Louise is one of the sweetest 365ers and is incredibly active on our site offering kind words, encouragement and more than her fair share of smiles. She is preparing to leave to her vacation home for the summer and I know she is concerned that she won't be able to be as active with her regular kind words and comments as we have become accustomed to. I thought it would be nice if we could find a small way to show her how much she is loved and appreciated here - a small going away party, if you will. I suggest that from April 26th to May 2nd we post photos that make us think of Louise (and no, this is not intended to be a strictly squirrel theme though I expect we will see more than a few of them!). This is just a little *wink* in her direction to let her know that we will be thinking about her and miss her. I suggest that we tag the photos with "for-louise" since I know there are already a few photos with this tag and then let her in on it May 3rd so she has lots and lots of pictures to scroll through before she leaves on her adventure. =) I am not suggesting that we replace our regular themes, we can just add this tag if you find it appropriate.
If you are not sure who Louise M. is, pop in and get to know her!
http://365project.org/Weezilou
I am sure you will recognize her sweet face from comments on someone's photo if she has not found you yet!
Here is how we all know her best, I think:
http://365project.org/Weezilou/365/2010-04-18
http://365project.org/Weezilou/365/2010-04-16
http://365project.org/Weezilou/365/2010-03-28
Have fun and remember that this is a bit like a surprise going away party but without the convenience of private messaging to ensure it is a surprise. I know she is going to love this and I know that we love HER!
***Edited***Based on discussions below, we will be posting on one day, April 28th, and using the tag "for-louise". =)
@Elizabeth - this definitely should be fun and I am sure she will enjoy all of our little e-card postcards. =)
@Jeff - LouiseM would work too but I know there is a tag "for-louise" out here that already has 3 photos posted to it. Do we continue using that or switch to "LouiseM"? Let's make sure we have it settled before the 26th. =)
@Rainee - I hope she doesn't peek but you make a good point. I am going to post a comment for her letting her know that this discussion exists but that she really can't peek. I think she will play along.
@Ellen - LOL! Too funny. I am sure she will enjoy reading through all of this later when she is allowed to "take the blindfold off".
LOUISE (sorry to yell but I wanted to make sure I had your attention. LOL). There is a discussion titled "NO PEEKING Louise M. (please)!!!". I just wanted to make sure that you are aware of it... and that you are REALLY not supposed to peek! Pretty please. =) You will find out all about it soon enough.
Hmmmm... You know... I think making her wait until May 3rd may be a little mean. And I think it might start leaking with the tag if we are posting them throughout the week. How about we post them all on one day (regardless of when the photo was taken)? What do you think? Let me know. Otherwise we will just stick with the original plan. =)
Autumn, you are awesome. This is great. Count me in for sure. Heck, I'd even be happy to print and frame her favorite one that I shoot, if I shoot one worthy of her walls at home.
Just choose a date for us, Autumn, and I am in! We only need a couple days to think about it...heck, Mrs. Smith sprang that homework assignment on us and we all came through ;-)
This morning she left me a message saying a discussion had been started and how wonderful and amazing that Autumn would do that. I will tell you that she did NOT check this thread and I can guarantee you she won't. LOUISE LOVES SURPRISES! You are all very sweet, and while I am not nearly as active as my mom is on this site, I do know how much she loves her newfound circle of friends on 365. Thanks for being there for her. My dad teases me that by introducing my mom to the site, I have "created a monster," but I know he secretly loves it too ;)
@Chris - What a fantastic idea!!! I think I may actually do that. I have her address so I could put together a care package for her and ship it to her before she leaves! More on that in a moment.
@Karen - Agreed. I think we should pick A date and post them all for her then (though they do not have to be taken on that date). I will post an update message for everyone now. =)
UPDATE/REVISION - Based on my concerns above regarding the surprise leaking and making her wait so long (it really is kind of cruel...), I am making the following change:
***Everyone post your photos for Louise on 4/28/2010 and tag the photo with "for-louise"!***
This will give us all one week to try and get the perfect shot and will cut down her waiting time a bit. Plus, I expect she is going to be getting busy soon with preparing to leave so this will give her time to happily browse her gallery of photos. If there is anyone you know that you think would like to participate, please help point them to this posting and let's try not to spoil the surprise.
Chris also suggested that he would be happy to print and frame a favorite shot for her. How nice would it be if we actually had a physical package for her?!? If you would like to include something in a care package for her, contact me for my mailing address and then I will gather everything together and mail it to her directly. All I ask is that you keep size/weight in mind since I will want to combine everything into one shipment and she may want to bring her goodies along with her. If you would like to be included in a care package, please contact me for my mailing address. I will wrap anything that arrives unwrapped and put a gift tag on it and then ship everything out MAY 3RD so it arrives before she leaves. PLEASE have your gift sent to me BY MAY 1ST. You can email me for my mailing address at autumnseden@gmail.com. If you have any questions, please let me know. =)
Please note that this is not required, necessary or expected. If no one sends anything, it is perfectly fine! She will be more than happy with your photos! I am just offering the option if you would like to do that.
If it helps at all, you can mail the package to me here in Chicago since my parents will be stopping here to visit my sis and me en route to Canada. Of course, my mom has dinner plans with those of us 365-ers here in Chicago. It would be AMAZING to give here a package at dinner that night! Just a thought... They'll be here 5/8-5/12 If you feel so inclined you can mail it to me at Heather M. Green Genes 5111 North Clark St. Chicago, IL 60640
Great idea, Heather! That will buy everyone a little bit of time, too, to get their goodies sent. If you don't mind, can people just ship directly to you instead and cut out the middle man (namely, me)? I had posted to go to me so that I was not publishing her address without her permission so... =)
This is a wonderful idea for a wonderful lady who makes everyone's day a little brighter with her kind words! Count me in - not sure I will be able to print/frame anything, but I will definitely be posting something for her! ;)
Autumn - thank you so much for taking this on! You're a sweetie too.
Goodness - whatever did I do before meeting y'all? ;)
PS For those of us who want to participate but aren't as close to Louise as some of you - besides squirrels (naturally!) what would you consider to be some of Louise's favourite things? Autumn/HeatherM, any ideas?
@Eleanor and Mady - a physical gift is absolutely not required nor expected. I was just offering the option for those that would like to send along a little something. I can guarantee you this will be more than enough for her! =)
As for her favourite things, she likes a little bit of everything as best as I can tell. I would say to post whatever makes you smile and think of her. If you would like a little bit of inspiration, I would recommend browsing her favourites:
http://365project.org/Weezilou/favourites
Remember it is the thought that counts and it will mean so much to her! Just have fun! =)
Correct, Chimom! I got your message and am waiting for confirmation from Heather that we can ship directly to her. I will let you know as soon as she responds. =)
If you want to contribute anything (and as Autumn has said, no pressure at all...it's totally the thought that counts!) feel free to send it my way in care of my store: Heather Muenstermann c/o Green Genes, 5111 North Clark St., Chicago, IL 60640 drop a note to Heather@green-genes.com if needed for any reason ;)
As far as her likes, yep a little bit of everything...in particular, cats (well, many animals, but she loves cats!), vintage and Victorian bits, travel, her camera! all things Hawaii...or whatever strikes YOUR fancy ;)
I wanted to drop in and say thanks for doing all of this for my mom. (I am her other daughter, Ashley) I guarantee that she will not peek at this...she LOVES surprises.
This is just great :) I would be honored to take pictures for Louise :) She is the best. I love how everybody is so true and close on this site. This is truly proof that we have an AWESOME 365 family. ... and now lets get this party started! ;)
Based on my concerns above regarding the surprise leaking and making her wait so long (it really is kind of cruel...), I am making the following change:
***Everyone post your photos for Louise on 4/28/2010 and tag the photo with "for-louise"!***
We will do this for one day instead of a week. I am also not putting a specific date requirement - we just want to make her smile. Hopefully it will fit into your regular week and the theme. =)
Rochele had a good idea. We could actually make these into an album book, through Shutterfly.
I have done this before, and the result is awesome. One person would have to do it of course, and accept donations or something. e-mail me if this sounds like a good idea once we get this all settled out.
@Chris - I was thinking that could be a good idea but I was concerned about how many photos would be posted. Since this post has been viewed about 300 times, I think it could be a great idea! I have created books through Shutterfly and have been very happy with them. =)
I would just like to remind everyone that she is not leaving the site! She will still be posting pictures periodically, etc. She just won't be as active on here as we have grown so spoiled to. I thought this would be a nice way to show her how much she is loved and appreciated regardless of the number of comments she posts. =)
Does that sounds like a good idea? I know that with the books, you can post more than one to each page, which saves money. Idea...everyone cold post their own testimonial to Louise, and we could caption it in the book (?) When you build the book on Shutterfly, you know how much it will cost when you complete it and put it in the cart. We can then do simple math, and see if we can get a PayPal thing set up. Wouldn't be a lot on a per person basis. Lord knows, you don't want me writing the stuff, as I am a little off color sometimes.
I think a book is a WONDERFUL idea. I haven't used shutterfly but I know on blurb you can have a book that others can contribute to, can you do the same on shutterfly or would one person have to be in charge of putting it all together?
So if anyone is unsure of what they want to include as their captions, or just wants a pair of friendly eyes (actually, Four-Eyes) to look over their writing, feel free to drop it in my email between now and the 27th. No pressure, of course, and no need to take me up on this - just an offer. :)
momsie106@gmail.com
Just write somewhere in your message or subject line that it's For-Louise, or that you're writing from the 365 site (I know quite a few of you by user name, but not "real" name).
somebody just let me know what goes on, and if you want to start a contact list, my email is rophoto@comcast.net be happy to chip in through paypal whatever is decided.
blurb.com was mentioned about, that "paws for charity" book i participated (photo in my calendar a few days back) in was printed by them, the did a decent job. but i know nothing about setting it up. if you want us all to email you with our entry ??
dunno, just keep me posted! you are doing a wonderful thing!! so thoughtful you are
Wow you guys!!! I am overwhelmed by the response and I am not even the recipient! I am sure we are going to make Louise's day!
I will take care of putting together the photo book through Shutterfly since I have a credit on my account for one free 8.5 x 11 book which includes 20 pages. Additional pages can be added if needed for a charge. Here is what I would like to suggest to simplify this process:
1. Post your photos for Louise on 4/28/2010 and tag the photo with "for-louise".
2. Email your photo to me at autumnseden@gmail.com with "For Louise" in the subject line NO LATER THAN 4/30/2010. Photos received after this date may not be included in the book depending on when the final order is processed.
3. Because the book includes 20 pages and it looks like there are going to be a lot of posts, I would like to request that you pay for a full page if you would like your photo to be posted alone and/or with a message, or if you would like to include additional photos. If you are interested in doing this, please let me know in your email. The book can have a maximum of 75 pages and each additional page is $1.00.
I will get the book ordered and shipped as quickly as possible so the sooner you can get your photos to me, the better.
If you would like to have someone edit your caption, email Mady V:
momsie106@gmail.com
Just write somewhere in your message or subject line that it's For-Louise, or that you're writing from the 365 site (I know quite a few of you by user name, but not "real" name).
I will only put the book together - not edit! =)
If you would like to send Louise a little something yourself (Again: not required, necessary or expected! No pressure!) please mail them to her daughter, Heather in care of her store:
Heather Muenstermann c/o Green Genes, 5111 North Clark St., Chicago, IL 60640
You can also drop a note to Heather@green-genes.com directly if needed for any reason.
I hope this helps clear things up! I know this post keeps going and going (which is incredibly sweet!) so I just wanted to simplify things where I can. Please let me know if you need anything or have any questions. =)
This idea is entirely cute and i'm definitely going to participate. I don't comment a lot on here unless i'm typing things like HGOAUSHDGOAUSHGAOUSDHG to my friends but I always try to form a more intelligent sentence when commenting on louise's photography. She really is a big part of this community.
I often lose heart slightly when i see a lot of negativity on the message boards but then i see a board like this with everyone showing support and doing something for another person and it gives me a huge smile. She's a pretty special woman to inspire something like this and it's a really thoughtful idea, Autumn!
We need more happy things like this and less swords and daggers with each other.
I would just like to add that getting a picture of a squirrel is REALLY REALLY hard when you have a 8 month old, 5 year old and 6 year old tagging along with you. Sigh... I spent our whole mini vacation tracking down squirrels only to have them scared off by a "Hey Momma, Look! A Squirrel!" LOL... I finally got one by making my husband stop the car and letting me ease out barefoot and sneak up on one while the people in the van behind probably thought I was crazy. ( Though they are also 365project-ers so maybe they understood? )
Too funny, Valerie! I can assure you that a picture of a squirrel is not required. Just something from your heart to hers! =)
I am so excited! It is nearly time for everyone to post. I finally decided on what I want to do and the mental picture is so clear I can't help but crack up. I can't wait! =D
Oh no, Ira! Don't worry about that at all! She has friends all over the world so the photos are going to start today anyway. =) I just called and left a message for her to call me so she can start enjoying now. The photos I have seen already are just wonderful. It brought tears to my eyes and they were not even for me. I LOVE MY 365 FAMILY!!!
REMINDER: Email your photo to me at autumnseden@gmail.com with "For Louise" in the subject line NO LATER THAN 4/30/2010 so it can be included in her book! =)
I called Louise and told her about the surprise today. I will just say that she was more than a little surprised! She was speechless!!! You guys rock! Have fun posting and remember to email me your photos for her book: autumnseden@gmail.com.
so autumn...can you add a caption to the photo when you put it in the book? I am writing a little song that goes under the picture I am adding for her...and it totally makes the photo :) does it cost?
OMG I'm so excited! Louise is going to be so happy.
Wow, guys, wow... This internet space *can't even begin to convey* how deeply you've touched me with your thoughtfulness. Autumn called me while we were out this morning...I called her back and left her a message...and then she called me...now I can't think if I'd seen the first message (from William Johnson) on my home page...I just thought that was so very sweet, but I had no idea what lay ahead!!! I told Autumn on the phone, I'm having a physical, emotional response to what you all have done...my hands feel shakey....well, as I go to write it, I think that was an Elvis song...and yep...All Shook Up pretty much says it all! You could have taken me for a geek with too much time on my hands, but that you've embraced me...I can't tell you how good it feels! I have a lot of prayers of appretiation to send up tonight...I'm truly blessed to have you all in my life!
And this is a good place too, to let you know that, even if I have less time to write each of you this summer, I *will* when I can, and I'll probably be leaving you little personal notes in my captions if I'm running short on time otherwise. I truly just adore you all, and I can only thank you by always remembering to Pay it Forward in my own life whenever I can. God Bless you all...you're an amazing community and some dear dear friends...
This will allow everyone to upload their own photos and videos if they like and once the book is complete, I will have it posted on the site to share as well. =)
Tweets ahoy!
Join the Group
Pin With Me
@Jeff - LouiseM would work too but I know there is a tag "for-louise" out here that already has 3 photos posted to it. Do we continue using that or switch to "LouiseM"? Let's make sure we have it settled before the 26th. =)
@Rainee - I hope she doesn't peek but you make a good point. I am going to post a comment for her letting her know that this discussion exists but that she really can't peek. I think she will play along.
@Ellen - LOL! Too funny. I am sure she will enjoy reading through all of this later when she is allowed to "take the blindfold off".
LOUISE (sorry to yell but I wanted to make sure I had your attention. LOL). There is a discussion titled "NO PEEKING Louise M. (please)!!!". I just wanted to make sure that you are aware of it... and that you are REALLY not supposed to peek! Pretty please. =) You will find out all about it soon enough.
ps... just reread your post... ummmmm ahhhhh ummm... {I got nothing}
Just choose a date for us, Autumn, and I am in! We only need a couple days to think about it...heck, Mrs. Smith sprang that homework assignment on us and we all came through ;-)
This morning she left me a message saying a discussion had been started and how wonderful and amazing that Autumn would do that. I will tell you that she did NOT check this thread and I can guarantee you she won't. LOUISE LOVES SURPRISES! You are all very sweet, and while I am not nearly as active as my mom is on this site, I do know how much she loves her newfound circle of friends on 365. Thanks for being there for her. My dad teases me that by introducing my mom to the site, I have "created a monster," but I know he secretly loves it too ;)
Thanks, peace and happy photo-ing!
Wonderful Idea Autumn!
@Karen - Agreed. I think we should pick A date and post them all for her then (though they do not have to be taken on that date). I will post an update message for everyone now. =)
***Everyone post your photos for Louise on 4/28/2010 and tag the photo with "for-louise"!***
This will give us all one week to try and get the perfect shot and will cut down her waiting time a bit. Plus, I expect she is going to be getting busy soon with preparing to leave so this will give her time to happily browse her gallery of photos. If there is anyone you know that you think would like to participate, please help point them to this posting and let's try not to spoil the surprise.
Chris also suggested that he would be happy to print and frame a favorite shot for her. How nice would it be if we actually had a physical package for her?!? If you would like to include something in a care package for her, contact me for my mailing address and then I will gather everything together and mail it to her directly. All I ask is that you keep size/weight in mind since I will want to combine everything into one shipment and she may want to bring her goodies along with her. If you would like to be included in a care package, please contact me for my mailing address. I will wrap anything that arrives unwrapped and put a gift tag on it and then ship everything out MAY 3RD so it arrives before she leaves. PLEASE have your gift sent to me BY MAY 1ST. You can email me for my mailing address at autumnseden@gmail.com. If you have any questions, please let me know. =)
Please note that this is not required, necessary or expected. If no one sends anything, it is perfectly fine! She will be more than happy with your photos! I am just offering the option if you would like to do that.
If it helps at all, you can mail the package to me here in Chicago since my parents will be stopping here to visit my sis and me en route to Canada. Of course, my mom has dinner plans with those of us 365-ers here in Chicago. It would be AMAZING to give here a package at dinner that night! Just a thought... They'll be here 5/8-5/12 If you feel so inclined you can mail it to me at Heather M. Green Genes 5111 North Clark St. Chicago, IL 60640
Autumn - thank you so much for taking this on! You're a sweetie too.
Goodness - whatever did I do before meeting y'all? ;)
As for her favourite things, she likes a little bit of everything as best as I can tell. I would say to post whatever makes you smile and think of her. If you would like a little bit of inspiration, I would recommend browsing her favourites:
http://365project.org/Weezilou/favourites
Remember it is the thought that counts and it will mean so much to her! Just have fun! =)
Date: April 28
Tag: for-Louise
I'm in, thanks for this wonderful idea! Louise is definitely the "super star" on this site, we all love her!
http://365project.org/judifff/365/2010-04-20
I will need to get my thinking cap on for a sutible photo. :o)
If you want to contribute anything (and as Autumn has said, no pressure at all...it's totally the thought that counts!) feel free to send it my way in care of my store: Heather Muenstermann c/o Green Genes, 5111 North Clark St., Chicago, IL 60640 drop a note to Heather@green-genes.com if needed for any reason ;)
As far as her likes, yep a little bit of everything...in particular, cats (well, many animals, but she loves cats!), vintage and Victorian bits, travel, her camera! all things Hawaii...or whatever strikes YOUR fancy ;)
Again, thanks for your kindness!
And thanks all! I completely agree with Lauren! We have an AWESOME 365 family!!!
but what an awesome idea - LOVE!
Based on my concerns above regarding the surprise leaking and making her wait so long (it really is kind of cruel...), I am making the following change:
***Everyone post your photos for Louise on 4/28/2010 and tag the photo with "for-louise"!***
We will do this for one day instead of a week. I am also not putting a specific date requirement - we just want to make her smile. Hopefully it will fit into your regular week and the theme. =)
Rochele had a good idea. We could actually make these into an album book, through Shutterfly.
I have done this before, and the result is awesome. One person would have to do it of course, and accept donations or something. e-mail me if this sounds like a good idea once we get this all settled out.
graystang@earthlink.net
I would just like to remind everyone that she is not leaving the site! She will still be posting pictures periodically, etc. She just won't be as active on here as we have grown so spoiled to. I thought this would be a nice way to show her how much she is loved and appreciated regardless of the number of comments she posts. =)
Does that sounds like a good idea? I know that with the books, you can post more than one to each page, which saves money. Idea...everyone cold post their own testimonial to Louise, and we could caption it in the book (?) When you build the book on Shutterfly, you know how much it will cost when you complete it and put it in the cart. We can then do simple math, and see if we can get a PayPal thing set up. Wouldn't be a lot on a per person basis. Lord knows, you don't want me writing the stuff, as I am a little off color sometimes.
Ill do my best to take pics I know she will love :)
So if anyone is unsure of what they want to include as their captions, or just wants a pair of friendly eyes (actually, Four-Eyes) to look over their writing, feel free to drop it in my email between now and the 27th. No pressure, of course, and no need to take me up on this - just an offer. :)
momsie106@gmail.com
Just write somewhere in your message or subject line that it's For-Louise, or that you're writing from the 365 site (I know quite a few of you by user name, but not "real" name).
I will reread this a few time to get the final outcome of what we are doing :D
blurb.com was mentioned about, that "paws for charity" book i participated (photo in my calendar a few days back) in was printed by them, the did a decent job. but i know nothing about setting it up. if you want us all to email you with our entry ??
dunno, just keep me posted! you are doing a wonderful thing!! so thoughtful you are
I will take care of putting together the photo book through Shutterfly since I have a credit on my account for one free 8.5 x 11 book which includes 20 pages. Additional pages can be added if needed for a charge. Here is what I would like to suggest to simplify this process:
1. Post your photos for Louise on 4/28/2010 and tag the photo with "for-louise".
2. Email your photo to me at autumnseden@gmail.com with "For Louise" in the subject line NO LATER THAN 4/30/2010. Photos received after this date may not be included in the book depending on when the final order is processed.
3. Because the book includes 20 pages and it looks like there are going to be a lot of posts, I would like to request that you pay for a full page if you would like your photo to be posted alone and/or with a message, or if you would like to include additional photos. If you are interested in doing this, please let me know in your email. The book can have a maximum of 75 pages and each additional page is $1.00.
I will get the book ordered and shipped as quickly as possible so the sooner you can get your photos to me, the better.
If you would like to have someone edit your caption, email Mady V:
momsie106@gmail.com
Just write somewhere in your message or subject line that it's For-Louise, or that you're writing from the 365 site (I know quite a few of you by user name, but not "real" name).
I will only put the book together - not edit! =)
If you would like to send Louise a little something yourself (Again: not required, necessary or expected! No pressure!) please mail them to her daughter, Heather in care of her store:
Heather Muenstermann c/o Green Genes, 5111 North Clark St., Chicago, IL 60640
You can also drop a note to Heather@green-genes.com directly if needed for any reason.
I hope this helps clear things up! I know this post keeps going and going (which is incredibly sweet!) so I just wanted to simplify things where I can. Please let me know if you need anything or have any questions. =)
She's such a sweetheart!
http://365project.org/Weezilou/365/2010-04-23
This is so exciting! =D
I often lose heart slightly when i see a lot of negativity on the message boards but then i see a board like this with everyone showing support and doing something for another person and it gives me a huge smile. She's a pretty special woman to inspire something like this and it's a really thoughtful idea, Autumn!
We need more happy things like this and less swords and daggers with each other.
SO, in saying that ... count me in!
YAAAY!
I am so excited to see what everyone posts! =D
I am so excited! It is nearly time for everyone to post. I finally decided on what I want to do and the mental picture is so clear I can't help but crack up. I can't wait! =D
We love you, Louise!!!
OMG I'm so excited! Louise is going to be so happy.
And this is a good place too, to let you know that, even if I have less time to write each of you this summer, I *will* when I can, and I'll probably be leaving you little personal notes in my captions if I'm running short on time otherwise. I truly just adore you all, and I can only thank you by always remembering to Pay it Forward in my own life whenever I can. God Bless you all...you're an amazing community and some dear dear friends...
I just posted mine for 4/28, as I am (again) on the road all day tomorrow. Will e-mail andole pronto, Autumn.
I will shrink it down a little.
I posted mine tonight too - crazy day tomorrow, and my power keeps going on and off because of the snowstorm... enjoy! xo
Photo handily attached to the second one, cuz I forgot, in in the first!
That's a true Barb-ism!
LOL
This will allow everyone to upload their own photos and videos if they like and once the book is complete, I will have it posted on the site to share as well. =)
I´d already sent an e-mail. Thanks for everything.