Our Travel Books in A Different Bookstore

Thanks to family and friends who joined us at A Different Bookstore last night for Travel Books for a Cause 2. Special mention goes to...

A.J. - I was so happy to meet you (photo to follow!) after receiving your sweet note.
Tita Mel and Tito Mar - What a pleasant surprise! I'm so glad you're on Multiply so we can keep in touch in both our virtual and real lives.
Ruby - Thanks for posting our event on your site and bringing your friends and our batchmates too!
Joey - It was great to see you again after our random meeting at RMAF. Hope to see you at the next book launch... whenever/wherever that may be!
KP - I know you had a long day, but thanks for dropping by! Even if you missed "him"! Hee-hee...
Krissy - Better late than never! Thanks for dropping by (and I enjoyed our coffee date too!) even if it meant driving home late and alone.
Lola Pining, Lola Ludy and Tita Tonet - I'm so happy you came! Thanks for staying until the end even if you had a long roadtrip to Tagaytay that night.
Mama and Papa - Thank you for (still) being my biggest fans.

Nina, Sana and I are grateful for your love and support. Until the 3rd installment?

An Invitation: Travel Books for a Cause 2

Due to the resounding success of the first launch at Museo Pambata last September, we are having another "Travel Books for a Cause" with the support of A Different Bookstore. The launch will feature the following: Nina's Travel Sketches by Nina Lim-Yuson, Passport (travel journals in four themes) by Sana Sta. Ana, and The Yellow Paperclip with Bright Purple Spots.

When: Saturday, November 24, 6PM
Where: A Different Bookstore, Serendra, Fort Bonifacio

A portion of our sales will again benefit ATD Fourth World Philippines, an international non-profit organization that helps families living in poverty to restore their dignity. Visit www.atd-fourthworld.org to find out more about All Together in Dignity (ATD).

Guests will enjoy a night of free entertainment, refreshments, gifts, as well as good company of old and new friends. And of course, our travel books will be perfect gifts for the season. We look forward to seeing you, your family and friends at A Different Bookstore!

The Yellow Paperclip Goes to North Carolina... and Gets a Yellow Book Back!

Remember that trip I made to the post office (when I saw 6 paperclips) to mail three copies of my book? Well, one made it to Neil in Delaware, another was bound for San Francisco (I'm still waiting to hear from her), and the last to North Carolina, addressed to Jeffrey Gitomer.

Jeffrey who? He has defined himself as (and I quote from his website): 1. a creative, on the edge, writer and speaker whose expertise on sales, customer loyalty, and personal development is world renowned. 2. known for presentations, seminars and keynote addresses that are funny, insightful, and in your face. 3. real world. 4. off the wall. 5. on the money. 6. gives audiences information that they can take out in the street one minute after the seminar is over and turn it into money. See also: salesman. (Better yet, see more of him at www.gitomer.com!)

Okay, so why did I send my book to a salesman? I bought two of his books at the airport in Pittsburgh (The Little Red Book of Sales Answers and The Little Black Book of Connections) because I really enjoyed reading the first book my boss bought (The Little Red Book of Selling) and thought I'd buy more. I haven't read many books on sales, so I can't say that his are the best - but I like Jeffrey's because he writes well, he gives simple yet practical advice, and he is outrageously funny... and as a rookie saleswoman in the team, that works for me! In The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, he shares that instead of boring corporate gifts or fancy dinners, he gives children's books as gifts - it's more personal and makes his clients happy to have something new to read to their kids or grandkids. And of course a lightbulb went on in my head! Why not introduce him to the Yellow Paperclip? It was one of those spur-of-the-moment, don't-think-too-much-about-it-but-just-do-it things - I wrote him a note on bright yellow paper, enclosed the letter and my book in an envelope and walked over to the post office the very next day.

I came home past 2AM (after a fun evening with Lyn, Eden and Carlo) and tiptoed my way in the house. What a happy surprise to see a Buy Gitomer box with my name on it! Wrapped in giant bubble wrap (as in the bubbles were larger than ten peso coins!), I got my own copy of The Little Gold Book of Yes!Attitude (the bright yellow book above with a great autograph and dedication: "Nikki rocks!") and a handwritten note from Jeffrey himself: Nikki - Thank you for your wonderful book and nice note. Waiting for world peace - meanwhile, enjoy my book. - Jeffrey

Now that's a real great salesman and connector!

An Illustrated Timeline of The Yellow Paperclip with Bright Purple Spots

May Ann created an amazing timeline of our story, from the time she joined the 2005 PBBY-Alcala Prize (see some of her first sketches!). Click HERE to see the rest of our amazing adventure together. Thanks so much, May Ann!
She is currently in Florida as a featured artist in Small Stuff, an art show featuring American and international artists. Click HERE to see some of her pieces. I'm so happy and proud of her!

Paperclips on Pearl Drive

I walked over to The Old Spaghetti House behind Pearl Drive and saw one paperclip on the way (a green one) and three on the way back (a blue one, a silver one and a brown one). Four paperclips on Pearl Drive!

I'll post photos from my phone soon - just as soon as I figure out how to download them. Hee-hee.

The Yellow Paperclip Goes on TV

Nina, Sana and I were invited to be guests on ANC's show ShopTalk hosted by Pia Hontiveros to talk about Travel Books for a Cause. It's the first time I made it on TV! It was taped and aired live so I'm happy we didn't have any boo-boos. Here are some snapshots from Sana's blogpost:
There was a midnight replay but I wonder if it's on YouTube... Hee-hee. I don't have a copy of the show just yet.

We also got to meet Luntian Bag's Ichay Bulaong, corporate warrior, waterbaby and now a passionately green entrepreneur. Her reusable cacha bags come in funky designs (I got a cool bag with Rizal demanding us "Walang plastikan!" although I also wanted the one with Audrey Hepburn complaining that "Plastic bags are so last season!") and promotes a greener earth by asking all of us to BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag) whenever we go to the groceries or the bazaars. Thanks for the nice post too, Ichay! Hope our paths will cross again soon.

Sweet

Not as sweet as Yelley's love story, but perhaps sweeter than the pumpkin pails of candies kids got last night. My brother woke me up this morning with a handwritten note from the 7-year old son of his boss who recently got a copy of The Yellow Paperclip with Bright Purple Spots as a birthday gift.

Dear Nikki:
I want to meet you. I like your book. I hope I will see you soon.
AJ

What a great way to start a new month: with renewed hope (beyond hope) for more new friends, more handwritten notes (when was the last time you really wrote and not typed?!), and more sweet stories to tell.