I started this blog nearly three years ago. Prior to that I had spent 17 years building a prominent children’s furniture business which introduced me to many wonderful experiences. Flew around the country meeting interesting people, designed sets for both movies(the nursery for Father of the Bride II) and television, appeared on the Oprah show in Winter of 1999. Was featured in lots of magazines, and wrote a book; Rooms to Grow In for Clarkson Potter. It was a wonderful ride filled with an over abundance of creativity and completely rewarding.
After Levi was born in 2005, I started losing my passion for what I was doing. I thought about going to grad school, or accepting a job in the marketing department of one of the big Hollywood studios, but what I really wanted to do was hang close to home. While I was trying to figure out what my next move was going to be, I started this blog.
Not really knowing what I was getting myself into, I learned by doing. And in doing so, I developed friendships with other like minded foodies, food stylists, photographers, writers, and moms. Actually, started socializing with some of these lovely ladies and learned more and more how to turn a blog into a business. My blog doesn’t generate enough money to call it a business. But, taking all of my marketing and p.r. tools while building my brand; Little Folk Art, Inc., and the new tools I was learning via blogging, I combined that knowledge from both worlds and started getting paid while helping others. I now have a handful of clients/accounts(designers, artisans, retailers, manufacturers, jewelers, and a movie producer) that I consult with on several levels. For some I only do their photography and social media. For others I oversee all of their on-line marketing, art direct their websites, set up their editorial calendars, as well as their six month objectives. I create story ideas for shelter magazines, style and photograph their product, and create their media packets. Yet, mainly what I promote is building and growing their brand. And I love it. I love all of it.
One of my accounts is an amazingly, creative woman who started her business about 22 years ago and has not stopped since. Her energy is infectious and when the two of get into a room together, a thousand light bulbs go off. Our working relationship started about a year ago when she had asked me to bake for her son’s bar mitzvah luncheon. It was there that the dialogue began. Today, she calls me her “art director and media guru”, and I love growing with her. Deborah has a keen eye and her interior design business is bursting at the seams. I love her products, both created in her studio/warehouse and those that she sources from around the world. I want you all to know about Deborah and D.L. Rhein and that is why I am sharing some of my favorite Halloween items with you.
I am offering a giveaway of these handy and festive jars. I just filled these jars with homemade candy and took them to a friends as a hostess gift. My kids put their pennies in them and I like to keep them on the table filled with whatever for the whole month of October. Along with these two jars I will also include a bag of my Traditional Ghost Cookies!
How to Enter
You have until Wednesday, October 26th, 12 midnight PST to enter this giveaway. The Winner will be chosen via random.org and will have 2 days to respond or a new winner will be selected. U.S.A. residents only. And if you live near by they can be picked up at one of of Deb’s stores!
You can enter multiple times by leaving a separate comment for each of the following steps listed below:
• tell me what you love about Halloween and what you would put in these jars.
• go to D.L. Rhein Designs facebook page and become her friend.
• go to The Urban Baker’s facebook page and become my friend
• subscribe to D.L. Rhein RSS/blog feed and
• sign up for D.L. Rhein newsletters
• follow @D.L.Rheindesign on Twitter
• follow @therubanbaker on Twitter
• tweet about this giveaway. make up one of your own or tweet this sample message: pls RT @theurbanbaker has a Halloween #giveaway of @D.L.Rhein products and UB cookies http://is.gd/Z1Zw2A
• sign up for my RSS feeds and receive my blog posts each week
• Stumble this post and follow me (and see who I follow) @theurbanbaker on StumbleUpon.
GOOD LUCK!
Lots of great finds to decorate your Halloween buffet table
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[…] they realized that carved pumpkins were more realistic than turnips, as well as easier to carve. * Was Halloween originally a pagan or a Christian holiday? Like the celebration of Christmas day, o…ts of the dead. * What is the origin of trick-or-treating? Trick-or-treating, a major Halloween […]
Leave a Comment
You are so prolific in your creativity. It is wonderful to see!
In October I make a wish every single day. Sometimes the wish is selfish, sometimes it’s altruistic. But the constant is that it’s always in writing and it’s always folded in half. I’d put the daily wishes inside the jar until Halloween night when I’d pull them out to read. It’s amazing what you learn about yourself and your wishes for others.
I follow your facebook page with pure enjoyment!
Hey Susan, I so love that idea – I may have to steal it from you! Thanks for liking me and UB and all your support!
Susan,
Please feel free to adopt a great habit. I started doing this in 2008. I spent from January through September going through chemo, surgery, more chemo and radiation. When October hit I had every reason to be selfish and wish for good health. Wish for my friends who were going through their second or third round of cancer treatments to be cured, knowing full well there was no such thing. At the end of the month I opened up all of my wishes and read them again. I cried and laughed and cried again. For my good fortune. For my friends. For those who took such great care of us. And as the years pass, my selfish wishes still remain the same but my altruistic ones have blossomed like a flower. Only now, I act on them as I can.
I am all about reinventions! Your friend is quite the talent. These containers are adorable…great giveaway 🙂
I follow you on FB 🙂
I follow you on Twitter
Tell your pal she needs a Fan page on FB 🙂 tried to follow…
I’d fill those jars with my homemade salted caramels.
I like seeing all the different costumes on the neighborhood children.
homemade salted caramels – i would fill my pockets with those an be perfectly joyful!
I friended D L Rhein on FB
I like and already follow you on FB
I signed up for D L Rhein newsletters
These containers are wonderful! Your friend is indeed talented. I follow you everywhere girl!
I love the creativity that our two boys show, when they make their costumes. No store-bought costumes for them.
Alyse, you boys make costumes? Can they come to my house and inspire my three boys?
Sure. They are older teens now, but our younger son, 15, still loves to create his costumes.
He is quite patient and would love to help your boys.
They have been soldiers, sword-fighters, The Count of Monte Cristo, and some rather undefined characters.
We homeschool, so oftentimes, it was what we were reading.
I love the decorations. Most of ours were made by my mom and it makes me smile when I see them. I’d put candy in the jars. Yum! and pretty!
I get your RSS feed.
I would put organic fruit bars for the kids in them. But Susan… I had NO idea you were SO multi talented and that you had accomplished so many amazing feats prior to blogging! I am in awe… and would love to know more, more, more!!!
Wow, I had no I had no idea about all your cool background. I think maybe we all need another week on the beach in some sunny climate again this winter and this time while we learn about food blogging we can learn more about each other too.
Actually, maybe I’ll finally book a trip to Irvine to see my son and we can meet for coffee and a low points treat. 🙂
a weekend somewhere with fab ladies to network and brain storm would be great. Irvine for the day sounds pretty great, too. Let’s coordinate with Nancy too! I would so love that. xxxx
I love halloween decorations and the pumpkins!!! i would fill those jars up with candies and little delights to snack on!!!
I follow you on twitter!!!
i am friends with your facebook page!!
I love the pumpkin jars , i would fill mine with candy & goodies for family and friends when they come over for the holidays !!!!
I would fill those jars with candy corn!
I follow you on twitter…weebb33
I would have to put some cookies in the jar!! Pumpkin choc chip!!
I am a fan on fb
I follow you on RSS (google reader)
Susan, I loved this post! It’s so nice to learn more about you and all your past and present creative endeavors. It just confirms what I already knew – you are one talented woman!
What I love about Halloween isn’t the freakish or garishly side but the opportunity to pretend, have fun and dress up. My boys have been creative with homemade costumes, too! We love that our neighbors go around together and take all of our kids trick-or-treating! If I won these jars and your cookies, our family would eat up those cookies with some organic milk and sit around tell stories about Halloween past! I would then fill up these jars with some organic gummy bears and organic cookies for family and guests to enjoy!
Following D.L. Rhein on FB now!
Following you, The Urban Baker, on FB now!
Did Stumble!
such an awesome post!
those jars are super adorable!!!