Thanksgiving Top 5 (2013 Edition)

Each Thanksgiving, I like to share some LifeLines experiences from throughout the year that I am particularly thankful for—fun clients, interesting projects, measurable results, whatever leaves me with a warm, fuzzy feeling when I think of it. Thanksgiving 2013 again marks a year of blessings. So without further ado, I present

Thanksgiving 2013 Top 5 Projects I Was Thankful to Work On

1. Art Deco wedding

Art Deco WeddingWhen my friend’s nephew’s fiancé asked for help designing the collateral for their wedding, I said, “Of course!” And that opened the door to my first experience with Art Deco, her chosen style. Now, I had no idea there were so many variations within “Art Deco”! But the bride had plenty of samples she could email me so I could see specifically what she was talking about, and once we figured out the final look, we applied it to invitations, programs, menus, favor tags, thank-you cards, return address labels, and everything else. Both bride and groom were organized and easy to work with, and that made it fun to learn a new style.

2. Senior stories

Thanksgiving 2013Throughout this year I had the chance to do a lot of customer testimonials for a whole family of different retirement communities. It was truly a delight to meet so many interesting people and hear how happy they are to have made the decision to move to a place where they can be both safe and social. Clicking on the image above will open up a sample PDF of Luella Barclay’s testimonial. I’m happy that her story will serve Saratoga Grove Retirement Center well, but in addition to that, I will have fond memories of the day I spent with Saratoga Grove residents, laughing and learning.

3. Personal testimony

Thanksgiving 2013Speaking of client testimonials, I also had the opportunity this year to provide one myself. When Holland Home Retirement Community began using resident and family testimonies to attract new prospects, I wrote up the story of how my grandfather came to the decision to live there, and I included some other short endorsements as well. I sent a copy to a friend whose family is getting ready to make similar decisions. (Click the image to download the PDF.) She wrote, “The personal testimony re: the Holland Home was perfect! I sent it to my sister-in-law—she was wondering if we could have one more for her brother. We are seeing that it is important to have Mom in a safe place. The timing of this is amazing.”
Thanksgiving 2013

4. Savvy Dad

When the good people at SavvyDad.com contacted me for permission to reprint my 2013 Fathers Day blog, I was flattered. That initial conversation led to my involvement with the second edition of their book, How Fathers Change Lives. SavvyDad CEO Greg Hague understands that a book is a great tool for extending a company’s brand, so I’m interested to see how their business grows from here on out.

5. Living Springs website

Thanksgiving 2013Yes, it’s gratifying that my work on the Living Springs website was recognized with an APEX Award of Excellence for Most Improved Website. But working for Living Springs makes my Thanksgiving Top 5 list mainly because it’s a small, steady project that allows me to exercise existing skills while learning new ones. When ministries within the church need an extra “plug,” they come to me and we discuss ways the website can help them accomplish their goals. I look like an expert, and they are generous in their thanks for my help. And when software updates make my plugins go wacko, I get to spend time on the forums looking for coding answers and HTML snippets. It’s a geek’s paradise that forces me to figure out how to ask for the help I need, and I’m thankful for people’s patience with me.

My Thanksgiving prayer for you is that you will know the deep joy that comes from a grateful heart. Blessings to you, my friends!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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2 thoughts on “Thanksgiving Top 5 (2013 Edition)”

  1. You have a way of communicating that touches the heart. Also, I can tell you really care about the people you write about. You are truly gifted Melanie. “Mrs. B”

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