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.

April Project Of The Month: A Teacher's Gift With Class

I'm so excited to tell you my latest news. Starting this April I will feature a different project each month. My vision for the Project of the Month is to offer you a complete kit that you can assemble to create a unique gift or home accent with little effort. I'll do the planning and the choosing. You just tell me how many you'd like and what color you'd like them in. It doesn't get much easier than that!

To kick off, I have a kit that you can use to create the ideal end-of-year gift for your kids' teachers Pictured here, your kit will come with our Square Frameworks in white and an exclusive expression for your favorite teacher. Even the ribbon is included (please note that you will receive white ribbon and not the pattern shown in the photo). You can choose the expression in the photo above, or customize it further with a different expression. How about "World's Greatest Teacher" or "Teachers Make the Little Ones Count?" Of course, you can also create a custom expression and include the teacher's name. The best part of this kit is that once assembled, you can have all of the students sign the frame with a permanent marker. The younger the students, the cuter their handwriting will be. And if they are a little older, they can add a personal note along with their name.

Psst, room moms: the other parents in class will love you for finding this fabulous gift. Not only is it customized and personal, but it's absolutely affordable. Our April 20% off special brings the cost of this kit to well under $50 (before tax and shipping charges). You'll probably have enough left in your budget for a gift card or a bouquet of flowers for the teacher.

You can contact me to order this month's kit or place your order directly on my website. Make sure to use the coupon code SPRINGFEVER to receive your 20% discount.

I hope you enjoy the new monthly Projects. I'd love to hear from you about what you'd like to see in the future. And I definitely want to hear how those lucky teachers like their gifts.

Coaster Extravaganza - DATE CHANGE

If you've spent any time at all reading Please Use Your Words, you know that I'm a huge fan of our versatile, affordable, fantastic coasters. I think they are the perfect solution for gift giving, party favors, theme decor, and so much more. It's no wonder that they are among my best-selling products. Due to their popularity during the holiday season, I've decided to dedicate a whole project party just to making coasters. Here are the details:

Date: Friday, November 19 (NOTE DATE CHANGE)

Time: 9:30-12:30

Place: My Home

Refreshments: Of course! 

Each set of 4 coasters costs only $15. I will have an assortment of seasonal and everyday words and designs to help you create a variety of designs. You can also order custom embellishments or lettering for your coasters or choose from the limited-time coaster kits in our holiday catalog. There is no limit to the number of coaster sets you can make. Of course, there will be the usual drawings, giveaways and a 10% discount on all orders placed at the Coaster Extravaganza! 

As you think about your gift list, don't forget that coaster sets make terrific hostess gifts and are great to have on hand for a last-minute gift exchange or invitation. No more scrambling when you have the perfect thing ready to go! The sets can be broken up to create individual, inexpensive gifts as well. Here are lots more ideas of how you can customize them to make your gift giving both simple and personal.

If you'd like to take part, but can't attend, just let me know how many sets of coasters you'd like to make and what you'd like on them. I can deliver the kits to you (or have them shipped directly if you're out of town) or even assemble them for you. 

So, glance through my catalog, go through your gift list, and let me know how many sets of coasters you'd like to work on at the Coaster Extravaganza. I must receive your order by October 29 to guarantee on-time delivery of your items. I'm so looking forward to spending a morning with a great group of people and helping all of you create fantastic holiday gifts. I won't even tell if the gifts you make are for YOU! 

Another Great Idea for UL Coasters

Can you tell how much I love our coasters for holiday gifts? This great idea is from another one of our creative demonstrators, who created these for her children's teachers. Each teacher only needs one for her desk and since it has her name on it, she doesn't have to worry about someone taking it "by mistake." Although, who wouldn't want one of these? Add a packet or two of hot cocoa or a gift card for coffee to make this a gift that will be used and appreciated.

This idea could be easily adapted for the ladies at the hair salon, friends in the office or any group of people who work together.

Let me know if you need help creating the perfect set of coasters for the people on your gift list.

THE Go-To Holiday Gift of the Season

Unless you have a) lots of time and b) lots of money, the looming prospect of holiday shopping isn't something you love to ponder. If you're like me and my friends, who don't have a lot of a) or b), you've discovered the secret to stress-free holiday gift giving is to find an item that will work for lots of people on your list and buy it in bulk.

Here is that item:

This is my set of fall coasters created entirely with Uppercase Living products. I can't tell you how nice these look in person. There is so much to love about this simple set of coasters. They look great, are affordable (a set of 4 with monograms are under $20, and embellishments such as the leaves shown here only bring the cost up slightly) and can be easily customized for each person on your gift list. Here are some ideas to help you get some names crossed off your list:

• Neighbors-monograms
• Card Group-embellish with the different suits of cards
• Church/Synagogue friends or staff-embellish with religious symbols
• Pet lovers-embellish with paw prints
• Young family-embellish with family member faces
• Skiers-embellish with snowflakes (perfect for the winter cabin)
• Military families-embellish with stars, flags, and yellow ribbons
• Fishermen-embellish with fish
• Beach bums-embellish with sea shells and flip flops
  
• Gardeners-embellish with plants and flowers
• Dancers-embellish with ballet shoes
• Divas-embellish with tiaras
• Music lovers-embellish with notes or their favorite instrument
• Athletes & sports nuts-embellish with a baseball, football, basketball, and soccer ball
• Mr. Fix-It-embellish with a hammer, pliers, nails and screws
• Race fans-embellish with race cars
• Golfers-embellish with golf clubs
  
• Cowboys-embellish with cowboy boots and spurs
• Coffee lovers-embellish with a steaming coffee cup
• Gourmet cook-embellish with various kitchen utensils

You're getting the idea, right. Can you think of some I've missed?

The fun part comes in when you decide how to further personalize each gift. Match the gourmet cook's coasters to her kitchen colors. Pick the card suits in red and black. Mix and match the family faces to reflect each family member's favorite colors. And choose race cars to match the color of the car your recipient follows. Before you know it, you'll have a ton of names crossed off your list. But don't stop there. Add a set with holiday embellishments as the perfect hostess gift. And add another for a perfect Secret Pal gift. Then add one for the office gift exchange. And finally add a couple of others for a last minute gift when you need something thoughtful, classy, inexpensive and QUICK!

Now, I know that there are others on your list that you would like to acknowledge but don't want to quite spend $20 or so on. These are great gifts for them, too! Think about splitting each set of coasters into 4 gifts! Now you can give one to your hair stylist (scissors embellishment), manicurist (monogram so it doesn't get mixed up with someone else's), favorite bank teller (same), all the day care teachers (baby faces, diaper pins, or monograms) and an entire schedule's worth of high school teachers (school mascot). Pair each coaster with a couple packets of flavored cocoa and you will have a thoughtful and appropriate gift and the recipients will have no more wet rings on their work stations. Besides, the teachers will be just so happy not to get another coffee mug!

A guest at a recent UL party I did ordered 5 sets of coasters and 5 sets of monograms. She was thrilled to have a huge jump start on her shopping and have such a unique and personalized gift.

I know you can come with tons more ideas. If you need help, let me brainstorm with you to choose the perfect embellishments for those on your gift list. Let's work together to make you the smartest gift giver you know!

Coaster Tip #1: Add a bottle of Mistick solution to your order to help you with the placement of the vinyl on the glass surface of your coasters. You will love having the extra wiggle room Mistick provides. And no worries about incorrectly placed vinyl.

Coaster Tip #2: Order your monograms and embellishments mirrored so you can place them on the bottom of the coasters. They will look just as good but won't get scratched by the bottom of the glass.