{Ingrid dress from Shabby Apple}
Friday, July 30, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Ten Things to Smile About
Emmy Mom is just about one of the sweetest women I've "met" through the bloggy world. She has 3 adorable kids (two are pictured above, and the third, Ryder is still a tiny little miracle). Her posts are honest, funny, and entertaining. She's on my must-read list every day!
She also hosts a super fun blog party once a month called Ten Things to Smile About. What a great excuse to take a break from everything going wrong around me, and celebrate some things that are going right! So, in no particular order....here are 10 things I'm smiling about today:
1. This post from Lacey...I'm such a fall/winter girl, and with a December birthday...it's definitely my favorite month of the year. Many of my bffs have summer hearts, but I'm just not one of them.
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3. My sweet niece is LAUGHING now! I haven't witnessed it myself, but I have no doubt it's fabulous.
5. Having an awesome time during 4th of July festivities.
6. Genius playlists on iTunes.
7. Discovering a new favorite game while hanging out with some of the kids from the youth group.
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9. Knowing that my trip to Kiawah is getting ever closer...
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10. Playing along for the first time with Emmy Mom!
Go link up and let us know what made YOU smile this month!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Good--Yes, GOOD--Customer Service!
We always hear the horror stories of companies screwing over their customers, but we rarely hear about the good guys. Sometimes, a company (and more often, a single person at a company) really goes above and beyond the call of duty and offers superior customer service. I want to know when my friends get great customer service, because I firmly believe that our dollars speak volumes, and I want mine saying all the right things to all the best people. So, I give you 3 companies who have in the past few weeks given me (or my husband) AWESOME customer service.
First, FlutterToday. If you're not a Knoxville native, I apologize. FlutterToday is a local company that works much like Groupons: a company offers a deal through FlutterToday, and enough people buy, the deal will "fly"--and we all save money! The difference is that FlutterToday is owned and operated right here in my hometown, so I know all of the money I spend stays right here in my community. You gotta feel good about that!
So, why do I say they have great customer service? Simple. I bought a Flutter a few weeks ago to my favorite place: Bath Junkie. The Flutter took off, and that means I should have received my Flutter in my inbox the next day. When it wasn't there two days later, I wondered, but didn't really worry about it. The next day I was talking to friend who also purchased the Flutter, and she said that she had received hers. Concerned, I replied back to a confirmation email I received when I first purchased the Flutter. I let Marcus (the person whose name was on the "from" line) know that I hadn't received my certificate. He responded within a few hours, sending my certificate and a follow-up email to make sure I received it. We corresponded a little more throughout the day, and he could not have been nicer! He was incredibly helpful and I was so impressed with how quickly he responded. I will definitely purchase from FlutterToday again!
~~~
Next on my list of "new favorite vendors" is an online shop called Miss Lucy's Monograms. DISCLAIMER: I won a garment bag from Miss Lucy's Monograms via Heir to Blair. However, I am not compensated in any way for what I'm about to tell you. In fact, I haven't received my garment bag yet, but I've been so impressed by my correspondence with Debbie that I'm going out on a limb to tell you how much I love them before I even have product in-hand. No one at Miss Lucy's Monograms asked me to write a review at all, much less a positive one. Also, I'll post more about this giveaway when I can show you pictures of my new garment bag :)
First, I won a giveaway! How exciting is that??? I was super-pumped! Debbie got in touch with me as soon Blair sent her my contact information, and she has been quick to respond to each of my emails every step of the way. After looking on their website, I picked out a navy garment bag with a navy & white ribbon, to be monogrammed in white. Yesterday, Debbie emailed me to tell me that not only was she out of stock on the navy bag, but her supplier was, too. I was disappointed, sure, but I also know that stuff like this happens. Debbie was very apologetic, and suggested that I could pick out a different color bag, or wait several weeks until they were able to get the navy bag back in stock.
I looked through the colors available online again, and decided I would wait on the navy bag. I emailed Debbie and explained that my suitcase is brown, and I really wanted my new garment bag to "work with" my suitcase. As the other bag styles are some form of black and white or bright pink or green, I knew I just wouldn't be as happy with them. Debbie immediately responded and offered to place a special order with her supplier for a brown bag, which she doesn't normally stock in her shop! She needed to order this week anyway, and she is ordering a brown bag just for me! TALK ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE. I was floored that she would be so generous, as I'm not even a paying customer! The brown bag is even MORE perfect for me, and I just can't wait until I get it! I'll definitely got to Miss Lucy's Monograms first when I'm looking for an oh-so-Southern (i.e. monogrammed) gift.
~~~
Lastly, CamelBak. Do you all know CamelBak? You totally should. They have awesome backpack "hydration packs" that are a must for hiking/biking/doing anything outdoors, even if you're not hard core. The convenience of not having to stop, take a water bottle out of your backpack, unscrew the lid, drink, put the lid back on, and pack the bottle away again means this girl stays hydrated 1000x better when I hike with my CamelBak on. CamelBak also makes kick a** water bottles that include their patented Big Bite Valve, which means you won't spill water all over yourself when trying to take a drink. It works like a straw, but is less likely to spill because of the way the valve is constructed. The hubs and I both have one of these, and they are great for just about any use we've had for them.
Sunday night, Hubs noticed that one of the arms on the lid of his bottle had broken off. It didn't seem to be a wear-and-tear issue, as it's on a part of the lid that wouldn't receive that much wear. After checking the warranty policy online, Hubs saw that the bottles are under warranty for 2 years. His is just barely over a year old, so he emailed customer service, explained the situation, and asked how to go about getting a replacement lid.
Someone from CamelBak responded to him within 24 hours, assured him that such an issue with their bottles should not ever be the result of wear and tear, and asked for his mailing address so they could send him a new lid. They didn't ask for proof of purchase, where he bought the bottle, a receipt to confirm purchase date, or even for him to send the defective lid back to them. They just apologized and asked for his address to make it right. Hubs was very pleased with this response, and if we had any doubt about buying the CamelBak brand again in the future (which we didn't), we definitely don't doubt it now.
Now it's your turn: Who has given you exceptional customer service? Share in the comments so we can all be sure to give our business to outstanding companies.
Full disclosure: I don't work for any of the companies mentioned, nor was I compensated in any way to share my opinion. I'm just a big fan! Also, all images came from the websites I linked to.
First, FlutterToday. If you're not a Knoxville native, I apologize. FlutterToday is a local company that works much like Groupons: a company offers a deal through FlutterToday, and enough people buy, the deal will "fly"--and we all save money! The difference is that FlutterToday is owned and operated right here in my hometown, so I know all of the money I spend stays right here in my community. You gotta feel good about that!
So, why do I say they have great customer service? Simple. I bought a Flutter a few weeks ago to my favorite place: Bath Junkie. The Flutter took off, and that means I should have received my Flutter in my inbox the next day. When it wasn't there two days later, I wondered, but didn't really worry about it. The next day I was talking to friend who also purchased the Flutter, and she said that she had received hers. Concerned, I replied back to a confirmation email I received when I first purchased the Flutter. I let Marcus (the person whose name was on the "from" line) know that I hadn't received my certificate. He responded within a few hours, sending my certificate and a follow-up email to make sure I received it. We corresponded a little more throughout the day, and he could not have been nicer! He was incredibly helpful and I was so impressed with how quickly he responded. I will definitely purchase from FlutterToday again!
~~~
Next on my list of "new favorite vendors" is an online shop called Miss Lucy's Monograms. DISCLAIMER: I won a garment bag from Miss Lucy's Monograms via Heir to Blair. However, I am not compensated in any way for what I'm about to tell you. In fact, I haven't received my garment bag yet, but I've been so impressed by my correspondence with Debbie that I'm going out on a limb to tell you how much I love them before I even have product in-hand. No one at Miss Lucy's Monograms asked me to write a review at all, much less a positive one. Also, I'll post more about this giveaway when I can show you pictures of my new garment bag :)
First, I won a giveaway! How exciting is that??? I was super-pumped! Debbie got in touch with me as soon Blair sent her my contact information, and she has been quick to respond to each of my emails every step of the way. After looking on their website, I picked out a navy garment bag with a navy & white ribbon, to be monogrammed in white. Yesterday, Debbie emailed me to tell me that not only was she out of stock on the navy bag, but her supplier was, too. I was disappointed, sure, but I also know that stuff like this happens. Debbie was very apologetic, and suggested that I could pick out a different color bag, or wait several weeks until they were able to get the navy bag back in stock.
I looked through the colors available online again, and decided I would wait on the navy bag. I emailed Debbie and explained that my suitcase is brown, and I really wanted my new garment bag to "work with" my suitcase. As the other bag styles are some form of black and white or bright pink or green, I knew I just wouldn't be as happy with them. Debbie immediately responded and offered to place a special order with her supplier for a brown bag, which she doesn't normally stock in her shop! She needed to order this week anyway, and she is ordering a brown bag just for me! TALK ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE. I was floored that she would be so generous, as I'm not even a paying customer! The brown bag is even MORE perfect for me, and I just can't wait until I get it! I'll definitely got to Miss Lucy's Monograms first when I'm looking for an oh-so-Southern (i.e. monogrammed) gift.
~~~
Lastly, CamelBak. Do you all know CamelBak? You totally should. They have awesome backpack "hydration packs" that are a must for hiking/biking/doing anything outdoors, even if you're not hard core. The convenience of not having to stop, take a water bottle out of your backpack, unscrew the lid, drink, put the lid back on, and pack the bottle away again means this girl stays hydrated 1000x better when I hike with my CamelBak on. CamelBak also makes kick a** water bottles that include their patented Big Bite Valve, which means you won't spill water all over yourself when trying to take a drink. It works like a straw, but is less likely to spill because of the way the valve is constructed. The hubs and I both have one of these, and they are great for just about any use we've had for them.
Sunday night, Hubs noticed that one of the arms on the lid of his bottle had broken off. It didn't seem to be a wear-and-tear issue, as it's on a part of the lid that wouldn't receive that much wear. After checking the warranty policy online, Hubs saw that the bottles are under warranty for 2 years. His is just barely over a year old, so he emailed customer service, explained the situation, and asked how to go about getting a replacement lid.
Someone from CamelBak responded to him within 24 hours, assured him that such an issue with their bottles should not ever be the result of wear and tear, and asked for his mailing address so they could send him a new lid. They didn't ask for proof of purchase, where he bought the bottle, a receipt to confirm purchase date, or even for him to send the defective lid back to them. They just apologized and asked for his address to make it right. Hubs was very pleased with this response, and if we had any doubt about buying the CamelBak brand again in the future (which we didn't), we definitely don't doubt it now.
Now it's your turn: Who has given you exceptional customer service? Share in the comments so we can all be sure to give our business to outstanding companies.
Full disclosure: I don't work for any of the companies mentioned, nor was I compensated in any way to share my opinion. I'm just a big fan! Also, all images came from the websites I linked to.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Book Review: The Horse & His Boy
Yes, The Horse and His Boy is a children's novel, part of the Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis. This is the third book in the series, after The Magician's Nephew and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe for the first time in college, as part of one of my favorite classes, Christianity & Literature. I loved the book, and as Carter owns the whole series, I've been reading the others as the mood strikes me. So, that's how this book ended up on my reading list, random though it may seem.
Summary:
The Horse and His Boy follows Shasta, an orphaned boy in the southern land of Calormen, who has been raised by a hard and somewhat unloving fisherman. One night a local royal (called a Tarkhaan) comes to visit the fisherman, and eventually offers to buy Shasta. While he sleeps however, Shasta escapes with Bree, the Tarkhaan's Talking Horse. (Talking Horses are all from Narnia, not from Calormen. Bree is a slave to the Tarkhaan.) Adventure ensues as Shasta and Bree try to make their way to Narnia and the North. Unexpected twists and turns happen along the way, leaving readers (young and old alike) holding their breath, cheering on the main characters, and breathing sighs of relief at all the right times.Even though this is a children's book, The Horse and His Boy was a fun & easy summer read. As with all the books in The Chronicles of Narnia, Aslan appears as the Messiah figure, and the one who orchestrates and understands why things happen in the lives of the characters. This was a quick read and very entertaining! I'm a big CS Lewis fan anyway, and this series is certainly a classic: one I'll hope to encourage my children to read...once I have kids and they are old enough to read, of course!
Overall Rating:
New on my bookshelf: Resurrection in May by Lisa Sampson.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Slow Page Load
{If you're reading this in a reader, you can ignore this post.}
But if you're wondering why my blog is taking so flippin' long to load? It's because the girls over at The Cutest Blog on the Block, who host my background image, are having to make some changes. Their stuff is just too fabulous for anyone to handle! Everything should be back to normal tomorrow, including the removal of that notice in the top left-hand corner.
It's all worth it for my diamond-laden background, though, right? I think so too. :) Thanks for your patience!
But if you're wondering why my blog is taking so flippin' long to load? It's because the girls over at The Cutest Blog on the Block, who host my background image, are having to make some changes. Their stuff is just too fabulous for anyone to handle! Everything should be back to normal tomorrow, including the removal of that notice in the top left-hand corner.
It's all worth it for my diamond-laden background, though, right? I think so too. :) Thanks for your patience!
{a random pretty picture for your time}
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
YouTube's stuck on Replay (Replay)
Have you seen this? If not, please watch it and then tell me in the comments how much you love it. Because I love it A LOT.
(Premise of the video: Change song lyrics to match actual video footage.)
There are other Literal Videos, too, but my friend Melissa (who told me about this one) insists that Total Eclipse of the Heart is the best, by far.
Do you love it?
(Premise of the video: Change song lyrics to match actual video footage.)
There are other Literal Videos, too, but my friend Melissa (who told me about this one) insists that Total Eclipse of the Heart is the best, by far.
Do you love it?
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Book Review: Same Kind of Different As Me
From Amazon.com:
Oh my goodness if I went on for days I would not be able to tell you how much I loved this book. I GOBBLED this up. It wasn't a "OMG this is so suspenseful I can't bear to put it down because I have to know what happens next!" sort of thing, but I just hated to put it down! This is the third book in a row that I've read that tells the story from more than one perspective: this time from both Denver's and Ron's points of view. It was so interesting to read about the same TRUE story from such different--and yet somehow similar--vantage points. And both authors/narrators have lived lives so different from mine, it was just a fascinating read.
I laughed; I cried (big, crocodile tears--good thing I was at home for those chapters and not in the lunch room like I usually am when I read!); I cheered; and I stood in awe of the work of God so evident in these men's lives. This was just an awesome book.
This book is definitely one about the grace and goodness of God, and about the difference Jesus can make in the hearts and lives of those who are open to Him.
I just can't say enough good things about this book. It made me want to find ways to give back to my community...ways to make a difference. I'll be attending the KARM Encounter with a handful of friends next month. I can't wait.
Overall Rating:
Have you read Same Kind of Different as Me? What did you think about it?
Next up: The Horse and His Boy by CS Lewis (yes, a children's book!)
A dangerous, homeless drifter who grew up picking cotton in virtual slavery.
An upscale art dealer accustomed to the world of Armani and Chanel.
A gutsy woman with a stubborn dream.
A story so incredible no novelist would dare dream it.
It begins outside a burning plantation hut in Louisiana . . . and an East Texas honky-tonk . . . and, without a doubt, in the heart of God. It unfolds in a Hollywood hacienda . . . an upscale New York gallery . . . a downtown dumpster . . . a Texas ranch.
Gritty with pain and betrayal and brutality, this true story also shines with an unexpected, life-changing love.
Oh my goodness if I went on for days I would not be able to tell you how much I loved this book. I GOBBLED this up. It wasn't a "OMG this is so suspenseful I can't bear to put it down because I have to know what happens next!" sort of thing, but I just hated to put it down! This is the third book in a row that I've read that tells the story from more than one perspective: this time from both Denver's and Ron's points of view. It was so interesting to read about the same TRUE story from such different--and yet somehow similar--vantage points. And both authors/narrators have lived lives so different from mine, it was just a fascinating read.
I laughed; I cried (big, crocodile tears--good thing I was at home for those chapters and not in the lunch room like I usually am when I read!); I cheered; and I stood in awe of the work of God so evident in these men's lives. This was just an awesome book.
This book is definitely one about the grace and goodness of God, and about the difference Jesus can make in the hearts and lives of those who are open to Him.
I just can't say enough good things about this book. It made me want to find ways to give back to my community...ways to make a difference. I'll be attending the KARM Encounter with a handful of friends next month. I can't wait.
Overall Rating:
Have you read Same Kind of Different as Me? What did you think about it?
Next up: The Horse and His Boy by CS Lewis (yes, a children's book!)
Friday, July 16, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Games and Awards
My BFF Julie recently tagged me in a little bloggy game, and I'm so excited to play along! I love these, but haven't been tagged before, so I was excited to really get to play!
Favorite color?
Favorite restaurant?
Hobbies?
What does your room look like?
If you could have dinner with two people, dead or alive, who would they be?
What is your next big splurge?
CJ tagged me for an award a few weeks ago. I just love these! Thank you, CJ!
I'm supposed to list 10 things about me, and tag some other blogs! I decided to take a page out of Julie's book and list 10 dates that are important:
12/6/85: Welcome to the world! My birthday!
8/6/03: Got into Emory & Henry College
10/10/03: Started dating my now-hubby
Aug. 2004: Started college
Feb. 2005: Pledged Delta Omicron Pi sorority
5/10/08: Graduated magna cum laude
6/8/08: Got engaged!
5/23/09: Wedding day!
8/20/09: First post on my blog
12/6/10: 25th birthday (in less than 6 months!)
So, for both the game and the award, I tag the following. These ladies are some of my most-recent blog loves!
Jillybee Momma
Tara
Emmy Mom
Handbags & Handguns
Favorite color?
This is the one color that is always guaranteed to make me smile.
Favorite restaurant?
Aubrey's a local restaurant chain in Knoxville. Everything on their menu is good. Everything. If you come visit me from out of town, we will go to Aubrey's. Period.
Hobbies?
Photography, Scrapbooking, Crocheting, Hiking (my photo), Blogging
I'm too lazy to get our room cleaned up enough to take a picture. But know that these initial letters from our wedding hang over our white wicker headboard.
My mom, who is still living, and my grandmother, who died 9 years ago Monday. I never met my grandfather, but he took this picture (and I credit my love of photography to him). Can he come, too?
September vacation to Kiawah Island. Is it time to leave yet??
What is your favorite joke, quote, or saying?
Anything else you would like known (a random fact)?
Peanut butter from the jar is my favorite mid-morning snack.
CJ tagged me for an award a few weeks ago. I just love these! Thank you, CJ!
I'm supposed to list 10 things about me, and tag some other blogs! I decided to take a page out of Julie's book and list 10 dates that are important:
12/6/85: Welcome to the world! My birthday!
8/6/03: Got into Emory & Henry College
10/10/03: Started dating my now-hubby
Aug. 2004: Started college
Feb. 2005: Pledged Delta Omicron Pi sorority
5/10/08: Graduated magna cum laude
6/8/08: Got engaged!
5/23/09: Wedding day!
8/20/09: First post on my blog
12/6/10: 25th birthday (in less than 6 months!)
So, for both the game and the award, I tag the following. These ladies are some of my most-recent blog loves!
Jillybee Momma
Tara
Emmy Mom
Handbags & Handguns
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
In which we did not get a ticket for setting off fireworks
Why yes, setting off fireworks is illegal in my county. Why do you ask?
As per tradition, after the parade, Hubs, Brother-in-Law, Dad & I piled in the car and headed to the county line to buy contraband. After spending more money than I'll tell you about, we had our stash for the evening.
First experiment of the day: Would bottle rockets taped to a balsa wood airplane make it fly?
As per tradition, after the parade, Hubs, Brother-in-Law, Dad & I piled in the car and headed to the county line to buy contraband. After spending more money than I'll tell you about, we had our stash for the evening.
First experiment of the day: Would bottle rockets taped to a balsa wood airplane make it fly?
Not so much.
Boys setting up for their next blow-up.
This is the proper technique for setting off more than one bottle rocket at a time. Improper technique? Leaving the plastic wrapping on the 12 bottle rockets that are packaged together. I repeat: BAD IDEA.
A few hours pass, and then folks start to show up for the real party.
Tennessee Caviar
I don't remember what these were called...But they were tortillas, cream cheese and green chilies. Plus salsa.
Lots of soft drinks
Desserts! I'll have to share the recipe for the dish on the bottom right. Key Lime Poke Cake. Delish!
Corn hole!
Bug control
Viewing area
Explosives
Blown-up vegetables
The piece of lemon that hit me mid-explosion. And yes, I was a "safe" distance away from the launch site.
And, of course, the main event!
Hope you all had a very happy 4th!
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