Words For Living

Ode to an Unfulfilled Life

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 09:03:00 +0000

Mist in Queensbury churchyard 31.10.2010, originally uploaded by Tim Green aka atoach.

Today I made a woeful discovery. My youngest half-brother had died 4 months ago.

I had not been told, but that is another, much longer story.

It all came about after searching for childhood friends on the internet. On a whim, I searched for the estranged siblings name. Lo and behold, there was the obituary.

Reading the obituary brought back a flood of memories from my dark childhood days and beyond, although I had a amicable relationship with him. I am quite saddened by his death, especially since I do not believe he lived the life he wanted to live and seemed to be mostly sad and unhappy.

I gathered that he may have died all alone, with no one around. His wife of many years had left him and the children had moved away. He had abandoned his dreams fairly early in life and I believe he lived an unfulfilled life of unhappiness and regret.

I lament all these things in my heart and although I have so many questions, I will most likely never receive the answers. The only answers I will ever know are the ones I can ask myself. Am I living a fulfilled life?

A sense of loss and sadness fills my heart. May he rest in peace.

Poetic Dreaming

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 12:19:00 +0000

night of the raven, originally uploaded by AlicePopkorn.

Deep into that darkness peering,
long I stood there
wondering,
fearing,
Doubting,
dreaming
dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before

Edgar Allan Poe

Christmas Ordering Deadline is Monday, December 6 To Ensure You Receive Gifts In Time For Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 23:54:00 +0000

What makes the perfect gift for everyone on your list? Expressions from Uppercase Living, of course! To ensure your favorite expression arrives in time for Christmas, your order needs to be placed by this Monday, December 6 at 11:59 p.m. MT. Visit my website today to get your order in on time!

Not sure what to get? Here are some ideas for the perfect gifts:

See the full gallery on posterous

Life-sized photo prints such as shown below are created with your own photos and are available in sizes up to 8 feet and come in either contour print or full print wall murals. Your photos make the ultimate personalized decor and gifts!

See the full gallery on posterous

See more catalog designs and even create your own custom designs (family & kid names, etc.) on my website at http://wordsforliving.uppercaseliving.net/

Beautiful Thanksgiving WallArt & Display - Thanksgiving, family, thankful, together

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:22:00 +0000

via wordsforliving.uppercaseliving.net

As your family gathers at your home for Thanksgiving, welcome them with this beautiful heart-warming vinyl expression and display.

Uppercase Living - The ART of Self Expression

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 04:26:00 +0000

Uppercase Living has the very BEST in vinyl lettering, expressions & graphics you will find. Shop directly online - http://wordsforliving.uppercaseliving.net/OnlineCatalog.m.
If you are interested in decorating your home, business, school, church, etc. with Uppercase Living Vinyl Expressions & Decor, shop through the online catalog and create your own CUSTOM wall expressions through our exclusive MyDesign Suite - http://wordsforliving.uppercaseliving.net/OnlineCatalog.m. Ask me about my Online Catalog Shows and Free Gift Registries for Brides, baby showers, etc.

Uppercase Living offers an excellent Business Opportunity for earning additional or full-time income. I can help you! Host a catalog/online show for free products. Contact me via the website at http://wordsforliving.uppercaseliving.net/Contact.m.

I'm VERY serious and passionate about my Uppercase Living business. I've been an Independent Demonstrator since late 2006, the very year the company started! I am looking for motivated people to join my team! I have worked hard for the past 3+ years developing ways to provide the very BEST resources and support to team members all over the United States and now CANADA. To sign up, go to http://wordsforliving.uppercaseliving.net/JoinMyTeam.m, select Join now and simply follow the online instructions. Once enrolled, you will receive access to my exclusive resources.

If you have any questions about the products, business opportunity or hostess benefits, contact me at 208-286-1983 / wordsforliving@gmail.com. Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/wordsforliving

in reference to: Home (view on Google Sidewiki)

Inspiring words & expressions for your walls

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 14:12:00 +0000

via wordsforliving.uppercaseliving.net

Sprinkle a dash of inspiration anywhere in your house - anywhere you need a lift. A bedroom, a hallway, any corner of the home can speak to you.

Posted via email from Uppercase Living

Customize your Space with Vinyl Lettering & Photo Wall Prints!

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:35:00 +0000

via wordsforliving.uppercaseliving.net

Go to http://wordsforliving.uppercaseliving.net/OnlineCatalog.m and choose from hundreds of professional catalog designs or create your own vinyl lettering expressions in MyDesign Suite.

Upload your own photos in MyDesign Suite for life-sized photo prints (removable and reusable) - sizes up to 8 feet!

Posted via email from Uppercase Living

Uppercase Living 2010-2011 New Catalog Release

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:20:00 +0000

The new Uppercase Living Catalog has been released this week! Lots of new colors, vinyl expressions, accessories and more!

This is the most beautiful catalog yet and this catalog will be available for an entire year along with mini catalogs that will be released through the year.

An exciting addition to our Demonstrator websites is that now our Open Houses can be managed online as online shows!! This means that anyone can have a show through my website and anyone located anywhere can place an order on the Hostesses Open House and she will get all the credit for it towards earning free and half-off products!

The new catalog adds Dry-Erase vinyl to the existing line of Chalk Wall (removable/reusable chalkboard-like surface vinyl in many shapes and sizes) and even Iron-on Vinyl! Also included are new exclusive assessories in the Frameworks™ collection, new brand new Dimensionals™.

Here are a few sneak peak photos from the new catalog release:

See the full gallery on posterous

We also have come brand new exclusive Uppercase Living colors: Spring Hyacinth (9069), Concord Grape (9065), Wild Raspberry (9066), Royal Blue (9068), and Stone Cottage (9067). These colors add to the already existing line of exclusive UL colors: Whipped Cream, Lemon Chiffon, Honey Wheat, Peach Sorbet, Pumpkin Spice, Cotton Candy, Fairytale Pink, Vintage Bordeaux, Lilac Bouquet, Sugared Plum, Dusty Blue, Shoreline Blue, Varsity Blue, Robin's Egg, Caribbean Blue, Green Tea, Herb Garden, Sage Brush, Warm Stone, Hot Cocoa & Antique Bronze. Also added are some brand new and special edition holiday colors to our permanent Shimmer Collection: Shimmer Charcoal (7018), Shimmer Orange (7019), Shimmer Gold (7011), Shimmer Cranberry (7013), and Shimmer Evergreen (7014).

Be sure to check out the catalog & new Hostess Center at http://wordsforliving.uppercaseliving.net or www.wordsforliving.com.

Want to earn lots of free products by having an online show? Contact me and I'll send you a catalog packet and set up your online show!

Posted via email from Uppercase Living

“You can either practice being right, or practice being kind.” ~ Anne Lamott

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 06:02:00 +0000

via flickr.com

Random Acts of Kindness

"I'm thinking of a friend who suffered a great loss. It occurred to me that so many are dealing with problems and suffering in silence. A random act of kindness might lighten the load and might even become contagious..."

Posted via email from Words for Living

Quiet time desperately needed for my troubled soul

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 01:18:00 +0000

I'm looking forward to tomorrow. There's a possibility that I'll be able to have some time to myself for a few days. Not the whole time, but at least some time during the day. Hubby will be at work, one teen out on a job assignment and the other teen being a night owl, there's at least a good potential to have more than my normal amount of quiet time during the day (which is usually almost non-existent).

Normally, there's lots of teens hanging out here and they generate lots of noise, chaos & drama. My hubby had this past week off work which was great, but towards the end of the week, my need for alone time had dramatically increased.

Over the past week or so, deep thoughts and questions already in the back of my mind rose to the surface, demanding attention. To process the things that is troubling to my soul, I have to have quiet time. Free from noise, distractions & demands for attention.

I really hope it pans out and nothing gets in the way (usually something does). My heart is sincerely troubled and disquieted, longing for peaceful still waters.

See the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Highly Sensitive Living

Living One Day at a Time

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 06:56:00 +0000

It's been a while since I've felt like I had a clear purpose in life. I've been floating through life for several years after a series of very unfortunate events that left me traumatized, misplaced and no sense of direction.

I guess I'm living one day at a time. Maybe that's not so bad, but after spending most of my life reaching towards goals, planning my future and seeing accomplishments, this feels out of place to me.

Maybe this lost feeling will go away if I can just figure out what I'm supposed to be doing in life. There have been times where I thought I was doing something I'd be doing the rest of my life. But over and over things didn't pan out. So, how should I process these repeated dead ends?

The only thing I know to do right now is to live one day at a time and try live a simplier life with less fear and worry. Hopefully, a day will come when the path is clear and purpose is realized.

Posted via email from Words for Living

Love Quotes & Motivational Sayings? Get FREE Wall Lettering, Decorative Expressions & Graphics!

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 21:01:00 +0000

There are so many practical and decorative uses for vinyl lettering & graphics, why not get some totally free? You can even create your own custom quotes & sayings for your walls, and even upload your own photos to create your own life-sized photo prints or wall murals! (see examples below) Here are some ideas to get your creative wheels turning:

Welcome expressions for your front door & entryway
Inspiring expressions for your family & living rooms, kitchen & dining areas
Adorable graphics & embellishments for children's rooms - nursery, bedrooms & playrooms and much more
Creative decor - Decorative Prints, Chalk Wall, Huge Grande Format Designs & custom Life-Sized Photo Prints
Removable and reusable full color Decorative Prints
Motivational sayings, custom mission statements & advertising for businesses, churches, schools, etc.
Custom vinyl lettering with MyDesign Suite™ for personal & business vehicles
Get creative outside the home with business signage, classrooms, salon & day spas & even weddings!
Celebrate special occassions with decor for birthdays, baby showers, bridal showers & weddings

Now is your chace to get free decorative expressions & graphics from Uppercase Living. This is the most generous incentive yet and an excellent opportunity to get free catalog & custom vinyl lettering & decor to decorate your home, business, church, etc.

Catalog expressions and custom designs using MyDesign Suite™ are available at http://wordsforliving.com (redirects to my Demonstrator website).

Summer_Splash_Free_Gifts.pdf (177 KB)
View this on posterous

July_2010_Free_Gifts.pdf (240 KB)
View this on posterous

Posted via email from Words for Living

"Hold fast to dreams for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly" ~ Langston Hughes

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 08:34:00 +0000

"Hold fast to dreams for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly" ~ Langston Hughes

via flickr.com

Posted via email from For the Love of Quotes

Get FREE Uppercase Living Vinyl Lettering & Decor

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 20:56:00 +0000

Summer_Splash_Free_Gifts.pdf (177 KB)
View this on posterous

There are so many practical and decorative uses for vinyl lettering & graphics, why not get some totally free? You can even create your own custom quotes & sayings for your walls, and even upload your own photos to create your own life-sized photo prints or wall murals! Here are some ideas to get your creative wheels turning:

Welcome expressions for your front door & entryway
Inspiring expressions for your family & living rooms, kitchen & dining areas
Adorable graphics & embellishments for children's rooms - nursery, bedrooms & playrooms and much more
Creative decor - Decorative Prints, Chalk Wall, Huge Grande Format Designs & custom Life-Sized Photo Prints
Removable and reusable full color Decorative Prints
Motivational sayings, custom mission statements & advertising for businesses, churches, schools, etc.
Custom vinyl lettering with MyDesign Suite™ for personal & business vehicles
Get creative outside the home with business signage, classrooms, salon & day spas & even weddings!
Celebrate special occassions with decor for birthdays, baby showers, bridal showers & weddings

Catalog expressions and custom designs using MyDesign Suite™ are available at http://wordsforliving.com (redirects to my Demonstrator website).

Posted via email from Uppercase Living

July Uppercase Living(R) Free Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 14:16:00 +0000

July 2010 Free Gifts.pdf (240 KB)
View this on posterous

Get up to three FREE gifts with every order! Choose from a new monthly selection each month. These gift incentives are in addition to other special incentives!

Available at http://wordsforliving.com

Posted via email from Uppercase Living

Keep going...

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 08:26:00 +0000

My momentum has been lost due to some lingering discouragement over loss of results in my business. It's definitely true that once momentum is lost it's hard to build it up again.

Somehow I must find a way to pick myself up, dust off and keep going.

in reference to:

"Winston Churchill once said “If you are going through hell, keep going”. I LOVE this quote. No matter what you are going through do not stop going. The concept of momentum is very powerful."
- *Feeling discouraged in your business? Do not stop creating! « Alicia Pierre . Com (view on Google Sidewiki)

What We Say Does Make a Difference to Our Children

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 11:39:00 +0000

via parenting.org

Recently my son told me all I ever say is negative things to him. Although I know I don't "always" say negative things, I think I was blind to how much I was saying things that tore down rather than encourage and build up.

I believe It's a common blind spot. We can get in such a rut of saying things over and over without paying attention to the messages we're communicating.

This video is a reminder to me to always be aware of my tone and choice of words to my children. If they think I'm "always" negative, I should take this as a signal to be more alert and make sure I'm communicating my love and acceptance to them with only positive, uplifting messages.

Posted via web from Words for Living

Carve Your Blessings in Stone

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:38:00 +0000

This Uppercase Living wall expression is an inspiring reminder to always remember our blessings.

Color illustrated: [9023] Pumpkin Spice (a UL exclusive color).

Chickens in the Road

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:24:00 +0000

Chickens in the Road ~ country living, cooking, gardening, cute farm animals, and fun! Find out more at: http://www.suzannemcminn.com.

This is one of my favorite blogs of all time. I absolutely love this simple country lifestyle on a farm. If I could choose only one way to live, this would be it. She is living my dream life.

Never Lose a Chance to Say a Kind Word

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:05:00 +0000

If only everyone could practice this simple act of kindness, the world would be a much better place. This saying, when placed in our home, school, etc., acts as a reminder to everyone who sees it to offer kind words to those they see. It could possibly be the only encouraging words they hear on a day they desperately need encouragement and strength the most.

Find this uplifting expression in the Uppercase Living Catalog and encourage kindness in everyone around you.

To have and to hold... from this day forward

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:15:00 +0000

Today I was reminded of the importance of keeping the focus on my marriage while going through turmoil and terrible ordeals with our teenage sons. As a mom, I'd grown accustomed to focusing on them first, putting other things second and taking care of myself dead last, if at all.

This was ok I guess when the kids were small, but the cute and innocent years passed by far too quickly and I came painfully aware that our boys, as much as we love them unconditionally, can think we're horrible parents regardless of any outpouring of love and care and simply leave us one day. I don't think kid's in general have unconditional love for their parents. And when you have teenagers, you become aware of just how conditional their acceptance or love really is.

I'm lucky to be married to my best friend for 26 years. And I realized that regardless of what our sons do, we can always have each other.

The wall lettering expressions shown below are available from the Uppercase Living catalog:
Custom wall lettering designs such as the one pictured can be created through the online catalog under MyDesign Suite™.

Personality Test: I'm Reserved, Solitary, and Discreet

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:52:00 +0000

I like to take personality tests. Not sure why - maybe because I'm introspective and wonder how I've changed through the years. I realized fairly recently that I'm definitely introverted, but I wasn't always so solitary. The past six years definitely molded me into a more solitary type of person and in some ways this is not necessarily a good thing.

I discovered this after seeing others on FriendFeed taking this test. The test is free, but you have to sign up to get the results and cool graph. To take this test, go to Signal Patterns - http://www.signalpatterns.com/.

Here's my top 10 traits out of 90 that uniquely describe me:

Reserved
You are somewhat shy, or at least unwilling to spend all your time socializing. With you it's true that "still waters run deep," which is why many of your acquaintances never get to know you well.
You are not always ready to talk at the drop of a hat. Whether you're in the office or at a party, you're not likely to be found gabbing away in the middle of a group of people.

Solitary
You are a private person, not very comfortable in a big group, and view excessive socializing as a waste of time.
You not prefer hanging out with others to spending time alone; you do not tend to feel at home in a crowded room, club, stadium, or auditorium.

Discreet
You tend to hold onto your thoughts until you have something important to say, and even then you're not comfortable imposing your ideas on others unless you know they're truly interested.
You don't enjoy talking for the sake of talking, and you have no desire to be the center of attention.

Scrupulous
You are an honest, fair person. You don't lie or cheat to get ahead. You treat others with respect and hope for the same in return.
You do not feel that you are above the rules that everyone else follows; you are definitely not willing to do whatever it takes to get ahead.

Passionate
You are in touch with your emotions, and sometimes you react before you think. The good news: you don't tamp down your feelings. The bad news: you sometimes say or do things that you later wish you could take back.
You do not live your life on an even keel; you do not go for long periods without experiencing some mood swings.

Introspective
You like your own company; you're a very interesting person. Tracking your own mental processes, knowing what you're thinking and why you do what you do, is important to you. Often, what's going on in your mind is more compelling than what's going on outside. For the most part, those with a high score on the "introspective" trait enjoy reading, taking long walks, learning new things, and other solitary activities.
You are not someone who is constantly looking to be among a group of friends; you never feel bored when you are by yourself.

Sympathetic
You have a knack for knowing what's going on in the hearts and minds of those around you, without their having to tell you explicitly. People tend to turn to you with their problems because they know you care, and that you will likely offer good advice and a helping hand.
You do not feel that people with sad stories are just looking for attention, or have brought their problems upon themselves.

Acquiescent
You are comfortable in your own skin and don't need to throw your weight around. You'll often choose to be the one who is told what to do rather than the one who's doing the telling, and you sometimes avoid confrontations even if it means that you won't get your way.
You aren't interested in making others bend to your will or in always dishing out criticism. You're not a pushy person, and you like it that way.

Unsettled
You may be comfortable on your home turf, but you have a tendency to be self-conscious in an unfamiliar environment. While you're usually at ease with your friends, you can be a little skittish around strangers.
You usually don't feel at home in unfamiliar settings or with new people. When you get rattled, you don't necessarily recover instantly.

Cooperative
You enjoy teamwork, play well with others, and prefer getting along to winning.
You're not compelled to win every contest nor to be right all the time.

Here's what the FriendFeed community is saying live!

And here's my "official" Personality Badge:

Do you also like to take these type of tests? If you also took this one, what did the results reveal about you?

Words for Living - The Beginning of My Personal Branding

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:46:00 +0000

Shortly after I signed up to be an Uppercase Living Demonstrator in late 2006, I started the process of picking a username for a new email account and other uses. At that time, I knew absolutely nothing about "personal branding". It was really important to me to pick a name that would adequately describe me in my Uppercase Living business. So, after quite a bit of thinking, I finally decided on Words for Living [Wordsforliving].

The main reason why I chose that one was because I desperately needed words that would encourage me and give me hope. It was a point in my life where things had gone horribly wrong. My purpose as far as work had been destroyed and I had recently suffered through significant trauma from losing my job, plus a number of other very unfortunate events.

Becoming an Uppercase Living Demonstrator gave me a glimmer of hope that one day our family would have a better life and hopes and dreams be revived. The concept of putting encouraging sayings on my walls as a way to refocus and a constant reminder was exactly what I needed - it's what everyone in the family needed.

I would love to be able to tell you that the tide has turned and my family's journey has taken us to a happy and peaceful place. But unfortunately that hasn't happened. It's been more of a Series of Unfortunate Events type of journey and quite a long and weary one at that.

So, I need every kind, hopeful and encouraging word I can possibly cling to. For without the strength that comes from hope, how can one continue such a long and treacherous journey?

There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something tomorrow. ~ Orison Swett Marden

Clouds and darkness surround us, yet heaven is just, and the day of triumph will surely come, when justice and truth will be vindicated. Our wrongs will be made right, and we will once more taste the blessings of freedom. ~ Mary Todd Lincoln

My Blogging Experiment

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 03:43:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I got it in my head that I wanted a bunch of blogs. One for every niche thing I wanted to blog about. The problem is, I'm a perfectionist. That's a problem in general and as usual it surfaced as I was trying to decide on a blog platform, layout, etc...
I'm not a professional blogger, I'm just obsessed with blogging. But my perfectionist nature is more of a hindrance than a help, so as usual, I'm over analyzing everything related to blogging and making slow progress. And like I said earlier, I've been trying out a bunch of different platforms.

Although I would say I'm still in the experimental stage, I would say that I've gained some clarity over the last few days. Right now I'm leaning heavily towards the Blogger platform for all my blogs. Lots of reasons why and I'll get into that later. For for now, here's what I decided to do with this blog:

As part of my test for my blogs on Blogspot, I'm going to use this one (wordsforliving.net) as a "main" blog and will be blogging the most from this one. I also decided to use one of Blogger's templates. The Blogspot templates are incredibly aweful. It was difficult choosing one that would look even remotely professional, but I finally decided on one and left it alone. I will be testing out the other blogs using third-party templates and making comparisons.

I'd like to hear from anyone who'd like to share there thoughts on blogging platforms. Which one do you use or prefer and why?

FriendFeed - My Personal Favorite for Sharing

noreply@blogger.com (Jannifer Stoddard) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:50:00 +0000

Absolutely nothing is better than FriendFeed for sharing all the cool stuff you find on the internet. It's the ultimate in "microblogging" and so much better than Twitter.

Although I love Twitter too, with the FriendFeed bookmarklet, you can share excerpts and even images right from the page you're visiting. Simply click the images you want to be included in your post to FriendFeed. Type your comments or excerpts you want to include, click post and almost instantly your post shows up on your FriendFeed page. After your post shows up on FriendFeed, people can "like" or comment in real-time threaded conversations!

Nothing really compares to the awesomeness of FriendFeed. But unfortunately, since Facebook bought out FriendFeed, the much inferior Facebook will either change it into something unacceptable or get rid of it altogether. Hopefully that won't happen. But I'm not holding my breath.

in reference to: Jannifer @wordsforliving - FriendFeed (view on Google Sidewiki)