Helping a girlfriend through a transition - Chocolate helps!

My thoughtful girlfriend Jennifer (from my entrepreneurial group in blog below), gave me this wonderful orange daisy chocolate to celebrate my leaving a job and moving forward toward my dreams. (Recognize the flower in the Girlfriendology logo?!) She wasn't the only girlfriend who marked this change in my career and life with a gift or card. My friend Katie (who is so dang thoughtful!) gave me a bottle of wine, some girlfriend gifts, cards and a note that was so sweet - I'll save it forever. My girlfriends Carole, Becky, Barb, Dana and Cath all shared meals with me last week (and bought - you kind, generous girlfriends!).

Even on her girlfriend weekend, my sweet girlfriend Ellen called from FL to ask how my last day was. Numerous emails and calls came from girlfriends near and far to mark this new chapter of my life. Each one showed their support and love - which I do not know what I would do without!

Thanks to all of you! Thanks for your friendship, love and support. And, thanks for being the inspiration for Girlfriendology. We can make the world a better place - one friendship at a time. THANKS GIRLFRIENDS!

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Want some creative girlfriend gift ideas? Listen in!

I've said it before, I'll say it again. One of the best benefits to girlfriends is how much we all learn from each other. From little things like celebrity trivia (like ... who got kicked off Dancing With The Stars!?), to big things like how to take care of our health and our loved ones.

Each month we ask YOU for YOUR thoughts and stories on girlfriends in our monthly Girlfriendology Contest. In March, since it was National Craft Month, we asked for your comments on thoughtful, creative girlfriend gifts you've given or received. We received a bunch of entries and some fabulous female friend stories. Thanks for sharing!

Check out the newest podcast for the stories and the winners. You're sure to get some great ideas for being the girlfriend with the PERFECT gift. After all, if you can't get inspired by your girlfriends, you can't get inspired!

Alas, it is the ides of April (ooh - tax day!), and we're half way through the month and another contest is happening. This month, in honor of Earth Day and our awareness of all things green, we're asking YOU to 'recycle' your girlfriend stories! Share a story of a girlfriend who meant a lot to you as a child or teenager. Tell us about an amazing woman whose friendship has followed you through different periods of your life - and been there for you no matter what! Just enter the contest - there are prizes! And, if you're selected, we may call you to interview you for our podcast next month. (Tell us a great story and we'll HAVE to talk with you!) Thanks Girlfriends!

TIP TUESDAY #16 - Favorite Girlfriend Gifts

Do you have a girlfriend who always gives you your favorite gift each birthday? Or maybe a friend who thinks she gives you the best gift when it doesn't even resemble your sense of style?! Either way, you've no doubt experienced the ups and downs of being a good girlfriend gift giver and recipient.

So, this week's TIP TUESDAY question is:

What is your favorite gift to give a girlfriend? Or the favorite gift you've received from a female friend?

I've bragged about my friend Terri in the past. She knows the shops I love and buys me gifts that always are my favorite. And, she gives gifts with such genuine friendship and generosity that I always feel inept when giving her a gift! Through Terri, and other girlfriends who bless my life, I learn so much about giving, sharing, caring and paying attention to others' likes and dislikes. I always learn so much from my girlfriends.

Your turn! Tell us what gifts you've given or received that have been special. Inspire others with your creativity, your girlfriend's thoughtfulness or just the general closeness of dear friends. Give the gift of sharing with your girlfriends here at Girlfriendology!

TIP TUESDAY #5 - What's your last minute holiday shopping tip?

Today is my husband's birthday. I don't think they should let women have babies in December - it is too hard to come up with presents for that and for the holidays! "I don't need anything," he tells me. Well, that sure helps make shopping easy!

In addition to him and other family members, I am blessed with great girlfriends and need to shop for (or make) gifts for them. With extremely limited budget and time, my stress level starts to rise.

I've mentioned this book before but it comes to mind ... In The Tending Instinct, by Shelley Taylor, stress tests done on women show that we respond with "tend and befriend." Shopping is getting stressful, so I'm looking to my girlfriends for HELP!

This week's TIP TUESDAY question is:

"What shopping secrets do you have for hard-to-buy-for girlfriends and others?"

One of the best gifts of "girlfriendship" is that we learn so much from each other. Please, be a "Santa," and share your shopping secrets! Thanks girlfriends! Happy Shopping!!

p.s. Speaking of "gifts," this is the month of the Girlfriendology "Great Girlfriend Gift Giveaway." While you won't receive them in time to put them under the tree, you will have a nice gift for yourself or a friend in '08.

Giving Great Girlfriend Gifts

Don't you love gifts from girlfriends who KNOW you and KNOW what you'd like? My friend Terri is that kind of girlfriend. Recently we were together (we live 750 miles apart) and, having November and December birthdays, we celebrated them in between. Neither of us have tons of money to purchase elaborate gifts, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that we KNOW each other - our likes, personalities and preferences.

It does help that we have common likes. We both love coffee (and always laugh over a day we both spilled coffee down our shirts at a seminar!). We love music, jewelry, dogs and wine. Good things to have in common!

But we also have different likes ... She is a fabulous cook and my husband does all the cooking in my home. I love to craft and she would rather craft out a great menu. Together I think we make a great pair!

For my birthday I received a cool coffee candle and I gave her a coffee cup to remind her of me. She gave me fabulous crystal earrings and I made her some sparkly candle holders. (I think she got the bad end on that deal!) As our tradition, she gave me an annual musical selection CD (love that!) and I gave her a Girlfriendology BFF apron from the Girlfriendology Store. (There are even more girlfriend gifts on Girlfriendology.com!)

I love my gifts and I love giving gifts to my wonderful BFF. The meal, of course, was perfect and the wine was fine! However, the best gift was just her friendship and spending time together.

The holidays are here as well as the season of giving girlfriend gifts. Consider your friends' favorite things, hobbies, personality. Look for unique ways to show female friends how special their friendship is to you. Maybe even make her something (visit GirlfriendologyToo for some ideas!) and/or wrap your gifts creatively to fit the them of your present or her personal style. Show her how much you appreciate the gift of her friendship!

P.S. There is only one day left to enter the current Girlfriendology Contest that (this month) asks the question: "What is the best gift you've received from or given to a girlfriend?" Go for it! You could take your girlfriend to Starbucks on Girlfriendology!

Girlfriends are GIFTS - just in time for our NEW CONTEST!

My friend Jill, even when dealing with 'stuff,' always can make me laugh. Katie and Lisa, my mastermind buddies, give me great ideas and a new perspective on things. My neighbor Anne is always thoughtful and checks in if we haven't seen each other in a few days. And, my roommate from college Barb, always makes time for me even with a busy family. Each girlfriend is a gift and I am so blessed!

The October Girlfriendology Contest was about special girlfriends and we received several really inspiring stories. (Thanks to all of you!) Since today is November 1, we're off on a New CONTEST and a new way to take your girlfriend out for a Starbucks on Girlfriendology. So, drum roll please ...

NOVEMBER CONTEST: Has a girlfriend ever given you a really special gift? Or, have you had the opportunity or a great creative idea to give your girlfriend something that she really, REALLY appreciated (and that you loved giving)?! Tell us about it!

The holidays are quickly approaching and what better time to think about gifts and girlfriends? We'll share your inspiring stories with each other just in time to give the perfect girlfriend gifts. And, if you're one of five top stories, you'll win a $10 gift certificate for Starbucks to take your girlfriend out for a coffee on Girlfriendology. Also, the top overall story wins a Girlfriendology Journal.

And, as you may know, the October Contest ended with a bang! Seal Press ("groundbreaking books by and for women!) was generous enough to provide five copies of Rosie Molinary's book, "Hijas Americanas: Beauty, Body Image and Growing Up Latina" (featured on our recent podcast) for the next five girlfriends to share a story on their girlfriends.

Another drum roll please! This months winners are:

Our Monthly Contest Winners: Tammy, Carol, Michele, Brooke and Elizabeth* (All receive a $10 Starbucks card to take their girlfriend out for a coffee on Girlfriendology. * Also won the Girlfriendology journal.) Congratulations Girlfriends!

Our Special Prize for entries at the end of the month (they win a free copy of Hijas Americanas): Debbie, Rochelle, Jane, Michele and Brooke.

Want to hear their great girlfriend stories? Listen to our new podcast for their inspiring tales of appreciation of their fabulous female friends. Like the quote from As Good As it Gets, these stories make me want to be a better girlfriend. Thanks to all of you inspiring women!

Send in your story today, then think about it and send in another story tomorrow. What great gift has a girlfriend given you? Her time? Her friendship? A personalized present? A shoulder to cry or a reason to laugh? Share your story. Inspire other women. Then be the girlfriend that shows her female friends how much she appreciates and loves them. Thanks girlfriends!

A thoughtful, perfect present from a thoughtful, perfect Girlfriend

As I've blogged, the past three weeks have been so tough for us. We lost our sweet golden retriever Stella after a very quick illness. My girlfriends have shown their love and support through calls, emails, cards and gifts - and to each one, I am reminded how incredibly blessed I am with the best female friends. (And, I hope you feel the same way about your girlfriends!)

One friend, a fellow dog and cat lover, thoughtfully chose the perfect gift for us. This small angel statue with wire wings is carrying a (again perfectly!) golden puppy. Tears fell as soon as I opened the package and I knew that my friend Tammy had found the perfect gift just for me. And, I also knew that I would never look at that statue without thinking with love of her and our furry 'daughter' whom we so deeply miss.

There is something so special about a girlfriend who makes the time and effort to give perfect gifts. With Tammy, this gift shows how valued our friendship is, especially since she is a busy lawyer and she's never met Stella. This meaningful present will remind me each day of the girlfriend I strive to be - thoughtful and caring.

Thanks Tammy for your beautiful gift. Thanks for caring about me and for sharing in my pain - it does help. And thanks to all my other girlfriends who understood what we were, are and will go through. I strive to be a better girlfriend, because female friendship is so important. Not only to me, but through it I become a better friend and person to my female friends as well as my husband, guy friends, family and all others. Thanks Tammy for the blessing of your friendship. Thanks for being thoughtful and perfect. And, most of all, thank you for the valuable lesson I will remember from your example of a wonderful girlfriend.

p.s. GirlfriendologyToo is a blog for creative girlfriends. It shares lots of ideas and inspiration for girlfriend gifts and greetings you can make. Please visit it and share your ideas. That's how we learn and grow - from sharing between Girlfriends!

For a good laugh (and update on GirlfriendologyToo)

Some girlfriends are shoppers, some are chefs, some girlfriends love to read while others prefer yoga or running, and some girlfriends are 'crafty' and some aren't. For those girlfriends who are crafty, and especially those wonderful creative women who love to make gifts and/or greeting cards for their girlfriends, I started another blog - GirlfriendologyToo. It focuses on 'the creative side of girlfriends.' Check it out for ideas on things you can make for and/or with girlfriends. And feel free to post comments, questions and ideas. I'd love to hear from creative women! (And everyone is creative!)

Actually, that is why I started Girlfriendology - to share inspiration, generate appreciation and encourage celebration of girlfriends. Sharing ideas with each other is one of the wonderful benefits of having female friends. Together we can solve problems, create new ideas and basically make life a lot more fun.


Speaking of creative girlfriends AND making live fun ... for a good laugh, I just found out one of the Carol Duvall Shows that I taped (for HGTV and DIY Network) is online. I really don't care for watching myself on TV but hopefully you'll enjoy! Check out these image transfer projects on Carol Duvall - part 1 & part 2 as well as my book, The New Book of Image Transfer. (Doesn't my hair look funny?! And is "mender" really a word?!)

Back to all the different 'varieties' of girlfriends and their unique qualities/personalities. Isn't the world of girlfriends great?! Show your appreciation by sending a note to your girlfriends and telling them how special each one of them is to you. It is almost National Women's Friendship Day (Sept. 16th). Celebrate it everyday of the year! Thanks girlfriends!!

We're the latest (and greatest!) trend!

The Atlanta America's Mart (Gift Mart) states that "girlfriend gifts are a leading trend that shows no sign of slowing down." Actually, I think they're missing the lifestyle trend that keeps going - that female friends value each other and want to show their appreciation for their girlfriends with gifts and attention. Does that surprise you?! No!

Female friends have a special bond that we biologically need - to spend time with and celebrate our girlfriends. That is what Girlfriendology is all about. Based on this, and my 'crafty' background, I have started a second blog to focus more on the creative side of Girlfriendology - GirlfriendologyToo which has ideas on girlfriend gifts and greetings you can make, as well as updates from the craft/hobby industry to keep up with materials, techniques and other trends.

And, in keeping with the trends, I'll be flying to Atlanta in September to go to the America's Mart and look for girlfriend gifts for Girlfriendology. A perfect girlfriend gift is already being designed for Girlfriendology by a top jewelry designer - Jill MacKay - she's a great girlfriend of mine. (Look for her jewelry findings in JoAnns stores, etc.!) And more fun things are coming!

Join in on the survey of your favorite gifts to give/receive from girlfriends. I'll share the results and any comments, ideas, great stories that you have to share. And celebrate your girlfriends with gifts and special events together!