January 2, 2012? Did I Put Up the Wrong Calendar?

What on earth? Have I put up the wrong calendar? Has my computer all of a sudden gotten a glitch and forgotten how to keep time? What is happening?

January 2, 2012 ~ This exact date means a lot to me and my little nursery.  It is a day that I have just let slip under the keyboard as one that needs to be remembered one day, but not now.

But today, December 27, 2013 ~ This exact date means a lot to me and my little nursery. It is a day that I will now mark on all of my calendars, paper and digital, a day that honestly, I didn't think I would ever see!

On January 2, 2012, I opened my business page on Facebook for Enchanted Pathways Faerie Nursery. I have learned so much in these short two years. I have met some wonderful people, some of whom I now call great friends, some of whom I have actually met in person.

There are always little things that as a shop owner you watch for as your own check list to see if you are doing things the right way.

As we all know, Facebook itself these past few years has gone through some major transformations, the number one being going public with its shares. Now as a business person, if I want you, as a follower, as a reader, as a potential purchaser of my products, I now have to put Facebook into my Marketing Budget Line which was never an issue before. On average, I have under 200 views for a posting that has no photo attachments and no links. If I do attach photos or a forwarding link, I'm lucky if I get 50 views for that posting. Now I know that through Google Analytics, there is a better day to post, even a better time of day to be posting....but doesn't that take away the....I have something I want to tell you now effect?? And, I'm sorry, I'm just not one that is going to be told when it is the best time to be posting...when I want to tell you something, I'm going to tell you as it us taking place, not at the optimal time of day.

So back to why today, December 27, 2013 is so important to me, both as Faerie Amma and as Emmanuelle.....I reached a milestone of 1000 followers/viewers to my Facebook page today.

As promised, Ms. Cheryl Nixon will have her choice of any one of my Faeries from the Northern Line. The Faerie will be carefully packaged and sent off on behalf of the Faerie Nursery to say Thank You!

I wished I could give something to each and everyone of you for following me, commenting on my postings and liking my photos. Please know, that I appreciate each like and each comment. It is nice to know that I'm not alone out there in the massive World Wide Web!

So here's looking to the next milestone of 1500....where another giveaway will be done to celebrate that follower.

Thank You again.

A lucky glance through the pages..

Earlier on in the month while we were in Hay River for a dental appointment we had decided to stay a bit longer and eat supper before we left for home. While waiting for my salad, I picked up a copy of the Fort Smith Northern Journal, our local newspaper. Since I had stopped working there a few years back to be honest, unless I have purchased an advert in the paper, I haven't purchased a copy since. If I have brought one home, it was because someone had given me their copy....I'm just not a news kinda of gal.....I think, I'm like a mushroom, I like being in the dark...the world is really a scary place and, well for what I do for a daytime job....working in a faerie nursery....it is best that I continue to live in my make-believe world!

Sorry...back on topic...so one of the Northern Journal's largest issues is the Songbook one. It is all about Christmas with song lyrics being printed out and all of the advertising being holiday themed. It is by far, their best issue.

So on page three, there is always the Editorial, the Archives and a few random photos of community events....

And there it was...I was barely even paying attention (and in case you were all wondering...no, it wasn't me that was spaced out on freezing...my husband just finished having a crown replaced...and he never has freezing, even during a root canal!! That is just WEIRD!)....

Sorry...back on topic....there...the inside picture....it wasn't even the main topic of the photo...but it was in the photo.....

My entry for the Festival of Trees....isn't she pretty....all purply and twisty and curvy and and and and....yeah!!  

Northern Journal - Songbook Edition - page 3 - December 3, 2013  Vol. 37 No. 31

A New Milestone on Facebook!

I almost missed it! How could I have almost missed it!

I looked at my 'like' counter this morning and here it was at 979! I can't believe that I have had almost 1000 people 'like' my Faerie Nursery Facebook company page! WOW

I started that page on January 2, 2012 so in just under 2 years...what an amazing, absolutely wonderful, heart-touching response I have had from you all.

Now, I know how Facebook works! Just because you 'like' a page doesn't mean that I necessarily get seen by all of those people. I don't even show up in the news feed of those that WANT to see me! Gee, thanks Facebook!!

But off to the good news...I would like to say thank you. Thank you to everyone that has taken the effort to either just press that button, or to those that have done a bit more and 'liked' a posting, or to those that even though I don't know you, I feel that I know can call you a friend. There are some wonderful people out there that have been faithful to my page. That have supported me, given me some advice, helped me when I have fallen down, been that shoulder when I have cried, been that poke in the side when I needed to lighted up a bit and have been that one to hold my hand when I have boldly taken that new step and pushed myself forward, broken new ground and introduced my faeries to the world.

I hate not given everyone a gift as it has taken a community of people to get me to where I am now, not just a single person or a single Facebook 'liker'.......if you have been reading my previous posts (hint hint...see a blog posting in November....you just might get something in the mail just for you!!)....but I would like to say 'thank you' to that milestone of 1000.

So, on my Facebook page, please 'LIKE' my page, write your 'NAME' down in the 'COMMENT SECTION' along with the 'CORRESPONDING LIKE NUMBER' that you are. Lucky number 1000 will be contacted by me personally.

Oh, I forgot...the prize... the PRIZE... the prize will be that the winner will get to pick a faerie from the Northern Line of Faeries. Any one...either Raven, Aurora, Boreal, Snowflake, Agua or Midnight Sun. Each faerie is signed and numbered.

Please DO NOT think that you are not eligible because you do not live in Canada. I ship WORLDWIDE. I love my faeries to visit the world. So please do visit my page. Do 'like' my page. Do follow my silly adventure of my faerie nursery.

FAERIE NURSERY FACEBOOK PAGE

Small Business Big Wishes

Intuit QuickBooks is granting 11 wishes to small businesses through their Love Our Local Business - Small Business Big Wishes program.

I just entered the Enchanted Pathways Faerie Nursery to be eligible to win their grand prize of  $15,000.00!!

This is what I wished for...

"I would love to be able to go into the retail market. My wish list is to work with a designer to have a 3D cardboard display case designed for my Northern Faerie Line. I would like to have the back and the two sides done with my companies theme, a dark purple sky with funky curly green grasses and climbing purple roses, and then have little toadstools for stands for my faeries to be display on. This will allow my products to have a more professional look and feel in order to be considered a 'handmade product' and not a 'homemade product'."

If you get a chance, sure would love your support by casting your vote for my little nursery by clicking here...Small Business Big Wishes

It's all about the little things!

Never to be stagnant...isn't that the trick to keeping people interested in what you do?

Somedays I really feel that I have a love/hate relationship with Blogger but only when it comes to positioning photos!! I have tried my best to make sure that everything lines up, why, because that's the way I like to view a page. Now Blogger seems to always have something else in mind for me.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

So, with that in mind...I have updated a few of the tabs. Well, mainly added and deleted photos as Blogger would allow me to.

So for all newcomers to my blog...please snoop around, get to know the place. I always welcome suggestions and ideas of what you would like to see.

I have noticed that a lot of the bloggers that I follow have started to take on advertisers. In fact, I am even paying to advertise on their blogs!! Wait a minute here...something doesn't seem to add up, I am paying to advertise my own products on someone else's blog?? Okay, in my own defence to my accountant...they do happen to have a LOT of followers. My blog has mainly been, well, for me. Maybe one day it will get to the point that I will have enough interest in what I do here in the nursery to warrant me asking others to pay to advertise here but until then...this rant is for me (and Blogger, if they are listening!!).