Our handsome son, Kyle, turned 19 today!! Kyle was my first-born and he was also the first grandchild for my Mother and Father so you can just imagine the excitement that filled our house when we brought Kyle home. He was the most mild-mannered baby, we spent hours laughing while he entertained us....and he still has that wonderful sense of humor. Kyle is a very talented guitarist / drummer and music is his passion. The above photos were taken a few years ago during his band's photo shoot but I just had to share them because they show his playfulness. Oh, how we love you, Kyle!
Good almost afternoon y'all! Another new punchneedle design punched and ready to be made into a pattern! My goal is to have at least 6 new designs before the Columbus show in July. Two down and 4 to go! Another goal in my pattern business is to have my most popular designs translated into cross stitch patterns for the Baltimore show in September! I have a lot of work to do so off I go! Have a blessed day!
What an amazing and inspirational event! I attended my first Mary Kay career conference this past Friday and Saturday and came home recharged and ready to enrich women's lives through the Mary Kay opportunity! What impressed me the most was that every speaker gave thanks to God for their Mary Kay career!!! They proudly professed that God is their business partner and all good comes from Him. Where else in the world can you go to a business convention and hear testimonies such as this!!!!
I want to share with you some snippets of advice that I wrote in my notes from some of the speakers. This is advice that is not only for Mary Kay consultants, but anyone can apply this inspirational advice to their own lives.
Oh, first, I must tell you........I have never in my life seen more pink Cadillacs in one parking lot!!!! It was a sea of pink...very cool. Also, the National Sales Directors shared their success stories and I was blown away at how successful ANYONE can be in this business! Nicki Hill from Bay City, Michigan joined Mary Kay in 1998 and in 2000 was already a sales director. So far in her career she has earned 7 free cars (5 of them Cadillacs), a paid-in-full trip to Maui for two (plus $500 cash to spend on the trip), 4 diamond rings, 2 ipads, 2 flat screen tvs and many more prizes.
Sherril Steinman from Pigeon Michigan started her MK business in 1978. She had the good fortune of being trained by Mary Kay Ash herself!!! She even gave a facial to Mary Kay Ash in Paris one time! She has earned 4 million dollars in commissions over the past 35 years......with the highest monthly commission check being $22, 000! (Commissions are not from your own personal sales but a % of the sales your team members make)
Kym Walker of Detroit Michigan started her MK business and in 5 months earned her first car and 3 months later became a sales director. She has earned over 2 million dollars in commissions and her highest monthly commission check was $26.000!
All three of these women had obstacles they had to overcome to be where they are today. Being a wife and mother..... working their full time jobs while building their MK careers. My very own director, Lynn Spencer started her MK career while working 40-50 hours/wk in the medical/health field, 5 young children, her and her husband and children all played baseball plus she and one of her kids where in a running program twice a week......oh and she also found time to volunteer at her church. She earned her first car within her first 5 months! Amazing!
OK, enough stories, I want share with you some quotes that will hopefully inspire you and help you through the rough spots in life:
* What you think about, you bring about.
* Don't take advice from people unless they are where you want to be.
* Fix it or forget it! (Mary Kay Ash said this about your appearance, love it!)
* Find the good in everyone!
* Work smarter, not harder. (example: plan meals for the week on Sunday and make 3-4 meals at a time)
* Turn off the TV and other electronics, and instead read motivational books or watch DVDs.
* Get out of your comfort zone
* Begin with the end in mind (visualize yourself where you want to be)
* Don't make excuses!
* POOR means Passing Over Opportunities Regularly
* Fake it til you feel it! (meaning if you don't "feel" like doing something but have to do it anyway, put on a happy face, be joyful and the next thing you know you will feel happy and joyful)
* Pretend everyone you greet has a sign around their neck that reads "make me feel important"
* The golden rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated.
And the last one.......Kym Walker said during her speech......"if everyone in this hall wrote their obstacles/problems on a sticky note and then posted them up here on the wall behind me but after you posted yours, you had to take someone else's post (obstacles/problems), you'd be searching to take back your own!!" This is so true.....when you think you have it rough, there is always someone else with bigger troubles than your own!
I hope these stories where an inspiration to you and I really hope the quotes will give you a boost when you are down.
Woo-hoo! A new punchneedle done!! Actually the punching part of it was done a couple of weeks ago but it took me a while to find the time to "finish" it. The words on this one were difficult so when making the pattern, I will make the letters smaller and a little further apart so it will be easier to punch. Hope you like it! It is what we will all be doing shortly, if not already, watering the flowers!
I love this scripture verse......."For the Spirit of God has made me, the breath of the Almighty keeps me alive." Job 33:4
AMEN!!!
The color is a bit bright in this photo.....I took it in the direct sunlight......I should know better, right? Anyway, brand new and couldn't wait to share it with you!!! Have a wonderful Thursday!
Draw Something....have you heard of this app for ipod or droid??? Oh, it's an artist's dream. I am far from a gamer, but my son, Ryan, told me about this fun game yesterday and I immediately downloaded the app to my droid.
Here's how it works.....you play with other people (it can be friends/family or people you don't know from anywhere in the world) to earn coins (which I could care less about the coins). You can choose easy for 1 coin, medium for 2 coins and hard for 3 coins. The subject you have to draw is next to whichever level you choose. Using your finger, you draw a simple or detailed image, when finished, you send it to whomever you chose to play with. When they open their app they will see that you sent them something. They open it and try to figure out what you've drawn.....there are scrambled letters under the image that they use to spell out their answer. If they get it wrong they try again and again until they figure it out. It really is fun, oh and the best part is when you receive a drawing from someone and open it up, it actually draws it right then so you can see the steps the other person took in creating their drawing. FUN, FUN, FUN!!!
This probably sounds confusing......I am not good at explaining things without the use of pictures or showing you "hands on" but if you have a ipod or droid, try it!!! It's easy to learn! By the way, my username is tkogut, so if you want, draw something for me and I will do the same for you! Let's play!
Often times I want to blog but don't feel I have anything important to say....and I always think I have to post a great photo or show a new painting, etc. But by thinking this way, it keeps me from posting. In my mind, blogging is suppose to bring people closer......a way to get to know you and a way for you to get to know me, so I am re-thinking how I am running my blog. For heaven's sake, my blog description even reads "daily happenings in my lil' world", right? But sometimes I don't post for a week......so from now on, I will do my best to blog daily and keep my posts on a more personal level by sharing thoughts, opinions, beliefs, recipes, art, photos, and so on. (The above photo is kind of random, but I like it and I still feel the need to have a "visual" with each post)
Before I go.....remember the post a while back where I posted "before" pics of myself and my plan to have "abs by Easter". Oh my goodness, it's as if I was rebelling against myself! I have not lost a pound.....matter of fact I have gained a bit in the mid-section. I have continued to work out 5-6 days a week but the eating is out of control......what is my problem?!?!?!? Well, now that the weather is beautiful (in the 70s already....this early in March in Michigan is unheard of) and I would like to fit into my shorts from last year, it's on!!! I need to get serious about dropping a few pounds!
New give away challenge (this is on top of the March give away). Let's see who can get the most people to "like" my fb page. All you have to do is post a link on your fb page linking to my fb page, your friends and family click the "like" button and have them drop me a line mentioning your name. The one that gets the most to "like" me will win an 8x10 print of their choice!!!! Drawing will be April 1st, no foolin'
I have been absent a bit from updating my blog.....it is extremely busy at the studio lately....all good things though!!! I have had three projects come up just this week! I pride myself on quick responses and meeting deadlines for my licensees....basically good customer service!
I shipped half of my wholesale punchneedle pattern orders out this week as well. I am patiently waiting for my screen printer to finish printing four images so I can get the rest of the orders out hopefully by Friday.
Surtex is also looming......April 1st deadline to get all new art to my agents so they can get them in the books for the show in May. Linda McDonald, Inc will have a booth at the Surtex show in NYC where they will meet with current and potential licensees to look through new art for upcoming product programs. Busy, busy time of year and, of course, we are having an early spring this year tempting me to play hooky. Temps in the high 60s low 70s.....today is sunny with no WIND!!! Hard to stay in the studio on a beautiful day like this but I must forge ahead........
I am back to painting angels and soooooo happy!!!!! I had a weird experience with this one.....I am guessing that I put the crackle on too thick because it split the acrylic paint so deep....all the way down to the paper underneath! I have never had that happen before. I kinda like it but kinda not.... it made extra work for me because some of the splits were across her face and she looked like scarface. You can see on the wing toward the top how much the crackle split the paint...crazy....but yet those unexpected things can be wonderful too. It really makes this painting look 1,000 years old (slight exaggeration, but you know what I mean)
Since you all are loving the angel prints so much, I am offering this lil' sweetie for the March give away. The print measures 8"x10" so it will be easy to frame. All you have to do is leave a comment here or on facebook......the comment has to tell me the one thing you could not live without.......be serious or funny, it's up to you :)
The winner for the February give away is Rhonda! Congratulations! (I do not have a last name, or any way of contacting you, so I hope you see this post.....you entered the drawing with a comment on my blog). Please contact me with your address and I will ship your print right away.
My wonderful agent, Beth, finally sent me her Atlanta photos! Take a look at more Blossom Bucket and Kurt Adler angel products!
Blossom Bucket did a fantastic job creating a variety of products from my angel artwork. See the two rectangle angels with black moulding at the bottom of the picture....those are book ends!! Love them!
The resin angel figurines are precious. They really captured the sweetness of their faces. Also really love the crosses that hang on the wall.
"If God is Love and Love is Everything, then God is Everything!" stackable blocks....gotta have! And check out the tin "bucket" behind the blocks...wouldn't this be great hanging on your front door with a bouquet of flowers in it!
Another view.....the wall hangings are great. The angel in blue on the right top corner is metal and the hearts are magnets! Very cool!
These items are due to ship to your local gift shop this spring! The line is called "Teresa Kogut's Wings of Encouragement by Blossom Bucket". Hope you love it as much as I do!
Now for Kurt Adler.....
These ornaments are so beautiful in person.....hard to see the detail in these photos. I love the gold accents......they will really show up on your Christmas tree!
I cannot express how grateful I am that my angel artwork is finding much success. To be able to paint what I love while spreading the word of God is the most rewarding work I have done to date!
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The February give away drawing will be tomorrow, so if you haven't entered yet, you still have time!!!
