Little Lace Box Review, April 2015 + 15% Discount Coupon!

Over promising and under delivering is a real hazard for subscription companies, especially those that are set up as monthly delivery services.  Being "between a rock and a hard place" is never more true than when you're dependent on suppliers and obligated to customers on a timed interval basis.  That dynamic has recently brought down several fledgling sub commerce companies.  Little Lace Box seems to have narrowly escaped that fate with their recent re-vamp which involved massive changes to their service.  The most important of those is that they switched to a bi-monthly schedule starting in May.  Monthly subscribers will not be charged again until June and annual subscribers will have their subscriptions extended to twice the original term.

Little Lace Box subscribers received a series of lengthy e-mails explaining the situation. Recognizing the signs of potential trouble, I was concerned about what the next box would bring.  (Survivors of the French Box debacle will understand my trepidation.)  However, the LLB ladies went to great lengths to communicate the issues and provide options.  The extensive communication went a long ways towards easing my fears. 

In spite of the turmoil (or maybe because of it), the "Nonna's Kitchen" themed April box is one of their best yet!  The contents of this box represent a unique Italian culinary adventure. 

There is an extensive information sheet about the included products and a "Suggested Pairings and Fact Sheet" from The Ancient Olive, a purveyor whose products are included in this box.  This sheet gives possible flavored oil and vinegar pairings...help that I definitely need and appreciate!

First out is a cute and useful kitchen towel from Belle & Union Co. with a "Farm to Market" truck print.  (Retail $14.99)

I'm a little confused about this trinket dish from Artisan Janelle Beaulieu, a ceramic artist who lives and works in the Adirondack Mountains of New York.  The tag and LLB description describe it as a porcelain jewelry dish.  This looks and feels like molded plaster to me; maybe the two are related?  It has a vintage lace design pressed into the top and I received the unglazed version.  While I love receiving hand made items in sub boxes, this dish is so flat that I can't see it as being very useful for holding jewelry.  It is a pretty piece though (and nicely packaged) so I'll find some way to use it. (Retail $14.99)

There are two 60 ml bottles from The Ancient Olive, packaged exclusively for Little Lace Box (a nice touch!)  One contains Milanese Gremolata Olive Oil and the other contains Sicilian Lemon Balsamic Vinegar.  Both are imported from Italy and look like they'll pair well for Italian-inspired Spring cooking.  (Retail $13.99)  

Next are four adorable olive oil dipping bowls by Le Cadeaux.  Each mini bowl is decorated with an old world Italian design.  They are the perfect size for individual olive oil and vinegar pairings.  These are so darn cute; I suspect I'll be finding other uses for them as well!  (Retail $15.99)

I am not a pasta connoisseur but this box of Pennette della Domenica from Filotea looks like something special.  It is an artisan egg pasta that comes from a family owned business and is imported from Italy.  (Retail $8.99)

To go with the pasta is this jar of Italian Basil Pesto from Trentasette.  Their sauces are made from the freshest ingredients and are made in small batches in Italy.  This goes with pasta, breads and crostinis.  (Retail $8.50)

When I first saw this big 16.9 oz. bottle with a lime on the front, I thought it was a flavored olive oil.  But NO!  It's a concentrated dish detergent called Cucina dish soap from Fruits & Passion.  This one has a tangy lime zest and woody cypress scent plus it's biodegradable. The scent is really nice and I think this makes a wonderful addition to the box.  (Retail $8.99)

This Market List Notepad was designed by one of the LLB sisters to match the tea towel with its farm truck print.  Very handy for making grocery (or any other) lists! (Retail $4.99)  

As if all of the above weren't enough, the information sheet tells us that each subscriber to the April box is entitled to one full size bottle of either olive oil or balsamic vinegar from The Ancient Olive.  These did not make it in time for inclusion in the April box, but there is a code for subscribers to use to order from the extensive list on LLB's website.  There are 22 options available; I'm sort of leaning towards the Black Cherry Balsamic Vinegar or the Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar.  They even offer a Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar!  (Retail $13.99)

I was most impressed with April's Little Lace Box.  I thought the curation was exceptionally thoughtful and the quality undeniable.  The care that went into the selection of each item is obvious.  If this box is representative of what we can expect from Little Lace Box in the future, subscribers really have some treats in store!

Under the new structure, a bi-monthly box is $59.99.  A six month subscription (3 boxes) is $149.97 and twelve months (6 boxes) is $269.95.  Prices include shipping. Little Lace Box also has an on-line shop where most of the items featured in the monthly boxes (plus other products) can be purchased individually.

The next box comes out in June and the theme will be "Classy and Fabulous", an intriguing idea since the phrase comes from a Coco Chanel quote!  If you're interested in subscribing or making a purchase, click here for a 15% discount off your first purchase.  

Thank you for reading,

Cheryl

Disclosure:  Views and opinions expressed in this blog are strictly my own.  Product discussed in this post was purchased by Lone Star Shopper. Post may contain referral or affiliate links.