September Blog: Fall is Here, Fourth Quarter Selling Season, Reasons to Buy Heartfelt... Why Not Take a Look!

“Her pleasure in the walk must arise from the exercise and the day, from the view of the last smiles of the year upon the tawny leaves and withered hedges, and from repeating to herself some few of the thousand poetical descriptions extant of autumn--that season of peculiar and inexhaustible influence on the mind of taste and tenderness--that season which has drawn from every poet worthy of being read some attempt at description, or some lines of feeling.”
― Jane Austen, Persuasion                        

A Heartfelt Word

As the fourth quarter is beginning for our industry, we have great expectations for our products. We know the biggest season of gift giving is about to commence. We believe that we have products that meet those gift needs. We believe that we have sentiments and words to touch every heart. We would like to encourage you to consider offering our product during this very busy season. Don’t miss out on proven best sellers like our Time’s Essence and Timeless Treasures 7x9 clocks or our Large Wall Clocks, which are assembled at our Tennessee facility. Please visit our website to make your selections:         www.CB-Gift.com.

The Heart of Heartfelt

The above quote by Jane Austen is my exact feeling for the fall season.  It is my favorite season of year! Living in the beautiful state of Virginia, provides me with one of the most spectacular seasons of all. The leaves changing on the trees with beautiful color, the crisp air, the smell of an evening fire in the pit and not to forget, I met the love of my life at this very time of year. I personally think, even in my beloved poetry, that there are just not enough words to adequately describe this delightful time of year.

From my heart to yours,

LoveLea

August Blog: Heartfelt Appreciates Grace, Patience, Friendships and Continued Loyalty During Transition. Please Check Out Our Many New Product Offerings Today!

“I shall not pass this way but once; any good, therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”

A Heartfelt Word

We would like to thank our customers for their grace and patience during this last year of transition from Virginia to Tennessee. We are continually striving to be better and learn how to make our business the best it can be. We are focusing our attention on Customer Service being our number one priority. With any change there is going to be hiccups and bumps in the road, but we are committed to seeing these things through. We appreciate your feedback and we are always interested in your thoughts. Our lovely Customer Service team is readily available to help you with any needs you might have.

I think it would be nice for you to see our Tennessee Distribution Center and the Phoenix offices. Being a part of the Christian Brands family is a blessing for us and we are excited to continue our growth and watch the expansion of all the brands within our CB family. There are many other product offerings within our catalogs, so please check them out at www.christianbrands.com.

The Heart of Heartfelt

I recently had a birthday and was reminded, once again, of the warm and wonderful feelings that come from sincere heartfelt words and greetings in cards, emails, texts or phone calls. I’ll never get tired of hearing words that make me feel loved and important to someone else, does anyone?  In this very busy world today it is easy to let those tugs at the heart slip away when we think someone we know needs an uplifting word or a celebratory greeting.  Go that extra little bit, make it important, invest your time in giving someone that gift today.  Oh and by the way, I would like to say the flowers I received were a nice touch too!

From my heart to yours,

Love Lea

July Blog: New Product Offerings...Pastor Appreciation, Touch of an Angel, Precious Moments Sweet Scentiments and Catholic Reflections in addition to "Timeless Treasures"

July Blog

Quote: Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person,

a beautiful thing.             Mother Teresa

A Heartfelt Word

One of my favorite one liner’s is… ”Thinking of you makes my heart smile.”

As we introduce new product each season, that one line is what we strive for. Creating products that will make someone’s heart smile when they receive a Heartfelt gift of even purchase a product statement for themselves.

In the last blog, I shared our NEW “Timeless Treasures” release and have received a tremendous response from the summer gift shows. We have several other NEW releases for this summer season which I would like to share with you. 



Pastor Appreciation



Precious Moments Sweet Scentiments



Touch of an Angel



We hope when you see these new collections that they will bring a smile to your heart… as they have ours!

We invite you to visit our website: www.christianbrands.com



 

 

Heartfelt Tip: If you are a consumer and like our products, please ask your favorite retail store to carry our Heartfelt product, if they don't already. Many gift shops including Hallmark and Christian bookstores carry our product.

The Heart of Heartfelt

It is time once again for me to pen verses for the new product introductions for the next season, Spring 2014. I feel like I just penned (and I do mean pen to paper) the last season and now here we go: NEW Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, display collections, etc. 

Some days words and thoughts flow so easily and some day it just doesn’t flow at all. For example, I have been trying to get my thoughts together for the blog for a couple of days now …nothing. Then Walla, my pen is moving and I share with you my dilemma of writing.

I love what I do and I am so fortunate to be able to share my heart and my passion….

Words ~ beautiful, delightful, make your heart smile WORDS.

From my heart to yours,

LoveLea

June Blog: New Product Offering for Fall 2013 - Timeless Treasures by Heartfelt Collection

June Blog

The Value of Time… Every Moment Counts

A Heartfelt Word

There are so many wonderful thoughts, quotes, and poems that speak to the value of time.  Such as:

~God has perfect timing, never early, never late. It takes a little patience and a lot of faith… but it is    always worth the wait.

~ Lives of great men all remind us, we can make our lives sublime, and departing, leave behind us, footprints on the sands of time. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

~ Time spent living is time worth appreciating.

~ Never get too busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

~ “Time is what we want most, but what we use worst”. William Penn

~ “Lost time is never found again”. Ben Franklin

~ “A wise man will make haste to forgive, because he knows the true value of time”… Samuel Johnson

~ A beautiful day begins with a beautiful mindset. The moment you start acting like life is a blessing, it will start to feel like one.

These are  just a few of the beautiful reminders to not take any moment for granted, to live one day at a time realizing the significance of each and  every moment, because once it is gone you can never get it back. Or as Mother Teresa said, “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has yet to come. We have only today. Let us begin.”

With this in mind, we have designed our newest Heartfelt Collection called, “Timeless Treasures”; combining a functional home accent clock with timeless quotes, scriptures and sentiments which will create lasting treasures. We hope you will enjoy our new 2013 Fall product releases along with the many best selling collections which are featured in this new catalog. We invite you to visit our website: www.christianbrands.com.

Timeless Treasures

The Heart of Heartfelt

Time goes by so fast, people go in and out of your life. I don’t want to miss any opportunity of expressing my gratitude to all the people in my life that have a place in my heart that will never be removed.  First, my family… who are my biggest fans, my past employees who stuck with our company through thick and thin, for our many friends in the Gift Industry, for our Reps and Vendors, and for our new friends at Christian Brands. I feel abundantly blessed to have had so many wonderful people in my life and to be able to share the gift of expressing my heart through words.

I leave you with these words: Time is a companion that goes with us on a journey. It reminds us to cherish each moment, because it will never come again. May your time be blessed today.

LoveLea

As always, we will continue to strive for excellence in quality, service, competitive pricing, unique product design and inspirational product, which we truly create to have meaning and purpose.

It is with sincere appreciation that we thank you for your time in considering our product and for any future business we do together. We realize that you have many products to choose from and we are very grateful when you choose a Heartfelt Collection product for your store.

 

May Blog: Beautiful people, heartfelt sentiment, functional gifts and the Gift Industry are the things we love.

Touching Hearts… in a deeply personal way!

Quote: “The most beautiful people we know have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have known their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”
 - Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

A Heartfelt Word

Today with so many products available in the gift market, choosing a gift can become a challenge. I think most of us would admit that we choose gifts that appeal to us as we are making these choices. Even with a gift registry, for the most part, we still apply our own tastes and ideas to our purchase choice. As a buyer or a designer that is not always a good thing. Knowing your customer is a key element to providing the right product or services.

At Heartfelt, our desire and our goal is to have products that will appeal to our established customer and to expand our offerings to a broader demographic.  Our primary focus is to offer sentiment driven gift products, and in doing so, we are extremely conscious of several key elements: To offer sentiments that will resonate with buyers, to offer creative designs, quality and whenever possible, functionality. That is why all of the Heartfelt Clock Collections are our best sellers. They represent every goal and element we strive to achieve.  Please check out our website to see our many product offerings:  www.ChristianBrands.com

Heartfelt Tip: Guaranteed Sale! I ask you, how in the world can you go wrong with giving the Heartfelt Collection a try?

The Heart of Heartfelt

I Love People and I love the wonderful people that make up the Gift Industry.  For over twenty-five years, I have been in this industry and I can tell you that you won’t meet any nicer people, in the whole world, than these folks. From designers, artist, manufacturers, reps, showroom managers and the customers that buy our products to offer in their stores… it has been my blessing and my privilege to work with so many of these lovely people.

I love going to our trade shows so I can see the many friends and colleagues that I have made through the years. I love to catch up with our customers and get their feedback. I love walking the halls of the market buildings to see all the new offerings… I am awestruck at the creativity that surrounds me.

Quite simply, this industry is full of many beautiful and talented people.

May the words from my heart touch yours,

Lea Metts

April Blog: Spring is here, Easter Sunday, Fall 2013 product development, and more!

May our words SPRING forward to enrich the lives of others!

Quote: The written word can recall those feelings and impressions that have gone to the very soul of us, shaping our humanity, defining our character and etching our hearts. - Unknown

A HEARTFELT WORD

As we, the Heartfelt team, are finishing up our new product releases for Fall 2013, I am filled with excitement and anticipation. Designing, creating and putting sentiments to new product is so fulfilling and meaningful. Now that is not to say we don’t have our hiccups and we do, believe me, or that our journey is a smooth one…Not,  but even still, once the end product is complete… Oh, the satisfaction.

Sentiment driven product is the core of what Heartfelt is all about… it is our mission to provide a product that is more than just an ornamental tabletop accessory. We desire to provide products that are functional and have words with meaning and purpose… sentiments that express the heart of the giver.

It has always been our desire to create product, for the gift and home furnishing industries, that have unique designs, high perceived values, excellent quality and  endearing  sentiments that will create lasting treasures for anyone who receives a Heartfelt product.

As we gear up for our new Fall product releases, we hope you will seek out and look for our Heartfelt products. You can visit us at the Christian Brands Gift website.

A HEARTFELT TIP:

Many of the newer Heartfelt framed table top items have backs which can open, so the inner part of the framed item may be removed and then used a photo frame. We love functionality!

THE HEART OF HEARTFELT

On Easter Sunday, my husband said something to me that made my heart absolutely rejoice. On the way to church he looked over at me and said, “Lea, you look more beautiful today than ever.”  With a loving and emotional gleam in his eye, he then said, “I love you with all my heart.”

Anyone who has been married 37 years, like us, or more can tell you that those moments of deep and sincere declaration, are something to cherish. He tells me he loves me every day, but that day was different… it was deep… it was magical… it was truly heartfelt. I saw the love of my soul mate right there in his face. The power of that just took my breath away.

These types of moments bring me back to what I believe is my God given purpose in this life… to write words that are heartfelt, words that enrich and uplift, words that give meaning  to those who don’t know how to write them. Moments like these remind me, over and over again, that the power of words can alter lives, make a difference and touch the heart and soul like nothing else… I know because, I had just experienced that wonderful and unforgettable moment.

May the words from my heart touch you and may you use the power of your words to touch someone today!

Always, Lea

Lea Metts

March 2013

Beauty of God’s Handwriting

Quote: Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful; for beauty is God’s handwriting… Ralph Waldo Emerson

A HEARTFELT WORD

Beautiful sentiments and beautiful design are what we strive for with each and every Heartfelt product! It is our utmost desire to make sure that God’s handwriting is seen in all our products and collections.

Precious moments, cherished memories, celebrations and everyday occasions represent just a few of our sentiment driven product themes. As I stated in my last blog, everyone needs uplifting words of love, support and encouragement, no matter what age or gender. Our desire is to offer products which will meet those needs, that will touch hearts and that will make a difference in the lives of others.


NEW PRODUCT RELEASES

This month I would like to show you a few more collections that were recently released in our Spring 2013 Catalog:

Magnifying Bookmarks – This collections was written with General and Christian/Inspirational verses and are quite functional. I know, because I have to use a magnifier when I am without my reading glasses. The art in this collection was done by my dear friend, Joanne Fink, of Lakeside Designs and Zenspirations.

These bookmarks will fit in most envelopes and would make a perfect insert when sending a card to someone. Why not consider… a very thoughtful thing to do, at very little expense.

Follow Me ~ Matthew 16:24 - Following the scripture reference: “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.”  This collection of twelve mini frames has some of the most loved and well known scriptures of all times.  Each piece is 3D and has a sculpted cross along side the verse. Any of these will make a beautiful statement to keep in our homes or to be given or shared as a gift of faith.

The Heartfelt Irish Collection – These four pieces are very appealing with their Celtic designs, rich foil accents and well known and popular blessings.

I am so proud of all our Heartfelt Collections. I hope you will look for them, request them and buy them when you are looking for that meaningful gift for someone. It is so important to us that we meet the needs of the consumer and offer products that are worthy of your dollar. So with that being said, if you ever have any ideas or suggestions, I would love to hear them.


The Heart of Heartfelt
Many times when I write verses, I like to go outside and absorb God’s handwriting in nature. It inspires me, reminds me of life’s miracles and words flow easily to me from its beauty. We are all so busy and consumed with our daily duties that nature’s beauty can be easily missed.

I love that my desk faces to the outside… I get to see the weather; I can view the deer in the woods, the horses in the field, which is right behind my house, the birds on the branches and witness God’s handwriting with every stroke of my keyboard as I look out my window.  For that I am most fortunate and truly blessed.

If you ever get a chance, I would encourage you to check out a video by Louie Schwartz called, Nature.Beauty.Gratitude on Ted.com. I loved the part where he refers to, “The beauty of nature opens our hearts and makes us mindful that we are a part of it, we are not separate. That nature connects us to every one of us, because it is clear that it’s all connected in one.” So maybe when I go outside to write it is easier because I feel that I am connected, that I am one with Nature! The one thing I know for certain is, every time this happens it is truly a divine experience.

Did you know that 80 percent of the information we receive comes through our eyes. When we see the wonders and miracles of nature, how can we not be inspired, moved and in awe of our Creator? Nature’s beauty is a gift that cultivates appreciation and gratitude. We can see God’s handwriting all over it.  I hope you will open your heart to all the blessings of nature and let them flow through you.  That you will pass your blessings on to others in a heartfelt word and deed.

To consider: A careless word may kindle strife. A cruel word may wreck a life. A timely word may level stress. But a loving word may heal and bless.

Be Blessed,

Lea Metts