Stellar Stamps

The 49th state is my 30th!

Welcome, welcome to my newest downline who just signed up from the great state of Alaska (my first from her state)! She's been a long term and loyal customer. I welcome her warmly to my stamping family!

This brand-new demonstrator in my downline now represents the 30th different state that I have first-level downline in (plus a military base in Japan). Wow, that's so fun for me and an amazing way to connect to other fellow Americans all over the globe :)

Our household is about to grow but it's not what you think!

Ok, I admit. I am unabashedly giddy about our future new "neighbor". I'm 47 years old and I have never seen a bird's nest being built but there's one under construction on my front porch! And, sheesh, they are fast since the plant is pretty much new!

The day before Mother's Day (wasn't that only about 2 weeks ago?) we went to a nursery because I really wanted a fuschia to hang on my front porch. This week there's been a flurry of activity and I kept seeing two different colored birds (but the same sized - one had a reddish head and the other brown) flying in and out since our kitchen sink is the window right by the hanging plant. They flew in and out over and over day after day. Today the lightbulb went on in my head and I gently took the pot off the hanging hook and peeked. There's a nest being built! No, I did not touch it (I only held the very bottom of the pot and moved it slowly up and off the hook then down so I could see) and, yes, the birds have come back since I moved it. Good news! I just think this is so cool though I hope none of our 3 cats makes the discovery I did :(

Here's the hanging fuschia on our porch with my kitchen sink window to the right.

And here's the penthouse suite being built. Nature is amazing!! I am in awe. The only glitch is that fuschia's need almost daily watering (per my Sunset Western Garden Book). I watered today but made sure I tipped the cup of water to the far side of the nest. It's been in the 90s here this week and I have to water it but I will gladly let it die if it means a little life will not be disturbed should a wee little egg find it's way in there.

We survived "graduation weekend"!

This is "that" time of the year. Lots of grad events! Kendall graduated from 8th grade last Friday and my godson, Jim, graduated from high school the next day (last Saturday). Three parties that day. Yesterday, I took Kendall and 3 of her friends to our closest Six Flags for the day while Kirsten and I killed time in San Francisco until it was time to pick them up. San Fran can be foggy and cool. It was glorious yesterday and we had THE best time! We had lunch at a great outdoor cafe in the North Beach (Italian) section of town then shopped in Union Square (there's a 3-story Forever 21 store there!) then visited Haight-Ashbury (where the hippie movement began in the 1960s) and the Castro district (from "Milk"). It was just a perfect mother-daughter outing.

Kendall on her graduation day last Friday. Her godmother treated her to having her hair highlighted and styled plus makeup just before her grad ceremony. She looked awesome!

Here's the family at church after the graduation mass and awards presentation.

The next morning we were at my godson's high school graduation here in Sacramento. (He is attending university on a lacrosse scholarship - he's the league MVP, the school's MVP and holds a state record for this year!)

Kirsten wanted to see what the Haight-Ashbury area of San Francisco was like so we went! Here is (literally) the corner of Haight and Ashbury streets (see street sign).

Kirsten phoned brother Matt for input as she wanted to buy him a shirt from Haight. Um, I mean, she wanted ME to buy him a shirt. She chose it and, shockingly, I paid for it.

Stampin' Up!s ANNUAL 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog Pre-order begins NOW!

Preface: this is now back to being an ANNUAL catalog.

I love this time of year. Catalog transition time is exciting for me. I cannot wait to see the new treasures in the new catalog! Something new this year is that I get to see the catalog weeks earlier than usual. Stampin' Up! is sending them in every demonstrator's first personal order on June 1 or after. Naturally I will be placing an order on June 1 especially since we also begin our ability to buy sneak peek items out of the new catalog (often at an added discount) along with the chance to buy one of our Level-2 hostess sets and one Level-3 set from that upcoming catalog. The "Last Chance" List (formerly known as the "Retiring List") comes out June 1 as well so it'll be easy-peasy to buy for myself to see that catalog very, very soon..

If you would like to do get in on all this insider fun, simply sign up to join me as a demonstrator (the Simple Steps to do so are in the right column on this blog in the "Pages" section - 4th page from the top). For only $75, from now through May 31 you can buy a specially created Starter Kit focusing on scrapbooking (but it makes you a demonstrator for peanuts) PLUS I will add any items as my gift valued at $26 or less. You can then be part of all the fun I'm having!

If this is not the right time for you then here's the skinny on earning one FREE or buying one/some. (I say "some" because I keep 3 on hand - one in the map pocket on the driver's door of my car, one at my nightstand and one at my desk - you never know where you need inspiration - I often find it at a red traffic light!)

DEADLINE for all pre-orders = June 15

EXPECTED SHIPPING DATE = within hours of my receiving them. Stampin' Up! will begin shipping them to demonstrators on June 17.  I ALWAYS post on this blog when I know they're arriving or when they come in. Then I post again when I ship them. From start to finish, the turnaround is HOURS. I can only accept pre-orders (per the Direct Sales Assoc. rules) 30 days in advance and I sincerely believe I will be within that timeframe. It's a fun and crazy time in our household and everyone helps. "All hands on deck!!" when that UPS guy drives up.

How to earn one FREE:

1. Place any order of $75 or more now thru MAY 31 and I will give you one free catalog.
2. Place any order of $150+ from JUNE 1 - JUNE 15 and I will give you one free catalog.

How to pre-order one NOW through June 15

1. Go into the Pay Pal storefront in the upper right of this blog. It has a star on it and is large.
2. If you cannot see the store to the upper right of this blog home page or if you cannot open it, your computer settings are simply not compatible. No worries. If that's the case, please just go into the Pay Pal Web Site and use the Send Money feature to proactively pay me. Send the appropriate amount to stellarstamps@comcast.net and please put "Catalog Pre-Order" in the subject line. Using Pay Pal also includes free Delivery Confirmation.
3. Mail me a check. If you are not a Pay Pal user and do not want to go that route, a check is just fine. Email me personally for my home address as I prefer to not post it publicly.

Catalog price breakdown:

Each catalog is $3.95 no matter how many you buy (that price is below my cost of $4.15)

Shipping for 1 is $4.95 via Priority Flat Rate Envelope

TOTAL COST FOR 1 = $8.90

Shipping for 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 is $9.95 via Priority Flat Rate Box (I may be able to squeeze 7 in but I'm not sure about the size of the catalog yet - will it be the same size as last time or larger like the old annual one? not sure until I see it). Please email me at stellarstamps@comcast.net with any questions.

Are you excited????????? I am!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh yeah, the Dormant List

Take a look at the right column, under "Pages". You'll see the Dormant List as it has been since January. Some of those sets will retire June 30 but the main point is that they're available now thru June 30. A customer asked me about "Inspired by Nature" and there it is! My gut tells me it'll stay in the new catalog but we'll find out June 1 when the "Last Chance" List (formerly called the "retiring list") comes out.

Let's make some lemonade!!

Every now and then our Stampin' Up! CEO, Shelli Gardner, hosts a teleconference where demonstrators can sign up to listen to her talk about the company. Tonight was such an event and it was wonderful. Typically it's Shelli and members of her corporate team sharing some news or explaining something. Tonight is the first time I recall a guest speaker (not an employee but someone outside the company). So much of what the guest speaker talked about can apply to so many different areas of life, especially in our economy where so many are out of work and people can feel blue. I took detailed notes and just typed them up. A lot is verbatim and some is my recollection where I've connected the points with my thoughts. I hope you can find something of value in this. The gal who spoke gave this to all of us for free. I think much of it is priceless right now. There was commentary by two demonstrators they invited to speak in the conference but I didn't include their comments as they were pretty much covered by the guest speaker. Here goes:

Shelli’s Teleconference May 19, 2009

 

My notes:

 

Shelli began by expanding on two points outside the purpose of the teleconference:

1. Backorders
2. Looking for different ways to do things

 

Backorders – She’s heard comments that demos think that backorders are a result of lower inventories because SU is not ordering as much due to their T.R.I.M.(train, reduce and improve) philosophy. Shelli says that’s untrue. Backorder issues are due to continued problems with the new computer system and with suppliers.

 

Looking for different ways to do things – Feedback from demos resulted in the “under $10” page in the current catalog. Also, the shipping of complimentary catalogs was a result of prior catalog cycle concerns. Feedback on that has been great so far. Because of this change, though, info about the catalog transition is later than usual.

 

Guest speaker = Pat Pearson (author and psychotherapist) – she was great by the way!

 

How do we create resiliency? Resiliency is defined as “the ability to bounce back after something has knocked you on the head.” Something has broken down. Downline has complained about something. Customer is upset.

 

Your energy and thoughts create success in your businesses.

 

We are trained on the product and business end of this business but not on the psychology of it. The May 14 issue of “USA Today” had a front page article encouraging signing up with a direct sales company (great news for us!).

 

There are 4 cycles of change. They are predictable and measurable. We know them, intuitively, when we are in them.

 

1. “Go For It” – the honeymoon part, the fun part. The first 6-8 weeks of a new recruits tenure with SU. Ooze good feelings about SU to all who will listen. Excited. These honeymoon periods are repeatable.
2. “Doldrums” – things slow down. We feel sabotaged. We make excuses rather than produce results. A frustrating period. People can be negative. Pull our hair out.
3. “Cocooning” – We pull inside. What’s it all about? What is our purpose? Our grand plan? Why are we doing this anyway? We are assessing “am I in or am I out?” We choose to bail or stick it out. A number of people are ambivalent and that is a reflection of the times right now. If a demo decides to stay with the company, they move to #4.
4. “Getting Ready” – This is the springtime after a long winter. Spring is here. The sun is shining. We begin to reconnect. We have a new energy. A surge of excitement and the cycle moves back into “Go For It” (#1).

 

Our business is a cycle. Life is cyclical. Life events throw us out of “Go For It”. Child is struggling. Parent ill. Spouse unemployed, etc….

 

All of us have different resiliencies and we attach different meanings to being told “no”. The Myers-Briggs personality test groups us into two big groups: feelers or thinkers. Feelers agonize over what he/she did not do right. They personalize it when they do not get what they want. A thinker is more immune to criticism or negativity. Women tend to ask “what did I do wrong?” while men may ask “what is wrong with them?”. Men more resilient to “no”. In our industry, 70% are feelers. We agonize over what we did not do right.

 

How do we help the feelers and ourselves? Every event results in an interpretation. This interpretation of the event will create feelings. If you say something is a reflection of me or say “hey, that is about that person and his/her environment” then we take two different paths to interpreting. The event plus the interpretation of the event equals our feelings. A stamping scenario to fit might be that we, as upline or demos, do not want to call so we are not rejected as if we can control those feelings of others. Instead we enhance the negative feelings. It’s a cycle.

 

Take charge of interpretation of events. What you say to yourself as to what the story is – is how we can control the interpretation and how we can keep positive.

 

Any time you do not get what you want (a loss), you grieve. It’s not just about death. “I didn’t recruit”, “I didn’t earn enough to earn the cruise”, “I didn’t lose the weight I wanted to”, etc…

 

Six stages of the grieving process

 

1. Denial
2. Bargaining – you see yourself in grief and try to bargain your way out. Recruit not doing well and says she’s about to quit. You bargain with her to stay.
3. Sadness (crying)
4. Depression – in shock, deer in the headlights.
5. Frustration and anger – short, put-out
6. Resolution

 

Three steps to overcome grief or any one of the steps above:

 

1. Accept what you feel
2. Express it by talking about it or writing about it. If you do not talk about it, you begin to think and that thinking can become obsessive. If you don’t release, you cause yourself trauma.
3. Release it. Let it go.

 

We cannot control what others do in this business (downline, peers, customers).

 

Write a letter but do not send it. It’s very cathartic.

 

A human response in these times is to worry and focus on what is not happening. Instead focus on what is happening. Focus on the positive.

 

This business is based on energy. If you’re sad or depressed, your energy is off. You are selling the feeling inside so if the feeling is off, your business will be off. Instead come to this from an attitude of gratitude and happiness. That is completely sellable. Worry and upset is not sellable.

 

Stop focusing on what you do not want (low recruiting or low sales). Put more focus on it and create success.

 

Pivot (a very important term and idea) – intentionally turn your energy positive

 

3 ways to do so:

 

1. Craft self-statement – “I choose” to give the gift of my business and try to recruit. “I choose” to approach customers for a workshop. You have to believe it to sell it.
2. Write three things you love about SU – why you joined. That is the position from which you give and that which was a gift to you. Achieve a connection to give value and purpose – a gift to another person.
3. Feel good when you say it. You cannot reach your goals when they’re not believable.

 

Take charge of thoughts and feelings to become resilient.

 

We’re all more alike than we’re different.

A tip for Minnesota (or surrounding state) crafters.

Received this from a crafter. The price is ridiculously affordable (well, by crazy California standards where I live). Thought I'd cut and paste Lori's email in case someone much closer to this might be interested. Here goes:

Greetings,

Just a reminder to reserve your retreat dates by May 31, 2009 for remaining available retreat time in 2009 at out special discounted price of $35.00 per person, per night plus tax.  A two night minimum stay is required.  Lakeside Retreat offers Bed, Breakfast and crafting area (if needed) for small groups of four to nine people.  Or just get a bunch of girlfriends to get away and do some shopping, relaxing in the sun, or "me time".  Check out our  website at www.lakesideretreat.biz. Click on the "calender" page on the left side of the page to view the dates that are still available.  There are also other pages on the website that can answer other questions that you may have about Lakeside Retreat located on beautiful Lake Edward just north of Brainerd MN.

Just got 4 tickets to the American Idol concert!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So excited!! We went last year and sat in the nose-bleed section. This year, however, we got a one-day advance purchase opportunity (before tix go on sale to the public tomorrow) since we attended last year. I literally hovered online til the moment it opened and got FLOOR seats, Row R! That is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Doug, Kendall, Michael and I watch it religiously every week so this is extra fun for us :)

Technique: Faux Linen

Faux Linen

Directions:

1) Rub a sanding block or sandpaper over a piece of Glossy White card stock, from top to bottom and then side to side.

2) Ink a sponge or sponge dauber, and rub the ink over the sanded surface to create the linen look.

3) Stamp your image.

Tip:

You can also stamp a background image on the card stock before sanding.

Stampin' Up! wins award!

Stampin' Up! Wins Readers' Choice Award
May 7, 2009

For the ninth year in a row, our rubber stamps have won the prestigious Readers' Choice award from Creating Keepsakes. We are very grateful for this recognition from the crafting community and proud of the quality and artistic diversity represented in our stamps. Other products to win in their respective categories this year were our Spring-Summer 2008 Idea Book & Catalog as well as our Write Me a Memory Font CD.

Spring is here at Casa MacKay!

"The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created Spring. " -- Bern Williams

Spring has come to my door and I wanted to share it. The azaleas are all past their bloom (lower left of photo). The Shasta daisies (white flowers) started about 8 or 9 years ago as one pathetic little clump you could fit in one hand. A friend brought it as a housewarming gift when she visited us from her home in Oregon. This is the 3rd house since then and every time we have moved, I've dug it up. From the beginning to now, that one little clump has morphed into a hedge about 12-15' wide, usually about 2' tall and 3' deep when they are established. This first year they're still getting used to their relocation from last October so I expect them to be modest. Next year they'll be huge. They're nothing special but they make me happy and they make me think of my dear, childhood friend every time I look at them.

When we moved in, the area where the Shasta daisies are was a hedge about 4' tall and filling that whole area. It was boring and ugly plus I didn't like that it hid the porch. Got the rocking chair a couple months ago and I think it suits the porch nicely. Those potted geraniums are all ones I mixed together that were in their own pots originally. My former upline and dear friend Maria was moving out of state so she gave me all her potted plants. They did not do well at our old house but I gave them some TLC, planted the 6 plants into 3 pots, gave them a swig of Miracle Gro and, voila, they look great! Yet another plant that causes me to think of the gift giver.



We hired a landscape architect who is right this very minute drafting a blueprint for a planting plan for our back yard. We are gutting it all except the grass. We should have the plan within a week. So eager to see what he comes up with and to see what parts of it we can afford. We'll do it in stages. Even having some cool lighting designed so we can really make our backyard a focal point for fun and leisure. Doug keeps this pool so clean that Kendall says it's his "5th child". I guess that'll bump the BBQ to "6th child" status, LOL!

I can hardly wait to have fresh plants and trees, no weeds and enjoy our first pool. I am a sun goddess and love laying out by a pool so this is heaven for me! We're having a "staycation" this summer (except for a short trip to Las Vegas for Matt's 21st birthday) so we will really be living (& napping) back here.

A couple days ago, Doug bought me my Mother's Day gift. Ok, so it's not a purse like last year or perfume or something else girly but this is what I really, really wanted - patio furniture. We got this conversation set plus two chaise lounges. Kirsten, who comes home from college May 9, said "Mom, you have a May 9 deadline to get some chaise lounges for the pool area." Matt [who flies in May 11]  told me "all I want to do this summer [besides work] is lay by our pool and read books for fun" [and not for homework - he is an English major]. So, this Mother's Day gift will go a long way for everyone's benefit and we met Kirsten's May 9 "deadline." (She was kidding of course but it was good to have a date to focus on). Now that we've bought this, we'll be eating beans and water for dinner as we're now broke....again!

My sweet angel, Kendall (13), had her "graduation" photos today

When I was a kid, no one "graduated" from 8th grade but I guess they do now. Today Kendall only had to go to school for 1 1/2 hours to get her photo and the class photo taken. Though graduation (in this attire) is not until May 22 they had to get their outfits early (sort of a relief actually). I love her dress! Found it at Macy's on the clearance rack, of course. It fits her beautifully and I think she looks gorgeous in it! To keep it modest at her Catholic school, the girls have to have wide straps on the dress and as this one was not wide enough (though close), she got a little bolero to go with. I love you Macy's!

Look at her photo and look at the photo of me to the left. Can you tell why I sometimes call her "Mini Me"? Thankfully, she's prettier - by a lot! With almost straight teeth (I always wanted braces - lucky her).

I took this photo on our front porch as we were leaving for school this morning.

When I picked Kendall up at 10:15 AM, she had changed into comfy clothes and we caught the 11 AM showing of "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past". It was cute. Not awesome but cute enough. She wanted to see "Wolverine" but I could not go without Michael. It would have been cruel. Then we went to Wal Mart, my home away from home and what Matt refers to as "the evil empire" and which he hates. I like to torment him and buy him something from there then when he says he loves it, I ask "guess where I bought it?" and if I say "Wal Mart" he grimaces. Hey, with four kids, I just gotta do it.

Anyway, I ended the day by mowing the lawn. Call me crazy but I love mowing the lawn!

Welcome to Kat - my newest downline from California!

Kat is now the 2nd customer to take advantage of the awesome $75 Starter Kit promotion that began yesterday. Kat hails from California (just a few miles from me) and she will be a wonderful asset to the team.

Welcome Kat! (don't you love that name?)

Welcome to my newest partner in stamping - Pamela from CA!

Pamela, from California, just took advantage of the $75 Starter Kit which started today and has just joined my downline. Naturally I think Pamela's brilliant for taking the plunge right now ;-)

Welcome, welcome!!!!!!!!!!