It’s time to announce the winners from my last blog contest, woo hoo!!!! I’m taking the advice I got and I’m tweaking my idea a bit. Thank you to all who gave me their thoughts whether it be through comments, emails or phone calls. Super helpful :)
Ok, here we go!
First Place: Mandie Helton-Showers (via email)
I chose Mandie because I loved the idea of giving the hostess some sort of information card to give to her guests so that they know what they are getting for their money. I also never really thought about the commitment level and that people might not be ready to commit this early…let alone get their friends to commit. THANKS SO MUCH MANDIE!!! Let me know when you are ready to use your Just The Right Amount Photo Shoot. Mandie already has a photo shoot booked for October, but she has decided to save her free photo shoot for sometime next spring. Which means I get to photograph her adorable family twice :)
From: | Mandie Helton-Showers (mandieshowers@gmail.com) |
Sent: | Mon 8/24/09 1:03 AM |
To: | Lissy Early (missprissiness@hotmail.com) |
Hi Lissy!
I read your “help” post tonight as soon as I got home….so I thought I would share my thoughts. First off, I think it’s a GREAT idea and I don’t think I’m alone in that thought. I think the only reason people aren’t booking just yet is because it’s a lot of commitment on the hostesses part this early in the year. For instance, if it were me, I don’t feel confident that I could gather enough people to throw a party for sure. However, with some time and talking with friends, I might find that there are several people that would be interested and it would be a super easy, awesome party to pull off since you would be helping. I don’t think the prices are too high at all. It is a good value for the picture shoots & cards, not to mention way less stress since you’re helping with the planning and details. Plus, super unique Christmas cards!
I think once people have some time to pitch the idea to their friends & get some feedback, you will start to get people booking. It might help if you had something available for the hostess to present to her potential guests to sell them on the idea, since there is a cost to the guests (like some sort of a flyer/advertisement we could print off from your website that only has the guest info on it, so they don’t get confused).
And maybe it would be a really fun way for some families to get together. I’m tossing around the idea of getting together all of the girls & women in my family (grandma, mom, sis, aunts, cousins) for a Christmas candy making party. I would love to learn my grandma & great aunt’s recipes, and to have pictures of the whole get together would be such a keepsake. Maybe even get some custom made recipe cards to put those family recipes on and keep for future generations…..just an idea.
Oh, and I LOVE the bullet points…….great for those of us with short attention spans!
Ok, those are my thoughts. Hope you have a safe trip home!
Second Place: Laura Garrison-Parkes (via blog comment)
Yayyy! Laura get’s a free Mini Shoot. I picked Laura because she used to be my small group leader when I was in high school…and she is awesome :) Oh, just kidding! Well, not kidding about Laura. She really was my small group leader and she really is awesome, but I picked her because of her comment. I was thinking that it might be too early and people just weren’t thinking that far in advance, but she pointed out that people just really aren’t in that spirit/mood yet. It’s a whole other spirit that people get into and I LOVE IT! People should be in that happy spirit year round :) I think I need to come up with something to do that will get people into that Christmas spirit a bit early (or get into enough spirit to at least book a party with me, ha!) I need to have my two guinea pig parties done earlier so that I can get everything ironed out, which means I can’t wait until that actual Christmas season arrives. I will need to have the ball rolling (really fast) by the time we are actually in Christmas season (because that’s when people typically receive christmas cards…which will be made by me…after your party.) So basically, I need to figure out how to get people into that Christmas spirit long enough to book a party for me. THANKS LAURA!!! I realize you do live in Oklahoma, but let me know if you are ever in Missouri and I will let you know if I’m ever in Oklahoma :) Besides, this is the perfect excuse for us to get together! Here is Laura’s comment:
Laura Parkes, on August 23rd, 2009 at 9:25 pm Said: Edit Comment
Lissy,
I absolutely love your idea of the christmas package, my only problem is that I live in Tulsa and you are in St Louis. Bummer. I would totally do it and I know i have people here that would be completely into that. So…do you want to come here and do it? I think your prices are good, and you get a lot for the price. It may be too early, people might not be in the Christmas mindset yet. Again, I would love to do it if only we lived closer.
Love you!
Laura
Third Place: Julie Sparks (via blog comment)
Julie get’s a $20 gift certificate to use on my Etsy site (which I promise will be updated VERY SOON). I chose Julie because of her comment on not only the price, but the price around the Christmas season (when everyone and their dog is strapped for cash). I need to figure out a way to better explain everything that you get for the price or I need to tweak my idea a bit so that the price is a bit more attractive. My mom’s comment also plays into this idea (family doesn’t get to win my giveaways, ha!) she commented the idea of maybe offering a smaller package. THANK YOU JULIE and mom :) Here is Julie’s comment and my moms.
Julie, on August 22nd, 2009 at 10:40 pm Said: Edit Comment
Lissy,
I think this is a wonderful idea but, for those of us like me it is kind of expensive. Especially around the holidays. Of course what other time would you want or need Christmas cards. I love the idea and I know you would make it so much fun. You are so creative and talented and fun!
Mom, on August 26th, 2009 at 11:42 am Said: Edit Comment
OK~ Here are my thoughts. I love, love, love the concept…but you know me, I love Christmas! The problem is the amount of money at Christmas time.
This is a key pharse – “The amount of money at Christmas time” because the price for everything included in the package is very, very reasonable!
I think you need to introduce a smaller package with fewer extras but the same type of “fun”.
This would be the “The First Snowflake” package. The beginners package which would spread by your best advertisement ” word of mouth” to the people that would be interested in the larger package. And there are people that would love your larger package! It takes time but they will come…
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I had no pictures ready to post for tonight, but I did come across these two from the beach this summer. The pictures are from the morning we actually left to head back home. Caroline and I woke up and went down to the beach at 6:30 AM (Yes, I said 6:30 am) to get one last walk on the beach. I really liked the color in the pictures. Caroline just might get a 20×30 for Christmas from me :) Enjoy!
I made it back to Kirksville this afternoon and I have a new (new, as in born last Wednesday new) born shoot tomorrow afternoon. I will definitely have a sneak peak up tomorrow night!
Mom says
Congratulations to the winners!!
Laura, in order to take full advantage of your win you should consider a visit to your K-ville family. Or, Lissy could meet you somewhere…. not as much as fun
for us!
Thank you to everyone for the thoughts and advice – I know that Lissy appreciates all comments because she tells me everyday!
Keep the comments coming….Mary Carol
Mom says
Forgot to mention that I love the beach pictures Lissy…makes me want to go back. Who am I kidding…I want to go back everyday!