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)