It’s my 14th anniversary of being a blogger! Happy Blog-i-versary to me!
As I set out to write this annual post, I had to pause for a moment. Fourteen years of blogging? How did THAT happen?
I started my blog (originally on the Blogger platform) when my son was three years old. He’s now seventeen and heading to college in the Fall! We’ve both come a long way…
Every year in my anniversary post, I talk about the goals I had set for the blog the previous year and I create new ones for the next twelve months. When I opened WordPress to start this blog post, I took a look at how many posts I had written from November 2022-October 2023. I was surprised to see that it was only three.
Three blog posts? That’s it? Really? I could swear I had written more than that this past year.
Sheesh.
To be honest, I did have a lot going on personally this past year–major life cycle events for both of my kids that I had to put my time and energy into but, really–only three blog posts? *Sigh*
My blog goals for 2022-2023 were:
• Create a second Ted Talk blog post
• Continue to create downloadable printables for my popular blog posts
• Only have two goals for my blog this year.
Yes, that third goal was an actual goal. In the past, I have created too many goals for my blog to keep up with so I made a goal to have fewer goals. #thatsagoodthing
Here’s the one goal I WAS able to accomplish…
A few years ago, I started creating downloadable printables to compliment some of my blog posts. The first one I designed was for a post called, Organizing Quick Tip: Make a Decision. The printable is a one-page sheet with the words ‘Keep,’ Toss,’ and ‘Donate’ on it. Each word can be cut out, attached to a bin/wall/chair, and used during the decluttering process to define a space for a category of items.
This year, I decided to embark on a printable project of a larger scale. This newest one is eight pages long! It is a printable to support my book, The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook. In the back of my book, I provide the reader with lined pages to write and track their gift-giver’s names, addresses, and gifts given. Although it’s a handy place to keep all that information, I thought that some readers might not find it easy to use and would benefit from a larger space to write.
In reviewing past Anniversary posts, I discovered that I have repeatedly set a goal to create a “Ted Talk Two” blog post–more times than I’d like to admit. And, it didn’t happen. Again.
Why?
I got quiet with myself and thought about it. My first Ted Talk blog post was very popular–especially on Pinterest. Why couldn’t I get my act together to create a second one?
After giving it some thought, I had to laugh. I discovered that much of the issue had to do with my treadmill.
My treadmill?
From 2016-2019, I had an exercise habit of walking on my treadmill a few mornings a week. I found that Ted Talks were the perfect compliment to my treadmill use. Each video was approximately eighteen minutes long and my workout was about twenty minutes. A perfect match!
Then came the pandemic in March of 2020. By then, our treadmill was fourteen years old and had barely survived our home renovation five years previous. Now, it wasn’t just me walking on it–it was my husband and two sons using it as well. Due to old age, the treadmill could not withstand the extra weight and usage and was pronounced dead at the end of April. I started walking outside and listening to podcasts (which I am now totally hooked on) or exercising to YouTube videos when the weather was inclement. There went most of my Ted Talk watching time.
But, I did not give up hope on writing “Ted Talk Two.”
I created a home (a ‘new note’ in Evernote) for all Ted Talks that I wanted to review for the blog post. If I saw a Ted Talk video in my Facebook newsfeed, in a Google search, or recommended by a colleague and I thought it might be appropriate for “Ted Talk Two,” I copied and pasted its URL into that note in Evernote.
I did this for a few months and one day, I set aside time in my calendar to view the videos. After watching five or six, I decided that none of them were as “Ted Talk Two-worthy” as the ones I had chosen for my first Ted Talk post. I also think that perhaps due to the pandemic, not as many Ted Talks were filmed. It was a challenge to find many new ones on the topic of organizing produced in the past few years.
Then I got busy again. Listened to more podcasts. I can’t remember the last time I watched a whole Ted Talk.
My blog goals for 2023-2024:
I’ve got a good feeling about that “Ted Talk Two” video. You see, my husband and I are considering replacing our treadmill. We’ve started doing research and we’re looking to buy one this winter. Once I’m back on a treadmill, I’ll be back to watching Ted Talks with more regularity. And, when that happens, I’ll be keeping my eyes open for Ted Talks that would be perfect for the blog post I’ve been thinking about writing for years.
I’m calling it right now: Ted Talk Two in 2024. That’s my ONE goal for the next twelve months. And who knows, I just may trim my waistline in the process!
I’m excited to announce–Organized Artistry has a YouTube channel!
It’s something I’ve been considering adding to my business model for a while. YouTube is a great vehicle for reaching those in need of organizing assistance outside of my Northern New Jersey area. I thought it would be a creative marketing tool for my residential and virtual organizing services as well as for my book and any books I write in the future.
Slowly in 2018, I created the channel, added a banner, uploaded a few FaceTime videos but I wasn’t putting a ton of time and effort into it. Why? What held me back? A few things…
Time
As a business owner, parent of two, and volunteer for business and religious organizations, did I really have time to pursue something new?
Knowledge
My son told me it was easy to make a YouTube video. He said to me, “My friend from middle school and my camp counselor have YouTube channels. How hard could it be, Mom?” I tried to convince him that Mommy’s YouTube channel had to be a bit more professional than teens playing Xbox together and videotaping it. I’m still not sure I’ve convinced him…In order to have a professional-looking channel I was going to have to figure out the ‘How-To’ part.
Doubt
Was anyone going to watch? Could I fit creating, optimizing, and uploading videos into my already tight schedule?
Bad Hair Days
Yes, if I’m being honest, bad hair days kept me from making videos. I don’t have the most predictable hair and it doesn’t always look as professional as I’d like it to look. Kinda silly, but true. #honesty
What I know about owning a business is that it has to always be moving forward and keep up with the ‘times’ in order to survive. Many articles I read this past year pointed to video marketing as a game changer for 2019. I decided if I really wanted to make it happen, I had to schedule it, learn what I could, deal with doubt, and my hair. Here’s what I did…
Time
I decided to block out time in my day to brainstorm ideas, write scripts, and film the video (when I’m not working with clients). Mornings after I drop my son at school until noon are my ‘Power Hours’–the time of day when I’m most alert and motivated. This time management technique worked for me when I was writing and self-publishing my book, too.
Knowledge
Do you know the best place to learn about starting a YouTube channel? It’s YouTube! I started watching ‘how-to’ videos while on the treadmill, while getting dressed/putting on makeup, and when I was cooking dinner (it’s the perfect accompaniment to chopping vegetables). I took notes on the videos and created a section in Evernote for them. I also purchased an online course to speed up the process–it’s proving to be a good investment so far.
Doubt
I still have my doubts but I moved forward anyway. I’ve been in this place before as a business owner and realize that anything new is going to stir up feelings of doubt. I decided I wouldn’t let it stop me.
Bad Hair Days
Almost a year ago, I started following the ‘Curly Girl‘ method of caring for my hair. My hair is healthier, looks better and is now (in my eyes) more ‘video-worthy.’ And I bought some products to cover my ‘roots’ so I can film my videos and camouflage some gray hair and hairline without having to run to the salon as often.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been working diligently on the ‘Channel Trailer’ for my channel–it’s the first video people will see when they come to my channel if they’re not subscribers. Want to check it out? There may be a few pics of me as a little kid in the video if that piques your interest…You can watch it here or click the video below. Feel free to leave a comment, hit the ‘Subscribe’ button, and remember to click the little bell next to it to get notified when I post a new video!
If there’s an organizing challenge you’d like me to make a video about, let me know at .
Keep an eye out on the Organized Artistry YouTube channel for organizing tips, organizing hacks, and decluttering know-how. My videos will help you to get organized and gain more space in your home, more time in your day, more money in your wallet, and less stress in your life.
I’m sure you’ve started at least one this year. If you’ve been getting organized and you feel successful, that’s great! Give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back. If not, I’m here to assure you that it’s OK. These things happen. Maybe you need to tweak a system you created. Maybe a part of your life changed and what you’ve done so far is no longer in alignment with that change–it’s all part of the organizing process.
I don’t want you to give up, though. It’s easy to throw in the towel when processes like getting organized don’t work out the way we want them to.
I felt inspired to write this post after a few experiences I had over the last couple of weeks. One just led to the other which then circled back to writing this post. Below are a few examples of people that chose to not give up and give ‘it’ one more try. The first one is me…
In January of 2015, I self-published The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbookthrough Amazon’s CreateSpace. Due to the decorative interior design, the book files were not translating well in ebook form and it was challenging to get it to function properly. At the same time, my husband and I were beginning a home renovation that had us purging and packing our entire home. Needless to say that between technical difficulties and time constraints, the ebook never got published. Life became hectic and I basically gave up on ever seeing my paperback book as an ebook.
Fast forward to September 2018. I received an email from Amazon saying CreateSpace was merging with another division of Amazon–KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). I transferred my book’s file to KDP and received an email about a helpful KDP 101 webinar. It fit into my schedule and would cover all I needed to know about KDP so I signed up for it. Little did I know that it would inspire me to give publishing my ebook ‘one more try.’
During the webinar’s Q&A time, another participant named Elaine asked the instructor a file-uploading question which made me think about the uploading issues I encountered almost four years ago. As crazy as it may sounds, I have a random stranger named Elaine to thank for being able to upload my ebook to Amazon/KDP. After the webinar, I revisited my ebook files and found that Amazon had added a new online feature that enabled me to check the formatting of my book and see how it would appear on a tablet or phone. It translated perfectly. I couldn’t believe it. I had given up over three years ago but decided to give it one more try–and it worked!
I saw Elaine as my ‘sign from the Universe’ to give it one more try.
If I had not been forced to move my book files from CreateSpace to KDP, the chain of events that followed would not have occurred and my ebook would still lie dormant on my desktop. Thank you, Amazon and Elaine wherever you are! My next task is to have a specific ebook file created that will upload onto Apple iBooks and Barnes & Noble’s Nook–my goal for early 2019.
I was feeling inspired and motivated by this series of events so I decided to write about it in my October newsletter. I always start my newsletter with a quote and found this one from Thomas Edison:
As if I hadn’t received enough ‘signs from the universe, ‘ I took some time before writing my newsletter to walk on my treadmill and watch a TedTalk. Most are eighteen minutes in length–perfect for the approximately twenty minutes I’m on the treadmill. I was scrolling through YouTube when I came across a TedTalk called: Is Your Stuff Stopping YOU? Since it was about organizing, I thought I’d watch. Elizabeth Dulemba had given up on some dreams of hers and when the Universe ‘spoke’ to her, she decided to try one more time and make them her reality. Is Your Stuff Stopping YOU? Tedx University of Edinburgh. If you have twenty minutes, I’d recommend watching it. You Never know what it might inspire you to try one more time.
But, the ‘Don’t Give Up–Give it One More Try’ message didn’t stop there…
My family and I enjoy watching The Voice. Contestant Matt Johnson made it on to the show after auditioning fifteen times during a seven year period. Matt Johnson personifies the quote by Thomas Edison. This guy NEVER gave up. Perseverance is his middle name! He kept trying. And trying. And coming back for another try. And the most incredible part of it all is that he was the last contestant to audition and went on to win the last spot available on the show. Success at last!
Isn’t it amazing how giving something one more try can lead to incredible events occurring?
And then, as I’m writing this post, an email from (Chicken Soup for the Soul’s co-author) Jack Canfield’s newsletter lands in my inbox and what is one of the topics? ‘Don’t Ignore Signs form the Universe’.
I think the Universe is telling me that this was the perfect blog post to write this week!
Giving up is easy. Moving forward to reach your goal is not. Just ask Thomas Edison about his lightbulb journey. Here are some ideas for eliminating the need to shout, “I give up!”:
Break down the process
Getting organized isn’t an easy task. It takes time, physical, and emotional energy and it’s rare to have all three at the same time. Break down the process of organizing a space or your time into easy tasks and micro-goals–making reaching the finish line more manageable and attainable.
Be patient with yourself
Getting your file cabinet or your pantry organized can’t be accomplished if your exhausted, the kids are sick, or the hours in your day are not always your own. The time will come and you’ll be able to easily recognize it and use it to move forward.
Listen to the Universe
I know this sounds kind of ‘woo-woo’ but it’s important to be open to signs. Some will whisper to you and some will shout but please listen. Pay attention to and make note of recurring instances. I did that the past few weeks–signs of not giving up and trying one more time kept popping into view. I couldn’t ignore so many of them!
Reward yourself for hitting milestones
Remember those easy tasks and micro-goals I spoke about a few paragraphs ago? When you’ve completed one–celebrate! Honor your achievement however small. It’s a great motivator.
Remember why you’re doing this
Why are you getting organized? Do you want to be able to find papers easily? Get out the door with two kids without forgetting anything? Be able to get dressed effortlessly in the morning? If your ‘WHY’ is important to you, it will inspire you to not give up.
Thomas Edison and I are in agreement. Don’t give up–the way to success is to try one more time. Make that ‘one more time’ step a small one. Sometimes all it takes is a small change to reach your goal. You just may have a ‘lightbulb’ moment…
What have you given up on? Are you ready to give it another try? Has trying ‘one more time’ worked for you in the past? I’d love for you to join the discussion. 🙂
Shortly after it’s publication, I came across a quote that I now believe to be true: “If you thought writing a book was hard, try marketing it!”
It has been a challenge getting the word out about The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook, especially because it does not have much in common with my day-to-day home and virtual organizing business. I’m a Professional Organizer–not a Wedding Professional. With this book, I straddle the fields of organizing and weddings–marketing it has been quite a learning experience.
I’ve let the world know about my book via social media, Facebook Ads, giveaways, guest blogging, being included in ‘wedding product roundup’ articles, (and a little bit of begging–I’m not proud) and recently decided to give video a try. Articles on book marketing point to video as the way to go in marketing today. They say a book trailer is an important piece of an author’s media kit. I’ve done a few Facebook Live videos and I’m slowly growing my YouTube channel so I thought I’d give it a try. I had never used iMovie before but I thought, “If my twelve year old can use it, so, can I!”
It took about a week of learning from articles and YouTube videos and a few brainstorming sessions in solitude but I did it! I created my first book trailer using Canva, iMovie, and some loyalty-free music from YouTube.
Presenting…the book trailer for The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook.
Thanks for watching! If you know a bride with a house full of wedding gifts who could use some writing tips and help with their wedding thank you note wording, please share The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook book trailer with them. For more information, go to the Organized Artistry website or Amazon.com.
Download Our Gift Tracker Printables!
Track your engagement gifts, bridal shower gifts, and wedding gifts with our *free* Gift Tracker printables! Click the image below to download and print three gift trackers and valuable tips for keeping your addresses and gift lists organized.
Your thank you note tracking is about to get so much easier…
This October marks the 8th anniversary of my blog. That’s A LOT of idea-generation, image creating, and typing!
I started my blog in October of 2009 shortly after I signed my son up for preschool. This was before I was on Facebook, before Pinterest was created, and before social media was a ‘thing.’ (Can you even imagine?!?) Since then, I’ve moved my blog from Blogger to Word Press, had a second child, and joined Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Oh, and I wrote a book and survived a major home renovation project, too. My blog has evolved over time–I have found that doing yearly goal-setting has helped me stay on track.
In past ‘blogiversary’ posts, I’ve set blogging goals for the year ahead. I didn’t do too badly in 2017…
My 2017 goals:
• Boosting Pinterest traffic to my website/blog
Success! In checking my blog ‘stats,’ the top place where people are coming from to check out my blog and website is Pinterest. My most popular pin on Pinterest is the blog post I wrote back in February, ” 3 Thought-Provoking Ted Talks That Will Inspire You to Get Organized.” I still ‘heart’ Pinterest and see it as a integral part of my online presence for 2018.
• Create images in Canva
Success! I created a Canva image for each of my new blog posts and slowly, slowly, I am updating images from old blog posts using Canva. It’s a great way to freshen up an older yet still relevant blog post. My previous life as a graphic designer has really come in handy…
• Create a blogging calendar
I’ve tried this so many times but have not found success with creating a blogging calendar. Instead, I created a paper Blog Post Template which helps me to organize my thoughts on a topic I intend to blog about. The template is a place to brain dump my ideas, jot down keywords and alt-image text for Pinterest, and websites I’ll want to link to in my post. Half the work of writing a blog post is done once I’ve filled out my template. So, although I did not find success with a blog calendar, I created a thought-organizing tool that did work for me.
• Stop comparing myself to other bloggers
For the most part, I’ve been good at this. I’ve noticed that blogging has changed–it isn’t what it was when I started eight years ago. For many, blogging has evolved as a full-time business and that is something I cannot keep up with and do not wish for as part of my business model. I’ll be putting my time into some new and exciting ventures such as Virtual Organizing, marketing my wedding thank you note book, and outlining some ideas for my next book.
My 2018 goals:
• Keep using Canva to update images on already existing blog posts
Right now, half of my blog posts have Canva, Pinterest-worthy, and ready images. I’ll be chipping away at my blog title list to replace old images with new Canva-generated ones.
• Blog a minimum of 1x a month
At the beginning of 2017, I set a goal for myself–post to my blog a minimum of 2x a month. I did OK in the beginning but as my client list got longer and other Organized Artistry projects took precedence, blogging got left on the back burner. Creating the Blog Post Template helped me solidify future post ideas and I’ll be using it in 2018. So, my goal is to blog 1x a month but if I write two posts in a month or three posts in two months then YAY ME.
I’m not old but I’m out of the loop when it comes to certain things like Netflix, iCloud and Instagram. I think all that came out when I was in the middle of parenting two children under the age of five. Sleep deprivation and very little extra room in my brain didn’t allow for much more than me learning how to use Facebook and Pinterest (and oh, yeah–taking care of my little ones, too…).
Another new ‘thing’ I wasn’t familiar with was podcasts. I had heard of them. I knew they were recorded audio, not on the radio–but where were they? Were they in that ‘cloud’ I had no knowledge about either?
Embarrassing, but I had to look up exactly what they were and where I could find some.
I don’t have a ton of time to listen to podcasts, but I decided to find some time in my schedule when I discovered a guy in Los Angeles who had a podcast on–you guessed it–organizing! The guy in Los Angeles, is James Lott, Jr. and his podcast is called The Super Organizer Show. He is a highly energetic person who truly loves what he does. One of his wonderful characteristics is that he believes in giving thanks out loud and living in gratitude–that’s how he starts all of his shows. Isn’t that great?
I found out about The Super Organizer Show on Facebook. James had interviewed Ellen Faye, the Past President of NAPO (National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals) and because I ‘like’ both Ellen and NAPO on Facebook, it came up in my news feed. I dug out my infrequently-used earbuds and carved out some time to listen to a few of the podcasts from The Super Organizer Show. I found them to be funny, fast-paced, and informative. On iTunes, I reviewed the list of past show topics and saw that there had never been a guest on the show talking about weddings. James is an author–I thought maybe he’d want to interview someone who wrote a book on a topic in organizing. I looked up James’ contact info and dropped him a line about me and The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook and the rest is history! He loved the idea of talking about wedding thank you notes and he booked me on his show for the day after he was attending his friend’s wedding.
How did I prepare for my first podcast?
• I read my book two times a few days before recording the podcast.
• I created an outline of my chapters.
• I flagged pages in my book that I thought James might reference.
• I brainstormed some stories and anecdotes related to my book I thought I might want talk about.
• I buried our home telephone under some sheets in our linen closet in case it rang during the recording of the podcast (I used my business line for the podcast).
• And yes, I used the restroom ten minutes before dialing in–I had no idea how long I’d be on the phone with James. Good thing I did–we were on the phone for an hour!
In a nutshell–I got organized to talk about organization! And (off mic) James even recognized and mentioned how prepared I was.
I had a ton o’ fun with James talking about my book, wedding thank you notes, sleep deprivation and it turns out we both have pen fetishes and love trying out different pens when we see a display in a store (ahhh, to be a writer…). He was engaging, came up with creative questions, and made me feel very at ease. A very positive first podcast experience!
Wanna listen to the podcast? Here are three places you can find it:
Thanks, James for having me on your show and for making my first podcast a very enjoyable one. Now that I know about podcasts, I guess now it’s time to carve out some time for Netflix!
Vickie recently adopted a mascot for her business and her name is Ophelia. She even has her own Facebook page! Ophelia offers answers to people’s organizing questions and just started doing book reviews. When I saw her post looking for books to review I popped one in the mail for her to read. Boy, am I glad I did. Although my wedding organizer book is not exactly about the home, time, and paper organizing most Professional Organizers do in their everyday work, I think she still enjoyed reading it.
Her review…
“Oh how I wish I had this handbook when I got married! The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook by Stacey Agin Murray is the perfect guide for overwhelmed brides seeking assistance in the daunting task of writing thank you notes. Almost every bride I know has complained about this task specifically due to the amount of legwork and trying to think what to write to people. Stacey has it all here for you in this handbook down to keeping track of who bought you what present and for what occasion (engagement, bridal shower, etc.) to great examples that are personalized, thoughtful, and truly will show your appreciation for each of your wedding guests. I highly recommend The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook to brides out there or newlyweds who are dreading the thank you note writing task. This handbook will guide you through every step of the way and keep you organized with the built in charts. Please do yourself a favor and order your copy before starting your thank you notes!”
Thanks, Ophelia (and Vickie, too)!
I’ll be attending the NAPO Conference in Pittsburgh in April 2017 which is Vickie/Ophelia’s hometown. I’m looking forward to meeting them and thanking them in person for their lovely review of my wedding organizer book, The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook.
Have you read a book lately? Help an author by writing a review on Amazon or Goodreads–they’ll be grateful for your time and words.
I just had the opportunity to attend the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) Annual Conference in Los Angeles, CA (can you imagine 600+ Professional Organizers in one place at one time?). Since my first conference back in 2004, I’ve stuck to the east coast and midwest locations. Jet lag is not my best friend but this year, I decided to not let that stop me. I heard the whispers…
“Go west, young lady!”
And so I did! Off to the 2015 NAPO Conference in sunny Los Angeles I went. And besides looking forward to learning and networking, I was looking forward to that California sun. The winter here in NJ was long and dreary and I needed some natural Vitamin D to jumpstart my body for Spring. The five hour flight provided me with time to indulge in a novel–what a ‘novel’ idea since most books I have read lately have to do with my business, my kids, or health. If you’d like to read a great book, try Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier.
This year, my Conference experience was a bit different. With two kids at home, it’s not easy to get away for an extended period of time. I usually get to the Conference as soon as it begins and leave as it’s ending. This year, I flew in the afternoon before and stayed an extra day to visit with my cousin. Took the red-eye flight and was home before 8am. Shout-out to my hubby for ‘holding down the fort’ so I could grow in my career and visit with family in L.A..
Also different about this year’s Conference: my book. I belong to a NAPO Special Interest Group (SIG) for people who are or wish to be authors. This year at our EXPO/Marketplace, our SIG had a bookstore and I jumped at the opportunity to sell my book, The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook in the bookstore along with more than twenty of my PO/Author colleagues. Besides having my book on display for purchase, I had a book signing which was a ton of fun. I signed books while wearing a tiara and veil–it definitely drew people to my table!
The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook
NAPO EXPO Authorship & Publishing Bookstore
Me (in the tiara and veil) and the first person to buy my book–she’s just got engaged!
The EXPO/Marketplace was abuzz with large and small companies showing off their organizing wares to the attendees. Some of the booths I found to have interesting products were: Forever, Time Timer, and of course–Pendaflex which gave out a bountiful goody bag to everyone who walked by. Who could resist?
The NAPO Conference is always chock full of interesting workshops. This year, I took classes in Virtual Organizing, Branding, Digital Photo Organizing, YouTube Video Marketing, and Using Technology to Increase Productivity. Learned a few things I didn’t know in an Evernote workshop, too. There was an ‘Ask the Business Organizer’ panel and an Opening and Closing Keynote. The Opening Keynote was done by two guys who call themselves ‘The Minimalists.’ If you haven’t read their blog and their back story (which was fascinating) check out The Minimalist’s website.
The Minimalists giving the Opening Keynote address at the 2015 NAPO Conference in Los Angeles
This has very little to do with organizing but I felt the need to snap a picture of this yummy dessert we were served at our last lunch of the Conference.. And yes, it was as good as it looks…
Mmmmm….
After three days of workshops, networking, and noshing it was time to leave the Westin Bonaventure and meet up with my cousin who is a life-long resident of Los Angeles. We had about 24 hours together and I got to see the highlights of L.A. including a quick trip to a beautiful place I must get back to someday–The Getty Museum.
Me visiting The Getty Museum
The day I returned from the NAPO Conference, my son was on Spring Break. This week I’ve been catching up with organizing appointments and meeting with prospective clients. Next week, I’ll be focusing on what I learned in the classes I took at the NAPO Conference and bit by bit will be incorporating the knowledge into my business. I’ve already got my sights set on attending the NAPO Conference in Atlanta in 2016. No jet-lag worries! Can’t wait–it should be just peachy…
It’s been a while since I’ve blogged. I’ve been a little busy.
I wrote and self published a book…
Don’t walk down the aisle without it!
Last time I blogged about it over the summer, the cover had been designed but the interior was not finished. Now, I can proudly say…
The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook is available at Amazon.com.
I refer to it as ‘The Thank You Note Writing Guide for the Overwhelmed Bride.’ Some of its features are:
• A seven-step system for organizing and composing nuptial thank you notes
• Basic organizing principles to be applied to thank you note writing, wedding planning, and everyday life
• Solutions for easing thank you note anxiety
• Tips and helpful hints for keeping your words of thanks and the writing process organized
• 101 modern sample thank you notes to jumpstart a bride and groom’s note writing process
• An eye-catching, icon-based key for quickly finding sample notes
The writing was finished in 2013. The editing and design were completed in 2014 and the ‘Publish’ button was pressed at the beginning of 2015. With all this work, I could barely compose a post for my blog. I think I was a little ‘burned out’ when it came to putting words together on paper (or screen). I’m also still a bit ‘wet behind the ears’ when it comes to WordPress. So, I took a little time off from blogging to meet one of my personal goals: becoming a published author. It’s 2015–time to start blogging again.
I’ll continue to blog about ‘everything organzing’ but in the coming months, I’ll also share my journey to becoming a published author, offer sneak-peeks of the inside of my book (hint: it’s beautiful) and I’ll share how my organizing skills helped me to finish writing and publishing this book.
OK–I’ll give you a sneak-peek now…
This wedding cake is one of the icons used in the key, helping brides to quickly and easily find the sample thank you note they need.
Oh, and the e-book version will be coming out this Spring…(Update: The e-book is now available for download at Amazon.com)
If you know anyone who just got engaged or is about to walk down the aisle, please ‘Pin’ and share this blog post with them. The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook also makes a great gift!
For everything wedding + organizing, ‘Like’ The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook on Facebook, and check out the book’s board on Pinterest.
Do you have any projects you’d like to finish? Please share–I’d love to hear about them.
This is my first official blog post on WordPress. I think it took me longer to format it than to write it! I’m getting used to living in my new WordPress home but I’m still bumping into walls and I haven’t unpacked all the boxes yet…
It’s been a while since I’ve written for my blog. I’ve been a little busy moving my business forward in some exciting ways.
1) My new logo. Since you’re reading this you’ve probably already seen my new logo designed by the talented Kate McMillan of Outbox Online Design. Look up–it’s at the top of the page. I just love that squiggle…
2) My new business cards. If you have a new logo, you have to have new business cards!
3) My first promotional item. Shortly after my logo was designed, I was asked to sit on a panel made up of women who had started their own business. I was going to have a table and answer participants’ questions about being in and starting their own business. I felt like I needed some kind of product as a giveaway but in twelve years of business, I had never created one! I thought about what people would use most and thought the pen was a perfect first promotional item
Here’s my Organized Artistry pen!
4) My new website. Also designed by Kate McMillan of Outbox Online Design. My old website was first designed in 2002 and boy did it need a makeover! Now it is a beautiful and modern showcase of my writing and how I help people get and stay organized. I’m thrilled that my blog is now part of the site.
Speaking of writing, this is BIG news…
5) My book. Long story short, I’ve been writing this book on and off since 2002. The manuscript went in and out of the file cabinet many times over almost a decade until I decided one day, ‘Publish or Bust.’ Here is a sneak peek of the cover, designed by the talented Peri Poloni-Gabriel of Knockout Design (she’ll be designing the interior, too). I love it–and no, I didn’t ask the designer to make the background purple to match my website–total coincidence…
Coming Summer 2014 in e-book and paperback:
The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook: Let Systems and 101 Modern Sample Thank You Notes Take You From Overwhelmed to Organized
If you know anyone who just got engaged or is about to walk down the aisle, please ‘Pin’ or share this photo with them!
It has been a VERY busy 2013-14 for Organized Artistry. I’ve met many of the goals I set for my business–still a few more to go. Nothing happened overnight. Each step took time and sometimes the steps took a few wrong turns. But, I am grateful for the journey and all the people who have helped me get this far.
About This Blog
A blog by Professional Organizer Stacey Agin Murray bursting with cool products, 'gotta-tell-a-friend' ideas, and a whole lotta organizing know-how. Learn more...
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About Stacey
When you grow up in a 5’x12′ bedroom, you learn to organize pretty quickly! I chose to take that knowledge and turn it into a business helping people find what they need when they need it. I’m also the author of The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook–a book that offers wedding thank you note-related organizing tips and how-to’s plus 101 unique sample thank you notes (what bride can’t use that?).
Contact Stacey to Get Started!
