Sunday, October 17, 2010

"Each one of them is Jesus in disguise" Mother Teresa...



Years ago, I read an autobiography on the life of Mother Teresa. One thing she said stayed with me. It is how I live my life everyday & treat the people I meet everyday. That quote is...

"Each one of them is Jesus in disguise."

 This past Saturday, a mentally challenged gentlemen, came into my store. He comes into my store everyday & I always smile, say hello & ask him about his day...but, on this day, I had customers in my store & I was busy. He asked me if he could give me 300 pennies for $3.00 dollars. My first reaction (thinking in my head) was "Oh No" I really don't need 300 pennies. I almost said "No" & then I remembered this quote "Each one of them is Jesus in disguise". This quote, by Mother Teresa, was in response to a question on how she was able to care for the sick & dying. If Mother Teresa can help the sick & dying...then, of course,
 I can give a mentally challenged gentlemen...
 $3.00 dollars for 300 pennies!!! 

 With that said I think that if, everyday, each of us did this...
the world would be a much better place.

What happened next just proves that there are no coincidences...

Today, I opened up an email from one of my companies with inspirational prints from various people. The first print I opened up...a print with a poem...written on the wall in Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta, India & is widely attributed to her:

"Do It Anyway"

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.


If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
 Be kind anyway.


If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.


If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.


What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.


If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.


The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.


Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.


In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.
 
All I can say is........With God there are no coincidences...
 
Kathleen Sforza
 

"Do It Anyway"

Artist - John Jones
SKU # - 3352-6194
Width - 15.50 inches
Height - 19.50 inches 
A sepia toned tree with the "Do It Anyway" verse.
Arrives glassed and framed in a mahogany finish.
SOLD OUT

Town & Country Gifts
1213 Castleton Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10310
718-337-8237

Websites:

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Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Thank you eBay, Google, Facebook...& Bill Gates


Keys to Success...
When starting out, don't worry about not having enough money. Limited funds are a blessing, not a curse. Nothing encourages creative thinking in quite the same way.
~The Complete LIFE'S LITTLE INSTRUCTION BOOK

AMEN...Ain't that the truth! (Pardon our grammer)! With that said...Trying to survive this Great Recession has required us to do a great deal of creative thinking with little money.

Trying to grow our business in this Great Recession may require a MIRACLE.

My sister & I have exhausted every means in trying to establish our business with little money. All we can say is thank you...Ebay...Google...Facebook...& Photobucket. These companies have revolutionized how we have managed to survive this Great Recession. We have had to learn a great deal about the world-wide web. Neither I, nor my sister Lorraine, knew how to email. Thanks to the help from my nieces (who were all under 18 at the time we started), we learned how to email, cut & paste, and download pictures. That along with all the tutorials on eBay www.ebay.com, we managed through trial & error, to design our eBay Stores:
&
Google allowed us to learn the ins & outs of blogging on www.blogspot.com.  Photobucket http://www.photobucket.com/  taught us how to download pictures & hosted our photos for our blogs & eBay. And, now we hope that Facebook will allow us to gather new friends & fans through our Fan Pages. 

All we can say is thank you, Bill Gates, for being the genius that you are. For your vision of the personal computer & it's impact on all budding entrepreneurs. We think perhaps history will have you right up there with the genius of Albert Einstein & Leonardo da Vinci.

Creatively Thinking...
Kathleen Sforza

Town & Country Gifts
1213 Castleton Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10310
718-447-8237

Websites:

Blogs:




Sunday, October 10, 2010

Today, we spent the day photographing some more displays for the contest sponsored by Retails Details. Since this is a momentous date, October 10, 2010 (10-10-10), we thought that some Halloween displays would be perfect...


Happy Halloween...Annalee Trick or Treaters...


Halloween Tablescape...


If the shoes fit...


Black Cats & Jack-O-Lanterns...


& of course...Misty Marie...

Stay tuned more displays to come...& pop over to our sister blog
www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.blogspot.com  where we write about our "Estate Sales Escapades".

Loving Fall,
Katheen Sforza

Town & Country Gifts
1213 Castleton Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10310
718-447-8237

Websites:

Our Blogs:

Friday, October 8, 2010

Retail Details Display Contest...

OK...We know it's a little early (for Christmas displays)...BUT...we've decided to enter our store in a display contest. We found it on Facebook & we thought WOW this could be fun. We can submit up to 20 photos. It is being hosted at Retails Details http://www.swirlmarketing.com/.

So here's what we've done so far...

& at the beginning of November we'll enter our favorites...















Stay tuned for more display photos...

& please tell us your favorites !!!

Kindest Regards,
Kathleen Sforza

Town & Country Gifts
1213 Castleton Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10310
718-447-8237

Websites:

Blogs:


Monday, October 4, 2010

Crisp Breezes & Crunchy Leaves...




Crisp Breezes & Crunchy Leaves...



Campfires & Apple Cider...




Fall my favorite time of the year !!!

Needing a sweater,
Kathleen Sforza

Town & Country Gifts
1213 Castleton Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10310
718-447-8237

Websites:
www.kathleenrosescollection.com (eBay Store)
www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.com (an eBay Store)

Blogs:
www.lorrainesfavoritefinds.blogspot.com
www.accessoriesbyashleyrae.blogspot.com