JoAnne's Baby Shower

When our friend JoAnne found out that she was unexpectedly pregnant last fall, the reaction from us friends went quickly from shock to delight and excitement. With our youngest kids in their last couple years of elementary school, most of us haven't been around babies for a while. Let's face it: at our age, our conversations focus more on peri-menopause than Pampers. We were even more excited when we found out that JoAnne was having a girl, after having two older boys. 

It was just a matter of weeks before we started planning the shower. Actually, I'm pretty sure our friend, Laura, called dibs on making the diaper cake before JoAnne could get the word "baby" out of her mouth. We settled on a French theme, since JoAnne was considering a few French names for the baby, with a pink, black and white color theme (actually Blush and Bashful, according to the guest of honor). The "Bébé Soiree" was on! 

It wasn't hard to divide up the work. Susan, the master organizer, offered to host the shower at her house; Sara took over the bulk of the food prep; Ginny was head of procurement; and Laura did the diaper cake. 

That left me with invitations, cake and favors. I decided that an occasion of this stature and importance merited proper paper invitations and not just an email. I found some cute pink and black scrapbook paper, pulled out my old paper crafting stuff and pulled together a simple layered invite. Favors were easy: store-bought macarons in cello bags with tags that I made to match the invitations. The cake was a little more challenging. We went back and forth on this after JoAnne was unfortunately diagnosed with gestational diabetes. But again, I decided that this baby shower required a cake. Besides, why should people have to go without cake just because of her bad luck? Ignoring my last big cake-baking endeavor, which ended with one layer on the kitchen floor, me screaming so loud the kids heard me from the garage, and an emergency run to the store for more cake mix, I decided on a pink champagne cake with raspberry jam between the layers and champagne buttercream frosting. Thankfully, polka dots went with our French theme, because that's pretty much the only thing I know how to pipe. With the cake decided on, the only thing left to do was figure out a cute UL piece to add to the decor.     

The thing about JoAnne is that she has a huge sense of humor. And also a potty mouth. I'm sure you're shocked to hear that a good friend of mine would (gasp) drop the occasional F-bomb, but it's true. In fact, she's gotten quite adept at circumventing the UL censors to create some unique custom designs. I knew that a cute little "Sweet Baby" sign just wouldn't be be quite right for this occasion. I also wanted to make something that she could use in the nursery after the baby was born. Suddenly, it came to me. Inspired by this book, I came up with the perfect idea. For the front of the tile, I used a damask embellishment in Cotton Candy behind the words "Bonjour Bébé" in one of my favorite UL fonts, Adore.

 

For the back of the tile, I wanted the same elegant look so I didn't change the fonts, colors or design. The wording, however, was something a mom or dad would utter at 3 a.m. when the precious little one just would not quiet down and drift off to dream land. It's possible that I had to submit the letters for this design in a little bit of a different order than you see here.

The pretty "Bonjour" sign was displayed right on a table in Susan's living room, along with the diaper cake and some other decorations. Halfway through the shower, I quietly flipped it around and waited for people to notice. Needless to say, there were plenty of laughs...and a little relief that JoAnne would be the one staying up with a crying newborn soon, and not the rest of us.

Doing this shower for JoAnne was an absolute pleasure. Her baby couldn't be sweeter; she is pink and perfect and has several adoring Aunties fighting over which one of us gets to hold her next. The sign will be go in her soon-to-be-Uppercased nursery and most of the time, it will be flipped to the side that says, "Bonjour Bébé."  Most of the time. Go the fuck to sleep. 

Holiday Tin Sets: Perfect for Gifts, Favors and Rudolph

So many times during the holidays, we need to give a gift to a large group of people. Other times, holiday events call for guest favors. In both instances, we'd like to give something heartfelt, unique and thoughtful. But when purchasing multiple gifts at once, it's also important to watch costs. Naturally, Uppercase Living has a solution that will suit your taste, wow your guests (or anyone lucky enough to receive one of these cuties), and meet your budget.

Our Gift Tin Kits are the perfect many-gifts-in-one. Each set has 4 tins, 4 vinyl decorations in your choice of design and color, and 4 gift bags. Even the ribbon is included! You can fill these with anything from candy to jewelry and make the packaging a special part of the gift. For those of you who need affordable business gifts, this is a great solution. It's also a nice way to recognize several people in one business establishment, yet give each person and individual present. The variety of designs available makes it easy to choose one that will suit your event, recipient or mood! They would make great favors for weddings or showers this time of year and can easily be customized to match the event's colors. These are so cute that you might just want to purchase several sets to keep on hand for different occasions throughout the year. 
One great idea to fill these tins is Reindeer Feed! Of course, you never forget to leave out cookies for Santa, but those reindeer get tired and hungry from their long flight, too! Mix up the following in as many batches as you need:

3/4 c. uncooked oatmeal
3/4 c. sugar (can also use bird seed or shredded wheat cereal)
1/4 c. red or green decorative sugar crystals (more kind to our animal friends than the traditional glitter)

Print out the following on decorative paper and attach it with your gift:

      Santa's reindeer, on their magical flight,
      Travel thousands of miles, all in one night.
      A sparkly snack sprinkled over your lawn
      Will be just the treat for them to munch upon.
      With full and happy tummies, they'll soon be on their way
      To help Santa deliver the toys in time for Christmas Day.

You just might find that this becomes a new holiday tradition for your family.

Holiday Gift Tip: Pair a tin of Reindeer Feed with a "Cookies For Santa" charger set for an inexpensive and merry holiday gift set. 

Money Saving Kit: To save even more, recycle baby food jars to fill with reindeer feed. Add a reindeer or other themed embellishment, cover the lid with wrapping paper and add a cute ribbon!    

Well, here we are, the last day of Summer Splash. The Buy One, Get One FREE promotion, 20% off all accessories and FREE Starter Kit special will be gone tonight. If you still haven't taken advantage of all that Summer Splash offers, you may be tempted by this expression, the penultimate Photo of The Day this go round (I'm trying to improve my vocabulary. How is it working?). As a mommy to two boys, I can definitely relate to this photo. We spend a lot of days digging in dirt, playing with cars and always end with hugs for Mom. What a great gift for a household full of boys! This, too, will be retired soon so if you love it, snatch it up.

The deadline for all of the great Summer Splash deals is tonight at 11:00 p.m. Pacific Time. I'll be available by email and cell phone to help with orders today, so don't hesitate to call me if you have any questions.

Photo A Day - #4

I am just so sad that this beautiful growth chart is being retired. This show stopper has long been a favorite with my customers and party guests. Invariably I hear gasps and lots of exclamations when they see this photo in a catalog.

What you can't see in this photo is the word "bloom" hidden behind the adorable model. What a sweet sentiment on a growth chart. We moms love seeing our babies bloom into big kids and are always incredulous at how quickly it happens.

Now that this growth chart is on our Retired List, it's your last chance to get it before it's gone. Although it's already priced very reasonably, it's even a better deal now with Buy One, Get One FREE. So if you're picking one up for yourself, you can add one as a gift for free. Whether for you, or as a gift, this is one decorative piece that will be enjoyed for many years to come.

May Customer Newsletter

Each month Uppercase Living gives me a great reason to get in touch with all of you and May is no different. This month I am excited to share the details of our newest promotion with you. As the weather starts to (finally) warm up and we look ahead to spring time celebrations and summer activities, our current sale will help you save while you freshen up your own decor and pick up some unique gifts. To save even more, schedule your own Uppercase Living party to share the great deals with some friends and earn free and half price products for yourself.

20% Savings Now!

Now through May 19, save 20% off any order of $50 or more! The savings are available on ALL purchases, including custom designs and all of the great limited-time items from our spring Celebrations catalog. Whether you purchase on my website, at a home party or contact me with your order, the savings are yours to enjoy. The deadline is coming up fast, so don't miss out.

Customers Love Celebrations Catalog
With ideas for everything you'll celebrate this Spring and beyond, our Celebrations mini-catalog showcases several popular items. Brides are rethinking their wedding decor to incorporate some of the gorgeous ideas it contains. Kids love the magnetic birthday countdown kit (and I have to admit, it's my favorite item in the catalog, too). It is great to select the colors of the lettering to match your decor, party theme or just your favorite combination.

What my busy customers love most is getting so many gift and decor purchases taken care of at once. With the 20% off promotion currently available, all of my customers are feeling really smart about the great deal they're getting on some really unique items.

Bonus Gifts for Hostesses

I'm so excited to share our spring mini catalog with as many people as possible that I'm offering a bonus incentive for the first 10 people who schedule their May and June home parties with me. Each of you will receive a free expression from my prize basket and an extra $10 in product in addition to all of your hostess benefits. You can call, email or contact me through Facebook. Those who contact me earlier will get the best selection of my available dates, so if you don't have a lot of flexibility with your party date, don't wait to schedule. Don't forget that the 20% off $50 purchases is only available through May 19th.

Customer Spotlight

This month I'm starting a new feature in my newsletter: I will showcase a client who uses Uppercase Living products in her/his home or business and tell you a little about the client. This month I'd like to introduce you to Joanne Marek. I met Joanne earlier this year at a UL party at her neighbor's home. She loved our products but was concerned about how the lettering would look on her wallpapered walls. I went over for a home consultation where we not only made sure that our expressions would adhere to her wallpaper, but also chose a color that would complement the pattern, rather than work against it. It's difficult to see in the photo below, but the Vintage Bordeaux expression picks up on the slightly red tones in the wallpaper design. Now that her expression is on the wall, Joanne loves it and is picking out what to get next.

In addition to being a busy mom and grandma, Joanne is a jeweler with Premiere Jewelry. She is available for home parties where her hostesses earn free items just for inviting friends over to shop for lovely, affordable jewelry. To find out more about Premiere Jewelry you can contact Joanne at

edjom@roadrunner.com.

If you would like your home. business or celebration featured in a future issue, just send me photos of your Uppercase Living expressions. You just might find yourself the subject of this feature or a prominent post on my blog. I can't wait to show you next month's showcase.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Best wishes going to the following ladies this month: Anne-Elaine G., Hilleri M., Mary E., Beverly B., Juliana G., Natalie T., Erin H., Nanci S., and Traci F. And extra special wishes for birthday girl Joy H. I hope you all have your very best birthday yet. To help celebrate, please take 10% off any item of your choice as my birthday present to you (this is in addition to any other discounts like the 20% off promotion!). Please give me your order directly so I can make sure to apply your Birthday Bonus. If you aren't on my birthday list and would like to be added, just send me an email with your birthday and you can enjoy your own Birthday Bonus discount!

The Other Stuff

Please feel free to forward this email to anyone who would be interested in Uppercase Living products, hosting a party or becoming a Demonstrator. I can accommodate just about any location. If you would prefer not to receive these updates, please let me know. You can always contact me at this email address, by phone at 818-309-7768 or through my website: http://tpearl.uppercaseliving.net (there's no www).

Thanks as always for your continued business and support. Happy Mother's Day to all of the wonderful moms and grandmas out there!

Good, Better, Best....Saving Money with a New 20% off Promotion

GOOD: Uppercase Living expressions, custom designs, accessories and a whole ton of great ideas for gift giving and decorating. Not to mention, a brand new catalog full of kits for spring occasions from Mother's Day and Father's Day to Graduation, Baby Showers and awesome ideas for Weddings!

BETTER: 20% off all orders of $50 or more starting tomorrow through May 19th. Woo hoo! All the good stuff at a great deal! Now it just got more affordable to get gifts for Dad and Grandpa, that Graduate, a Baby Shower, those 2 weddings this summer, and something for the kids' teachers too. You'll save so much money that you might decide to treat yourself to something for your own house.

EVEN BETTER: Up to 3 FREE EXPRESSIONS with your qualifying order.

BEST: Sharing the savings with friends by hosting your own UL party. They'll be thrilled to learn how to use these great products to decorate their homes and give as gifts. They'll love you for helping them save money as they do. And you'll earn FREE products just for hosting.

It doesn't get better than that.

Make a Mom's Day

It just dawned on me that Mother's Day is about 3 weeks away and I have to get my act together to make my mom's day special. Too bad my sister and I are all grown up, because I have the perfect Mother's Day gift for any mom with young kids or a mommy-to-be (think baby showers).As all we moms know, our babies grow up way too quickly. Therefore, I love anything that helps us preserve those precious moments and memories of their childhood. A hand print does just that. Now that my own children are getting older (sniffle, sniffle) they love looking at how small their own hands and feet were when they were little.
The Little Prints Keepsake Kit comes with everything you need to create a permanent keepsake of a time when your baby's hand were still small enough to fit in yours. Everything is included: from a pre-painted board to paint, a paint brush and even ribbon for hanging. While you're on my website, check out all of the other great ideas for spring celebrating and gift-giving. And if you are the one with small ones, don't think you have to wait around for someone to pick this up for you. It won't be around for long, and the other thing moms know is that if we want something done, we have to do it ourselves.