Kellie Bell's blog

I’m just going to put this out there -- I love Valentine’s Day! I love the candy, the pink and red decorations, the hearts, the mushiness…all of it. In fact, this day holds special meaning for me because my parents got engaged on Valentine’s Day exactly 31 years ago!

Some people aren’t fans of the holiday, but I think it’s fantastic.  What better opportunity do you have to tell the people in your life that you care about them? Last year, I found these adorable cards that said, “A Valentine to show you just how nice it is to know you.” It’s that spirit that makes me love Valentine’s Day so much. So when Cupid aims his arrow today, don’t duck! 
 

When you’re thinking about what to give for Valentine’s Day, you may be tired of the same old gift ideas — chocolates, roses, jewelry, etc. This year, consider a handmade gift for the people you love, because they always seem to be the ones that are treasured long after the holiday has passed.

An easy-to-make gift is a booklet of love coupons. The coupons themselves can be for anything – cooking a meal, doing a chore or errand for your loved one, or just a fun activity. And because it’s totally customizable you can do this for absolutely anyone – a significant other or friend, kids, parents, and more. Think of it as giving the gift of time.

Here’s a picture of the booklet I created last weekend for my fiancé. My booklet included five coupons printed on cardstock, which cost around $7.

I’m so happy with how they turned out! ...read more

My refrigerator is littered with sticky fingerprints, photos, sporting tickets that I don’t want to lose, emergency numbers, and yes, magnets. Every time the appliance repair company pays us a visit, they leave with us a magnet with their number. They’re quite handy and I’m sure they are a great business builder – we see them every time we reach for the ice cream. 

Businesses of all sizes can keep their name and number visible with these magnets. You can even pick a shape that fits your business – our realtor has a house-shaped magnet, and our emergency vet has a magnet that is shaped like a heart, but that’s a number I hope I don’t have to call! 

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Ah, 2010. You got here faster than I expected. And after ringing in the New Year, there’s always a renewed commitment to fitness or health or dieting or something too hard to stick with. Last year, my resolution was to take more pictures since I gave myself the gift of a new digital camera. I succeeded, mostly.

This year, I ‘m resolving to stay in touch with friends. Since I recently moved away, I’m even more determined to make sure this resolution sticks. And so I had personalized stationery printed to help me keep with it.

I believe letter-writing is a lost art. It doesn’t take that much time to jot down a quick note, and it can be for any occasion – birthdays, celebrations, graduation, sympathy, thank you, or just because you were thinking about someone.

As I started checking into stationery, I learned that there are several types of personal stationery: ...read more

Now that the holidays are over, I’ve got about a half dozen rolls of holiday paper taking up space in my already-crowded hall closet. Instead of storing it until this time next year I’ve come up with some ways to use it all year round. I admit many seem to involve lamination, but if you have any you think I’ve missed (lamination or no!), please leave it in the comments section for us to check out. ...read more

If you’re like me, you hate waiting until the last minute for anything, especially preparing for Christmas. But sometimes it just can’t be avoided. Never fear, there’s still time to ship your holiday goodies and treats! But don’t delay - today is THE LAST DAY to ship your packages to ensure arrival before Christmas. FedEx Express is delivering through December 24^th for all the procrastinators and last minute shoppers out there!

And if you need some last minute gift ideas, here are some easy-to-grab things that you can pick up at any 24-hour drugstore.  ...read more

With only one week until Christmas Eve, I know I need to buckle down and find meaningful gifts that won’t break my budget. I’ve always found it best to give a few trinkets that are useful and unique, along with a special note to remind friends and family how much I care. ...read more

Every year my girlfriends and I get together for a holiday cookie swap a few weeks before Christmas.  We all love how the swap gives us an excuse to get together – plus we’re guaranteed to leave with several tins filled to the brim of different treats to munch throughout the holidays. But this year everyone is just too busy to bake in time for our usual party date. So for this go-round, I had a great idea – swapping festive jars of holiday cookie mixes and recipes instead of the baked-up goodies!  While we won’t get the variety of years past, we will still get to try out few new recipes, and I can bake them when my schedule quiets down.

I put together the cute mix jars in the photo a few days ago. The cookie cutters and holiday ribbon are from my local craft store. I designed the recipe cards using a common word processing software, and printed them out on card stock at FedEx Office. ...read more

Sometimes it’s nice to shake things up a bit. Since there are so many holiday parties, dinners and get-togethers (trust me, my waistline knows), you may find an unconventional celebration to be refreshing. 

That’s exactly what we’re doing in our office this year. Instead of a traditional office party, we’re sharing in the spirit of the holiday season by volunteering together. It’s a fun, easy way to give back and spend time together, which is what the holidays are all about, right?  Our office is helping with the Frisco Fire Safety Town holiday lights event in Frisco, Texas. Safety Town is a community education program run by the Frisco Fire Department that resembles a miniature town complete with real buildings that represent area businesses, including a FedEx Office retail center! We will help the children write letters to Santa, distribute coloring books and more. This volunteering event should be lots of fun, and we’re encouraged to bring our families.
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I am in the process of buying a new house, and I have my work cut out for me. Besides the packing, moving and unpacking, I also need to decorate every room. Things to consider…what color should I paint, what kind of accessories would I like for each room, and what should go on those bare walls???

There are tons of creative ideas on the Internet for how to create your own custom wall art if you don’t want to invest in prints or paintings. You can make a collage with old photos from childhood or frame individual photos and then stagger them in an alternating or ascending pattern across the wall. Another option is to turn a treasured family photo into a large canvas print.

And if you’re feeling super creative, check out this neat blog article on how to create works of art from old postage stamps. Let me know what you think and please share your ideas for cool wall art! I could use the ideas for my new digs… ...read more