Do Not Read if Offended by Shameless Self-Promotion

Hello-Hello and happy springtime day to all!

Welcome to one of only two special days we have every year at Princess InterPlanetary HQ, it’s our special post celebrating the “Not an April Fool” sale, when everything at The Preppy Princess is 20% off. (Our only other big day like this is Pink and Green Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving.)  If thinking about shopping, do use promo code APRILDEAL to receive your discount, this special offer expires at midnight tonight (April 1st).

Such an auspicious occasion prompts wretched and shameless self-promotion as we focus on a few goodies from our little store. And because we don’t want to simply flirt with impropriety, we want to step madly into that vast commercial abyss with flagrant references to the “M word,” providing actual prices for each item shown. (The horror.) Psssst, these are the prices before your 20% discount, so they are even more fiscally friendly!

We begin with one of our favorite items this spring, the Scout Original Dean-o Tote in solid colors ($30), we want one in every color.  Sadly, one of each is not something the Consort can wrap his brain around.

Scout Original Deano at PreppyPrincess.com

The sale means all of our custom grosgrain ribbon belts (starting at $19 for Tiny Preps and $23 for the grownups) and Key Fobs ($6) are even better deals…

…not to mention we have added several new ribbon styles, including one that Gator fans might like.

If looking for something a tad brighter, our Candi Belts ($48) or Flip Flops ($48) might be in order.

The color combinations are loads of fun and more-than-versatile, below we show the Stewart pattern followed by Gum Drop, the green and purple together make a great style statement IOHO.

We suspect The Queen Mother and a few other Spartan fans might opt for the Spearmint pair in green and white. The colors would be particularly stylish this weekend, I understand her team has some sort of basketball game in Indianapolis on Saturday. (Heh-heh-heh.)

Don’t forget about your four-legged family members, all of our grosgrain goodies are available as Dog and Cat Collars, Harnesses, and Leashes.

The sale also offers an opportunity to snag our new Jonathan Adler Pocket Papers ($4.50) as well as the Jonathan Adler Note Cubes ($12.50) at a great price.

And to get a jump on party planning for graduations, weddings, and other goings-on.  Lilly Pulitzer has just what you need for special occasions, including re-useable Plastic Tumblers ($15) that are dishwasher safe, making them eco-friendly, and Beverage Napkins with Fun Savings ($5), excellent conversation starters.

Our  new Monogramed Polka Dot and Striped Garden Flags ($40) are perfect for gifting…

As are the Personalized Argyle Doormats ($39) and Monogramed House Flags ($59).

Our Kiel James Patrick collection is one of our fastest-growing lines, with Earrings ($28), Headbands ($26) and Braided Rope Bracelets ($35 – $58) all sporting a nautical touch. The exclusive Preppy Princess Pink/Green/White model is flying out the door.

This doesn’t begin to mention our Preppy Paper goods or Lunch Bags, the fab Towels or Pillows, and scads of other treasures.  We’ll have to leave those for you to discover at your own pace, we must scoot so we can organize the elves to handle the deluge of orders… eek!

And The Winners Are….

Hello-Hello, and Happy Thursday!

It is simply a glorious day here at the Prepatorium in spite of the rain, because we are announcing the five winners of the Spring Fling Thing! With nearly 200 entries total we are grateful for the Random Number generator!

The winner of our exclusive Kiel James Patrick bracelet in Princess Pink and Green…

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is Sweet Home Amy! Yippee-skippee Miss Amy, just let us know if you need a small or medium.

Winner #2, soon to be the proud owner of our Anchors Away Jet-Set Duffel from our new line of Bella Bags…

is one of our fave new bloggers, Skip Brooks at Alexander Grant!  A tip of the hat to Skip!

The name drawn for Prize #3, a Thermal Mug from our new line of Nifty Gifties by Jonathan Adler…

is Preppy 101, aka All Things Southern & Preppy! Just let us know your choice of pattern Miss ATS&P, Acapulco, Diamonds, Greek Key or Chevron, and the mug will be on its way!

Next, Prize #4, a set of Lilly Pulitzer Circle Notes!

Our winner of this prize is the one and only Aurora Borealice! Tell us your choice of pattern and we’ll get these headed your way!

Our 5th and final winner is Always a Northerner, the new owner of a very snappy Scout Doggie Bag lunch bag in her choice of Cabanarama or Cabanarama Brite.

Scout Lunch Bags at PreppyPrincess.com

Pick the pattern you like and we shall send the lunch bag to you!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who entered, Tweeted, became a Facebook fan, and/or posted this on their blog!

This is the most fun we have had doing a Giveaway, but need to know if you liked it; is having multiple winners of multiple prizes a good way to go, or would you prefer it simply be one prize? Did you like the cross-section of prizes, or would you prefer the selection be all one product line? Do tell, because these are your giveaways, we are merely the intermediary, and we want them to be what you want, not simply our notion of what is fun.

Until next time, grins and giggles to all!

The Great Preppy Princess Giveaway

Hello-Hello, what a glorious day we are enjoying here at the Prepatorium!

Today’s post is short and hopefully sweet: we are giving things away.  More specifically, five premium items from the Preppy Princess shop! It’s the Spring Fling Thing, an easy and fun way for us to share new merchandise with you!

We will draw not one, not two, but five winners; the first name selected wins Item #1, the second receives Item #2, etc.

Here are the goodies:

ITEM #1: An exclusive Kiel James Patrick bracelet made just for the Princess!

PreppyPrincess.com

We are über-excited to have added Kiel’s line of nautical-inspired accessories, especially since many of the items you find at the Princess are made only for us. The Princess Bracelet is one such exclusive item, hand crafted in Rhode Island of pink, green and white braided rope atop KJP’s signature madras lining, opening and closing with the signature KJP button.

You may have read recently about this designer extraordinaire and his wonderful creations, Kiel is garnering all manner of good buzz lately. In addition to his other bracelet styles, we also have some fabulous KJP earrings and KJP headbands we think you will like.

ITEM #2: The Anchors Away Jet-Set Duffel from our new line of Bella Bags

Bella Bags at PreppyPrincess.com

This gem is oh-so-versatile, measuring 22″ long x 14″ tall and 9″ wide, made of coated polypropylene that takes a beating and is easy to wipe clean.  With zippered pockets on the outside and an enclosed shoulder strap to use in addition to the attached handles, the Jet Set Duffle is perfect for traveling because it collapses down into a 9″ x 7″ pouch!

ITEM #3: A Thermal Mug from our new line of Nifty Gifties by Jonathan Adler

We love this new collection of stationery and gift items, the winner will choose a mug in their choice of Acapulco, Diamonds, Greek Key or Chevron.

ITEM #4: A set of Lilly Pulitzer Circle Notes!

These pretty notes perk up any office or kitchen, handy for all of those last-second “hey there” or “don’t forget” reminders. This winner will be able to select whatever pattern tickles their fancy from these Spring 2010 Notes…

Lilly Pulitzer at PreppyPrincess.com

Or one of the classic patterns!

Lilly Pulitzer at PreppyPrincess.com

Item #5: A Scout Lunch Bag in your choice of Cabanarama Stripes

Scout Lunch Bags at PreppyPrincess.com

This is just one selection from our Lunch Bag collection at the Princess, the Scout Doggie Bag is good-sized and also insulated, the perfect way to make ‘brown bagging’ a bit more stylish.

We are very excited about this Giveaway; it’s spring, it’s sunny, we could all use a little fun and frivolity, oui? Here is the scoop on how to enter.

• For one entry, leave a comment about an item you like at the Princess;
• For a 2nd entry, post the Giveaway on your blog or Facebook page & leave a comment telling us you did;
• For a 3rd entry, Tweet about the Giveaway on Twitter & let us know you did (here’s the Princess on Twitter);
• For another entry, become a Preppy Princess fan on Facebook & let us know you did (If already a fan, just let us know so you receive this additional entry!)
• For multiple additional entries, tell a friend! For each friend leaving a comment that mentions your name (or your blog or email or other means of identifying you) you receive two additional entries!

Entries will be accepted until midnight on Wednesday, March 24th; we shall announce the lucky winners in Thursday’s post!

Love that Lilly, and Michelle Obama in $500,000+ Diamonds

Hello-Hello everybody, and welcome to the almost-weekend!

We promised more Lilly Pulitzer Stationery goodies, so here we go! First, the Note Card Books in Patchtastic and Lillywood:

Lilly Pulitzer Note Card Books at PreppyPrincess.com

At only $15 for each Set of 10 Note Cards (2 each of 5 different patterns) and envelopes, these are already a favorite here at the Prepatorium.  And they haven’t even arrived yet!

Also due in around the 4th or 5th of February, these bright and cheery Large Notebooks in Animal Crackers (L) and Cabanarama (R):

Lilly Pulitzer Notebooks at PreppyPrincess.com

The Large Notebooks are about 9″ x 12″ with an inside pocket; they will be $16.

At 6″ x 8″ the Mini-Notebooks are perfect for tossing in the tote.  They also have an inside pocket, and will run $14.  Below, the Mini-Notebooks in Mumsie and Bee’s Knees Patch:

Lilly Pulitzer Mini-Notebooks at PreppyPrincess.com

A reminder that the Princess Consort has been typing his little fingers to the bone, making sure some of the Lilly merchandise is up on the Princess website for pre-ordering.  The Lilly folks say they are shipping February 1st; we expect our first shipment being here by the 4th or 5th of February. Pre-ordering means your order gets out the door first when the Lilly merchandise arrives here. Pre-orders are at the top of the list and will be turned around on the same day we receive the merchandise from Lilly.

We also said we would share some sneak peeks from the market. Here is a glance at two new patterns from Scout that we went ga-ga over, starting with the Poolside Stripe:

Available 2/15/09

Stripes Away is another new pattern we will be getting in mid-February.

Available 2.15.09 PreppyPrincess.com

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On the topic of Inaugural fashion, the LA Times raises a question about the propriety of a First Lady borrowing jewelry, in relation to these $17,000 Loree Rodkin earrings.

LoreeRodkin.com

Michelle Obama wore the sparklers to Sunday’s concert.

PHOTO: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty

(Frankly, TP is far more fascinated by the Narciso Rodriguez ensemble in camel and black, really quite elegant IOHO.)  The paper’s All the Rage blog cites rules about borrowed apparel and accessories set up when Ronald Reagan was President in the 1980s, and Mrs. Reagan was chided for her frequent borrowing of designer clothes.

“Michelle Obama wore $17,000 diamond chandelier earrings designed by Loree Rodkin to the “We Are One” concert on Sunday — not a gift from her husband, but borrowed from a Chicago retailer. The next morning, dispatches were dutifully sent out from the publicist for Rodkin to let the press know whom to credit for her ear candy. How very red carpet.”

Yikes… that seems a little cranky, no? We presume All the Rage would apply the same question to Tuesday night’s jewelry, a healthy 77.6 carats in diamonds, again, borrowed from Loree Rodkin. (Mrs. Obama is seen with U.S. Army Sgt. Margaret H. Herrera following her dance with President Obama.)

PHOTO: Gary Hershorn/Reuters

The Arizona Republic has a little more information on the bling (that is the proper term…yes?) in this story:

“Curious about costs, we called Moody Blues boutique in Scottsdale, which carries Loree Rodkin jewelry. There, a chain necklace with a cross pendant covered in an estimated 3 carats of diamonds is $21,000, says Catie Cerutti, store manager.

We’d hate to draw any cost-per-carat conclusions based on that, but . . . oh, who are we kidding. Our math shows that Obama could have been wearing $543,200 worth of diamonds.”

There you have it.

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Now, if you are interested in sporting a knock-off of the First Lady’s Jason Wu gown, eDressMe has one available. Really.

eDressMe.com

We have an answer to our question Is Jason Wu Preppy?, asked in this post: absolutely.  Without question. According to Eric Wilson’s story in today’s Times, he attended Loomis, a not-very-well-know Connecticut boarding school.

We credit the Consort for the sharp eye on this – he is such a Fashionisto. (The male version of Fashionista…hello?)

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And in our “The Princess wasn’t Born Yesterday” category, we pose a question: is it possible that the “Marvelous Malia” and “Sweet Sasha” dolls pictured below have absolutely no connection whatsoever to the little girls who just moved into the White House?!

PHOTO: Scott Olson/Getty

That’s what the folks at Ty say; they just released the dolls for sale, and controversy  about the TyGirlz dolls is growing. An Associated Press story explains the “coincidence”:

“The Oak Brook-based company chose the names because ‘they are beautiful names,’ not because of any resemblance to Malia and Sasha Obama, said spokeswoman Tania Lundeen.”

“‘There’s nothing on the dolls that refers to the Obama girls,’ Lundeen said. ‘It would not be fair to say they are exact replications of these girls.

Oh.  Silly Princess.

However – let it be said that at least the moronic company (really, this is PR Debacle 101 level stuff) put a little madras on the dolls’ cuffs and one pair of sneakers.

PHOTO: Charles Rex Arbogast/AP

Do enjoy your Saturday and Sunday!

New Collections at the Preppy Princess! (Oooh, more madras!) Plus Giveaway Winner!

Hello-Hello!  Things are bright and sunny here at the Prepatorium, oh-so-wonderful after all the dark and dreary days we have seen.

In fact, we are more than a little excited over new collections at the Preppy Princess, although we fear TSU (The Spousal Unit) would make the case we are closer to ‘completely ga-ga’ in our enthusiasm. And it goes without saying we have to share them with you!

We start with the Bermuda Madras Placemats, 100% cotton patchwork madras, reversible to a solid plaid madras on the other side.

PreppyPrincess.com

Accompanied by the Bermuda Madras Table Runner in the same patchwork and reversing to the plaid on the other side.

PreppyPrincess.com

Matched by the Bermuda Madras Napkins, also 100% cotton.

PreppyPrincess.com

Everything in this group is machine washable, like all of our linens. It would be simply insane to have to go to the trouble of taking things like this to the dry cleaners. We also have new napkin rings that complement just about any color in your linen closet!

Glass Napkin Rings

The Glass Napkin Rings are solid with in bright, vibrant colors.  You just know what is going to happen with our dinner table:

At only $2 each, they make an ideal stocking stuffer! The red and green would be fun and festive right now.

Now we also want to show you another new group, starting with the Blue Lagoon placemats in a classic blue, white, and yellow design.

PreppyPrincess.com

Fun for perking up the table now, or perhaps while wintering in Florida, and absolutely ideal at the cottage this summer. The matching napkins:

PreppyPrincess.com

And we even have matching Blue Lagoon kitchen towels:

PreppyPrincess.com

The Blue Lagoon group is also constructed of 100% cotton and entirely machine washable.  A really fun Christmas or Hanukkah gift basket could be easily put together with any of these groups. And everything is fiscally friendly with placemats (place mats?) at only $8, napkins $4, the towel also $4 and the table runner $20.

Enough about us… let’s talk about you! We have a winner of this week’s Great Giveaway. Congratulations to one of the private blogs we enjoy, Well, I Do Declare! Amelia receives these goodies from the Princess:

The Classic Whales Guest Towels:

Classic Whales Guest Towels Set

Our exclusive Have a Whale of a Holiday notecards…

"Have a Whale of a Holiday" notecards

And the Black Baguette market tote from a line we love, Bungalow Scout.

Scout Baguette Tote

We will be posting information on our last fifth and final (at least until we are well into next year) Giveaway later today or early tomorrow.

Enjoy a splendid day!