseen and immeasurable ways.

I had been dealing with a series of monumental personal losses that left me reeling and I struggled to regain some normalcy in my life. There wasn’t much good to report during those tough days and sleepless nights but being an eternal optimist, I started thinking of ways to turn loss into something positive that would renew my sense of hope and purpose.

Casually mentioning one day to my dearest friend Sunny that I was thinking seriously of adopting a rescue dog, I unknowingly set the wheels in motion. One thing led to another and when Sunny discovered that our mutual friends were looking for a good home for Louise, a perfect match was made.

Following a very brief period of adjustment, Louise took to me and my equally-friendly Tabby cat Chester. We became a little family and suddenly my house didn’t seem so quite and empty anymore. Her love of life, enthusiasm and sense of play inspired me and all who met her. When I think back to her many adventures I still laugh out loud. The shoes she loved to hide (but never chew), the way she would dig in her heels anytime we had to get in the dreaded car, jumping on the furniture when she thought no one was looking. She was free-spirited, hilarious, intelligent and, most of all, a purveyor of unconditional love.

Louise went to her reward on Monday with grace and dignity. Never once did she complain, howl, whimper, growl, bite or show any outward signs of pain or suffering. It was only at the very end, when she was too ill to continue on, that we knew it was time for her to find peace. As she slowly drifted away from us Monday morning, we comforted her and reassured her of our love for her; she knew we were there and that it was okay to leave us. We were, and are, grief-stricken, heartbroken and overwhelmed with a sense of profound loss. But in death, as in life, Louise still showed grace, courage and nobility that left us speechless. We can draw strength and inspiration from her sense of purpose, love of life and innate ability to bring out the best in all who knew and loved her. For those gifts, we will be forever grateful.



WHO NEEDS FANCY?

In an on-going effort to keep our operating expenses to a minimum, everyone at HQ has agreed not to succumb to the many well-meaning, yet rather bothersome sales people constantly trying to sell us fancy new equipment. To be sure, there are lots of high-end sewing machines out there and it would be fun to own one or two. Having said that, why fix what isn't broken? Why replace my mother's wonderful 1951 Singer Featherweight sewing machine, for instance, when it continues to be a workhorse? As a matter-of-fact, I recently had it completely restored to its former glory and it turns out it is something of a collector's item! Apparently, this particular model was produced to commemorate the centennial of the very first Singer sewing machine, built and sold in 1851. The folks at the repair shop were really excited when I walked in with mine and filled me in on its history and value. Although I have no intention of ever parting with it, it was nice to hear their stories and see the gleam in their eyes. Who knew sewing machines could be so compelling?

Thanks for stopping by and please feel free to comment on this post, or anything else that comes to mind.

fashionably yours,
W&R

OPEN FOR BUSINESS!

Weezie&Rumble green.jeans is pleased to announce the opening of our new "store" on Etsy.com

http://www.etsy.com/shop/WeezieandRumble?ref=si_shop

We want to know what you think of our new venture and if you think it's easy to navigate and makes sense. We are still in the tinkering stages and are anxious to 'get the bugs out' as quickly as possible.

Thanks to all who have encouraged us in this endeavor and helped make this possible. There was much excitement this morning at our Daily Watercooler Conference prior to our 'store opening', so you can just imagine how excited we were when we hit the "Publish" button.

Now it's easy to shop for Weezie&Rumble green.jeans. Just double-click the SHOP button on the right-hand side of our blog and start building your own unique pair. What's not to love?

Fashionable yours,

W&R

THE BEAT GOES ON

A few days ago I posted about our ongoing New Business efforts and how we were feeling a bit frustrated by the process. While this is a normal reaction (according to an informal poll recently taken during our daily Watercooler Meeting) it's best to move on. Or as They say, "Onward and upward!" Here at Weezie & Rumble green.jeans we continue to look for new opportunities to introduce our embellished recycled jeans to as many folks as possible. We believe in our product and are proud to be doing our bit to recycle and renew rather than use natural resources that could best be used elsewhere.

Another positive result of our daily conference was the suggestion by our Art Director that a few new photos might be in order. Just something to 'reframe' some of our signature designs as we identify new stores and customers to approach. This photo is from our "FEZ" line, using fabric found in an antique mall, a wonderful gold 'scroll' stencil and a pair of Ralph Lauren recycled jeans. What's not to love?!

We will continue to bring you news of our venture, as well as updates on our progress. Please tell your friends and remember, we will give a great big Shout Out and post a link to any and all stores who answer our call to feature Weezie & Rumble green.jeans in their stores.

fashionably yours,
W&R

ONLINE SALES COMING SOON!

After much discussion at our daily Water Cooler meeting, Weezie & Rumble green.jeans has decided to make our one-of-a-kind embellished recycled jeans more widely available. Toward that end, we are going to start selling them on our new website! Yes, you read it correctly. You can now order from the comfort of your own home!

First, you choose a style of jean (low-rise, skinny, boot cut or wide-leg). Our jeans are all recycled, in great condition and come in sizes 2-14. Next, tell us which fabric to use from the available online fabric swatches and lastly, give us your choice of stencil designs.  The final step is to simply provide your billing (we use Pay Pal) and shipping info and we will get started. Your jeans will be delivered within 4- 6 weeks and you will instantly become the envy of your Groovy Girl Group!

We are really excited about this next phase of our growth and see this as a big step forward. Please feel free to contact us with questions or leave your comments below. We want the ordering process to be as seamless and simple as possible and we are always open to your suggestions. Watch this space for the link to our new site and then get ready to shop! And as always, thanks for stopping by.

Fashionably yours,

Weezie & Rumble

ON A MISSION

Everyone who has looked at our samples of embellished, recycled blue jeans seems to love them and I don't get the feeling they are just trying to be nice. A friend's husband, who is in the 'rag trade' had a peek and told us he has seen lots of embellished jeans out there, but 'none that are as cool as yours'. This indeed sat well with us, as did the comment by a family member who said, "I really think these would be perfect in Barney's New York." This was enough to make our heads just about explode and want to march down there and demand an audience with the Head Buyer. It's easy, however, to get carried away by such lofty talk and float along on Cloud Nine, but we are determined to keep our feet on the ground. While we are fully equipped to fill any orders that come our way in preparation for the Big Time, we don't plan to get ahead of ourselves, either.

Here at Weezie & Rumble Green. Jeans we want to breath new life into existing materials to create truly 'wearable art'. Fashion and art are two sides of the same coin, really, and we love combining both.

Fashionably yours,

Weezie & Rumble

INSPECTOR 12

There has been some Water Cooler talk here recently at W&R World HQ suggesting we add a Quality Control position to the payroll. This immediately brought to mind of course the Hanes "Inspector 12" underwear commercial (I say 'of course' because I assume anyone reading this blog is my age). While I am all for making sure hems are straight and zippers zip, this is not really that kind of company. Since no two pair of Weezie & Rumble green.jeans will ever be the same, what sort of inspection rules would we come up with? We don't have anything here close to an assembly line, there aren't patterns to follow and sometimes we take the pockets completely OFF, not sew them on. So I tabled the suggestion for now; unless we start sending work overseas (hopefully not; I don't want to end up on the cover of US Magazine like the Kardashians did recently, with smack talk of sweat shops), I don't think we will ever need an Inspector 12. 

This of course is the perfect segue to what I really wanted to feature today. As mentioned, no two pair of W&R jeans will ever be exactly the same, such as this pair from our "Salon" line. The possibilities are just about limitless when you start combining recycled jeans with fabric and stenciling, so please stay tuned for more from this series. We are just getting started...