Spreading the Love...

I am a small business owner, therefore, I understand the power of networking and word of mouth from customers. In fact, just this past weekend I had a fabulous facial/makeover with a referral from a friend. It is refreshing to meet some new people in the new year.

I hope to "spread the love" in future months too, but without further ado, two of my friends:

First, I am often asked who does our photos or who would be a good photographer on my Facebook feed, so I oblige and happily tell friends they will find no other more creative, natural, easy-going photographer than Laura with Laura Benitz Photography. 

Without words, her work can transform you to a number of emotions. Like this one, just watch...

She will forever have captured the moments in our life that I hold most dear. Like these...

That special walk with my dad and the sincere emotion of marrying the man of my dreams
surrounded by God's love and our family and friends. 

He is my love!

She and I are working on a few things together, and I'd like to formally announce she is my preferred vendor of choice when talking to brides while working my Mary Kay business as well as taking our (and future family's) photos. If you'd like to contact her please check out her website or call Laura at 816-676-8054.

Next up is a friend whom I have only met a couple of times from our ties to agriculture, but she is a great friend of my best friend (small world, huh?) through their careers. When my best friend, Kelsey, had her Christmas cards done this year, Claire helped her design them. I was in need of a few things designed for my business and asked if anyone would be willing to help. Claire jumped on the chance, and I am so impressed by her skill and timeliness. I didn't give her much notice, and she still delivered a great product. I am definetely going to use her much more in the future for design help with postcards, graphics for this blog, and other things that a creative eye can make. Please let Claire know any of your needs, and she is your girl! 

The cute button she made for one of the blogs I am featured on. 

Claire Masker can be reached at clairemasker@gmail.com.

**These recommendations are in no way a paid advertisement on this blog. Simply, they are a few of my good friends with small businesses whom I love to spread the love and word about if you're in need of ideas for the future.**

2012 Christmas Wish List...

This is a random post, but it's fun, so here it goes...

I've created my 2012 Christmas Wish List items (you might notice a theme here):

A Garmin Forerunner 10 watch. It's not the fanciest Garmin, but it does the job of
showing me I am putting in the miles and improving my times.
http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Forerunner-Watch-Pink-White/dp/B0090C7A5C

Look at this beauty! How many of you already have one?
I'd love a Keurig not because I drink coffee (maybe I'll start?) but for the variety of teas! Yum!

You can never go wrong with a Dick's gift card! So many things I could buy with this like
a new running hat, socks, shorts, shirt, pants, jacket, chews, gels, running belt, all of those things I NEED (er want!).

Oh this would be the ultimate! I want an iPad so bad, but I don't want to pay for it myself!

A plane ticket to Florida for this spring. I really want to run a half in February and visit my friend, Katelyn. 

Santa, I really think I've been good this year, so any of these things would be AWESOME to get. But, I'll be happy with anything.

~*~ What is on your holiday wish list? Are you a practical or fun gift lover?~*~

A Little Gift for Myself...

I bought the Kindle Fire for my graduation present to myself. I was going to get an iPad or MacBook Air (and I'm going to get the Air soon enough when they make the new Mountain Lion system). The Fire though is pretty nice and I have already read one whole book on it in three days! That's pretty good for me. It also happened to be Fifty Shades of Grey (oops, yes I admit I read that!). It was too good to put down, and it was the first "romance" novel I ever read. Either way, I am excited to have this new gadget to take with me on vacation and road trips! Thanks to myself for finishing my Master's with a 3.94 GPA!

I am finished...part 1

I totally have been slacking on the one post per week thing. Arghh, I hate that, but I often feel like I have nothing to write nor do I remember to take pictures of anything we do. This past week was one of those weeks you just have to survive as you know it will be better next week. I had our last Junior League board meeting (thanks for the glass of wine!), four papers to write to finish school, last minute event prep for our fundraiser event I was in charge of at work, the event, and finally my graduation.

I was cruising pretty well through Wednesday finishing some 16 hour days and then I felt like s**t hit the fan on Thursday. I found out a winery backed out, we got the wrong order for our chocolate, a million small details needed to be done, etc., etc., etc. But thankfully, our summer intern, Kayla, started on Monday and helped do a lot of the little things. Thursday night came and I finished two papers that night (bam!) and got a few hours of sleep. Friday went exceptionally well and we had plenty of time for set up, things went as planned, and the event could not have been more successful albeit a few more guests would have been nice. Saturday was my graduation from Park University with my master's in public affairs with a nonprofit and community services concentration. The icing on the cake that day was seeing my name spelled wrong in the program and having the wrong degree listed. Oh well, I made sure to call on Monday to verify my diploma would be right. That would have been embarrassing. I'm glad my family could come and it was great having a little downtime on Saturday. On Sunday, we celebrated with all the moms in our families, and I ran 10 miles for my last long-run before the big race on Saturday (hence the part 1 in the title). It hurt, and I jammed up my foot pretty good. I hate to admit that my body is probably finally telling me enough is enough with these high mile runs. I hate that as I want to be one of those who can just bust out 8-10 miles every other day or so and think nothing of it. Maybe someday...until then here are a few pictures from the last week.

Receiving my hood from Dean Stocks and Dr. Stuteville for my master's degree from Park University.

Willie, Tillie and I checking out my grad gift from Todd. Todd got a kayak too so we'll have
some fun on the river this summer!

Friends and donors enjoying wine from the Windy Wine Co., at the
Expressions of Good Taste wine and chocolate event
I planned for work. 

Cute gifts from Kansas!

I have a couple of blog posts to make but I wanted to share this new find thanks to the Pioneer Woman. 
The Rusted Chain creates these fantastic necklaces and other pieces of jewelry and the awesome part? They are from Kansas! Whoot! Whoot! Love supporting small businesses in Kansas.

Anyway, I picked up a few and am looking forward to giving them as gifts this fall. You should check them out!

Photo courtesy of The Rusted Chain.