Fabulous Black Friday Giveaway!!!

The time has arrived for my big announcement! My apologies I did not post it yesterday but I didn't get home until the wee hours of the morning after partaking in some early Black Friday shopping. I had some great success and am hoping that those of you who were out and about had good luck in your shopping fun as well. Speaking of shopping fun - how fun would it be to win 60 awesome items from 60 different vendors?!? It could be your lucky day and think of all the fun gift giving as a result of winning it all!

I am happy to announce that I am part of the Fabulous Black Friday Giveaway Event going on now through November 30th. One winner will not only win a shopping spree with me through Rendi, but that SAME winner takes ALL the items posted in the giveaway. What?!? Yes! You read it right...so hurry to the Fabulous Fun Finds blog to find out how to be entered for all the loot. Good luck! Wish I could enter - there is some REALLY cool stuff in this giveaway! Here's a preview of some of the 60 (yes, 60!!!) items to be won! Who knows, it may be YOUR lucky day. You never will know unless you enter!

Images Courtesy of Individual Giveaway Vendors via Pinterest :: Fabulous Fun Finds Fabulous Black Friday Giveaway Event

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Has it really been SIX months since my last post??? Hope you all have been well - HAPPY THANKSGIVING to everyone - enjoy the day with family and friends. I am thankful for everything in my life today; take time to appreciate all your blessings.

One blessing in my life has been Rendi...and I'd like to share it with you. Rendi is the brainchild of award-winning designer, Annie Danielson of Danielson Designs. Our walls are graced with MANY of her home décor items and picture frames. Joining her team as a sales representative for Rendi was a no-brainer and the best decision I've made. Be sure to check out my website where you can browse the full offering of each collection. Stay awhile and play - design some frames, customize a wall sign, personalize a bud vase...the sky is the limit! Grab your calendar and highlight the events coming up...wouldn't your gift recipient LOVE a one-of-a-kind personalized gift created just by YOU???

Here's the good stuff about Rendi which made it an easy choice for me to be a customer and also a happy representative of the brand.

• It's made in the USA, right in Trinidad, Colorado.
• The frames and signs are made from 100% recycled wood, so no forests were harmed and no trees were illegally cut in creating the products.
• The ink is water-based and non-toxic, meaning it's safe enough to eat off of (not that you would, but great for peace of mind).
• Rendi donates a portion of their sales to charity:water, dedicated to making clean water wells in Africa and other needy countries (a charity very dear to my heart).
• ALL items come gift-wrapped for FREE in an awesome reusable, unique box.
• Your order ships out their Colorado facility in two business days...wait, what?!? Yup, you heard me right - TWO business days for a PERSONALIZED gift item to be on its way to you or your gift recipient.
  
  

This company has the BEST customer service I have ever received...and that is saying A LOT. But don't take my word for it, try it out for yourself. You have plenty of memories to be captured and remembered...why not make it personal with Rendi? Price points are VERY affordable ($19.95 to $39.95) for a made-in-the-USA, customized product. Sign up on my site to make me your stylist to never miss a monthly special and be entered to win some goodies throughout the year. Hope you enjoy Rendi as much as I have...it has surely been a blessing in 2011! If you're interested in the Rendi Opportunity, please check it out and see what's part of the package - contact me to be part of a ground-floor opportunity (there's only about 200 reps nationwide as of now) - it's opened so MANY doors for me; let me help it open doors for YOU!

Catherine S.
Rendi Independent Stylist
www.catherines.rendistyle.com

Swing by later TODAY for a VERY fun announcement I will have and HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all!

Update and Giveaway!

So thanks for hanging with me...we're in the midst of another move...yes, another. But this time, let's hope it's for awhile as we have found our dream home. Once we're settled in, I'll have to post some photos, but we are knee deep in painting and basement remodeling, so it's a bit of a mess.

Just wanted to say hello and tell you about the AWESOME giveaways going on at the Mom of 40 Toes blog...she reached 5000 followers - AMAZING!!! So go check her out...you won't be sorry. And enter one of the fantastic giveaways she is hosting...like this one - from one of my favorites, Gardenhouse.

Once I'm all settled in, I promise you I'll be hosting some fun giveaways of my own...so stay tuned my friends!!!

Ciao - off to pack more boxes!

SAVE THE DATE - Matilda Jane House of Clouds Virtual Trunk Show THIS SATURDAY

Well, I love my Mother (Nature), but she had different plans for my Matilda Jane House of Clouds trunk show last night. Since I had it at my home, I set everything up and ironically prayed that no one would show up in the 40 MPH winds and snow - just horrible weather! One trooper of a friend stopped out briefly, but ended up quickly leaving to beat the ensuing snowfall and worsening wind gusts...what a friend she is (thank you Sara!!!)...so, I have rescheduled the Matilda Jane House of Clouds Open House for this Saturday, February 5th from 1:00 - 3:00 pm CST.



The GREAT news is that I am accepting online/virtual orders for that show! So you can live miles away from me and still place an order :) Yipee! Maybe you're stuck inside for the second day in a row with all this snow...relax and shop House of Clouds! If you are interested in the virtual option, please visit the Matilda Jane website and find their WISHLIST. Here you will be able to add the items in the sizes and quantities you desire and email your wishlist directly to me.

My email for receiving Matilda Jane orders is: catherinestrunk@gmail.com.



I will follow up with you for payment information (MC or VISA) via email or phone. As for shipping, you can have it directly shipped to you (a tad more expensive than the flat trunk show shipping) or I'm offering trunk shipping (a flat $4) that will be shipped to me, I sort the orders and then ship to you...less expensive, but it takes about 4-5 more business days once it gets to me to get out to you. All orders are shipping out around 3 weeks. I've been advising people that if you see something that is a 'must have' for you, to get it right away because as history has shown, some Matilda Jane items have had a high sell-out and once they are gone, they're gone. Please have your online/virtual orders to me no later than 2:00 pm CST this Saturday, February 5th.

Here's the OPEN HOUSE invite again:

Meet me on Cloud Nine!!! I'm so excited to be selling these goodies this season and am able to offer you the awesome Jane (hostess) benefits! Come and see how you can earn some of these gorgeous items at half off or even for FREE by hosting your own trunk show, in-home or online/virtual!

Feel free to bring the kiddos and/or some of your friends -
the more, the merrier! :D

Date: Saturday, February 5th, 2011

Time: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
(pop in any time between - no formal presentation;
come & shop)

Place: My Home (if you are local to the Fox Valley, WI - message me for directions)

If you cannot make it and/or wish to order virtually, please feel free to email me your items from the MJC wishlist option.

Check out the Lookbook for glorious photos of some items from the collection :: the Matilda Jane website has been updated with the new House of Clouds collection.
Fantastic news - there's an expanded women's line, too!

Thanks for your interest and hope to see you there!

(Photos courtesy of Matilda Jane Clothing)

Matilda Jane Spring 2011 House of Clouds Open House & Virtual Trunk Show

Meet me on Cloud Nine!!! I'm so excited to be selling these goodies this season and am able to offer you the awesome Jane (hostess) benefits! Come and see (or contact me for more info about) how you can earn some of these gorgeous items at half off or even for FREE by hosting your own trunk show, in-home or online/virtual! Feel free to bring the kiddos and/or some of your friends - the more, the merrier! :D

Date: Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
(pop in any time between - no formal presentation; come & shop)

Place: My Home - if you are local to the Fox Valley (WI) & want to come, email me for directions. If you cannot make it and/or wish to order virtually, please feel free to email me your items from the MJC website wishlist option.

Check out the Lookbook for a glimpse of the collection :: the Matilda Jane website will be updated tomorrow with the new pieces. Fantastic news - there's an expanded women's line, too!

Thanks for your interest and hope to see you there!

Mama-who?!?

Mamapedia.com. Ever heard of it? Well, me neither until a few days ago...I was informed about this sweet deal for Kiwi Magazine. So I joined. And the sweet deal I joined for - a two-year subscription to Kiwi Magazine for...wait for it...only $4. Ya. I don't know about you, but I've easily paid over four buckaroos for one single magazine. So I was over the moon elated at this deal...but hurry, act fast, this sweet deal is only on for a few more hours or so.

Didn't make it in time for this deal? No worries. New Sweet Deals (yes, this is what they are called - genius!) are emailed to you daily per your wishes...no missing out!

If you are interested in getting the two-year subscription to Kiwi Magazine as a NEW Mamapedia.com member, enter 2YEARKIWI4 before checkout. If you only want a one-year subscription to Kiwi Magazine, here's the link that will take you to order just one year and enter 1YEARKIWI2 (this will get you the subscription for $2 - yup 8 quarters!!!)...remember, the codes will only work for new Mampedia.com members - so sign up today to get these awesome savings! If you are already a Mamapedia member, the savings are still great - you can snag a one-year subscription for $6 and the two-year subscription for $10 by using those same links.

(Image courtesy of Kiwi Magazine and Mamapedia.com)

The BIG Announcement

It's official - I can now let the cat out of the bag!!! I know I've kept quite a few of you wondering when I had announced earlier I had some big news and what it all meant. I had a few very interesting guesses (no, we're not pregnant, we're not moving again and I'm not joining the circus). Let me ease you into the news...those that know me well will say I am a diehard fan of Matilda Jane Clothing...I'm not as extreme as some ladies out there (not that it's a bad thing), but I own my share of pieces for my daughter and myself, and love them to bits. For those of you not familiar with Matilda Jane Clothing, please let me introduce you to this wonderful and artsy clothing company!

Denise DeMarchis started Matilda Jane Clothing a few years ago selling her handcrafted clothing at art fairs when she was convinced by supportive family and friends to follow her dream and make it into a real business. Well, that is just what she's done, and it's a thriving business at that! You MUST take a few minutes to peruse through her beautiful new website and visit the different collections she offers. The clothing is the perfect juxtaposition of sweetness and spunk right down to each and every detail such as the buttons, the ribbon trim...pure creativity!

The bulk of her clothing is for girls in sizes 6 months to 6 years for children and the tween line for sizes 8 years to 12 years.

Matilda Jane also offers a women's line in sizes S-L that has been expanded with this collection. They also have a variety of accessories (tights, socks, hats, headbands, etc.) along with a few boys pieces thrown in as well.

So, I am very excited to announce that I will be a Traveling Trunk Jane for the Spring 2011 season with hopes that I will sign on with the company in Fall 2011! What does this all mean? It means that I will have the FULL SPRING 2011 COLLECTION in my hands and can travel to you so you can host a show in your home. Yes, as I now say, "I have a trunk and will travel!" Don't want to open your home and have a trunk show? No problem...send your friends and family the website link and have them find what they like. They can email their items to you or me and we can have an online party! Either way, you are the Jane (hostess) and will be able to take advantage of the awesome benefits - what a great way to earn half-price and even FREE (yes, I said FREE) Matilda Jane pieces!!! I am so excited to share that opportunity with you!

The Spring 2011 House of Clouds Collection launches on February 1, 2011 with a second (quite large) release on March 1, 2011 and a third release of a few more pieces in early April. You can get a sneak peek of some of the spring collection items on the Matilda Jane blog by reading a few posts and viewing the photos. ** Warning: The line looks just delicious!!! Be prepared to have a long wishlist. *** I will be hosting my trunk show launch at my home on Tuesday, February 1st from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. If you are in the Fox Valley (WI) area and want to come see the House of Clouds collection or know you want to buy some new items, please come over and bring a friend or a carload - the more, the merrier! Email me here through my 'contact me' button and I will get you all the fun details!!! Or contact me if you are within the state of Wisconsin and want to host your own trunk show to get all the awesome benefits!!! As I said before, I have a trunk and will travel!

I'm excited to be working with my original Matilda Jane Trunk Keeper who has become a trusted friend of mine and elated to have found something where I am able to stay home with my daughter during the day and run a business in the evenings and weekends. I am looking forward to all the wonderful new people I am going to meet and the new experiences ahead of me - I feel very blessed with this opportunity. I hope you join me on this journey - I would love to make you a happy Jane with those awesome benefits!

(Images courtesy of Matilda Jane Clothing)

In a Blog Fog...

Hello readers! I have returned! My apologies that I have been away for awhile - was it really October? *blush* The end of 2010 brought some urgency to SIMPLIFY - daily activities, personal belongings, etc. in order to start 2011 off on the right foot. I took a well needed break from blogging, reading blogs, and being online in search of overall balance. So far, so good!

Ali Edwards sponsors these wonderful Big Picture Classes for scrapbookers. One of the workshops is called 'One Little Word'. From her blog, she explains, "A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can be sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow. From my own personal experience, it can be a catalyst for enriching your life." Following her lead, the word I have selected for 2011 is COMMIT. This year is about challenging myself to make good choices about opportunities that are presented to me, commit to them and follow them through to completion. The rule of thumb states it takes 21 days (3 weeks) to develop a behavior into a habit. Lisa Leonard designs beautiful jewelry and offers a simple but gorgeous necklace (pictured below) that could serve as a wonderful reminder of your chosen word. Please check out Lisa's shop and blog for more inspiration and a glimpse into her world and the love she shares.

Some positive commitments I have made so far are:

1) I've changed my eating habits (eliminated soda and lost 3 pounds so far)
2) I've made more dedicated time for my daughter during the day
3) I'm planning on setting up some TRUE date nights with my husband
4) I have some exciting developments in my work life - I still will remain a stay-at-home mom, but have found something that will allow me to contribute monetarily to my family. Stay tuned as I will share more in a later post...very, very soon!
5) I've identified craft projects that have been started but never finished (we all have some of those, right?!?)
6) I've promised myself not to accumulate or buy any new or unnecessary craft supplies until I've depleted my current supply (seriously, I could open up my own shop tomorrow)

At the end of 2010, we sorted and purged through most of our boxes and totes in storage and happily donated ten (10) boxes and fourteen (14) huge bags of miscellaneous items to people in need. Boy did that feel wonderful! And we're still not done - we have about ten to fifteen boxes to still sort through.

Have you set some goals for yourself this year? Maybe you've chosen one little word...if so, do you care to share? As they say, if you put it out there either by saying it or writing it down, the more likely you are to COMMIT to that goal. Cheers to a good start for everyone to a fabulous new year and thanks for staying with me through my blog break - I appreciate you!

(Images courtesy of Ali Edwards, Big Picture Classes and Lisa Leonard)