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Memorial Ideas-Relay for Life

By lmhall | May 17, 2008

This weekend was the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life fund raiser and memorial service celebration for cancer survivors as well as those who didn’t make it. The luminarias are lit around 9:00 and it’s a beautiful glowing tribute to our loved ones that passed on.

peggy smith

Peggy Smith.

So moving.

relay for life

relay for life

Topics: Death, Garden, cremation, garden memorials, memorial garden, obits, memorial service, memorial ideas | No Comments »

Public Service Announcement

By lmhall | May 17, 2008

To the “seekers” that come here using the search term “Big Buddha Bud“, you should know- IT’S A SCAM!

From E-Week.com

Buying “legal herbs” for smoking purposes from Chinese servers with ever-changing IP addresses will likely lose you your credit card number. Bummer, dude.

Topics: Garden, money | No Comments »

Butterfly Garden

By lmhall | May 15, 2008

butterfly

We’ve had several schools call that are doing memorial gardens on the grounds.  Tree dedication stones for a couple of kids that lost their dads. And today? A memorial stone to place in a butterfly garden to honor one of the teacher’s who’s lost a child.

The client didn’t want anything that looked too “cemetery-ish”.

butterfly garden

A personalized river rock tucked in beside a butterfly bush is a lovely lasting tribute.

Topics: Vegetation Management, Garden, cremation, ashes scattering, garden memorials, memorial garden, memorial service, memorial ideas | No Comments »

Barely Legal

By lmhall | May 14, 2008

griffin

Mr. Green Jeans tells me that one of the best gifts he ever received was a strap-on head lamp:

head lamp

He used it often and in the 2007 ice storm, he wore it constantly. However, the head lamp has since been lost somewhere in the ceiling on a cable stringing adventure. Not to worry, easily replaced.

Today, the Texan gave us a few more ideas on cool, barely legal gear that guys might like.

Me? I’ll take a taser, a blow gun, and holsters for both.

Topics: Garden, customer service | 2 Comments »

Who’s Your Mommy?

By lmhall | May 12, 2008

vintage postcard

Life in the Garden might be an extreme version of the Mommy Blog phenom. It’s the flip side. Instead of changing diapers we’re buying Depends (for a family member, thank you) and assisting families with choices that no one wants to make. Women that suddenly find themselves a member of the Widow’s Club. Sadly, we sell a few infant urns.

So, I’d never encountered a mommy blog until I stumbled on to the Nester’s site (she inspires me) and thought hmm, this must be a Mom Blog. After the post On Dooce, we started getting traffic from Blogher and Silicon Valley Moms. Until a couple of months ago, I was completely unaware of this market. These women are taking care of the family business.

But here’s the thing, if you shop on the internet do you click on ads? I usually don’t. When searching google, my eye does not even travel to the right side of the page for the paid results, other than to see who’s buying the ads. You?

The idea that these women support their families from the home is appealing, although the idea of pimping the blog and site…still undecided. As arrogant as this sounds, here are some of the advertisers I WOULD consider for my site.

Number one on my list: Irish Spring

and here’s a few more:

Transportation: Motorcycles/Bicycles/Scooters/Wheelchairs/Jazzy Chairs/Cars

Food: Weight Watchers

Health and Wellness: Depends

Garden: Weeping Cherry Trees

Communications: ATT & AllTel

Entertainment: HBO and possibly Sexy Pakistan Sites. There IS a market!

Topics: Urns, Garden, cremation, money, cremation urns | 4 Comments »

Rock of Love

By lmhall | May 10, 2008

rock of love

Every time my little Rock steps out he likes to pee on my beautiful bleeding heart, so, I’ve decided when the time comes I’ll mark the spot with a garden memorial stone as a final tribute.

rocky

memorial stone

Topics: Vegetation Management, Garden, pet urns, memorial garden, pets, memorial ideas | No Comments »

Running for the Roses

By lmhall | May 9, 2008

horse urn

Now available: Our new Bronze Beauty Equestrian Keepsake Urn is such a powerful tribute and so well done! Sculpted using the lost wax process, this sculpture has the look and weight of bronze and stands on it’s own as a piece of art, a keepsake urn or mounted on a full size horse urn. Almost a foot tall with 80 cubic inch capacity. $199.99

Full size horse urn coming soon.

Topics: Urns, Garden, pet urns, ashes scattering, cremation urns, funeral urns, pets, memorial ideas | 4 Comments »

On Dooce

By lmhall | May 7, 2008

cowgirl postcard

The Today Show is never on here. Ever. But today, NBC’s Today Show was Must See TV. Why? To catch an interview with my latest study. Top Blogger Heather Armstrong of Dooce.com. If you want to skip the intro to Mommy Blogging and go right to Heather’s interview the time code is at approx. 3:05.

Maybe I’m a little late to the party, I just discovered Dooce from June-Gonna-Eat-That, and I’m both intrigued and amused. Heather’s bio is interesting as well as her presentation. The Blog Gets Personal. Always has, and she has the hate-mail to prove it (and she showcases it).

More cowbell

Dooce.com is loaded with advertising. The blog format unintentionally uses the oldest advertising appeal; kids and animals. And it supports the family.

Kathy Lee was clueless to the concept. Who Knew that this blog thingy on the interweb could cost you your job and possibly create a new revenue stream?

I want to know more. When I worked in television, I always enjoyed working on the production part of a show or ad.

Now? We’re all producers.

Topics: Garden, television, marketing, freedom, money, book report | No Comments »

Confessions of a Small Business Owner Pt. 5

By lmhall | May 7, 2008

vintage postcard

Five Years of Consternation:

Revelations in the Garden: Just realized that we (me, myself and I) have been consternated for the last five years. Five Years! Who knew?

Apparently everyone around me. While sorting thru some photos snapped on mother’s camera, and some shots taken in my last season on the JOB in the five years, the brow is always knitted. Always, every picture.
consternation

This pose? “Thinkin’ on my feet.”
Not a good look.

This funeral supply business might be killing me.

Nah.

The tension started earlier than that. It was the slow burn as I phased out at the tee-vee station and transitioned into SMALL BIDNEZ Owner. Note to self: Find pix of me hugging a sales weasel.

I lost my joy during that transition. And friends, I feel a change in the air. Maybe it’s the cart load of flowers that I bought, or the added “D”. , but it’s exciting, and I’m looking forward to the future.

hanging basket

Weekend choices:

  1. Sort socks
  2. Work on inventory
  3. Swing in the hammock, backyard-hillbilly style.

Guess which one I chose?

Overheard at the OFFICE:

Regarding: Choices for the stimulus check spend:

  1. Dental Work
  2. Credit Card bill
  3. Plasma TV

On recent Undercover Assignment Adventure, I asked the BOSS if he had time to check my breath.

His reply?

“Are you on the clock?”

Topics: Urns, Garden, cremation, Vitamin D, pet urns, freedom, money, history, cremation urns, funeral urns, pets | No Comments »

Back in Black

By lmhall | May 6, 2008

Motorcycle gas tank urn

Motorcycle Urns are back at the Urn Garden after a brief absence. We’ve had many families looking for the “Back in Black” motorcycle urn, so we’re offering a basic steel tank painted in rich red satin, silver, or glossy black enamel. Topped with a decorative chrome gas cap, our motorcycle tank urn easily loads from the bottom with a removable plate. Great for families that plan to customize with a personalized memorial tribute.

Silver gas tank urn

Be safe out there.

Topics: Urns, Death, Garden, cremation, color, ashes scattering, cremation urns, customer service, funeral urns, memorial service, memorial ideas | No Comments »

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