Pitch Your Product to Romantic Homes!

Ever wanted to get your product published? Well, here's your chance!
At the upcoming Launch Your Creativity event:

Launch Your Creativity

There will be a MEET & GREET and a opportunity to PITCH YOUR PRODUCT to be published in an upcoming issue!


The editors of Romantic Homes, Cottages and Bungalows, and Victorian Homes will be on hand for a special meet and greet with you. This is a special opportunity where you can pitch your home or product to be featured in an upcoming issue.They will be available 12:30-1:45.

Hillary Black, Jickie Torres and Meryl Shoenbaum

Senior Editors of Romantic Homes
will be on hand - ready to be 'pitched!'

Rules for Pitch Presentation
If you are pitching a product it must be completely ready to deliver to the customer. You must have either a website, etsy shop or a business number where you can be reached to take orders from potential customers. 

1. You will need to complete the Pitch Your Product/Home form which will be emailed to you upon purchasing your ticket to the event.
2. Attach several photographs of your item or a sample that you do NOT need returned.
3. If you are pitching your home for a feature please label the back of each photo with your name and phone number. You will need at least 20 pictures to show a good representation of your home for consideration.Put all picture in an envelope and attach your Pitch Your Product/Home form to it. If you do not show a very strong presentation they cannot send a crew to your home only to find it was not what they were looking for.

Please Note
The editors work very hard to find products and content that is of interest to their readers and plan up to a year in advance. This is not a guarantee that you will be featured. The items submitted must fit within the theme and styling segment of the given  issue they are casting for. When meeting the editors please keep your introduction brief and be respectful of their time as well as other attendees.

PLUS, you get to see this fabulous lady (and others!) speak!

Jenny Doh
Founder & President of Crescendoh, LLC

With Romantic Homes is backing the event, you know its GOTTA be good!

Here's the scoop:
*The tea/seminar is Saturday, October 1, 2011. There are 2 seatings 9:00a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
*Be inspired, encouraged and learn from other women in business how to start your own dream business.
*Meet & greet with the editors of Romantic Homes, Victorian Homes and Cottages & Bungalows.
*Pitch your product or home to be featured.
*5 Guest speakers including a special appearance by Jenny Doh
*Educational materials, gift bags & door prizes
Tickets $65

Seating is limited.
Reservations: http://www.launchyourcreativity.com/

Here's what last year's event looked like:

Seating is Limited!

You only go around once....

Photo by Jennifer Wolsey

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the "good" living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather rambling about his youth.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have burned the pink candle sculped like a rose before it melted
in storage.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television, and more
while watching life.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick, instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment, realising that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."

There would have been more "I love you's" and more "I'm sorry's"

. . . but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute . . . look at it and really see it . . . and never give it back." 

~Erma Bombeck

Antique Digital Graphics

I am absolutely LOVING the new digital graphic elements Cathy is offering over at The Avalon Rose.

Antique cabinet photo frames, vintage ephemera, roses and more. I snapped up a few sets myself!

Antique Paper Frames Graphics

Vintage Ephemera

Flower Elements

If you have used these digital elements in any of your projects, send me a shot of your completed project and I will display it here with a link back to your site! Have Fun!

Tata for now! ~Melissa

Launch Your Creativity!

I was just asked to be a guest speaker at a marvelous event taking place this fall in sunny California. It's called Launch Your Creativity.

While I was so honored to have been asked to be among these amazing women, unfortunately I will be unable to make it. But check out who WILL be there:

Jenny Doh
Founder & President of Crescendoh, LLC

~AND~

Jacqueline deMontravel
Editorial Director, Beckett Lifestyle Group
Editor of Romantic Homes
Author of Hers: Design with a Feminine Touch

With Romantic Homes is backing the event, you know its GOTTA be good!

Here's the scoop:
*The tea/seminar is Saturday, October 1, 2011. There are 2 seatings 9:00a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
*Be inspired, encouraged and learn from other women in business how to start your own dream business.
*Meet & greet with the editors of Romantic Homes, Victorian Homes and Cottages & Bungalows.
*Pitch your product or home to be featured.
*5 Guest speakers including a special appearance by Jenny Doh
*Educational materials, gift bags & door prizes
Tickets $65

Seating is limited.
Reservations: http://www.launchyourcreativity.com/

Here's what last year's event looked like:

Seating is Limited!

Happy Mothers Day!

By the time the Lord made mothers, he was into his sixth day of working overtime. An Angel appeared and said "Why are you spending so much time on this one"? And the Lord answered and said, "Have you seen the spec sheet on her? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic; have 200 movable parts, all replaceable; run on black coffee and leftovers; have a lap that can hold three children at one time and that disappears when she stands up; have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart, and have six pairs of hands."


The Angel was astounded at the requirements for this one. "Six pairs of hands! No Way!" said the Angel.


The Lord replied, "Oh, it's not the hands that are the problem. It's the three pairs of eyes that mothers must have!"


"And that's just on the standard model?" The Angel asked.


The Lord nodded in agreement, "Yes, one pair of eyes are to see through the closed door as she asks her children what they are doing even though she already knows. Another pair in the back of her head, are to see what she needs to know even though no one thinks she can. And the third pair are here in the front of her head. They are for looking at an errant child and saying that she understands and loves him or her without even saying a single word."


The Angel tried to stop the Lord. "This is too much work for one day. Wait until tomorrow to finish."


"But I can't!" the Lord protested, "I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart. She already heals herself when she is sick AND can feed a family of six on a pound of hamburger and can get a nine year old to stand in the shower."


The Angel moved closer and touched the woman, "But you have made her so soft, Lord."


"Yes, she is soft", the Lord agreed, "But I have also made her tough. You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."


"Will she be able to think?", asked the inquisitive Angel.


The Lord smiled and replied, "Not only will she be able to think, she will be able to reason, and negotiate."


The Angel then noticed something and reached out and touched the woman's cheek. "Oops, it looks like you have a leak with this model. I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one."


"That's not a leak." The Lord objected. "That is a tear!"


"What's the tear for? the Angel asked.


The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her disappointment, her pain, her loneliness, her grief, and her pride."


The Angel was impressed. "You are a genius, Lord. You thought of everything! Truly, You do all things well... Moms are truly amazing!"


Happy Mother's Day!
~Erma Bombeck

{{ CHECK IT OUT }}

Shea and Debbie from A Gilded Life are hosting a fabulous giveaway is for Melody Ross' Brave Girls' online course Soul Restoration I, which will begin on April 5th.  All you have to do to be entered to win is to head over to their blog { RIGHT HERE } and leave a comment THAT'S IT! 
Comments will be closed for this giveaway on Saturday, March 5th

at 9:00 CST, and a winner will be announced Sunday afternoon.

A Different Kind of Birthday Bash

My Inner Pin-Up is a blog by my fun, motivating & uber-creative friend, Roxie Morrow.  Pretty Rox is turning the BIG 4-0 next month and has embarked on a mission to help all of us learn to be healthier and feel sexier at any age-without excuses!  Her blog 'MY INNER PIN-UP' follows her weight loss journey and includes tips on clean eating {something I am very interested in!} as well as her struggles with Type 1 diabetes. No complaints, no excuses...just a daily dose of motivation & humor with some living healthy tips sprinkled in for good measure!  Wontcha join me to help cheer Roxie toward her goal of being a pin-up mama and making 40 her best year ever?!

♡ Merry Christmas ♡

"I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys."  ~Charles Dickens

At this blessed time of year, let's stop and take a moment to stop and count our blessings

~ each and every one ~

Merry Christmas to all & to all a Good Night!

☃PHOTO by JENNIFER WOLSEY

~Charles Dickens

What Do YOU want for Christmas?

I know what I want.  I want to learn how to be more like this man- 'the companion of the forgotten'.  To me, THIS is what an angel on Earth looks like.  Watch it alone, send it to friends, watch it with your kids...just watch it.  Merry Christmas!

Powerful Perspective

"The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful."
    
     ~Elizabeth Edwards {Associated Press–Tuesday Dec 7, 2010}

These words were spoken by Edwards today -
just hours before she lost her long battle with breast cancer. 
May she rest in peace.



Good Morning, Lord; I Don't Know Where You Are Going Today, But I'm Going With You BOOK REVIEW

Good Morning, Lord; I Don't Know Where You Are Going Today, But I'm Going With You
by Sheila Walsh

As soon as I received this book it made me smile- before I even opened it.  The cover design and the title are soothing and simply beautiful. The book is a compilation of daily devotionals by Sheila Walsh would make a wonderful gift for a friend or family member who is interested in starting each day on a powerful path & building their relationship with God. Each morning offers a new and insightful devotional including scripture, a relatable story and a place for notes & thoughts. Each day's devotional builds on the previous day's, however they can easily be read individually and be very impactful. The book would also be a great way to start your childrens' days as, especially if they are headed off to school or work. We all have struggles - this book is a perfect & gentle reminder that God loves us no matter what and that He is with us even when we feel we are alone.

I am planning to purchase a couple of these books for friends as gifts this holiday season. What a tremendous gift ~to be able to start each day on a positive and grateful path. Five stars!



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Frustration...Leave Me Alone

Frustration [fruh-strey-shuhn] –noun
1. to experience a series of frustrations before completing a project.
2. something that frustrates, as an unresolved problem.
3. a feeling of dissatisfaction, often accompanied by anxiety or depression, resulting from unfulfilled needs or unresolved problems.
 
Nothing is easy.  Even if you think its going to be when you get started.  Even if you have the greatest of intentions, the coolest of ideas... Things always seem to have a way of being much more than meets the eye.  As hard as you think something is going to be you end up wishing it were that easy. 

I don't know where it started, but there's always been an unspoken, underlying belief that just because we have a great idea, a good invention, a grand plan that it just HAS to work out.  Why shouldn't it?  So you try and try. You imagine. You dream. You plan, you scheme and you implement.  And in the it didn't go as you had planned.  In the end your time would have been better spent in a nice hot bath with a cheesy novel and a candle as your companions.

Or would it?  So, it didnt work out the way you had hoped. So?

Sometimes a perceived failure turns out to be a step in the right direction.  Or in a new, better direction.  One that we hadn't even thought of.  And sometimes it doesn't.  But either way, its not a failure.  Its a lesson.  The failure would be in not trying at all.  Failure is not believing in yourself and your idea enough to bring it to the light.  A great idea doesn't mean its going to be easy. In fact, unfortunately...quite the contrary.

So, yes...you really tried.  You put your heart and soul into it.  You stayed up past your bedtime dreaming. You could actually SEE it working out and imagined all the smiling faces as it smoothly went along just the way you had envisioned.... and still...it didn't work out.  And now you're sad.  You're disappointed. You're FRUSTRATED.  And guess what...its OK.  For a little while anyway.  Decide you're going to be upset and mourn the letdown of this segment of the plan then dust yourself off and begin again.  Too many really amazing ideas have fallen victim to the puddle of disappointment that follows the first few stumbles.  Take what you've learned and gently blow the rest away.  And do it with a smile.  Because when we fail we succeed.  We succeed in gaining experience-of what works and what doesn't.  So next time we are that much further ahead and we have that little pang of excitement that reminds us that we are that much closer to success.  Every disappointment has a lesson.  Take the lesson and get rid of the rest.  No room for storage here.  We need that valuable space for NEW ideas and plans.   So gather the pieces of your broken plan, have a fresh look at it now thats its been seemingly disassembled...and begin to build again.  But before you do...tell frustration that its done its job and now it can show itself out now...you have work to do.

So, it didn't work out.  And that's OK.  Because you're still here.  And you can try again.

"If God sends us on strong paths, He provides us with strong shoes"  Corrie TenBoom

Giving Thanks

Gratitude: A lively sense of future benefit. ~A French Definition

Today & every day...Count your blessings.  Appreciate each day for none of us is promised tomorrow.  Make it a habit to thank people-and to really mean it. Express your appreciation, genuinely and without an expectation of anything in return.  When you learn to truly appreciate life, and you'll find that you have more of it.

Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns;

I am thankful that thorns have roses.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!

Time Tested Beauty Tips

Time Tested Beauty Tips

by Sam Levenson

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; Never throw out anybody.

Remember, If you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm.

Let it Go

I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit. For too long every ounce of forgiveness I own was locked away, hidden from view. Waiting for me to bestow its precious presence upon some worthy person. Alas, I found most people to be singularly unworthy of my valuable forgiveness, and since they never asked for any I kept it all for myself. Now the forgiveness that I hoarded has sprouted inside my heart like a crippled seed yielding bitter fruit. No more. At this moment my life has taken on new hope and assurance. Of all the worlds population I am one of the few possessors of the secret to dissipating anger and resentment. I now understand that forgiveness only has value when it is given away. By the simple act of granting forgiveness I release the demons of the past about which I can do nothing and I create in myself a new heart, a new beginning. I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit.


I will forgive even those who do not ask for forgiveness. Many are the times that I have seethed in anger at a word or deed thrown into my life by an unthinking or an uncaring person. I have wasted valuable hours imagining revenge or confrontation. Now, I see the truth revealed about this psychological rock inside my shoe. The rage I nurture is often one-sided for my offender seldom gives thought to his offence. I will now and forevermore silently offer my forgiveness even to those who do not see that they need it. By the act of forgiving I am no longer consumed by unproductive thoughts. I give up my bitterness. I am content in my soul and effective again with my fellow man. I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit.

~from Andy Andrews, The Traveler's Gift

Outlive Your Life: You were born to make a difference

This  morning I was dreading a trip to the treadmill and needed some inspiration & motivation.  I tried something new & left the iPod at home and replaced it with a new book by Max Lucado entitled Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make A Difference

"God doesn't call the qualified. He qualifies the called."
This book is more than merely some compiled suggestions and an enjoyable read- it is a call to action encouranging each of us to share our gifts each and every day.  Whatever we feel compelled or called to share~ from money to a listening ear.  Each of us has something to offer another person, regardless of how small or insignificant it may seem to us-it could be potentially life changing to another. 

"Are you more dinghy than cruise ship? More stand-in than movie star? More plumber than executive? More blue jeans than blue blood? Congratulations. God changes the world with folks like you."
He points out that Jesus did not choose the most wealthy, the wisest or the most respected people in the land to share his word.  He chose the 'average Joes' of that time.  He also did not treat them individually, but rather as a unit -each of them had something a little different to offer - just as each of us has something different to offer today.
 
"There is something fundamentally good about taking time to see a person."
Most of us, whether we choose to admit it, are relatively content turning a blind eye to those around us who are in need or otherwise suffering.  Even the small things we do are always remembered...by someone.  Even if they are unseen. 

Matthew 24:35 "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."
How many times have you stopped to throw a dollar in a beggars hat, given a homeless person a meal-or better yet...offered to sit down and share a meal with them to learn about who they are and how they arrived at their current station in life.  Have you visited an elderly relative and showed them photos of your children or listened to them share stories of their own distant childhood?  Have you opened your home to someone you know who may eat alone every night?  Have you smiled at a stranger who perhaps hasn't felt worthy of a smile yet today?  What can YOU do today to make an impact on the life of another?

"Whatsoever you do to the least of my people, that you do unto me."
Often it seems easier to accept that we are only one person and cannot make a large enough change in the world to bother with it.  But as the saying goes:  "To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world." and as Lucado states in the opening chapter: "May you live in such a way that your death is just the beginning of your life."  and who wouldn't want that?


 
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Sneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Celebrating our 'Treasured Chests'

 Some amazing displays of support!

Getty Images

Christ the Redeemer statue is lit up in pink at night as part of a campaign for breast cancer awareness in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Oct. 7, 2010

Getty Images

COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 2: A special pink ball to encourage support for breast cancer awareness is used in play during a game between the Columbus Crew and the San Jose Earthquakes on October 2, 2010 at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

Getty Images

GREEN BAY, WI - OCTOBER 03: Pink and white breast cancer awareness hats rest on a bag of footballs during a game bewteen the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field on October 3, 2010 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They also sported pink bottom cleats.  The Packers defeated the Bears 28-26.

Getty Images

Support the National Breast Cancer Foundation by purchasing a specially marked pink bag or bar of Ghirardelli LUXE MILK(TM).

Getty Images

People walk past as the Parliament Buildings are lit up in pink in support of Breast Cancer awareness month in Ottawa, Ontario on Thursday, Oct. 7, 2010.

from Cookies for the Cure

                        Cookies for the Cure  Buttercream Frosted Heart Cut-out cookies

For each gift sold, 10% of the purchase price will be directed to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure (Columbus Affiliate).   SUPPORT COOKIES FOR THE CURE HERE!

From a 2010 Susan Komen Walk

There are so many breast cancer support group for men and women~these are just a few...

Dedicated to all those who have lost the fight

and all those who won't quit the fight!

If I had my life to live over........

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.


I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because I just did my hair.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television-and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."

There would have been more "I love you's.". More "I'm sorry's" ...But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute... look at it and really see it ... live it...and never give it back.

Stop sweating the small stuff. Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what.
Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who Do love us. Let's think about what God HAS blessed us with.   What we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally, as well as spiritually?

Author Unknown

Her New Life

~Feeling a bit uninspired today?  Take a short journey in this grateful woman's shoes and see if you aren't perhaps changed just a little bit~

You can view her story HERE

While Stephanie was in the hospital, there was always someone at her side. Siblings slept on the floor, her mother spoke words of encouragement, and they all prayed for her recovery. "We did everything we could to make it normal and natural, as if she was among us," Steve says.

Then, in November 2008, Stephanie woke up. "I thought, 'Where have I been? What happened?'" she says. "It was very strange."

Stephanie says she had a vision while she was unconscious, and she was given a choice. "[I was] with somebody who told me that I could choose to live and have a hard life, you know, embarrassing at times and painful. Or, I could just stay there, and there's lots of work I could do there too," she says. "But I thought of my children and my husband, and it was easy. An easy choice."From Oprah.com                                                                    

If you want to keep up with Stephanie, visit her BLOG

Staying Positive in the Face of Cancer

A really wonderful woman I met a few years ago at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has just completed an amazing new book that helps young children cope, understand and stay positive in the face of cancer. 
In the book, a little girl copes as her friend has to go away for cancer treatment. My Friend Zach is an endearing story of friendship and hope. Proceeds from the sales of this book will benefit Band of Parents, a non profit organization that raises funds for neuroblastoma cancer research.   You can read the local newspaper article here.

Click here to PURCHASE the book.