The Edge of Reason

It's a girl thing.

It's no secret that I like pretty things. And like most girls, I like cute, tiny, little things. For some reason, it's the little things that seem to excite me the most. And when the little things are pretty too... well, suffice it to say, I'm a happy girl.

Because my camera broke at CHA (I'm still getting over my mad), I decided to gather together some of the things that I would have taken pictures of while in Chicago had my camera been working. These are the things that tickled me. Things that excited me. Kelly things. Little things. Just plain girl things.

I'll start with the Luxe things, because I will admit that Luxe went above and beyond when it came to tiny treasures. There were buttons and ribbon, new rubs and some jewelry. Yes, I said jewelry. Each person who worked the Luxe booth was presented with a beautiful sterling silver bracelet with the words Live Luxe engraved. Throw in a new line of ribbon and an extended line of rub ons, and, well, I was tickled pink.

Fiskars has always been one of my favorite companies, and I am fortunate to be personal friends with one of the Fisk-A-Teers Ambassadors. Because we are friends, May has always made sure that I am well taken care of. Seeing May at CHA is something I look forward to every year. This year, May was unable to attend the show, as she is awaiting the impending birth of her new baby girl. Therefore, it came as a pleasant surprise when another Fisk-A-Teer Ambassador went out of her way to make sure I was not forgotten. Stephenie rocks! Not only did she stop by the Luxe booth to say hello, she also presented me with a Fiskars backpack. When I mentioned how much I loved her hat, she then searched high and low to find the elusive Fisk-A-Teers headgear for me. On Sunday, Stephenie returned to the Luxe booth with the hard to find baseball hat and a pair of scissors that had the The Edge of Reason engraved on the handle. Was I excited? You bet! I am over the moon thrilled with my new hat and scissors.

Which leads me to the part of this entry where I would like to insert girlfriend pictures to commemorate the event. Alas, due to the camera malfunction, I have none to share. But if I did, I would post a picture of Fisk-A-Teer Stephenie decked out in her darling orange attire. She was a sight to behold! And I would insert a picture of Stef Hamilton, who surprised everyone by showing up in all her living glory. Stef is my inspiration. She is winning her personal battle against breast cancer, and she is doing so with style and flair. Spending time with her was a celebration of life as tears were shed and memories were made. Forever I will remember CHA-Summer as Stefanie's achievement. I am so very honored to call her my friend. If I would have taken pictures, there would be Janet and Sherry, Wendy and Kitty, Carla and Katrina, and my EK Success partner in crime Danielle. I would have pictures of Mary Kay Seckinger, the girl who "gets" where I'm coming from and understands where it is that I so want to go.  I'd have pictures of all the many people who knew me by sight and took the time to introduce themselves (waving to Steph from Canada and JustJudy and Kim, to Laura and Emily and all the girls from Colorado, and to the many other wonderful women whom I had the pleasure to meet).

After a week of mourning the camera malfunction, I have come to the conclusion that even though I don't have pictures to look upon, I have been blessed with memories that I will forever hold dear. I can't remember a CHA when I had the opportunity to spend so much time with so many people. It was a gift. And I won't forget. Pictures are nice, but heartfelt memories are every bit as good. And maybe, in the end, that's a girl thing too - we like our tiny treasures and we realize that friendships are golden regardless of whether or not we capture the moment on film, because as a girl, I know that it is inside my heart where the true treasures of life reside.

Crazy Busy

May. The month I look forward to all year. And the reason is simple - May means one thing: May Sweeps, that time of year when all my favorite televisions shows build upon the excitement of the television year to culminate in the season ending grand finales. So many shows... so little time. What's a girl to do? I've got the TiVo set. I've got the television in the kitchen dusted and ready to watch any overlapping shows in real time. And I've got my remote control at my side, just waiting to rewind, review, and re-watch everything that tickles my fancy. I'm ready. Let the fun begin!

In addition to several hours of viewing pleasure, it's Book Club week. I haven't read the book though, due to a weird self-imposed rule I have of never reading more than one book at a time. For as long as I can remember, once I begin a book or a series, I will not interrupt the flow of the story to read something else, regardless of whether that something else is for book club or not. For the past month, I've been reading the Earth's Children Series by Jean M. Auel. This is the seventh time I've read these books (because I love the series that much), and they are long books - thousands and thousands of pages in this series. These are books to be savored and enjoyed, not books to be rushed through and skimmed. I thought I'd have them done in time to squeeze in my book club book, but alas, that was not to be. And so this month I will show up unprepared and thoroughly lost as we have our monthly meeting of the minds.

And then there are the classes I'm working on. Writing and designing classes is one of my favorite parts of the business. It is also one of the things I struggle with most, because I am always hyper-sensitive to the fact that I am preparing material to present to scrapbookers who have taken time out of their busy lives to take a class. People who have high expectations. People whom I so greatly want to please. That's a tall order, and so I always approach writing classes with a great degree of seriousness. This week, I am putting the finishing touches on the classes I will be teaching for Luxe this June at The Great American Scrapbook Convention in Arlington, Texas, and Chantilly, Virginia. I'm to the nitty-gritty part now... the part that can take class from being okay, to taking the class to being WOW! I always pray for a WOW class, and I'm hoping that the WOW factor is with me this week as I work and rework the classes trying to get them just right.

And finally, the big event: it is Prom Week at my house. On Saturday, Alyssa will attend the first of two proms - his and hers. This weekend she and Matt will attend the prom for Matt's school. He's a senior, and this is it for him. They are both flying high with anticipation as they anxiously await the big night. We've got the dress (we are actually on the second dress because the first dress was unalterable). We searched high and low for jewel bedazzled silver shoes, and we finally found the perfect pair. The appointment for the french manicure has been made. Today we bought new make-up and purse personals (you know, the breath mints, the tiny compact, the lip gloss, the small spritzer of perfume - those little things that make all the difference in the world). On Wednesday, she has her first hair appointment - the one that includes trim and a color retouch. On Saturday she will return for the actual up-do appointment. And then on Saturday evening, her Prince Charming will come and sweep her off her feet, and off they will go to a night that high school memories are made of.

Whew. Deep breath. Sit back. Relax. There's a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into getting a daughter ready for the prom. Thus far, there has only been one little glitch in the ordeal... the bra. What a pain in the rear. I am bra shopped out, and we still don't have a bra. I keep telling her to skip the bra because the dress has built in cups. But no. She will not even consider skipping the bra. So that means we still have more bra shopping in our future (and time is running very short). I am keeping my fingers crossed that Victoria's Secret all of a sudden revealed a new design this spring, because if nothing new has been released in the past two weeks, we are out of luck, and that means I will have one pissy little missy on my hands.

I came across this quote in Guideposts Magazine this morning. I thought it perfectly summed up what I hope this week will be as I help Alyssa prepare for the night of her teenage dreams:

"Each day of our lives, we make deposits in the memory banks of our children."
                                                                                                          -Charles Swindoll

And so it goes in the House of Edge. It's a crazy busy time of year. It's been said that busy people are the most productive people. I'm hoping that is true, because I really don't have any time to spare this week - not if I'm going to complete two classes, send a daughter off to the prom, and still squeeze in all those hours of television that I have planned.

It's not always glamorous.

Thursday: arrive in Dallas. Temperature 84 degrees!
Friday: Luxe retreat. Weather forecasting thunderstorms.
Saturday: T-storms pass through overnight, wind picks up during the day.
        - Teach make and takes at Scrapbook Warehouse.
        - Dallas/Fort Worth Airport shuts down due to zero visibility and wind.
        - Have a wonderful, fantastic dinner with my dear friend Heather.
        - 10:30 p.m. call airlines to check flight status. It's a go.
        - Pack and go to bed, plan to catch a 6:00 a.m. flight home.
Sunday: 1:00 a.m. UAL phones my hotel room informing me my flight is canceled.
        - Spend over an hour in the middle of the night re-booking flights.
        - 2:15 a.m. go back to sleep.
        - 2:30 a.m. UAL phones me again... newly booked flights are canceled.
        - Spent another hour in the middle of the night re-booking flights.
        - I'm on stand-by for Monday departure.
        - 4:00 a.m. go back to sleep.
        - Sunday day - try to figure out what to do.
        - Sunday night - still in Dallas.
        - Can't fly home due to snow storm in Chicago and DC area.

So the question is: when will I get home? I'm still here, and the quick trip has turned into a not so quick trip at all.

Other than the actual travel fiasco, the trip has gone well. Teaching at Scrapbook Warehouse was so much fun. Below are my favorite [bad hair day] pictures from the event:

1. The first pictures is of a little girl I fell in love with. Keeping in mind that I live with teenagers, it is a rare event when I get to cuddle up with a small child - it was such a treat to be able to hold a little cutie-pie on my lap. My new friend helped me teach an entire mini-album project, and she was a good helper! She held up the samples and handed out brads, right there from my lap. It was decided that if I could teach a mini-album and tend to a small child at the same time, I should be able to handle any curve ball sent my way in future classes.
2. A picture of my new 10 year old friend who completed the mini-album project in record time and with little instruction. Come to find out, she is the daughter of my internet friend, Becky. I have to applaud Becky's daughter because after the project was complete, she led her mother by the hand and introduced us. What a great kid!
3. Sharon from Scrapbook Warehouse. Over the years, I have been blessed with wonderful TAs at the various events I have taught at. Sharon went above and beyond to make sure that my day was stress free. Not only am I appreciative of her hard work, but it was also fun getting to know her. I consider her to be a new friend, and someone whom I look forward to seeing on future trips to the Dallas area. Secretly, I'm hoping that she is assigned to be my TA at the Great American Scrapbook Convention at Arlington in June.
4. My internet friend, now real-life friend, Becky. I'm still laughing that her daughter introduced us. I can't say that I've met online friends in that manner before, and because I think Becky's daughter is the cat's meow, I will never forget meeting Becky for the first time.

And so it goes that I'm typing this from a hotel room in Dallas on a Sunday night. The weather at home is snowy and icy. Alyssa has gone into her mother-mode and is concerned with my well-being now that I am what she terms as "officially stranded." She is, however, happy to hear that I have six boxes of Girl Scout cookies in my room, and that I packed extra undies in case of an emergency. She's called me no less than six times today, checking to make sure that I am okay and giving me storm updates. Her latest phone call was to inform me that school is canceled again. My kids have not attended one full week of school since before the Christmas break - a fact that they are quite proud of.

Tomorrow I hope to work out of the Luxe office while I wait to hear if I am removed from the United Airlines stand-by passenger list and placed on an actual confirmed list. I have a ton of deadlines to meet this week, but it is a bit hard to design class projects in a hotel room without a paper trimmer and adhesive. I do have a large box of paper sitting by my suitcase...  however, that does me no good without the necessities, which is why working out of the Luxe office is sounding really good about now.

Today I was reminded that it is not always glamorous. Travel can be a real hassle. But when all is said and done, it's not all bad either. Making new friends while doing what I love is something that enhances the adventure and makes it all worthwhile.

Oh. My. Heck.

How happy does this make me? Very, very happy!

I am out of my mind excited to have in my possession the premiere issue of Grey's Anatomy, The Official Magazine. I'm trying my best to hold off curling up in my cozy chair to read it front to back because I'm trying to save it for reading on the plane today. However, I've leafed through the pages, and all I can say is, "Whoa... talk about some serious eye candy." This magazine has it all - pictures, articles, inside scoop, notes about the music, notes about the Podcasts, notes from Joe's bar, shopping, and did I mention pictures? Lots and lots of great pictures.

When one considers that a magazine dedicated to a single television show is all it takes to make me feel like dancing... clearly, I have lost my mind. But, hey - I've admitted that Grey's Anatomy is my guilty pleasure and this is just one more way for me to enjoy my [imaginary] life with my [imaginary] friends at Seattle Grace.

*sigh* Yep, this magazine makes me happy. I ordered a subscription the minute I returned home from Borders, because perish the thought of not being able to find the next issue. As soon as I placed my order, I called my sister to give her the head's up because really, in my world, this is big news.

So that said... in other news: today I'm flying to Dallas for a Luxe Retreat. And then on Saturday, we will be at the Scrapbook Warehouse in Lewisville for the Vendor Fair. I am looking forward to hearing the consumer feedback about Luxe now that people have had a chance to use the product. This should be a good trip. And the really good news is that I'm also looking forward to a few nights of deep sleep on one of the Marriott beds that I am such a fan of. I have been suffering from insomnia for over a month and the last time I slept soundly was in Anaheim on a bed at the Sheraton. I'm wondering if maybe I need to figure out a new sleep set up here in my home. It is obvious that my mattress is not nearly as comfortable as those I sleep on in hotels.

And finally... the timing of this quick trip is good for a personal reason: some of my extended family members are heading to my mom's house for the weekend to celebrate her birthday. It's always difficult when I know they are together on the west coast and I'm so far away on the east coast. The trip to Dallas will take my mind off the fact that those I love the most are playing board games and walking on the beach without me. It's the birthdays and holidays and special events that make me homesick. Hopefully, I'll be able to skip that emotion this time around, since I'll be in my own little happy place doing something I enjoy almost as much as I enjoy spending time with my mom and siblings.

Luxe Sample Pages

Anaheim, California. Sunday, January 28, 2007.

No introduction necessary... the following photos are sample pages that were created for the 2007 CHA-Winter debut of Luxe Designs. The pattern papers are from the Classic Black, Cashmere Sweater, and Hoodie collections. The rub-ons used are from the new There's the Rub (tm) embellishments. These are just a few of the patterns Luxe has released with the debut line.

Photos of the Luxe booth, including more pictures of the product and sample projects, have been posted on the Luxe blog.

Enjoy!

Something BIG

The first time I met Jennifer Lynn Moody was last summer while on a trip to Chicago. We met in a hotel lounge at midnight the night before the CHA summer show began. It had been a crazy day for both of us due to all sorts of travel fiascoes, and what was intended to be an evening get together turned out to be a midnight dash, as that was the earliest either of us could meet. In spite of the late hour, the meeting was important to me because I wanted to thank Jennifer in person for the support and compassion she had shown regarding John's struggle with autoimmune deficiency disease. She's walked in those shoes, and knowing she is leading a busy and active life was a gift to me during those first months of John's diagnosis.

And so although we were in Chicago on business, the personal meeting was just that... personal. We were able to spend a short half-hour together that night, and during that time, Jennifer shared with me that she was working on something BIG. I wished her well, not knowing what BIG was, but knowing with certainty that whatever she did, it was going to be great, because that's just the way she is - she dreams big and she knows how to make things happen.

It wasn't until September that Jennifer and I hooked up again. This time it was via an email correspondence I received from her. In the email, she asked me if I would be interested in working with her and her team on the BIG project. The word work sent me in a tizzy - I was retired. Had she forgotten that? I didn't respond to her email that day. In fact, I turned off my computer and started to pace. And then I started to think. And then I started to pray. And then I began to ponder. And then I prayed some more. And all the while I paced - back and forth, back and forth. My head was spinning. And as the day came to an end, I went to bed with thoughts of something BIG on my mind.

When I woke up the next day, it was with a sense of excitement. It was also with a great sense of trepidation and fear. When I met Jennifer last summer, it was personal. My intention was never to network. I was not looking for a job. I didn't even know what her BIG project was. And then the email.... what was I going to do about the email? The offer alone was BIG. Was I was actually considering going back to work? That wasn't in my plan. It wasn't something I'd previously considered. Retired meant retired, and that was that. Or was it? Did the Lord bring Jennifer into my life for reasons that I was not aware of? It was with that thought that I bowed my head and said another prayer seeking guidance and direction. Later that day I responded to the email, telling Jennifer that I was interested in hearing more. And so it was - I took a leap of faith and I said yes to Jennifer's offer. And in doing so, I put my fate in God's loving hands, believing with all my heart that I was making the right decision.

The decision to get back in the game, and once again be a part of the industry I love, has been one of the biggest blessings of my life, because that decision has given me direction when I otherwise would have lost myself amid the problems with my child. The decision has allowed me to stretch and grow. And best of all, the decision has allowed me to combine everything I have done in the past and use that knowledge and experience to contribute to something BIG. The thing is... what I didn't know when I said yes, was that BIG really meant HUGE.

Which brings me to the present day. Here we are on the brink of debuting Luxe Designs. These past few months have been filled with hundreds of hours of behind the scenes work. And finally it is time for the BIG show. Never once have I looked back after saying yes - which is not to say that I have not experienced moments of fear, because I have. I have also questioned my qualifications and my abilities; and every day I wonder if I am ready for something BIG. Because since taking that leap of faith, every day has been a wild ride... and the feelings of inadequacy are there. Thankfully, those feelings are overshadowed by excitement, and anticipation, and pride. And when it comes right down to it, that is what life is all about: leaps of faith that allow us to be a part of something BIG.

Today as I was leafing through the February issue of Creating Keepsakes Magazine, I stopped when I came to the Luxe ad. It was then that it hit me: I really am participating in something BIG - and that something BIG is my life.

Following is a picture of Luxe Designs first print ad. Also included is a picture of my business cards - because really... business cards are tangible and when I look at them, I still have to pinch myself.

And finally, I would like to announce that Luxe Designs now has a blog: Living the Luxe Life. I'll often be blogging there, as well as here, this year. In addition to the Luxe blog, the Luxe website is now live, and if you haven't stopped by lately, I invite you to do so. The site contains all sorts of fun facts about our team, as well as offering Luxe gear, an idea gallery (to come), and product sneak peeks (if you know where to look). We will be updating the website frequently in the weeks and months to come, and I am sure you will enjoy what we have to share.

The Luxe icons in my sidebar are also new. They are what we at Luxe refer to as clickables (I just love that word. We made it up!). The icons are active and will take you to the noted location when you click on the image. I designed them for the Luxe team, because part of my job is working on fun projects like clickables. It's a pretty great gig, if I do say so myself. And even though I am a very small part of the something BIG, I am having the time of my life living Luxe. And in the end, enjoying the journey is what life is all about.

A Sneak Peek

This entry is a week overdue. But here's the deal: I am so far behind with my holiday prep that I am totally undeserving of the title of Santa's Helper. What I want to know is how I managed to post a daily holiday photo last year. Was I that much more organized? Or was last year different in some way that I seem to have forgotten? Additionally, I have recently learned that Kelly + Air travel in December = Bad Germ Juju. I've spent the past several days fighting the flu and I am struggling to maintain some level of calm and serenity during this holly jolly season. At the moment, I find the sentiment of comfort and joy to contradict the overall concept of holly jolly. Think about it - if a person is experiencing the holly jolly of the season, that really doesn't leave much room for comfort and joy, does it?

Therefore, my choices regarding a trip report were as follows: 1) skip it altogether, or 2) share some pictures and offer a little sneak peek of the behind the scenes happenings at Luxe Designs. I went with the sneak peek, only because I like talking shop and I took pictures while in Dallas. It's a shame to let good pictures go to waste.

Regarding the pictures, I must confess that there are none of me. The reason is simple - I was the one with the camera, and the only photos that included me were either self-incriminating or they revealed company secrets. I have promised that I will not reveal anything before CHA - my job depends on it, and to be very honest, I am growing quite fond of this gig and I don't want to mess up a really good thing, so all reveal pictures are safely hidden away for the time being. What I can say is that one of the pictures in one of these collages will be fully revealed in the near future, and it just so happens to be my favorite picture of the bunch. Bonus that it's neither self-incriminating or secret revealing.

And so without further ado, I welcome you to the world of Luxe Designs:

As you can see, we at Luxe believe in working hard and playing harder. These pictures were taken in the new offices and later that night at the company holiday party. The office was undergoing a bit of renovation while I was there. In one day, we watched a great big warehouse be divided into sections as walls were put up and a conference room and customer service center was created. It was very exciting.

And finally, because I can't post any product previews or reveals, I will close by saying, "Cheers to all this holiday season. Here's to living the Luxe Life."

Full Moon Over Dallas

This picture turned out so weird. I did nothing by way of editing, other than to resize it for the web. I love how the colors bleed into the white. And that moon... oh my gosh, the moon lit up the skies as I flew into Dallas tonight.

I traveled all afternoon on Wednesday, and I spent the late evening with Jennifer Moody talking shop. I ate a full meal as we gabbed because I was famished and I had a rough flight. Poor Jennifer. She had to watch me devour all that food because she had eaten earlier, and she really didn't feel the need to have two meals in one night. As I ate, we caught up on everything that  has been missed in emails and phone calls. I truly believe that nothing compares to a face to face meeting. I love it when I can sit down and talk shop. And even though there is nothing I enjoy more than talking shop, I'm beat and ready to call it a day. I will be able to talk shop for two more days and I'm sure that by the end of this trip I am going to have so much shop to talk about that I'll have to go underground for fear of letting top secret Luxe Design information slip.

Tomorrow I will tour the new offices before the meetings begin. I'm looking forward to that. Luxe Designs is becoming a reality, and it's utterly amazing to watch this company grow from a conception to reality.

And so it goes that another trip begins... not a bad start to a new adventure for a person who claims that she needs to get a life!

'tis the season to be {distracted}

It doesn't take long for people who spend time with me to conclude that I am a ditz. I tend to come across as a space cadet who doesn't have a brain in her head. I've been like this my entire life. I tend to be very absentminded, and I lose things all the time. I am well known for walking into men's bathrooms and losing the location of my hotel rooms. And sadly, I am infamous for getting lost when driving. My mom claims that I seem ditsy because my brain works faster than my body, and my body just can't keep up with all that is happening in my brilliant mind. I like to think that she is right, but reality is that she's not. Last week, I lost my purse. This week, I forgot to do the laundry. Hopefully, I won't forget anything tomorrow (Wednesday), because tomorrow I'll be getting on an airplane headed for Dallas.

It's that time of year again, and I'm not referring to the holiday season... I'm talking about pre-CHA season - that time of year when things really start to heat up behind the scenes in the craft industry. Pre-CHA season also means that I become very easily distracted. Unfortunately, that's not a good thing, because on a normal day, I am ditz at best; during the pre-CHA season, I am a total airhead. This year, my pre-CHA anticipation is heightened because, not only am I working with a new company, but we are gearing up for our product debut, and I am out of my mind excited for people to see these designs. They are so absolutely fabulous. Additionally, I am looking forward to the Dallas trip because it means that I will be working with the creative minds that make up Luxe Designs, and this team is on fire.

Over the years, I have travelled enough to know that it is always a good idea to make a list of travel necessities. A nice, tidy list allows me to pack in a calm and well organized manner. But as most people know, I am an anti-list maker. Not because I don't believe in lists - I do. I like lists. I think lists are nice. Lists are my friends. However, recently I've become an anti-list maker because I have a Type-A personality, and I have been known to let lists run my life. There have been times when lists and me have developed an almost obsessive-compulsive relationship. And so in the spirit of mental well-being, I have forced myself to rely on lists only when absolutely necessary. December is one of those times: it's the official season of making a list and checking it twice. Had I done that last week, I might not have lost my purse, because the list would have been tucked inside the handy list compartment and I would have reached for the list long before my purse fell out of the car, which would have meant that my purse would not have fallen out of the car in the first place. If I would have made a list, my laundry would have gotten done in a timely manner and I would have realized that my son was out of boxer shorts. I am still asking myself, "Has John been going commando for the past three days, or did he recycle his undies?" Because really, if he resorted to recycling his boxer shorts, I need to go back to my obsessive-compulsive list making on a year round basis. A mother can-NOT forget to do the laundry. There is no excuse for that... none at all (unless the excuse involves childbirth, at which time the mom gets a free pass). Boys are so gross, I don't even want to think about how John handled the no-clean-clothes-issue. All I want to do is finish my laundry so that I can begin to pack my bags with what Alyssa calls my work clothes. What Alyssa doesn't know is that the people at Luxe Designs are way cool, and I no longer have to wear dry-clean only attire when I am working. Note to self: destroy old lists that are tucked in the suitcases - those no longer apply.

So yeah, I'm looking forward to the trip, but I really do need to make a list before I go. Every so often, I have this nightmare where I arrive in a strange town, check into a strange hotel, and discover that I forgot to pack my cosmetics and my shoes. It's never happened before, but considering it's the season to be distracted, it very well might come to pass without a trusty list to see me through.

I'll have my laptop with me on this trip, and I've borrowed Alyssa's little digital camera. I'm hoping that I can eek out time to post a picture or two while I'm gone. I just need to remember to pack those two items... I should put them on the list.

And so it is that another pre-CHA season has arrived. I love this time of year. It is exciting, and inspiring, and just plain crazy. I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to enjoy the ride.

In memorandum: This entry is dedicated to Alyssa's dead fish Lavendar, who died today due to pollution and toxicity. Lavendar was forced to live in an environment that was unhealthy for even the strongest of fish. Today, Lavendar finally succumbed to the lack of oxygen in her water. It has been determined that the true cause of death was because cleaning the fish bowl was not written down on a list.

Totally Tubular Mail

This arrived in my mailbox yesterday:

Anyone who knows much of anything about me, will understand why this piece of paper made me smile. It is so me. The fact that the paper was sent in a tube only served to make me smile more. The message that was written on the paper in the tube most definitely reinforced my feelings about the people I'll be working with at Luxe Designs.

These people have been working their cute little butts off as we prepare to launch the new products. And even though they are in Texas and I am in Virginia, they have gone out of their way to make me feel a part of the team. Knowing how busy they are, and knowing that the last thing they have time to do is run to the Post Office to mail a tube stuffed with paper, makes me realize what a great company this is going to be. These are real people with real lives taking time to make a difference by living artfully each and every day.

And although I can't share the secrets of the behind the scenes things that are going on, I can share these facts:

• Selecting designs for individual product lines is exciting - even when I am on the other end of a conference call and the connection is sucky at best.
• Naming paper is really fun - even when I don't come up with very clever ideas. But hey, the one name I really, really wanted was used, so rock on with that!
• Planning the debut of a new company requires a ton of work - I only wish I was able to be of more assistance.
• The words advertising and marketing thrill me - even though I'm not in charge of those details.
• Getting a website up and running is a combination of great ideas and brilliant implementations - even though I'm not directly involved, other than to send files and answer emails, I know it is a big undertaking and I can not wait to get this site up and running.
• Great minds really do think alike - and the totally tubular mail is just one example of how in synch this team has become.

I am in awe of these people - Pam, Jen, Sam, Brandy and Sandra. They blow my mind and inspire me to reach for the stars. That's the kind of company this is going to be. It is going to rock this world and inspire people to step out of the zone. "Living the luxe life" is more than a statement. It is a journey and an adventure. I am blessed beyond measure to be on board from the start. I can't wait to share what we are doing. Really... this is something big. And totally tubular mail is just one example of what Luxe Designs is all about.