Sweet and Spooky Ideas for Halloween

With yesterday being the hottest day EVER (no really, it was the hottest day in recorded history in LA) it's difficult to get my mind around the fact that it's time to get the Fall and Halloween decorations out. We have flames shooting out of the hillsides, air conditioning running nonstop and are trying hard not to stick to our furniture. It definitely feels like summer but one look at the calendar tells me that cooler temperatures are not far away and neither is our (somewhat sad) version of fall. Knowing that Halloween is a big holiday for many of you, here are some ideas decor and gift ideas.

 Before I get to Halloween, I just want to point out that it's easy to get double duty from accessories and decorations this time of year by going with a fall theme instead of just Halloween. The pumpkin in the photo about is a great example. Using a big fall leaf embellishment and several small ones turns this plain craft pumpkin into an elegant accessory that can stay out until the Christmas decoration appear. If you'd like to make it more appropriate for Halloween, you can always add a Jack O' Lantern face on one side and leaves on the other. The faces come in a variety of designs in lots of sizes, so you can use them in many different ways.

 

I like using them on larger craft pumpkins so that I can use them year after year. It's definitely a good investment over the long run, plus I don't have to deal with slimy pumpkin guts! You can also apply a couple of these faces to a mirror in your home for a fun  Halloween "trick." 

A good idea for Halloween decor is to apply your vinyl expressions on boards, tiles or plaques so that you can reuse them each year. That's what I did on this punched metal tile to warn guests at my door:

I ordered this expression in Shimmer Orange to make it really pop against the Black Punched Metal Tile (love this new color addition!). I added a little of our black ribbon and have a great piece I'll use every year. My daughter thinks this refers to her brothers. Little does she know...

Another Halloween piece I love is this cute "Eat, Drink and Be Scary" in Green Tea and Concord Grape. It might be difficult to see in the photo but I applied some Shimmer Effects to the purple parts to make them shimmer and shine a little more. I love the look. This expression is shown on the Vintage Embossed Metal Board in Black. This is another great, versatile Foundations piece because it can be hung vertically or horizontally. With its not-too-scary faces, this expression is perfect for my family. Two of my kids are still too young to enjoy the scary aspects of Halloween, and the other one is too, but won't admit it.

The last idea I'd like to share with you today is this cute vase I found on clearance a while back. It was much too plain so I added a spider and some lettering to make it the perfect little Halloween accent. Some orange ribbon and a spooky branch finish off the look. This is great to use if you don't have a lot of wall space but would still like to decorate. As always, you can make it do double duty by adding some silver snowflakes to the other side and using it through the winter.

Whatever you decide to use for your Halloween decor, don't wait very long to order your pieces. The sooner you receive them, the sooner you can begin to enjoy your fun items.

Ideas for FREE September Gifts

It's time for a preview of  September's FREE expressions and some ideas of how you can use them in to make some cute projects this fall. As a reminder, each month Uppercase Living gives you a choice of up to three FREE expressions with qualifying orders. Hostesses can choose from six expressions for FREE; it's just another great benefit of hosting an Uppercase Living party.

In addition to the "Think Pink" expression I recently posted about, customers can choose the Halloween Skull and Crossbones. It's shown here in Bright White on a Black Vintage Metal Embossed Board. You can add Shimmer Effects to make it sparkle on those dark fall nights.  

Another fun choice for Halloween is the Trick Or Treat free Hostess expression. In this photo, it's been applied to our new (and fabulous) Double Frameworks insert, covered with decorative paper, on top with a magnetic insert on the bottom. I love the clever candy corn in the corners. Two Lemon Chiffon and two Pumpkin Spice 2" Candy Corn embellishments were switched around so each corner gets a two-color design! The best part is that you can change out the embellishments and the inserts for each holiday, season or event in your family.

 After Halloween, hostesses might choose this FREE expression to decorate their homes for fall. This warm autumn welcome is shown in Terra Cotta and Pumpkin Spice and has been applied to the large Cocoa Punched Metal Tile. Don't forget that you can choose something different for the back of the tile. We love accessories that pull double duty. 

Although it's hard to choose, this elegant frame is my favorite of these ideas. I love that the two-part hostess expression has been cut apart to accommodate the shape of the frame. This gorgeous accessory is one you'll keep around long after the season.

To view this month's FREE expressions visit my website and just decide if you're going to place an order, host a party, or both! My fall schedule is filling up quickly. Don't wait too long to get your preferred party date.

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!