Lollipop, Lollipop, Oh Lollipop

Very few things are hand made these days and I think as a result when you find something that is, it's even more special. Such is the case with these amazing handmade lollipops from Hammond's Candies. They are the perfect addition to the candy table for Thomas' party. To incorporate them with our theme we added our new medium stickers. More photos of these beauties will be avail as we reveal our upcoming Diary of A Wimpy Kid party scheduled for Saturday.

Hampton Paper Small Stickers. Medium Round Stickers 30 for $12.00 each add'l 30 $6.00

Family Photo Shoot

The boys are having fun here

Running and being goofy.

Leapfrog

Jackson wishing he knew the rules or how to play.

Greg and Thomas looking at the fish pond.

Cherry Blossoms in full bloom are so beautiful only to be eclipsed by my beautiful boys!

This was the first photo - Jackson climed right up on the bench and posed

Great family shot - one of the last ones we all look like its been quite an hour!

Awwww - brothers!

Always on the list - a photo of my and my boys

Classic shot of the 2 brothers - Tina capture the essence of that moment perfectly.

Thomas brought along the book he was reading Diary of A Wimpy Kid (I dont know where he gets that habit from...) So perfect that we found these 2 adirondack chairs in the park. Love this photo!

I recall asking Thomas to sit next to Jackson on the bench when we arrived. Thomas couldnt resist the opportunity to tickle him!

I dont know which is more stressful a photo shoot for Hampton Paper or one for the Mika Family. Both seem to entail hours of prep work. ( I know that sounds a bit crazy) but for the family photo shoot there is selecting and ordering the outfits for the boys, choosing a venue, hair cuts , hair style and make-up and for me... the list seems to be endless.

Fortunately, one thing is consistent and that the photographer, Tina Bazala from Tina Bazala Photography. Tina used to be local to the DC area but moved to the mid west a few years ago. Fortunately she makes it back to DC two times per year, spring and fall and we are able to schedule a photo session. It's hard to believe how long I have known Tina. Her most famous shots are of Thomas when he was just a few weeks old.

Selecting "cute" outfits for boys - always a challenge. This year I had to try to find an alternative to my standard RL shirt. I did find these adorable St. James shirts at Crew Cuts. Nice and classic and a perfect contrast to the spring colors. The shoes - Chucks from Nordstrom. About as "cute" as you can get for boys shoes unless you consider the Gucci sneakers but even I couldnt fork over the coin they were asking for those shoes that would fit less than 6 months.

As is typical for the early spring shoot - it was FREEZING out. I mean, my new lovely Calypso shirt didnt make its debut in even one picture. I was freezing in my spring rain coat. I had vivid memories to the year prior - same thing!

When all is said and done I am always thrilled to see how many amazing shots Tina is able to capture of my babies that are growing so quickly. Tina knows just what to do to bring out their best. Its reallly a talent. I am enjoying looking at these photos over and over and each time find a new favorite or two.

If you had a spring photo family session I hope you too ended up with many to treasure.

Chances Are....

Chances are you know someone who is graduating in May and will be looking to join the workforce. After the diploma is in hand and you had your Hampton Paper Graduation party the next step is going to interview.

I have been in the software industry for many years on both sides of the desk and wanted to share with you some words of wisdom for the graduate you know who is about to embark on the exciting but stressful journey of interviewing. Here are my top 5 recommendations:

1. Make a list of companies you would like to work for and then use resources like Linked In to see who you might know that can get you an introduction. (if you don't have a Linked In account, create one)

2. Prior to your interview, thoroughly research the company - make sure you know the size, executive team, $ in revenue, current product line, competitors etc. Most of this info is available on line. I also recommend looking at the press release section as this usually provides very current info and will also provide good idea of something that just happened that was exciting to the company.

3. Come prepared with questions written down -either on a notepad or ipad.

4. "Close"! What does this mean? At the end of the interview you want to ask for the job. For example " You've spent a great deal of time with me today. Thank you. Based on our conversation would you recommend me for the position?" If they say yes, then you can inquire about next steps, if they say no, then ask why. You have given yourself the opportunity to overcome their objections. This recommendation is critical. Practice saying the above statement (or something similar) prior to the meeting so you are comfortable and it's easily incorporated into the conversation.

5. Follow up with an email to thank the interviewer and restate why you are a good fit for the position. This is your chance to remind them of why you would be a good hire. Be precise and professional!

To get started, write down as list of 5 things you are going to do every day to achieve your goal. Also, if looking for books on the topic consider one that your potential employer might be using like .... Top Grading for Sales. These types of books will provide insight on how they are going to conduct the interview and will help you be prepared.

Good luck!

Good Luck!

Which Celebrity Moms Love Hampton Paper?

Celebrity mom Nancy O'Dell showcases the Hampton Paper tote for her daughter Ashby

Boat tote personalized for Ali Laundry's daughter Estella

Alligator Tote personalized for Catt Sadler's son Orian

Whale tote personalized for Lisa Rinna's daughter Amelia

Flamingo tote personalized for Allison Sweeney's daughter Megan

Dog Tote personalized for Lisa Rinna's daughter Delilah

Happy Mother's day to Hampton Paper's celebrity moms including those that we gifted these best selling tote bags for their kids. The celebrity mom list includes: Nancy O'Dell, Jennie Garth, Denise Richards, Kyle Richards, Allison Sweeney, Catt Sadler, Holly Robinson Peete and more!

Hampton Paper Personalized Tote Bags $38.00

More New Images

We just got these in - they are so new I am posting photos of the originals. Which is your favorite? We will have them posted on line this week on our site Hampton Paper Designs.

Thomas' Birthday Party Planning: Look What I Found!

I found this Sunbrella fabric at Joanne's on Sunday. I plan to use it for the table cloths. It coordinates nicely with my color theme- orange and green. Fortunaltey it was on sale at 50% off so I paid $9.99 per yard as I needed 8.5 yards to cover all 3 tables. Starburts are a must for the candy table as most kids love them. I didtn realize they discontinued green as a color many years ago and replaced w. red. Ooopps!

The candy table is coming together. I did a prelim set up to get an idea of what I will need.

Hershey Kisses are always a favorite. Adding the stickers is a great project for the kids to help with.

Love the color theme here.

We plan to serve popcorn and these popecorn holders from Michael's will work well. I added a sold circle out of scrapbook paper so the image popped a bit more ( no pun intended)

This is going to look great!

I am waiting for the books to arrive from B&N. I found cooridnating gros grain ribbon and will wrap in a clear bag with a bow.

These bags will be good for the kids to put their candy in for the movie.

Tick Tock -I am down to less than 2 weeks to pull this party together. Fortunately I made some great progress over the weekend. I need to get the cake, lollipops, cookies and of course order the food. More details to follow in the next few days.

The Other Royal Wedding...

The royal wedding lived up to every expectation I had and I am anxiously waiting to see the impact their choices will have in the wedding world! Everything was picture prefect. My favorite part was the 2nd kiss - Kate's reaction after was priceless and I think it exemplifies the first of many new trends that the couple will start.

Over the weekend we received so many orders with our royal carriage image for products for "The Other Royal Wedding". Everything from Invitations for Bridal Showers, Kiss Stickers, Hershey Bars, and Thank You Notes. I love it! Really, our carriage did look just like the one they rode in! What was your favorite part?

Hampton Paper Royal Carriage