YourPersonalPoster.com

June is traditionally known as the month of Dads, Grads, Weddings and Summer Hay Fever (not necessarily in that order!). Lesser known is the fact that June is also Gay Pride Month, where many communities across the U.S. have gay pride parades and festivals.

The parades started in the 1970s, not too long after the Stonewall Riots in NYC in 1969. At first, they were sparsely attended, but over the years, they have grown into major events, attracting thousands of joyous attendees, media attention and much corporate sponsorship.

Here in the greater LA area, we have no fewer than eight LGBT events within close proximity and probably another 4 or 5 within a couple hours driving distance. Everyone seems very, (dare I say?) well, gay, at these happy events, carrying rainbow flags and wearing multi-colored Mardi Gras beads. I have been to many a parade in my day, and some have been wonderful uplifting events and others have been problematic with conservative religious zealots protesting. But regardless, we gather each June and celebrate who we are and what we do and we’re so darn “happy” about it!

Happy people and happy days both celebrating in June; here’s one way to help LGBT people celebrate even further: purchase a PridePoster for your favorite L, G, B or T! That’s right, a customized poster that features about a dozen famous gay men or lesbians or bi-sexuals or transgenders along with the LGBT person that you would like to honor and recognize.

We take an optional photo and some narrative text of your “giftee” and we craft that into a poster that features the likes of Oscar Wilde, Rock Hudson, Harvey Fierstein, Leonard Bernstein and Michaelangleo (plus 7 others) to a unique and handsome gift for your favorite gay guy.

On the Famous Lesbians PridePoster, we have k.d. lang, Lily Tomlin, Florence Nightingale, Ellen DeGeneres and Sappho (plus 7 others) to put your dyke friend next to on a great 11×14 inch poster with them as the centerpiece.

We also have posters for African American gay men and lesbians as well as the aforementioned posters for Bi-sexuals and Transfolk. They start at just $34.95 and make a great gift for that hard to shop for person in your life. Mention code “Pride09″ and great free shipping and handling PLUS 10% off your total order! What a great deal!

Also, the many posters we have at the website would perfect gifts for the above-listed Dads, Grads and Brides & Grooms, we’re just sayin’… (although regretfully, we do NOT have a poster for folks with hay fever).

Armed Forces Day is the 16th of this month. It is the 11th annual such commemoration in the U.S. There are many reasons we should be thankful to those serving in the Armed Forces, of course, but how do we actually put those feelings of gratitude into action? Herewith is a list of a dozen ways to show appreciation for those serving in uniform:

#1: Fly the U.S. Flag on your house, at your business or on your car during May. Please ensure to treat the flag respectfully.

#2: Send a care package to a soldier by clicking here.

#3: Organize an event in your own community to show appreciation for service members. Perhaps an ice cream social or a BBQ?

#4: Ask elected official at all government levels to continue to honor the country’s commitments to armed forces personnel. They have sacrificed a great deal and have earned all the benefits bestowed upon them.

#5: Send a letter or email of appreciation through A Million Thanks.

#6: Adopt a military hero at Soldier’s Angels.

#7: Ask your local school, church or library to participate in recognizing our armed forces service members.

#8: Ask local media to (TV, Radio, Newspaper) to support efforts by publicizing events and volunteer opportunities. It’s really as easy writing a letter to the Editor, asking members of your community to send a care package.

#9: When you see someone in military uniform, don’t be afraid to go up to them, shake their hand and thank them for their service. It really does mean a great deal to them.

#10: Wear a “Support Our Troops” wristband.

#11: Hire a vet whenever possible. Check Hire Vets First for resources on how to do this.

#12: For those who have family serving in the military, we can think of no better gift of recognition than ordering them a Poster in Uniform from our website. We have posters to honor Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force active duty members and vets. Coming soon to the roster: Coast Guard, West Point, Annapolis, Quantico and the Air Force Academy. These wonderfully unique gifts start at only $34.95 and feature the service member on a custom poster alongside famous other veterans who served in their branch. Go to: PostersInUniform and check out the great offerings we have for all service members, active duty and retired.

¡Celebre el Dia del Planeta Tierra! That’s about the extent of my Spanish for this post, but I thought the phrase looked so much cooler in Español than English, you know?

I was reading a web page the other day that was for kids and how they could make a difference for conservation/ecological issues, when I learned something I didn’t know before about plastic soda can rings. It said you should always these plastic six pack rings holders apart so there are no loops or circles left in which small animals could get caught. It advised that you do this every time you throw a ring holder away, no matter where you put it. They can make it hard for birds to fly and could keep turtles from being able to eat.

Another thing about turtles: they apparently think they can eat balloons. So, please don’t let any balloons go, as they can fly into remote areas, deflate, and the lie around waiting for a hungry tortoise to come along and start nibbling. The problem is, once that rubber gets in their stomach, it prevents them eating anything else and they slowly starve to death. I know, balloons on the loose in the sky look really cool, but cool or not, they can be very deadly to our shellback friends.

So please take a bit of caution with just those two items, and you’ll make a difference in our precious world. OK, time for shameless plug: if you have a nature lover in your midst, perhaps you might consider ordering them a Famous Environmentalists Poster. Featuring famous conservationists such as Robert Redford, Joan Baez, John Denver, Al Gore and others, it features a stunning deep forest background and has room for a photo and great narrative tribute to the nature lover of your choice.

Of course, to celebrate Earth Day, we’ll extend a 25% off discount for this poster through the end of April. Just enter the code “toohot” and you’ll get the discount when you check out. Click the link below to be whisked away to the ordering page and place your order today. You’ll get a great discount and your nature lover will be so honored with their poster.

http://www.survivorposters.com/shop/item.php?item_id=262&category_id=53

So I wrote a question to be answered by Lynda Resnick of Rubies in the Orchard. It’s a website that assists business owners in “discovering the hidden gems in your business.” For those of you who don’t know who Lynda Resnick is, I give you the following:

Lynda Resnick began her career at the age of nineteen, when she founded a full-service advertising agency. Successfully running this business so early in her career enabled her to gain invaluable and practical marketing experience, which, coupled with her sound entrepreneurial instincts and quick wit, has been the hallmark of her 40-year career.

Lynda has been dubbed the PomQueen for obvious reasons. In 2003, only 12 percent of the population even knew what a pomegranate was. Today, thanks to the tireless efforts of Lynda and her team at POM Wonderful, pomegranates are ubiquitous in our culture and their astonishing health benefits are well known due to her company’s investment of more than $25 million in scientific research, which has been strategically promoted.

You can read my question and her post here: http://tinyurl.com/daxqr2

Anyway, the question had to do with how to increase sales at Your Personal Posters. She was kind enough to do some brain-storming on my behalf and although the suggestions are not really feasible, it did start me thinking: what if my potential customers were thinking the same things? So, I thought that maybe I should explain why the posters are designed to sell the way they are.

The comment I seem to get the most is “Why aren’t there photos of the famous people on the poster along with my [Mom, Dad, Sister, whatever]?”

The reason is that then I would have to secure and pay for the copyright of the famous people’s likenesses. And some of these people are VERY famous and VERY expensive. I chose instead to find information that is publicly available and put more of the emphasis on the gift recipient by using only their photo.

The second question I get often is: “Why don’t you  have [t-shirts, mugs, tote bags, calendars, whatever] with the same design? I would rather buy one of those instead of a poster.”

Fair enough question. The main reason has to do with the personalized nature of each of the posters. Many of the other items featured here cannot be printed on a digital printer with realitve ease of access. Plus, I would have to invest precious operating funds in securing blank quantities of all these items and keep them in stock in my garage, uh, warehouse, which then makes how fast I can sell them a huge issue both for me and the customer.

Well, I hope this helps you, my beloved potential customer, understand some of the business decisions that I’ve made over the past three years. Mostly it has to do with the fact that I am a one-woman-band and can only do so much in a 12 hour day. But if you buy a poster, then it eases my burden just a tiny bit and I know that’s exactly what you would want, right?

Speaking of buying a poster: if you do so this month, we have the Easter Egg Special going on now through the end of the month. With Mother’s Day right around the corner, now would be a good time to order your Mom her very own Famous Mom’s Poster. So, if you order one and use the code “Bunny20″, I’ll give you 20% off your order! Order two posters, and I’ll throw in free custom cut mattes for easy self framing (your choice of colors: black, white or cream).

These deals are fabulous and just can’t be beat! Go ahead, order one. I know you want to…

Hey did you know that today is the anniversary/birthday of Girl Scouts? Here’s some info about the founder:

“Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of Girl Scouts in the United States, was a remarkable achiever. She set high ideals for the world and for her fellow women. During a time when women were restrained by society, Juliette Gordon Low set a precedent for young women to follow even today.

Juliette Gordon was born in Savannah, Georgia on Halloween (October 31) in 1860. She was a bright and talented girl known to her friends and family as Daisy. Her cheerful personality encouraged the respect of all of her peers, however Juliette had her own cross to bear. Throughout her life struggles with her hearing gradually worsened, but Juliette never let these obstacles stand in her way”

It seems that Julie was way ahead of her time, a true feminist before we even knew what the word was. The very first US Girl Scouts troop meeting was held in 1912. Their first concern was aiding the war effort in their local Savannah, Georgia community. These young women were able to actively participate as valued citizens who were concerned about their future.

The first American Girl Scout handbook reflected many stereotypes of the time, making many references to the arts of “housewivery.” However, there was a marked emphasis on ecology and physical fitness which attended to the promise of a new American girl in the years to come.

We at Your Personal Posters are pleased to acknowledge this important date in U.S. women’s history. We also want you know about our new Famous Girl Scouts Poster. We have found a number of famous women who started their careers as Girl Scouts and have crafted them onto a poster that celebrates the unique contributions these famous women have made to American society.

If you started out as a Girl Scout many years ago and fondly remember the camp-outs and hiking, then perhaps you should get a Famous Girl Scouts poster. Or maybe your daughter is currently earning her Camera Shots badge or sold the most cookies in her troop this year. Then she deserves the recognition that a Famous Girl Scouts poster brings. In fact, she’ll be in excellent company, as the Famous Girl Scouts posters features Katie Couric, Mariah Carey, Laura Bush, and Martha Stewart are among the famous girl scouts featured on our poster.

Go to our website and see for yourself the specialness that our posters bring to those you love and want to honor. In fact, because I was a former Girl Scouts (yup, made it into Cadettes, if you can believe that!), I will extend a special 15% off discount and a free photo upload (a $10 value!) now through April 15th. Enter in code “Girl Scouts15″ for your discount.

OK, so on this day in 1898, a fellow by the name of J.W. Smith patented the lawn sprinkler. Interesting only because he was an African American and also for the fact that no one is even sure that he actually was the first to patent the lawn sprinkler, let alone what his actual name was. Different sources say he was J.S. Smith, while others report him as J.H. Smith.

The point of all this is that much of Black American history is being lost or tossed aside at a rapid pace. Add to that the pernicious plague of racism in culture and history and that’s a recipe for disaster, IMHO. However, if you are interested in celebrating the history of your family members, then look no further!

At YourPersonalPoster.com, we have posters that celebrate African American Moms, Dads and Women, plus all types of professions, hobbies, interests and schools. So, if you would like to preserve some African American history of your own, visit our site and order a poster today for those special people in your family.

For instance, our Famous African American Moms poster features Madam C.J. Walker, Alice Walker, Marian Wright Edelman, Toni Morrison, and five others. The Famous African American Dads poster highlights Barack Obama, Denzel Washington, Colin Powell, Louis Armstrong and five more famous dads. And the YouGoGirl African American poster showcases Harriet Tubman, Audre Lorde, Sheryl Swopes, Maya Angelou and seven more incredible women of note.

In fact, order one before April 10th and receive 10% off and FREE shipping (a $6.95 value!). Just enter in code “AAHistory10.” Remember, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Graduation on looming large on the gift giving horizon, so plan ahead and get the gift that makes them feel very special and makes you a “Gifting Hero!”

http://www.survivorposters.com/shop/item.php?item_id=214&category_id=46

http://www.survivorposters.com/shop/item.php?item_id=218&category_id=47

The merry month of March marks (how’s that for alliteration?) Women’s History Month. In 1981, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution establishing National Women’s History Week. The week was chosen to coincide with International Women’s Day, March 8. In 1987, Congress expanded the week to a month. Every year since, Congress passes a resolution for Women’s History Month in March, and the President issues a proclamation.

Before the 1970’s, the topic of women’s history was largely missing from general public consciousness. To address this situation, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women initiated a “Women’s History Week” celebration in 1978 and chose the week of March 8 to coincide with International Women’s Day.

The celebration was met with positive response, and schools began to host their own Women’s History Week programs. The next year, leaders from the California group shared their project at a Women’s History Institute at Sarah Lawrence College. Other participants not only became determined to begin their own local Women’s History Week projects but also agreed to support an effort to have Congress declare a national Women’s History Week.

In 1981, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Rep. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) cosponsored the first Joint Congressional Resolution proclaiming a “Women’s History Week.”

In 1987, the National Women’s History Project petitioned Congress to expand the celebration to the entire month of March. Since then, the National Women’s History Month Resolution has been approved every year with bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.

Click here for information from the National Women’s History Project.

Women Taking the Lead to Save Our Planet

In 2009, the National Women’s History Project honors women who have taken the lead in the environmental or “green” movement. Rachel Carson, the founder of the contemporary environmental movement, serves as the iconic model of the theme, which recognizes scientists, engineers, business leaders, writers, filmmakers, conservationists, teachers, community organizers, religious or workplace leaders, or others whose lives show exceptional vision and leadership to save the planet.

I bring this up only because the very best way I know of to celebrate special women in your life is to design and order them a YouGoGirl Poster from our humble website. With luminaries such as author Gloria Steinem, astronaut Sally Ride, pilot Harriet Quimby (on the Anglo poster), how about putting your mom on one of these great posters?

Or with tennis pro Rosie Casals, labor activist Delores Huerta, singer/songwriter Joan Baez on the Hispanic poster, your favorite niece might be a good candidate for this outstanding gift.

Entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker, writer Maya Angelou, and Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders grace the African American poster and would be a rocking tribute to your best friend.

In honor of Women’s History Month, we will gladly extend a 20% discount on any YouGoGirl Poster. Use the code “WHMBlog20″ to get your discount today!

Hmm, I must say it feels pretty good to get a personal letter from Maria Shriver, First Lady of California (you know, she’s married to the Terminator: Arnold Schwarzenegger). We recently sent her one of our YouGoGirlPosters and she wrote back to us, saying:

“Dear Angela,

Thank you for sending me such a beautiful and inspiring poster. Your personal endeavor is such a thoughtful way of honoring extraordinary individuals. It is so sweet to think of me and I wish you much continued success.”

Well, talk about makin’ my day! A little external validation never hurt anyone I always say. And just in case you were wondering, she did actually sign it, and didn’t use the auto-pen.

And speaking of external validation, a YouGoGirlPoster would be such a great gift for your sister or best friend (perhaps they are one and the same?). No worries, order one for each, if you must. We have these fabulous posters featuring famous women in Anglo, African American and Hispanic varieties. You can upload a photo of your best friend and enter in some data about her and we’ll take care of the rest.

Within a short time, we will deliver a great present to your designated “giftee.” Nothing could be easier. We’re just saying…

Well, here we are, me an old dog learning new tricks: I will try to stay on topic and be a source of interesting and relevant information for you readers, but the bottom line is, I’m excited about my line of personalized posters and I want to share that with you as well.

We just received a review from Jennifer at The Dirty Shirt blog. She ordered a Famous Dads poster for her husband who thought it was pretty neato. Jennifer thought it was cool that she’d found something for him that he liked, as he is very hard to shop for.

Just so you know, we have Famous Dads posters that feature famous dads from Anglo, Asian, Gay, African American, Hispanic and Jewish backgrounds. The same for Mom posters. Those specific days honoring our parental units are coming up fast (March is next week for cryin’ out loud!), so if your Mom or Pop is hard to shop for and you want to get them something they will treasure, may we suggest one of our posters?

On the African American Dads poster, we do in fact list Barack Obama. Not that amazing really, but we do like to take credit for naming him the 44th president long before election day. Sometime in August of last year, we decided to commit and put that as his title on our posters. Glad we weren’t wrong!

Hey guys, I now offer a cool new photo upload option to customize your posters. I’m inviting my friends and family to take a look at this new feature and let me know what you think. Thanks, Angela!