Celebrations can be wrapped in sorrow…

As our celebration blog begins its journey…we began with perhaps the greatest shared celebration of our country, July 4, Independence Day. I was going to continue the topic by sharing the history of celebrations within my family, but life often has a different path! My plans have changed slightly and channeled to a different kind of celebration; a celebration of life and loss due to the passing of our beloved 14-year-old dog, Waldo. Pictured with me in our last blog post, he appeared often on the Take Notice website and in most of our personal holiday cards over the years. He was a great model – sitting still for hours (well, maybe minutes). Even though he is no longer here – the memories and gifts that he gave us will be etched in our hearts. This post will mark the celebration of his life and the gifts that he gave us as his human companions.

You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us. 

~Robert Louis Stevenson

Our son, Myles, carefully picked him from the litter for us because he was different and had more spunk than the others. We quickly named him Waldo, after the “Where’s Waldo” book we had been reading at the time.

There is a reason that spelling dog backwards is God. No animal gives more unconditional love than a dog. Truly man (and woman)'s best friend, dogs are always happy to see you, live in the moment, and forgive instantly. We cannot express the significance of these virtues that Waldo shared with us, and taught us by example. These wonderful gifts are what we celebrate in the absence of our four footed friend. His essence remains, in our many happy memories of Waldo:

He was a handsome, feisty, and gentle dog.

Waldo performed 5 tricks: shake, speak, dance, roll over, and occasionally balance-the-treat-on nose.

He always made us laugh when he played "toro-toro" bull with a red towel after a bath to get dry.

He gently wrestled with our kitten, Bella and even allowed her to sleep in his bed.

Waldo loved to ride in the car, hanging out the window with his ears flapping in the wind… He made people smile big.

He had a voracious appetite and could eat anything (his nickname was Hoover)—including ribbon, plastic, fruit, some veggies, bugs, and of course chocolate… an incident that resulted in a $1500 vet bill.

Waldo knew the word “walk” and saying it could cause a high-pitched rant at the front door until we either gave him a walk or begged him to be quiet with treats.

Waldo would sit in the middle of the living room surrounded by my book group and listen to our discussions about the books, like he was taking it all in—it was all about his love of women.

Waldo was not car smart – he was twice saved from his inhibitions with moving vehicles.

He died peacefully in my arms surrounded by my husband and son. We laid him to rest in Sheridan on my mom’s property (his birthplace and next to the grave of his mother). The graves are in a shady spot bordered on each side by beautiful oak and fir trees with a gorgeous view of the Cascades. We wrapped him in his favorite blanket with his mini-me schnauzer stuffed animal, and scattered forget-me-not seeds on his grave. We will place a marker on his grave that reads “Best Dog in the World” – I told him this often and he took his role very seriously!

My little dog - a heartbeat at my feet. 

~Edith Wharton

We miss you already Waldo.

In celebration of life and loss,

Deborah

Happy Fourth!

“Everything is created from moment to moment, always new. Like fireworks, this universe is a celebration and you are the spectator contemplating the eternal Fourth of July of your absolute splendor.”  – Francis Lucille

This weekend celebrates the 234^th Independence Day in the United States. Commonly known as the 4^th of July, Independence Day commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, on July 4, 1776.

The national holiday of the United States, Americans celebrate Independence Day with fireworks displays, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, political speeches and ceremonies. We celebrate the history and traditions of the United States along side our neighbors, friends, family, and national and state leaders, creating opportunities to gather and celebrate the summer. Some historical and traditional celebrations for the 4^th of  July are found on Wikipedia:

• Held since 1785, the Bristol Fourth of July Parade in Bristol, Rhode Island is the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States.
• Since 1916, Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City supposedly started as a way to settle a dispute among four immigrants as to who was the most patriotic.
• Numerous major and minor league baseball games are played on Independence Day.
• On the Capitol lawn in Washington, D.C., “A Capitol Fourth,” a free concert, precedes the fireworks and attracts over half a million people annually.

Summer is in full swing now – families are lunching on grassy lawns in city parks, couples stroll along honeymoon walks… Barbecues with friends and family, folks enjoying some quiet reading in a quiet chair on the grass… Canoeing on a creek, meeting for a shopping date, baking a special pie, splashing in backyard pools… these things all signal the start of the celebration season!  Here are some fun happenings in our neck of the woods, out and about the Portland-Metro area.

Estacada Fourth of July Big Bang Fireworks Sky Show and Fun Festival
Fort Vancouver Fireworks
Skamania Lodge Fireworks
PGE Park Post-game Fireworks
Fanfare for Fireworks
Willamette Shore Trolley Fireworks Rides
Sandy Fireworks Show
Frontier Sportmans Holiday Fireworks on Foster Lake
Red White and Blue Riverfront Festival
Molalla Buckeroo
St. Paul Rodeo
Eugene Pro Rodeo

General Canby Day

 

Fourth of July Star Spangled Birthday Parade and Festivities

 

10th Annual Fourth of July Celebration

 

Blue Lake Regional Park

 

Happy Valley Fourth of July Family Festival

 

Oaks Park July Fourth Celebration

 

Picnic in the Pearl

No matter your traditions, history, or location, celebrations of the summer can bring us closer to our friends or family, and buoy our spirits. Be safe, have fun this holiday weekend & remember: 

“Celebrate the little things in life, appreciate tomorrow, love your neighbor or don’t, but never condemn yourself to a life without cause to celebrate and be thankful for what you have. Never forget the people you love and love them when you have an occasion to do so. Celebrate their life and celebrate yours”. – Anonymous

Spend the day celebrating the concept of freedom and what that means for you...

Deborah and Waldo (who can no longer hear so the 4th is calm and peaceful for him).

Take Notice: Winning Designs!

Take Notice Card Company celebrates a winning wedding invitation!

Portland, OR,  May 21, 2010- Take Notice Card Company is celebrating! Chosen in a dream wedding giveaway, the Photo Keepsake invitation by Take Notice won the hearts of online voters over other entries as the invitation to announce the happy couple's upcoming nuptials.  The Everyday/VOWS contest, co-sponsored by VOWS, Colorado's wedding collective, and KWGN-TV's "Everyday," included more than $75,000 worth of wedding goods. The contemporary, photographic invitation was

nominated by Lani Kessler of Write Occasions, a retailer of the Take Notice line in Denver, Colorado. Thank you Lani for representing our line.

The award winning card features state of the art digital printing, the Take Notice photographic specialty retouching and a unique tent fold format, providing the perfect keepsake display for friends and family. The winning couple, Archie Martinez and Lauren Doyle are as cute as can be, and make the perfect statement of joy and love with their photograph.

No strangers to the importance of marking life's celebrations with a photograph, the founders of Take Notice, Deborah and John Field, have been creating award winning photographic cards for over twenty years. When Deborah and John's son, Myles, was born, John created a birth announcement that featured a photo of the newborn as a “Wanted” poster. Encouraged by its enthusiastic reception, John and Deborah were spurred on to continue the creation of a popular line of custom birth announcements. A couple of years later, another family celebration inspired a new direction in their product line. John’s mother was turning 75, and he wanted to create a special card to honor the joyful  occasion. John knew that only a photograph could convey the unique character of his mother's life, and selected a favorite picture from her youth.  Tinting it to produce a colorized effect thrilled his mother, and a new line of fine arts cards was born.

Many happy customers have contributed to the success of Take Notice Cards. Along with the honor of announcing our customers' happiest occasions, we have the distinction of being the choice of many celebrities as they commemorate the important dates in their own lives:

• Diane Keaton -actress

• Ray Romano -actor

• Christian Slayter -actor

• Zach Braff -actor

• John Leguizamo -actor

• Howie Mandel -actor/comedian/emcee

• Carol Channing (Hello Dolly) -stage actress

• Pamela Anderson -actress

• Tim Meadows -actor, former SNL comedian

• Rik Ocasek -musician

• Alonzo Mourning -7 time NBA Allstar

Take Notice embodies one sentiment, simple and profound: Life is good—spread a little joy! Photos, like nothing else, help us hold, share, and revisit life’s best moments. In each family, there are memories that transcend greeting card conventions: the incomparably sweet face of a newborn; an affectionate group together at the holidays; the joy and optimism of a couple in love—at the beginning of a marriage, or a shared life of fifty years. The collection of over 200 customizable card designs is found in over 300 stores throughout the US.  Retailers and more information may be found at www.takenoticecards.com. Take Notice Card Company celebrates life’s beautiful events. More than a card... it’s a memory.

Make social media a window, not a wall.

As a small business it can be very intimidating to dive into the culture of Social Media.  What is it? How can it benefit my business? What if I don't even have a website? The idea of even dipping a toe into the social media scene can be extremely overwhelming.  

There is no need to fear. All you need is a desire to learn, the willingness to try and a basic understanding the idea behind social media.

So, what is social media? Daniel Nations, (Webtrends), does a fantastic job at putting this into simplistic terms.  He writes “Think of regular media as a one-way street where you can read a newspaper or listen to a report on television, but you have very limited ability to give your thoughts on the matter. Social media, on the other hand, is a two-way street that gives you the ability to communicate too.” 

We must recognize that the market is shifting. The way in which customers find products and research companies has greatly changed. As small businesses, we must keep up with the pace so that we aren't left in the dust of our larger competitors.  I encourage you to check out Social Media Revolution, a video that illustrates how social media has impacted the marketplace.  

The key is to engage in conversation with your customers and allow them to be interact with your brand—allowing the 2 way street to happen.  When consumers begin to build a relationship with you it becomes easier for them the recall your name when they have a need for your service or product in the future. 

Let’s apply this idea to our industry. Most people commonly think of stationery products for certain events in life—the holidays, weddings, a new baby… this usually means that a significant amount of time passes between their purchases.  Utilizing social media as a stationery retailer allows you to stay connected with these customers all year long. Bottom line? Better customer retention and an increase in purchase frequency.

If you have a desire to learn more about how to use social media, where to begin, or how to more effectively use an existing platform, I encourage you to check out Mashable: The Social Media Guide.  This site is truly the mecca for all things related to social media.  Check out this links to all things Facebook and Twitter .         

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A great way to bring in the New Year...

It was incredibly stormy in Oregon on New Year's Eve. I had a front row seat watching Mother Nature's work as waves crashed against the sand, while sheets of the rain beat down on my window. It was an incredible sight from Oceanside, Oregon-- a small town along the Pacific Coast.  On New Year's Day, the sun came out just long enough to take my two dogs for a run on the beach-- which they LOVED!

Engagement Photo Tips from the Wedding Channel

Over the holidays three of my close friends became engaged.  As a loyal friend, it is my duty to peruse EVERY wedding website and magazine to ensure that my brides have all the latest and greatest information available to them! (Shh! We don't need to tell them that it's also part of my job!) 

This morning I stumbled upon a FANTASTIC article on  that offers great advice to couples interested in engagement photos.  Given that I have a background in photography, plus I'm surrounded by photographs all day for life's biggest occasions, I often get asked for the secret to creating the perfect photograph.

My number one answer? Be yourself.

Check our these great tips from the Wedding Channel!

  4 Fun Engagement Photo Shoot Trends

- Heather

Order of the Week

Check out this absolutely adorable design (B0911) from an actual customer in Seattle, using a new design from our 2009 Birth Announcement portfolio.

Congratulations to Ann at Silberman & Brown Stationers in Seattle, on her new grandson, Liam Reilly.

This small horizontal gatefold that features the newborn's name and monogram on the cover.  The top and bottom flaps open to showcase a darling photo along with all of the details on their new bundle of joy!