2010 Sales Rep Opportunities and Kits **UPDATED**

We won't be accepting any new sales rep for 2009, but we will have new sales rep kits available for 2010 starting on January 4th.  January 14th.  

(Sorry everyone, I'll be putting out the new promised updates later on this evening)

If you contacted us about becoming a sales rep in the past few months and didn't hear back, please let us know.  Thanks!

Its Crunch Time...

The next few weeks will be VERY busy! We are doing our best to reply to everyone's emails as quickly as possible, but we really appreciate your patience. Pre made bags will be up for sale next week!

Announcements!

There's a bunch, lol!

1. We have a new customer service team starting today! They'll be able to answer your emails and phone calls much quicker than the way we had things set up in the past, but please be patient as it will take a few todays to get everything up and running. If you've contacted us in the last week or so, and haven't heard back from yet, we do apologize, and that's what we are working so hard to correct- thanks for your patience.

2. The last day to order for Christmas is DECEMBER 1st. If you are sending in a uniform, we must receive your uniform by this date! Orders are guaranteed to be delivered by December 24th, so if you will be traveling, please list your gift's final destination as the mailing address.

3. We'll have Christmas stockings for sale next week- these are not custom orders, they are all pre-made, so you'll get them ASAP, and there will be a limited quantity, so when they are gone, they're gone!

4. We'll also have a limited quantity of pre-made purses for sale during the month of December, for all your last minute gift needs!

5. And lastly, we'll have a brand new purse style for you real soon- a smaller bag with tons of pockets and compartments, so stay tuned!

In Our Prayers...

HELP WANTED

We are STILL hiring seamstresses in the Enterprise/Fort Rucker area.

Please contact us for more information:

seneca@heroonmyarm.com

San Antonio Area Fans

Hero On My Arm will be featured on News 4 WOAI's morning tv show, San Antonio Living, tomorrow morning, Monday October 5th.  The show airs at 10 am.  We'll try and get a video to post here for everyone outside the area, too!

An Open Letter- What Hero On My Arm Means To Me

This is for all our friends, our supporters, our employees, our customers, and yes, even our detractors.

As the holiday season is fast approaching, and before we all get crazy busy, I wanted to take a moment, catch our breath, say some well deserved "thank you"s, take stock of where we've come from and where we are going.  

First, and most importantly, thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of our seamstresses, past and present, who work so hard to make such beautiful purses for us.  

Thank you to everyone that has supported me in starting this wonderful business, my husband for all of his support, my mother in law for all of your skill and knowledge behind the sewing machine, and my own mother for all of your help and fabulous embroidery skills.  Thank you to all of our sales reps (over 40 of you now, all over the world!) who put yourselves out there everyday, who fly without a net, and help me more than you could ever know with your support, ideas and enthusiasm.

Thank you to all of our customers, both past and present, you are the reason that we are here, and we are honored everyday that you entrust us with your uniforms and allow us to create treasured keepsakes with them.  Thank you for your patience when we are running behind, thank you for your kind words to us and to others and thank you for your support. 

 

To those that criticize, we thank you too, because you reaffirm what we are doing and why we do it.

So what's next for Hero On My Arm?  Big things!  We hope that you'll stick around as the business continues to grow, expand and thrive- you are the reason that we are here.

With Love,

Seneca

New Pictures

Custom designed wristlet, front:

Back:

Wristlet with smaller strap:


State Patrol medium Abigail:

Police Officer small Abigail:

Flight suit Jacqueline, with single, adjustable strap:

Sales Rep Kits

We finally updated the photo for the 2009 rep kit, they are available to purchase here. Email us first to make sure we are accepting new reps in your area. There are 2 each Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps rep kits left in stock (we are currently out of Army rep kits, but will have more shortly). The three locations that we are NOT accepting new reps at this time, but that we get the most inquiries about are:

Fort Hood, Texas

Nellis AFB, Nevada

Fort Lewis/McChord AFB, Washington

Even if there is already a rep in your area, you can still be added to the waiting list as well.

Click...

Here.

It'll make you cry, but in a *good* way.

(All the people in the video are real, not actors!)

Upcoming Events...

September 12th and 13th Boone, Iowa

Pufferbilly Days

September 12th Mountain Home, Idaho

Air Force Appreciation Day

9am - 5pm

Carl Miller Park (off American Legion Blvd)

September 19th Fort Dodge, Iowa

Fall Festival

September 19th Harrisonburg, North Carolina

Central Piedmont Mommies/Harrisburg Presbyterian Church

10am to 3pm

4815 Highway 49 South

September 29th Newton, Iowa

Girls Night Out

September 26th and 27th Indianola, Iowa

Warren County Log Cabin Festival

October 3rd Kansas City, Missouri

Missouri Wine and Jazz Festival

October 3rd Johnston, Iowa

Camp Dodge PX

October 10th Little Rock, Arkansas

Marshall Road Baptist Church

October 10th Urbandale, Iowa

Gloria Dei Lutheran Church Arts & Craft Boutique

October 24 Saginaw, Texas

Saginaw High School

October 31st Grimes, Iowa

Grimes Holiday Bazaar

October 31st and November 1st Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

Fort Leavenworth Holiday Bazaar

November 7th and 8th Fort Campbell, Kentucky

Fort Campbell Holiday Bazaar

November 7th Washington, Iowa

Holiday Extravaganza

November 14th and 15th Killeen, Texas

Fort Hood Holiday Bazaar

November 14th Daleville, Alabama

Fort Rucker Hollyday Mart

November 21st Pleasant Hill, Iowa

Country Holiday Craft Show

The Four Mile Elementary PTA

November 22 Ankeny, Iowa

4th Annual Holiday Vendor Fair Extravaganza, DMACC

December 5th San Antonio, Texas

Jingle Bell Jamboree

10am to 4pm

Wagner High School

December 5th Redfield, Iowa

Christmas Festival

More coming soon!

Purse Party Anyone???

Are you interested in hosting a Hero On My Arm purse party in your area? Or having a presentation at your next spouses club meeting? Have an event that you'd like to see Hero On My Arm at? Contact one of our sales representatives and let them know, they will be happy to help you:

Alicia in Quantico, Virginia

alicia@heroonmyarm.com

703-221-2163

540-287-2787

Amy in GUAM/PaCAF

amyh@heroonmyarm.com

671-686-4685

Amy at Macdill AFB, Tampa Bay, Florida
amyn@heroonmyarm.com
360-704-8674
813-466-5903

Brandy in GUAM

brandyt@heroonmyarm.com

Amy in Iowa

amym@heroonmyarm.com

515-289-1152

Bliss in Vicenza/Caserma Ederle (and sometimes DFW/Austin)

bliss@heroonmyarm.com

Brandy in Colorado

brandym@heroonmyarm.com

Brooke Martin at Fort Knox, Kentucky
brooke@heroonmyarm.com

270-319-1874

Cassandra at Fort Sill, Oklahoma

cassandra@heroonmyarm.com

580-353-1445

740-646-8021

Chelsea at Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, Nevada

chelsea@heroonmyarm.com
602-689-2261

Tiffany at Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, Nevada

tiffanyp@heroonmyarm.com

Dawn Baker at Fort Carson, Colorado
dawn@heroonmyarm.com

cell 719-200-5685

home 719-559-8727

Fontaine at Camp Pendleton, California

fontaine@heroonmyarm.com

(please put "hero on my arm" in the subject line)

Jennifer at Fort Sam Houston, Lackland AFB, Randolph AFB, Austin, San Marcos, New Braunfels, Seguin and San Antonio, Texas

jenniferb@heroonmyarm.com

Kelly at Fort Sam Houston, Texas

kelly@heroonmyarm.com

Jenn at Fort Hood, Killeen, Copperas Cove, Harker Heights, Texas

jenn@heroonmyarm.com

Jessica at Fort Hood, Killeen, Copperas Cove, Harker Heights, Texas

jessica@heroonmyarm.com

Gladys at Fort Hood, Killeen, Copperas Cove, Harker Heights, Texas

gladys@heroonmyarm.com

254-383-5110

Se habla espanol.

Melanie at Fort Hood, Texas

melanie@heroonmyarm.com

Pam at Fort Hood, Texas

pam@heroonmyarm.com

Jessica in Richmond, Virginia
jessicab@heroonmyarm.com

Kala at Ft. Wainwright, Eielson AFB, Alaska

kala@heroonmyarm.com

386-846-4477

Keriann at McChord AFB, Fort Lewis, Washington

keriann@heroonmyarm.com

253-921-1345

Larissa at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas City and metro area, Missouri

larissa@heroonmyarm.com

Lisa in North Carolina

lisa@heroonmyarm.com

Natasha at Fort Campbell, Kentucky

natasha@heroonmyarm.com

Paula in Newburgh/Evansville, Indiana

paulah@heroonmyarm.com

(812) 760-9337

Sarah at Mountain Home AFB, Boise, Twin Falls, Idaho

sarahd@heroonmyarm.com

(208) 284-4737

Sarah in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky

sarahm@heroonmyarm.com

(513) 295-1912

Stacy in Narrows, Virginia
stacy@heroonmyarm.com

Tiffany at Fort Leonardwood, Missouri

tiffany@heroonmyarm.com

Tiffany at Warren AFB, Cheyenne, Wyoming

tiffanym@heroonmyarm.com

Tracy at Fort Polk, Louisiana
tracy@heroonmyarm.com
(337)540-1390

Tricia Noah at Carswell NAS/JRB, Dallas Naval station, Shephard Air Force Base and Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
tricia@heroonmyarm.com

817-888-1242

Tawana in North Central Texas
tawana@heroonmyarm.com

469-964-2430

Valerie at West Point, New York
valerie@heroonmyarm.com

Whitney at Little Rock AFB, Central Arkansas

whitney@heroonmyarm.com

(817) 300-9460

Winter Miller in Massachusetts

winter@heroonmyarm.com

Just a bit of what we've been up to lately...

In pictures!

Stay tuned, lots more updates are coming!

Welcome Home

18 years after his FA-18 Hornet was shot down during the first night of the Gulf War, Navy pilot Captain Michael Scott Speicher was finally flown home to Florida today. He will be buried tomorrow in a private ceremony. Welcome home American Hero, and God Speed.

Minor Changes...

We updated the website today- it is now officially heroonmyarm.com  It used to be polkadotdoorboutique.com (even though typing in heroonmyarm.com would take you there).  This was a long over due change, however if you were on the website today, you may have run into some broken links.  They should all be fixed now.

Our email addresses will no longer be @polkadotdoorboutique.com either.

So both of these:

heroonmyarm@polkadotdoorboutique.com

seneca@polkadotdoorboutique.com

can just be deleted.

**Slight update- we did get these forwarded, however if you emailed us directly through these email accounts any time Saturday through Sunday morning, you should re-send**

If you would like to contact us by email, we can be reached at:

contactus@heroonmyarm.com

seneca@heroonmyarm.com

If you happened to email us today, and didn't hear back, please try resending to the new emails.

The contact us form on the website still works, and didn't have any downtime today.

Clear as mud, yes?

A Trip Down Logo Memory Lane...

Early 2004...

making these.

Mid 2004...

making these

Fall 2004...

We find our calling!

Introduced 2007...

What do you think, do you like our logo, or is time for another update?

P.S.- Can you tell purple is Seneca's favorite color?  LOL.

Old Becomes New Again...

This bag had its beginnings way back in 2006:

It was commissioned as a custom design, and made not with an actual uniform, but just was camo fabric. After we made it, we added it to the photo gallery, and moved on. Then requests for it started pouring in. We named it the Jacqueline. But most people wanted it made with their uniform.

This is where we ran into problems. The dimensions didn't work with the size of the pockets already on the uniform, and uniforms (especially the older, starched ones) didn't gather the same way that fabric straight off the bolt does. So when we made this bag using a uniform it ended up looking like this:

Still cute, but definitely not the same bag. Admittedly, we kinda gave up on this bag for a while. It was just too confusing to have on the website, and we relegated it to custom order only status. After some proding from one of our retailers that we needed to sort out the Jaqueline bag confusion, we're finally ready to launch a new version:

This is our new Jacqueline bag! Its available now on our website HERE. This is, like our other bags is made out of a uniform, but if the uniform has slanted pockets (like the new Army and Marine Corps uniforms) they will get straightened to make this bag. The dimensions are 14" x 8" x 6" with 20" double straps connected with metal hardware. The new Jacqueline also comes standard with a zipper closure and metal feet at no additional charge.

Hope you like it! Leave us a comment and tell us what you think.

Upcoming Events...

Fort Rucker Freedom Fest

Friday, July 3rd

Andrews Avenue Fields (between Dean & Crusader Streets)

4 pm to 11 pm

Fort Lewis Freedom Fest

Saturday, July 4th

Cowan Stadium

11 am to 10 pm

We'll have premade Hero On My Arm purses and be taking custom orders, hope to see you there!

Navy Girls...

...Get the cutest bags!

Email Issues...

We are in the process of emailing everyone that has a current order with us and updating them on the status of their order.  Several times last month, some of us were out of the office and had some of our various email accounts forwarded- we just realized that there had been a problem with (and thankfully were able to fix) this, but unfortunately, we're afraid we may have "lost" a number of emails in the process.  Our sincerest apologies if you've had any trouble in contacting us- we're trying to remedy this as speak by touching base with everyone.  Can we blame the technology???  Probably not, but it was worth a shot!

If you are trying to get in touch with us, the correct email to use is:

heroonmyarm@polkadotdoorboutique.com

Remembering...

It was on June 6, 1944, that Operation Overlord- the long anticipated Allied invasion of Nazi-held Europe- went into action. What came to be known as the 'D-day landings'.

On the French beaches and in those hedgerows, many made the ultimate sacrifice. Over two thousand Americans, British, Canadians, and Australians died that first day, trading their lives for a single ambition...so we could live free.

The allied commander of the D-Day invasion, Gen Dwight D Eisenhower gave the order of the Day-

"Full victory- nothing else"

Be Our Friend/Fan/Follower...You get free stuff!

Congratulations to our May Hero On My Arm contest winners!

The Army Wife Network poll (What is your favorite Hero On My Arm purse style?) result was:

the Abigail, with 48% of the votes!

Our entries for a free Abigail bag were:

1. JazzerGyrl

2. Nttjcook

3. FlyAArmy

4. Wayfunmommy

5. Proudwifey

6. Mamacita

7. Kristin/Pround USMC Mama

8. She's Unstoppable, unpredictable

9. 11 months down/3 months to go

10. Brandi Boyd Bollinger

11. Shelly Vermeylen

12. Amy Marek

13. Lindsay Belsha

14. Billie Freitas

15. Christina Frescas Salazar

16. Janna Nielsen Devore

17. 4-Ever & Allways

And our winner is:

4. WayfunMommy!

We also had a MySpace Comment contest running, our entries were:

1. SPC. Dutton's Wifey

2. PIA

3. Chloe

4. Kudos For Kiddo

5. Heather

6. Fontaine

7. Loke Times Infinity

8. Mrs. Stefan

9. Rachel

10. Live, Laugh and Love

11. krystine ann

12. Michelle Ma

13. Amos

14. 4'SENUF

15. Whole Again

16. PFC Tiahuel's Wife

17. Mrs. Amanda Huner

18. John & Sarah

19. Jackie

20. Amy

21. Sharon WinGrace

22. Jess

23. She's unstoppable

24. Mr. & Mrs. Nunez

25. Kristin/pround USMC Mama

26. Mamacita

27. 4-Ever & Allways

28.Katelin

29. Crystal

30. Haley

31. Geralynn

32. Michelle

33. Denita

34. Mike Stropes Wifey

35. Joshua's Wife

And the winner of a $50 gift certificate is:

3. Chloe!

Anybody reading this that has NO idea what we are talking about, here's how you can stay up to date with all the latest Hero On My Arm information and contests, in 3 easy steps...

Step 1:

Follow us on Twitter- HERE!

(Tweeters get something really cool this month, too!)

Step 2:

"Friend" us on MySpace- HERE!

(There's still another $50 Gift Certificate up for grabs here)

Step 3:

Become a Hero On My Arm Fan on Facebook- HERE!

(Our Facebook Fans also have a great giveaway coming up, you won't want to miss it!)

Okay, well I think we've given away enough free stuff for today- Congrats to our winners!

Sales Rep Updates Next Week!

I know that quite a few of you have emailed about our sales rep program- we will have an update on the website next week.  You'll be able to see exactly where there are already sales reps (great to know for throwing parties and ordering, too!) and also some answers to the most commonly asked questions about the program.  Its our goal to make it as clear and informative as possible, so please be patient with us.

And to everyone that has already emailed, I've gotten back with you briefly, but I will speak to you all again once we've finished all the updates.  If you (or anybody reading this!) has any questions about the program that you want answered, please let us know.  You can leave a comment, or send us an email.

Our team is growing, we hope you can join us!