2012 - A Fresh Start

Every year at this time we re-focus and re-strategize with new goals and designs we'd like to do but never seem to have time for in our day to day busy schedules. It's our goal to get some new designs launched off the drawing board, into the prototyping stage where we tweak and play till we're in LOVE with the new style. This year we'll do our share of this, but along with our eco-handbags we hope that Echoes in the Attic will soon morph into what we've always envisioned and what some of you have been asking us to do...a line of upcycled products that's wider and broader. The evolution of Echoes has kept us very busy and very happy with steadily growing numbers of eco-peeps that love carrying our 'salvage-savvy' bags. Since it's inception in '05 when we started Echoes, we always hoped we would have the time and space to commit to accessories for home as well. Our addiction to antique wool and chenille blankets has us thinking of squishy, feather pillows again, upcycled lamps painted with fabric covered shades, old b&w photographs and uniquities that have Echoes one of a kind style and that takes upcycling to the next level. We'll keep you posted on our vision...stay tuned.

Nab your new spring Echoes Eco-Handbag

April 15th - 23 - Book an appointment to Nab Your Echoes Spring Eco-Handbag! Just in time for Easter, Mother's Day you can come and shop our huge selection of spring bags before we ship out to our stores! At Echoes HQ/Laura's home office we're knee-deep in bags and we'd love you to be sporting new, fresh colours, patterns and styles in time for capri and open-toed-sandals-season.

Email for your private shopping appointment echoesintheattic@gmail.com

Our favorite colour in spring is GREEN!

Basics Office Products EARTH DAY contest

Stop in to any one of 35 Basics Office Products and fill out a ballot to win an Echoes in the Attic Ecobag to celebrate Earth Day. See for yourself what beautiful diverted landfill from forward-thinking companies can be re-imagined into when they choose to eco-donate instead of trashing it.

Basics Office Products is giving away 35, one of a kind, Zipster Flatbags. The most popular Echoes bag just slings across your body so you can go...with a clear environmental conscience that you're helping us save the planet one handbag at a time!

Basics Office Products EARTH DAY contest

Basics Office Products is celebrating EARTH DAY with a contest and a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind, Echoes Zipster, cross-body, flatbag is the prize!

We are thrilled to be a part of Basics Office Products Earth day celebrations. Just drop in to any one of Basics 35 store locations and fill out a ballot. You could win an Echoes Upcycled EcoBag and be a Green trendsetter.

Draws to be held April 21st, 2011 in all stores...35 bags up for grabs.

2010 coming to a close

Echoes is ushering in the New Year of 2011 with some brand new design/styles. We're working on some tweaks in a couple of bags to change things up a bit. We can't wait to unveil the newly designed bags. In the meantime, beginning mid-January 2011 we're going to be announcing a really cool promotion that will involve you!!! More details to follow, stay tuned.
To all our loyal customers, many of whom have become good friends, we wish you a safe, healthy, and joy-filled holiday season and a new year of happiness and a host of handbags that come from 'greener pastures' : ) Vicky & Laura

Back to School

It's that time of the year again...back to school commercials are in full swing. Our fave...."It's the most wonderful time of the year!" Alas, it would be but my daughter is leaving the nest. Going off to University and I'm going to be going through some post-partum no doubt. We'll get used to it (I suppose) but the first two weeks are going to be a little rough for mom. I'm sure she'll be having a blast, so that'll ease my pain a bit. Not looking forward to walking past her room and wondering the name of cyclone that hit it.
She's leaving in fine shape for the daughter of a 'bag lady'. She's got a new Hipster Zipper, a couple of handy wristlets for ipod, camera, chargers, cords, wallet, cell, student card and 2 new laptops carriers for her precious MAC.
For all you mom's like me that have the bittersweet moment coming up pretty quickly (my daughter's been counting down since about 171)check out our eco laptop bags for organizing notes and keeping the pricey laptop in it's padded, ultrasuede compartment.
www.echoesintheattic.com

ZIP IT!

In the words of Dr. Evil "When a problem comes along, you must ZIP IT!" Echoes first Zipster Eco Bag. Cross-body ease and secure zip closure for luggin' and totin' all your stuff for day or evening. Check out the webstore www.echoesintheattic.com or find a store near you on Echoes 'stores' page of the website. One of a kind, upcycled, vegan, cruelty-free, factory-free ecobags. Now available in nearly 90 cool, boutiques across Canada! Salvage-Savvy Handbags for Planet-Lovers!

Our Bags Are Travelling

Echoes bags have traversed the planet! They certainly go more places than we do. This year these two gorgeous girls toted Purse-nickety Hipsters across the pond on their school trip for March break. From England to Paris Lauren & Tessa toted their stuff in Echoes handy, small bag meant just for essentials keeping all their necessities close at hand without having to lug a big, honkin' bag...and looking pretty cute in the process trying to get this guards attention outside the royal palace. He wouldn't even blink!

Southlake Hospital Fundraiser

Here we are at our table in the main lobby of Southlake hospital in Newmarket at our first fundraiser called PAY IT FORWARD. We were bowled over by the positive response to our eco-savvy products by Dr's, nurses, staff and visitors to the hospital. Many an eco-handbag will be under Christmas trees this year...and the best part, we are thrilled that Echoes was able to raise over $1,000 through a portion of sales for the new cancer centre being built at Southlake. Having been down this yucky cancer road myself, it's great to know that the new centre will alleviate all those trips to Princess Margaret or Sunnybrook for radiation. What a relief it will be for some who drive all that way for about a minute exposure to radiation for many days in a row. Look for Echoes products in Southlake's giftshop in the new year where 50% of the proceeds will go to the Southlake Foundation for the new cancer centre.

The Toronto Film Festival

This year's T.O. Film Fest. is especially exciting for us at Echoes as we were asked to design special eco goody bags in combo with The Global Group (known for their eco-kindness through their fabric donations to us) and Grand & Toy who is filling each bag with environmentally conscious products.
The lucky recipients will be the V.I.P.'s visiting the cyber-cafe/press area...do you think Brad & Angelina might want a skookum, new, rescued remnant tote for all those diapers?

Echoes & Global

Here's a shot after many hours of 'mining' for remnants at The Global Group in north T.O. http://www.globaltotaloffice.com/ We've been given access to some discontinued bolts of fabric and had a blast designing new combinations for our Tote Bag.
Recently Global & Echoes co-produced a whack-load of tote bags for the World Wildlife Foundation of Canada's Volunteer Service Awards. Now their animal-lovin' volunteers are carrying around an Echoes tote with Global's sentiments on the label...Think Global - Think Recycled. Our successful teaming with Global nets us about 200 - 500 lbs of fabric every 2 - 3 weeks of rescued remnants diverted from the landfill. Thank you Global for being such a behemoth company with a planet conscience to eco-donate to the little guy like us!

What a Week

Wow, what a week. We've been busier than squirrels getting our stock ready for the upcoming Home & Country Show at the CNE's Automotive Bldg next week. It's starts Oct 25 through 28th and our booth is a group effort of beautiful not so shabby, shabby-chic style furniture, photography, jewelry, pillows and handbags of all styles, shapes and designs and all from the 'discard pile of life'. This week we shipped our recycled wares to two new stores in Nelson B.C. and a Webstore in Manitoba, managed to re-stock some current stores and still have loads of fabulous product for the show. Last year we had so many visitors to our little 10' x 10' booth but this year we're going twice as big with all our eco-fab goodies. We do hope you'll come out and see just how much we can pack into our booth to tempt you...Christmas is just around the corner and there's no better time than the present to think about our future...Buy Recycled, Hand-made, Canadian! See you at the Show.