Become a Sharlie's Angel

Good morning dear blog friends.

This morning, I am feeling inspired and blessed after an amazing day at Blog Sugar yesterday. I had a wonderful time seeing old friends, meeting some friends face-to-face for the first time, and making some new friends.  And I am reminded that even though some people don't understand it... my bloggy friends are real friends.  The relationships that I have built in this crazy blog world are real and important to me, and I value each and every one of you!

One of the panels I attended was run by Julie of Joy's Hope and Jeanett of Life Rearranged, and they reminded us all that whether we have 5 readers or 5,000, we have a captive audience that is actually listening to what we say, and that we should be using that platform to do good and share Christ.

So today I am so excited that you amazing people have come to read my blog, and I hope that you will allow me to share an incredible opportunity to do good.

My dear friend Jessica of Allora Handmade asked me to join her and an amazing group of women to help her best friend that is fighting a battle for her life.  Here's a little bit of what Jessica would like you to know:

 
Sharlie is a wife and mom.
She loves to read.
She loves to laugh.
She has an infectious smile.
And the best hugs on the planet.
Sharlie is also awaiting a double lung AND heart transplant.
She is an inspiration.
A fighter.
A miracle.


Please go read Jessica's post to hear the whole story... as Jessica said, Sharlie has Cystic Fibrosis, and is awaiting a double lung and heart transplant.  She is a woman that has beaten the odds, and then some.  But she has a 4 year old son that needs her to come home.

Sharlie's family needs to raise about $250,000 to cover her medical bills.  That seems daunting, I know.  But if you break that down... If every person donated just $5, then it would take 50,000 donations.  If every person that blogs about this fundraiser has 500-1000 readers, then only 50-100 bloggers would need to get their readers involved.  That is totally do-able.

Let's do this!

Jessica has put together a shop full of goodies including some awesome tutorials and printables {all of which cost just $5} from some amazing women, and I am so humbled that she asked me to be a part. The best part is that 100% of the proceeds are going directly to Sharlie's family.

Please check out the shop, and check out my Meal Planning Made Easy tutorial and printables and tell me what you think!

My husband and I have been touched by this story and have decided that we would like to do a little extra.  So for the first 100 of you that go and purchase my tutorial, we will match your donation!  Please come back here and comment to let me know that you purchased it.  I just know that we can do this!

Let's be one of the blogs that raises over $1,000!!!

I Have a Nemesis

I have a Nemesis.

She doesn't know she's my Nemesis.  In fact, she probably doesn't even know who I am.

But she is my Nemesis.

She makes planners.  She started out her business doing invitations and announcements {just like I did}.  But a few months after I started my calendar business, she introduced a line of planners.  Don't get me wrong... I am NOT insinuating that she copied me.  I guarantee that at that point {and, like I said, probably still} she had no idea who I was.  It was just an unfortunate coincidence.

She is a much bigger deal than I am.  She has a real office, and big giant printers the size of cars.  She has a beautiful website and great products. 

I want those things.  So she is my Nemesis.

One of my employees is on her mailing list, and every time she comes out with something new and great my friend forwards me the email and I say, "Curse you, {insert Nemesis name here}."

It seems like I am constantly bombarded with her name.  Yesterday, a bloggy friend of mine posted about her fabulous new planner that she just purchased from my Nemesis.  It made me sad.  Doesn't she know about my fabulous planners???

A few weeks ago I got an email from a customer telling me how excited she was about finding my plannesr, and how they are so much better than the ones my Nemesis makes {and she didn't even know that she was talking about my Nemesis}.  It made my day.

I think I will frame it and put it in my office.

I realize that the heart of this matter is that I am jealous of a person that has already reached a level of success that I aspire to.  I know I should not be coveting her business.  I know that God has blessed my business, and will continue to bless it, and that maybe someday I too will have a real office and a giant printer the size of my car. 

But in the meantime, I will just continue to refer to her as my Nemesis.  Like Dr. Doofenshmirtz does with Perry the Platypus.