2011 here I come!

Here we are, Readers! Starring down the barrel of 2011. What in the world will this year bring?

There are lots of things that I would like to see happen this year but they all boil down to 2 main things: 1. Produce more work & 2. FOCUS!!

2010 marked the beginning of my adventures in blogging & making my Etsy shop/design business a priority. But, Life has a tendency to take over & it's easy for both of those things (in essence, my professional life) to take a back seat to whatever personal drama is unfolding. If we are friends off line, then you know I have already faced that challenge this year. However, I feel that if I set small goals for each day, I am making progress toward productivity. So that is how I will accomplish goal number 1.

Goal number 2 is a bit of a toughy & I set it because I felt ineffective as a business person this year, letting myself get distracted easily. If I want to be a success, I need to keep my eye on the prize. So, focus. Focus on the task at hand. Do one thing at a time. It’s so easy to feel that you are drowning when you are starting out in business. There is so much to learn (how do I harness Twitter? What do I say on my Facebook page?) and even more to do. So, this year, I have resolved to let some of those things go. I can’t learn everything at once. I will learn more by taking a deep breath & concentrating on the task at hand.

Oh, and I have a mantra – well, maybe not a mantra, but something inspirational. The picture above was my fortune cookie the other night after dinner. I thought it was a good sign. It is a reminder that doing everything may not be as important as doing the right things. I taped it in my notebook for further reference.

I have a few plans for new designs & new blog features this year. Stay tuned! I have a great feeling about 2011!

Last Minute Gifts - Easy Peasy!

Let's face it. Everyone needs them...last minute gift ideas. At this point, you are shopped out. Totally tapped for ideas. Personally, if I have to brave the masses one more time, I'm going to lose my proverbial marbles.

So I decided to stay at home & finish up my Christmas shopping in my kitchen. Ta-daaaaaa!!!


That is a tin of Hot Chocolate complete with mini-marshmallows. See the recipe here. It makes WAY more than 12 servings, fyi. Just mix the ingredients together, put a few servings in a container & BOOM. Done.

In the past I have used Ziploc bags and put them in nice paper or cardboard boxes that I found at the Dollar Store, Target or any place that carries wrapping supplies. This year I happened to find these cute tins at a local cooking supply store, as well as the cellophane bags. The tags I made quickly on the computer. You could also put instructions inside the tin.The mini marshmallows are in fold-over sandwich bags. However, in a pinch, you can use a nice paper bag with tissue paper in it. Whatever you can do to make it's presentation nice & present-like.

Also, I made truffles. They looked a lot like this:

(from The Chocolate Life)

Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, has two great recipes, here and here. I made her Chocolate Truffles, minus the Grand Marnier, & rolled them in confectioner's sugar or coco powder, per the recipe suggestions, or pecan pieces per a commenter's suggestion. It took me a little over an hour! Now I have bags all tied with ribbon & ready to go.

I made similar truffles last year & delivered them to folks in a chinese take out container, but you could also put them in a Glad or Rubbermaid container from your local grocery store & dress it up with a nice ribbon.

More great food ideas on the web on Better Homes & Gardens.com. They put out a great supplement called Food Gifts that includes all kinds of ideas such as this Snack Mix.

Also a great non-food idea, and something we do often in our family, is give pictures. Target had lots of great frames on super sale today! It's a nice gift, a reminder of a family get together from earlier in the year.

The most important thing, as we all know & hear each year, is: It is the thought that counts. So, don't stress! Happy Holidays!

Hello, Goodbye - opening & closing your notes

Happy Monday!

My mom sent me an interesting link a few weeks ago & I thought I should share the topic of it here. She was looking for a new way to close her email correspondence. So, I got thinking about it & decided to do as I do & looked up some alternatives to the "hi, (name)" and "All the best" that are my standard phrases.

Here are some suggestions:

Openings: (slim pickin's here...) Dear (name - let's use Sally), Dear Mr. (or Mrs.) Christopher Jones, Dearest Sally, Darling Sally, My Dear, or My Dear Sally, Hi! or Hey! or Hi, Sally! or Hey, Sally! or Sally, (just the name is ok too)

Closings: (peeeeeelenty to choose from)
More on the formal/business side: Kind regards, Best regards, Best wishes, Many thanks, Respectfully yours, Sincerely.

More on the friend side: Love, Affectionately, Hugs, Kind thoughts, Wishing you the best, Write soon, Be well, Cheers. The last 2 are also good for email.

Emily Post had some interesting comments on the subject. Very proper comments of course, but also a bit 19th century in some cases. Not sure when the last time I worried about the sealing wax on my letter. I do like that she endorses "complimentary closes" such as "Kindest Regards" and "With Kindest Remembrances" instead of more abrupt closings that she finds impersonal, such as just "Sincerely." Agreed, Ms Post!

See anything here that speaks to you? That you might use in the future? What closings/openings are you using now? I'm going to try out "Affectionately" and/or "Hugs," I think. Christmas card writing is on my to-do list for this week!

Until next time! Cheers!

The Very First Christmas Card

As I was deciding what holiday cards to send this year, I started thinking...how did this tradition even start?? So, I did what I do...I googled it! Thought I would share my findings...

Traditionally, Christmas greetings weren't cards, they were letters. Most sources I read seemed to imply that mostly children sent them. But adults must have been in on it too, because cards as we know them today were started in 1843 by Henry Cole, the first director of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. He was 65 at the time...not a kid.

Having many people to write at the holidays & not enough time to do (hello, can we identify or what?) Cole commissioned John Horsley, a fashionable artist of the time, to paint a card for him. The card was a rectangle & showed 3 scenes. The central picture is of a family toasting an absent friend (said to be the recipient of the card). On the left & right of that are scenes of someone feeding the poor & another representing clothing the naked, whom I would also assume must have been poor. The greeting reads: "A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you." with To: & From: at the top to be filled in. Talk about easy to send!

The next year it caught on in England & the spread to Europe, but it didn't really take hold stateside for another 30 years, thanks to Louis Prang. Now, it's estimated that Americans send 4 billion Christmas cards a year.

Fun fact: Warren Nord & Tut Anderson hold the Guinness Record for the longest exchange of the same Christmas card. 57 years they sent the same card back & forth. That is a loooong time.

So, blog friends, how many people are on your card list this year? Anyone decide not to send cards?? Either way! It warms my hear to see cards start arriving in the mail. I am actually participating in my first ever Christmas card swap with Brooklyn Bride. Super excited!

Later, y'all!

The Anatomy of a Thank You Note

(New Thank You notes up on my Etsy shop. Red for the holidays!)

'Tis the season, my friends, for parties, gifts & holiday cheer. Guess what follows? Well, yes, the occasional "cheer" hangover, but also, the time to send thank yous to your hosts & gift givers.

These days the best excuse you have to put pen to paper might be a thank you note. Keeping up with friends has become almost entirely electronic, but that just doesn't cut it when it's time to express your gratitude. So, pull out a pen, grab a card & write (yes, actually write!) your thank yous.

But wait...you are pausing...do you feel awkward writing a thank you note? Fear not! Lots of people do, strangely enough. The more you do it, the better you will get at it, the easier it will feel. Plus, there is a simple formula you can follow to guide you. I put this together based on posts from The Morning News & eHow.com

1. Greeting the recipient:

Dear Chris,

If "dear" is too familiar, no worries. Just say Hi!

2. Express your gratitude:

Thank you so much for _____!

Fill in the blank with the gift or reason you are writing - a vase, watching my kids, having us over, etc. Mention the gift specifically unless it's money. That is a no-no. In that case you could recognize some one's "generosity."

3. Mention something about the gift -
how you like it, where it will go, how it will be used.

The vase matches our living room perfectly.

The point is to let the person know how you like & appreciate the gift beyond just saying the words "thank you." It brings sincerity to your thanks.

4. Add a personal thought:
Really enjoyed getting together for dinner last week. Let's do it again when we get back from vacation.

Nothing major about things going on in your life in this section. Leslie Harpold of the Morning News.Org says it best in her article: Let the giver know how they fit into the fabric of your life.

5. Re-thank them:

Again, I love the vase! Thank you!

6. Sign off:

All the best, Kerry

Many options here: Love, Best, Cheers...whatever you like. Keep it simple.

And BOOM! You have written a quick & meaningful thank you note. It could only be easier if it was a Mad Lib. Write a few drafts on scrap if you like to get warmed up & organize your thoughts. Then move to your note or social stationery & bang it out.

A common question: Does your thank you note need to say thank you on the front? No! You are saying it on the inside in your note. But, it should be appropriate & reflect the meaning you are sending. (Maybe don't send Grandma a thank you note with skulls on it, even if they are super cute.) Don't know why writing notes is important in the first place? You can start with my earlier blog post here.

Sending you all Holiday cheer! Happy Note Writing!

Holiday Sale - Etsy & the NewNew

(buy handmade for Christmas!)

Hi Blog Lovers! Big news this weekend! Our NYC Etsy group, the NewNew, is having a big sale to kick off the holiday season. Lots of shops with all kinds of handmade items are giving $$ off, free shipping & more. The sale runs through Monday so DO NOT DELAY!!

Check out who is participating in this NewNew Blog Post, complete with links to all the participating shops. I am offering FREE SHIPPING when you buy 2 or more sets of cards. Perfect to get something for yourself & a gift for a friend.

You can also search: NewNewTeam or NewNewSale to find participants.

Happy Shopping!!

Custom Ooooommmmm....

(Cafe Press & Gaiam custom yoga mats...so much fun...)

Happy Monday! Found this last week & have got to share. I have been having so much fun with it. Make your own custom yoga mat with Gaiam & Cafe Press. So for I have only decided on 1, but have been playing with them for hours. I could have 10. Voila...my mat of Zen...


Choose from their images or upload your own. Holiday shopping is coming soon! Put this one on your list for the yogi in your life! Hint, hint, Mr. B...

Merry, Happy, Joy & Love

Hi again, blog readers! Remember the other day when I said I had more to share? Well, here I am, coming through on that promise.

Last Spring I participated in the Minted.com 2010 Holiday Challenge, which I posted about on this blog. Here. And here. And here. They didn't win any awards this time around, sadly. I mean, there were only 1300 plus designs! Gees... :) Anywho, my designs did get some great votes & positive feedback.

So!! Here they are, now available for release on my Etsy shop.

Peace, Hope, Joy in Green - listed on my Etsy shop

Peace, Hope, Joy also comes in Red, above & Blue, below

Peace, Hope, Joy is 5 x 7 & features one large photo. The message is customizable (see other colors for examples). Angel Noel (below) is 4 x 9.25, fits in a long rectangular no. 10 envelope & features 5 of your photos. Great for a family montage!

Isn't the angel cute? I drew her!

You can also get these as a PDF or jpeg that you can print at home or take to the printer of your choice. Check out those listings here for Peace, Hope, Joy or here for Angel Noel, on my Etsy shop.

I have 2 holiday promotions coming up! Stay tuned!!!

New stuff!

Hello, Blogspot! Oh, how the time has passed since I last posted...{sigh}. But all has not been for naught! I have been working on new things (and apparently reading too much Jane Austen at night) that I would love to share with you thus...I mean here. :)

First, I have been doing lots of experimenting lately with new designs. During a recent fulfillment of an order (thanks angruth1!) I made the package below. As soon as I can figure out the additional pricing, I'll start selling this on my Etsy shop - Stars of Thank You with stamped envelope liners.

(Look for these here)

It's amazing what you can do with a stamp pad & some painters tape! In addition, I have long been experimenting with colored envelopes & am finally finding ways to use them in my existing designs to bring an extra punch of color & panache. Add the envelope liner & VIOLA! We have a fun new stationery set just in time for the holiday season. I think I'll do another one in red...

Speaking of the holiday season...more news on that coming up. More new products and a fun promotion...stay tuned!

Condolence Notes...

(see these notes at Amazon.com)

Hi Blog Peeps!!

I had planned my next post on handwritten notes, not only with the intention of posting some time ago (sorry, but it was far too nice to sit inside & blog!) and to be about writing Thank You notes. They are often overlooked or not sent at all & they are the most sincere form of note writing that you could do...until my mother-in-law asked me to send a condolence note to a family friend.

I have to admit something here...this is not a form of note writing that I am familiar with. Perhaps it's my age? The only people I know who have passed are close family members like my grandparents. So here we are, dear readers, as I take you along on my journey to figure out what to say to this family friend at such a time. Ironically, I was having a conversation about just this thing 2 weeks ago with an older friend who has children just going to college. They are of the age that email, texting & Facebook updates have replaced all written correspondence & she recently had to goad them into writing a condolence letter.

Their big complaint & reluctance to do it: They had no idea what to say.

Me neither, so I did 2 things: 1. I bought a condolence card at my local card shop & 2. looked up examples on the internet. I am happy to report that About.com not only gives examples & advice for condolence letters, but also for condolence NOTES. See! Again, proof that handwritten notes need not be a book!

The point in this type of note writing is to show your support & sympathy for the friends and/or family of the deceased. There is no pressure to do anything except extend that sentiment in a short & meaningful note. After all, the definition of console is to comfort at a time of grief or sorrow.

Here are the steps they recommend:

1. Acknowledge the loss and refer to the deceased by name.
2. Express your sympathy.
3. Note any special qualities of the deceased that come to mind.
4. End the letter with a thoughtful word, a hope, a wish, or expression of sympathy e.g. "You are in my thoughts" or “Wishing you God’s peace.” Closing such as "Sincerely," "love," or "fondly," aren’t quite as personal.

So, after a little deliberation, I added the following note after the greeting card message:

Dear (name left out for privacy),
We were so sorry to hear about the death of your mother. Your family is in our thoughts & prayers.
Wishing you peace,
(our signatures)

I found getting a card with a pre-written sentiment was helpful, although not necessarily encouraged by some of the sites I read. It sort of broke the ice for me. But, as About.com points out, the most important thing is that your message comes from the heart.

Hope everyone has had a great end of summer & is picking out pumpkins for Fall. A woman on my street has one that, if it wasn't sitting on her stoop, I'm sure would have won a blue ribbon at a county fair somewhere. It's huge. Happier subjects next time!