We love Autumn at Give Simple. So many of our wonderful products are perfect for cooler weather, and because they are all new to me, I have been waiting impatiently for autumn to enjoy them fully. As the long slow days of summer dragged on, I longed for that first cool snap to re-energize us.

A soft cuddly robe and coordinating pajamas are so much more comforting than a tank top and shorts! I confess, after a long and crazy day including the gym, a lunch meeting, a full day at the office and a 6 pm charity board meeting, I change directly into a robe and pajamas when I get home. Add a cup of hot cocoa, or a perfectly brewed cup of herbal tea -- aaaaahhhhhh....

Another benefit of cooler weather is the renewed desire to make our home more cozy. This week I added our new Cypress and Cassis diffuser from k hall to the library. It has a rich, spicy scent that I love while I'm reading a book in front of the fire. Men particularly enjoy this scent as well, but will it be enough to lure Michael away from football for a visit to the library?

Peace Love Mom new long sleeve thermal tees are selling like hotcakes as the cool Moms switch from t-shirts and tanks to cozy 100% cotton thermal. The chocolate thermal with bronzy Lucky Mom logo seems to be the favorite.

I'm thinking about holiday parties already -- what I'll need to host and what I'll bring along for the host and hostess when we're the guests. So many great things to choose from in Kitchen.

Fall is here at last, and we are ready to enjoy every glorious moment!

Be happy, Give Simple!

Christine

Give Simple has many wonderful qualities. One of the best is our terrific suppliers, some of whom are so amazingly talented that I think of them as artists, rather than suppliers or manufacturers. In our ongoing quest to bring our customers special gifts that are truly extraordinary, we look for those magic items that make the giver and the recipient feel wonderful. (Even if the gift is for yourself, it should feel special!)

One of our true artist treasures is Laura, also known as Metalsgirl. Laura is a metalsmith (how many of those do you know?!) and actually has a Studio Arts degree from Southwest Texas State University with emphasis in metalsmithing (wow!) She created her jewelry line to express the vibrancy and brilliance of color and metal. The art is a unique combination of sterling silver, color and herbs. Laura believes that herbs can contribute to health and well being through other properties, as well as just tasting great.

So when you put on a Happy Bangle with Robin's Egg Blue and Ginger for Passion and Success, do you have a better day? I am willing to believe it!

If you give your friend a Friend Bangle with Aqua and Basil for Love and Wealth, will she love it? Absolutely, especially if you add 6 plain bangles for a super gift!

Believe me, with an armful of Metalsgirl charm bangles and plain bangles, any woman will feel vibrant and brilliant, just like Laura's vision for her art!

Be happy, Give Simple!

Christine

P.S. Yet another reason to love Laura is that she shares her studio with 11 dogs, 2 cats, and many other foster dogs as part of her work with Blue Dog Rescue in Austin, Texas. I believe wholeheartedly in adoption, foster care, and spay or neuter when it comes to pets. Laura is a real inspiration.

We did it! Michael (my incredible husband) and I found the perfect company to acquire, and it is official. We are the new owners of Give Simple!
Company founder, Kendra Wright, has done an amazing job of creating the concept for Give Simple, and breathing life in to it: simple gifts that make life extraordinary.
Our job now is to nurture the concept so it can grow even more wonderful. We’ll continue with the great products currently on the site and look for fabulous new finds. We’ll look for more ways to support charitable causes that we believe in. It’s all so EXCITING!
We get to use our retail expertise, be business partners, and best of all, bring our dogs to work! I loved my big corporate job, but the freedom and challenge of running our own business is intoxicating.
Our office is a ground floor loft in a historic art deco building, Tribeca Lofts, less than 2 miles from our home in Montrose, near downtown Houston. Michael has a large patio outside his office, shaded by a glorious old oak tree. My office has a wood burning fireplace in it, but in Houston that won’t get a lot of use. Our conference room has concrete floors, exposed brick and glass brick walls and two skylights. Our three golden retrievers can tear through the warehouse area in hot pursuit of a tennis ball, or (most frequently) curl up and take a nap under our desks. We can walk across the street and eat fabulous Italian food at Vincent’s or Nino’s or Grappino. It’s a great work environment, and we’re surrounded by many creative and artistic small businesses. Give Simple has been a huge success in its first three years, and we look forward to finding great new gift products to complement the current choices, and thrill and excite our customers. Much, much, more to come...

This is the final post from Kendra Wright, former owner of Give Simple...

It’s an exciting new era for Give Simple!

Some of you may know that I have a full-time job besides Give Simple. Although I love it with all my heart, my full time job is with my marketing firm, Wright Strategies. I started Give Simple in my spare time with my wonderful sister Tracy and my fabulous friend Karen.

It’s grown beyond my wildest expectations, and it’s been an amazing ride. But it has been increasingly difficult to split my time between my “real job” as a marketing consultant and my night-and-weekend job offering gifts to women online.

So I have made the difficult decision to sell Give Simple.

In looking for a buyer, I was interested to find someone who had great experience in retail and could grow Give Simple like I wish I had the time and skills to. And since Give Simple is also about making life better, it was important that they have the philanthropic mindset I admire.

I’m excited to introduce the new owners of Give Simple, Christine and Michael Holland. I couldn’t have asked for people whose experience and values are as close to what I was looking for. Christine was a Senior VP at Foley’s before spending the last year full time in charitable efforts. And Michael and their three golden retrievers will help her hold down the fort.

As I sit here on the last night I will own Give Simple, I reflect on the amazing experience and how I’ve been so blessed to have people in my life whose support has also been beyond my wildest expectations. At the risk of people thinking I’m under the mistaken impression I just won a Grammy, I want to thank the following people:

* My unbelievably supportive husband Kirk who makes everything I do worthwhile and so much more successful (and who deserves the occasional weekend with his wife!);

* Karen, who dreamed the dream with me at the most painful time in her life and whose initial help in planning the site allowed Give Simple to be possible;

* Tracy, who agreed to be the Queen of the Ship and ship packages three weeks before the site launched, but ended up adding so much more and showed me what unselfish giving of yourself really means;

* My fabulous Wright Strategies business partners Aaron and Jeremy who I love like brothers and who supported me through every growing pain, and Chris, whose fortitude and can-do spirit in programming Give Simple I’ll always be grateful for;

* The rest of my Wright Strategies team, Arden and “the Lauries” who pitched in beyond every call of duty during our Lucky madness and beyond,

* My dad, whose experience in go-karts and ranching has been irreplaceable and applicable to every business decision I’ve ever made,

* My mom, who passed on to me a love of variety that made me believe I could manage three companies at once;

* Catherine, who gave me a kick in the pants I needed to make the decision to get a life;

* And finally, my friends (especially Melinda, one of Give Simple’s best customers, and someone who showed me perspective while I was selling) who stood by me in so many times when I had only two brain cells left for them.

Finally, I want to reflect on how difficult it has been to make the decision to let go of something I’ve loved so much. It’s been like getting a shot that you know will make you feel better in the long run, but it’s still so painful to get. I think the realization came when I told someone I don’t have a choice about working so much. It occurred to me that I am the only person who could make the decisions needed to have a life outside work. Right now, I have the fear of the unknown. I know the exhaustion that comes from working most every minute every day. But I truly don't know what lies ahead for me when every minute isn’t filled. I’m excited about the new beginnings waiting to unfold when the time is right.

Warmest welcome and best wishes to Christine and Michael. I know the future is bright for Give Simple, and I can’t wait to see it unfold.

Here’s to new beginnings.

Kendra