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HoofPrints Newsletter ~ Boobies Issue
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July 15, 2014
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ABOUT THE COMPANY AND THIS NEWSLETTERFarriers Greeting Cards was started by Gina Keesling in 1986 (in a very small way) to provide helpful promotional materials for farrier husband Rob. Along the way the company became HoofPrints.com, too, adding a selection of fun horse and dog products geared toward women of a certain age. This newsletter is emailed to subscribers a few times a month, depending on how often I have something to share. Watch for special sales, interesting stories, uplifting quotes and more.
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Tits to the sky!
 If you're a longtime subscriber, you may remember this one from before. Last time I ran this story I got a scolding, a chuckle, and everything in between as we talked about nudity, posture and breast cancer awareness. The newsletter that debuted this story still holds records in multiple tracking statistics areas. It was by far the most blocked by ISPs, so many folks never got to read it. It had the highest open rate that I'd seen in months. And probably the highest click rate ever. So this told me that even if folks were disapproving of the subject line (Tits to the sky!), they still clicked on it to see what it was all about. And the unsubscribe/spam complaint rates did NOT increase from previous editions, so it's safe to assume that once folks got to the actual newsletter, they did not find it offensive enough to request that we stop sending subsequent issues. Interesting stuff.
But, I have a point, really. And it's POSTURE. I spent my youth at home with my mom poking me in the back; "Stand up straight!" she'd whisper whenever we were in public. I must have gotten better, as she quit telling me once I went off to college (or maybe she just gave up). But, now that I am older, I am hearing the same thing from my husband; "Stand up straight!". And I notice an awful lot of other women around me who also need to be told "Stand up straight!". I think life does that to us - you feel like you've got the weight of the world on your shoulders - after a while it tends to smoosh you down....
So I kept trying to remind myself - so hubby wouldn't have to. Mostly I just forgot and then was annoyed at him for sounding like my mom. Then, I read this blog post . It gave me such a chuckle that I decided to replace "Stand up straight!" with "Tits to the sky!" (in my head, of course). And every time I think it I get a little laugh from the story - and I stand a little straighter. |
More Booby Stuff!
 HoofPrints PINK PRODUCTS raise awareness for breast cancer research. 2010 was the first year for HoofPrints Breast Cancer Awareness products, and I'm proud to share that from the sale of these items, every year since then HoofPrints has been able to send a donation check to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation
 Another top seller is this comfortable Stretch Bracelet with an inspirational message;
"Life is Tough -
But I Am Tougher"
This cute little number is a bargain at only $9.95, but we've sweetened the deal and made it so if you buy 3, you get the 4th FREE!
To see these, along with the rest of the inspirational horsey jewelry, click here
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This anodized aluminum knife is just what horsewomen have been waiting for! Here's a great knife to take riding or to the barn - that the guys won't cabbage onto because it's PINK! It's a good, sensible size (4" closed, 7" open) to carry and use. The spring steel clip on the back lets you hang it on the inside of your pocket so you can get to it without fishing around, and the special notch with a protected second blade lets you cut hay strings in a jiffy without ever opening your knife! The blackened stainless steel blade has an easy-open knurled grip in case (heaven forbid) you need it quickly to cut someone loose. Horsemen (and women) should always carry a knife when working around horses, and this one is perfect for the job!
The HoofPrints Barn Blade is only $19.95 but it was PRICELESS for one HoofPrints customer - here's her story:  The barn I board at has about 75 horses. I'm also a working student and I volunteer at a horse rescue. Between being in the fire department and being a trail guide out in Colorado 10 years I always carry a knife. My Leatherman walked away so I got the pink one because it was distinctive and I liked the inscription. It's mostly hung out in my pocket until last night.
When new horses come to the rescue they start out in the quarantine barn for 2 weeks just to be safe. We just got 2 and I hadn't met them yet. I was in the office thawing (I know Maryland isn't as bad as a lot of places but this winter was nuts) when someone said the handyman needed help up at quarantine because one of the new ones was cast. I grabbed my trainer and we drove up so we'd have the headlights. She had gotten wedged against the stall door and when he opened it to try to help her, her head and front legs came out the door and she got completely stuck. My talent lies in calming horses down so I talked to her while we tried to figure out how to help. She broke the wall so we were moving boards and buckets and anything else.
She was wearing 2 blankets layered, really nice strong ones, and we had to cut them off so she could move enough to get free. It took 5 of us 45 minutes at least, and she didn't have a scratch on her. It could have gone so wrong. We just kept saying thank God I had a good knife. For now we're calling her Angel - she is gorgeous, a big grey, the size 84 blanket was snug. She is so regal though. Once she gets some weight on I cannot wait to see what she becomes. So thank you for helping us save her. I really thought she was going to get badly enough injured that we'd lose her. Lots of power in a little pink package " -Laura R
To order a barn blade click here
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Sweatshirt that tells it like it is: A Woman's Place is on a Horse
But then we all already knew that. Wear this shirt to make sure no one forgets and asks you to do something "in the home" before you can escape to the barn.
I worked for a while on this one. I got the blessings from our friends at Prairie Song to carry on the use of their phrase. I wanted it to be "womanly" - so we could better contrast the domestic role vs the equestrian role. I found this amazing brown fabric with pink horseshoes, so the logical choice for the sweatshirt was this dirt-hiding shade of fuchsia / pink. The fabric is bonded to the shirt and then satin stitched all around the edges for an rich, intricate look. And of course, I chose the most feminine script I could find for the lettering.
The embroidery on this is super intricate - requiring over 26,000 stitches to complete the design. Because it's such a complex design, I've put it on a super heavy 10 oz (regular sweats are 7 oz) that's buttery soft inside and out, and it gets softer with each washing. Does not shrink or pill and sizes are generous*. And it's ON SALE $10 OFF! I can't get any more of the brown horseshoe fabric that's in the horse cutout applique - so once these are sold out, there won't be any more. *Note sizing on these is oversize - borderline huge, actually. There's a chart on the site to help you choose the correct size. To order click here.
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Clutter busting continues at HoofPrints
My efforts to clear the warehouse (and my house- house) of accumulated oddball products continues to gain momentum. I've written about it before. The point continues to be, sometimes the space becomes more valuable than the items that are occupying it. So this is where most places say... "our loss is your gain!" Well, check out this super-cheap stuff and BUY IT. And your gain will be my gain, too. Because I need that space on the shelf.
The Half Price Page is here - check this often as they're one-of-a-kind things that will sell quickly and be replaced with whatever else starts to get on my nerves. I am currently going through a large stash of samples* - so many wonderful things, it's hard to choose just a handful for the catalog. And the rest have got to go! Only one of each available so act fast if you see something you like.
*A note about the samples - Someone made a comment on the HoofPrints Facebook page that the samples are free to me and implied should thus be priced accordingly. Just to set the record straight - I pay for almost every sample I acquire. Occasionally an author or publisher will send me a book unsolicited, but I prefer to buy these anonymously so if I review and don't think it is a good fit for the product line, I don't feel guilty about not including it.
Half Price PRINTS are here - there are a lot of lovely prints languishing in drawers here that really should be hanging on folks' walls making them smile and beautifying their homes. Fall/winter is busy season here and I don't encourage print sales then - I don't have the extra time it takes to wrap these carefully for safe delivery. Now that Christmas is past, I've marked them way down now to sweeten the deal.
 Half Price JEWELRY here
The more I got to digging, the more I found. Jewelry doesn't take up much room - suffice to say there is a LOT of lovely stuff that needs to find a new home. Then there's that whole problem I have with the beads. It's getting worse. Stay tuned for details on that.
Newest is Half Price Books & Magazine Back Issues here
This represents a major turning point for HoofPrints owner Gina Keesling. This treasure trove of magazine back issues has been lovingly collected and hoarded for many, many years. It's getting to be a space problem, keeping them all stored AND due to the sheer volume of them, along with my busy schedule, they rarely get any attention. But even now, as I go through them to write sales descriptions, I am feeling sad at the prospect of letting go of this vast collection of pictures and articles about all the things I love - Horses, Dogs, Farriery and Blacksmithing, The West, Pretty Western Clothes and Jewelry, Awesome Country Homes, Recipes for Hearty Food, Healthy Living, Spirituality and more. I'll do my best to mention the content that stands out to me in the descriptions. Prices on these back issues reflect the fact that I am still very much in love with them, however they are at or below what the publishers are charging. The current sales list is small, but I'll be adding more as I am able; going through these is a slow process, as you can imagine, I get sidetracked frequently by all the fascinating content that lead me to hoard these in the first place.
The Closeouts Page is here
It features items that are being phased out - still lots of good deals to be had there, too.
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MEMORABLE QUOTE
This week's quotes are about posture:
I've found that the best thing I can do for my posture is practice 100% of my waking moments at standing up straight - working at it - from top to bottom - at my everyday tasks. A relatively small % of time exercising can't replace hours of working at just being upright." -Ellen Jefferies
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"Imagery can help; thinking about getting as much exposure to the sky as possible of your chest and abdomen. sometimes you feel as if you are leaning back, when in fact you are straight, so someone on the ground can help you with that, even a non horse person." -bluefilly
Wise words from the Yahoo! group Riding With Confidence
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Here's what we talked about last time
Last newsletter is here ALL newsletters are here
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WHAT'S NEW?
SALE on Spring T's
3 Springy Horsey T-shirts less than $10 each here!
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Courage doesn't always roar...
sometimes courage is that quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "i will try again tomorrow." To order click here
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Leather Treat Pouch
Keep your phone, keys and more with you when you ride
- under $20 here
Use the free Endomondo App on your smart phone to keep track of your riding time, route, calories burned, etc
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Cute Thermometer
ON SALE!
BIG 17" tall! Makes a great gift! Durable enough for outdoors!
Order here
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BEST NEWS EVER!
BEAUTIFUL JIM KEY movie is in the works! Morgan Freeman has signed on as the star! In celebration, the book is $9.00 OFF here
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HoofPrints has it! The classic print "FOUND"
12x16 Print available here
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3rd in the Series!
I Make Horse Calls, More Horse Calls & Call Dr Tebow - She Makes Horse Calls (new) Books about living a dream with horses here |
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Mule & Donkey items
Check out this brass longear charm and more here |
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A HORSEWOMAN'S PRAYER
is printed on parchment,matted in a fancy mat with a brass Epona Medallion inset in the corner. The frame is an antique horseshoe pattern. Order here
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WHAT'S HALF PRICE?
American West Purses
Hill Country Collection here
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ON SALE - $10 OFF
A Pet's Prayer
My people are so precious, Lord;
I know You think so, too...
And I believe You put me here
To love them just for You!
They take such gentle care of me
And have such tender hearts...
Please use me, Lord, to comfort them
Whenever teardrops start.
They face a lot of battles
As they live & work each day...
They need me, Lord,
To make them smile
And show them how to play!
The world is full of people,
But sometimes real friends are few...
Please let my love & loyalty
Remind them, Lord, of you.
And when my final moment comes,
Lord, tell them as we part...
I was a made-to-order gift
From Your great, loving heart!
This lovely framed verse has a spot at the top for your own pet's photo. A wonderful reminder that our pets are, indeed, a gift from God.
To order click here.
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This Hug's For You
Equine Sympathy Cards here |
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Message
I love hearing from customers. You can contact HoofPrints owner Gina Keesling via email at gina@hoofprints.com |
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Find us on facebook
Be sure to LIKE our facebook page - it's where we announce special sales, breaking news and everything else we find interesting. To see it go here |
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Share our emails
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Viral marketing... it sounds bad, doesn't it?
You can ask my husband - a frequent topic around here is that of forwarded emails - and the psychology behind them - just WHAT prompts people to decide; "I am going to send this to everyone I know!".
We receive a lot of them. Some are pretty good, and others are dumb. Dumb in a myriad of ways... Alarmist email rumors that have been around forever - that folks keep sending "just in case it's true" Pictures of someone's butt (or worse) - don't even get me started about the firecracker butt - but at least that one was timely when it showed up around July 4. Christian messages that are uplifting - until you get to the end and you're threatened "if you're not ashamed that you love Jesus, forward this - if you are, then delete." Pictures of cute puppies and kittens (awww)
I enjoy writing these newsletters - and sharing all this stuff with you all. But the fact is, it's also a way to help us stay connected with customers and sell products during the time between catalog mailings (which is only once a year) So I really, really like it when someone new stumbles upon the newsletter and is excited to "discover" our company and the products we offer.
In all my efforts to make the newsletter interesting and forward-worthy - it never occurred to me to JUST ASK you all to send it! Duh. Sometimes the obvious is elusive, I guess. So here goes - my request to ask you to forward our email newsletter to your horsey friends. All we ask is that you please be judicious and only send to folks who might be interested. Otherwise we are no better than the "firecracker butt". Click to get started. (please note - using this form does NOT subscribe anyone to our list - it is a one-time only forward)
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