While you're in the midst of your Spring Cleaning, don't forget that your body needs a bit of polish, too. Bella Luccè's new Bamboo & Black Sesame Body Rub is a deliciously creamy scrub created with 70% organic ingredients, including bamboo powder, sesame and rice bran oils and organic shea butter. It sloughs dead cells as it nourishes dry skin to reveal your best "ready for Spring" glow! 
John & Kira's
These adorable bumblee bee and ladybug truffles by John & Kira's Chocolates are cuter than should be allowed by law. Each hand-painted bee is filled with rich caramel, while the ladybugs drench chocolate over raspberry, garden mint and lavender honey ganache. Could there be a better way to celebrate Spring? I think not. 
How do you plan to spend your "Economic Stimulus" check? 
Celebrated by Asian women and ancient Chinese pharmacopeia for more than 3,000 years, pearl powder has a rich history and a myriad of legendary tales about its use at the Imperial Palace. Created by pulverizing real freshwater pearls, it is reputed to boost skins brightness and is rich in both amino acids and trace minerals. Find it in: Shiitake & Green Tea Antioxidant Serum, Orchid & Crushed Pearl Hydrating Body Crème, Detoxifying Ginger-Wasabi Masque 
- William Blake 
5 Penny Lip Scrub Dry, chapped lips are an unfortunate reality of winter. Thankfully, outrageously priced lip scrubs don't have to be. You can recreate a simple version of those department store concoctions at home- for a fraction of the price. For less than a nickel per application, you can use this handy little tip to help loosen and gently remove dead skin for a Pitt-worthy pucker. Take a pinch of brown sugar and gently rub onto moistened lips (don't attempt this dry or you'll risk raw, overly exfoliated lips). Rinse with warm water and immediately apply chapstick. I do this routine several times per week throughout autumn and winter and it yields beautiful results in seconds! 
Christine B. of Akron, Ohio. As our latest drawing winner, she's enjoying a host of goodies from our new Asian Indulgences Collection. It's a package worth more than $75...congratulations! Want your chance to win? Enter here. 
Search our past spotlights and articles! 
I highly recommend the following cozy nooks and places of interest- they represent some of my favorite stops on the web.
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Bella Luccè will be closing early today· May 16, 2008 - Bella Luccè NewsToday we are celebrating our time with the adorably-pregnant Abby. Though we originally met when my daughter began attending a local Montessori school where Abby was a teacher, she joined Bella Luccè upon her college graduation and the rest is history. She's been with me for 2 years now, through thick and thin, and has been an integral part of our success. Tomorrow she's leaving us to prepare for her new life as a mommy. I have promised not to cry too much, but don't hold me to that. All facets of the Bella Luccè operation will close today at 2:30pm so that we can throw Abby the shower of the century. We hope you'll join us in wishing her well...we'll be back on duty at 8:30am Monday, May 19th. See you then! I could turn cartwheels in our warehouse· May 15, 2008 - Bella Luccè NewsWe have been slaving over two large international distribution orders for the past month. Dubai is about to see a ton of new goodies and Scandinavia may never be the same after the pallet-upon-pallet shipment that left out of here today. I emerged from a meeting and walked into the warehouse and nearly fell over as the freight trucks had just rolled away with the goods, leaving us a tremendous amount of room. Now my kids could ride bikes in that sucker. Hallelujah! We've just finished installing new shelving in the warehouse and emergency backup lighting throughout the building, Melanie's enjoying a lovely new computer, tomorrow our fancy new sifter lands in Bella Luccè land, and crews will be here next week to install new ceilings and an additional air conditioning unit. It's be a long week, but everyone is breathing a collective sigh of relief. Next week it's back to normal! Mommies rock· May 12, 2008 - Bella Luccè NewsI had a hectic, but utterly lovely Mother’s Day. I woke up to breakfast in bed prepared by my kids…homemade Belgian waffles (my waffle iron may never be the same), yogurt parfait (mixed berries, French vanilla almond granola and organic soy yogurt), fresh OJ and scrambled eggs (for Dad only, as I don’t eat eggs). Dad didn’t even help as he was snoring peacefully beside me as Chloe walked in with the tray…I knew that year at kid’s culinary school would pay me back in spades someday. That was before Chloe dropped the bomb that her big book talk was due tomorrow and that she hadn’t *actually* started putting it together yet. Thanks goodness we started the day off with a good breakfast and a bit of extra sleep. What followed was a 6-hour project marathon that required not one but TWO trips to craft store. Chloe is in a full-time advanced program that really requires the kids to step up their game. This particular book talk involved their choice of biography and Chloe chose Prince Siddhartha, The Story of Buddha. I was so incredibly proud of her choice and she declared today that this was her favorite Book Talk of the year. She took a Pringles can, cut it into pieces and formed a rib cage structure. She then paper-mache’d that structure to create an image of Buddha during his ascetic phase. She built a tree (Buddha reached enlightenment while meditating under a bodhi tree) out of pipe cleaners and tissue paper and built a silk cushion for him to perch upon. I almost tore my hair out at several points in the day, but the results were so groovy and we were excited to take the project into school this morning. She even glued a multi-colored blinking light behind that gold halo around Buddha’s head that she’ll trigger when she gets to the point in the story when Siddhartha reaches enlightenment. That kid cracks me up…  We finished up just in time to venture out for a late dinner at SakiTumi, my personal favorite restaurant on the local scene. After putting the kids to bed, I wiped the floor with my husband in Wii boxing, which is becoming my new favorite before-bed activity. That thing is seriously addicting. Thank heavens for kids- they make it all worthwhile. And thank heavens for mommies- we really do rule the world. Happy Mother’s Day Mom...I love you. I hope all mommies everywhere enjoyed a spectacular day! UPDATE: Chloe got an A+ on the project! :) Welcome our latest additions!· May 09, 2008 - Bella Luccè NewsWe've just welcomed the following 34 wholesale stockists to the Bella Luccè family. We invite you to phone in, click on or drop by these fabulous spots and pick up your favorite Bella Luccè luxuries locally! Alabama: Living Well (Mobile) Fragrance Oil Giveaway· May 08, 2008 - Bella Luccè NewsThough Bella Luccè acquired another suite to expand our facilities in early December, somehow we are busting at the seams again! How this is possible is a complete enigma to me, but we have more shelving and more machines en route and are, therefore, taking stock of our warehouse. I have an assortment of high-quality fragrances that we've tested for various collections in the past and I have no further use for at present. I hate to throw them away, so I'm offering them, free of charge, to the first person who emails thebuzz@bellalucce.com indicating that they'd like them. I prefer local pickup as individually bubble-wrapping all these glass bottles could drive a girl mad. Sizes range from 4 to 16 ounces, there are roughly 100 bottles in total and the value is likely between $800-1,000. They come from a variety of well-known suppliers and there are some real standouts in the group. Shoot me an email if you can pick them up at our facility within the next 5 days. Thanks! Update: The oils have been claimed by someone locally. Thanks again to those who wrote to express interest. Looking for a job? I'm looking for you!· May 05, 2008 - Bella Luccè NewsOur dear friend Mary, who has been blazing trails in the production department here at Bella Luccè, is taking maternity leave alongside Abby. I am starting to think there is something in our water and am contemplating having the company-provided water coolers removed from the office before anyone else comes down pregnant. Mary has been a tremendous asset to the company, but her departure leaves us on the hunt for a new member of our production team. If you’re in the Columbia, SC area and are on the prowl for an exciting new job, we’d love to hear from you! Position: Production Assistant Location: Bella Luccè’s Irmo, SC manufacturing facility Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 am until 5:00 pm (no weekends) Starting Wage: $9 per hour, with a raise at 60 days upon satisfactory performance Previous Experience: not critical, but experience in a production environment, commercial restaurant kitchen or laboratory is helpful Start Date: immediate Physical Requirements: must be able to lift 30 pounds unassisted and stand on your feet for moderate periods of time Benefits: access to a private health care program with partial company reimbursement, paid lunches and breaks, half-price products, complimentary lunch every Friday, performance bonuses and the opportunity to be part of an awesome team at a young, dynamic company! Interested parties should forward a work history and references via fax to 800.485.3079 or via email to lela@bellalucce.com. All candidates must successfully pass a drug screening before employment commences. We look forward to hearing from you! I *heart* California· May 04, 2008 - Bella Luccè NewsI am on a plane headed home to South Carolina and I cannot wait to hug my babies and kiss my husband. It’s been an incredibly long month and I have perpetually been on the road, but I’ve had a fantastic time and feel as though I’ve moved mountains in terms of what I’ve been able to accomplish on the Bella Luccè front. New catalogues are coming right up, educational teleseminars for wholesale clients are planned, decadent new products await in the wings and we’ve got some exciting new talent in the office. Tomorrow we welcome Jackie to our team as she slides into the driver’s seat while Abby takes leave to be a new mommy. I can’t wait to have her join us… Mimi and I thoroughly enjoyed San Diego. Though I was tethered to my laptop by day, I did get to lounge on the balcony overlooking the marina as I worked, Dave Matthews cooing in my ears via my iPod and- let me tell you- there are worse ways to tackle your workload. We enjoyed several delicious meals in the Balboa Park area and giggled ourselves silly the way only sisters can. Saturday was our “play day” when we vowed not to attend a single meeting, not to answer a solitary business email, but to conquer the city with a vengeance. And how… We fueled up on some room service breakfast before heading to La Jolla to join a deep-sea kayaking expedition. That was the best money I have spent in a while- it was surprisingly affordable and scads of fun. Mimi and I ventured out to the La Jolla caves via La Jolla Kayak and spent a relaxing few hours out on the water. I will insert here- much to Mimi’s chagrin- that she was the first kayaker to tip the boat and land in the ocean. She almost took me with her, but I managed to hold steady as the wave hit. We saw seals and pelicans and tons of leopard sharks as they swam right by our boat. I took lots of pictures with a waterproof camera, but it will be a week or so before I can get them developed and I’m crossing my fingers that they turn out well. My forearms ached after hours of paddling and Mimi’s legs were rosy with sunburn, but it was worth every minute. We were hoping to go hang gliding, though the winds weren’t quite strong enough. We did, however, manage to go paragliding at Torrey Pines Gliderport. Launching was an intense experience…with an instructor and parachute strapped to your back, you run directly towards the edge of a cliff and wait for the wind to lift you as you jump off the edge. Not for the faint of heart, but the 25 minute flight that followed certainly justified that moment of panic. We effortlessly glided up and down the cliffs, over the ocean and past a dizzying number of beautiful Cliffside mansions. It was so perfect and serene up there that you can’t help but be in the most delightful mood. Mimi and I glided at the same time and our instructors kept circling one another so we could snap pics of the other and yell back and forth about the incredible views. Back on the ground, we ventured out to Barbarella’s which easily wins the award as the cutest restaurant I have ever laid eyes on. The weather was gorgeous and we dined on the patio, surrounded by lush flowers, neighborhood dogs and a roaring outdoor fireplace. The artisan cheese platter was compromised of manchego and brie, toasted French bread, organic honeycomb and almonds and I do believe that I polished it off in record time, as a slightly-aghast Mimi looked on. The Bib & Blue Salad was scrumptious and the Baked Pasta Forno (hold the pancetta) was the perfect ending. We crashed into bed early- totally exhausted, but truly fulfilled. I miss my sister already and can’t wait to see her again soon. In the meantime, I have voluntarily grounded myself as I am ready to spend some time at home. I’ve posted a sampling of the many paragliding pictures and hope to add the deep-sea kayak shots soon. Enjoy!  Flying high above the cliffs...if you look closely, that's Mimi's parachute in the upper-right corner.
Sunny San Diego· May 01, 2008 - Bella Luccè NewsJenn and I had an utterly fabulous time in New York City. We managed to sneak in a showing of Chicago, a screening of Baby Mama (both of which I highly recommend) and several delicious meals inbetwixt the trade show, strategy chats and meetings. We crack ourselves up every time we’re together and I loved getting to see her again. I flew from NYC straight in San Diego on Wednesday, because I am apparently going for broke on those Delta SkyMiles. Despite having cumulatively been home less than a week in the last 30 days, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to conquer California with my sister Mimi. She’s here in San Diego for a conference and asked me to fly out and keep her company. Though Mimi and I chat daily, we live so far apart that we only get to see each other a few times per year. The cocktail of sister time + sun is intoxicating, so I hopped on a plane and flew out to join her. It’s my first time in the city, but I’m impressed thus far. I am holing myself up in the hotel room to finish our new catalogue by day while Mimi does whatever conference people do and we’re planning to tackle San Diego in the evenings. When I get home, I am voluntarily grounding myself for a month! We like awards, yes we do· April 30, 2008 - Bella Luccè NewsNay, we love awards. I was honored to learn today that Peter Renton, president of Lightning Labels awarded Bella Luccè its top honor in their recent Product Photo Contest. There were more than 300 entries and I am both shocked and flattered that we won first place. Which creates another opportunity to thank several of our consultants and contractors that make the beautiful imagery for our yummy products. Nadia is a veritable design wizard that spearheads our branding and Rebecca at Rebecca Picard Photography is responsible for capturing all that product magic on film. And they both do an incredible job...many, many thanks for all their hard work. Additionally, my sincere appreciation to Tammie and the entire Lightning Label crew for managing the tangle that is our 200+ product labels and for doing it with a tremendous amount of grace and patience. You might also notice that my dear friend Teri from Blue Flour Best Baked Goods was a winner in the contest as well. Rebecca styled those shots, too, and Teri has just released new spring sugar cookies that are absolutely stunning. Check 'em out! Looking for a good soapmaker· April 28, 2008 - Bella Luccè NewsBella Luccè is interested in partnering with an established cold process soapmaker to work hand-in-hand on a particular project. You must have a perfected recipe and the ability to produce consistent bars in volume. If you believe you'd be a good fit for the project, please be in touch at thebuzz@bellalucce.com. And, P.S. Our gigantic Mother's Day sale is down to it's last few days...save 25% and enjoy free shipping on orders of $75 or more! |
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Questions, comments, feedback? Write me at thebuzz@bellalucce.com, or browse my Mission Statement. ©2005-2007 Bella Luccè All Rights Reserved
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