Christmas begins in June for one of my dear friends. That’s when she starts her holiday decorating — and boy does she decorate! She makes Macy’s pale in comparison. This past Christmas she had 11 full-sized Christmas trees, 22 small trees, and a collection of Santas — all on display in her modest Medina, Ohio home!

Trim on the one-of-a-kind trees can range from trinkets of great sentimental value from my friend’s childhood to treasures she has discovered in area thrift stores. Color schemes go from traditional red and green, to patriotic red, white and blue to art deco pink, white and silver. Trees can be found in every room of the house, including the bathroom which has a wonderful “ocean” tree complete with mermaid.

Each year she adds more to her collection. She tells me that she has been called obsessive by some, but I call her a creative artist. What do you think?

Check out more pictures at Komjati Design’s Page on Facebook.

I recently stopped following (unfollowed) over 400 people for doing at least one of these:

1. Using the Twitter Bird icon as a picture or using an image that’s too sexy or inappropriate — very unprofessional.
2. Not listing a city and state or saying “home” or some other obscure place out in the middle of the ocean as their location.
3. Posting more than three times in a row. Nobody likes a blabber mouth.
4. Using these words or phrases: CASH, make money, increase followers, secret, Coach, white teeth and financial independence. These are red flags that tell me not to trust you or that you’re unprofessional.
5. Having a weak Profile Bio that contains typos.
6. Posting too many quotes. Say something original for God’s sake.
7. You asked a question. I responded. You didn’t answer or acknowledge me. Admit it, you just asked the question to be seen and didn’t care about my answer. Don’t waste my time, I value it.

I am now very selective of who I follow, I select them individually by their interests, professionalism and location. Since I’ve cleaned up my following list, reading relevant business posts is so much easier because I no longer have to search through a stream of clutter.

I began to search my mind trying to remember hearing any news of a plastic bag shortage in the area, or maybe it was a “green thing” and they were cutting back on bags and no one told me… my mind continued to race as I looked to the long line of shoppers behind me for help.

The woman directly behind me tried to be helpful and suggested that the cashier ring me up twice. The cashier made some comment about loosing her job if she rang up the fish sticks. Now my confusion began to turn to embarrassment as I told the cashier the sign posted on the freezer door said $4.99 each and the only reason I was buying them was that I was saving $2.50 on each one. To which she responded, that yes, she was aware of that…

Now my embarrassment started to turn to anger and I told her to just keep them all and let me pay for my other items so I could leave. It was at this point the cashier showed me the stores current circular. The store was having a promotion called “Celebrate Frozen Food Month – 30% Off All the Frozen Items You Can Fit in the Bag!” Apparently I had already reached my “one bag” limit and the six boxes of fish sticks would not be eligible for the 30% off — hallelujah — now I knew what she was talking about.

This store had made the following four mistakes with their advertising promotion:

1. They assumed all customers would read their circular and also understand it.

2. The promotional artwork on the circular showed two large paper shopping bags with actual handles, not the much smaller plastic bag the store actually used.

3. The circular had no disclaimer copy explaining the promotion and it’s rules.

4. The store signage did not explain the “one bag” policy or the 30% off. They posted the reduced dollar amounts ($4.99) and the dollar savings amounts ($2.50), throughout the store, with no mention of it being 30% off or of purchase limits.

I wonder if this store realized that they were leaving themselves wide open for trouble?

When two large shopping bags were shown in the advertising, it implied that those were the type of bags that would be used. This could be seen as deceptive advertising. And it gets worse, because without disclaimer copy in the circular or proper store signage, and with the reduced dollar prices and dollar savings posted on the freezer doors, plus, no purchase limits, a customer could have tried to buy ALL of EACH item posted.

Depending on the customers determination and the store’s policies, this promotion could have resulted in a lawsuit or an out-of-court settlement. However, legal action of this sort is usually saved for the chain stores where an opportunistic shopper has much more to gain.

Now that spring is finally here I’ve taken a peek at the fall season’s color pallet. All that I can say is “move over spring and summer because fall is going to be gorgeous”. We’ll all want to include these trendy colors in our fall wardrobe, and of course, in any advertising and marketing promotions that are scheduled to release in the fall.

To help you do this I’d like to give you my “Top 10 Fashion Colors for Fall 2010″ bookmark. You can use it as a bookmark or take it along with you to the shopping mall to use as a guide. It even includes CMYK values for my graphic designer friends. Click here and download yours now.

Nowhere does this ring any truer than when hiring a freelance graphic designer, copywriter, or photographer. Here is how I like to explain it:

If you want it cheap - hire the inexperienced. A newbie freelancer may have adequate skills but  can be slow. They have no experience in what it takes to sell the product or service. You’ll have very pretty advertising but without the desired results.

If you want it fast - even an experienced, knowledgeable freelancer can make costly mistakes. This is what happens when anything is done in a hurry.

If you want it  good - a trusted freelance professional will be given time to do the work correctly. Your advertising will produce successful results and your company will profit from the investment.

Advertising is like most things in life… you get exactly what you pay for.

It was mid-October when I called Wendy, assistant to Mary Ann Winkowski (consultant to the CBS hit television show “Ghost Whisperer”). Wendy, according to Mary Ann’s web site, does paranormal investigation and earthbound spirit and negative energy removal, up to a forty mile radius from Cleveland. As my good luck would have it, Wendy was scheduled to “ghostbust” a home just a few miles away from mine the following week.

When Wendy arrived at my front door she was greeted by my curious husband, Tim, our niece, Danielle, our many, many cats, our dog, and me. My first impression of Wendy was that she seemed very nice and normal, at least by my standards, so I began to worry about the impression my furry hoard was making on her. We were able to sequester our dog in another room but the cats, oh, the cats — how they  loved her and wanted to climb into her interesting satchel that contained sea salt and other paranormal type goodies. Fortunately Wendy likes cats and has a great tolerance for their curiosity.

We settled into the living room where we spent over an hour seated directly across from Wendy, hanging on to every word that she said. She told us that the ghosts of the two elderly women were there because they liked being around Tim. One lived in my upstairs office and the other in the downstairs family room where I sometimes work also. Apparently they liked to “keep an eye on me” during the day while Tim was at work. While alive, these women had spent a lot of time around the corner at the Chippewa Lake Amusement Park during its glory days and were most likely regulars at the popular Starlight Ballroom. Wendy gave us two names but they were common names and a search on the internet revealed nothing.

At one point Wendy sprinkled sea salt across each doorway into the house and also around the bed. Tim helped her tape Quince seeds above all the entrances, including the attic openings and basement doorways. While they were doing this the house became 2—3 degrees warmer and has remained that way all winter. When I remarked about feeling unusually warm, Wendy said that a house with a ghost will always be cold. As she was gathering her things, preparing to leave, she stopped suddenly, looked at us seriously and asked if we knew a man who had been killed in a hunting accident…she was picking up the tragic death of my brother, Danielle’s father, the previous year. This was very unnerving and we spent some time discussing his death. Later, when Wendy was leaving she assured us that our house was no longer haunted and that our visitors were now outside, free to move on to another house or wherever it is that ghosts go.

Some interesting things began to happen almost immediately. (1) The next morning the two cats that called my upstairs office “home” for five years decided it really was okay to come downstairs and join us in the family room, (2) during the day I felt more relaxed and at night I stopped grinding my teeth, no longer needing to wear a night guard, (3) our black and white cat, Cookie stopped walking into invisible walls and (4) the many odd, unexplainable things stopped happening, well, until just a few weeks ago…

Early one morning Tim called out to me from the family room saying that the brass ships lamp on the desk was rocking for no apparent reason. The lamp is designed to gently rock back and forth with the motion of a ship. The lamp continued to rock sporadically on it’s own for the rest of the day, as we both wondered—are they back?

Designers have been complaining for at least 20 years that the sale ads are too crowded. In the past, we would discuss the merchandise in meetings and the merchants could be persuaded to run less items. Today, the economy and the advertising industry are both in chaos and the merchants seem to have the upper hand. I also blame those young “whipper-snapper” designers who are still able to read small print. Just because 6 point type is available doesn’t mean you have to use it. As a matter of fact, advertising disclaimers must be at least 8 point type to meet the retail advertising regulations of some states.

Did you happen to see the “FREE Gift with $20 Purchase” offer that another Ohio-based chain store advertised over the Christmas season? The “free gift” was just an empty box—a plain, white gift box that stores like Macy’s routinely give away. The store’s Facebook fans discussed it at length and called it “CHEAP.” To quote Charlotte Beers (Advertising Hall of Fame 2009 inductee) “It’s not what you say [FREE] but what they hear [CHEAP].”

DOWNLOADS

Spring really is just around the corner, at least as far as the fashion industry is concerned. If you haven’t downloaded your “TOP 10 Colors for Spring 2010” bookmark, CLICK HERE to get yours now. Use it as a bookmark or take it along as a color guide when shopping. Graphic designers will find the CMYK values given for each color handy, too.

Looking for unique events to celebrate? CLICK HERE to download your very own “2010 Retail Promotional Calendar.” Never miss National Karaoke Week or National Bathroom Reading Month again.

I’ve met lots of great folks through social networks, people like Michael Albany, of Aston, Pennsylvania for example. He is a photographer and the owner of Michael Albany Photography. We didn’t actually met, we connected via LinkedIn, a business-oriented social networking site. I was impressed by not only his corporate photography but something special that Michael does. He takes photos for the unemployed, those who need a professional photo for LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or other social media profiles and he does it for FREE! He says it’s just his way of giving back to the community. Learn more at www.michaelalbany.com/blog.

Another very talented individual, also on LinkedIn, told me that he had tried social networking and not seen any results. He said that he has an incredible portfolio, amazing website (take my word for it he REALLY does) and he is on Twitter. I have heard this complaint before and have even said it myself. What I know is that social networking isn’t something that happens overnight and that it is a process that involves a lot of time and dedication. I started my blog in March 2009 and since then have gotten on Twitter, created a Facebook fan page, held a contest and really, really worked on my LinkedIn profile. All this while continuing to work and care for my family. I have begun seeing results this month, results that I hope will continue to snowball throughout 2010. Wish me luck!

My New Year’s wish for YOU is that you take time to celebrate each and every day of 2010 —  CLICK HERE to download your 2010 Retail Promotional Calendar. Now you can celebrate National Karaoke Week, National Bathroom Reading Month and many more unique events.

Have a blessed New Year.

As you may remember from a previous post, I love to talk about the importance of color. Color can make you, your clothes and your advertising materials look either old and outdated or fresh and exciting. Choose the latter by incorporating into your wardrobe the colors featured in the Spring 2010  PANTONE® Fashion Color Report. Watch for these trendy fashion colors to show up in spring advertising and marketing materials, too.

Christmas is quickly approaching (only 23 more shopping days) and I would like to take this opportunity to give my readers an early holiday gift. I designed a bookmark showing the “TOP 10 Colors for Spring 2010″ that are listed in the Pantone® Fashion Color Report mentioned previously. CLICK HERE to download yours now. Use it as a bookmark or take it along as a color guide when shopping. Graphic designers will find the CMYK values given for each color handy, too. Remember that all printers print color differently, so use it as a guide and not a high-end color matching system. This is just my way of saying “Thank you and Merry Christmas.”

I’ll be starting my Christmas decorating this weekend and keeping it very simple because of our cats and dog. The “critters” think that anything new is a toy just for them so I’ll be placing everything very high. If you’re starting your decorating, too, and searching for some unique creative inspiration, you’ll want to read Kiki Titterud’s 5 simple steps to using pink in Trend Tuesday: Pink is the New Red…this Christmas.

Shopping for a special Christmas gift for yourself? How about a new or updated look? Dawn Waldrop is a professional image consultant. I hired Dawn 3 years ago when both my closet and image got out of control. We replaced my warm colors (lots of brown and orange) with cool colors (blues and reds). She even gave me the courage to buy red framed prescription glasses. What a difference it has made—thanks Dawn!

Let me know what creative topics you would like me to write about in 2010. I’m always available to answer any of your advertising and marketing questions, review a portfolio or recommend a professional photographer, photo retoucher or printer.

Enjoy your holiday season and remember—whatever you do—do it creatively.

Last year a friend recommended that my husband, Tim, and I read the book “When Ghosts Speak“. It’s written by Mary Ann Winkowski, consultant to the CBS hit television show “Ghost Whisperer”. We bought the book and enjoyed reading it. Imagine our surprise when we learned that Mary Ann lives in nearby Cleveland and that she was appearing on Halloween at Carrie Cerino’s Restaurant. I quickly made our reservations for the event.

Months later, we began attending Mary Ann’s monthly book club meetings at Borders Books in Strongsville. It’s always an interesting evening with Mary Ann and attracts lots of unique people with great stories. It was about this time that we learned that if you called Mary Ann from your home on a land line, she could tell you if  there are any ghosts in your home. We found this especially intriguing since we often joked about sharing our home with the paranormal.

Our ghost, we thought, could only be seen by our black and white cat, Cookie. Cookie has freaked us out for several years with her imitation of a mime. She can be walking across the room and walk directly into an invisible wall. She will actually push against it a couple of times and then step back and walk around it. Yes, very creepy.

Another time there seemed to be some type of alien force field between me and Cookie that kept her from coming to me. She tried to push past it but couldn’t get any closer than three feet! Finally turning and hugging the wall, she was able to reach me from a different direction.

Now here’s my dilemma….one of Mary Ann’s assistants has offered to come to our home to contact and remove our ghosts, for a fee, of course. Tim, who encouraged me to call her in the first place, thinks I’m being silly for wanting to have her visit. I feel that since I’ve gone this far, I should see it through and even view it as some Halloween fun. What do you think?