Bailey's Room: Old Hollywood Glamour

Korina, one of my fabulous hostesses, is a busy mom of 4, wife, daughter, friend and elementary school teacher. This woman goes nonstop! She also has a love of words and a great eye for decor, which is great for her lucky daughter, Bailey.

While Korina was home for Winter Break, Bailey's room got a dramatic makeover! As Bailey heads into her teens, her room needs to reflect her more grown up taste. With dark furniture and photos of Marilyn Monroe already in the space, Korina knew exactly what she wanted to add.  She started with a custom Marilyn Monroe quote in one of our newer fonts, Satisfaction. Korina has become quite a pro at using the MyDesign Suite on my website to create custom expressions. The quote she chose is perfect for a teenager's room, I think, especially when insecurities creep in. She placed it on a narrower space above the closet, where Bailey will see it from her bed. The space doesn't lend itself to most decorating options, but UL lettering fits it beautifully.

The focal point of Bailey's room is her bed, featuring pale grays and pinks. Korina set it off by adding our Grande Chandelier in Matte Black. The color pops on the soft gray walls, but doesn't distract the eye from the color on the bed. Elegant and glamorous, it's a wonderful addition above Bailey's headboard. 

The finished room is a gorgeous space for Bailey to hang out. The decor Korina picked is sure to please for many years. I don't foresee Bailey outgrowing this room any time soon. In fact, I can think of several adults who would love a room like this. Oh, and did I mention the fabulous deal Korina got on all this vinyl (and much more) by hosting an Uppercase Living party just before the holidays? She got much of her order absolutely FREE.

I'd like to thank Korina for allowing me to share these photos of her beautiful work. I'm so pleased that I got to be involved in a small way in helping create Bailey's room. I can't wait to show you what else Korina has planned!

You can see more photos of Bedroom Decor in my public Facebook album.

Guest Blogger: Getting and STAYING Organized in the New Year

I am so excited to feature my first ever guest blogger, Stacy Thomes of Strive to Organize. Stacy is a professional organizer and Super Mom with lots of great ideas to help keep our homes and lives more organized. I'm thrilled she's written this post exclusively for Please Use Your Words.

As we approach 2012 (yes, 2012) we likely have New Year’s resolutions on our mind. We all have behaviors we would like to change and traditionally the New Year is the time to make the declaration “out loud” and commit to making those changes. But, how do we really make them stick? Whether it’s cooking more, eating less, spending more time with family, helping others in need or never being late again, staying organized is the core factor behind all of these behavioral changes.

But how, you ask, do I stay organized? To tell you the truth, it’s a mindset. You have to make the decision to simply stay on top of things, plan ahead and believe that you can do it. And you can. Really.

If you really want to make a change, you have to do some research, on yourself. Take a few moments to ask yourself why you are disorganized, let’s take a look and analyze our behaviors step by step. Try this exercise;

• Write down the main obstacles you come across on a daily basis on piece of paper. Be totally honest with yourself. Too much clutter in your home? Can’t keep up with the kid’s obligations? Always late? Constantly feeling stressed and rushed?
• Now, dissect those behaviors by writing down the reasons you think that is your reality. Why are you always late? Why is there too much clutter? Be totally honest with yourself-no one has to see this. Just do it for you.
• Now write down HOW you can change it. Do you need to hire a professional organizer to come and help do a clean sweep in your home? Do you need to work on your time management and start keeping lists? Do you need to stop over committing to too many events, volunteering and work?  Asking for help and saying NO are often very difficult, but sometimes we just need to. Respect yourself and know your boundaries and ONLY do things you really want to.

Are you done? Great job! This exercise should be enlightening and reveal patterns in your behavior that can easily be tweaked to help you be more productive and less stressed. Just believe you can do ANYTHING you want BUT it is up to YOU to make those changes. Anyone can do this, but like I said, it is all in your mindset. Empower yourself. Make a decision to make those changes, even in tiny baby steps, one thing at a time, and you will achieve your ultimate goal.

Once you’ve gone through this process and highlighted the areas you want to work on, then look for the specific tools that will make this easier. Uppercase Living has a variety of products that work well in an organized home. Their line of Erasable Vinyl (chalk or dry erase) can go anywhere from the garage to the kitchen to the kids’ rooms. You can cut a plain piece to any shape, or use the predesigned items that fit your needs, such as a chore chart to help keep the kids on track, a weekly menu (planning meals ahead means no more last minute pizza delivery), or a family calendar.

With Uppercase Living custom lettering, you can add your kids’ names to bins or tubs so they have one place for their things to go. For a child who is too young to read, a little face is also available. There are also images such as trains, cars, planes, etc. that can help you label boxes or tubs for specific toys. Again, no reading required!

We often spend so much time helping others that we tend to put ourselves last. When we have families that depend on us, taking care of ourselves is of number one importance because if we don’t, our whole family can crumble (and we can succumb to the desire of wine, pills and overall exhaustion!). This year, make a resolution to be kind to yourself. Consider adding an uplifting UL expression somewhere where it will be a daily reminder to go easy on you! If your child were suffering from chronic disorganization how would you help him or her? Treat yourself, you really do deserve it. Cheers to a New Year and a new and improved you.

For all of your organizing needs, contact Stacy Thomes, owner and operator of Strive to Organize located in Woodland Hills, California - http://strivetoorganize.com

For daily organizing tips, visit her on Facebook.

Merry Christmas!

I hope you're enjoying a relaxing holiday weekend, surrounded by loved ones, with happiness and joy all around. Merry Christmas.

Uppercase Living Holiday Madness Sale and Clearance NOW!

While most retailers wait until after Christmas to mark down their (leftover) merchandise, Uppercase Living has a sale and clearance going on NOW through December 29th. As if that weren't enough, tons of accessories have been put on Clearance and the 20% off applies to them, too! If you've been missing some of the discontinued accessories like the Mini Punched Metal Tiles or waiting for kits like the Pre-Drilled Foundations Board with photo frames included...they're back! Of course, this is a limited time offer, and things have already begun to sell out, so don't wait to place your order.

Here are some ideas for how you can take advantage of this great sale and maybe even get a jump on some 2012 projects:

• Stock up on Blume monogram and birth stone charms for all the birthdays next year.
• Order lettering to advertise your business on your storefront or car. A small investment can bring lots of business your way. 
• Create a magnetic memo board, signed by the whole class, for the teacher's end of year gift.
• Get some Erasable Vinyl to get your pantry or garage organized. Don't forget the markers!
• Create a photo board for the perfect Mother's Day present.
• Finally get that Grande Format expression you've been wanting. Ditto for the long custom expression that has just been too expensive, and the clock too!
• Get lettering for the office: names, business hours, and mission statements are all so much more affordable. If your business has leftover marketing dollars in the budget, use it before the end of the year!
• Order embellishments for your scrapbooks and cards!

These are just a few ways to save big on Uppercase Living during this fantastic sale, but there are so many more. I'd love to help you with a custom design or whatever you need. Happy Holidays and enjoy the savings!

Keep Calm and Uppercase

It all started with King George. In 1939, prior to the outbreak of World War II, his Ministry of Information commissioned the now-ubiquitous "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster as a message to motivate and reassure the British population. Rediscovered in 2000, the poster has taken on a new life and you can now find it on socks, tins, stationary and so much more, with dozens of variations.

When the new Uppercase Living catalog was unveiled this past summer, I was thrilled to see the original "Keep Calm and Carry On" included. My customers were, too, and have enjoyed selecting this expression in different sizes and colors to fit their decor. Of course, it doesn't just have to go in your home. Personally, I think every car on the Los Angeles freeways needs one for its back window.

 

Since the beauty of Uppercase Living is our endless options for customization, it wasn't too long before I started coming up with other "Keep Calm" designs. First, this one for Halloween, which fit in perfectly with my friend JoAnne's decor.

After that, I decided to have some fun with Thanksgiving. It wasn't long before I turned "Keep Calm And Give Thanks" to "Keep Calm And Eat Pie." At the same time, I realized that there are some sentiments that aren't limited to just the holidays. Thus were born "Keep Calm And Drink Coffee" and its big sister, "Keep Calm And Drink Wine" (could tequila be far behind?).

 

Before long, it was time to start thinking about the holiday season. I had a couple ideas of my own, such as
 

 

and

 but JoAnne insisted on

Of course, I couldn't forget Hanukkah, so I also designed

And then when the snow started to fall on the East Coast and Midwest, I realized that people might get into somewhat of a panic. To reassure them, I created

Obviously, the possibilities are endless. As I thought about all of the different embellishments Uppercase Living offers, I realized what a great addition these signs would be in sorority and fraternity houses. We have all of the Greek letters and over 50 colors to choose from. So something like this design is quite easy to create.

And so is a design to share your team spirit:

Wouldn't that be great for tailgating?

All of the designs shown here are sized to fit a 16x20 canvas (available inexpensively in most craft stores) that can be painted in any color. Of course, they can also be applied to the wall, door, cars, etc. Because they are custom designs, the size is completely flexible. In this size, most designs are under $30.

Whether it's a reminder to yourself to keep calm, or a custom gift for someone else, this is one expression that will be fun to have around. Contact me so I can create the perfect "Keep Calm" for you!

Gifts That Give Back

Uppercase Living is dedicated to uplifting people through our people, products and company. I'm proud that we often reach out to help different organizations around the country. We've always supported charities through the sale of our products and this year that goes even further with our Create Hope initiative.

First, throughout our Idea Book you'll find the following expressions whose sales help us support Habitat For Humanity and their effort to create housing throughout the U.S. and Canada.

One of our most popular Blume items also helps support Habitat: the Create Hope Bracelets. My customers love knowing that their purchase helps those in their community. I love that they are fun, colorful and easy to wear (they look great with jeans!), and can be split into up to 4 separate gifts or one big one.

Finally, our Help Others collection is designed entirely to provide help and support to single mothers in Uganda. The whole collection is made using Berr Beads, beads made by wrapping recycled magazines around a bicycle spoke, then applying a resin to make them stronger and more durable. The beads are then strung by hand on different pieces of jewelry. The whole result is a collection of beautiful pieces, no two alike, but each bringing hope and self reliance to a group of mothers across the world. As a mother myself, this means so much to me, and my customers agree. But as a woman, I love the unique, colorful pieces which are like no other jewelry I've ever worn. My favorite is the Multi-color Mix Necklace, which constantly catches the attention of others whenever I wear it. I usually wear it as a bracelet, since it goes with almost everything in my wardrobe, and I can even add a charm if I feel like it.

While the multi color Help Others pieces are fun and playful, the single color ones are much more sophisticated. I particularly love the Soft Silver Necklace.

Whichever of these pieces you choose, you can feel good knowing that your purchase not only provides a gorgeous and heartfelt gift to someone on your list (even if that person is you!), but it also helps create jobs, homes, income, self-reliance, stability and most importantly hope, to families both at home and abroad. What a wonderful feeling, especially at this time of year.

You can view more photos of our Blume jewelry collection in my public Facebook album.

It's Cyber Monday At Uppercase Living!

Hooray for Cyber Monday - the day when you can sit at your computer, get great deals and not have to deal with crazy pepper spray wielding shoppers! You can save on my website too. At Uppercase Living, Cyber Monday has already started. All day today you will receive 10% off all orders with unlimited savings. You will also receive FREE gifts with your order of $60 or more. I'll be available today to help you with your orders, custom designs and gift ideas, so don't hesitate to contact me. Enjoy being a smart shopper and enjoy your Cyber Monday savings from Uppercase Living.

Counting Down to Christmas With Uppercase Living

By far one of my favorite things in our Holiday Mini Catalog is this year's Christmas Countdown Kit. My kids love counting the days until Santa comes so we're all about a cute set like this. It's perfect for any home with children, churches, classrooms, Grandma's house, and even makes a whimsical addition to an office.

I also love this because it is a fantastic value. For only $19.95 the kit includes the metal charger, the two part expression in your choice of colors (I got mine in Crimson Red and Electric Lime), and a magnet that moves closer to Christmas with each passing day. All you do is assemble it (if you're local, I can do that for you) and begin the fun. You can even send it as a gift directly to someone who will think of you each day they move that magnet.

UL Tip: Glue a sparkly snowflake or other embellishment to the magnet to make it extra special. 

If you order your kit today, it will be an even better value because you'll also receive this 11"x11" sheet of Christmas designs absolutely FREE.

Whether it's for you or a gift, this is one decoration that will be enjoyed year after year, for the entire month of December. Happy counting!

Black Friday Goodness from Uppercase Living!

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all! I hope you'll spend the day celebrating with loved ones and eating your fill of wonderful food. As you recover from the gluttony and start thinking ahead to tomorrow's shopping (or tonight's, if you're really dedicated), know that Uppercase Living has its own Black Friday Door Busters in store for you. The only thing is, with our door busters, you don't have to leave your house when it's still dark out and fight crowds of rabid shoppers for the deals. They're all on my website and you can shop from the comfort of your own couch, or even bed!

Our great deals will start at 4 a.m. Pacific time and go until 9 a.m. During that time you will save 50% on all Blume jewelry on pages 17 and 18 of our catalog, including our most expensive item, the gorgeous Out On A Limb necklace.Quantities on these items are very limited so do shop early.

You will also save on all Grande Format items on pages 72 and 73 of our Idea Catalog. This includes both styles of headboards, our most popular trees (perfect for family trees) and much more. You can see lots of photos of the possibilities for these designs in my Facebook album. Here's just one example.

Finally, all orders placed tomorrow will automatically receive this bonus sheet of Christmas designs absolutely FREE!!!! This is in addition to any FREE items you can choose when your order reaches $60, $80, or $100.

Add low flat rate shipping of just $5.95 and you've got great deals galore!

If you'd like to take advantage of any of these deals but want to sleep in really late, just email me your order and payment information and I'll place it for you. Can you say the same for the big box store with the long lines?

So enjoy family, friends and good food today. And enjoy sleeping in, hassle free shopping, and great savings tomorrow morning. Happy Thanksgiving.

Eeeeeeek!! It's A Freeeeeee Gift for Halloweeeeen!

Just in time for Halloween, Uppercase Living has a new FREE gift for you! If you place an order of $50 or more by September 29, you will receive this fun expression in your choice of Pumpkin Spice or Whipped Creme as your FREE gift! And if your order reaches $60, $80 or $100 you'll get to choose even more FREE items from our September monthly choices.

Shown here on a front door, it's the perfect thing to greet your trick-or-treaters. This expression would be just as cute on our Vintage Embossed Metal Board so you can use it from year to year. I also love the idea of putting it on the back of your car and taking your Halloween spirits on the road.

To get yours simply place your order of $50 or more on my website before Thursday night. You'll automatically be prompted to choose your free gift. If you wait too long, though, the offer will vanish like Dracula at dawn. Happy Haunting!

Something New is in BLUME!

It's been a while since I posted here. When I go a long time between posts, it's usually for one of two reasons. Either life got crazy and I just couldn't make it here, or there is something so big that I can't find the words to tell you about it adequately. In this case, it's the latter (though life sure is crazy around here). On Sept. 1 Uppercase Living launched a brand new product line and it's taken me this long to post because there is a lot to say.

Our new line, called Blume, is a unique collection of personal, sentimental, unique and beautiful jewelry. That's right, I said jewelry! I'm sure you're wondering how jewelry fits in with Uppercase Living's home decor offerings. After all, aren't we a vinyl company? That's exactly what I thought when I first heard about Blume. I just didn't see the connection at first. That has definitely changed.



Uppercase Living's motto is Live A Life Inspired. From our customers, to hostesses to demonstrators and home office staff, the company seeks to uplift and inspire on a daily basis. This has always been the case with our vinyl expressions. Now, with Blume, you can take your inspiration with you. The pieces are all designed with a story, a message, or a feeling in mind. There are pieces that can be personalized with letters or numbers, embellishment charms with inspiring messages, monograms and symbols and even a bracelet that you can embellish with included vinyl designs (the photo actually shows the blank bracelet with a vinyl vine on it). Sweet birthstones keep your loved ones close to your heart. There are even products designed to help the world by giving back both at home and internationally.  

You might be wondering where this leaves our vinyl offerings. It leaves them in great shape, judging by our brand new Holiday Mini Catalog. It is full of fun and meaningful ideas for the holidays from Halloween through New Year's. UL has done a fantastic job with this one and our vinyl products continue to impress.

As a testament to UL's commitment to us demonstrators, they have made it so easy for us to add Blume jewelry to our offerings. We have separate catalogs but combine both product lines to maximize orders and party sales. By combining the two, our customers get more free gifts and Double Up Rewards, and our hostesses also benefit by earning more FREE products from bigger parties. They can use their hostess benefits on either product line and get some of each. New demonstrators can choose whether they want to focus on our traditional vinyl, Blume jewelry, or both, like me.

So there you have it: 6 weeks of pondering since my last post to tell you this exiting news. I encourage you to take a look at Blume and see what about it inspires you. You're also welcome to come to my upcoming Open House and try on some pieces in person. I'll be sharing more stories about this unique line here in the future and of course, photos on my Facebook page. But for now, take a look at the following video and get ready to BLUME with Uppercase Living.

Back to School With Uppercase Living: Getting Your Greek On

Every year, it seems Back To School time comes earlier and earlier. As my kids grow and my circle of friends expands, I'm realizing that "Back to School" means different things to different people. For me, it means buying jeans and sneakers and wondering about school lunches and kindergarten schedules, while adjusting to having a middle schooler for the first time. For my neighbor who works at home, it means the last few days of the countdown he started on the last day of school. And for others, it means dropping their babies off at dormitories and frat houses, saying "good bye" until their kids come home for Thanksgiving break.

For many, many young people, the college experience goes hand in hand with Sorority and Fraternity life. Students in the Greek system love to wear their letters with pride. It's on their clothing and jewelry...and now it can go on their walls and so many other places.

One of the best kept secrets about Uppercase Living is that we have the entire Greek alphabet in a range of sizes and all of our great colors. One of our smart Senior Directors took full advantage of this when she dropped her daughter off at the Pi Beta Phi house at the University of Kentucky this weekend by applying a variety of colorful expressions.

The main installation is the Sorority's letters that you see above. Of course, all college students need a memo board on their doors for notes from roommates and friends who stop by. So our Pi Phi got an Uppercase Living dry erase Erasable with a frame and again, the same Greek letters from the wall, in a much smaller size.

 

Throughout their history, the women of Pi Phi have been associated with Angels, so Mom chose an  Angel expression for above her daughter's bed in a color that perfectly complements the fun bedding. 

 On the adjoining wall, she created a custom expression about angels using two different fonts. Our vinyl lettering is the perfect solution for these walls because at the end of the year, the letters can be simply removed without causing any damage to the painted surface underneath.

Of course, doors and walls aren't the only places that can be adorned with those Greek letters. Think water bottles, cars, bikes or scooters, mirrors, and all those gifts for little sisters!

If your college student isn't in a sorority or fraternity, you can still send some lettering to school to decorate their dorm rooms and apartments. Keep your focus on the home team, school colors and lots of Erasables (stay tuned for a post on how Erasables can make going back to school a little easier).
Regardless of what kind of lettering you and your student choose to decorate with, it will add an element of fun, school pride and most important of all, a subtle reminder that someone at home is thinking about that student with love. Who knows? It might even motivate them to call home once in a while!

Thanks to Uppercase Living Senior Director Felicia Garrett for sharing these photos of her daughter's room.

FREE Expression Creates Cute Thanksgiving Project

 

Before you send me a nasty email about posting a Thanksgiving project in August, take a look at this fun idea. It's just too cute not to share right away. Besides, the expression you see here can be yours FREE with a qualifying order or party during August.

Without getting too sentimental or philosophical, I ardently believe that gratitude should be expressed daily, and I try to get my kids into that important habit. I loved our Gratitude Tree in last year's Holiday Catalog (psst...don't tell, I still haven't taken mine down). This little project can encourage your family to do just that, not just during Thanksgiving but throughout the year.  

Making this little project is easy: 

You'll need your expression which you can get FREE with a qualifying order in August, a pre-drilled MDF Foundations board (isn't it great that they now come painted?), and 7 clothespins. The clothespins in the photo have been dyed different colors with fabric dye. You could also dye them all the same color or cover them with scrapbook paper. Another option would be to use our Vintage Knobs or Metal Hooks and hang the little notes of gratitude with yarn or pretty ribbon. If you're using clothespins, glue them to your board to with wood glue, hot glue or glue dots. When the glue is dry you can clip little notes right to the board. 

To purchase the Uppercase Living lettering and Foundations board for this project, just contact me or visit my website. Don't forget to send me a photo of your finished project.

August Project of the Month: Keep Calm and Carry On

A new catalog brings with it lots of new options for monthly project ideas. One of my favorite new expressions inspires this month's: a prepainted (thank you crafting Gods) square Foundations board adorned with this simple instruction: Keep Calm and Carry On. You may have seen this message on posters or other items in trendy boutiques recently. It's based on a British poster designed in 1939 during World War I. For me, it serves as a daily reminder to not lose my mind and continue with the 3,000 or so items on my to-do list. It really is a good message to embrace. You can get both the board and the lettering, in the color of your choice, for just under $31. I think this is a perfect back to school gift for teachers, or a great gift for anyone with a high stress job. Keep in mind that the expression also comes in a smaller size, which would be perfect for the inside of a locker, as a little hidden reminder inside a kitchen cabinet, or even on the back of your car.

To learn more about the history of this unique expression, check out the Wikipedia entry. And, of course, to order your August monthly project, keep calm and contact me.

Our Brand New Catalog Has Arrived!!!!

Last week, at our annual convention at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, Uppercase Living finally revealed the brand new vinyl catalog that we've all been waiting impatiently for. It is now available for you to page through on my website. All the new expressions are also there for you to browse or search. There is just too much good stuff for me to detail individually here. But here are some of the highlights to whet your appetite. Hostesses always get free catalogs, so contact me to schedule your party and I'll get one out to you ASAP. And now, here's the scoop:

Brand new color: This year's new color is Mustard Seed. It's a deep yellow that is not only decor-friendly, but the perfect shade for softballs and water polo balls for all those sports teams. I think it will look particularly beautiful on darker walls and/or paired with Navy, Slate Gray (a very on-trend combination right now) or Vintage Bordeaux. 

Tons of new expressions: I love our new expressions. So many beautiful sentiments with more contemporary fonts and styling; sweet, fun, romantic, serious and playful; always with the most important undertone being home, family and the activities that bond us together. There are so many inspirational words for your walls. Here's one of my favorites:

Big Changes on Accessories: You'll notice that our Accessories section has been streamlined. The MDF Foundations boards all now come painted white!! There's a gorgeous new Vintage Embossed Metal Board in Berry, which previously had just been a seasonal item. Best news of all: lower prices on all Frameworks!!

New Grande Format Designs: These versatile designs continue to be popular.  Among the botanicals and other designs are my favorite: headboards! Over the years I've designed many headboard replacements for customers who just couldn't have the real thing. Now I can add two actual headboard designs to the options. Here is the wrought iron look:

12 New Fonts: The choices in creating your own vinyl lettering designs are greater than ever with the introduction of 12 new fun, contemporary, classy, versatile and gorgeous fonts. Which do you like best?

A Brand New Hostess Rewards Plan: Our new, simplified hostess rewards plan gives you more FREE and half price products than ever before when you host a fun Uppercase Living party. Every hostess with a qualifying party gets at least 2 half price items in addition to her FREE products. Plus, you'll earn FREE products based on every single dollar your guests spend at your party. More goodies for you! As my calendar fills with hostesses wanting to share the new catalog with their friends, party dates will be more difficult to fine. I'd love to schedule yours!

Fun New Additions to Erasables: We love our Chalk Walls because they come in handy in so many ways. Plus they are just so much fun! The new Value Pack is perfect for organizing any space, from a pantry to a craft room to a garage...and more! Our Chalk Markers are now available in red and blue. And guess what else:

I can't wait to share more ideas for this fun and versatile product with you. Look for my "Back to School With Chalk Wall" post soon.

Returning Favorites: To celebrate Uppercase Living's 5th anniversary, some customer favorites have been brought out of retirement and back to our new catalog. You'll be able to find them all with the special logo throughout the catalog. Here's one I love that is not only cute for a bathroom but perfect for a dental office:

Those are just some of the highlights of this fantastic new catalog. Others include leopard print, the Serenity Prayer, owls, lots of great clocks and so much more. Once again, the possibilities for lettering and design are virtually unlimited. I would love the opportunity to help you create a uniquely personalized space with our products. Design and consultation services are always FREE and you can even earn your products FREE when you host a party. Just let me know how I can help you. And if you love working with me, I would appreciate your referrals. I consider them the highest form of praise. I look forward to working with all of you and sharing the great new products in this catalog, and many many more new things with you.

Summer Splash Ends Today!

It's finally here: the last day of Summer Splash. The last day to Buy 2, Get 1 FREE. Your last opportunity to get Hermione FREE when you buy Harry and Ron. Your final day to create an awesome word cloud and get a third of it FREE. The .... hmmm, www.thesaurus.com isn't inspiring me with any other synonyms. Hopefully, though, you get the picture. Today is the last day of our fantastic Buy 2, Get 1 FREE special. There is definitely time for you to get your orders in. I will be available throughout the day morning and afternoon tomorrow for anyone who needs help. You can also order all day on my website. Just make sure you place your order by 11 PM Pacific Time to take advantage of the Buy 2, Get 1 Free special. Or the Buy 6, get 2 free. Or Buy 9, get 3 FREE...

Rotate Your Way Into Great Design

Have you heard? There is a whole new way to create custom expressions in MyDesign Suite. The brand new Rotation Tool is giving me all kinds of ideas and I wanted to share a few of them with you. With the popularity of subway art, and word clouds like the ones on Wordle, I've been wanting to play with some custom designs made of multiple words within a theme for a while. However, without the ability to rotate individual elements, the MyDesign suite on my website just couldn't produce an accurate preview of what it would look like with our products. Fortunately, that is no longer the case.

Inspired by some of my colleagues, today I created this design as a possible addition to our home. While I still need to find the perfect spot for it, I am absolutely in love with this concept. I love how personal I can make the design, using all of our names as well as our anniversary (which we refer to as our family's birthday). Of course, the mix of colors and fonts is just a taste o what's possible with our products. The most fun part is how easy it was to rotate the words "love" and "Julia."

With my kids still on my mind, I created a couple more designs, because it's so much fun in the interest of research.

What's great about these designs is that they are quite affordable and can be created to fit any space and budget. Right now, they are even easier on the wallet because of Buy 2, Get 1 FREE. In the "brothers" design, for example, 3 of the sections are FREE!

There are so many different ways to use this great design concept. Here are just a few:

• In a kitchen with cooking words such as bake, chop, mix, stir, etc.
• Repeat the same word in multiple languages. Good ones would be love, welcome or family.
• As wall art for a beach cottage or mountain cabin.
• As a wedding gift with the couple's names, wedding date and either romantic words or words that are meaningful to the bride and groom. 
• In a photography studio as a backdrop for family pictures. 
• As contemporary church decor with words of faith.
• In a dental office with gentle reminders such as brush, floss, don't chew ice, and more. 

There is still time to save on your perfect design; Summer Splash and Buy 2, Get 1 FREE go on through July 15. Start playing around with the MyDesign suite and create some individualized artwork or send me a list of words you'd like incorporated in your design and I'll create it for you. Either way, don't miss out on the great savings. It's so exciting to share with you yet one more way Uppercase Living personalizes and beautifies your life.

How Big Is Harry Potter?

The closer we get to the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, the more the excitement builds for our exclusive Harry Potter Photo Prints. There have been some questions about their size, so this video should give you a good reference point. You'll notice that each contour cut Photo Print also comes with a contour cut movie title.

Watch carefully and see if you can figure out which movie character is not actually a Photo Print.



Don't forget, you can get a FREE print when you buy 2 others before July 15.

A Note About Joining Uppercase Living

Part of what I do as an Uppercase Living demonstrator is mentor and support others who begin their own UL businesses. I love this part of my job. It's so much fun to hear the excitement in a new demonstrator's voice as she realizes the possibilities are with this amazing company. I love hearing the different reasons people decide this is what they need to do: to help their families financially, to earn enough for a new car payment or family vacation, to do something fun and creative as a break from a mentally grueling full-time job, to fill the time when the kids are finally all at school, or to get away from the kids and spend some time with adults. The reasons are as diverse as the individuals who have joined our company in the last five years.

As Uppercase Living celebrates its 5th anniversary this year, we demonstrators anticipate a whole new level of innovation and growth. Just this week, UL has announced an unprecedented product, the Harry Potter Photo Prints, our first foray into licensed images, along with a new patented adhesive. Clearly, Uppercase Living is looking to the future and it looks pretty bright! No wonder that each day we get to welcome new demonstrators from all over the U.S. and Canada to our company.

But now, for the first time, Uppercase Living will undergo a freeze on new demonstrator sign-ups from July 1 to July 25. This is necessary as UL gets ready to roll out some exciting changes which will be announced at our upcoming annual convention. Anyone who joins before then will be able to conduct business as usual throughout the freeze period. In fact, there is a benefit for signing up now. However, if you'd like to join my team but don't do it before June 30, you'll have to wait until the freeze is lifted on July 26.

I always advise anyone who approaches me about joining Uppercase Living to do it when the time is right for her or him. This time, however, I'm saying "Don't wait. Do it now!" There are definite benefits to joining before the freeze begins and I'd be happy to discuss them with you personally. Like I said, each person I talk to has a different set of reasons for joining and questions before she makes her decision. Let's talk about yours!

Calling All Witches and Wizards. Muggles, This Is Not For You!

Like so many of you out there, I am a big fan of the Harry Potter books. I discovered them the summer my daughter was born, while I spent endless hours holding a sleeping baby (the little stinker would NOT sleep in her crib). I quickly caught up and waited anxiously for each subsequent book to be released. Each time I'd disappear for a few days until I finished the book. They are extraordinary. Now, I'm looking forward to sharing the books with that same baby who caused me to get hooked on them, since she turns 11 next week and is at that perfect Harry Potter age.

Knowing how many of you also love Harry, I'm so excited about Uppercase Living's exclusive release of Harry Potter Photo Prints, larger than life vinyl decals of Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger! Just in time for the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, these are going to be fantastic for your favorite Potter fan, not to mention perfect party decor!

Each is 47" high and features a new, patented adhesive that is strong but still gentle on your walls, making the prints removable and reusable! This will make them an ideal choice for dorm rooms and apartments, even office cubicles! Their size will blow any traditional poster right out of a the water!

The Harry Potter Photo Prints are available for a limited time for only $49.95 each. However, if you order them before July 15, you can use our amazing Buy 2, Get 1 FREE Summer Splash special and get your third one FREE. No need to choose your favorite, because you can get a complete set! And if you order all three, you'll also receive 2 of our monthly bonus expressions FREE as well! No need to hit your stash of gold at Gringotts; this offer is magically affordable!

Getting your Harry Potter Photo Prints is almost as easy as waving a wand. You won't need any Floo powder, or magic spells. You won't even need a promotion code! Just send me an email or visit my website and search for Harry Potter. Don't wait too long, though, because on August 31 the Harry Potter Photo Prints will disappear. And unlike Dumbledore's Phoenix, they won't reappear once they're gone. Place your order now, and while you wait for Hedwig (or your UPS man, if you live in a Muggle neighborhood) to bring it, enjoy this trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2

Tricky Installation? Try this Quick Release Technique!

One of the questions I get asked most often is "Will Uppercase Living vinyl work on my textured walls?" The answer is definitely "YES!" You can definitely put our expressions on textured surfaces, but you might run into a little bit of a challenge when it's time to remove the transfer paper. Here is one technique that will help you if that happens:



Another technique? Give me a call and I'll help you through it! Simple.

Inspired By Papa: A Legacy to Live By

Isn't Facebook great? Where else can you read you friends' horoscopes, see where they had lunch, get a feel for their political views and see picture after picture of their kids, not to mention tend a farm, fight zombies and mobsters and get poked? Now, I'm as big a Facebook junkie as you'll find out there, but I pride myself on my ability to, ahem, skim my News Feed, glossing over most of the silly stuff. Once in a while though, I'll see something that stops me right in my tracks. That's what happened when my friend Kerry posted this photo of a note her late father carried in his wallet every day.

Wow.

I was struck at the depth and simplicity of these words. What an amazing code to live by. And what a tremendous legacy for Kerry's father, affectionately known as Papa to his grandchildren, to have left behind.

I asked Kerry's permission to play around with her dad's words and try to create a custom Uppercase Living design that would adequately convey their great meaning. I felt, as special as these words are, they would make a beautiful focal point in the family home, serving as a unique reminder of Papa. I came up with this design:
 

I'm not sure my design does justice to the original note. Maybe Papa's name should be added somewhere. Another idea would be to create a Photo Print from a scan of the note, with Papa's own handwriting. There is so much that can be done with an item this special: surround the words with Photo Prints of the grandchildren; create multiple copies of this expression so each of Papa's children can have one in their home; make a smaller version that can be framed along with a photo of Kerry's dad, and more. I just love the idea of these special words becoming part of the home, and keeping Papa's words and wisdom alive for his family every day.

Next time you're on Facebook reading through the canned status updates, the YouTube videos and the gross jokes, slow down a little. You just might find a gem like I did.


Thanks to Kerry and her family for sharing her father's words and allowing me to share them here with you.