Yet Another Day....

I don't think I'll ever wish for enough snow again to get me out of a day of work! I am well in to my second day off and by the looks of things, I'll be here again tomorrow.

We ended up with about 1/2" of ice on top of our 5" of snow last night. We woke up to rain this morning that then turned to snow around lunch time and we got about another 1/2" of snow. Tonight though, with the clear skies and snow pack, the temperature is dropping to the teens and everything is freezing hard!!

This storm that has caused so much damage has now cleared out, but they are telling us we could get another inch of snow tomorrow night in to Friday morning! YUCK! We are blessed that we have free heating gas at our home (perk of having the well on your property) so we can heat and cook and we are doubly blessed that our power is still on! And we have a great neighbor who cleaned all the driveways on our road with his four-wheeler!

My sister and her family however lost power around 6am this morning. They are part of the estimated 20,000 in our county that are without power. Fortunately for them they have a very well built and insulated home and in 12 hours their house only dropped about 8 degrees inside! But, as the temps drop tonight and with the electric company saying it could be Saturday before their power is restored, they are making arrangements to leave the house. They are bringing my youngest nephew (10 yrs) down here to stay with me and my other two nephews (19 & 15) are staying with my other sister and her husband. My sister and husband thought they would try to stick it out in the house tonight and if necessary, go to their business and camp out in there. Their main concern was getting the kids out, getting a hot meal since they can't cook and help occupy their time since they've played all the board games they can today!!

So that's been our crazy life for the past couple of days and it looks like another day at home for us on Thursday. I can honestly say I haven't been as creative today as I was yesterday, but that's ok. My nephew will most likely want to create something when he gets here so that will be fun! I've posted a couple of pics from our yard and you can see a couple of pieces I've created on my etsy store site at http://shadesjewelry.etsy.com.

My lesson for the day...becareful what you wish for...you just might get more than you wanted! :-)

Until next time--Blessings! ~ Dawn

Creative Day--Just What My "Business" Ordered!!

I GOT MY SNOW DAY!!! My boss sent me a text message at 5:30 this morning and told me to stay put---the roads were too bad and he had shut down the office for the day!! So after getting that note, I got up, fixed some coffee, curled up on the couch with my blanket and watched the news for a little while and of course, drifted back to sleep!!

After a little breakfast and a quick shower, I was off to create! It was so nice to be able to get out my supplies and take my time looking through everything and finding items I didn't know I had. Ever find that sometimes you are in too much of a rush to get some items created that you don't take time to really go through your supplies? That's pretty typical for me, but today that wasn't the case! I got a lot of the supplies sorted and put away in storage containers and got re-organized once again as well today! That's always a plus!

Once all that fun was done, I began creating! So far I've designed two bracelets and two pair of earrings. I have the beads out though on my work space to create much more tonight. ;-) I'm sure there is at least a couple of necklaces and earrings that will be made tonight, maybe more, who knows!

The night is young and by the way it sounds outside, I could be home again tomorrow!! It's been putting down freezing rain for almost two hours now and the ice is starting to accumulate on top of the 5" of snow we have right now. :-)

Remember to always take advantage of any free time you have to create or organize. It will really help you get re-energized about your business and give you a boost you need!

Until next time--Blessings! (And maybe a snow day!!) ~ Dawn

Praying For a Snow Day!

WINTER STORM WARNING!!

I'm sure that title has you wondering what in the world I'm talking about. I thought I'd stray just a little bit from some of my normal blogs and have a little fun!

Talk about a flashback to my childhood! Growing up in southeastern Ohio, snow days were a big deal when we were in school. And we've certainly had our share over the years. My neck of the woods is a rural area that is just south of Athens and Ohio University. Even though I'm a mere 10 minutes from town, getting our roads cleared out in the "country" is sometimes a major task!!

Now that I work full time, getting snow days doesn't happen anymore it seems. My boss is however very understanding about my living outside of town and my road not getting cleared real quick and I sometimes have to come in to work late. I appreciate that very much.

Tonight though, I sit here praying for a snow day tomorrow as we are under a winter storm warning from now through Wednesday night. They are calling for our area to get anywhere from 4-8" of snow and then an ice accumulation late tomorrow in to Wednesday before possibly getting a little more snow on top of the ice. I'm really hoping that we get enough snow that my boss calls me and says stay put! Although I do understand that getting that much snow and ice causes problems for others and I hate that. Let's pray for a compromise!

Most of you are probably wondering why does she want a snow day? A day off and stuck in the house means that I'd spend the day creating new jewelry!!!! Why wouldn't I want a snow day?! While I enjoy my job, a day or two off stuck at home with the snow would be just the ticket for me!! ;-) I could sleep in a little bit, enjoy some coffee and then hit my design area and "play" all day. I could play with my beads, polymer clay and even my torch and work on new jewelry designs....that's almost like being a kid again in a lot of ways!! A full day of creating would be a great boost in helping me get my store stocked too. I'm half way to my goal and maybe after tomorrow, I'll be a little bit closer!

While the snow hasn't started yet, the radar is telling me that its on the way! How much we get remains to be seen at this point. I won't know until the alarm goes off tomorrow morning. What would be even better would be a text message from my boss saying enjoy your snow day!

Try to always have fun with your business!! I'm hoping I get to do just that tomorrow!!

Until next time--Blessings!! ~ Dawn

Thanking You!!

When I decided to start a blog a couple of weeks ago I had no idea how it would be received. Would anyone want to read what I had to say? I'd had several people on the Etsy forums tell me that I needed one to share my marketing/advertising/etsy site help info. But I put it off.

When the convos and emails kept coming I decided I needed to start one. And in the couple of weeks that I've been writing and sharing some of my successes, you all have been reading and commenting. I wrote in a previous post about thanking my customers and it hit me tonight that I owe you, my readers a thank you as well...so....THANK YOU!!! ;-)

Thank you for the encouragement. Thank you for the kind words. I hope that you are finding the information helpful and useful. I will continue to try to help you in any way that I can.

I'm writing tonight to let you know that I'll be happy to answer any questions you might have. Feel free to write me anytime with your questions or situations you might like some help or advice on. I'll always do my best to help you or find someone who can!!

You can email me at shadesjewelry@aol.com anytime! I wish all of you the best of luck with your stores or small businesses that you have!! Let's keep helping each other and building a great network of friendships and amazing stores to shop in!!

Until next time....Blessings! ~ Dawn

A Personal Thank You...

Sunday, after I returned home from church, I was going through my Etsy store and realized that my first sale happened almost a year ago this week. That first sale came in less than 24 hours after I opened my shop and added the first few items. Talk about a surprise...it certainly was!!

Thinking back on that moment and how excited I got that someone clear across the country had seen my item and wanted it, I immediately smiled. In fact, I still smile whenever I receive an order! I decided that I wanted to personally thank each buyer that I've had in this year. Crazy I know, but they each made my first year on Etsy special and I felt they needed to be told that.

And that's what I did. I sat down with thank you cards and sent each buyer a card and included my business card and a special coupon as my way of saying thanks for making my first year special. It was a long process and yes, each card was hand written, but they all went out in the mail today. :-)

They took the time to look through my store and spend some of their hard earned cash with me, taking a few minutes to say thanks to each of them was the least I could do I. Several of them have become repeat buyers, other were one time buyers. Whatever the case, they all got thanked!!

I hope they each know that I truly appreiciate them and their business. I plan on keeping up the thank you card tradition, only this time, I'll send them a couple of weeks after the purchase. Just another personal way to show your customers you care and want to keep their business!!

If I get any response from the thank you cards, I'll be sure to share it with you all!

Until next time....Blessings ~ Dawn

I Was Creative!! Wait, I am all the time! :-)

Most of you are probably thinking, big deal, she was creative, isn't she supposed to be? She is a jewelry designer and creates jewelry. :-)

That's true! But for almost two weeks I've been in a creative block. I would think about getting my supplies out and would think, no way, I'm too tired, I can't tonight and I'd do something else like posting in the forums, updating the store or designing ads. Then I would go to work the next day and think to myself, tonight when you get home and after you get dinner taken care of, you are going to get your supplies out, sit down at your table and create.

Those nights turned in to a week and then that week turned in to another week. But tonight, that changed. I got my supplies out and sat down at my table and the creative streak came back. It felt good to get back at it. It was good to look at all those beads and colors and dream! In the couple of hours I created, I completed 3 pairs of earrings and 4 bracelets!!

Sometimes I wish all I had to do what just sit and create jewelry. I wish someone would buy the supplies, keep track of the inventory, post the items to the store, take care of the advertising and marketing and most of all, the invoice and tax junk!!! ;-) But unfortunately, I'm all those people in one as I'm sure most of you are as well!

Sometimes those things get in the way of being creative. That's ok though. Don't look at being all those people as a bad thing and not being creative. Embrace it. The experience you are gaining in running your own business is invaluable. You are learning to be more self confident every day and have a deep self respect. At the end of the day when you lay down, you can look back and see everything you did. And think of it like this and you will surely smile....you were the Chief Operating Officer, the Treasurer, the Marketing Director, the Advertising Department, the Sales team, the Chief Designer and so many other titles!!

Can everyone else who works every day lay down at night and say they were all those things today? NO!! So while the creative process sometimes gets interrupted, that's ok. We are still learning and being creative...just in other ways!! :-)

Until next time--Blessings! ~ Dawn

My First Year on Etsy - Thank Goodness For the Forums!

This week I am celebrating my first year on Etsy with my store. I can't believe that a year has passed since I decided to open a store for my beaded jewelry.

Within a couple of days of posting a few items to my store, my first sale came in and I was totally blown away! I thought, how cool, someone from clear across the country saw this item and purchased it. Isn't it amazing how getting these orders from all over the world suddenly makes you realize its not that big of a place in some ways!! ;-)

In this first year of my store I've learned a lot and met a lot of wonderful people. Learning the way things work on Etsy has been an adventure. I had only been a buyer a couple of times for some supplies when I opened my shop. While I had my own website, the way it worked was totally different from Etsy and I was a little nervous about the entire process at first. I had a lot of questions. That's when a friend from my Ohio Beaders group that I belong to told me to go to the forums section on Etsy. She was a store owner and was the one who encouraged me to open my store.

She told me all about the forums, how posting in them could make a difference in my store or what an abundance of helpful information was on them. Once I found them and started reading all the posts with all the different topics, I found a great wealth of information on them. From marketing tips, to general help with setting up my store to thousands of other topics, the forums section became like a new store owner's guide for me!!

When I see new store owners posting in the forums these days and asking all kinds of questions, I always try to encourage them to spend some time in the forums. Familiarize yourself with each section and what gets posted in each. Then browse the topics. You will see that not only do store owners post, but you'll also notice that some buyers post in there as well. The information you can get here is invaluable and the best part, its FREE!!!! Finding something for free these days is tough, so take advantage of this!!

I'm very active in the forums and I make sure to spend a few minutes there each day. Sometimes before I realize it though those minutes turn in to an hour or more, but I find that its always worth it because of the information I receive. I feel that this is really an investment in my business. I encourage everyone to make this investment in their business as well. I think you will find it well worth it--especially when there is no cost!

Go click on the community button at the top of the Etsy home page, then click on the forums button...you'll be glad you did! ;-)

Until next time--Blessings! ~ Dawn

Not Feeling Creative!!

Ever have one of those moments when you know you should be creating something, but you just don't feel like it? I'm having one of those weeks!! Each night this week as I left my full time job I told myself that I really needed to go home and work on some new jewelry. Have I done it? Not really! I've managed to create a pair of earrings and bracelet this week so far. Not very good for business is it?? ;-)

I guess I need to get "inspired" and get to crackin' on creating some new items to add to my store. Lord knows I have plenty of supplies that are just screaming at me to design something.

As soon as I post this blog I plan on getting out some of my bead books and magazines and browsing the gorgeous work that appears on the many pages. I find this is one of the best ways for me to get inspired to create again. I see the unique designs and creations and think of new ways to re-create those designs or to use the color combinations. Or I'll look at some of the techniques they've used and I'll try use those same techniques that maybe I've haven't used before.

Not feeling creative is not a good thing for those of us who design and create of all types of crafts! But that does happen from time to time. We hit a creative block and must take a little time away to refresh and get re-energized.

I shared with you what I sometimes do to get creating again, why don't you share with the rest of us what you do when you get the same way! I'm sure we will all learn some great tips and ideas to get inspired.

Until next time--Blessings! ~ Dawn

How Do You Package Your Orders?

When I first opened my store and started getting orders I never thought too much about my packaging. I put each piece in its own little plastic zip bag and put a label on the outside that had my store website address on it. I would then put those in a padded envelope with a little tissue paper and my business card.

The packaging worked and was fairly cost effective, but as time went on, I didn't think my plain, non-personal packaging was appropriate for my style. The customers were taking the time to visit my store and spend their money on my jewelry, why couldn't I give them a few minutes back and take the time to personalize each package I sent? I knew it was time to change the packaging I was using.

I decided to go with a plain jewelry box that I could "dress" up myself. Since my colors are black and white I thought a white box was appropriate. I designed a label that says Thank You and also has my store website on it. I added a little design element to it to dress it up and of course used my "logo" of black pearls on the label as well. I then ordered a bulk size spool of curling ribbon in black. So now I was ready for orders!! ;-)

With all the new materials I'd gathered for shipping my orders I was now ready to send out a more professional looking package, without spending a fortune! Now each piece of jewelry gets put in a box that is cotton filled. Then I put my special thank you label on the top of the box. I then take the black curling ribbon and tie a bow around the box and leave a couple of longer pieces that I curl with my scissors. That box then goes in the envelope. But, before I seal the envelope, I take a couple more minutes to write a personal thank you note to each customer and thank them and let them know I appreciate their business. Of course I also make sure that a couple of business cards go in the order...one for them and one to share!

I feel much better about my packaging now for a couple of reasons. One I feel it protects my products much better as it travels around the world through the postal service. And two, I feel it gives me a much better appearance when it arrives in my customers hands.

I hope they realize that I've taken a couple of extra minutes to say "thanks" for shopping with me. I do truly appreciate their orders and I want that to show.

How do you package your orders? Do you think your customers know you appreciate their order? If you aren't sure, maybe its time to look at your packaging and change it up for the new year!

As always, Blessings! ~ Dawn

The Press Release Worked!!

I posted last week about doing a press release to your local paper about your business. As a part of that post I shared my press release with you. I emailed that press release the next day, along with my photo to my local paper.

On Sunday, much to my surprise, since business articles are usually in on Tuesdays, my press release was published. I knew they would publish it but I didn't think it would make it in on Sunday, which is the biggest day for the paper!! That was definitely an extra perk!

The article has done the trick. I've been contacted by a couple of local retail locations on carrying my designs in their stores and with the help of Googly Analytics now on my Etsy site, my views have been unbelieveable! ;-) I've also received a couple of emails about custom orders as well.

The increased exposure this article produced has been great. Writing the press release took a little less than 30 minutes and it cost me nothing!! And its given me sales, increased traffic to my store and two retail locations wanting to work with me on adding my jewelry to their stores.

So...are you going to take a few minutes and write your press release now?? I hope so. You never know what might happen from it!

Blessings, Dawn

PS...if you do write your press release, let me know what kind of response you get from it!!

Do you use the Etsy Forum Section?

Lately I've been seeing several posts from people about how they aren't sure Etsy is for them, they aren't getting any sales, should they close their store and on and on. Immediately I go look at their store to take a look around. :-) Some of these stores are great, others aren't, but that's for another topic!

One of the first questions I ask when I see these posts are "do you post in the forums much, especially the promo section?" If they say no, then I respond back!!

Etsy has created these forums for a reason...for us to use them to help make our stores great! I will admit when I first got started on Etsy I wasn't too familiar with this area, but once I found it, I found a world of information and help from some great stores. And I also discovered that once I started posting in the forums fairly regular, I also got some increased traffic to my store. I have met some great people, made some great friends and have found some amazing crafters, designers and artisans!

All the forum sections are interesting and can help your shop. Especially the promo section. Here you will find a lot of "lurkers" or "shoppers" who are looking for deals, new items and more. You don't have to be offering a sale or some give-away in order to post in the promo section. Go take a look around and see some of the things that are being posted. Familiarize yourself with this section and use it daily if you can. I can personally say that posting to this section has helped my sales. Posting every time in this section doesn't guarantee a sale, but it does keep your business name out there, it gets your store looked at and the best part--its free advertising!

The success of your store is entirely up to you. Etsy is giving you a chance to promote and advertise your store for FREE in these forum sections...use it!!! You can't just open the store and expect the sales to come rolling in, it does take a little work!!! ;-)

Blessings, Dawn

Keeping In Touch Can Help Your Sales!

Since I opened my online store I have offered my customers the option of joining my mailing list. I wasn't sure at first that anyone would have an interest in it, but I was surprised at how my customers signed up for it and continue to do so!

Do you offer your customers a mailing list? If not, you might consider starting one and sending out regular updates. It's pretty easy to do (you send emails all the time!) and I can honestly say that 95% of the time that I send out an update to my list, I get a sale. It easily makes the few minutes I spend in writing and sending out the note worth it!! My customers have thanked me for letting them be among the first to know that new items are in the store or for the special discounts I've offered them. I've also had others say that its a nice reminder about my store and they like that in their busy world these days. Hearing their feedback has been encouraging and has made me make sure I keep this notes going out!!

Thinking of starting a mailing list? Do you currently offer one but maybe have some questions? Below are a few questions I've been asked about how I handle my mailing lists that you might find helpful either way!

1. How often do you send out a note to your list?

I will send out a note every couple of weeks or so. I don't want to overwhelm my list with lots of mail because we all know how much mail we get at times! ;-)

2. What do you put in your notes?

It really varies! During the time between notes, I'm usually busy adding new jewelry to the store, so I make sure I let them know new items have been added. This is usually the main reason for my notes to my customers. I will also let them know if I am offering any special sales or discounts on pieces. Sometimes I've had pieces in the shop a while and they are close to expiring so I'll mark them down. Other times I'll offer them a special sale or discount. This makes your mailing list subscribers feel special that they are getting an unadvertised sale or discount!! I don't always offer them something with my notes so don't feel that you have to. If I've taken a class or learned a new technique to incorporate in to my jewelry I will talk about that and show them pictures. As you can see there are options for your notes and what you can share with your customers.

3. How long should the note be?

I try to keep my updates fairly short and to the point. Again, we all get lots of mail these days and our time is valuable, so I keep the notes short. This allows your readers to find out the important info quickly and hopefully leave them time to browse on over to your store and check things out!

4. Do you "dress" up your notes?

Yes. I usually include my banner from my etsy store at the top of it. Sometimes though, if its around a holiday I will sometimes include artwork for that particular holiday or if I'm having a sale or special offer I'll try to find some artwork that is attention getting to put near that. But its not necessary to do this so don't feel you have to.

5. How do you manage your mailing list?

Currently, I manage the list myself in my email program's address book. This set-up works for me right now, but the list continues to grow and I'm afraid I'm going to have to check out a service that offers managing this list for me. There are several options available (use google to search for these services) and most charge a fee for this service. I would suggest doing some research on this and find what fits best for you. That's what I'm going to be doing in the next few weeks!! ;-)

I hope that this information is helpful!! I find that regluar contact with my customers has been a valuable marketing tool for my store and keeps my name in front of my customers regularly. I'm sure you will find the same thing!

Blessings, Dawn

Press Releases - Free Advertising!!

I've had my jewelry business for almost 6 years and my on-line etsy store is about to have its 1st anniversary in a few weeks. A very good repeat customer came to me not long ago and said "why haven't you ever done a press release or had a story done on your business in the local paper?" I replied, "I'm not sure why I haven't done a press release, guess I haven't taken the time!" To which she replied, "well if you don't do it soon, I will either do the press release for you or I'll contact the paper about your business!" I promised her that I would take care of a press release soon. ;-)

Now that the holiday rush is behind me, I guess I need to accomplish that task and let my local community know that I have my on-line store and that I've also got some of my work in a retail location now as well. (I did promise my best customer I would get this done---I can't disappoint her!)

When I worked for my sister and managed her business, we did press releases quite often when she would be published in resume writing books or when we added new services, etc. Why did we do this? It was FREE to put this info in our local paper, it was a great way to let people know about our business, and did I mention it was FREE??!!

Why didn't I think about doing it for my own business before now? I'm not sure to be honest with you. Since several of you emailed me and asked me about this subject (and since I'd promised my best customer I would do this for myself as well) I thought this would be the best time to write about this subject for you all and to write my own press release at the same time!

And, now that I think about it, I'm actually going to get to do two different press releases over the next few weeks. I will do one to announce that my on-line store is now available and then I will wait about 6-8 weeks and will do another one to announce that my jewelry is now available exclusively at a new retail location in town. That will be two free articles in two months!!

When putting together your press release remember to keep it simple. If you write too much it might not get read or it could be edited by the paper and important information you need to be in the article could be left out! Remeber who, what, when, where and why and that's it! Don't forget to include a picture with your press release. A nice headshot is usually best to submit with your press release.

I've posted one of my press releases below for you to read and to hopefully help you write yours!! Good luck and let me know how it goes and the response you get and I will do the same. Be sure to check back on the blog for updates! (I promise I will be emailing this to the newspaper tomorrow morning Linda H.!) :-)

January 9, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - New Local Jewelry Business Now Available On-Line!

Dawn Rhodes, owner and jewelry designer, is pleased to announce that she has opened SHADES, a custom beaded jewelry and gift store that is available online at www.shadesjewelry.etsy.com. Etsy is a website that hosts on-line stores that are for those who create handmade goods of all kinds from designers and crafters all around the world.

SHADES specializes in creating one of a kind pieces of beaded jewelry that uses semi-precious stones, metals and more. She creates jewelry in a variety of styles that can be worn for every day, weddings, to show your support for your favorite sports team and more. Since opening the on-line store, SHADES has sent orders all across the U.S., Canada and to several countries around the world.

Dawn is a member of Ohio Beaders, Self-Representing Jewelry Artists and is a graduate of the School of Jewelry Design at Ashworth University in Norcross, GA. She can be reached at www.shadesjewelry.etsy.com, shadesjewelry@aol.com or by phone at 740.590.8974.

That's Nice! - Thanks I Made It! - Here's My Card!

How many times has that happened to you? Whether you are wearing a piece of jewelry you have created or you are wearing a scarf you have knitted, I'm sure its happened to all crafters at some point, no matter what you create or design!

I know for me this has happened a lot. I always make sure I am wearing my jewelry. Whether it's a necklace, earrings, bracelets or a combination of those items it seems I always get asked about something I'm wearing. I also make sure that my mom and two sisters are wearing my jewelry as well. They all have different tastes so this allows me to really show different styles of my jewelry through them!!

When I get comments on my jewelry I immediately say "Thanks, I made it." Which usually leads them to asking if I have a website or a store and I reply "I have an on-line store, here is my card." I immediately pull out my business card and hand it to them. And my family does the same thing for me!! They always have my cards on hand to share when they get asked as well. I've handed business cards out to ladies at the drive-thru window, to waitresses, ladies working the register at the local stores I shop in, moms on the baseball field or basketball court and more!





Making sure you always have business cards on hand when asked about your craft is always very important. This allows you to "promote" your business no matter where you are! A clear, concise business card that shows all the necessary info about your business is key. A cluttered or hard to read card won't give your business the best impression. Remember, they've seen a little of your work and are impressed, keep that impression going by handing them a good business card!

Business card ideas and printers are available everywhere these days. Your local office supply store, copy or printing store and even on-line card businesses are readily available to help you get a professional looking business card ready to pass out!!

Get your cards designed and printed and start carrying them everywhere you go so you can promote your business!! :-) Include a couple extra cards in the orders you send out as well and encourage your customers to share them with friends!

You never know where you'll be when you'll get asked for a business card, make sure you are ready!

A New Year!

2009 is well underway! I, like I'm sure most of you are, am hoping that it is a better year in a lot of ways!! 2008 certainly saw its share of ups and downs, but its in the past and let's keep it there!

I was very blessed in '08 however with the opening of my etsy store for SHADES. I had purchased some jewelry supplies from a couple of etsy stores, but never thought of opening my own store until I found out how easy it was to use and maintain and also gave me the option of a shopping cart for on-line purchases and several other easy to use options that my website I had didn't and couldn't offer.

In February of '08 I posted my first pieces and was immediately surprised at how well the store was received and how well the sales started to come in. I have been fortunate enough to send jewelry to Canada, Belgium, England, Italy, Ireland and many, many states in the U.S.! In fact, over 200 sales happened for me. It's amazing that people all over the country and the world are now wearing pieces of jewelry that I have created!

I hope with the start of this new blog that I can accomplish a few things..

1. Keep my current customers posted on what's going on with my store and the new techniques I'm learning or trying in my jewelry designing
2. Help other small businesses (Etsy stores owners and others) with some of my marketing/advertising successes
3. Make some new customers and expand my business more

Here's hoping that 2009 turns out to be a great year for everyone and that we always remember the blessings we do have and receive each and every day!

Dawn