March into spring cleaning with these free organization workshops!

March into Spring Cleaning: Winning the war on paper.

Paper. Stacks of paper. Loose sheets. Wadded up balls. A bundle of week old mail. And where did you stick that really-important-gotta-keep-this-somewhere-safe tax form? If that sounds like you, then stop shuffling through those mounds on your desk and check out the schedule below of FREE organization workshops that will help you show paper who’s boss (it’s you, by the way,) and reclaim your desk for life.

This series of free workshops will be hosted by Finders Keepers Furnishings, located at: 2753 E. College Ave., Decatur GA 30030

Thursday, March 8^th from 1pm-2pm:  Creating an Organized Work Space with Gigi Miller:  In this one hour interactive workshop, attendees will learn how to create and maintain an organized (clutter-free) work space, eliminate paper clutter, set up filing systems, create storage solutions and incorporate organization into their daily routines.

About the Presenter:  Gigi K. Miller is the owner of Vision Organizing, an Atlanta based Professional Organizing and Consulting company that creates customized organizing solutions for home, work, and life that are simple, practical, and easy to maintain. Her motto:  Live simple. Live organized. Live well. For additional information, please visit www.VisionOrganizing.com.

Saturday, March 10^th from 9:30am – 10:30am:  Tax Talk with Jim Connelly of H&R Block: Deductions, audits, and the IRS, oh my! Does tax season make you feel like holing up in the cellar and waiting for the storm to pass? A little know-how will help pave a yellow brick road through your taxes. Jim Connelly, CPA and Master Tax Advisor at H&R Block will discuss schedule A itemized deductions, potential for audit, and what to do if you owe the IRS.

About the presenter: Jim has 9 years tax preparation service and specializes in personal tax returns including: investments, rental homes, retirement income, itemized deductions, and education credits.

Wednesday, March 14^th from 1pm-2pm: “Mail Management” with Renee Kutner:  Ever wish you could nail your mailbox shut so you didn’t have to deal with more paper marching its way through your front door every day? The bad news: the mailman would probably just stick it on your doorstep. The good news: there’s a better (and legal) way to gain control of the never-ending parade of new paper. Learn how to manage your snail-mail during this hour long free workshop.

About the presenter: Renee is the founder of Peace by Piece Organizing. She is also a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers. Learn more about Renee on her website: http://www.peacebypieceorganizing.com/.

Saturday, March 17^th 9:30am-10:30am: Getting Control of Your Household Papers with Jonda Beattie and Diane Quintana. Is the thought of organizing the papers and documents shoved in every drawer and stacked on every surface as daunting as the idea of driving cattle from here to the west coast? Well pull on your boots and giddy on up to this free workshop. Learn how to lasso your daily influx of papers and corral those pesky manuals, warranties, and other important documents. About the presenters:

Jonda has appeared as a consultant on episodes of television shows Buried Alive and Hoarding. She is the founder of Time Space Organization and is a member of NAPO (The National Association of Professional Organizers) and ICD (The Institute for Challenging Disorganization.) Diane is the founder of DNQ Solutions. She specializes in residential and home-office organizing in metropolitan Atlanta and in working with people challenged by chronic disorganization. She is also a member of NAPO, ICD, and the Atlanta Hoarding Task Force.

Saturday, March 24^th from 9:30am – 10:30am: Closet Chaos to Closet Confidence with Bonnie Kallenberg: Take a break, bandage any hard-won paper cuts, and venture to a place that papers dare not go… your wardrobe. Or do you dare not spend more time in your closet than you have to? Your clothes should be a source of inspiration, not frustration Learn how to love your wardrobe at this free workshop with Bonnie, the owner of Finders Keepers Consignment Stores.

About the presenter: With 20+ years of consignment experience under her favorite belt, Bonnie has evaluated a lot (and I mean a lot of clothes.) But did you know she got her start in retail as a buyer for Davidsons Department store? She’s made a living by screening fashion for quality and style since 1982. Learn more about Bonnie on her stores’ website: www.fkconsign.com.

Saturday, March 24th, 12pm - 2pm: You’re invited to a Shredding Event! What better way to show paper who’s boss by telling it where to go and how to there? In this case: on a secure truck bound for one really big shredder. Celebrate your victory by safely destroying old documents during this shred event at Finders Keepers Furnishings. Cost: $6 per box (computer-paper sized boxes please)

It's a whole extra day in the year. We want to make it count!

All winter merchandise at Finders Keepers Fashions, Boutique, and Menswear will be marked HALF OFF the original price by Wednesday, February 29th. This sale will continue for several weeks, so come quick for the best selection of drastically reduced merchandise or...

Wait until March 15th and shop the remaining winter merchandise for 75% off! Decisions, decisions! (But why not shop them both?)

Spring cleaning? Consider consigning nearly new clothes and accessories you no longer love. We are especially interested in new consignments for our menswear location. Finders Keepers Menswear is selling merchandise as fast as we're getting it in. We need more!

Speaking of Spring... our clothing stores are enjoying one of the best consignment seasons we've ever had! Come see why we're so excited about the new spring merchandise arriving every day.

Thoughts and notes from Bonnie's Desk

7 years ago I had a minor surgery (it felt major to me) and I return each year for a quick recheck of the site as a preventative measure and every year the same kind and competent nurse named Mary is there to greet me. It always brings me comfort to see her and this year was no exception.  Mary was there with a smile and a wave from down the hall as a different nurse was responsible for me that day but I was happy to see that Mary was STILL there. That kind of loyalty and dedication is rare these days, I guess that’s why it makes such an impression on me.

I have an employee like Mary at Finders Keepers and her name is Patsy Sanders. February marks her 15 year anniversary with the shop and I know so many of you are glad to see her when they come in, even if all she has time for is a smile and a wave. Patsy is one of those true blue, dedicated and loyal employees who weathers passing storms, changing policies, computer updates and all the things that happen at a small business each year, with dignity and grace. Whatever personal hardships she is facing will never be shown in her tone or demeanor, her actions or her words. She always just soldiers on with a smile.

In fact, Patsy soldiered on through breast cancer and did not miss a day of work while receiving chemotherapy. She has been in remission for 12 years now as of last month and the port near her collar bone has finally been removed. So we have much to celebrate with Patsy, 15 years of service at Finders Keepers and 12 years in remission from breast cancer.

So in honor of Patsy, our charitable giving this month will be to the Atlanta Chapter of the American Cancer Society with a designation to breast cancer awareness. Proceeds from our $1 $3 $5 $10 racks will go to this charity in Patsy’s honor and we will have jars at each register for cash donations to this important cause.

We will celebrate with cake and punch on Valentine’s Day so please join us and be sure to congratulate Patsy on her 15 year anniversary with Finders Keepers, but more importantly, on her survival of breast cancer. Please give this month in honor of Patsy so that more women will have the chance to be breast cancer survivors instead of breast cancer statistics.

Always be giving,

Bonnie Kallenberg

Notes from Bonnie's Desk

January brought many opportunities for giving to some truly worthwhile causes and I am humbled by the awesome response to our Soles4Souls shoe drive which ended this week. I am thrilled to say that Finders Keepers collected 3670 pairs of shoes and 69 singles for this shoe drive and I would like to thank to each and every customer, consignor, neighbor, friend and church member who took the time to clean out their closets and bring those no longer needed shoes to one of the shops, Avondale City Hall, Avondale First Baptist, or my front porch!

Together with NAPO-GA, we sent 10,157 pairs of shoes and 359 singles to the Soles4Souls distribution center in Alabama over the last 3 months. We proved that the greater Atlanta Area is a very giving community.

Many of those shoes will go to developing countries including Haiti and some will be distributed in the United States. These shoes are often the first pair of shoes that a person will own. That should make us all happy and humbled at the same time, I know it does me. But there is another avenue for some of these shoes which to me is more exciting as an entrepreneur and I want to share a little of what I have learned about this.  Some of the shoes get packaged and sold to individuals in developing countries for a “micro enterprise” business venture. This micro-entrepreneur cleans and sells the shoes at village markets and then with those profits, he or she buys more shoes and thus grows the business. This business is a way to escape poverty and take care of his or her family by making a living instead of living on handouts. Now THIS appeals to me!

I saw some awesome shoes as I rubber banded and tied shoes together, wondering who would be wearing the brand new Timberland boots that someone donated or what woman just have to have the cute red sandals with the button closure or what child’s feet would be protected in the stride rite sneakers. Your generosity has warmed my heart and warmed many feet far from here. To find out more go to www.soles4souls.org

Always Be Giving,

Bonnie Kallenberg

Owner, Finders Keepers, Inc

Workshop schedule and bios (January 26th - February 1st)

Free Workshop Schedule

Thursday, January 26th at 1:30pm - Closet Organizing with Renee Kutner: Are you constantly running late in the mornings because you spent too long looking for the clothes you want to wear?  Do you trip over a pile of shoes to reach the outfit you're trying to put on? Your closet should be inspirational - not stressful. Renee of Peace by Piece Organizing will teach you a few simple steps to make your closet a place of wow instead of woe. Learn more about Renee on her company's website: http://www.peacebypieceorganizing.com/

Saturday, January 28th at 9:30am - Kitchen Organization Made Simple with Gigi Miller: During this workshop, Gigi Miller of Vision Organizing will teach you how to plan your space, choose the right organizing products, and address problem areas such Tupperware clutter/pantry overload/junk drawers. Each participant will receive a workshop handout outlining Gigi's 5 steps for getting organized in the kitchen and helpful tips for maintaining your space. And....there will be a special give-away for one lucky member! Learn more about Gigi on her company's website: http://www.visionorganizing.com/.

Wednesday, February 1st at 10am - De-Stressing and Decluttering with Renee Kutner:
Renee is back to help you learn how to conquer your clutter for good. During this workshop, Renee will help you answer these three basic questions: What should I keep?  What should I do with the stuff I keep?  What should I do with the stuff I don't keep? Learn how to answer those easy questions and you'll be able to declutter without all the stress! Learn more about Renee's company on their website: http://www.peacebypieceorganzing.com/.

About Renee: They say you should do what you love. It just so happens that Renée Kutner loves doing something many people find daunting, and even dreadful: organizing. So she founded Peace by Piece Organizing to bring order to chaos, and peace to our otherwise hectic lives. Ask anyone who’s crossed Renée’s professional path and they’ll tell you no one they know could get so much done with so little on their desk. It became a trademark of sorts — so much so that starting early in her career, years before envisioning the formation of Peace by Piece Organizing,  Renée was conducting workshops for peers and supervisors alike on efficient time and project management. Renée is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and the Georgia chapter of NAPO. For more please visit my website: http://www.peacebypieceorganizing.com/

About Gigi: Gigi serves as the Marketing Director for The National Association of Professional Organizers- Georgia (NAPO-GA) and is the owner of Vision Organizing, an Atlanta based company that works with individuals and businesses.  As a Professional Organizer, Gigi utilizes her highly honed organizational skills towards helping others realize the benefits of living an organized life. Vision Organizing's mission is to create customized solutions for home, work, and life that are simple, practical, and easy to maintain. For additional information, please visit www.VisionOrganizing.com.

A follow-up with workshop speaker Jiffy Page

First, thank you for coming out on a cold Saturday morning. I hope you took away some helpful information and thought it was a useful way to spend an hour. If you have suggestions for us, please pass them along - we're always tweaking and adjusting. Your feedback is helpful and greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Second, as was mentioned this morning, we were given the sign-in sheet with your email address and thus, you're getting this email. Let me be honest - we would love to have you as a Pixorium client. That said, at Pixorium we treat people as we wish to be treated which means we only want to be in your email box if you want us there. So, do me this favor - if you do NOT want to be in our database, please reply to this email and let me know. I will understand and won't have my feelings hurt, promise. :)

If you stay in our database, what are we going to send you? The main (and at this point only) email you'll get from us is an "almost" quarterly e-newsletter. In it we write about useful tips, ideas and other things we think you'll want to know. After all, we want you to read it, so we try hard to make it interesting, relevant and fun. Here's a link to our most recent one, which was much more "here's what we're doing" than usual: http://t.co/zzWlTh1N

We also have a Facebook page that we'd be delighted for your to visit regularly (and "like", share with your friends, etc.) if you're an FB person:
www.facebook.com/pages/Pixorium/146253261222  

We also tweet - it's an easy way to share fun and interesting tidbits or photos, which we do about once a week - @pixorium

But the best place for information on Pixorium is our website: http://www.pixorium.com/. We keep it up-to-date and actually, you can read the tweets right on our home page. I also write a blog post which you can access from there. Again, it's almost quarterly and I work hard to make it interesting, relevant and fun. Take a look; I'd love to know what you think about what's there now and any suggestions you have for future posts.

Lastly, I hope you were inspired today - maybe to open that huge box of photos and think about an organizing plan; to move the photos from the attic/basement/garage to an inside-your-home-closet; to think about the way you'd look for a photo if you had it organized; to go to pfile.com and see what they have for archival binders, boxes, sleeves; to think about what would be the best way for you to back up your photos - separate hard drive, cloud back-up, etc.

The hardest part is getting started. We know that. So, let us know if we can be of help. For us the point is to encourage and enable people to save and share their photos and family stories; here's hoping we encouraged you this morning and perhaps enabled you a bit too.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful 2012,

Sincerely,

Jiffy

(on behalf of Wally, too...)

Jiffy Page

Principal
Pixorium
404-680-5341
http://www.pixorium.com/
@pixorium

Celebrating our 5th Anniversary with
"Snapshots & Stories - A Celebration" Photo Exhibit

See pix on our FB page:
www.facebook.com/pages/Pixorium/146253261222

See now @ Va Hi San Francisco Coffee  (mysfcoffee.com)
 a new location to announced soon...

Pixorium is an Atlanta-based photo storytelling business. We create video shows, custom books and other fun ways to celebrate and share the stories of families and organizations. We also provide digital conversion services, scanning prints, slides, film, VHS tapes to digital images.
Life is a story. How do you tell yours?

Angels on Earth

We just wanted to share an awesome thing that happened to one of our staff members, Karnu. Karnu works at Finders Keepers Furnishings. He drove his car to Maryland to give to his younger sister during the holidays because he thought she needed it more than he did. He spent the rest of his money to fly home. He was using his bicycle for sole transportation to work and school.
The day he arrived back to work his bike was stolen from beside our store.
We set up a jar fund for donations to replace his bike. On this past Monday a lady inquired about the jar fund and we related Karnu's story. She informed us that she was part of a not for profit organization called "Annandale Village" which is a community that serves adults with developmental disabilities. They have formed a cycling group in their community and Fuji Bikes made a generous donation of 60 or more bicycles to their organization. They were unable to use them all but were instructed to share with those in need as they saw the need. She asked permission to gift a new bike to Karnu.

Yesterday she arrived with a brand new Fuji bike and helmet for Karnu proving once again that good things come to good people and that angels do walk among us.