LadyUmbrella - T-Shirts and Life..

It Doesn't Look Like Much Now But..

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:47:00 +0000

..this will be our shop! Let the kit out begin - ole!

What a crazy few weeks! You might have heard that a few weeks ago we opened up a pop up shop for four days called the Blind Tiger Collective and, well, long story short, it went very well! So well that we are now going to open up a full time shop on South William Street, Dublin..

We are going to launch in early February and really can't wait..The shop is going to stock all of our LadyUmbrella gear as well as a whole ton of other Irish brands..You can find the full list of brands on the Blind Tiger facebook page and you can start to get excited about the launch - we are!

Stay tuned for progress reports on how the kitting out and setting up of the shop goes..And, will you call into us?

P.S. Sharing is caring! Our IT boffins have have got a new Facebook "like" button and Twitter ReTweet button on the top of all our blog posts..Give them a click and make us smile!

Our 2nd Birthday Sale!

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:53:00 +0000

Birthdays are special times of the year - especially when it's our own LadyUmbrella who is celebrating it.. Today, our LadyUmbrella is 2 years old.. My, she is growing up so quickly :)

When we started with LadyUmbrella we never thought we'd make it this far but low and behold, here we are..And, we have to thank you for being able to make it this far..The support and custom we've received from you has really been phenomenal and without it we wouldn't be marking this 2nd birthday..

And, speaking of marking the birthday, we're having a birthday sale! We're happy to give you 30% off everything in our shop this weekend when you enter code birthdaybash30 - you'll also get free shipping..We really hope we'll get to send something to you :) The code will expire on midnight on Monday..

Elena also designed the graphic to your right which features a variety of birds that have featured in previous designs..Can you figure out which birds are from which designs? Have a go! :)

Anyway, back to cake for now - stay happy all :)

P.S. Sharing is caring! Our IT boffins have have got a new Facebook "like" button and Twitter ReTweet button on the top of all our blog posts..Give them a click and make us smile!

And the Facebook Fan of the Month is..

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:30:00 +0000

As you might have heard we're running a giveaway each month on facebook where we give our top facebook fan a t-shirt of their choice..To be a top facebook fan you have to like, comment and share our facebook posts and who have has the most points come the 15th of each month will win a t-shirt of their choice...Simples..And, this month, our first ever top facebook fan is........Vera Hayes! Big time congrats to you Vera and please get in touch with us to let us know which t-shirt you'd like!

Stay tuned for another winner, same time next month..it could be you!

P.S. Sharing is caring! Our IT boffins have have got a new Facebook "like" button and Twitter ReTweet button on the top of all our blog posts..Give them a click and make us smile!

2011 - The Year in Review

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:23:00 +0000

We're a year older and a year wiser from the time we did the review last year and it's been another eventful year..Now, for posterity, I'll try chronicle the highlights (and lowlights) of 2011, here we go....

January:
- We celebrate our first birthday with TNT fervour..
- We quickly realise that January is a quiet month

February:
- We, not for the first time, make a silly but fun movie, "Lights On, Lights Off"
- Some common ground with John Rocha is found..
- Still can't shake off that love bug as love is in the air when cupid strikes..

March:
- We experience our first trade show, the Futura Fair, and the fallout that it brings.
- We're Irish Blog Award FINALISTS! A nice trip to an award ceremony..
- Rob gets a captive audience and talks twitter..

April:
- It's not easy to impress our post office lady, but we did it..
- We add a new dimension to LadyUmbrella as we unleash our illustrations..

May:
- We take part in the Fashion Stage at Mindfield, fun times and video..
- 40,000 tweets milestone passed, OCD much?
- Birthdays ain't what they used to be..

June:
- We take a Diet Coke Break..
- The Annual WOW Sale recap, a whole lot of wow..
- LadyUmbrella takes a Dip in the Nip

July:
- One of our illustrations wind up being used in an exhibition - nice!
- Some of our video superstars get catalogued...

August:
- We team up with GrabOne for one heck of a mad sale..
- We get a lovely mention in the Dubliner Magazine..
- Our time in the Loft, sadly, comes to an end as we exit stage Loft..

September:
- We take part in a Pop Up Shop in the Grand Social, fun times..
- A bit of Blue September action..
- We did the photoshoot for our 3rd collection of t-shirts, some behind the scenes pictures are always nice..
- A terrible pun but an ok video, our number one fan ;)

October:
- We launch our 3rd collection of t-shirts and the journey begins!
- Nevermind 40,000 tweets, in October I passed the 50,000 tweets milestone - yikes!
- We were finalists in the Dublin Living Awards for Best Fashion Retailer in Dublin which is, really, mental but cool..

November:
- How many t-shirts did you say were hanging on the rail?
- Some of our items got stocked in Kwilla in Kilkenny, nice!
- We secure a place in the Project 51 Pop Up Shop, big time ole..
- A tipple and a tee and another random pop up, good to be busy..

December:
- We get stocked in Babylon in Clare and also deliver to Project 51, quite a day..
- We get our first ever mention on radio on Today FM when Ray D'Arcy opened the phones for Irish online shop suggestions, what a nice surprise..
- The Friday Finger Point is born..
- The Blind Tiger Collective roars onto the scene with a ton of video footage and good stuff..
- To conclude the year we received a Christmas Card that we never thought we'd get..

And so, that was the year that was 2011..All in all, upon reflection, quite an eventful year with lots of interesting things happening..That is one of the things I really love about LadyUmbrella - I have no idea what is going to pop up..Random things like Diet Coke, Dip in the Nip, GrabOne, Twitter Talks etc - all fun things to be involved in and something I never thought I'd do in 2011..So, with that said, I look forward to seeing what interesting things occur in 2012 and hope that come this time next year I'll have another enjoyable review of the year to pen..

What can you remember about LadyUmbrella from 2011 or what was most memorable for you?

P.S. Sharing is caring! Our IT boffins have have got a new Facebook "like" button and Twitter ReTweet button on the top of all our blog posts..Give them a click and make us smile!

Will You Win Our Facebook Top Fan Monthly Giveaway?

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:04:00 +0000

There are less than two weeks to go before we announce our inaugral top fan on facebook! Each month we're going to give a prize to our facebook fan that likes, comments, posts, shares and interacts with us the most by giving them a t-shirt of their choice...

You can see who is top of the charts right now and find out where you are in our top fan ranking leaderboard (it's tight at the top) and as you comment/like/share our facebook posts you'll move up the leaderboard..

We're going to give the first prize on the 15th of January and will give a prize out each month on the 15th, like clockwork :) For a chance to win you just have to be our top fan so get commenting, sharing and liking what you like on our facebook page...Do you think it'll be you? Ole!

P.S. Sharing is caring! Our IT boffins have have got a new Facebook "like" button and Twitter ReTweet button on the top of all our blog posts..Give them a click and make us smile!

Rigu - Friday Finger Point

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:25:00 +0000

So, it's week 2 of the Friday Finger Point and I think I've got something that a lot of you might like..You know the way most things you can get for your camera are kind of dull and black/grey? Well, get ready for all of that to change thanks to the colourful camera accessories from Rigu..

This new company is based in Northern England in the Lake District, which, I'm reliably informed, is one of the most photographed places in England and hence it's possible for Andy, the company owner, to know when his mission has been accomplished..
"When most of the tourists and hikers are walking around with colourful camera straps I'll know that we've achieved our mission." I like the mission..and the products...

One product that really caught my attention was the iPhone4/4s tripod stand..Now, I don't have an iPhone but I know if there were a stand for my Samsung Galaxy S2 I'd be all over it in a heartbeat..Here's why..These smart phones have pretty decent cameras on them and most can now shoot in HD and the likes..The one failing though is that if the phone is being held any slight movement of the hand could result in a big movement in shot so a tripod would sort this problem out in jig time..Really, as far as cool/useful products go this one is well up there with the best I've seen lately (wow, how easily pleased am I?)..

Another item from the Rigu range that made be go "oooh, look at that, that's a bit nifty" are these camera bags..How can one get excited about camera bags you say? Well, because, they can be used for more than just cameras and they've got a nice wedge of padding for protection..With all the digital gadgets we have in our pockets these days giving them some protection is never a bad idea..Perhaps I'm showing my age here and starting to get cautious...At this rate if I'm not careful I'll be wearing knee pads when roller blading next ;)

So, a snapshot of some of the products there but the underlying ethos of this new company was summed up best by the owner Andy,
"Rigu was born from the idea that camera accessories don't need to be boring and black. Sometimes black is cool, but it feels as if in the camera world almost everything is black, people need more colourful options and that is what Rigu is here to do for you."
Given that what we do with LadyUmbrella is all about colour who knows, there may be a potential for a collab at with Rigu at some point in time in the future - for now we can dream..

Anyway, let me know what you think about Rigu..Am I right in thinking that the iPhone tripod stand is possibly one of the best things since sliced bread or perhaps some Hello Kitty Camera Straps tickle your fancy? And, what colourful Rigu products caught your eye?

Rigu - You've been Friday Finger Pointed!

The Friday Finger Point is a weekly post where I point the finger (in a nice way) at an online brand owner, designer or creative type..LadyUmbrella has been lucky to get lots of blog posts about us so it's our turn to give something back..Check out the brands and people pointed out each week, spread them on and let me know which ones you like!

Never Thought We'd Get A Christmas Card Like This..

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:57:00 +0000

When this LadyUmbrella venture started a few years ago I never for one second imagined that we'd receive Christmas cards from model agents, let alone Christmas cards from model agents featuring a model wearing one of our t-shirts but that is what transpired..

A few weeks ago Irish stylist Lisa Byrne got in touch and asked us if she could use our black LadyUmbrella Meets Peter Pan top for an Irish themed photoshoot she was doing.. Now, regular readers of this blog will know I'm not prone to saying no so without hesitation I said yes..

And, then, a few weeks later, we get a Christmas card from Absolute the Agency with our t-shirt being showcased amongst a whole ton of other Irish designers..Really, was, well, kinda cool you know? I didn't expect to get a Christmas card and I certainly didn't expect that our top would be selected for the shoot...Perhaps it's time to raise expectations? In any event, it was a nice little surprise just before Christmas, one I shall remember for a while...Ole..

P.S. Sharing is caring! Our IT boffins have have got a new Facebook "like" button and Twitter ReTweet button on the top of all our blog posts..Give them a click and make us smile!

The Blind Tiger Collective Pop Up Shop and Us!

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:45:00 +0000

By now I hope you've heard some of the mutterings from the grapevine about the Blind Tiger Collective - a pop up shop with 11 independent Irish designers - which is launching on Tuesday 20th December in The Little Green Gallery..The pop up shop will be open until the 24th - you're invited! This project has been brewing for a while now so, beloved readers, get comfy, read, watch and enjoy..Here's the downlow...

In mid November Dualta from Project A Apparel got in touch with me via the tweet machine and asked if we'd like our ladies clothes to be part of a pop up shop, The Blind Tiger Collective..Me, not being one to say no, quickly said yes and then we started to hatch plans.. Over coffees we schemed and tried to hammer out the details..Dualta had done a ton of work and had sourced all the brands for the pop up and got some great names like Turtlehead, S & D, Outcry Apparel and Dog Eat Dog Clothing..With the line up nailed down we moved on to "Phase 2 - Getting the Damn Word Out" (we didn't have a name for it, but, if we did...).

This is where the Bulgarian brilliance of Mr. Double A, Andrey Andonov, and his camera skills came into play. The first target to Blind Tiger-ised and caught on film was the Grand Social pub in Dublin.. We had grand plans of a grand Ali to be wheat pasted onto the side wall of the Grand Social (shown in picture) alas the roof was deemed, um, structural unsound, and the plans had to be put on the back burner..We did get to do some nifty wheat pasting inside though and Andrey was able to mix up this 20 second teaser clip for Blind Tiger, full of "what the deuce is that?!"..

The next step in the marketing efforts took us to Abbey Street where we we finally unleashed our Blind Tiger-ised Ali.. It took a couple of hours to get the installation up and whilst Dualta wheat pasted manfully I "worked the crowd" and gave out flyers and info to interested and curious passers by..The reaction we got was pretty cool and all we spoke to were supportive of the efforts and endeavor..And, there was the usual banter, some old guy asking if we were doing it for the Late Late Show before dancing in front of the camera, another asked if we'd put up an Ali like it on his house and another questioned "where are you going to put up Tyson?" Of course, it was all recorded by Andrey and the Naturehood Media Crew - here is the time lapse trailer..

We all know trailers are just preludes, teasers, to the full theatrical piece and so here it is..After Ali was put up we retreated to the nearest pub to record some interviews for Andrey to edit into the footage..Anyway, enough jibba jabba, enjoy...

As if all that wasn't enough to get some buzz going we had a photoshoot a cold Sunday a week ago and got a whole ton of quality pictures..You can check out the full lookbook on facebook.. We also got this nifty footage from Conor Coughlan - oh so many videos...This one was shot on a GoPro Hero2 camera and really looks sweet..

And, that is pretty much the story of the Blind Tiger Collective..It's all kicking off tomorrow and hectic last minute preparations are being put in place for the launch night..We've got DJs, free drinks and clothes - what more could you want on a Tuesday night..Here is your invitation and if you're in Dublin do try call in between now and the 24th - ideal chance for you to get your last minute Christmas shopping done..Hope to see you in there..

If you've read this far, fair play ;) Stay tuned for the post event update..

OMUNKY - The Friday Finger Point

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:20:00 +0000

So, with bounding enthusiasm I write the first, of hopefully many, Friday Finger Points and I'm delighted to have OMUNKY as the first brand I get to feature..OMUNKY is a t-shirt brand with an eco twist, all t-shirts are eco friendly and 5% of all sales are donated to WildAid - a company that practices what they preach, nice to see..

Rick, the owner and designer behind OMUNKY, started OMUNKY in July 2009 with the goal of bringing humor to the eco-friendly/animal activist clothing market.
"I didn't want to sell shirts that just said things like "save the whales" or "plant a tree"."
he said and after scouring his nicely laid out shop I can confirm that there are no such cliches..Instead this eco brand has a fine array of quirky, colourful and charming characters ranging from giraffes to gorillas and moose to monkeys (there had to be some monkeys didn't there?).. The stand out design for me is this purple OMUNKY logo t-shirt, I really dig the colour and fun simplicity of the design..Which one floats your boat?

Whilst there are no rules to an OMUNKY t-shirt, there is a method to the OMUNKY design madness as Rick explains,
"There is really no rules when I design a shirt, I just prefer not to use humans or domestic animals. The current season also plays a factor in my releases. I try and stick the animal I design in what I feel is their appropriate month (Polar Bear = December, Giraffes = June, you get the idea)."
Indeed we do :)

Like lots of online brands the OMUNKY empire expands beyond just the website and onto facebook and twitter.. Rick, like myself, is
"a huge fan of Facebook and Twitter, and how they allow me to interact with my customers. I think OMUNKY would have been a very different brand if it did not utilize the power of social networking."
I can only concur with Rick on this point so follow OMUNKY on Twitter and like on facebook and let him know who pointed you in his direction ;)

The picture above also shows that OMUNKY is an online brand that isn't afraid to go offline and take his wares to his customers..This is an important part for growing a brand I think and something we've also tried to do (I wrote about this recently for HYA) and one that I hope has been beneficial for OMUNKY..

With us swimming in similiar shirty circles I've been familiar with OMUNKY for a while now and am happy to be able to showcase the brand as our first Friday Finger Point.. I can say with certainty that selling t-shirts online is not the easiest thing to do but I've been able to see OMUNKY grow over the last few years and genuinely wish Rick all the best for the future..Who knows, maybe an OMUNKY meets LadyUmbrella collab may happen sometime in the future..

OMUNKY, you've been Friday Finger Pointed!

The Friday Finger Point is a weekly post where I point the finger (in a nice way) at an online brand owner, designer or creative type..LadyUmbrella has been lucky to get lots of blog posts about us so it's our turn to give something back..Check out the brands and people pointed out each week, spread them on and let me know which ones you like!

Christmas 3 for 2 Special Offer!

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:09:00 +0000

Now, there are only 10 days left until Christmas and if you're still trying to get some presents for someone perhaps we could be of some use?

We've got a special offer going for all of our t-shirts, a 3 for 2 deal..What this means is that you can get 3 t-shirts for as little as 40 euro and shipping is still free worldwide - that's just 13.33 euro (£11.20/$17.37) a t-shirt (crazy I know, but it's Christmas)..

If you order now we're pretty sure your t-shirts will arrive before Christmas but the cut off point for orders to outside of Europe is quickly approaching, ideally ordering today or tomorrow will ensure it gets to you on time..

So, why not give some LadyUmbrella this Christmas? Your support has been great throughout the year and we'd love if Christmas was no different... Stay happy all...

P.S. Sharing is caring! Our IT boffins have have got a new Facebook "like" button and Twitter ReTweet button on the top of all our blog posts..Give them a click and make us smile!

Are YOU an Online Brand Owner, a Designer, a Pretty Fashion Maker?

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:27:00 +0000

Are you a brand owner? A funky designer of anything odd, quirky or awesome? Perhaps you're a pretty dress maker? Dare I say it, a t-shirt company? Whatever you do and whoever you are I'd like to hear from you now...Here's why..

Each week I want to have a weekly blog post about some other brand that is doing something cool in design, fashion, jewellery or whatever and give them whatever attention I can give them..The reason for this is because we've been fortunate enough to receive lots of lovely blog posts about us I think it's time to give something back, karma and all that.. That's where YOU come in!

If you'd like to be mentioned in our weekly feature please leave a comment below or e-mail me at ladyumbrellaltd[A.T]gmail(~dot~)com (good luck spam bots ;)) with a link to your brand/items you'd like me to mention and a bit of info on what you do.. Then, I'll don my journalist cap and get to work on writing the posts..All posts will be shared on our facebook page and will be tweeted about.. It's Wednesday now so I think I'll aim to have the first one on Friday and perhaps call it the Friday Finger Point..um, ye, that could work..

So, you know what to do, get in touch asap and this ball will get rolling...Ole!

P.S. Sharing is caring! Our IT boffins have have got a new Facebook "like" button and Twitter ReTweet button on the top of all our blog posts..Give them a click and make us smile!

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway with The Tee Gazette

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:48:00 +0000

It's that time of year again and to get you into the Christmas spirit The Tee Gazette have put together an incredible giveaway...Today there are 4 t-shirts to be won, one of which is one of our own ladies tops of the winners choosing.. You can enter the competition here and then it's time for you to cross your fingers :) Also, as part of the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway I was interviewed and you can check that out right here..Let me know what you think and good luck!

Project 51 Pictures & Update!

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 18:28:00 +0000

So, you might have heard (or, at least I hope you have) that Project 51, the shop on South William Street, have accepted our ladies t-shirts for their month long pop up shop..We dropped the stock into them on Tuesday and popped in on Friday to see how things were going...To the right we have an amateur picture taken by yours truly of our designer, Elena Montes Casado, outside Project 51 with their rather large and festive Christmas tree in the window in the background (you know it's a bad picture when it has to be described, never fear, good pictures to follow)...

The area that is set up for the 15 designers in the Project 51 pop up shop is really something else, a visual feast of colours, shapes, materials and design talent..The scent of fine leather fills the room and the carpet underfoot is plush and creates a soothing sense of calm..An ideal environment to investigate the intricacies of the fine crafts(wo)manship on display before deciding which item to make your own..A trip Dublin to visit to this pop up shop is highly recommended and when you get there you'll know why..

And, in one corner of the Project 51 pop up shop our t-shirts, La Tercera Coleccion, some with their effervescent salmon-esque hue, beam out - buy me (or so we hope :)). The (expertly taken) picture shows them just hanging out beside the fine leather of Garvan de Bruir..And, that's where a story comes in if you'd be so kind as to indulge me..

Garvan and I both happen to be from Kildare Town and both happened to go to the same secondary school - heck, we even got the same bus to school.. Granted, he was a few years ahead of me so it might just seem like a little coincidence but, try this on for size...Last year we were part of another pop up shop called Rough Diamond (option C) which had a few Irish brands for sale..Yep, you've guessed it, out if the numerous Irish brands and designers ourselves and Garvan were both selected for that pop up...And, then, there is the fact that a few years back, whilst in my IT mode (I studied IT in college), Garvan asked me if I could build a site for him - unfortunately I wasn't able to but I was asked which is another interesting overlap..And, if we really go down the rabbit hole, Garvans folks and my folks are good friends - lets hope they visit the pop up shop together hehe :)Anyway, that's the end of story, thanks for listening and now onto the update...

There is an important date coming up in Project 51 - on the 8th of December they are going to have 20% OFF everything in the entire shop so if you're looking for an iDEAL day to go then that might be it... Also, if you'd like to meet Elena, the creative Spaniard behind the whole LadyUmbrella brand, she will be in Project 51 on the 7th of December as part of the "Meet the Designer" aspect of the pop up..Ask her for her autograph or something and see her get redder than red with embarrassment in nano seconds ;)

So far our t-shirts have been on sale in the pop up for 4 days and we've received really great reports and sales updates back from our friend, and designer extraordinaire, Sinead Doyle who works there...We were very apprehensive that our humble t-shirts might not have worked in the pop up, given that they are surrounded by so many great designs and items, but it seems like our fears have been unfounded as they are selling really well in there - we're close to having to go and restock some sizes already which is insanely great and long may it continue!

If you're in Dublin why not pop in to the pop up and make a restock a necessity for us? And, if you've been into Project 51 what are your thoughts on it? Ole :)

P.S. Sharing is caring! Our IT boffins have have got a new Facebook "like" button and Twitter ReTweet button on the top of all our blog posts..Give them a click and make us smile!

Ray D'Arcy on Today FM!! - Our First Radio Mention!

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 20:09:00 +0000

If you heard LadyUmbrella being mentioned on Today FM by Ray D'Arcy then this is old news to you..If you haven't heard though then now you have ;)

I was one of those who didn't actually hear the LadyUmbrella shout out last Monday on Today FM live but was informed via the tweet machine and the tasty people at Burritos and Blues that we had got a mention on Today FM..

The reason I'm writing this blog post now about our Today FM shout out is because since Burritos & Blues mentioned it a few of my friends have also said that they had also heard it..And, that is where the plot thickens..

The reason we were mentioned on Today FM was because they were discussing Irish websites online and places to shop in the run up to Christmas..The researcher had a few websites that he recommended and then they opened the phones to listeners..And that is how we got a shout out - someone out there, called Sheila, sent in a text recommending our ladies t-shirts for Christmas..So, thank you Sheila :)

The mention in full goes as follow - "LadyUmbrella is another Irish site with a Spanish girl and an Irish guy" - sure it ain't a huge shoutout but it's our first radio mention so happy days - bring on the next one :) Ole..

P.S. Sharing is caring! Our IT boffins have have got a new Facebook "like" button and Twitter ReTweet button on the top of all our blog posts..Give them a click and make us smile!

The Day of the Double Delivery

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:05:00 +0000

Well, you know what, yesterday was quite a day - long but good and dare I say historic for us and LadyUmbrella. Lots of hours in a car, lots of road travelled and lots of t-shirts delivered..

A while back I mentioned that we had been accepted into the Project 51 December Pop Up Shop and so yesterday was when we dropped in the stock.. As Project 51 is in Dublin there wasn't that much driving involved but a whole lot of satisfaction..Project 51 is a really swanky shop and we're thrilled to be in there for the month..There will be lots of interesting events happening there so stay tuned for that..

Once that delivery was made we set a course for Ennis, Co. Clare to make our next delivery. Neither myself, nor Elena had ever been to Ennis before but it seems like a nice little town..We would have liked a chance to explore the side streets a bit more alas our time was spent briskly bounding of blossoming puddles as rain blitzed us from above - yes, we forgot our umbrellas but not our t-shirts..

After a bit of meandering we found Babylon and met up with the owner Fiona (pictured above with Elena) who was busy getting the place kitted out for its re launch which is happening this Saturday..Fiona has big plans for it as "Only in BABYLON this Saturday ... A complimentary in store stylist who has previously worked with ELLE magazine. She will personally help you select the best clothes to suit your shape and style." So, if you're in Ennis or Clare make sure to pop into Babylon this Saturday..We're sure it'll be a success as even though the shop wasn't fully made up when we were there the space looks great and there were lots of very nice clothes (we even spotted some of our old Loft friends dresses, Tokiki and Chupi hanging on the rail) already in place..

When we got home the inner numerical nerd in me made me capture this image from the car dash. We clocked up 513km in one day and were on the road driving for in and around 8 hours..It was undoubtedly a long day but this is what it is all about..We'd love to be able to make deliveries every week so if you know of any shops in your area that might like to stock LadyUmbrella please let us know, slowly but surely we'll build this baby up..Ole!

Whale Birds?

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:09:00 +0000

Sometimes Elena comes up with quirky and unusual doodles like the two "whale birds" about..I figure, rather than keeping these wacky creations for myself I should share them with you so as and when Elena has an odd drawing I just might put it up here for your perusal...Some day some of the doodles might end up on a t-shirt, you never know...Any idea what to call the "birds" though - or does whale birds work?

Ohh Black Friday SALE!! Ram-a-jam

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 22:48:00 +0000

Ohhh Black Friday, ram-a-jam,
Prices so low, ram-a-jam,
Sales so good, ram-a-jam
Ohh Black Friday, ram-a-jam...

That is the little ditty that has been stuck in my head throughout the day as our Black Friday sale has unfolded (to the tune of Black Betty - below).. We kicked it off earlier today and were offering free "Stay Happy" illustrations to the first 10 customers as well as 30% off + free shipping..Happy to report that we've ram-a-jammed past 10 customers so there will be no more free illustrations but there is still 30% off for you with code blackfriday30 (oh so original I know)..

Thus far we have orders destined for the US, Ireland, The Netherlands, Canada, UK and France which is a nifty line up..Hopefully we'll be able to get some orders from a few more differnt countries, it helps me live vicariously and impresses the pants off the ladies in the post office ;) If you want to order head on over to our online shop, choose your threads and enter the code blackfriday30 - code will be valid until midnight on Monday..Needless to say if you could spread the word about our sale to a friend or two that would be immense..I don't expect you to be a fraction as passionate about LadyUmbrella as I am but any help is big time appreciated, you're helping the little guys which is always a good thing to do..

Anyway, before you rush off to order from us enjoy the tune below..Oh Black Friday, ram-a-jam...

A Tipple and a Tee...

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 14:21:00 +0000

How does a tipple and a tee sound to you? Tonight we're taking part in the The Beauty Spot with Lisa Lu which is happening in Dakota Bar in Dublin..It'll be good to have some face to face time with some customers (hopefully there'll be customers or else it'll just be face to face time with some tipples) as it's been a while since we've been out and about with our ladies t-shirts...If you happen to be in the city would love if you could pop in, not for us but to support the night - there will be lots of other nifty brands there and Lisa has gone all out to make it a great night...all we need is you! It's free in and you might even snag a bargain..Ole...

LadyUmbrella Lands in Kwilla!

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:52:00 +0000

Delighted to say some LadyUmbrella gear is now stocked and available in Kwilla in Kilkenny.. It's been a while since we've been stocked in a shop so it's kinda cool to be "back in the game"..

On Wednesday I bused it down to Kilkenny (bused it as I'm not one of those driving folk, have never really driven in my life, it would be handy though) to deliver the stock to Shannon, the owner of Kwilla. Upon arrival to Kwilla I was blown away with how dainty, quirky, charming and cool Kwilla was - not to mention it was laiden with lots of great items..A real shop that you could spend hours rummaging around and coming across lots of great things from Irish designers..Happy to say that we may now be rummaged upon and found..

What was interesting about the LadyU delivery to Kwilla is that it didn't include any t-shirts..T-shirts, to a degree, have been our "bread and butter" but this delivery hammered home to me how far we've gone in less than two years.. Instead of delivering t-shirts I delivered totebags, notebooks, badges and illustrations to Kilkenny - I did so wearing a t-shirt though ;)

Anyway, Kilkenny is a really lovely city..I was there before for a Twitter talk and highly recommend that if you've never been there head on down for a trip..And, if you do, sure you might as well call into Kwilla ;)

P.S. Sharing is caring! Our IT boffins have have got a new Facebook "like" button and Twitter ReTweet button on the top of all our blog posts..Give them a click and make us smile!

LadyUmbrella Pops Up in Project 51

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 13:32:00 +0000

Yesterday I had the pleasure of "sealing the deal" so that LadyUmbrella will be part of the Project 51 Pop Up Shop for the month of December. We're delighted that our wares were accepted and will be part of the pop up shop.. If you've never been in to Project 51 then you have to rectify that as soon as possible - it is a really nice place with lots of great Irish designers in there like Sinead Doyle, Jennifer Rothwell, Heather Finn & Yvonne Ryan.. Our ladies t-shirts will be there from December 1st so put that date in your diary...Will we be seeing you in there in December?

How Many T-Shirts Hanging on the Rail - WINNER Video

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:12:00 +0000

Well, we had a lot of fun with our How Many T-Shirts Hanging on the Rail giveaway and like most of our giveaways we always wind up doing some sort of silly video in which I invariably make a fool of myself - it's a "gift".. Anyway, this giveaway was no expection...This video, I hope, will lay to rest any doubt about my counting skills (one duck, two ducks, three ducks) as I count how many ladies t-shirts are actually hangin' on the rail... Hope you enyoy the video and many thanks for taking part if you entered and congrats if you won!! To make sure you don't miss out on any other giveaways or sales the wise thing to do is join our mailing list :) Ole..

How Many T-Shirts Hanging on the Rail?

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:26:00 +0000

Every now and again we like to run a little giveaway and today is one of those days...We've been preppin' stock for some Christmas (the C word, dun don dun) fairs and the likes and figured why not use the photo op for a fun giveaway... We took this picture yesterday and the question is: How many t-shirts hanging on the rail? We've just kicked off the giveaway and it's going to last for 24 hours and then we've a little video for you tomorrow where you can find out how many t-shirts are on the rail..You can enter by leaving a comment here with your guess AND the name of the t-shirt you'd like from our online shop or by doing so on our Facebook Page..Good luck & please, spread it around :)

P.S. Sharing is caring! Our IT boffins have have got a new Facebook "like" button and Twitter ReTweet button on the top of all our blog posts..Give them a click and make us smile!

50,000 Tweets! Have we tweeted?

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:48:00 +0000

50,000 tweets on, obviously, Twitter - is it time to go to rehab? I remember when I sent my first tweet back in August 2008 thinking that twitter was a fad and that it would be a waste of time...Little did I know...Twitter has been anything but a waste of time as I've met a whole truckload of cool peeps be it related to our ladies t-shirts, be it related to silver (one of my other loves) or everything in between..

In fact, I've come across too many good people on twitter that I can't even attempt to mention them.. I'd love to be able to and without doubt I have a plethora of @ symbols floating around my mind now as I'm running through all the names of people I've met but rather than me going on a listing crusade I think it would be kinda cool if those that I've tweeted leave a comment and say "me" (or, feel free to get creative)..I'll follow this post up then with a "shout out" post to all you good peeps who I've tweeted with and will then, eh, tweet about it so that the circle is complete...

So, have we tweeted? Leave a comment and let me know..Ole!

Dublin Living Awards - Finalists!

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:54:00 +0000

The Dublin Living Awards are a new set of awards for, well, people and businesses in Dublin and we're finalists!!! As they say on their site "The Awards celebrate the Dublin businesses, organisations and people that make Dublin a great place to live work and visit." We're really delighted to be finalists and now badly need you to take a second to vote for us (please)..

We're in the Fashion Retailer category (an apt place I guess) with some big name brands like Clerys Department Store and Costelloe + Costelloe but it's all down to votes now which means it's all down to you.. It would be beyond cool if little old LadyUmbrella could somehow become David in this David and Goliath story..You and your votes are our slingshot and you can make it happen..

The below image is from the Metro Newspaper which gives some more info about the Dublin Living Awards, always nice to see LadyUmbrella in black and white :)

If you vote please leave a comment to let us know so we can shower you with thanks :)

The journey of a thousand...

noreply@blogger.com (LadyUmbrella) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 12:55:00 +0000

...t-shirts, starts with the first few..

You might have heard the old Chinese saying "The journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step" well, for us and our new collection of womens clothing the journey is all about the t-shirts, not the distance...Each new collection is a "struggle" to design, produce and sell but it is quite rewarding so worth all the effort...Today, as we ship out the first of our new collection, I want to chronicle the moment that we got the ball rolling for this particular journey of a thousand t-shirts.. I got our design ninja Elena to snap a picture of one of each of the new collection before we sent them on their merry way...Memories, in the bag...

If you want to help us on our journey, you know what to do :) Ole..

P.S. Sharing is caring! Our IT boffins have have got a new Facebook "like" button and Twitter ReTweet button on the top of all our blog posts..Give them a click and make us smile!