Sterling Expectations

2010-01-01T13:25:00.002-07:00

Happy New Year!

What a wonderful year 2009 has been, full of lessons and blessings! And now the joyous time of the New Year is upon us!
This year we are extraordinarily blessed as it is also the beginning of a New Decade and a blue moon to usher in the new year! WOW!

This is the time of the year we usually start setting our intentions and goals. Many times it is to lose weight, to exercise, to create a certain level of income or sales, which is very important, as goals help to guide us and keep us on track.

This year I invite you to also consider to set an internal resolution. To change the state from which you come from. Think of a quality you would like to embody and bring more of into your life. It could be Love, Joy, Compassion, or Gratitude- just to name a few. I invite you to take a few moments and to be still and see what speaks to you.

Think of it, as re-setting your internal thermostat, just as you can change the thermostat in your home when you are cold you turn the heat up a few degrees. You can set your internal thermostat just the same. With just a few minutes a day you can be living from a completely new space.

Tips to make this process easier: Prayer, Meditation, Journaling, and share this quality with a friend.
Make a list let's say the quality you want to cultivate is joy! Then make a joy list, what brings you great joy? For me it is spending time with friends and loved ones, swinging on a swings et, playing with my puppy, reading a great book, watching funny movies like What About Bob, enjoying a cup of tea and journaling, attending a great seminar, spending time with my mentors.
All of these bring me joy! Then once you have your list start incorporating these into your life! Make time for joy daily! Schedule it into your day, your week, your month, most importantly into your life!

Wishing you an amazing new year! May 2010 be the very best year of your life!
May it overflow with the quality that is speaking to your heart!
Blessings,
Elizabeth

2009-12-05T20:07:00.003-07:00

Wow! Can you believe it is December already? I cannot believe how fast this year has flown by..... I know this has been a challenging year for many. I invite you to look within and to see the blessings and the lessons that this year has gifted you!

I have so many blessings to count this year, so many gifts in forms of new friendships, business relationships, the launch and expansion of Gratitude Girls. I am so very grateful for the time that I took to invest in me. Which in turn has already blessed my business and my relationships! I believe that when you fill your spirit and center yourself in gratitude, that abundance will overflow into all areas of your life.

So I invite you to look back over the past year and see how many blessings you can find... if you look for them you
will find them!

My wish for you is a Holiday Season filled with Joy, Love, and Gratitude!
Much Love,
Elizabeth

2009-11-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

Gratitude... I have been thinking a lot about this topic lately. SHOCKING, I know! HA!
Seriously, I know we all think of thankfulness and gratitude around Thanksgiving. But I see it as a way of being, a state of mind. It is a powerful tool that can be tapped into 365 days a year!

The best part is that it is easy, you can start with 1 thing a day, then work your way up to 5-10. At my church Unity of Phoenix we started a 40 day challenge to see 10 things a day. And yes even me, the Gratitude Girl was scared! HA! :-)
Then I saw the value I was already coming up with 5 everyday and I was limiting myself... 10 soon became 20-30 I was using a separate notebook to keep up. And now I can gratefully say I look for and can now see things to be grateful for all day! As I move through my day I look for people, places, experiences, feelings, to be grateful for. And my list keeps growing...
I invite you to start a gratitude log. To tap into this free, beautiful way of seeing the world!

I believe...............
Gratitude connects you to your source, elevates your vibration, and changes the very way you see the world.

With Love and Gratitude,
Elizabeth

Jack Canfield's 7 days to Breakthrough to Success!

2009-08-20T12:04:00.005-07:00

I am so very grateful to have recently attended a 7 day Breakthrough to Success program with Jack Canfield.
Hands down it is the most rewarding event I have ever attended and cannot wait to incorporate some of his
teachings and hands on experience and activities into my upcoming events!

During the week we laughed and we cried, we released and let go of fears, doubts, pains, and self limiting beliefs.
Gathered a whole new toolbox full of tools for life, formed some extraordinary friendships and met my mentor, Jack.
Who radiates kindness, compassion, love, and joy! And is now my role model for how to treat others.

I can't wait to share what I have learned!
Blessings,
Elizabeth

June 25 Power Women's Luncheon

2009-06-29T12:07:00.002-07:00

What a wonderful day! We had 70 women join us for this luncheon at Skye,
where the topic was Journaling for your business.
Speaker and journal designer Carla Reeves was our keynote speaker! I am honored and blessed to know and work
with Carla, she is an amazing women with incredible talent and a real calmness and grace to her.

Article below: DAILY NEWS-SUN
For Carla Reeves, keeping a journal helped her discover what she wanted from life.
And Thursday afternoon she told about 70 people registered for the second Power Women in Business
Luncheon how “magic” happens when feelings, thoughts and ideas are put to paper.

Reeves, CEO of Sanity Journals, presented the topic “Journaling for Your Business” at Skye Restaurant
in Peoria. The networking series features exhibitors, lunch and a guest speaker and is presented
by Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by the Daily News-Sun, Adultcare
Assistance Homecare, Arizona Public Service and Phoenix Woman magazine.

Reeves began her presentation with a short personal history of her early corporate work life, which
ended when her first child was born. “After all, this was something I dreamed about
since I was a little girl,” she said. “I wanted to be a mom.” When her son was about 8 months old, she said
she felt the need to write and rediscover who she was. She realized she needed more in her life.
“There comes a time when we long for a deeper connection, and to have a feeling of peace inside.
But don’t most people look outside for inner satisfaction?” Reeves proposed journaling as a way to find the
satisfaction people seek. Most of us, she said, measure our lives in achievements,
what she called “somedays.” She gave as examples:someday I’m going to be successful, someday
I’m going to win an award, someday I’m going to be married and have a family. It’s common, she
said, to structure life in those terms. Just as common, though, is a “something missing” feeling when
one of the “somedays” is achieved. She told the audience journaling helped her discover
what she wanted from life, what she wanted to be as a wife, mother and woman of influence. She
also identified other benefits of journaling.
• It’s a way to process and move through life
events.
• It helps you get through to the truth of what’s
going on in your life.
• It can have an impact on your work and personal
life as well as relationships.

How does one go about starting to journal? Like an exercise program, Reeves said, you must
make a commitment to regularity, to journal on consecutive days, to “show up” for the journaling
exercise. “When you start to see the rewards, just like in your exercise program, that will be a motivator and
help you establish a focus for your journaling,” she said.
Reeves said journaling has helped her in her business as well. She told about attending an event
which she considered to be a failure because the results were not what she expected. When she took
the time to write about the event in her journal, she realized there was success. She had made new connections,
established new prospects and added to her network, all successful achievements.

Also at Thursday’s luncheon, the Valley View Community Food Bank was spotlighted. Jeanne
Blackman of APS presented a food bank representative with a check for $250, from the proceeds of
the luncheon. Deb Brown spoke about setting up an auxiliary for the food bank and launching its new
Web site.

The next luncheon in the series will be Sept. 24.
Wal-Mart will be the sponsor and the nonprofit spotlight will shine on Eve’s Place.

2009-04-12T18:45:00.002-07:00

Article from the Daily News Sun on recent Power Luncheon Event!

Find your passion and merge it with or develop it into a business, and you will find success.

That was the basic message delivered in a luncheon presentation Thursday by Margaret Merrill, the keynote speaker for the first Power Women in Business luncheon of 2009. In its fourth year, the series, presented by the Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce, at Skye Restaurant in Peoria, brings West Valley business women - and men - together for lunch and a lecture relating in some way to business success. How to recognize it, how to develop it and how to achieve it.

Elizabeth Hartigan, from Sterling Expectations, Inc., is the chairwoman for this year's series. She said 70 people signed up for Thursday's luncheon, and 13 businesses purchased table space for the pre-luncheon meet and greet event.

Merrill, who is a life coach, author and business owner, taught on a Navajo reservation in New Mexico for 23 years. In that time, she said, she realized she had a passion for experiencing culture. She put that passion to work in the development and launching of Oso Vista Ranch, where a sacred hogan was built and is used to continue the traditions and culture of the Navajo people in Ramah, N.M. Merrill showed a video of the hogan's construction and use.

She had copies of her second book, "Creating Purposeful Living," available for sale, and used handouts with illustrations and exercises to demonstrate discovering one's purpose in life and living it with intention. "Know who you are and live it out loud," she said.

Magnetism was an illustration Merrill used, comparing a block of unmagnetized items to the disordered confusion some people experience in trying to find their purpose. Far from being a disaster, she said, such confusion must precede clarity as values, passions, strengths, talents and service align to help define purpose.

Once your purpose is clear, goal setting becomes easier. Goals, Merrill said, ought to stretch you, to be just far enough out of reach that you must take your first step on faith. And once a goal becomes clear, she said, "Don't question it! Pray, and move your feet!"

Following the presentation, David Lewis, president and CEO of Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce, presented a check to Heard Museum West, received by Kate Cox. Cox announced her retirement from the Heard effective April 15, having spent nearly 16 years with the organization. She and her husband plan to move east to be closer to their children and grandchildren.

The next luncheon in the series will be June 25, and the speaker will be Carla Reeves, CEO of Sanity Journals, speaking on "Journaling for Your Business. Registration for chamber members is $35, non-members, $40. To register, or to become an exhibitor or sponsor, call 623- 583-0692 or visit www.surpriseregionalchamber.com.

Link to article:http://www.yourwestvalley.com/news/business_5652___article.html/merrill_luncheon.html

2009-04-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a great tip by a local author, and speaker Marsha Petrie Sue she has a fabulous group on Facebook called Personal Responsibility for Success Club....
Business Success and Recognition

To members of Personal Responsibility for Success Club

Marsha Petrie Sue
Today at 7:42am

Take time today to send a special letter of gratefulness, gratitude and thanks to someone special that has helped your career and business. Don't send an email, I mean a real, on paper, letter. Tell them how they have helped and encouraged your success. This should take no more than 10 minutes so stop what you are doing right now, and get started. Business success starts with taking personal responsibility for your actions.

Here's an idea. Find someone that you had issues with and didn't agree; what you learned from that interaction. How did that tenuous situation help you grow your communication, relationship building skills and emotional intelligence.

2009-03-04T21:31:00.005-07:00

Have you thought of throwing a party to honor your friends, clients, or loved ones?

Last year I had the privilege of throwing an event to honor the important people
in my life. Celebrating the business colleagues who have become friends and amazing supporters of my business.

It can be something as easy as a spa day at your favorite spa or salon to hosting a formal tea party.
To hosting a day long event at your home, and bringing in special touches!
The possibilities are endless! And I have a ton of ideas, if you are wanting to celebrate the special people in
your life give me a calll, I would love to be creative with you!

What an amazing way to spend time with and enjoy the people you love while celebrating all that they mean to you!

Taking time for you!

2009-02-05T18:57:00.003-07:00

While planning your next event make sure you set aside some time for you!
I say schedule that time like you would a meeting block it off in your blackberry or planner.
It is ME TIME!!! Maybe you can call it, Appointment with ME! :-)

Do something you love! You could: Journal, take a nice long walk, or meditate.
When was the last time you read a great book? Maybe spend the morning hanging out at your favorite coffee shop,
spend time with loved ones! Have a girlfriends day out! Schedule a pedicure or a massage!

Just make sure it is something that you love! Not only will this help you to relax it will help you to be more productive!

WIshing you an AMAZING and Peaceful day!
Elizabeth

Great site...

2009-01-29T18:54:00.002-07:00

Are you are looking for a way to Inspire yourself throughout the day? A friend and business colleague of mine Dorothy Wolden of Creative Intuition has created a fantastic twitter site to share inspirational and motivational quotes!

I highly recommend it! http://twitter.com/PositiveVibe

Wishing you an amazing weekend!
Elizabeth

Commit to Volunteer and Give Back to your community!

2009-01-20T12:17:00.003-07:00

Starbucks has a great offer! Celebrating that each one of us can and do make a difference!

If you sign up to volunteer to do 5 hours of volunteer work in your community, Starbucks will
in return give you a FREE cup of coffee. Dates of the offer are Jan. 21-25!

Count me in!!! :-)

See The link at Starbuck's site: http://pledge5.starbucks.com/

Launch of the Gratitude Girls

2009-01-10T22:43:00.009-07:00

I am so very excited to share the news of a Networking Circle I have started with a dear friend Joan Lebigot. It is called Gratitude Girls. Our Vision is to create a Positive environment for women to come together, enjoy an evening out with like minded women, and focus on the Possibilities while creating an Intentional Life!
The Mission is to Live in Gratitude to be Grateful and Thankful for all things and to Inspire one another to live the lives of our dreams!

We launch January 15, 2009. And will meet on a monthly basis to Inspire and focus on Gratitude! For more information please see our site at.

http://gratitude-girls.com/

To a positive 2009

2009-01-04T09:23:00.001-07:00

2009 is going to be an Amazing year! Full of Growth, Self Discovery, & Gratitude!

Over the past week I have taken some time to journal, read, and focus on all of my goals! I wanted to share with you a few powerful tools that I came across along the way.

1. A Self discovery journal called, Building the Best You; Found at Barnes & Noble. It is a daily journal that takes you through a series of questions, and then more in depth questions, monthly. Just a fun way to take time out daily, focus on positive points to your day, and acknowledge daily what you are grateful for.

2. My Life List; A goal setting journal, found at Barnes & Noble, is Totally fun! You document up to 36 goals, and then break them down into smaller steps. You can document your progress as you move toward your goal! There is a place to document your celebration as you have reached your goal! This is such an important part, that so many of us skip right over. When you reach your accomplishments, take the time to celebrate them!

3. Another great book called, Live the Life You Love, by Margaret Merrill, can be found at Amazon. com. This easy to read book, delves into Discovering your Purpose and Living with Intention! It is a great read, and a great way to start off the new year!

Here's to an amazing year!
May you be blessed with your every dream and vision!
Elizabeth

Gratitude Tea Party

2008-11-24T23:12:00.005-07:00

In celebration of Sterling Expectations, 1 year anniversary. We threw a Gratitude Tea Party.

Held at the stunning Phoenix, Ritz Carlton Hotel, in honor of all the phenomenal friends, business partners, clients, and colleagues that have inspired me and worked with me this past year.

What an amazing day! I am so truly grateful to be able to say I love what I do! And I am blessed with amazing friends and business partners, I can not wait to see what the future unfolds!

2008-11-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

3rd Annual Power Women's Conference & Expo

2008-11-03T07:04:00.004-07:00

Hosted by the Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce, October 3, 2008

What an amazing and uplifting day, packed with 11 speakers and over 200 attendees. It was both an honor and a privilege to serve as this year's Conference Manager, and to be the head of education.

I would like to thank all of our phenomenal speakers! We had such a great line up this year! Starting with a power charged talk entitled: Power Up by Sherry Anshara. An Incredible Morning Keynote and Breakout sessions by the amazing Jewel Diamond Taylor. She is such a source of Inspiration!

We had 3 tracts of break out tracts for Balance, Business, and Health. Featuring such fantastic speakers as Arlene Rosenberg, teaching How to be Unstoppable, Bob Hobbs Jr., teaching Hope-Vision-Passion, and Dr. Jake Psenka teaching on Stress and how it affects your health!

We were so very blessed to have best selling author, Life Coach and speaker, Martha Beck, PhD as our luncheon keynote.

It was truly an amazing day and I feel so very blessed to have been a part of it!

Chat, Chew, & Chocolate!

2008-09-16T15:12:00.015-07:00

What could be more fun? This evening I had the best time assisting with the monthly Chat, Chew, & Chocolate get together. The West Valley chapter of CCC hosted by Jamie & Jill met at the beautiful Dolce Arrowhead Salon to host this evenings event!

About 30 women came to create vision boards, to get to know one another, and have some chocolate! YUM! This group meets all over the west valley monthly to check out fun new places. The group has been formed to ensure women take the time out for themselves!

If you would like to learn more please check out their website!
http://www.chatchewandchocolate.com/glendale-az/

It is a fantastic group!!! Coming to the meetings is a great way to meet and make some new friends!

ISES World Event 2008

2008-08-27T11:42:00.004-07:00

I just returned from my hometown of St. Petersburg, FL, where I was so very lucky to attend the annual ISES (International Society of Event Specialists) education symposium. It was a three day event held at the beautiful Renaissance Vinoy Hotel, overlooking Tampa Bay.

The session started off with a keynote speech given by Mike Mullane a former NASA Astronaut. Now I know what you are thinking; I was thinking the same thing. What does an astronaut have to do with an event designer? Well, after hearing his inspirational talk, it all made sense. He is a man who overcame many obstacles, and lived the life of his dreams. By following his vision and not allowing obstacles to get in his way! I have to say, I was truly inspired as I believe a person with a vision and passion can achieve anything!

What a great week full of classes on every topic from sponsorships to using Hors d'Oeuvres as an art form, to greening up events. I also had a great time meeting other event planners across the country, and bouncing ideas off one another, which is always a great experience. I met some fantastic planners, hotel purveyors, and vendors in the event planning industry!

I can not wait to attend next year’s symposium in San Francisco, CA!

Out and About.....Nashville, TN

2008-08-15T23:51:00.004-07:00

I recently visited the beautiful Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN. While I was there I attended a weekend long cooking program, which was fantastic! The meeting and event rooms are beautiful and come in all shapes and sizes to accommodate parties, both intimate in size, and large.

Being an event designer, I am blessed to be able to travel quite a bit. I have to say that, the service at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel was impeccable! From my very first inquiry, through my entire stay, I was blown away by the level of customer service that I received.

The hotel is simply stunning! The hotel boosts 9 acres of indoor gardens, there are many fountains, as well as tropical plants and trees. It is the perfect setting for a wedding. You get the best of both worlds; you feel like you are in a gorgeous outdoor garden setting, all while being under a gigantic glass enclosed atrium and climate controlled environment.

During my stay, I was able to witness several wedding set ups while I was in town and could not be more impressed with the level of customer service we received.

If you are looking for a phenomenal site with exceptional customer service, and fantastic food; look no further... The Gaylord Opryland Hotel is the perfect place!

Elizabeth and Charles Wedding

2008-06-01T14:15:00.023-07:00

May 31, 2008 La Jolla and Del Mar, CA

The wedding ceremony was held along the top of a cliff at Sea Grove Park in Del Mar, California. A warm gentle breeze was blowing, the sun was shinning, and we were immersed by the smell of the ocean and the sounds of the waves crashing below. We could not have asked for a more beautiful day.

	Before the wedding ceremony a friend of the family's, daughter enthusiastically helped to create a walkway of scattered rose petals for the bride and groom to follow.
		Here in the late afternoon is where the happy couple officially started their lives together as husband and wife.

Following the wedding ceremony, the reception took place at Azul, a four star restaurant overlooking the ocean in La Jolla. The patio was decorated with twinkling lights and a nice cozy fireplace to keep us warm. The party arrived just in time to witness a beautiful sunset view from the deck of the restaurant.

We arrived before the guests arrived to make sure everything was in order, and to welcome the arriving guests.

The food was fantastic as was the service. It was simply a stunning night where close friends and family enjoyed an intimate celebration as Charles and Elizabeth began their journey together. We were all thrilled to share in their moment and I feel truly blessed to be a part of such a memorable occasion.

Monterey, California

2008-05-19T13:26:00.009-07:00

May 15 to 18, 2008

I found the perfect place for a destination wedding or corporate event. Only a two hour flight from Phoenix, Monterey is a quaint and charming town tucked alongside the coast. I stayed in the beautiful Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa. The food and service was magnificent. It was so relaxing to be able to eat in their restaurant with such a tranquil view of the water and waves.

Within view were Sea Otters going about their daily business within the kelp beds. Occasionally I would get a glimpse of Sea Lions jumping out of the water as they traveled down the coast. The Monterey Plaza Hotel also has facilities to accommodate both large and small intimate events and offers a wonderful indoor and outdoor options. My favorite is a large outdoor open-air deck overlooking the water, on which many special events are held.

Also, while visiting, I attended the Monterey Aquariums' annual Sustainable Seafood Celebration. It was a fantastic two day event with celebrity chef Alton Brown and Irelands' Darina Allen. Many local and national professional chefs were a part of the festivities also. The Monterey Aquarium is only about a half-a-mile walk from the hotel along the water. And is the perfect site for a private event.

Fisherman's Wharf, also within a-half-mile walk is a fun place to grab a bite to eat or browse the shops on the pier. This is where we departed for a four hour whale watching cruise. We were able to see Sea Lions, Harbor Seals, Humpback Whales, Dolphins, and Killer Whales. A great option to add on for friends and family while in town.

Just a short scenic drive along CA-1 is a magnificent drive to Big Sur. Be sure to take your time at stop at all of the view points as there are many and varied views along this beautiful drive.