March 20, 2010

A New Blog for Beth and Sweet Words of Encouragement from Beth and Dana

“Just Beth”.  That is the title of my new friend Beth’s lovely new blog.  : )  I helped Beth to design a blog that is just as functional, personal and informative as it is pretty.

bethscreenshot

In the spirit of her blog’s tag line, “The Hand that Gives, Gathers”, Beth just left for a service trip to Guatemala and she is going to blog all about her trip while she is there.  So, visit her blog to check out her blog design and to read about the exciting things that will be happening in Guatemala as she partners up with Sue Hamel and the team from Mayan Hearts!  : )

Unbeknownst to me, Beth decided to write a super sweet email detailing the experience that she had working with me to design her blog.  She sent this email to a large group of friends and partners that work to help the people of Guatemala.  I was so humbled to read this email and it was beyond sweet of Beth to send this out.  Thank you, so much Beth!  : )  It was an honor to work with you!  Here are a few excerpts from the email:

“…I truly couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Tera helped me to build what I have come to feel is a very comfortable ‘sitting room,’ filled with lots of information that will introduce readers to me and might even provide them with some resources.  I suppose, if I liked coffee, it would be like lounging in the Starbucks section of the local Barnes and Noble. 

In my pre-kid life (which seems oh so long ago), I did organization development and training work, and – for a while – I consulted with a customer service organization.  I feel like I’m a really good judge of the service experience, and I must tell you that Tera absolutely knocked my socks off.  In the OD world, we often said that ‘feedback is a gift ~ both positive and constructive.’  Well, I’ve been trying, for days, to identify one piece of constructive feedback for Tera… just a little something that she might be able to do better… and, let me tell you, I’ve got nothin.’

In an effort to keep this short, let me just say that Tera was incredibly informative, responsive, thoughtful, open-minded, diligent, organized, patient, sweet as all heck, and she has a great sense of humor too.  I stepped into the design process knowing absolutely nothing, and I feel like I’ve walked away well informed and ready to play.

I posted my first blog entry last night and look forward to daily posts while in Guatemala.  Two weeks from Saturday… woo hoo!!!”

Cheers,
Beth from Boston

Also…  Before I publish this post… 

I had the amazing opportunity to help Dana Shelton and her family to design an adoption portfolio for their domestic adoption.  Just weeks after Dana submitted her family’s completed portfolio, Dana and her husband were chosen by a Birth Family to parent a darling baby boy!  I want to {CONGRATULATE} the Shelton family on the new addition to their beautiful family!  Here are a couple of pages from their adoption portfolio:

daenacoverTINY whatourkidsTINY

The Shelton family’s portfolio was truly a work of heart and I was deeply honored to be a part of their adoption journey!  They are truly a wonderful family!!  Here are a few excerpts from Dana’s recent emails to me:

“We finished our home study today and it went great!  I just wanted to let you know our social worker LOVED our portfolio!  He said it was beautiful! : )  I told him a very talented friend put it together for me. Thanks again!!!”

“I just wanted you to know that our agency loved our scrapbook so much they brought it out at the last parent meeting (that my friends just happened to be at) and showed everyone.  Everyone loved it! And then they showed it off at the board meeting last month!  I just wanted you to know that you rock! : )  And my agency thinks so too!  Have a blessed day!”

Thank you so much, Beth and Dana!  It was an honor to work with you both!

God bless, Tera

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