Fabulous,fun frames from Magnolia Lane Collection and a smidge of silly.

Fabulous, fun frames.

At http://www.jeanzbeanz.com/ , we are always searching for new products! This week our new find is Magnolia Lane Collection - fabulous wood frames with feel-good quotes, inspirational sayings and a smidge of silly!

Love, love, love them. Frames are available in a huge 20" x 20" square as well as a rectangular 10" x 17". Each accomodates a 4"x6" photo. There are several different quotes ranging from Elizabeth Barrett Browning to Cinderella. Colors range from ivory and black to muted green and rusty red. Frames have a distressed finish.

Officially, the office favorite is a sage green frame with an inspiring quote from Helen Keller:

"The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart."

*sigh* Awww....

Unofficially, we are loving the baby-blue frame and the profundity of rapper 50-Cent's quote:

"I love you like a fat kid love cake"

I heard you laugh.

:-)

jeanz

Nyuk, Nyuk, Nyuk

The images of Larry, Moe and Curly miraculously appeared on the http://www.jeanzbeanz.com/ website today. Fans of the stooges are calling it a sign, but could not decide if it was 'caution', 'stop' or 'yield' resulting in several arguments, incidents of eye-poking and nose-grabbing.

Happy April Fools' Day!

Reality tv gawking

Ok, I admit it. I watch reality tv. I know I shouldn't. I watch for different reasons though. For me, it's not about the people, it's more about their homes and how they decorate - or have the decorating done for them.

It started with The Osbournes. Sure the family was a little crazy. I watched because of the house. The combo kitchen / family room area was my favorite. I wanted to jump through the tv screen and get a closer look, fluff the pillows on the comfy couch, check out that beaded Eiffel tower model on the counter, snoop through the 'fridge, admire all the doggy photos running up the staircase wall - all in ornate frames like royalty, etc. The house was an interesting mix of elegant and eclectic. *sigh* Is it wrong to gawk?

The obsession continues on today with shows like 'Real Housewives' (California, New York, Georgia - I don't care). One of the Cali ladies has fleur de lis and wrought iron all through her house (ok, maybe a little over-'wrought'). While the hardwood floors, granite countertops, faux walls and soaring ceilings seem to be de rigueur, it's the accessories that I find interesting! Blah, blah, blah about shoes, clothes, kids, money - show me that cute little wrought iron plant stand behind the kitchen sink!

While I am not sure there is much 'real' left in reality tv, I still love to check out the houses.

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Our poor jeanzbeanz blog has been ignored for over a year! So, it's Fat Tuesday and we have returned to say "Laissez les bon temps rouler!" - Let the good times roll!

Appropriately, our word for the day is 'lagniappe' pronounced 'lan yap'. It's a sorta-French-by-way-of-Louisiana-with-some-Spanish-and-American Indian-throw-in word meaning 'little something extra'. In olden days, a merchant would include a small gift or a little something extra just for good measure. For example, that 13th beignet added when ordering a dozen.

In keeping with this tradition, we try and add a little something to every package. We have great customers so it's an easy task!

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

jeanne

'Mom'trepreneur tip for the day!

Number one rule: Put everyone to work!

When running a family business, even the youngest member can fit it. Got a kid with too much energy? Is he climbing the walls? See 'Exhibit A'.

Have him smoosh paper for packing. Trust me, while he is not allowed any where near the breakables (or electronics, permanent markers, tape guns, bubble-wrap, box cutters, noise-making objects, most pointy objects, anything that could be fashioned into a pointy or noise-making object, and anything caffeinated or sugar-coated), he is an expert at smooshing paper. Each box gets the perfect amount, expertly smooshed to the boss' satisfaction. So, when you get a package from www.jeanzbeanz.com, just remember a young man put his heart into smooshing the packing paper in the box.

jeanne
monkey boy's mom


Exhibit 'A'

Because I said so.

I admit it. I uttered the phrase I never thought I would. Here I am trying to start my day and blog about business things and new items on my website. Instead, I find myself thinking of new and creative ways to express to my youngest son that he needs to make his bed. The youngest and most crafty (read: lil' stinker) of my children protests, takes the position of opposing all bed-making and argues his point with the finesse of Johnny Cochran. "Let it be said, I won't make my bed". His main argument being "WhyeeeeeeEEEeeEeEEEeEEE?????" So, the ol' stand-by phrase comes out "Do it.." *insert dramatic pause* "....because I said so!!". It's no wonder that phrase was the most popular of all our metal wall words and plant picks.

More picks are available at our website.

Jeanne

keeping the 'because I said so' tradition alive

Welcome to the beanz blog!

Welcome to the 'beanz blog' brought to you by Jeanne, owner and chief executive in charge of refilling the tape guns at http://www.jeanzbeanz.com/ I have no idea what a blog is, so my oldest son and current sole employee has instructed me to just sit and type about all the 'fabulous-ness' to be found at http://www.jeanzbeanz.com/ .

Ok. I can do that, but it's kinda dull and all the details are at the site. Little company, family-owned and operated out of Texas (near D/FW, y'all), started small on eBay in 2001, opened website in 2006, yada-yada, etc. My favorite description is 'accidental entrepreneur'. I love that phrase 'cause it fits us. We love what we do, do what we love and, somehow it works. We sell wrought iron, cast iron, metal and tin decor and the not-so complete-but-working-daily-to-add-more line of Drake Design canister sets and accessories.

Stay tuned for more blogs. Apparently, I need more practice as my know-it-all, smarty-pants son is now telling me that I haven't written enough and I should 'Stick to the facts, Mom'. (Stay tuned to see if said smarty-pants keeps his job. Oops, he saw me type that!)

Right now, we are off to try and find Pud'n, our hamster Houdini who, three days ago, managed to get the door to her cage open, climb out, jump to the floor and escape. Now she currently resides in our walls. We can hear her burrowing. My youngest son is heart-broken without her.

Jeanne

the one who puts the jeanz in the beanz