Putting my heart into Greetings from Geralyn

I am really having fun gathering items to get ready for Valentine's week at Greetings from Geralyn.  I found out yesterday that at Anchor's Bend in Convention Hall will have a pop-up market with Criterion Candy, flower shop and handmade Valentines from me...yay!!!!!  So, above are some fun things I am going to put together to start making cards.  But, I will also have available a table so YOU  can make your own Valentine card for $4.99.  Greetings from Geralyn will be open on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday February 7,8,and 9th from noon-5pm.   On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday February 12,13,and 14th we will be open noon until 6pm.  The heat is on!  So, it is very comfortable in the Grand Arcade if you were wondering.  Hope to see you there.  Think anyone you know would be interested......please   please  SHARE!!!!! 

Landslide

     Feeling a little dramatic with this title of this post.  But, I do feel a bit dramatic.  We have a pending historic amount of snowfall coming our way.  The last few weeks have been full at work, home and with the store.  Lots of evaluating of how to make this year better.  So, many places in my life are pretty out of control and it's time to make some tough decisions to make my life work in my favor.  I have already made a tough decision to make my three weeks of vacation time devoted to the goal of making things better.  So, I did find out I have the week off before Valentine's Day.  I will be open at the store with lots of fun promotions.
     So, on to the fun part of paying attention to my collection of Valentine's Day cards.  First, it involves my ride to Asbury Park that I have done daily if not weekly for the last five years.  I pass by a victorian factory located across from a train station in Neptune, NJ.  It is part of that sad part of the area that was busy with produce wholesale buildings, ice cream distributers and some other factories that are all closed tight and haven't seen the light of day for a very long time.  On our train trip to Philadelphia on New Year's Day I also passed a factory building near the train station.  It was much bigger near the city of Trenton, but it had the same clock tower.  The buildings always make me wonder.

On my way to Asbury Park last week I took a picture of the empty building.  While I was researching Valentines I found this story:   http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2008/05/2008-ss-adams-products.html     I can't believe it was still in use as late as 2008.  The blog post answered every question that was sparked by my imagination as I drove by it everyday.  So, the door on the bottom has the name Adams and Company.  They were the company that made the nut can with the snake that would jump out, whoopie cushions,  he patented sneezing powder, coin tricks, and many more packaged jokes and pranks.  There was  a store in Belmar called Shatzo's (forgive me for the spelling....I am pretty sure it is wrong). They carried the full line of Adam's products. So, I was familiar with the items and they brought back a lot of memories.  I bought a lot of these as a kid and would enjoy the tricks with my family.  I have a lot of memories in that store, especially the sales help who always watched you very carefully and while you were in this aisle you were probably asked about ten times if you needed help.  My mom complained once on the way home and I was surprised, because I thought they just did that to the kids.

So, the door still says Adams and company and the product was
still distributed from this building.  It seems the company was still family run until it was sold to a California company in about 2009.  I was going to buy some of these butterflies and cards for the store, but after seeing how well we did last year with just making all of our own inventory.  We will continue in that direction.  Kind of makes me sad.  Because I was imagining demonstrating these cards in Convention Hall and how much fun it would be.  There are some cute videos on their website too with a young girl and boy opening these cards and having a butterfly come out.  I might change my mind on this and could promote this card this spring.  It is part of American's contribution to a unique greeting card that has been around for years, so I would love to promote it!
     I found the card quite easily on ebay and bought it quickly.
Here are some pictures of the front, inside and back of the card.

My card had the remnants of the butterfly and I was fine with that.  I love that this was patented.  I love the picture of the woman.  I am guessing it is from the 20's with the bob haircut.  Love how her dress has the same colors as the butterfly.  I went to ebay today and there was a boxed set with all different women on the front of the cards with all different colored butterflies.  I am content with this card and it's story.  The boxed set is selling for $99.  Pretty much out of my price range, but considering everything it is still tempting.  If you like this post, please comment or like my facebook page:    Help, I want to be Esther Howland.  

Follow That Dream

So, in the spirt of the title from a movie of Elvis Presley (his birthday is today), my grandmother (the picture I am holding, and Esther Howland (the original creator of Valentine's in the USA) , I am starting my journey to follow that and make that dream come true.  Today, on my facebook page I shared the version of the song from Elvis Presley and Bruce Springsteen.  The song begins if your heart is weary.  Oh boy, my heart is weary.  So, what makes my heart so weary?  For me, most of all, it is guilt, sad events locally and in the world on the news, moods, the cold, disappointments in others and myself, money, and the list goes on.  But, I have learned that you can't see the light unless you see the darkness. So this year, I am listening to what I think can make me happy and try not to charge anything on my credit card to make that happen. I am taking charge of what I can control and what I can't .  I am taking my dream and making it happen with what I have already.  Pretty much how we have been making Greetings from Geralyn endure for the last five years.  If you would like to follow my journey, please like the facebook page I started today.  I will be sharing who inspires me and motivates me.  Events I would like to host.  Monthly inspirations of quotes, art, travel, food and music.   I am hoping that this will help you, too.  Sometimes being a part of something is just what we need to lift our spirits.  It will be a place where I hope you can share freely your hopes and dreams too!  https://www.facebook.com/parislondonasburypark   I am ready to put my heart and soul back into my business Greetings from Geralyn.  Thank you for all of the support you have shown through the last five  years.

I want to fly like an eagle.....

Steve Miller's popular song during the late seventies.  The time in my life I was ready to soar into the future.  The time I was making decisions of what I wanted to do in my life.  Yes, I wanted to fly and not in the sense of getting high.  I always wanted to succeed on my own......like the bird who takes flight from the nest.  I have been inspired by so many.  I want to spend January blogging and sharing the many inspirational Artists, friends, songwriters, musicians, writers who have inspired me on my journey.  February I want to actually carry out my dream of being Esther Howland.  I, like a bird, have already began my journey.  I started gathering all the supplies I am ready to make as many greeting cards in the month of February and have enough to share with others who would like to take some time to make some cards, also.
In the hustle and bustle of the holiday rush of working in a department store, I passed by these boxes.  I saw they what they were up close and the price was right.  What will I fill them with?  Well, all the supplies I need for cardmaking are filling up these boxes rather quickly.  Gathering......like a bird building a nest.

 The artist who made this box is Kelly Rae Roberts.  I am very familiar with her and her book called "Taking Flight"  I have read and lent out her book.  When I read the box, the words could not be more fitting for me.  By sharing this I hope these words speak volumes to you also as we approach the new year!!!  To learn more about her and her Art press here

 The box reads:   Dream
My wish for you is that you feel the full breath of possibility.  That you feel your fears and act anyway. That you listen to what's calling you.  That you find the sacred in the ordinary.  And that love and kindness embrace your heart always.

Happy New Year!  Bring on 2015!  My word for 2015 is FLY!  My word for 2014 was kick....and I am ready to kick it goodbye!!!!!

It all started with a greeting card......

Thirty-seven years ago I met Glen Gray.  I was eighteen.  We met....he liked me....I liked him.  He called me and asked me to go out with him and a group of friends for New Year's Eve to celebrate the year 1978.  He left for Florida to spend Christmas with his sister and brother with his father.  He had lost his mom in 1976.  I received a Greeting Card with a handwritten letter.  I knew I had met someone very special.
So much has happened and changed in thirty-seven years as far as communicating and how we meet people.  If I was my children's age would this have happened or would we have been texting back and forth.  Would I have that to share now so many years later? I made a copy of this letter and gave it to my nephew this year because a lot of it was about him and his birth.
Today I sit writing this instead of addressing Christmas cards to my family and  friends.  Why?  I think it is because of facebook.  I can share sentiments, feelings, thoughts, pictures all with a press of button and not just reach one person, but 500 people at the same time and see a reaction instantly.  It is amazing.  I usually send photo cards and several times looked through our pictures to pick one and I have shared them on facebook already, so why should I send them?  I love to get photo cards and the go on my fridge and stay there for the rest of the year.  The last few years my days are so full I save all my cards to open on Christmas day.  This year....is just so different.  Hopefully on Monday on my day off I will take some time and fill out some cards to send.....but, if I don't.....it's ok.  Or is it?
I own a greeting card store after all.  But, this year has been different.  I didn't buy any cards for the store this year. I had the intention to, but we really didn't make that much money as we hoped this summer to put in any orders.  My inventory was all ruined last year after a water main break from a frozen pipe last January.
So looking to the year 2015 I am looking to the future and wondering what to do to infuse some new life into my heart and my business.  So, instead of taking my vacations to rest and get inspired.  I am taking my time off from work to put my heart and soul back into my business.  I have had several goals since starting my business and it has been one step up and two steps back for the last five years of being in business.  I still need to keep my job, but in order for my business to grow it needs my attention.  So, I am starting to set realistic goals and I may need some help.  I want to start a campaign of the IMPORTANCE of greeting cards.  I truly feel they are the best form of expression and art that every person can use to share their feelings.  I remember when I went to college I didn't have two pennies to rub together.  I spent a lot of time finding cards to send Glen, friends and family.  As I got more into college my funds ran dryer and dryer, but that didn't stop me.  I would make my own cards and send them to Glen.
So, I still am making my own cards, but this year I am looking forward to figuring out a way to order greeting cards from different companies again and infuse some life into the greeting card part of our business.  I am going to start by taking the week off before Valentine's day and actually fulfill a dream and be the Esther Howland I want to be.  I am looking forward to 2015 and  I am ready to do the cha-cha of life!

I BELIEVE in yesterday

 I believe in yesterday....

 Spent time at the store yesterday and was treated to  the Christmas Tree lighting....

Watched CBS Sunday morning  show and the story of Pietown.....

 Found one of my old purchases and enjoyed the picture on the cover.....when I opened it.....it is filled with a surprise......

it is a child's wish during the old days of old days when most gifts were made by her mother......

 and was told the story of Bethlehem......

 in the spirit of that little book and the story of Pietown (you can only buy a pie in pietown)

our snowglobes are available only at our store in Convention Hall in Asbury Park.....we only have these available.....sorry no holds, special orders or shipping.

Have you any dreams you'd like to share

 After the Fleetwood Mac concert I felt the need to make a dream catcher......

 My first walk on the beach after the concert I collected some feathers, driftwood and shells.....Kaylyn bought me the guitar pic neckace after the concert as a souvenir.....I found some beads and spelt out gypsy....the bird tag was from a shirt I bought in the beginning of the summer and couldn't throw the tag away......

I bought the crocheted doily at Michaels for $1 and an embroidery hoop for $1.49......it was fun to make and I look forward to adding more to it as I find different items......