Branding Your Event

“Many people are branding private social events by designing a monogram or logo just for the party and carrying it through on printed invites, seating cards, etc.”

Marcy Blum Event Planner and Owner, Mary Blum Associates

My sister, also my very first Wedding DearBook client!, had an artist design a monogram for her wedding:

Monogram designed for my sister's wedding

The special monogram or logo can also be framed after the big event which – I’m just now thinking as I am sitting here typing this! – would make a fabulous anniversary or Christmas present for her and my new brother-in-law. (I’ll have to jot that down in my Family DearBook where I keep all of the gift ideas that pop into my head. Makes my holiday shopping a breeze when I know exactly where to go to find these ideas.  I wasn’t planning to put this part in but it does tie in pretty well…)

Diane Lott (left) & Lynn Sussman, owner of San Marco Petites

When I get a compliment on something I’m wearing it’s usually a borrowed piece from my (hip, younger!) sister OR something from one of my favorite stores in Jacksonville – San Marco Petites.  Owner (and hope she doesn’t mind me calling her “new friend” – I have loved getting to know her!), Lynn Sussman shares with The DearBook Company spring trends AND a couple of tips for building a great wardrobe on a budget…

Spring trends:

• Citrus colors – grapefruit, tangerine and lemon
• Metallics
• Graphic prints
• Safari influenced styles
• Dresses

Tips:

• Shop in your closet! You may find some wonderful pieces that you already own.  You may also find some things that need to be discarded.
• Make a list of needs and/or wants.  Buy the best quality that you can afford. If the best fitting jeans you’ve ever tried on cost $200.00, it’s probably a good investment because  you’ll never tire of wearing them and you’ll feel that you look fabulous every time you wear them!

When I was in the store last week, I found what I know will be my favorite outfit for the spring / summer (it had just arrived so I grabbed it!), as well as some incredible finds on the 75% off rack.  Lynn helped me think through the different pieces I had tried, so I left feeling good about sticking with the amount I had budgeted AND getting both what I loved and what would be a wise investment with my particular wardrobe.

She also took my little one next door to Peterbrooke for a treat while I was trying on – and got me out quickly so I wouldn’t be late picking up my oldest from school!

Especially designed for women 5’4″ and under, San Marco Petites features collections from Lafayette 148, Eileen Fisher, Donna Degnan, It’s the Weekend, One Girl Who, Lilla P., and David Kahn jeans.  We also show a full line of accessories, including MZWallace handbags.  Personal shopping and closet reorganization consultations are available.

• In regards to the invite list for Michelle Obama’s first party in the East Room in her new home:  “Not politicians or visiting dignitaries, but the entire White House staff.  ‘We’re talking everyone, including the plumbers, the florists – everyone,’ an Obama staffer told Us of the bash.  ‘Welcoming everybody and being inclusive is so important to her.’ “
• “She’s drawn on lessons from her predecessors (she praised Jacqueline Kennedy for rearing ‘sensible, caring, compassionate kids,’ and has tapped Laura Bush for advice on making the executive mansion a homier place.”  But she’ll also be “creating her own rules.”
• An Obama family friend says, “She can make everyone feel like she’s their sister, their cousin, their aunt.  She is so not snotty.”
• The article also shared that “Malia plans to do big assignments on the desk in the Lincoln Bedroom, where Abraham Lincoln penned the Emancipation Proclamation.”
• And, “Barack and Michelle have a longstanding Friday date night tradition.“  (If they can pull off once a week, maybe my husband and I should try a little harder for at least once a month?)

Holiday Tree - Check back to see it decorated for Valentine's Day!

One thing I love is decorating for holidays – not just Christmas. In the store (see below for more details) the tree was displayed with beautiful hand-painted eggs for Easter, but I think it would be fabulous for all kinds of occasions… 4th of July, Fall, Halloween, First Day of Spring, and of course Christmas.

This weekend, I plan to do something with it for Valentine’s Day (hang hearts on it- ones you buy or cut out with construction paper, add glitter… you can even write a name on each heart of someone you love.  Can be a fun thing to do with kids – and think it would look great in the entry or as centerpiece on table.  I’ll let you know how it turns out!

Special Sale at Daffodils Gift Shoppe in Jacksonville…

I bought the tree from one of my favorite Jacksonville stores, Daffodils Gift Shoppe at Old St. Augustine near Phillips; phone # is: 262-7776) and was very happy it was 40% off, but I was really sad to see that it was a liquidation sale – they are closing their doors.  Everything is marked down 40% and they have beautiful things – including many wonderful gift ideas for under $10. This was my favorite place to go when I needed something for someone – I will miss them…

This is where I toss contents for my DearBook. Every couple of weeks, I'll sit down with the basket and put stuff in. I'll also give thought to upcoming occasions - my child's birthday party, a vacation... Having a place for all that is "dear" to me (that's where the name "DearBook" came from) and knowing I'm preserving it for our family gives me great peace of mind.

This is my 4th year using DearBook and each year it gets better.  Here’s what works for me:

• Forget about making it perfect - neat handwriting, the perfect pen, filling out every single part. Make it your own – do what works for you or fits your lifestyle.  Take out what you don’t use, add in your own pages, move contents around… That’s what’s wonderful about a 3-ring album.
• Have one central place to put stuff. I have a basket in the kitchen (along with a good pen) where I just toss whatever might end up going in my DB such as: child’s report card, group school picture, friend’s birthday jotted down on a scrap piece of paper, great idea for a gift that popped into my head, birthday party ideas / info that I’ve begun gathering for my child’s June birthday, brochure on a neat place that’s driving distance from us – would make a fun day trip for family, front page of newspaper when President Obama was inaugurated, funny thing my 5-year old said (scribbled it down on a piece of paper while I was in carpool line), a recipe that looked good, movie that friend suggested to go to… you get the idea.
• Every so often (sometimes once a month, sometimes once every couple of weeks), I sit down on the sofa with my DB and basket and add things in.
• As far as kid stuff, I designate a DB folder for each child. (I wrote the name on each using a Sharpie). These folders can get full quickly so I now just keep my absolute favorites in my DB and the rest of what I end up keeping, I throw in a plastic bin labeled with my child’s name.
• I record birthdays in the birthday section. All are in one place. As far as my children’s birthdays, even though months away, the kids love talking about what they’d like to do. DB is a great place to keep these ideas – I write this in pencil though because the theme typically changes every few weeks!
• Fun ideas for day trips (more often the case due to the economy) and vacations are kept in the travel section. After we go somewhere, we write down our favorite memories and add in brochure of place we went or best vacation photo.
• Funny /cute / sweet: things your kids say: This is one of my favorite parts – something I’ve just recently begun really using my own DB for. I jot down on scratch piece of paper when I’m in my car or wherever, then toss it in my DB basket. Then when I sit down with my DB, I write it down on the Little Things Worth Remembering page. (Even if you’re not a DB user – write stuff like this down in a notebook or journal. You’ll be thankful later.)
• Recipes – I love cutting recipes but have found that they simply get put somewhere and forgotten about. So, for those that I think sound good for a certain occasion, I am now placing in the Holiday or Entertaining section of my DB.
• Speaking of entertaining… My Entertaining section is mostly used for stuff with just our family. It encourages us to make nights at home – lately, our favorite kind of nights – more special. (For ideas, stay tuned to this blog!)
• Good movies, books, websites, music – if you hear of something you’d like to try, jot it on a piece of paper or tear it out of a magazine. There’s a DB page just for this – and it’s also a great way to remember your favorite books, movies, etc. from that year.

To see sample pages, visit our website’s home page and click on the flip book:  www.DearBookCompany.com

• I hope our neighbors don’t hear me as I yell for the 5th time to our kids, “Get in the car, NOW!  Let’s GOOOOO!”
• Oops, I forgot all about that registration deadline for kindergarten…
• What were we thinking when we took away TV and Nintendo DS for a week?
• Maybe that stack of Christmas cards we haven’t mailed out yet would make good Valentine’s cards?

Like I said in an earlier blog entry, I very much believe moms have the power to create their family’s environment – and this was clearly evident to me in the above examples.  How quickly things seem to go downhill around here when I’m stressed / in a bad mood / tired.  (I didn’t say that what we “create” is always a good thing!)

About a year ago, I was overwhelmed and really unfocused on what I actually created DearBook for (making the most of what’s most important to you – and then preserving those memories made). I slowly began making changes – some big, some small.  (Many thanks in part to my consultant/coach/friend Kathryn Wardle – see her spotlight in our January 2009 newsletter).

Moments described at the top still of course happen.  Just considerably less! Plus, when they do happen, I tend to react – usually, NOT always! – in a better way.

I’ll share what I’m learning + more … check back soon!

Demi Moore said, “The sense of hope, connection and unity – I feel so much gratitude for my children to be experiencing this now.” And then later, Oprah, talking with Vice President and First Lady Biden, exclaimed, “This feels like an ushering in of a real importance of family, and not just lip service to family.”

In the “about” section of this blog, I said I believe moms have a great power within and outside their homes.  This is one of the things I hope to explore.  Without a doubt, I notice how I’m feeling on a certain day (hour, minute) has a pretty quick trickle down effect on the rest of my household – for better OR worse.

My work with DearBook has included research on what makes a house (family) run smoother.  Family DearBook can absolutely enhance family life by encouraging one give thought to their family’s year, bringing much needed order and preserving memories.  (Note to DB users:  The front page of today’s paper covering President Obama’s inauguration is a great thing to stash in one of your DB pockets!) However, I’ve learned (first hand) it takes more than a DearBook to make my house run smoother. It takes a conscience effort along with an understanding that you will always take a few steps backward every now and then.  I definitely don’t have it all together… Just when I think I do, I quickly get reminded otherwise!

But by making small changes here and there, I’ve noticed a drastic change over the past year, three years and definitely ten years (before kids).  Now I must admit, my DearBook has been a part of this change – it’s been my place that holds everything “dear” to me – from past memories to future plans.  But when I began complementing using my DearBook with these ideas/suggestions/tips I was finding, that’s when I began noticing the real power I have as a mom.

There will always be things we can’t control, but our homes are our blank canvas.  Enjoy creating your home.

(And if you need a little help, follow along with my blog as I continue to figure out what works – and what doesn’t!)

For my very first entry, I’m using a quote that sets the tone perfectly for my vision for this blog.  It’s from Live What You Love, by Bob & Melinda Blanchard, published by Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.:

“One way or another, life is a rush.  It can be a rush of time flying by us, or it can be a rush of excitement sweeping us up.  Time flies on its own.  The rush of excitement comes through the actions of people building a life that they love.  You have to create it yourself.”

When developing our first DearBook product, it simply was a place to preserve memories made during special occasions – for those that did not scrapbook but still wanted a record of their family’s year.  Then it evolved into something that could both record AND plan these occasions.  Using my own DearBook, I have begun to experience the value of actively giving thought to how you want your year – your days – to be.

How do you create a life you love is a question that many of us have… I surely don’t have all of the answers but through this blog I plan to share:

• Stuff I run across (from good ideas in magazines, from friends, wherever) that complement the Family DearBook sections:  Holiday, Birthday & Anniversary, Vacations, Entertaining & Everything In-Between
• How I use my own DearBook each month (which has become a big help to me personally in creating more of the life I love)
• Things that can help add a bit of order, comfort, style or joy to your family’s life (from our favorite products to my own thoughts on these topics)

Whether or not you are a DearBook customer, I hope this will be a place to come to for inspiration and good ideas.  And speaking of good ideas, if you have some you’d like to share, please pass them my way!