I have a new neighbor. He and his mom moved in across the street the first of October, but by the end of September, I knew they enjoyed Halloween. Why? They had brought along a skeleton – life size, and buried it in their garden. So I used photos of the poor fellow in the greeting card I sent him last week. Here’s the front of my new friend’s greeting card:

Here’s what I did on the inside of the card, using the same template and the full picture of the remains left in his garden. You’ll notice I moved some of the elements from the original template over to the right inside page to balance the message.

To top it off, I included a trick or treat, depending on how you look at it. The greeting card system that I use, includes gifts, and I decided to include a very fuzzy, 23-inch spider complete with glitter with my card. Why for a young man I hardly know? Because I can. Why not?

Depending on the kind of package one has, a personalized, fun photo card like this costs between $.93 (93 cents) or $1.47 (147 cents). Sure the gift was extra, but the whole thing ran me a little over $13.00, plus shipping.

Just think what you could do to make your Holiday cards
remembered and really appreciated
in 2010 !

If you’d like to find out more about this simply to use, fun, time-saving service I use for all my greeting cards, just click on the banner to your right….or call me at 219.947.5478.

Happy Halloween! Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Chanukah! Blessed Christmas! Happy Kawanza!

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I have a friend, Ethan. He’s a real cool kid. In April he was named Student of the Month for his class.

Student of the Month is a BIG deal. So is getting your award in a school assembly. So I took the award that was posted on his mom’s Face Book page, threw it in my photo editor, saved it at 300 dpi, and uploaded it into the system that I use to send out all my greeting cards.

Now here’s a custom, greeting card, congratulating the special student on his great achievement. What kid doesn’t like to receive a greeting card? Don’t you think he’ll feel extra special?

I know of one teacher that takes her list of students for the new year and sends out a welcome to my class greeting card. Inside the card is a picture of her, so her students will recognize her when they come to school. Do you think that makes a difference in how well her year goes? Even before school starts her students are beginning to build a relationship with her. That’s another neat way to use a custom, photo greeting card. How many ways can you think of to motivate and compliment the children in your life? Custom photo cards cost between $1.47 to $.93, plus a stamp, depending on the type of account you want.

Click here to get your gift account and send 2 custom, photo greeting cards on me.

Here’s Ethan’s card:

It doesn’t have to be perfect to express pride in success. We can’t miss an opportunity to reinforce how much we care about the people in our lives.

Try it yourself. Click HERE.

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This  year I’m starting a new Mother’s Day tradition. I’m sendin photo greeting cards to my children and grandchildren. I’ve designed custom, photo greeting cards featuring my parents and me when I was very young. I only have two pictures of the three of us together after all these years.

I just scanned the original black and white photos into my computer and then loaded them up into the greeting card system that I use to send out my cards. (I can’t tell you the name of the system, because I don’t want to take the time to get company approval, because they are big on FTC compliance–which is a great thing.)

Then I added some labels and thought bubbles to the pictures. Next I typed in my my personal story (in my own handwriting, by the way) just once and clicked the SEND button. My company did the rest. Beautifully printed, folded, stuffed into an envelop, and stamped – just by hitting SEND! My cards are on their way to Texas and Indiana. 

I already had their addresses in my Contact Manager, so the whole process only took a couple minutes. My Pretty cool, right?

Here’s the front of the card I’m sending:

Here’s the inside photo I used and bled to the edge of the inside panel:

So if your mother or father has passed away, maybe you might want to start this new Greeting Card Tradition, too. Share your past with your future. Feature loved ones when you send out cards to your descendants.

It’s a great way to help them connect to their Ancestry. Whether you still have you parents or whether they have passed away, it is a great way to pay tribute to your family, and a great gift for your kids and their kids. My children can’t even remember their material grandparents. Someday they will want to know about them.

Inside the greeting card I tell the stories behind each photo.  Maybe next year I’ll feature my kids in cards to their children. I have lots more of those. Fair warning!

Hallmark and American Greeting cards cost $5.00, $6.00 or even more. Can you guess what personalized, custom made photo greeting cards run with the card company I use?

It costs as little as 91 cents, plus 44 cents for postage.  Not bad, but here’s the good deal.  You can try it first on me – my gift for trying this system!

Just fill out the form under my picture above, and you’ll receive directions in your INBOX. It’s easy, it’s fun, and it’s on me. If you need help, please call me at 219.947.5478.

Have fun and help me start a new tradition!

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If you can send an email you can create and send your own custom, photo greeting cards.  Fill out this form and I’ll be happy to show you how.  It’s easy, fun, and builds relationships and lasting connections with your friends, families, and business clients.

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Have a special friend or business contact? By designing a custom, photo greeting cards, you can let them know that you think they are really special.  For instance–

I have known Tony Schifino for a couple years now. He’s the owner of a terrific gift store, called A. J. Specialties in Merrillville, IN (USA).  He has terrific gifts for children, purses for women,  lots of sports related gifts, plus a million other items, and about the best prices around bar none. Anyway….

While Tony has a great shop, the best thing about him is having Tony for a friend.  So when his birthday rolled around earlier this year, I wanted to do something a little different for Tony.  I promised him that Butkus, his canine office assistant, and I would be sending him something in the mail (a custom photo greeting card) and to look out for it.  I found Butkus’ photos on Tony’s online photo album page.

So this is the front of the card that Butkus and I sent to Tony  – just a little late for his birthday.

Butkus added his 2 cents on the inside of the card.

Just so you know a little more about Tony–he was recently mentioned for his exemplary customer service in the Post-Tribune (Northwest Indiana) newspaper column by Leanne Hoagland-Smith, the author of Unlocking Sales Results: The Keys To Becoming The Red Jacket in a Sea of Gray
Suits.  Leanne doesn’t throw around unmerited compliments and neither do I.

So if you can’t visit Tony’s store, A. J. Specialties, you are not out of luck. Visit his Ebay auction site. He has 100% rating over the last year.  To link to his site, click HERE

If you’d like to try your hand at sending a custom photo card, using the system I use, the link below will take you to my site. Just click on the banner and turn up your speakers.  Here’s the link:

Let Me Send Two Custom Photo Cards, Please!

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April is a great month, from tax day to spring to usually Easter to Earth day. My favorite designation is National Card and Letter Writing Month! Here’s the Month Observances for April:

Health Related

African American Women’s Fitness Month
Autism Awareness Month
Cancer Control Month
Child Abuse Prevention Month
Global Child Nurtition Month
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Month
International Cesarean Awareness Month
International Pet First Aid Awareness Month
Emotional Overeating Awareness Month
Month of the Young child
Month of the Military Child
National DNA & Genomics & Stem Cell Education & Awareness Month
National Donate Life Month
National Occupational Therapy Month
National Parkinson’s Awareness Month
National Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) Month
National Sexual Assault Awareness Month
National Youth Safety Month
Pharmacists War on Diabetes Month
Physical Wellness Month
Prevent Lyme in Dogs Month
Prevention of Animal Cruelty  Month
Rosacea Awareness Month
Stress Awareness Month
Women’s Eye Health & Safety Month
Workplace Conflict Awareness Month

Enrichment & Recognition Related

Couple Appreciation Month
Fair Housing Month
Financial Literacy Month
Keep America Beautiful Month
National Decorating Month
National Garden Month
National Humor Month
National Landscape Architecture Month
National Poetry Month

Business/Relationship Related

International Customer Loyalty Month
International Twit Award Month
National Card and Letter Writing Month

Gender-related

Informed Women Month
Note: A couple women related holidays are in the health section

I Don’t Know Where Else to Put it Month

Amateur Radio Month
Care Care Month
Celebrate Diversity Month
Fresh Florida Tomatoes Month
Holy Humor Month
National Kite Month
National Knuckles Down Month
National Pecan Month
Straw Hat Month

WEEK ONE OBSERVANCES

Int. Pooper-Sooper Week
Laugh at Work Week
Golden Rule Week
Medication Safety Week
Testicular Cancer Awareness Week
April 3-5: Alcohol-Free Weekend

Week Two Observances

Hate Week (4-10)
Holy Week
National Blue Ribbon Week
National Week of the Ocean
National Women’s Nutrition Week
National Networking Week
National Public Health Week
National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week

Week Three Observances

Pesach or Passover
National Environmental Week
National Library Week
National Personal Training Week
National Crime Victims Rights Week
Pan American Week

WEEK FOUR OBSERVANCES

National Occupational Health Nursing Week
National Wildlife Week
Administrative Professionals Week
Coin Week
Customer Awareness Week
National Karaoke Week
National Park Week
National Volunteer Week

LAST 5 DAYS OF APRIL OBSERVANCES

Cowboy Poetry Week
Fish Fry Week
Int. Whistler’s Week
National Dance Week
Police Officers who Gave Their Lives in the Line of Duty Week
Astronomy Week

If some of these don’t remind you of somebody and
give you a way or reason to connect to someone in your life, I’d really be surprised. Have
fun and remember you can always send a card on me

EVERYDAY!

This list was compiled with the help of my DayTimer,
Brownielocks.com, squidoo.com, and holidaysmart.com. For more details,
please check out all of these wonderful websites.

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What better day than Valentine’s Day to address this issue!

Before I get into what 8-year-old boys know, I want to tell you about two honest-to-goodness real live men friends of mine, even though they just don’t get it, when it comes to greeting cards.

Casestudy One: Mature Man Doesn’t Get It:  He’s a very handsome, probably fifty-ish insurance guy with a nationally-known company.  When I first went into the card business, I called him to show him the custom card system I’d discovered. He went through the process of sending a card to his then girlfriend. They had just returned from a Florida vacation.

I don’t know what he wrote in his greeting card, but when I called him back the next week to see what his girlfriend thought of the card he sent, he was deliriously happy.

“I don’t understand it,” he said laughing. “She was so excited. She loved it! I don’t know what I did. I really like to use it.”

Great!

Then in ran his secretary, almost screaming, “No, no,” I could hear her saying. “(Company Name) has it’s own card system and the cards are much cheaper. Don’t do that!”  So much for words from old secretaries. Maybe she’s his mother, but then again, if that were the case,  he would have signed up on the spot.  Not to say he’s oppositional or anything.

But he totally missed the point of the power of appreciative, dynamic, expressive, loving, affirming greeting cards. I’m sure his insurance company doesn’t carry I sure had a great time on our get-a-way together alone, without the kids, you sexy babe!

Some people don’t learn from their mistakes. Here’s a guy didn’t learn from his greeting card success. Maybe that’s why he’s been married a few times. I don’t know.

Casestudy Two: Young Married Man Doesn’t Get It

He’s a very handsome, extremely-well groomed entrepreneur. He’e been married just a little over a year.  I had a meeting with him after a networking meeting at a restaurant.

He enjoyed talking about his relationships with other group members. He loved having a listening ear from someone in the healthcare service, because he had a product for that industry.

He especially loved talking about his young wife, who continually puzzled him. “Being married is sure different from dating,” he said. “What is it with you women?  She is always leaving lovey, greeting cards around for me to find. She must have spent a small fortune…just on greeting cards.  She doesn’t have to do that!” he stammered.

“Well, do you send her greeting cards back?” I asked.

“I can’t do that,” he replied bluntly, sticking out his manly chin.

“Are you afraid Arnold Schwarzenegger would call you a girlie man, if you sent your wife a greeting card?” I asked.  “I’ll help you and you can send a greeting card to your wife for free.”

“Give me the website and I’ll do it later,” he said. “Besides, my company has a greeting card system, too.”

I’m sure they carried I’m sure glad I married suc a special, beautiful woman. He never went to the website to send her a card.

Some men learn from their mistakes, and some men don’t learn to see missed opportunities that sending an unexpected greeting card could bring, even when it stares them in the face.

Do you know what a card from that husband to that wife on a regular or even unexpected card basis would have done for their relationship?  I hope he figures it out.

I know a man who ended up divorced because his wife refused to make him a peanut butter sandwich for lunch.  Insane?  Maybe, but little things — like a greeting card — can sure make a difference.

————–

Now that you know just a few things that grown men don’t know, lets look at what eight-year-old boys have got down pat.

I have known a lot of 8-year-old boys in my lifetime. In my husband’s office, when the kids have to wait in the reception area, while he meets with their parents, he asks them to babysit me.  Believe me, I have been babysat by the good, and the bad when it comes to 8-year-old boys.

The thing I like most about eight-year-old boys is that they are still enough kids to want to play. That helps when they babysit you. They are willing color or draw. Give them a blank piece of paper and some crayons or even a pen or pencil, and they are off–creating pictures, designing greeting cards, drawing houses and family members, lots of hearts and clouds and birds.

Almost always, they write “To MOM” at the top. Somewhere between the stick people and the dog they find room to write their name. They know what they will soon forget in a couple of years; when momma is happy, everyone is happy.

These prepubescent males are so proud of their little greeting cards, some even want to interrupt the meeting to show mom their pictures. When their moms finally emerge from the meeting, you couldn’t restrain these eight-year-old boys with chains. Moms usually smile and acknowledge their artsy, custom greeting card.

For a brief moment they have won the pleasure of the most important woman in their lives. They are joyful and excited to have pleased, because we all know that it doesn’t take too long for an eight-year-old boy to find his way into something that will be perceived as annoying at best.

LESSON FOR MEN WHO KNEW BUT FORGOT ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPRESSING APPRECIATION:

Remember her with a greeting card or a special treat or a single rose in the good times and especially in the tough times.  The good thing about a card is that it won’t wilt or be gobbled up. Flowers always disappoint in the long run, because women hang on to them too long. Then it’s like a burial. Goodies put on weight.  Greeting cards are for keeping. So send her a card…

• When she’s overwhelmed by kids, work, your family, her family, or this economy.
• When she’s had a success…anywhere in her life.
• When she’s had a failure…anywhere in her life.
• Let her know you appreciate her.
• Remind her how much you love her.
• Tell her I’m Sorry, when you goof up, and, by the way, who doesn’t.
• Don’t let Valentine’s Day be the only time during the year you send her a card. (Send her one on me right now and schedule one for sometime in the future–just because. Click HERE.

LESSON FOR WOMEN WHO ARE INVOLVED WITH MEN WHO FORGOT WHAT THEY KNEW:

Remember to send him a card, acknowledge his efforts in good times and especially in bad times.

• When he’s overwhelmed by your kids, his kids, honey-do lists, work, your family, his family, or this economy.
• When he’s had a success…anywhere in his life.
• When he’s had a failure…anywhere in his life, especially if it was in front of others or even at the bowling alley.
• Let him know you appreciate him for all he’s done for you (and the kids).
• Remind him how much you love him.
• Tell him I’m Sorry, when you goof up, and, by the way, who doesn’t.
• Don’t let Valentine’s Day be the only time of the year you send him a card. (Send him one on me right now and schedule one for sometime in the future–just because. Click HERE.)
• Let him know how much it means to you when he remembers you or does something special. Tell him over and over how much you enjoyed the greeting

In the marital arena, appreciation wins out over nagging or complaining everytime. Sometimes what ever you want, even happens. The simplest, most, economical way to show appreciation is by taking one minute out of your life at work or at your home computer and sending a thoughtful greeting card.  Try it, you’ll like it! Click on the banner, after you click HERE.

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As I’ve mentioned before the greeting card system that I use, has over 14,000 different greeting cards. I use them alot, but here is a custom greeting card that was also made on the system, using jpegs stored on my computer. My intent is to show respect for Martin Luther King, Jr, the Man, the date (not a day off but a day on in our world community), and for a committment to non-violence and peace among all people.

Here’s the front of the card:

(on the inside top of the card are printed these principles)

Martin Luther King, Jr’s Six Principles of Nonviolence

Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people.

Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding.

Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice not people.

Nonviolence holds that suffering can educate and transform.

Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate.

Nonviolence believes that the universe is on the side of justice.

(on the inside bottom of the card is this Pledge)

Pledge of Nonviolence, Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.
I hope you will join me in this commitment.

IN HONOR OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.’S LIFE AND WORK,

I pledge to do everything that I can to make America and the world a place

where equality and justice, freedom and peace will grow and flourish.

I PLEDGE TO MAKE NONVIOLENCE A WAY OF LIFE

in my dealings with all people.

I WILL REJECT all forms of hatred, bigotry and prejudice, and I will

embrace the values of unconditional, universal love, truthfulness, courage,

compassion, and dedication that empowered Dr. King.

I WILL DEDICATE my life to creating the Beloved Community of Dr.

King’s dream, where all people can live together as sisters and brothers.

-Shalom-Fridden-Der Frieden-La Paix-Achukma-Heiwa-Salam-
LaPaz-Amani-Hoa Binh- Maluhai

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Here’s an example of a business owner who sent out this custom, photo card to his friends, family and the customer’s that he felt had a sense of humor.  I think it is priceless.

The front cover is self-explanatory.  If the inside doesn’t make you laugh, you need to have your sense of humor checked.

(inside photo below)

Inside this clever greeting card, the businessman wished every one a laugh for 2009 and announced that his son had finally accomplished his life-long dream of becoming a fireman for the local fire department. He also included a picture of his swearing in on the inside of the card.

See how using a custom, photo greeting card can get you remembered by your friends, family, and even your customers? He could be proud of his son without being a pompus idiot. People will share the card with others. It’s a great referral marketing piece, because people will think of this business owner when someone asks if they know someone who provides his service.

(We have no word how the son took to the card, especially if the firemen in his department got a hold of it. Oh, well, it is small town. Who knows?)

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I admit to a bias, when it comes to this photo Christmas card. My husband and I formed a remarried family about 1000 years ago. (OK, not really, some days it just feels like it.) Anyway,  I love the uniqueness and creativity that went into this family’s 2008 holiday greeting card. 

This long-distance couple probably have more frequent flier miles than I can imagine. They are separated by more than 1000 miles and spend every other weekend in the other’s home town. This year unlike most, they have had only brief moments when all the children were together in one place. That wasn’t conducive to a single family photo for their Holiday greeting. 

I must admit to some trying times scanning this card into my system, and I worry that the crispness that came across in the card is missing online. But I love this card and wanted to share it in spite of my scanning challenges.

First I find the use of the non-traditional colors of the border a pleasant change of pace. It also makes the photo of the couple, as well as the parents and children, really pop. They are not lost in the traditional sprigs of pine and holly berries.

The designer of this card, the mom, prefers to handmake her cards but used an online template and service. That may speak to her skill in composition, because I find those who handmake their cards are really sending out mini works of art. I think with those years of experience in custom designing cards, this designer brought all her skills to this custom photo Christmas Card.

Then I loved her message. She sent out such good feelings for those who received this family’s greeting card. Here’s her message:

For those who we see throughout the year,
 we love you and cherish our memories with you.
For  those who we don’t get a chance to see often enough,
we miss you and hope to see you soon!
May the joys of this Christmas season
be with you throughtout the coming year.
 We hope you have a happy and healthy 2009!

Then across from the message, she listed the names and ages of the children and added her personal message to the card.

This card was striking, informative through pictures, and again gave such a personal touch. What fun it was to receive! Thank you for letting me share this on my blog and travel safe and enjoy the holidays!

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