While I do love my store, it is unfortunately quite a bit smaller than what I both want and need.  So while my brain can come up with the creative ideas, I needed to learn how to expand my business. 

So I spent last weekend with a group of wonderful people who create businesses online.  During the time I met Ms Donna Fox of Credit Millionaire.  She is a charismatic woman who is showing the world how women are changing the face of the internet.

If you don’t know about her, check out her home page at www.DonnaLFox.com. She is a great speaker.  But something about her love of Wonder Woman, her beautiful Auburn hair, and the fact that she wrecked so many home pages in just one speech, I had to design something special just for her.  Especially after watching Twenty Twenty and Armando get into a “fight” trying to see who could get “Donna is a Home Page Wrecker” on Twitter faster.

And yes if you want to know what I am doing at almost any point in time you can catch me on Twitter.  Because right now, I am unemployed, I am creating some membership websites, and still creating shirt designs.  Although yes there was a rather long break after this past tax season ended.

Now back to reason of this blog… Here are the Donna Fox designs…

Donna Fox is a Home Page Wrecker

Perhaps that design is a bit bold, maybe you don’t want to say Home Page Wrecker… Well then all you need is just Donna Fox.   And while when you click on the design it will take you to a wide variety of shirts, you can get mugs mousepads and more!

Donna Fox

My brother EAS was a huge fan of dinosaurs when he was quite a bit younger.    Now my best friend’s son is a huge fan of dinosaurs,  he tells me stories and shows me his stuffed pterodactyl and his many little plastic dinos. 

So in honor of them and the many other boys and girls (both young and young at heart) BlueLemonadeStand now has a line of dinosaur hearts!   You can choose from Dinosaur Jerseys, Tee Shirts or Dinosaur Heart Gifts.

Get a Tyrannosaurus Rex can eat his way into your heart when you wear the T Rex shirt.  Or  have an Icthyosaur, a primative dolphin, swim around your mug.   The dino known as Brontosaurus is no more, his name is changed to Apatosaurus. 

If you prefer you can the dinosaur that could be the Loch Ness Monster!   The armored Ankylosaurus or the plated Stegosaurus are also available in shirts, mugs, mousepads, aprons and more.   Currently there are 7 dinosaur related designs.

Of course now when you go into almost any restaurant or any business with employees you will find a sign that says “All employees must wash hands.”  This little raccoon is working at a park, so this poor little raccoon has to be clean and neat, and must wash his hands.  

This bandit is from a park at Queen Wilhelmina outside of Mena, Arkansas that takes injured animals.  And if you haven’t been to Queen Wilhelmina you really should see the “Castle in the Clouds.”

And this design has been very popular, it is only second to the “I didn’t do it, No one saw me, You can’t prove it”  featuring Luna my English Cocker Spaniel. 

Just a few years ago I first heard a Christmas song that now always makes me smile.  This crazy little song, sung by Gayla Peevy, drove a whole line of “I want a …. for Christmas” designs in my store.  There are currently 15 designs with Orcas, dogs, and other animals people may want for Christmas.

Below you can see the original “I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas“ design and the newer red and green.

This popular Christmas song was recorded in 1953 when Gayla Peevey was just 10 years old.   Gayla was a star in the Oklahoma City area when a local promoter picked up the song.  The Oklahoma City Zoo wanted to get a Hippopotamus.  

Together they launched a campaign to present Gayla Peevey with a Hippopotamus.  And sure enough, with this Christmas Novelty song, she got a baby Hippopotamus named Matilda, which Gayla donated to the zoo.  

“Hippopotamus for Christmas” is also a popular Dr Demento hit.

I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

Lyrics Written by John Rox

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
I don’t want a doll, no dinkey tinker toys
I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
I don’t think Santa Claus will mind, do you?
He won’t have to use a dirty chimney flue
Just bring him through the front door
That’s the easy thing to do

I can see me now on Christmas morning
Creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy, what surprise
When I open up my eyes
To see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles, no rhinosauruses
I only likes hippopotamuses
And hippopotamuses like me, too

Mom says a hippo would eat me up, but then
Teacher says a hippo is a vegetarian

There’s lots of room for him in our two-car garage
I’d feed him there and wash him there and give him his massage.

I can see me now on Christmas morning
Creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy, what surprise
When I open up my eyes
To see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles, no rhinosauruseses
I only likes hippopotamuseses
And hippopotamuses like me, too

Well, BlueLemonadeStand is proud to welcome a Meerkat to our family of designs.  The meerkat joins the ever popular “I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” and the almost equally popular “I want a Penguin for Christmas” designs.

However this happy little meerkat will soon be appearing in the heart designs and other designs as well.   His design is displayed below, and you can click the Meerkat to go directly to the design.

MJ Schrader

November 27th was the official Grand Re-Opening day of the store once called MyLemonadeShop.com now called Blue Lemonade Stand.    Unfortunately my old service provider sold the old name, so to introduce the new name, we are offering the GRAND RE-OPENING!

Every day from then until December 5th, 2007 there were two designs offered at discount rates.  The two designs will changed each day so you will want to check back each day.   One will be a Christmas or Holiday design, the other will be one of the other designs offered.

Enjoy,
Martha Jo Schrader    

One of the most popular designs of BlueLemonadeStand has been one that has caught me off guard.    The design features my English Cocker Spaniel dog, Luna.  My idea was to add it, just because it reminded me so much of her, yet it is one with which many people connect.

Luna has her head down, but she’s watching me with a guilty expression.   Beneath the image of her head is the following “I didn’t do it.  No one saw me.  You can’t prove it.”

Of course it’s something we can all relate to… and if you have children (or fuzzy children) you probably have seen this expression.   And in the image below you see Luna actually wearing her shirt! 

If you like the design, click on it and you will go directly to the Not Me Shirts, and you can tell everyone “I didn’t do it.  No one saw me.  You can’t prove it.”  Or go to the store link to get one of the Not me mugs, mousepads, tiles or other Not Me gift items.

In July 2005,  I left a job working with my business partner.  The partner took 80% of the profit and I got 80% of the work.   A few months later I created “My Lemonade Shop” as a way to be creative.   The title was Shop instead of Stand because I was in a hurry and Lemonade Stand was taken.

It was also my way of turning lemons into lemonade.  Having so many friends in WAHM work-at-home moms and dads,  and Home Business friends, I decided to dedicate part of my store to them and the other half for my crazy side.

In October 2007,  I learned my domain host sold www.mylemonadeshop.com  without telling me.  Rather than argue with them the store was reborn as Blue Lemonade Stand or www.bluelemonadestand.com on November 25th. 

In this next year, the store will experience great growth.  There will be more new designs added for people who love a variety of things.  Please keep checking back to see what all we offer.

And if you want to go directly to the store visit http://store.bluelemonadestand.com

If you are needing WAHM or home business designs, the direct link is http://bizshop.bluelemonadestand.com.

Thank you and have fun shopping,

Martha Jo Schrader

Blue Lemonade Stand introduced a new design this week featuring Florida Alligators.  This was actually a Gator Danger sign I saw in Florida, and it was just something I had to add to my design line up. 

You can have your choice of Alligator Shirts, sweats, or Alligator Mugs!

This is designed to look like a sign.  Below you can see what it looks like on a Mousepad, which would be great for your work.   It shows a picture of an Alligator with the following message, “DANGER DO NOT FEED OR MOLEST.  Gators cannot be tamed and feeding them can result in their mistaking a hand for a handout. ”

A Blue Crab and a Red Bee grace this new design.   The Crab Bee is a curious take on the word Crabby that allows you to have fun and be Crabby.  

The Crab Bee shirts are available in a wide variety of colors.  Or choose a Crab Bee crabby pillow, mug or other great gift item.     You can see the Crab Bee tote below.  To go straight to the design click the tote or click Visit the Store on the Left.