“Create good karma with a purchase from The Leakey Collection…..one of the coolest eco-chic lines on the market today…..Zulugrass is one of our favorite lines of jewelry ever…..a win-win purchase…..a company you can feel good about supporting”

That’s what Yoga Magazine said about us! Click here to read the rest. We are so pleased to be included in their December 2009 Holiday Gift Guide, featuring gifts items for the entire family!

Our Chakra Collection of Safari Gold  Zulugrass single strands offers yoga enthusiasts a way to balance their body and mind with a color for every chakra.

It’s so durable that it can be worn during physical activities, including yoga.

For the kids, Friendship Bracelets  are truly two gifts in one. The lucky recipient can have both the joy of receiving a gift and the joy of giving one!

Grab the latest issue of Yoga Magazine on newsstands now and connect with mind, body, and spirit.

Turkey, pumpkin pie, quality time with family, football games, tryptophan-induced naps. Then there’s Black Friday shopping. Do you really want to interrupt those relaxing, traditional Thanksgiving activities to join the chaos, long lines and frantic shoppers, trying to find the “perfect” gift at a bargain price?

As I’ve noted before, the pastoral Maasai are some of the happiest people on earth, joyously celebrating life’s special occasions. They have very close community and family ties so our wish for you this holiday season is the same.  That you would have the opportunity to make your celebrations full of that joy and peace with plenty of time to spend with the people you love.

To help you experience the joy of finding the perfect gift for your loved one at a very special price, The Leakey Collection is presenting our version of Black Friday- one that you can do from the comfort of your home!  We’re offering 20% off your entire order on our retail site through Monday, November 30, 2009.   Just type in code BF09 at check-out to take advantage of this offer. We have even put together several Eco-Chic Gifts to make your holiday shopping truly easy! No need to fight those crowds!

Remember, your generous purchase of our Fair Trade jewelry is a double gift! It also provides the gift of opportunity to the Maasai artisans who make The Leakey Collection products.

Store owners, we also have a “Black Friday” special for you.  Please contact your sales representative to take advantage.   You don’t want to miss out!
  
 

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”  However, we all know that old childish taunt is just not true! Adults, as well as children, thrive on positive feedback, and we at The Leakey Collection are no exception to that. We LOVE hearing from you. Don’t ever underestimate the power of your comments, suggestions and feedback of every kind! It is so valuable to us.

Balancing the responsibilities of running a business that can be reliant on the capricious nature of the economy, whims of fashion, Western schedules, and the traditional world of a nomadic culture in Africa, has been challenging at times, to say the least.  We could not do what we do without you, our partner stores and retail buyers, so customer satisfaction is very important to us.

Recently, we’ve heard some wonderful comments from you that I was able to share with the Maasai artisans when I returned to Kenya, such as the note from a new customer in Australia! Mandy from Danu Designs wrote “Just a small message to let you know that I got my order today, thank you very much.  If I thought they were fabulous online, they are spectacular in real life.  I do hope that the rest of Australia loves Zulugrass as much as I do and that we can all work together to make a difference.”

And from Schroeder Gallery in Orange, California, Judy Schroder and her daughter Katie…….well, sometimes pictures DO speak louder than words.

These small gestures on your part have a HUGE impact on the entire TLC team - including your sales representatives who help you decide between “Juicy Lucy” and “Shuka,” the ladies who fulfill your orders, support staff, the Maasai artisans who make the most extraordinary jewelry and wood tabletop items, and of course, Philip and me.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it is the time to be grateful for many things. And YOU ALL are certainly in that category!

Aren’t friends the best? What fun it is to spend an evening with other women, enjoying their companionship and conversation! That’s one activity that I do miss living in Kenya but was thrilled to have the opportunity my last week in California!

By happy circumstance, an event at The Leakey Collection warehouse coincided with our fabulous warehouse manager’s birthday! We surprised Kathy (above middle) with a birthday celebration, complete with balloons, cake and presents. She takes such good care of you, our partners, by fulfilling your orders and keeping our Zulugrass in stock, that it was wonderful to be able to take care of her for a change. I also felt privileged to meet and talk with some women who attended our event, supporting the Maasai women through their purchase of Zulugrass jewelry.

At a delicious dinner that evening, some of TLC’s California employees had the chance to talk about – well, everything! Just like the conversations you have with your friends, we chatted about children and family, joy and heartaches, work and play. And I shared some stories of the differences between the lifestyles of American and Maasai women.

The Maasai are a warm, friendly, traditional people. The Maasai women spend much time together during the day, cooking, caring for babies, mending the home, gathering wood and cleaning, but never at night, as the TLC ladies and I experienced.  They do love to celebrate, though, and throw more parties than any culture on earth. There is much talking, laughing, gift giving, and good food.

Now that I think of it, I guess there aren’t as many differences between Maasai and American women after all!  Friendships are the same, the world over. And I cherish each friend I have!

We at The Leakey Collection know that you also cherish your friendships and, to help you celebrate them, offer our special Friendship Bracelets. For the young and the young at heart.