Oooh La La - Heather's Kitchen

When I decided to become an Uppercase Living demonstrator, I knew there would be lots of things about my new job that I would love. What I didn't think about was how many interesting people I would meet and how many lovely homes I'd be invited into.

Earlier this month I did a party at the home of one of the busiest women I've met yet. Heather is an active mom who is passionate about her involvement in her child's school; she teaches, travels, is an avid decorator and a competitive baker. She is a devoted friend and amazing hostess. Now that I've tasted her creations, I'm not surprised that she has has won numerous ribbons for her baking and shot two Food Network pilots . This woman knows her stuff: just check out this gorgeous table she set for her Uppercase Living party. Aren't her guests lucky?

I met Heather about 9 months ago when she was a guest at her friend's Uppercase Living party. Drawing upon her expertise in contracting and decorating, she quickly sized up my catalog and declared that she's seen similar products in showcase homes. She chose a few expressions for her home, but wasn't satisfied with our standard offerings for her kitchen. So she chose our expression, "Eat Well, Laugh Often, Love Much" and decided to translate it to fit her French theme kitchen. The translating part was easy for Heather, because, of course, she's fluent in French. Together we worked on a design that incorporated Fluers des Lis in two sizes. Mind you, this was before the upgraded MyDesign Suite was available so creating a design of this size was not easy. Nevertheless, Heather had a vision and she was undeterred.

What a thrill it was when I visited Heather's home to see that vision beautifully executed in the perfect spot in her kitchen. I don't know how many times I heard her guests say, "Have you seen the lettering in her kitchen?"

When I joined Uppercase Living, I knew that I would love seeing our products used in unique applications to express my clients' personality and individuality. Heather's kitchen is the perfect fit of product, client and design. My only challenge now was to create a hostess gift for Heather that would fit in with her ooh la la decor. Luckily, UL made that easy: Fluers des Lis coasters, of course!

Just When You Thought the Any Color But Black Friday Sale Couldn't Get Any Better

Are you ready? Do you have your catalog all marked up? Do you have your email to me with your Any Color But Black Friday Sale selections, just waiting for it to be time to send it?

Just in case you're still thinking about it, here's one more reason to send in your order tomorrow: FREE UL FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

Every order that I receive tomorrow will receive one sheet of the exclusive expressions you see here in our limited-time-only Shimmer Gold color. Here's just a small idea of what you can do with these.
Scroll down to read all about the great deals available starting at noon Pacific time Friday. Don't you love when something great gets even better?

"Any Color But Black" Friday Sale

All around the nation this Friday morning, even late Thursday night, legions of Americans will be interrupting their weekend of food, family and gratitude to participate in a barbaric ritual perpetrated by retailers that has come to be called "Black Friday." These poor people will be waiting in lines, huddled against the cold, to be among the first to grab a coveted "door buster" and get a marginally good deal on a holiday item. Baited by the stores and malls, these valiant shoppers fight for parking, take their place in those early morning lines and hope it will all be worth it. Instead, they could be sleeping in their warm beds, enjoying an early morning walk, or having a slice of leftover pie with their families, all still in their cozy pajamas. Tsk, tsk. Is this what Thanksgiving weekend has come to? Black Friday, indeed.


I am here to show America a better way. Announcing Torreh's First Annual Any Color But Black Friday Uppercase Living Sale.

Now, instead of being on your feet in line, you can shop from your favorite seat at home, a cup of something warm by your side, all comfy and cozy in your leopard print Snuggie. If you don't feel like it, you don't even have to put on a bra.

Here are the rules:

1. There will be no discounts on products ordered before noon. So don't wake up at the crack of dawn thinking you're getting ahead of everyone.
2. Quantities are not limited. Get as much as you want, and then tell your friends and they can get as much as they want too.
3. Discounts and promotions are not valid on website orders. You must call or email me.
4. Only the promotion at the time of your call or email is valid at that time. However, you can plan ahead and order at more than one time.
5. Discounts do not apply to current party or Open House orders.
   
6. There will be no hitting, running, fighting, or grabbing items out of the hands of aggressive shoppers.

Now that we have that out of the way, here are the hourly deals:

Noon-2 P.M. 10% off all accessories

2 P.M.-4 P.M. Free chalk pen with all Chalk Wall purchases

4 P.M.-6 P.M. Get one free 3" embellishment with each set of coasters purchased

6 P.M.-8 P.M. 10% off all items in Shimmer Vinyl or Etched Glass - includes upgrade fee!

8 P.M.-10 P.M. FREE SHIPPING

But wait, there's still more! These additional promotions are in effect the entire day:

• All orders of $200 or more (before tax, S&H, and discounts) qualify for hostess benefits and additional free product
• Your pre-discounted order will be eligible to earn free monthly incentive expressions
• Refer a friend discount: if a friend who's not currently my client places an order and tells me she or he was referred by you, you both get an additional 5% discount off your order.
  
• Schedule a party discount: schedule a future Uppercase Living home party and receive 10% off your entire order placed Friday.
  
• Free Value Pack offer applies to all Photo Print orders of 4x4 or greater

(this is the part where you start humming The Battle Hymn of the Republic)

So now, America, the decision is yours. Will you crawl out of your warm bed on a cold morning to fight for a few good deals? Or will you shop smarter, not harder, do something fun, enjoy spending time with your family, and have a stuffing and mashed potato sandwich while you browse my catalog and website and save money from your favorite chair. I think the choice is obvious.

Another Great Idea for UL Coasters

Can you tell how much I love our coasters for holiday gifts? This great idea is from another one of our creative demonstrators, who created these for her children's teachers. Each teacher only needs one for her desk and since it has her name on it, she doesn't have to worry about someone taking it "by mistake." Although, who wouldn't want one of these? Add a packet or two of hot cocoa or a gift card for coffee to make this a gift that will be used and appreciated.

This idea could be easily adapted for the ladies at the hair salon, friends in the office or any group of people who work together.

Let me know if you need help creating the perfect set of coasters for the people on your gift list.

For You Lovers of Restoration Hardware: Tami's Entryway

If you've ever stepped inside Restoration Hardware and felt the rich, inviting tones of their blue-gray and deep chocolate brown color palette, you can imagine the look of my friend Tami's entryway (I love this color combination so much I used it for my own bedroom). She's spent a lot of time and effort adding on to her home and it looks fabulous. Decorator touches don't overshadow the fact that this is a busy, loving family with four active boys.

Tami is relatively new to Uppercase Living, but she started off with a great choice. Yesterday, the two of us installed the expression you see above a table and a grouping of photos in her entryway. Blurry cell-phone photo aside, it was really the perfect expression, size and color for this spot. What a lovely way to be greeted each time you enter this home. I can't wait to see what Tami does next!

Send me your photos of UL expressions in your home and you just might see them featured here!

View this expression on my website here.

Limited Time Photo Print Promotion

If you've been holding out on getting your own Photo Print, wait no more! Starting today, through Dec. 8, you will receive a FREE Photo Print Value Pack with your purchase of any 4x4 or bigger Photo Print.

Each value pack is a $14.95 value and includes:

• 18" Photo Print of your image
• 10" Photo Print of your image
• 2 8" Silhouettes (all black) of your image

You can use these to decorate smaller spaces such as lockers, boards, and even your car. For all of you Open House guests who have wanted a Photo Print as small as my sample, this is how you get it. My favorite thing to do with these is to put a photo of your young athlete on the car when you drive to games and tournaments. The kids will absolutely love this. The free Value Pack also makes it more affordable to give smaller Photo Prints as gifts. One pack will give you 4 holiday gifts!

There is a ton of information on Photo Prints on my web site, but you can always contact me to brainstorm or work on some ideas. When you upload your photo to my site, make sure to email me a copy too. Then, take a picture of the finished product and send me that as well. I'll post before and after photos here. I can't wait to see the creative ways you all find to showcase this awesome product!

Project Night Order Deadline Extended

Uppercase Living has been getting orders out speedy quick, so I feel comfortable extending the deadline to order your projects to this Sunday, November 15. If you need help with color choices or ideas, please just ask.

Fun Hannukah Project

Thinking about Hanukkah projects tonight, I came up with this great one. Everyone knows that the best part of Hanukkah is piles of crisp latkes (never soggy) topped with applesauce, sour cream and green onions...all at once. Mmmmm...

And what better to serve all those latkes on than our glass charger, customized with this expression and a dreidel? Yes, that's right. You can serve food on Uppercased dishes. In the case of this piece, I will order the vinyl pieces mirror-imaged for you so that they can be applied to the bottom of the glass and never come in contact with the food. A quick hand wash with soap and water when you're done and it continues to look great. I like this so much I might have to make one for myself.

And of course, it doesn't have to be just for Latkes. Change it to "Got Cookies?" "Got Grandma's Brownies?" "Got Pie?" or whatever your family loves to eat.

Order the kit to create on your own or work on at my project night. Latkes not included (cause I ate them all).

More Project Night Ideas

I've already told you about my Project Night on Dec. 4th. So you know that you can pick from the kits in the Holiday Catalog, the projects I've created or come up with your own, like my friend Karynn did. As you make your final project choices (don't forget the ordering deadline is just a few days away) here are four more ideas for you to consider. What I love about all of them is their versatility and your ability to completely customize them. Each gift you make can truly be one of a kind.

1. Photo Coasters: Uppercase Living coasters embellished with vinyl squares to protect the photos that you provide. Gifts don't get more personalized than this. 2. Glass Candle Tray: Embellished with an "etched glass" medallion, this charger becomes an elegant gift that can be displayed on the included easel when it's not holding the candles you add.


3. Reversible Holiday Chipboard Accordion: I love items that can be used for more than one holiday. This cute chipboard accordion has a Christmas greeting on one side and is ready for Valentine's day on the other.

You choose the embellishments and colors; I'll provide the coordinating background paper and ribbon. Paper and ribbon will vary from what's pictured.

4. GIVE Box: You may have seen this in my last newsletter but I love it so much that I had to feature it again. This is our acrylic block embellished with our two part "Give" expression. The block includes a top that turns it into a bank. The idea behind this item is to fill it with spare change throughout the holidays and then donate the contents to a charitable organization at the end of the season. Although it's pictured here in shimmery holiday colors, I think it's worth keeping out and using all year, both at home and at work.


Contact me for pricing or to reserve your kits. Remember, you don't have to attend Project Night to work on these kits.

November Customer Newsletter

I hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween. I really love Thanksgiving and the time leading up to it so I'm looking forward to the next several weeks. This is also the busiest month of the year for me. Between holiday specials, lots of parties, new demonstrator specials and at least one project night, there is a ton going on...all of it fun!

Project Night Dec. 4
There is still space available for my Dec. 4th Project Night. If you've never attended one, they are so much fun! You can choose from the projects here, choose a kit from our holiday catalog (let me know if you still need one), or create your own projects to work on (I'm happy to help you put some ideas together). It'll be a relaxed evening (we can all use that in December!) where you can work on your projects, chat with friends, enjoy some snacks and leave with your completed project. I will also be offering a discount on all orders placed that night.

You do need to pre-order so I can have your materials ready. If you can't attend but would still like to make some items, I can order the supplies and get you the kits with assembly instructions. In order to make sure I have everything here in time, please have your orders to me no later than Nov. 10th.

Party Planning - November Hostesses Earn Even More Rewards
Although my November calendar is fuller than ever, I still have some Open House dates available, particularly in the second half of the month. This is a perfect time to have some friends over, spend some time catching up before the busy holiday season, and get some shopping done. I'll have lots of holiday ideas on display, but you and your guests might just decide you'd rather decorate your own homes, especially if you're expecting holiday visitors. Some fun themes for this time of year include:

• Cookies and cocoa
• Wine and cheese
• Weekday brunch -moms shop while the kids are at school
• Chocolate lovers
• Cozy evening in - light the fireplace and make a big pot of soup
• Margarita fiesta

If you have a particular date in mind, please let me know as soon as possible so I can get it on my calendar. You'll be glad you did because hostesses with $400+ shows that close by Nov. 30 will get a 50% bump in their hostess rewards:

Many of you have Double Up Rewards of $100-$200 and they count toward the minimum you need to take advantage of this great promotion. Why not save on your own holiday shopping and get double the credit on purchases you've already made?

If you'd rather have your party in December, you'll love the hostess and guest specials. As long as your party closes by Dec. 7th, you and your guests will be guaranteed to receive your products by Dec. 24th.

Gingerbread House is Still Available
Our Gingerbread House kit is a huge hit and still available. I have to tell you that it is much cuter in person. My kids have already had so much fun decorating and re-decorating. We are going to love taking out this fun 80+ piece kit year after year. Many of you are ordering these as a gift for families with little ones. At only $19.95 with a $50 purchase, it is a GREAT value for gift-giving.



The Gingerbread House kit is only available until Nov. 15th so don't miss out on your opportunity to get it.

Crazy Low Price on Essentials Starter Kit
So many of us are searching for an extra source of income as we approach the holidays. If you're looking for a fun, flexible way to help your family's finances, consider joining my sales team now. Not only is it our busiest, most profitable time of year, but UL is offering a great deal on our $99 starter kit. You will receive DOUBLE the product credit to choose whatever you want up to $50. Whether you get items to display or for your own home, you'll essentially be starting your business for about $49. Enjoy helping clients beautify their homes, have fun at parties and get to share our great products with people you already know. Contact me to for more information on this fantastic opportunity and to begin earning now.

Holiday Ordering Deadline
For those of you who love the last minute stress of working against a deadline, you can look forward to a crazy scramble of putting together your order on December 7th. For the rest of you who have enough stress in your lives already, please plan on submitting your orders before then for guaranteed delivery by Dec. 24.

Find Me On Facebook!

I've created a Facebook page for my Uppercase Living business. Join now to hear about specials, ideas and events. My husband thinks this is just an excuse for me to spend time online "working." We know better, right?

A Family Holiday Project for All
Although I can't take credit for this idea, I love it enough to want to share it with all of you. This holiday season, create a Family Giving Box. Using our acrylic block and Give expression with present embellishment, create a bank that your family will fill with spare change throughout the season. At the end of December, your family can vote on where to donate the money. I love how this simple project helps make the holidays more meaningful. You might love the idea so much that you'll keep your box out year round.

Black Friday Sale
I hate to add to the frenzy but I have to admit I just love getting a good deal on Black Friday, the crazy shopping day after Thanksgiving. Ever since having small kids, I've used them as an excuse NOT to get up at the crack of dawn to go fight for parking, service and that trendy item everyone has to have for the holiday season. I figure there have to be others out there like me who'd rather sleep in AND get good deals. In honor of us smart shoppers, I'll be having my own Black Friday Sale after Thanksgiving. Stay tuned to my blog and a special edition of my newsletter for details. At different points in the day I'll be offering various specials such as discounts, additional FREE items and even FREE shipping. But in honor of my desire to sleep off my Thanksgiving feast, neither one of us will have to get up early to participate.

Here, There, and Everywhere

In the coming weeks I have plans to hold Open Houses from Ventura to Valencia (and even Van Nuys!). Some of my events will be open to the public so if you'd like to catch me in your town, check my calendar on my website and see if I'll be in your neighborhood.

Who Doesn't Love a Good Recipe?
Have you visited my Uppercase Living website recently? Next time you do you'll notice a new recipe section with materials lists and step-by-step instructions to recreate some of the most popular projects you see pictured in our catalog. You will love not having to guess at sizes, colors or techniques.

Birthday Greetings
My last couple of newsletters have been so lengthy that I've left out the birthday section. But that doesn't mean that the birthday discount has gone away. If you celebrate your birthday in October or November, you can enjoy 10% off any item as my gift. Happy fall birthday ladies.

Everything Else
I sincerely appreciate those of you who forward this newsletter to friends and family. Your referrals are the greatest compliment and truly help my business grow (and make my day).

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a great November and end it surrounded by loved ones for a lovely Thanksgiving.

Torreh

Great New Feature on my Website

You've no doubt seen some of the great photos in the Uppercase Living Catalog & Idea Book or throughout my web site and wondered how to create a similar look. Now, UL has taken all of the guesswork out of project planning by providing recipes for some of our most popular projects.


By going to the Products tab of my website and clicking on Recipes you will find several projects to choose from. Each project includes a complete materials list, including non-Uppercase Living items, and step-by-step instructions. You can even add all of the UL items to your shopping cart at once without having to search through the site for each one.

Check out some of these great projects. You just might find the perfect gift or decor item.

Joshua's Nursery

It's always so much fun for me to be involved with a design from inception to installation. Remember when baby Joshua's parents asked me to design a custom expression for his turtle-themed nursery? I gave them three choices and they picked the one you see here. This week I went over to help Joshua's Mommy install the expression. Didn't it turn out so cute? What was even cuter was Joshua staring at his turtle mobile as it went around and around. His poor mom had to keep winding up that thing. Why don't they make those with batteries?

Anyway, I think Joshua's turtle expression came out so adorable and more importantly, so does his mom. The most amazing part is that the entire 4-part custom expression cost only $24.00. Uppercase Living makes it totally affordable to customize your space with the designs, colors, and lettering of your choice.

I love knowing that Joshua has a one-of-a-kind design on his nursery wall. His mom and dad love it too. But now they face their next challenge: choosing what they'd like to put on the other walls in his room!

Don't Say I Didn't Warn You

It's dawned on me that with so many different specials and promotions going on with UL right now, not to mention the busy fall shopping time, it might get confusing to keep all the dates and deadlines straight. Here, for your reference, is the definitive (until I change something) time line for the next couple of months.

Nov. 10 - Last day to order projects to work on at my Dec. 4 Project Night.
Nov. 15 - Last day to order our Gingerbread House kit.
Nov. 27 - Hmmm...the day after Thanksgiving. Maybe I'll have a Black Friday special if enough people tell me they'd like one.
Nov. 30 - Last day to get DOUBLE PRODUCT CREDITS when you buy a $99 starter kit. The credits make the cost to join Uppercase Living only $49. Start saving on your own Uppercase Living purchases and make some extra money selling our great products to friends and family.
Nov. 30 - Last day for hostesses to earn 50% more in hostess dollars with $400+ parties.
Dec. 4 - My annual Project Night. A fun and relaxing time to socialize and work on holiday projects. .
Dec. 7 - Last day to order for guaranteed delivery by December 24th. Last day to order from Holiday Catalog. Last day to order expressions in Shimmer Vinyl colors.

Hopefully this will help you plan and relieve any last minute stress. As always, I'm available to help you with gift ideas, project planning, party dates or more information on joining Uppercase Living yourself.

Great Incentive for November Hostesses

If you've been waiting for just the right time to have your Uppercase Living party, the time is November! Not only is it prime time for holiday shopping, and your stressed out friends will love to get together for a relaxing couple of hours to socialize and shop, but you can now earn even more rewards for hosting a fun Uppercase Living party. When your party reaches $400 in guest orders, your rewards increase by 50%! You can also take advantage of Double Up Rewards from previous purchases.
Although my November calendar is filling up quickly, I do have some dates left. Contact me now to schedule your party and if you're not nearby, talk to me about having a catalog party.

More Gingerbread Fun

It's officially November and as we all recover from our sugar comas and relax after that extra hour of sleep, I want to remind you that there is just a short time to get our cute fat-free, mess-free Gingerbread House kit.

I always recommend that my customers place this on a wall, glass door, window or refrigerator. Here are some more ideas for this fun kit. I think it will become one of those holiday items that your family looks forward to taking out and enjoying year after year.

• Place the kit on your front door with a note asking visitors to help decorate your gingerbread house. Watch it come to life during the holiday season.
• Use it as an advent calendar. Each day in December, add 3 pieces of "candy" to the house. In my family, that would equal one candy per child. You'll have a few left over by the time Christmas comes.
  
• Have a holiday Scavenger Hunt! Hide the candy pieces throughout your house and have your children find them before decorating the gingerbread house. You can stick the removable, reusable pieces on windows, doors, walls, furniture, appliances, even inside the sink.
  
• Take the kit to work! Apply it to a centrally located wall and invite colleagues to help decorate it through the season. No one will be able to walk by without adding their personal touch.
  
• Carry the holiday theme through your house. Use just a few pieces to decorate the gingerbread house, then use the rest of of the "candy" in a bathroom, front door, side lights, anywhere you'd like some more holiday spirit.
  
• Donate a kit to a women's shelter, group home, or any other organization that serves families. They will be so appreciative of something new to entertain and amuse their clients.

However you plan to use it, share your ideas here and don't forget that you need to order yours by Nov. 16th. Contact me for more information.