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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Florists create an floral arrangement that their customer rarely sees, for people that they don’t know and are paid by people thousands of miles away. Do florists really know how vulnerable the customer on the end of the phone or the Internet form feels, when placing an order like that?

Florists also make more money on an order when it comes to them directly, instead of through the floral services, like FDT or 1-800-FLOWERS.

Florists provide a service for the purchaser at either a very high or very low time and for someone they really  care about. When florists get the order, they get the address of the purchaser and usually know the about the occasion, whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, get well, or funeral.

Florists are in a unique position to build a relationship with the purchaser, and they almost never think about it. Florists, think out of the box!

If you added $1.00 to the cost of the arrangement and $1.00 to the delivery charge, which in my opinion would not break a deal, you could cover the cost of a terrific marketing strategy, build referrals and addition business down the road. That is if you use the greeting card service that I use. It’s a no brainer!

For under $2.00, a florist could send a thank you card to the purchaser with a picture of their arrangement on the front of the card. Inside the card they could upload a photo of their quaint shop or a picture of themselves with a bubble saying, “Thank you for the order.”

On the other side of the card they could write a note saying, “I really appreciate your business, because I know that you had many other florists to choose from, and you picked me. I wanted you to see the arrangement that Jennifer received. We did our very best to convey the feelings that you wanted. I hope you are pleased and that you will think of us next time you would like to send an arrangement.” Sign your name;add your phone number.

Chances are that if they ordered through one of those services this time, the next time they’ll call you directly. You will have begun a lengthy relationship with a customer from out of town.

Always, when I receive a floral arrangement, I send the one who sent it to me a greeting card with the photo of the arrangement on the front. It’s a wonderful way to say thank you. Then they get to see what the actual flowers looked like. Below is the greeting card I sent my grandson, Jansen, and granddaughter, Jaya, thanking them for my Mother’s Day arrangement. I’m also going to send the card to the florist.

The card a florist would send out could be similar to this one.

I always wonder what the flower arrangement looks like, when I order one, even when it is from a florist across the county, much less across the country. Don’t you?

A florist wise enough to send a card is bound to get return business by building a lasting relationship. What do you think?

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“There’s always a picture in the picture,” says my friend Jesse. He’s a wonderful photographer with a passion and skill for finding the spectacular and then capturing it with his camera.

Last week I was doing some photo editing, and the photo loaded in extremely large and I found the picture in the picture. So I turned the picture I found inside the original into a real message card.  The message wasn’t “Take time to smell the flowers;” it was :”Take time to be, not just do.”

On the inside of the card I bled the following picture to the edges. What do you think about the contrast of the flowers against the clouds?

I sent out this card to one of my favorite business coaches, Leanne Hoagland-Smith, the author of Be the Red Jacket in a Seas of Gray Suits. I thought it represented how she integrates detail and sees the whole picture at the same time.

Want to try  your hand at designing your custom card? Just fill out the form below my picture and you’ll receive an email with instructions so you can send out two, custom greeting cards on me.

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What does a bald, white, middle aged male from Utah (founder and CEO of my greeting card company) have in common with a 90-year-old black woman who just got a pacemaker?

They both intimately understand the meaning of time and the value of relationships. Earline, my former next door neighbor, sent me an email with the comments below. The doctor told her that her pacemaker would last 10 years. She told me she thought that would be long enough. 

The CEO founded a company so we would never have to have regrets, words left unsaid, love unshared…

I hope you find these words that Earline sent me this past week as thought provoking as I did:

Read quietly then send it back on its journey
To realizeThe value of a sister/brother
Ask someone
Who  doesn’t have  one.

To realize
The value of ten years:
Ask a  newly
Divorced couple.

To recognize
The value of four years:
Ask a  graduate.

To realize
The value of one year:
Ask a  student  who
Has failed a  final  exam.

To realize
The value of nine months:
Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.

To realize
The value of one  month:
Ask a  mother
Who has given birth to
A  premature  baby.

To realize
The value of one  week:
Ask an  editor of a weekly  newspaper.

To realize
The value of one minute:
Ask a  person
Who has missed  the train, bus or  plane.

To realize
The value of one-second:
Ask a  person
Who has survived an accident.

Time waits for no one.

Treasure every moment.

You will treasure it even more when
You can share it with someone special.

To recognize the value of a friend of family member
LOSE  ONE…

The  origin of  this letter is  unknown.

Remember….
 Hold  on  tight to the ones you  love!

So on behalf of the bald white man, the 90-year-old black woman, and me, please pay attention to your promptings to make contact.

Do you know what a prompting is? It’s that little voice inside (maybe an angel whisper) that tells you what you know you should do but that you try to ignore sometimes. Take the time to value what you have. Then you avoid regrets.

Have a grateful day!

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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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Living in Indiana where Basketball is KING, I must recognize March Madness.  So all you basketball fans, enjoy. What a great month to connect with the sportsmen in your life! People enjoy custom greeting cards! Greeting cards build relationships when you send genuine, even humorous messages. This is true for churches, business owners, and families. Take a look at the list of holidays and surprise someone with your special greeting card message!

The Month of March

Health Related Observances

American Red Cross Month
Deep Vein Thrombosis Month
Deaf History Month
National Caffeine Awareness Month
National Cheerleading Safety Month
National Chronic Fatigue Month
National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
National Eye Donor Month
National Multiple Sclerosis Month
National Kidney Monh
National Nutrition Month
National Poison Prevention Month
Save Your Vision Month
Spiritual Wellness Month
Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month

Enrichment and Recognition Related

Employee Spirit Month 
Honor Society Awareness Month
International Expect Success Month
International Ideas Month
International Listening Awareness Month – National Convention in Milwaukee
International Mirth Month
Irish-American Heritage Month
Music in Our Schools Month
Optimism Month
Youth Art Month

Gender-Related

Expanding Girl’s Horizons in Science and Engineering Month
National Women’s History Month

I Don’t Know Where Else to Put it Month

Adopt a Rescued Guinea Pig Month  (so cute-if only they could be potty-trained)
Humorists are Artist Month
National Clean Up Your IRS Act Month
National Frozen Food Month
National Social Work Month
National Umbrella Month
Play the Recorder Month
Small Press Month
Supply Management Month

The Weeks in March

First Week: 

National Consumer Protection                                                                            National Words Matter Week
National Write a Letter of Appreciation Week                                 Return the Borrowed Books Week National Professional Pet Sitters Week                                                                          National Sleep Awareness Week

Second Week

National School Breakfast Week                                                                        National Procrastination Week
Newspaper Education Week                                                                                                       Orthodox Lent
Iditerod Race                                                                                                                           Teen Tech Week

Third Week

Turkey Vultures Return to the Living Sign                                                                      National Money Week
World’s Rattlesnake Round-up Week                                                                    YoYo and Skilled Toys Week
National Toad Hollow Week (they wake up?)                                     National Animal Poison Prevention Week
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Week                                                                                           Act Happy Week
International Brain Awareness Week                                                         National Inhalant and Poisons Week
American Chocolate Week                                                                                     National Spring Fever Week

Fourth Week +

National Solidarity with People Struggling Against Racism and Discrimination
National Bubble Blowers Week                                                                               Doctor-Patient Trust Week
National Cleaning Week                                                                               Passion Week (extends into April)
Root Canal Awareness Week                             Traditional Important Days in March

  8               Daylight Savings Time Starts
17              St. Patricks Day
20              Spring Starts

Holidays and Birthdays
 1 – Beer Day, Peace Corp Birthday, Pig Day
 2 – Namesake Day, Orthodox Green Monday, Read Across America Day, Dr. Seuss’ Birthday
 3 – B-day Alexander Graham Bell, National Anthem Day,
 4 – Benjamin Harrison Day, Intn. Scrapbooking Industry Day, National Grammar Day
 5 – St. Piran’s Day, Nametag Day
 6 – Sherlock olmes Day, World Day of Prayer
 7 – Genealogy Day, National Be Heard Day, US Snowshoe Day
 8 – International Women’s Day, Check Your Batteries Day, Daylight Savings Time Begins
 9 – Barbie Day, Get Over It Day, Napping Day, Panic Day
10- Purim, Organize Your Home Office Day,
11- Dream 2009 Day, Johnny Appleseed Day, Registered Dietician Day
12- Girl Scout Day, World Kidney Day
13- Uranus Discovered Day, Earmuffs Day, Good Samaritan Involvement Day,
14- b-day Albert Einstein, Int. Ask a Question Day, Int. Day of the Seal, Int. Fanny Pack Day
15- Brutus Day, Ides of March, Peeps Day, Buzzards Day, True Confessions Day
16- Freedom of Information Day, Curfew Day, Lips Appreciation Day, Well-Elderly Day
17- St. Patrick’s Day, Campfire Firls Day
18- Awkward Moments Day, Forgive Mom and Dad Day, National Biodiesel Day
19-Swallow Return to Capistrano Day, Nat. Chocolate Caramel Day, Operation Iraqi Freedom
20- Great Am. Meat Out Day, Spring,Proposal Day, Nat. Agriculture Day, Shabbat Across Am
21- Maple Syrup Day, Nat. Common Courtesy Day, Nat. Quilting Day, World Down Syndrome
22- World Day for Water, Int. Day of the Seal, Int. Goof-off Day, Spring Fairy Fun Day
23- National Puppy Day, Near Miss Day, World Meteorological Day
24- b-day Harry Houdini, Nat. Chocolate Covered Raisin Day, Am. Diabetes Assoc. Alert Day
25-Nat. Day of Celebration of Greek & American Democracy, Kick Butts Day, Pecan Day
26- Legal Assistant’s Day, Make up You Own Holiday Day
27- Celebrate Exchange Day, Education and Sharing Day, Viagra Day
28- Eggsibit (Decorating Egg Shells) day
29- Knights of Columbus Founders Day, Nat. Mom & Pop Business Owner’s Day
30- Doctors Day, Grass is Always Browner on the Other Side of the Fence Day, Pencil Day
31- Bunsen Burner Day, National She’s Funny that Way Day

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

EVERYDAY!

Our 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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