Just Relax and Pour Yourself A Glass of Wine

Brand New Ideas For Father's Day

With Easter and Mother's Day behind us, it's time to think about different ways to honor Dad on Father's Day. Of course, Uppercase Living has some great ideas for unique, personal gifts. You'll love how easy and affordable these are!

The first idea is great for dads of younger kids. The "Best Dad Ever" expression is placed on our pre-painted square MDF board.  The fun comes when you paint the kids' little hands and apply a hand print to the center. If the hands are small enough, you can do both hands, or more than one child's. I've also done 3 hands on one board by layering the smaller hand prints over the larger. Just use different colors of paint, letting each dry completely before you apply the next. The darkest paint goes on first.

We've also just released 3 new expressions that are perfect for a simple Father's Day project that will become a treasured keepsake. The instructions are the same regardless of which expression you choose. You'll need:

• 8x10 frame
• 1 sheet of scrapbook paper, cut to size. (Choose a light color with a small pattern)
• Your Uppercase Living expression
• Mistick wet application spray (or water) optional

Clean the glass in the frame completely with a lint-free cloth. Apply the UL expression, using Mistick, if you prefer to do a wet application (I always do a wet application on glass), to the glass in the spot of your choice.

Have the kids, grandkids and other family members write messages on the scrapbook paper, being careful to avoid the part that will be covered by the expression. You can also add photos to the scrapbook paper to make it even more unique. Put it in the frame and wrap the whole thing up for Dad!

What I really like about the "I Love You Because" expression is that it's not limited for just Father's Day. In fact, I think I'm going to add it to some Chalkboard or Dry Erase Vinyl and find a home for it in my house. We can all use a little extra love in our day. 

A Special Mother's Day Project

Mother's Day is almost here and all moms love something hand made by their little darlings. Luckily, Uppercase Living expressions are perfect for making your own creations. In fact, UL has just released, for a limited time, some lovely expressions perfect for those special ladies. The video shows you a great project using one of those expressions and our Glass Charger. Mom will display this proudly...just don't expect her to hang it on the refrigerator.

Winner! Winner!

I'm excited to announce 2 winners from recent giveaways.

Nichol you're the lucky winner of the "be kind be silly be honest" expression. If you could email me your address, I'll get it right out to you. Thanks for entering!

And Lou Ann is the winner of the hostess reqwards from the Mystery Hostess giveaway. She has won almost $50 in free products and 3 half price items of her choice!

Thanks to everyone who participated. I hope you had fun. We'll have to do this again soon

A History Lesson: Keep Calm and Carry On

A few months ago, I blogged about one of my customers' favorite new designs. Keep Calm and Carry On has not only been extremely popular on its own, but has spawned so many different versions for every possible occasion: in addition to the ones I already mentioned, I've had requests for Keep Calm and Kill Zombies, Keep Calm and Argh Matey,  and Keep Calm and Carry On My Wayward Sons as well as designs for sororities, fraternities and different teams. I really like this concept and have had a lot of fun coming up with different designs both for customers and to entertain myself.

 

It's funny what a life this simple phrase has taken on in pop culture, especially considering its origins. The design was originally commissioned just before World War II by King George to reassure the British people and was recently rediscovered in a British bookstore. My knowledge of the design's history pretty much ended there until I stumbled upon this charming video today.



It's interesting to think that this simple message was meant to calm citizens in a situation where remaining calm would be the last possible imaginable reaction. I have to admit, of all the funny and clever designs I've seen so far, the original remains my favorite.

P.S. A visit to Barter Books was just added to the Bucket List. It looks amazing!

Visit my public Facebook album for more ideas using "Keep Calm and..."

The Lessons Of The Honey Badger

Few of us haven't heard of the Honey Badger by now. He is small, fearless, ferocious and doesn't fear any enemy. He's become something of a pop culture legend, with his own YouTube videos, commercials, and possibly even a TV show! No matter what happens to him, the Honey Badger don't care!


At Uppercase Living, the Honey Badger has become a symbol of strength against adversity. Our Honey Badger charm was an instant favorite of the Blume jewelry line. Inscribed "Stand Strong" on the back, we like to think he brings an extra dose of toughness to the person who's wearing it, especially during those tough times in life. Recently, one of our owners, Jeff Wilson, shared a touching story of how the Honey Badger became a source of strength for one of his sweet young daughters. Here's the story, as Jeff told it to us:

Stand Strong: a message from Jeff Wilson

As many of you know, I am a man in living in a woman’s world.  The vast majority of our Demonstrators are women.  I have four daughters and a wife and presumably all of our pets are female, including the fish.

So what do I do when something goes awry with one of my female counterparts?  I do what every man should not do; I offer advice. Fortunately, the following is a story of when my advice actually helped.

In December, my 11-year-old, Hannah, came home from a particularly rough day at school.  A few kids were saying “mean things” behind her back and it really upset her.  Being the questionable parent that I am, I invited Hannah on a Daddy Daughter date to Walmart.  During the drive we were able to talk about life, school, and Hannah’s concerns.  It was apparent that Hannah’s feelings were really hurt.  I wasn’t quite sure what to say to help.  In a stroke of genius I said the first thing that came to my mind, “Hannah you need to be strong.”  I continued, “you need live your life in such a way that everyone who knows you will know that the mean things are not true. And because they know you, they’ll never believe the lies.”  I told her how wonderful she is and that sometimes, boys are dumb (I couldn’t admit that we’re dumb most of the time).  I told her that I loved her and I think the world of her. 

Later that week, I was working late in the warehouse and I was thinking about Hannah.  I was bothered that she was hurt and I wanted to help in some way.  Christmas was fast approaching and I thought of the perfect present to help out, the Honey Badger charm.   The Honey Badger’s call to action of “Stand Strong” was exactly what Hannah needed.   

Christmas morning arrived and she opened my poorly wrapped present and she gleefully exclaimed that she had, “always wanted a beaver.”   I explained the meaning behind the badger and how she can clip it on a necklace or on her backpack as a reminder that she is beautiful and strong in her Dad’s eye. 

During the Christmas break, Hannah built a fort. Typically, we have several feet of snow in Utah around Christmas, so it was rare that she built a fort instead of an igloo or a snowman.  While she enjoyed her break from school, she kept herself occupied building and stylizing the fort to perfection.  She added protection from the wind and rain.  She accessorized with an iPod holder made out of a burnt log.  She fortified the structure with ribbon.  She was ecstatic to show me the fort during daylight hours. I rearranged my morning work schedule and stayed home so I could get the tour during the day.  

Hannah surprised me with her teepee building skills.  I was impressed with her craftsmanship and her attention to the little details.  But the part that surprised me the most was the message that she inscribed on a rock.  Hannah bravely declared on her little rock the unequivocal decree of, “Stand Strong.”  It is her war cry.  It was her message to the bullies at school.  It was her way of reversing the teacher/student relationship and teaching her dad a lesson.   

Hannah reinforced the power of our products.  That inspiration is inspiration.  She can gather inspiration, confidence, and comfort from a Honey Badger/Beaver.  That inspiration can be worn around her neck or declared on a rock in a fort.  Whether it’s UL Blume or our vinyl, our products and the messages they carry, can shape and mold peoples’ lives for the better.  Oh, how I feel blessed to be a part of Uppercase Living, to be Hannah’s dad, and for all of the women in my life.  Stand Strong! 

Our Inspirations Incentive is Back With All New Products and Deals!

It's that time of year again: Inspirations is here! With new, exclusive products, FREE items for customers, bonuses for hostesses and a fantastic opportunity for new demonstrators, you are going to love this year's offers.

New Products
We have 16 brand new products, all beautiful, unique and inspirational. All of them are only available until March 31 and include both vinyl expressions and Blume jewelry pieces. The Silver Lining necklace, below, is one of my favorites.

 

Here's the great part: when you spend just $50 on any UL products, you can choose a FREE item from any of 14 Inspirations choices. Of course, when your order reaches $60, $80, or $100, you'll get to choose more free gifts from our monthly choices and at $100 your entire order will receive flat-rate shipping of just $5.95 (US) or $13.00 (Canada). 

Hostess Bump Up Bonus

When you invite some friends over to enjoy our Inspirations products and free items, you also get a bonus. Your Hostess Rewards will be one level higher than your guest orders' total. Your Double Up Rewards will also be added to your sales total, so you can earn a lot of FREE and half price products just for inviting friends over for a fun gathering. I'm scheduling parties NOW and would love to get yours on my calendar. Contact me today to reserve your date. 

Join Uppercase Living for FREE

Inspirations offers anyone considering becoming an Uppercase Living a fantastic opportunity to earn back the cost of the starter kit.  Whether you want to focus your business on vinyl expressions, Blume jewelry or both, your starter kit will include absolutely everything you'll need to begin having parties and starting your business off strong! From products, to supplies, to a full website with a shopping cart, you can get started 5 minutes after you sign up, and never stop until you achieve YOUR goals. Of course, you'll have full support not only from me, but from a fabulous company who wants to see you succeed. 

All Uppercase Living demonstrators have an UpStart period, 90 days from when they join, where they can receive cash rewards for reaching particular milestones. If you reach all of the UpStart requirements, you will not only enjoy the rewards that come with them, but you will also get the entire cost of your kit refunded back to you! So, in essence, you will be getting paid to start your UL business!

If you'd rather do Uppercase Living on a smaller scale, or perhaps do your marketing and sales online instead of through parties, there's another kit for you. The Networker Kit also includes a full year of your own shopping website, as well as catalogs for our full range of products. At just $59, it is a fabulous way to try a UL business on to see if it's the right fit for you. Contact me for more information on all of the kit options, our UpStart requirements and rewards and to discuss which kit would be right for you.

Inspirations is a fantastic time for Uppercase Living customers, hostesses, and demonstrators. Don't wait too long for your chance to take full advantage of everything it offers.

Sharing Some Love With a 25% Off Sale

It's Valentine's Week! You know how much I love all my readers, customers, hostesses, team members, and Facebook fans, right? In case you weren't sure, I wanted to share some love with all of you by way of a 25% discount on all orders today and tomorrow. Just use the code FANLOVE2012 when you order. The discount will be applied to your entire order. Now pay it forward and share the love with a few friends who'd also LOVE to save on their UL orders! Who loves ya?

Welcome TCB Readers!! 2 More Ways For You To Win

Hi and Welcome to Please Use Your Words. I'm so thrilled that Kim's throwing a Mystery Hostess Uppercase Living Party for all of you fabulous TCB readers, but more about that in a bit. I'm Torreh, a busy SAHM mom with 3 kids, old scrappy friend of Kim's, and a Senior Demonstrator with Uppercase Living. I've been with UL for almost 4 years and love love love it. I get to work with lots of fun people, bring fun, inspiration, humor and beauty into my customers' homes, represent two amazing product lines and work around my kids' school and activity schedules and my husband's business travel. For those of you aren't familiar with UL, here's a little bit of info, as well as details on two more ways to win, in addition to the giveaway on TCB.

What Is Uppercase Living
Uppercase Living is a home party company that started just over 5 years ago to provide decorative vinyl lettering and embellishments. Our expressions are designed to be removable without causing any damage to the surface underneath. Not only do we have hundreds of exclusive designs, you can create your own custom pieces using any of our 50+ fonts and colors. One of our most popular products is our line of Erasable Chalkboard and Dry Erase vinyl. You've seen these all over the web and now you can have them in your home inexpensively, without messing around with chalkboard paint. And we can create large custom wall art from your own images!! The possibilities are endless with our Photo Prints. They are beyond cool and can be used in so many different ways, like all of our vinyl products.

Lettering and Embellishments

Photo Print with Custom Lettering

Chalk Wall Calendar

Just in the last year, Uppercase Living has adopted the motto: Live A Life Inspired, striving to add inspiration to the lives of our customers, staff and demonstrators. A big part of that is our relatively new line of jewelry,  Blume , which lets you take your inspiration with you. Each piece is a story that can help you tell yours. Whether it's a stamped charm or several, beads that help single moms halfway around the world support their families, or a cute little Honey Badger that reminds the wearer to Stand Strong, our jewelry is uplifting, personal and sentimental. Just in the 4 months since it was introduced, there have been countless stories of our pieces bringing strength, support and smiles to people all around the world.

What Can UL Do For Me?
There are countless ways to use Uppercase Living vinyl to decorate your home, create projects and gifts, get organized and more. Just look through the topics here for some inspiration. You'll find more on my website and my Facebook photos.  Your imagination can take off and create so many different things with our products. As an Uppercase Living hostess, you can host a live or online party and earn rewards of free products when your friends place orders. And as an Uppercase Living demonstrator (like me!) you can earn money by sharing our awesome products with your friends, family and community (and by community I mean the entire United States and Canada). All you have to do is decide if you want a little (buy a few things), a lot (host a party) or ALL OF IT (become a demonstrator on my team).  To find out more about hosting or joining Uppercase Living, just contact me for more information. Our February specials are fantastic if you're considering either; you can sign up for as low as $59 or even FREE!

How Do I Win Stuff?
After you enter Kim's giveaway for the two part alphabet, leave me a comment and you'll be entered to win the expression you see here:

Yours will be in Berry Red and Shoreline Blue. Get an extra entry when you send me a friend request on Facebook and let me know that you've come over from TCB.You can enter until Jan. 31. I will post the winner's name on Feb. 1.

What About the Mystery Hostess Party?

This is the best part of all! If you place an order on my site and add it to the TCB Mystery Hostess party, you will be entered to win all of the hostess benefits from the party.  There's no limit to how much the rewards will be. To place your order do the following:

•  Go to http://tpearl.uppercaseliving.net

• Create a user name and add your items to your cart (I'm happy to help with custom designs and questions). Don't forget that EVERYTHING is Buy 2 Get 1 FREE until Jan. 31
• Associate your order with the TCB Mystery Hostess Party before you check out and submit your order.
• Check back here for updates on on how high the rewards have gotten. When I close the party, I will choose one person who ordered to receive all the benefits. I'll post the winner's name here and contact her to discuss spending her winnings.

Notice the headboard? It's vinyl, too!

I'm so glad you stopped by. I know Kim's readers are a crafty, creative bunch. I think you'll love creating your unique visions with Uppercase Living products. Of course, you can always do what I do: copy someone else's great design and make it the perfect addition to my own home.

Surprise Your Sweetie On Valentine's Day!

I have a confession to make: by the time Valentine's Day rolls around, I'm pretty much over it. I've barely put away my Christmas and Hanukkah decorations when it's time to plan for my husband's birthday on Feb. 4. I also have to contend with a birthday party for my youngest, whose birthday is Feb. 27th. Every year, my poor husband kind of gets ignored on Valentine's Day because I've had it with decorations, celebrations and gifts (thank goodness he's easily pleased by a giant box of chocolate), and don't really feel like spending a lot of money. Not that I would be upset to find a blue box with something sparkly in it for myself on Valentine's Day...but that's a whole other blog.

So, assuming that at least some of you are like me in that you'd like to surprise your Valentine with something sweet and sentimental but also easy and inexpensive, I came up with a few Uppercase Living designs. These can go on your bathroom mirror so s/he sees that you remembered first thing in the morning. They are also ridiculously inexpensive, especially with our current Buy 2, Get 1 FREE special. Of course, you can change fonts, colors, lettering in your own pieces, but you won't go wrong with either of these:

 

Of course, the possibilities are endless with this idea. You could make your mirror message the first (or last) clue in a Valentine's Day secret adventure or even use UL lettering to put a big giant proposal on the mirror (the ring embellishment is on me for anyone who wants to do this!). Of course, at these prices, you can do one for each of the kids, too. 

Another way to surprise your Valentine is by putting an expression on her car the night before. Here's one with a frame around it along with initials. How fun to drive around town knowing that someone loves you! Don't be surprised to see her friends' husbands or boyfriends giving yours dirty looks for making them look bad. And you didn't even have to spend a fortune! 

Another advantage to an early-in-the-day Valentine's surprise? Your Valentine will know right off the bat that your loving gesture must be reciprocated and has all day to come up with something wonderful enough so he can save face. Of course, he'll say he had it planned all along. That's what they always say!

UL Tip: Don't forget a bottle of Mistick to make your glass installation much easier. Allow enough time for it to dry!

Stuck for ideas? Contact me for help with a custom design. 

For more Valentine's Day photos and ideas, visit my public Valentine's Day Album on Facebook.
 

Free, Free, and MORE Free

Uppercase Living is starting off the new year with a huge bang by offering a number of great promotions to make shopping with me fun and rewarding. Our biggest promotion of the month is also our customers' favorite: Buy 2, Get 1 FREE! For every 3 items you purchase, you'll get a third FREE! This applies to all of our exclusive vinyl expressions, custom MyDesign creations, accessories and Blume jewelry.  You can mix and match any combination of items and there's absolutely no limit to your savings or the amount of FREE items you will receive. Just make sure to order in groups of 3!

But wait, there's more! 

Uppercase Living is sharing the love with this Berry Red expression, FREE with every order placed by January 18th. You can order directly on my website or contact me for help. You don't need to manually add the expression to your order; it will be included automatically!

How About Some More Free?

As always, you receive up to 3 FREE gifts when your order reaches $60, $80 or $100. You get to choose from two exclusive vinyl pieces, including one with Chalk Wall, and 2 Blume items.  You can put the jewelry items together for a perfect Valentine's Day gift. Visit my website to see this month's choices.

 Oh, And One More Thing...

 

Every day this month, UL is sharing even more love by giving away one order placed the previous day. Just check the Uppercase Living page on Facebook to find out each day's winner. While you're there, make sure to scroll down and check out UL's post from January 3rd for details on how you can also save 25% on an order placed  next month.

There you have it - lots of ways to get FREE items in January. I love sharing these specials with all of you, so here's one more: any hostess who holds an Uppercase Living party with me in January or February will get a FREE bonus gift in addition to the hostess gifts and FREE products available for all hostesses. With all of these special offers, you're going to have a big problem: how will you narrow down your shopping list? You won't have to, because you can get so much of it FREE!