Build-A-Bearville goes green

Build-A-Bear promised to create a website that would teach kids to become good citizens and connect them with hundreds of other kids. This April, that vision will become reality.

We all know about the Build-A-Bear "Be 100% Pawsome" program. And we know that Build-A-Bearville is an extremely popular site. So, on April 1st, Build-A-Bearville will prove to the world that it is an exceptionally influencial website that is not something to be ignored!

Build-A-Bearville is bringing in an online recycling facility.

Now, that may not sound exciting for us right now. After all, it's just a pretend place for people to store their pretend trash, right? But if the kids on the site see recycling as just another everyday activity (or something to help the environment), more kids will start recycling. That's great for our environment. It's also great because God has told us to take care of His earth.

I can't wait to see the positive influence created by this addition to Build-A-Bearville. Recycling is awesome, a great practice, and turning it into fun is a great idea.

And if you don't know what recycling is good for, do a Google search on it. ;)

I'll see you on Tuesday for my post on Build-A-Bear's April lineup, and on Thursday for my Whimsical Post on Build-A-Bearville interior design.

Toodeeloo! (That word is SOOOO COOOOL!)

~Lilli

More Build-a-Bearville Fashions arrive

The newest Build-a-Bearville fashions have arrived at the Pawlette Coufur boutique, designed by Miss Coufur herself. From skirts to tanks, from hats to bags, these fashions are sure to rock your world.

For starters, Pawlett has created a set of girly top-and-skirt outfits to match your style. Whether it's hearts or swirls, polka-dots or modern squares, these are sure to jazz up your favorite outfit. If you prefer shorts, Pawlette has designed some athletic teeny shorts for you. If you don't like wearing halter tops (as many of the new tops are), you can pick out your favorite tank top from Pawlette's new selection. The possibilities are endless - but most require some compromised modesty.

Personally, as a modest dresser, I would rather not wear them. There are plenty of choices in the Build-A-Bearville fashion world that are much more modest. With a little creativity, you can create endless possibilities that suggest nothing but "Trendy Girl" to all you meet. (see my March 6th post on Build-A-Bearville Trends for ideas)

That's my two-cents for 2day! (at least, until Saturday's post!) Toodeeloo!

~Lilli

Build-A-Bear stock plunges

As we watch the fall of the economy due to our over-spending, we can also see the decline of a favorite toy store: Build-A-Bear Workshop. Stock values have declined drastically, from a high of $31 to the current $8.84. A look at the price chart from NASDAQ reveals the tragic yet full-of-suspense journey this stock has made.

Investors in late December saw their stock at $16 - only half its spring value. Then, on December 13 - before Christmas! - the stock went down to $14. For the rest of December, it fluctuated from $14 to $15. This was surely keeping the investors on the edge of their seats, just waiting for their stock to recover - it never did. On Christmas Eve, the stock was stable - only a $0.02 difference between the high of the day and the low of the day, and was worth about $15. It was the eye of the hurricane - a false peace. That was the last day Build-A-Bear stock was worth $15, and February 4th was the last day (to date) that the stock rested at $14. On Valentine's Day, the stock dropped opened at $11.02 and closed at $10.34. And in March, the stock dropped from $11.76 on March 3rd to $8.91 on March 22.

Investors must hope that the stock recovers soon: if Build-A-Bear's stock continues to take this path, as many stocks have suffered this winter, the value may be down to null.

See you on Thursday for my Whimsical Post,

~ Lilli

Note: Unless otherwise mentioned, stock values are the high values of the given date. Values found at the NASDAQ online archive of Build-A-Bear's stock values over the past year.

Another pink bear.....released in March?!

The rose-colored teddy looks innocently at you from behind the store glass at Build-a-Bear Workshop. "Don't blame me!" she says, "I wanted to see you on Valentine's Day!"

Henceforth is writ the traigic tale of the forgotten pink teddy bears released after Valentine's Day!

Seriously, though, I do find the late release of these bears to be a bit sad. You see, Build-A-Bear has a tradition of releasing a pink bear with heart-print fur. Only, they release these bears not in February, but in late March or early April. The end of winter. It's almost as if Build-A-Bear forgot to release a bear every year.

This year is no different.

The victim: Pink Hearts Teddy. A soft pink with white hearts delicately sprinkled across her fur, this bear would make a perfect Valentine's Day gift. A belated gift, anyways, since she's being released four days after winter officially ends. Why, oh why, Build-A-Bear, do you so forget your cutest teddies?

One of my own bears is a forgotten pink teddy bear. Kisses fur You Teddy, released only a few years ago, is adorable. She is now on the path to retirement, as Build-A-Bear makes room for their (newer) cute teddy.

So go - one and all - and buy your pink teddies. But do not forget that these teddies are diamonds in the rough: the teddies forgotten by Build-A-Bear but not by the fans.

I'll see you on Tuesday, when I report about the Build-A-Bear stocks, and on Thursday when I have my whimsical post!

Until Tuesday!

~Lilli

Outfits multi-task, too!

Lilli's Whimsical Blog Post:

Saving your $$ without sacrificing your bear's wardrobe

Hellloooo faithful readers, and welcome to LILLI'S WHIMSICAL BLOG POST!! Today, we'll be taking over how your outfits can double as other outfits.

Let's cut to the chase: we all want to spend less and get more. So here's a few tips on re-using outfits:

• Buy PJs the smart way - look for tops that can be re-used as ordinary shirts. Out of all the girls' pajamas Build-A-Bear has to offer right now, just about all look like they'd have acceptable tops. The Cute Frog PJs, Glamour Girl PJs, Hello Kitty Princess PJs, and Chicks Rule PJs are especially cute as ordinary wear.


• Baby stuff isnt just for babies! The cute onesies are perfect as pajamas - especially the Baby Cub Sleeper. The booties make adorable slippers. Diapers double as underwear. The possibilities are endless!


• Boxers or PJ pants? No one will know those are bear underwear - just slip a pair of colorful Bear Boxers onto your bear for purr-fect PJ pants. Just don't use white or grey. :)


• Ballerinas can dress up, too. Who says the Ballerina Outfit can't be a formal dress? That's what I use for my Christmas and Easter dress, and it works great. Even better - the Pink Fairy Gem Dress, above, has detatchable wings!


• Get creative! Multi-tasking isn't hard once you get the hang of it. So dive in and start tasking!

Thanks for reading - see you this Saturday for my main post!
~Lilli

Build-a-Bear springs into fun (and money-saving techniques)

Build-A-Bear just sent out their new catalog. Titled, "Spring into Fun," the catalog features a new cover layout with three pictures instead of just one (though they all feature Read Teddy). Aside from Read Teddy, nineteen other bears were pictured at least once in the catalog. Here are some other fun statistics for the spring catalog versus the Christmas 2007 catalog:

• Five of the nineteen spring bears recieved full-page coverage, not counting the cover. Compare this to the Winter 2007 catalog, where twenty-eight different bears were pictured but only six recieved their own page.


• Out of the five who recieved full-page coverage in the spring issue, two were seasonal bears and one was new. The other two were made up of one best-seller (Bunny Big Ears) and one "experimental" bear (Triceritops, brought in from the Build-a-Dino line). Out of the six who had their own page in the winter issue, only two were new - the rest were modeling new fashions.


• In the winter issue, five out of the thirty-four pictures had bears interacting with each other. In the spring issue, none of the bears shared their picture. This isn't the best move for Build-a-Bear, since the thought of two BFF bears was quite appealing and created warm fuzzies.


• Out of the twenty-two outfits pictured in the spring issue, seventeen were girl outfits but only five were for boys. Out of the thirty-seven outfits pictured in the winter issue, twenty-two were girl outfits. This is understandable, since their target market is 10-year-old girls.

But what observant fans will note most is the cost cuts Build-A-Bear has placed on this season's catalog. The paper isn't shiney. There are eight fewer pages than the winter catalog. And there are only six non-white backgrounds instead of eight.

But these are minor drawbacks. Everyone should just be happy to get their catalog and leave it at that. :)

See you Thursday for my whimsical post on multi-tasking outfits!

~Lilli

Adorable Elephant makes her debut

If you've been to the Build-A-Bear website recently, I'm sure you've seen ads about their newest bear, Adorable Elephant. And she is adorable. Short, gray fur and floppy ears makes this elephant cute in almost any outfit - especially pinks and other light colors. For the money-motivated, Build-A-Bear has included 3,000 Bear Bucks (Build-A-Bearville currency) into the deal. She's a great size, even - 16 inches. But for those of you looking for a less-expensive bear, she's a bit on the high side for a Build-A-Bear - $20. The Nevertheless, I'd say the price is worth it. She's just as cute (or cuter than) several of the other bears priced similiarily, and if you've got an extra $5 to spend on a bear I'd buy her.

As to her lineage, Build-A-Bear elephants have quite an interesting history. Floppy Elephant, Adorable Elephant's predecessor, was the first of its kind, introduced in April of 2001. Floppy Elephant, though cute, was considerably less cute than the new bear because of its dark fur. This elephant stayed with Build-A-Bear for two years, until Build-A-Bear retired it May of 2003. As far as I know, there haven't been any elephants since then. But Build-A-Bear has bounced back the idea, and it's sure to be a sucess.

If you think Adorable Elephant is cute in that picture, wait until you see others of her! But here's what's in the picture for this post:
16" Adorable Elephant
Heart Tank
Pink Skirt
Pink Gem Flip Flops
White Quilted Purse

On Tuesday, I'll blog on Build-A-Bear's spring catalog. On Thursday, (for my whimsical post) I'll talk about how to multi-task outfits.
Thanks for reading today's blog!! Come back soon!
~Lilli

Build-A-Bear adds new fashions to their collection

Lilli's Whimsical Blog Post: New Fashions

As the title says, this post is about Build-A-Bear's newest fashions. I'm going to list them for you as best I can (since they're merged into the rest of Build-A-Bear's fashions). I don't guarantee I'll get them all, or that I'll be right, since I'm going off memory.

Here are the latest Build-A-Bear fashions - each name links to the corresponding BABW page, and I've included all the original descriptions. I've organized them in the way you'll find them on the BABW website, and in the order they appear in their category. Limited Too items are not found in Fashion Sets - I've put them in their own category.

OUTFITS

Fashion Sets

1. Guitar Hoodie Set

No description on website; it looks like a pink hoodie with silver guitars on it and some pink and yellow plaid sweatpants.

2. Floral Babydoll Outfit 2 pc.

"Cute black & white floral top with black pants."

3. Purple Smocked Denim Outfit 2 pc

"Cute purple floral smock top with denim cuffed jeans."

4. White Flower Denim Outfit 3 pc.

"Pawsome set includes white babydoll style top, matching skinny leg jeans and denim purse."

5. Purple Hannah Montana Outfit 2 pc.

"Rockin' purple layered tank with matching denim skirt.
©Disney"

6. Hannah Montana Outfit 2 pc.

"Hannah Montana tee with matching denim jeans.©Disney"

7. Racecar Outfit 2 pc.

"Pawsome outfit includes blue racecar tee and denim pocket jeans."

8. Dino Safari Outfit 2 pc.

"Dino Safari design raglan shirt with matching tire tracks denim jeans."

9. Leopard 2fer Shrug Outfit 2 pc.

"Wild leopard print 2fer shrug with matching dark denim fringe skirt."

10. Pink and Purple Paisley Outfit 3 pc.

"Pawfect paisley design pink and purple top with matching ear bow and denim pants."

11. Pink Plaid Capri Outfit 2 pc.

"Pink ruffle button up top with beary cute pink plaid capris."

12. School Uniform 2 pc.

"Furbulous navy blue top with white cuffs and scalloped collar with red and blue plaid skirt."

13. Thermal Camo Outfit 2 pc.

"Sporty camo shirt with All-Star Varsity Team design and brown cargo pants with zip off legs that change into shorts. "

14. Girls Rule Pink Camo Outfit 2 pc.

"Set includes pink and white Girls Rule! Top with matching camo pink skirt."

OUTFITS

Dresses

15. Gem Neckline Dress

No description on website; it looks like a fushia dress with a circular, rhinestoned collar.

16. Smocked Babydoll

No description on website; it looks like a red and white floral print babydoll with red and white plaid trim, and some white pants to go with it.

17. Gem Dress Pink

No description on website; it looks like a halter dress with a fairy-type skirt and some removable wings, all in shades of pink with some rhinestones sprinkled throughout.

18. White Dress 2 pc.

"Pretty white satin dress with a matching veil." (it looks like a variation on their wedding dress)

OUTFITS

Limited Too

19. Limited Too White Tunic Outfit 2 pc.

"White tunic top with metallic silver polka dots and denim capri pants."

20. Limited Too Butterfly Outfit 2 pc.

"White top with butterfly design and matching drawstring green pants."

21. Limited Too Sweater Outfit 2 pc.

"Beary stylish cream knit sweater with dark denim jeans."

22. Limited Too Blue Plaid Outfit 2 pc

"Cute set includes dark blue tank with blue plaid trim and matching plaid pants."

TOPS & TEES

Everyday Tops & Tees

23. Rainbow Bunny Tee

"Fuchsia top with Pawsome Pink Bunny and flowers design."

24. Big Surf Tank

"Blue tank with Big Surf design."

25. Striped Shirt

"Light blue button down shirt with collar and multi-colored stripe design."

26. Off Road Tee

"Brown ringer with BABW® Off-Roadin' design."

27. The Cheetah Girls Tank

"Cheetah print tank with The Cheetah Girls logo & photo design.
©Disney"

28. Fuchsia Hello Kitty® Tee

"Fuchsia tee with white trim & bows and Hello Kitty® design."

29. Hello Kitty® Layered Tee

"Pink & white layered Tee with Hello Kitty® guitar design."

30. Skateboarder Tee

"White & grey tee with black sleeves and skateboarder design."

31. Gem Halter Top

"Pretty pink and white halter top with gem accents."

BOTTOMS, SHORTS & SKIRTS

Skirts

32. Pink Sequin Corduroy Skirt

"Beary cute pink corduroy skirt with sequin trim."

33. Black Corduroy Skirt

"Classic black corduroy skirt."

34. Rhinestone Denim Skirt

"Cool denim skirt with neat pleats and rhinestone highlights."

35. White Ruffle Skirt

"Classic white skirt with ruffled trim."

SPORTS CLOTHING

Swim Shop

36. Wave Swimming Trunks

"Blue swim trunks with multi-colored stripes and wave design."

37. Leopard Print Bikini 4 pc.

"Pink leopard print 2 piece swim suit with matching bag and beach towel."

38. Summer Fruit Swimsuit 4 pc.

"Fun fruit design one piece swimsuit with matching towel. Set also includes goggles and beach ball."

39. Rainbow Stripe Bikini 3 pc.

"Super cool swimsuit has yellow, pink, orange and gold stripes and a matching sarong."

40. Skull Board Shorts

"Rockin' red board shorts with skull print."

So, there's the 40 fashions!!! Hope you like my list!

CU Saturday for the post on Adorable Elephant!

~Lilli

Beach party, coming up!

Build-A-Bearville is quickly growing. More and more users are joining, and it's getting difficult to find an empty den. So that's why Build-a-Bear is expanding the horizons of their town - by adding a beach.

Summertime is on its way, and many of us love to spend a hot day going for a swim or a tan at the beach. Soon, Build-A-Bearville users will be able to visit a virtual beach during their stay at Build-A-Bearville. Build-A-Bear has kindly offered to let the users vote on the new beach name - users can choose from Bear Bay, Cub Coast, Sunshine Shores, or Teddy Tropics. Currently, Sunshine Shores is leading with 42%. Teddy Tropics and Bear Bay follow close behind with 28% and 16%, respectively. Cub Coast is trailing with only 11 out of every 100 votes.

To kick off the opening of the new beach, Build-A-Bear is holding an exclusive beach party at the new beach, with Lucas Grabeel as the guest of honor. To get into the party, customers must purchase something at their local Build-A-Bear workshop. This party is only available from March 14 to March 30, so hurry in! Take note, though - beach-party Lucas is run by a computer.

That's all for today. Join me on Thursday for Lilli's Whimsical Post as I go over the new fashions at Build-A-Bear Workshop, and again on Saturday for a post about the newest edition to the Build-A-Bear Furry Friends.

~Lilli

Build-A-Bearville Peanut Hunt and Maxine's B-Day

In case you haven't heard, March 6th is Maxine Clark's (the Founder of Build-A-Bear's) birthday. She made special appearances and gave out exclusive gifts while visiting Build-A-Bearville on Thursay, March 6. (I didn't get to see her)

If any of my readers sighted Maxine Clark during her stay at Build-A-Bearville, could you e-mail me at buildabearbuzz@gmail.com? Tell me your first name, what it was like, if Maxine said anything, and if she gave you anything (and if she did, what did she give you?). If you can remember, I'd also like to hear what den you were in, (Clouds, Bear Boulevard, etc) where you were (town square, coffee shop, etc) and what time EST it was when you saw her. Thanks!

Build-a-Bear is heralding the arrival of Adorable Elephant with a short quest for Build-A-Bearville users - simply "visit" Adorable Elephant in the Neighborhood, (click on her) and find the five peanuts to recieve a "special prize." Peanut locations are as follows:
TOWN SQUARE: Near the top of the screen, near where the road ends, on the left side of the road
BEAR UNIVERSITY: There is a plant in-between the library and Bear University, near the top of the screen. The peanut is near that plant.
SKATE PARK: The Brown Sugar Puppy is standing in front of a plot of dead grass; near the upper left corner of this plot you'll find the peanut
FRIENDSHIP FOREST FARM: On the left side of the screen there's an apple orchard. The peanut is beneath one of those trees.
FRIENDSHIP FOREST PATH: On the left side of the path, before you get to the bridge at the top of the screen.

When you're finished with the quest, return to the Neighborhood and click on Adorable Elephant to get your reward. Which happens to be 500 Bear Bucks and not a material prize. (I prefer the accessories and other stuff like that)

On Tuesday, I'll post on the new Build-A-Bearville Beach. On Thursday, I'll post about the 40 new Bear fashions Build-A-Bear has added to their physical stores, and I'll try to compile a complete list of them. Next Saturday, I'll have a full post about Adorable Elephant, similar Build-A-Bears in the history of Bears, and more.

CU on Tuesday!
~ Lilli

Build-A-Bearville Trends

Lilli's Whimsical Blog Post (like on all Thursdays, I decided just to have fun with this post)

Build-a-Bearville is a little town where bears and children laugh and play a serious community with trends and popular people. Build-A-Bearville has been growing, and it's a good idea to keep up with the current trends.

Styles change from location to location: users with more complex hairstyles and accessories tend to hang out at the Pawforming Arts Center, while more simply-dressed users hang in the Town Square. Sunglasses and other accessories are worn more often in the Friendship Forest than Bear University, and pants are more common in the Pawforming Arts Center. Shorts are common in Paw Park, as well as skirts. If you're going to the Sportsplex, you can find a mix of them all. But three styles dominate all locations: extreme, complex, and simple.

"Extremes" usually have exagerated hairdos in all kinds of colors, wear either all black or crazy-colored clothing, and carry as many accessories as possible.

"Simples" wear summer clothing in simple colors - colored t-shirt, blue skirt or shorts, and matching ballet flats or flip-flops for girls and tennis shoes for boys. Occasionally, they'll have an accessory or two, but not often.

Complex styles strike a balance. They push toward reality and complexity, and current fads in the complex world are sunglasses, hats, and skateboards.

Whatever you decide to go with, I'd carry some from each style in your "my stuff." A t-shirt, some pants, a skirt, and some accessories are a great place to start.

Check back on Saturday for my regular post, and again next Tuesday for my specialized post! And of course, Lilli's Whimsical Blog Post will be here again next Thursday.
Blog w/u l8tr!

~Lilli

Build-a-Bear's newest way of helping kids

One of the qualities of Build-a-Bear Workshop is its devotion to help kids. In the past, Build-a-Bear has raised funds for cancer, autism, and numerous other causes. Once a year, during Build-A-Bear's "Stuffed with Hugs" program, guests can come and make a bear for free to donate to a needy child. Build-a-Bear's summer reading program and Beremy's Book Club inspire kids to read books and write reviews. The yearly "Huggable Heroes" are kids who have been helping their community whom Build-a-Bear rewards.

This year, Build-A-Bear is more ambitious than ever!

Build-A-Bear started their "Be 100% Pawsome" program on March 1st, a four-part program in which kids earn pins by completing activities. In March, kids have to help their communities with volunteering, donating money to charity, and helping out someone they know. April is "environment month," May is "fitness and nutrition month," and June is "reading month."

I'll be happy to watch this program progress, and I hope it is educational for the children participating.

On Thursday, I'll be blogging on the latest Build-A-Bearville fashions. Until Thursday!

~Lilli

New calendar, new look for Build-A-Bearville news

It's March 1st, the day Build-a-Bear reveals the events to take place for the next month! Two furry friends, two contests, a promotional, two online events....Build-A-Bear has packed this month full!

Of course, some of us didn't want February to end. For those of you who are still excited about this year's "Leap Day," there's still a bit of time left for your Build-A-Bear in-store reward - a free t-shirt with a $15 or more purchase. So hurry in - the t-shirt may look dorky, but the virtual Build-A-Bearville reward makes it worth it.

Build-a-Bearville has something else that's very new, and you can't miss it: they've changed the look of their news bulliten. More efficient and attractive, it makes reading the "Build-A-Bearville News" much easier than just staring at a block of text. (like it used to be) It looks a bit like a web browser with tabs, making it a fun "toy" to go check out! Each tab has a label: "News & Events," "Friends," "Fashions & Stuff" and "Games & Quests."

I think it's a good idea to change the look of the Build-A-Bear news, and Build-A-Bearville certainly kept me more informed than the main Build-A-Bear website! Evidentally, Build-A-Bear is trying to make Build-A-Bearville their "website" and buildabear.com their "shop-site." This is great for the users - get on Build-A-Bear to play and not to shop. I'll go for that any day!

In the upcoming posts, (don't forget about the mini-posts this Tuesday and Thursday!) I'll tell more about Build-A-Bear's "five-month reward program," fashions on Build-A-Bearville, and the brand-new spot where Build-A-Bearville users will love to hang out. Until then,

~Lilli