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. 

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.

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.

Tackling Kids' Chores With Chalk Wall

  

When is a kitchen cabinet more than just a kitchen cabinet? When it does double duty to help a family stay on top of homework, chores and kids' behavior. 

Let me back up a little. At the beginning of the summer I happened a upon a scheme to reward my kids with stars for playing nicely, doing their chores, making good choices, and all those things I was constantly nagging them to do. Each morning, I posted a handwritten list of tasks on the refrigerator and they crossed each task off as it was completed. For this they received a star or two on my scribbled "star chart," also stuck to the fridge. 

All of a sudden, my nagging stopped. If they wanted to do something and their chores weren't finished, I pointed to the "Jobs List" with a sad look. They knew what they needed to do. And if they decided to misbehave, or fight or hit, or do one of the other things that erodes my patience, they might find their hard-earned stars disappearing with a flick of my eraser. The kids know that when they fill up their stars, they'll get a new toy or a special outing, and they can also use stars to "buy" certain privileges. Things like a special treat, extra screen time and sleep overs with each other can all be purchased with stars. Of course, if they wait too long to start their homework, they might also have to purchase a "Finish Homework After Dinner" pass.

Over the next few months, the star chart became a regular part of our days. I made sure not to overwhelm them with too many tasks or ones that were too difficult or time-consuming, keeping in mind each one's age, ability and attention span. They enjoyed crossing things off their list and watching the stars accumulate, and I realized that I had stumbled into a good tool. So I decided to make the "Star Chart" and the "Job List" a more prominent fixture in the kitchen, and get the scribbled lists off my refrigerator at the same time.

I turned, of course, to Uppercase Living Chalk Walls. Because my kitchen doesn't have a lot of wall space, I decided to use the unused space inside a cabinet door. This particular cabinet is large, and low enough to be accessible to my kids. I used one of our plain Chalk Wall Rectangles (a fantastic value at just $14.95, it's also available in Dry Erase) and cut it in half to get two narrow rectangles. Then I took on the fun task of jazzing up the plain chalkboard with fun lettering and embellishments. Using our MyDesign Suite, I chose a playful font and bright colors for the kids' names and the words "Do this....Now Go Play!" With our Chalk Pens, I can keep track of each child's stars (and easily erase them when unfortunate choices are made) and change out my list of tasks as often as I like. The ugly list is off my refrigerator and has been replaced by a fun and attractive addition to our kitchen (that hides as soon as I close the cabinet). Best of all, I've been able to significantly decrease the amount of nagging I had to do to get my kids to help out with chores. They've realized how quickly these tasks get done and love the feeling of accomplishment that comes from a fully crossed-off list. Of course, they're kids and no system can change that. All of us have good days and bad days. But I'm happy to report that the good seem to outnumber the bad in this instance. Chalk one up for Mom!

50 and Counting!

 

Thanks to one of my lovely friends on Facebook, I know that there are now 50 days left until Christmas. For us adults, that translates to "Holy cow, only 50 days? How will I ever get everything done?" But if you're a kid, those 50 days may as well be 500. My kids have been asking how many days since the end of summer! 

Our adorable Christmas Countdown Kit answers the question in very cute style! Available for a limited time, the kit includes our 12x12 punched metal tile in Berry Red (for those of you who haven't seen it, it's such a pretty shade of red), a two party expression in your choice of colors, the Chalk Wall piece for the countdown, and the exclusive Black Easel that's only available in this kit. With all those pieces included, it's a fabulous value at just $32.95.  

The fun thing about the kit is that you can start counting down anytime. I know there are those of you who just might start counting the days until next Christmas right around New Year's!

Countdown Tip: If you look closely in the photo, the expression has been placed slightly off center. The expression is designed this way for added interest. If you prefer to have yours perfectly centered, position the present first, then cut the 2nd part in two pieces, placing the bow and the words separately.

Bonus Tip: Order a coordinating Valentine's Day expression to go on the back of your Red Tile and let it do double duty! You'll be ready for Valentine's Day as soon as your Christmas Decorations are put away!

The Gratitude Tree: A Beautiful Reminder for Thanksgiving and Year-Round

 By far my favorite item in our Holiday Mini Celebrations Catalog is our Gratitude Tree with dry-erase leaves. I do love everything in the catalog, and the holiday products in our main catalogs, but I find this one particularly meaningful, and so does my family.

The Gratitude Tree entered our home in late September when I got my first shipment from the Holiday Mini. My (thankfully tall) husband helped me put it up and my daughter started putting the dry erase pieces on the leaves. We decorated our tree exactly the way we wanted, with several leaves falling as if a strong wind had shaken them loose. I pulled out my set of dry-erase pens and immediately wrote all 3 kids' names on some leaves. Then I told my family it was their turn to start filling more leaves with things they're thankful for.

I was instantly touched and surprised at their responses. I expected answers like "M&Ms" and "ice cream." But I loved hearing them come up with "my family," "school," and even "God."

I loved the insights I got into my kids' minds, and knowing that they don't take for granted some of the things that are so important in our family. Even my husband, who's not always the biggest fan of "stickers on the wall," is really enjoying this special item.


One of the best things about Uppercase Living is the ability to completely personalize your home. The Gratitude Tree not only adds personalization to your home, I think it also adds meaning. I can definitely see this item being a year-round addition to a kitchen or family room. Of course, it's just the thing for the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. If you're hosting Thanksgiving this year, I suggest displaying this tree prominently either in your entry, kitchen or dining room and having the dry-erase pens handy for your guests to write down what they are thankful for. And if you're going to be a guest for Thanksgiving, consider taking this for your hostess. For the price of a nice bottle of wine, you can take a meaningful gift that will be a conversation starter this year and a reminder of your thoughtfulness for years to come. Don't wait to order this exceptional Uppercase Living product. It's only available for a limited time, and you'll want to start enjoying it as soon as possible.

Uppercase Living Tip: After you complete filling out your Gratitude Tree, take a photo. You'll love going back after a few years and watching how your family's thoughts and the things they are thankful for will change.

October 2010 Customer Newsletter

Hostess Center Helps Maximize Your Hostess Rewards 
Ever since the new Hostess Center on my website was unveiled this summer, hostesses have loved using the tools it provides to help them maximize their free benefits for having a party. It's easy to send out invitations, keep an eye on RSVPs, send reminders, and best of all, watch your rewards add up as your guests place online orders! By far the most exciting part of the Hostess Center is that it allows you to invite friends and family from anywhere in the US or Canada to place orders associated with your party and earn hostess credit for those purchases. This not only gives hostesses maximum flexibility, but it also lets them have online-only parties no matter where they are located. I'd love to help you earn the most hostess benefits possible by using the fabulous Hostess Center. Contact me to schedule your fall party and I'll make sure to help you navigate this fun tool. 

Limited Time Left to Take Advantage of FREE Starter Kit Special for New Demonstrators 
Our FREE Starter Kit Special ends October 11 so if you've been thinking about joining this great company, don't miss out on the chance to get your Starter Kit for free. It's a great time of year to start with Uppercase Living, as your friends and family will love our products for holiday decorating and gifts. I'll be here to help every step of the way and help you earn all of the many rewards available as an Uppercase Living Demonstrator. No matter where you're located, I'd love to talk with you about joining my team (my goal is to have team members in all 50 states!). Call or email me today so we can set you up to take advantage of the FREE Starter Kit and more! 
 
Coaster Extravaganza Coming November 15
My first project party of the season will be a Coaster Extravaganza on Friday, November 5 from 9:30-12:30. Each 4-pack of coasters will be only $15 and you'll have dozens of choices for words and designs to decorate them with. You can even customize them by pre-ordering custom letters, monograms or designs. Don't forget, you can break up a set of coasters for individual gifts (think office gifts, teachers, hair stylists, manicurists, etc.). Email me with your order before Monday and you can also get the FREE Customer Celebration Sampler. Please RSVP as I won't have many extra coasters on hand. If you'd like to have your own project party with your friends, contact me to set it up. A fun time for everyone, completed projects to take home, and hostess rewards for you!

Popular Items In Our Current Catalogs 
Our two current catalogs have so many new ideas that it's difficult to know where to start. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices, perhaps this list of our most popular items will help you narrow your focus:

• Dry-Erase or Chalk Wall Chore Chart
• Birthday Countdown
• Christmas Countdown
• Card Kits
• Snowman or Pumpkin Face Activity Kits
• Gratitude Tree with Dry Erase leaves
• Punched Metal Tile
• Chalk Markers - vibrant colors with no dust or mess

If your wish list is bigger than your budget, host a party and get that wish list for FREE. My hostesses have been earning anywhere from $70 to over $100 in FREE products plus half price items with their qualifying parties. Contact me to select a date before my fall calendar fills up.

Congratulations Raffle Winners!  
Thanks to everyone who attended my Open House last Sunday and Monday. It was great to see some friends I hadn't seen for a while and meet new ones too. It's always fun to tell people about all the ways Uppercase Living can help them in their decorating and gift giving, but it's also great to hear fresh ideas that I haven't thought of. As you know, I love to spoil my customers and hostesses, so I had lots of raffles and giveaways. Here are the lucky winners:

• Eiffel Tower Sampler - Rosalie Meyer
• 18 Word Assortment - Lisa Daley
• Coasters for Coaster Extravaganza - Susan Tannenbaum
• Home Sweet Home Expression - Cynthia Wennberg
• Bird On Branch Sampler - Mimi Crandall
• Warmest Welcome Expression - Liz Petridis
• Birds, Leaves and Flowers Sampler - Jo-Ann Capelaci
• 10" Monogram Door Prize - Micky Buono
• 10" Monogram Thanks For Bringing a Guest - Sophia Rohde & Laurie Hurley
• GRAND PRIZE 2x2 foot PHOTO PRINT - JoAnne Beatty

Congratulations to all the winners. Please contact me ASAP so I can arrange to get your prize to you! 

Happy Birthday!  
As you can see by the long list of raffle winners, I love to give presents, so I'm giving a 10% discount on one item to all of the ladies who are celebrating a birthday in October: Blanca D., Rosalie M., Janet S., Kathy S., Sarah F., Erika B., Karynn B., Lisa Z. and the truly fabulous Sadaf. I feel so fortunate to count you ladies among my friends. I hope you have a wonderful birthday.

I know I'll be talking to many of you between now and the holidays. Never hesitate to contact me if you're stuck for a gift or decor idea. I love brainstorming with you!

Going Back to School With Chalk Wall

Kids look forward to going back to school for lots of reasons, but doing homework is definitely not one of them.  What better way to get them motivated to hit the books than by creating a fun homework station? Paired with Erasable Chalk Wall or dry erase tiles, our new Decorative Print tiles are the perfect decor for a homework nook. The Decorative Prints add the fun and the Erasables provide space to list assignments, figure out some pesky word problems or for Mom or Dad to leave an encouraging note.

The smart Dad that designed this space added an extra Chalk While tile to the top of the study table so his girls (how cute are they? They just ooze sweetness and sass, No wonder they've got Dad wrapped around their little fingers!) can doodle or practice their handwriting.

The Decorative Prints used here are the Groovy Retro Tiles. For a boys' space you can use the Classic Sports Retro Tiles. You can even create a memo center in your kitchen using the Fruit Label Retro Tiles. I'd love to see how you use our great new Erasables to create a cool study space for your little students.

As Seen On Today's Jen's List

One of our brand new items, this adorable chore chart was featured today on Jen's List. Yes that's DRY ERASE vinyl, right on the wall, with no nails, pins, or damage to the surface underneath. You can choose the color of the lettering to match your decor and customize it in so many ways to fit your family's needs. For example, you can remove the days of the week and make it a daily chore chart. You could also remove the word "Chores" to make it a reward chart. Or remove all the lettering and use it for potty training! The chore chart, like all of our Erasables products, comes in a chalkboard finish as well as dry erase. How will you use it in your home?

Late July Newsletter - All Kinds Of Updates!

I know you've all been waiting for all the latest updates from Uppercase Living. Our convention was earlier this month in St. Louis and it was an extravaganza with one exciting announcement after another! The new catalog has been live for about a week and everyone who has seen it has one thing to say: WOW!!! The new Hostess Center on my website is an invaluable tool for hostesses to send invitations, track RSVPs and watch their rewards add up. I have so much great news to share with you all so I'll jump right in!
New Catalog, New Products, New Accessories, New Colors and MORE!
There is so much to love about this great new catalog! If you haven't had a chance to see it yet, you can flip through it right on my website. Of course, there are plenty of new expressions for a variety of spaces and tons of new designs. If you know someone who loves Peace Signs (my daughter is currently obsessed) you will love all the different options incorporating them. There are also new products that you will love:

• Not only are the very popular Chalk Walls back with lots of new designs, but they have a new name: Erasables. That's because now they're available in your choice of chalkboard or dry erase vinyl!!! Both dry erase and chalkboard pens are available to complete the package.
• A gorgeous new Double Frameworks is just one of the great new additions to our Foundations accessories. Frameworks now comes in chocolate brown and our Punched Metal and Vintage Metal Embossed Boards come in gorgeous new colors. We have a beautiful new Frameworks Photo Frame with plenty of room for you to embellish it with UL expressions. For those of you who love to hang our Foundations boards, frames and tiles on the wall, we have two new medallions, including a beautiful Fleur de Lis.  Finally, our brand new Shimmer Effects lets you add a little glimmer to any off the wall project quickly and easily.
• New Grande Format and Decorative Print designs give you more decorative options than ever before. I love the 2-part choices and chandeliers in Grande Format and my favorite Decorative Prints are all the interactive choices for children's decor (check out  Transportation Central, available in 3 colorways!).
• New clocks! Our clocks have been so popular that we've added 3 new designs. I'm having a hard time deciding which to get for my family room!
• New colors! Our brand new colors are very decorator friendly. You purple people are going to love Concord Grape. I personally think Wild Raspberry and Stone Cottage are both beautiful. And if you've been looking for a true blue, I think our Royal Blue will work nicely for you. We also have more Shimmer colors than ever before. I can't wait to use some of that Shimmer Orange for Halloween!

Of course, you can always view the catalog on my website. But you can get your own FREE copy in your hostess kit simply by contacting me to schedule your own party date. You'll be among the first to see all of the great new stuff and your friends will love having a girls' night out to see what's new and socialize while you earn FREE and HALF PRICE products.

Online Hostess Center Makes Hosting Parties Easier and More Rewarding Than Ever
You asked for it and now it's here: the new Hostess Center on my website gives hostesses a portal to invite their guests, track RSVPs and send reminders, and watch as online orders earn them more hostess rewards than ever before! The most exciting part is that your guests no longer need to live nearby to have their orders count toward your party total. Using the Hostess Center you can now invite guests to your party from anywhere in the U.S. or Canada. They can associate their orders to your party right on my website and have their products shipped directly to them. Meanwhile, you get credit for their orders just as if they were at your home party! There is no longer any sort of geographic limit on who you can invite to your Uppercase Living party. With so much to choose from in our new catalog, your guests are sure to find something that they'll love and you'll love checking off your Wish List as you earn FREE and HALF PRICE items.

I'm currently forming a Focus Group of hostesses who would like to have a party in July or August and use my Hostess Center. I'd love to get your opinions on how you enjoyed using the Hostess Center. If you would like to take part in this Focus Group and earn some bonus products for participating, please contact me to reserve a party date asap.

New Facebook Page
In order to reach more people and serve everyone better, I've created a new Facebook page. Come join me at http://www.facebook.com/ultorreh for ideas, updates, photos and more. Among other things, I've posted the hostess and customer FREE monthly rewards for July, August and September. If you're planning on hosting a party, take a look and see which month's freebies you like best. It might just help you pick a date!

Complimentary Design Consultations
With an eye toward improving my service to my wonderful customers, I am now providing complimentary design consultations. You can make an appointment to have me come to your home to provide ideas and guidance for some unique ways to decorate using our products. You can also just send me a photo of your space and let me suggest some ways to transform it with Uppercase Living. Simply call or email me to find out more.
Aloha!!!!!!I will be spending some time in Honolulu in August and will have limited time to talk to people about joining my team or placing orders. If you'd like to get together while I'm there, please contact me ASAP so I can fit you into my calendar.

Looking Ahead
Not surprisingly, there will be lots of great ideas and products still to come from UL as we get closer to the fall and (gulp) winter holidays. I'm not going to give away all my secrets, but I promise that you will LOVE them. I will be holding my annual Open House at my home in September and its not too early to start planning your fall parties. If this year is anything like last year, my calendar will start filling up early and I would hate to see anyone miss out on sharing our great products with their family and friends and earning tons for free. I've come back from Convention with tons of new ideas that I plan to put in place in the coming months. Look for more updates to come in the next few issues.

I hope you all enjoy browsing my new catalog either online or in person. I'd love to hear from you and find out your favorite new expressions, colors and products. Looking forward to hearing from you!

 

Comings and Goings...New Catalog Is Almost Here!

I'm just back from a wonderful and exciting Convention in St. Louis and, honestly, I'm having a hard time coming down from my excitement. Once again, I'm totally wowed by our designers and product developers. I can't wait to share all of our new expressions and accessories with my hostesses and their guests. There are gorgeous new colors and so much more. Here is a quick overview of products as well as the time lines for ordering from the old catalog along with the deadline for getting items from the current one:

• Our current catalog, mini Celebrations catalog and all the items on the current Retired List are available for purchase through tomorrow night until 11:oo P.M. Pacific time.
  
• You can begin ordering from our BRAND NEW catalog starting at 11:00 A.M. on July 20th!!
  
• We have new colors: Concord Grape, Wild Raspberry, Spring Hyacinth, Royal Blue, and Stone Cottage. You Purple People are going to love our new selection. Stone Cottage is a fantastic new neutral. Our selection of Shimmer Colors has been expanded with the return of some favorites from last year and the introduction of Shimmer Orange and Shimmer Charcoal...perfect for all you who love decorating for Halloween.
• A new product, Shimmer Effects, makes adding sparkle to your off the wall projects easier than ever.
  
• Our fantastic new accessory is a Double Frameworks frame which holds both a square and a rectangular insert. You will LOVE this. There's also a gorgeous frame with lots of room for customization with vinyl lettering and embellishments. Both are great for your own home and gifts. Plus, my favorite accessory, the punched metal tile is available in more colors than ever before. Wait until you see the new Berry tile. And black will be awesome for Halloween and so much more!
  
• Chalk Walls have become part of our new Erasable Vinyl line. Not only do we have more Chalk Wall selections than ever, but you can also choose each of the designs in our brand new DRY ERASE VINYL. Just wait until you see the kids' chore chart.
  
• Our clocks have been so popular that we now have 3 new completely different designs. From ornate to minimal, you will want several of these for yourself or as gifts.
  
• Those of you who love to turn our acrylic blocks into night lights will LOVE the new LED light insert. Designed to fit into the block's opening perfectly, it's battery operated and you'll never have to mess with cords again! Hooray.
• New Grande Format and Decorative Designs are absolutely fantastic. There are more Decorative Prints than ever before and they truly fit every type of decor. My favorites are the interactive designs for kids' spaces.
  

The biggest news of all is that my fantastic hostesses are no longer limited to inviting only guests who live locally. Now you can truly invite everyone you know to shop at your Uppercase Living party and help you earn free products, no matter where they live. You can also organize nationwide fundraisers. Online hostess tools make it easy to see RSVPs, orders, and track all of your hostess rewards.

I am so excited to share all of this with you and your friends. As always, schedule your own party ASAP to be among the first to see everything I've mentioned and more. I have dates available in July and August.

Believe me, this is just a quick preview of all that's still to come. Contact me to schedule a party or get help with an order. I can also add you to my mailing list so you can get up-to-the-minute information of all the ways you can use Uppercase Living in your life. I'd love to have you let me know if you'd like me to schedule a new catalog celebration party or some project nights. Don't forget to vote in my poll (to the right of your screen) and happy shopping!