Shawny D. ChiefSac

Real Love found in Scottsdale

 LoveSac opens its 30th store in Scottsdale Arizona tomorrow.  Based on what we are already seeing in the land of 120 degree summers, we should all look within and probe the furthest reaches of our hearts--asking ourselves, "to what extent would I go to show my love for the Sac?"  

ANSWER: Patrick & Jack.  They're there, waiting, right now.

These two LoveSac die-hards read the fine print on our store-opening promo and are trying to beat the system.  Patrick and Jack are friends who are both in college down in AZ. They've always wanted a LoveSac but it was just outside of their budgets to get the infamous SuperSac.  Both of these guys have to work Friday morning, so they're hoping we'll find a soft spot in our bureaucratic hearts to bend the rules and allow them to have the once-in-a-lifetime 30% off discount even though they can't be there for the actual store opening. Basically, the line (is supposed to) starts at 8am and the store opens at 10am Friday.  The first person gets 30% off their entire purchase.  The next gets 29, etc, counting down.   SAVE HUNDREDS on Sacs or Sactionals....never again can you get a deal like this.

Well, for showing up and waiting in line 39 hours before the store's actual opening all I have to say is: THAT IS LOVE for the SAC.

We should all perform our own personal assessment to see where we stand on our devotion to Alternative Furniture.  We should all learn from Patrick and Jack's commitment level.  I know I have.

Love you guys.

-- Shawny D.

 

THIS JUST IN: FIRST CUSTOMER, David is taking home Sactionals, Luxury covers, throw pillows and a piece of LoveSac history. 

WE'RE OPEN IN SCOTTSDALE... 

All LoveSac....no photoshop

 So in my previous blog post I asked the question: which elements of our Father's Day poster were photoshopped.  The overwhelming response was: both the sunburn AND the flames on the Sac.  See the results of the poll at the top of my previous post (just below this one).

THE TRUTH: Neither of them!  While photoshop was used to touch up the overall image coloring, the sunburn and the flames are real....sort of.

That Sac was actually on fire, and the sunburn was real make up.  This sounds innocuous enough but when you consider how it went down it was no small feat.  That is, Ryan, LoveSac's Chief Financial Officer hesitantly agreed to show up that afternoon at 2pm to ostensibly lay in a Sac wearing a hawaiian T-shirt, drink in hand, looking like a father for father's day.  Upon arrival, ear glued to the phone trying to close the biggest financing deal in LoveSac's history, that very afternoon, Ryan was sat in the makeup artist's chair for 90 straight minutes, absorbing a whole tube of red foundation, from ankle to forehead.  No photoshop, just makeup.

To add insult to injury, Spencer, a product designer at LoveSac HQ, hid behind Ryan's Sac and stoked the bbq with lighter fluid until the flames nipped at the trees above.  It was then that I realized the opportunity at hand.  Like an Army Ranger I signaled Spencer to hit the Sac with a little lighter fluid...nothing.  A little more...nothing.  More yet.....poof. The Sac ignites.  "Ryan, don't move.  Keep your eyes closed.  Be a professional."   We got the shot.  The home was saved.  Ryan probably needed that drink by now.

As it turns out Ryan didn't even know he was on fire.  After about 20 minutes actually cooking in the sun and the flames of the bbq to his right, Ryan had truly become the part, passed out in the Sac.  Yes, it is true that all Sacs ARE fire retardant, but this goes to prove that if you douse anything with enough lighter fluid you can achieve ignition!

HERE ARE SOME RECENT PHOTOS FROM LOVESAC THAT ALSO ARE NOT PHOTOSHOPPED...  

Tori & family Sac out at their daughter's birthday party. 

 

 

Zach Efron and Vanessa Hudgens Sac out in Glendale, CA LoveSac.

Rally Team LoveSac gets a new ride.  

 

All I have to say is that we often see people eat some pretty weird stuff on our trips to China.  I caught this woman out of the corner of my eye as they reversed out of a parking lot.  I nudged Spencer, armed with his Nikon D-90, and in one quick snap caught this.  Americans do popsicles.  Chinese do...vegetables!?

-- Shawny D.

LoveSac Fact or Photoshop

If you have been by a LoveSac store lately (or lovesac.com), then it is doubtful that you have missed our latest ad for father's day / summer barbecue season.  [SEE PHOTO BELOW]

The coolest part about this particular photo shoot is that we somehow conned our CFO at LoveSac HQ, Mr. Ryan Johnson (a father himself) into posing for this.  Little did he know what he was getting into.  It was, of course, on the very day of his having to close on LoveSac's biggest financing deal ever.  Let's just say that by the end of it he probably needed that drink in his hand.  

My question to you (above) is: which of the elements of this poster are fake (if any)?  Let me know your thoughts in our poll above and I'll reveal the truth, as well as a little peek behind the scenes of a LoveSac photo-shoot by the end of the week.

 

Thanks again, Ryan!!!

-- Shawny D.

Duke of LoveSac

 He's here!  The new Duke of LoveSac.  

The long awaited 4th member of the Nelson family is home from the hospital and lookin’ good.  So is mom.  He will forever be known to the world as: Duke D. Nelson.  (no middle name, just the initial “D”)

Born on Jun 13, 2010, Duke measured in at lanky 19.5” long.  He has nearly the same haircut as Lucky did when she first joined us, and chicken legs to boot.  He’s definitely got those Nelson-like basketball star genes. Tiffany is doing well too--its just good to be home.

Thank you to all of your for your well wishes on Facebook and otherwise.  Its been great to be home so much this summer so far. With all of the LoveSac store openings coming up, I should be so lucky. Hope you’re all having a great summer yourselves. 

-- Shawny D.

Ode to Sactionals Die Hards

Just a quick shout out to some of our Sactionals die-hards our there.  These are people who, one way or another, were taking their furniture home today.  There are thousands more out there like them, but I only get the pleasure of photographic evidence from a precious few.  

First up we have someone in the D.C. area who loves the environment, almost as much as they (apparently) love their new Sactionals: A Sactionals Movie Lounger, SuperSac, Squattoman, and matching covers all stacked into a Prius.  If my eyes don't deceive me, it seems that our scrappy LoveSac crew figured out how to use an extra Sport Utility Cover as a cargo-net of sorts, keeping it all in...better hope the brakes work on this one.

Next we have what seems to be two living-rooms worth of furniture stacked in this Honda Ridgeline.  Not much suspension left there. 

Finally, I'm not sure how these Vegas Sac'rs got their Sactionals set up of 8 Bases and 9 Sides home, but they definitely demonstrated yet another fun aspect of Sactionals....boxes double as oversized Jenga blocks...

 

 If you or someone you love has (intentionally or unintentionally) become a Sactionals die-hard, please share with us your photographs and story.  Email them to me personally at chairmansac@gmail.com.

Thank you!

-- Shawny D.

JUNE 10 UPDATE: This just in... the Jenga stack above resulted in the below setup by the lucky family in Vegas...

 

And the Winner of Name Our Baby Is....

 What's in a name???  One of my favorite books that I've read over the last few years is "The Undercover Economist." In this book, the author shares a study done on a family who named one of their sons "Winner," and one of their sons, "Loser."  (Yes, this actually happened....ah, the '60's.)  Anyway, surprising to some, by their 30's Winner was addicted to drugs and on a downward spiral.  Loser enjoyed a successful career as a police office and an upstanding member of his community.  

So, with that in mind, I give you my (and Tiff's) top 3 favorite suggestions, from your comments on my previous blog bost, to the naming our first born son....but first some honorable mentions....

HONORABLE MENTION: "Stone Cold Pilot"

Stone Cold Pilot

Posted by: Jodi | May 26, 2010 at 10:32 AM

--I actually REALLY like this one.  Yes, the whole thing. But I'm pretty sure it's just not in the cards.  I mean, with a name like that, who's gonna mess with you.  Although, I'm pretty sure if anyone asks his name and he responds "Stone Cold Pilot," there is really only one response: "What?"

HONORABLE MENTION: "Charm, Chance"

I think the best name choice would be "Charm" (Lucky Charm) or "Chance" (Lucky Chance). It would fit great with Lucky and it's pretty awesome, I think.

Posted by: Joshua Hintz | May 24, 2010 at 05:00 PM

--You're in good company Joshua.  My own grandmother actually suggested BOTH of those names.  I guess "Lucky" just leads one's mind there.  As fitting as Chance or Charm may seem, I'm afraid they're just a little too obvious to be ironic.  Corny maybe!?

HONORABLE MENTION: "Mandela"

Was going to suggest Chance but it was already used. That's the name! If not, how about Ozzie? Ricky? Mandela?

Posted by: Ken | May 24, 2010 at 03:16 PM

Mandela Nelson.  Clever.  Definitely legendary....but just too hard to pull off as a white boy.

HONORABLE MENTION: "Rocket"

ROCKET NELSON.. Contest over.

Posted by: D-Train | May 24, 2010 at 10:52 AM

--Rocket Nelson is what my oldest sister Kristy has been suggesting for 5 years.  So, again, you're in good company D-train.

OKAY, NOW FOR THE WINNERS (no pun intended)

WINNER, TOP PICK #3 "Sonny D."

Looking at this from a marketing standpoint I think it's a best bet that you should name your boy Sonny. Think about this.. 

1) Seeing as we have ShawnY, TiffinaY, and LuckY, for consistency's sake, it's pretty imperative to have your son's name end with Y! 

2) Seeing as he's your first born son and eventual heir to your empire, Sonny would be perfect! Anybody ever see a lil' movie called The Godfather?? (and you'll know he'll be protective of his sister!) 

3) There would be nothing cooler on this planet than having the name Sonny D!!! Kiss my butt soda and purple stuff!!! 

I rest my case :)

Posted by: Keith | May 24, 2010 at 08:23 PM

--Gotta love the mental process exhibited here.  Also, how can anyone argue with "Kiss my butt soda and purples stuff!!!"???

WINNER, TOP PICK #2 "Tortilla Nelson"

Ok, I would like to share one of my all time favorite unique names with you Shawn. Don't worry it is not ghetto or uber mexican, although Tortilla Nelson would be rad!! You ready for it?? Ok here it is.. HURKAMER!! Epic right? I heard it in one of my anatomy classes.. I can't remember what it means but I know it wasn't bad..lol..Good Luck with the baby names, they all good picks!!

Posted by: Candy | May 24, 2010 at 01:48 PM

--Candy, I can't say that "Hurkamer" does anything for me.  Keep it in anatomy class.  But "Tortilla Nelson"....wow.  That would definitely be unforgettable.

WINNER, TOP PICK #1 "Judge, Asher"

Judge or Asher

Posted by: Candice S | May 25, 2010 at 04:54 PM

With none of the explanation of some of my favorites from above, all I can do is guess at cause for the accuracy of these suggestions, but both Judge and Asher are on our short list of names for actual consideration.  So, hats off to you Candice.  If this were a game of horse shoes or hand grenades, you win...but this is baby naming, not something to be taken lightly....and, you've won anyway.  So congratulations, really.  I'll be emailing Keith, Candy, and Candice to find out if y'all want a Nooder or a FootSac.  Thanks to all of you for contributing!  it was generally un-helpful.

*BTW: This does not mean I will be naming my son Sonny, Tortilla, Judge or Asher - just for the record. Thanks to you all for the comments.  We loved them.

 --  Shawny D. (and Tiff)

Name My Son

 So, not that its any of your business, but my first son will be born some time in June!!!  We have yet to choose a name.  Our 2-year-old daughter, Lucky Nelson, can't wait to have a little brother to show who's boss.  With a sister like Lucky the naming bar is set pretty high so we need all of the ideas we can get.

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR NAME IDEAS BY COMMENTING HERE ON MY BLOG (CLICK HERE)....wether we use your name or not, we will send our top 3 picks your choice of a Nooder blanket-dog or a LoveSac FootSac Blanket.

As this kid undoubtedly be heir to my (eventual) home furnishings empire, dominating TV rooms worldwide, he he's gotta have a strong name; a legendary name; name to live up to, as THIS is the crap little _________ D. Nelson will be fighting against (watch the following video, see if it makes you laugh as hard as it made me laugh--or maybe its just a furniture-guy-thing)....

-- Shawny D., Tiffany, Lucky, and __________

Real Life Sactionals in Real Homes

Recently, TWO of our most important Sac'rs became something much more important than employees....they became customers.  

[BEFORE - LEFT]Jeremy Corash runs our top store in the company.  He was recently married and bought a bunch of Sactionals to add on to his rare two-tone set up (more people should try this).  I couldn't just allow his celebratory furniture to show up FedEx so I made a personal visit to their home in Columbia, Maryland, to unpack it and set it up for him.  Just watch it come together...  [AFTER - RIGHT]

WATCH THE VIDEO: SAC MY PAD--COLUMBIA, MD...

ATCH THE VIDEO: SAC MY PAD--PURCHASE, NY...

Most of the time our furniture gets used for TV rooms.  I have to say, it is nice to see it applied to something new.  Nancy's home office turned out awesome.  So clean, so simple.  The Taupe and Seawater Rhinoplush covers both tied in perfectly with her existing rug.  I love that the U-drinks and U-tables (shown in photo left) that were designed for home theater use, come in so handy even in the home office situation.

After getting it all set up, it turns out that Nancy has decided that she wants an arm on the right end of her sectional, instead of the chaise, as it sits now.  So, as any Sactionals customer can do, she just needs to order up 2 more Sides and turn that chaised-out Base the other direction, placing one of the extra Sactionals Sides behind it as the "back" and the other to the right of it on the end, as the "arm," and Nancy will have a closed of sectional instead of a left chaise sectional.  

THAT'S the power of Sactionals....real furniture for real life.

 

-- Shawny D.

[IF YOUR PAD NEEDS TO BE SAC'D EMAIL ME YOUR SOB STORY VIDEO AT CHAIRMANSAC@GMAIL.COM.]

Buses, Trolleys, Boats, & Cop Cars

 Number 29.  That's right, the Sac continues to spread across North America with this, our most recent store opening in the Santa Clara, California.  Our first modern LoveSac store in the Bay area, Valley Fair Mall is actually one of the best malls in the United States.    It was a bit of a bummer that we did not have our permanent sign for installation on opening day, but somehow, what began as a very rough store opening, ended like it should....on time and under budget.

Its always a good time getting these stores open with the LoveSac retail crew.    Alex, Brian, Charlie, Torin--all good men--all talented Sac'rs.  James and Nate will be runnin' the show, both transplants from the ancient Salt Lake City market.   

As always, some hardcore Sac fans showed up for the opening to take advantage of our legendary "count down" promotion....some waiting in line for hours.  I'm always flattered.  

Back in the old day's we did this crazy countdown beginning at 99% off for the first person in line, and counting down.  We had lines wrapping through the mall.  We've curtailed it a bit in our old age, but its still a pretty killer promo.  The first item sold is 75% off and counting down.  If you've ever wanted a Sac OR Sactionals at a good deal, just SHOW UP TO A STORE OPENING early and save big!!!  Keep an eye on our site lovesac.com.  We have a new store opening nearly every month in 2010.  Our next one will be at the Scottsdale Fashion Square in Phoenix, Arizona on or around May 15th.  Come out and say HI!  I'll be there myself.  

For many customers this was their first ever exposure to the Sac.  Clearly, they had never seen anything like it.  While I am glad that I finally have people trained up to hang all of the artwork on the wall and do most of the heavy lifting at these store openings, I have a hard time imagining a day when I won't go myself.  Opening new stores is one of my favorite things about this job.  What's also difficult is keeping my hands clean.  Somehow I always end up on the ladder "handling" things myself.  Its just how I'm wired I guess. Gotta let go.

 Thanks to all of the awesome people in the Bay area who continue to support the Sac.  Thanks to our new crew in Valley Fair.  They all had to put up with me and my endless, mindless LoveSac "Front Line" training course which invariably goes past midnight each time.  They're seemingly all rock stars...but we'll see who can hang soon enough.

Every single time I am in a store for any reason I seem to meet long time loyal Sac fans who teach ME something new about our product.  Sacs (and Sactionals) definately have more that 1001 uses.  Here is a video of yet another.

Never stop rockin' the Sac!  Come see me at our next store opening.

-- Shawny D. 

Bath Mat + Canine + Throw - Gonads = Nooder

 Leaving LoveSac headquarters one rainy spring evening a couple of years ago, I heard a strange whimpering from around the corner, where people take their smoke breaks.  Huddled down against the brick was this weird animal that looked like a living, breathing mop head.  Upon further inspection, I realized that it was actually just a little dog, but it had fur unlike any I had ever seen before.  I couldn't help but touch it--its fur was so strange to the touch. He looked at me with those big round eyes as if to say, "Take me home with you."  I figured he wouldn't get along too well with my two dim-witted Chihuahuas, so I adopted him as LoveSac's official pet at HQ instead, giving him a place to live upstairs and a mother-of-pearl-buttoned collar.    The next day I followed Bob Barker's advice and took him to get "fixed," but when the vet opened him up, there was only fleece inside....a blanket-dog!?  Realizing that his obvious lack of organs made it impossible for him to pass on his unlikely genetic code, I decided to take matters into my own hands.  This blanket-dog must be shared with the world!  I whisked him off to the magical LoveSac factory and made hundreds of exact replicas, naming each one after their sterile father. Meet Nooder, the newest addition to the strange family called LoveSac's other comfy stuff.

 We've finally finished a project that has been in the making for over two years now.  It may not seem like much, but developing completely unique and original twists on things in order to make them LoveSac-worthy just gets harder and harder because, as many will tell you, "It's all been done before."  

Nooder the Blanket Dog is available exclusively at lovesac, is our latest incomparable creation--actually collaboration, with the award-winning Zoobies, that is just finally reaching our store shelves for Easter, 2010.  
 For years now, we at LoveSac have been developing various products to allow people of all ages and wallet-sizes to share the love.  Its not every day that you need the $2000 TV room home makeover that we specialize in, and I've found that my own daughter, Lucky, strangely has no interest in my furniture designs at all.  THIS thing, however, she would not put down from the minute I brought home the first sample for a little product testing.  

Kids (and even some adults) just just love stuffed animals.  LoveSac makes comfy stuff.  But if we're going to make a stuffed animal to hang with our Sactionals and our other washable, changeable, modular inventions, it would have to be much more than just your average stuffed animal.  By combining Zoobies patented technology of the pillow-blanket-animal concept with our obsession for the progressive application of home textiles, this blanket dog is by far the most unique on the planet--a hallmark of LoveSac design.  The fabric of choice, "mop terry," is typically only found used on specialized bath-mats or car polish mitts.  It is not an easy fabric to work with, from a construction standpoint--hence the two years in development, but the result is truly amazing!!!  THIS IS A GIFT YOUR KID WON'T PUT DOWN, and what's better, YOU won't be able to stop petting it.  Nooder's fur has such a unique texture, and is so soft, that there is really nothing like it. 

  

On the practical side, should your power and heat ever get knocked out for a week, like ours did in Connecticut last month, just open up Nooder's backside and his guts spill out...a LoveSac-print fleece throw blanket, big enough to cuddle with.  

So this Easter or even Mother's Day, forget the bunny, forget the flowers....go with Nooder, the Love Puppy, available ONLY at LoveSac.

-- Shawny D.