Really Fried My Goat!!!!!

Amy Chalmers recently wrote about the wonderful people she has met through the crazy world of blogging.

And I agree.....

I have made some great friends and met some interesting people.....

BUT THEN THERE WAS 

THIS GUY!!!!!

Before I get into my ranting and raving, let me give you a little of my background on doing promotions for fabric companies........

A MILLION YEARS AGO.....

(15-20)

(maybe, can't remember.....)

I did an international ad for Sanderson Fabrics.

It was really exciting for me.
It was shown in all the shelter (home) magazines, from Architectural Digest to Better Homes and Gardens.....

Here's the ad.....

Next week, (or the week after), I will go into more detail about this room.

But to give you an idea of the amount of fabric Sanderson gave to me for the ad, check out this picture.....

photo from Design Times Magazine by Eric Roth photography

The walls were upholstered, the draperies made, the furniture covered and the trim all from Sanderson. I obviously loved the tea dipped look of the cabbage rose linen.

I KNOW!!!!!

Me and Cabbage Roses!!!!!

Hickory Chair, the furniture company, supplied all the furniture, as it was an ad for them also..... 

Both those companies were a delight to work with, and I still have fond memories of the whole process.

Soooooooo......

That's where my mindset is set.....

In my mind......

Like that there above.....

Last week I received this email.....

I've blocked the name of the company, 'cuz I don't want them to get any publicity from me, even if it's negative.....

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Hello,

I’m contacting you on behalf of I’m blocking the name. We discovered your blog recently and really like what you are doing. Because of this we have an interesting proposal for you:

We would like to give you some free fabric.

It may sound like a strange proposal but hear us out. We want you to use our fabric and create something cool. We will send you the fabric of your choice (within reason) and the amount you need (again, within reason.) We really don’t want any money, instead just mention we gave you the fabric.

For example, you use our fabric to make a cool pillow. You then write about that pillow and post lots of pictures. At some point in the post simply mention that the fabric was courtesy of I’m blocking the name and link to our site.

That’s it.

Simply head over to  I’m blocking the name , pick out the fabric you want to use and respond to this email with a link to that fabric. Also, make sure to mention what you plan to make with it. We will take it from there.

Hope to hear from you soon!

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So, I clicked over to the fabric site, and spent quite a bit of time trying to find some fabric that I could use to make pillows for Maison Decor Boston.

Amy let me know 

(in her subtle way.....)

That she wanted to stick to a somewhat neutral palette.

SOOOOOOOO.......

She and I finally found a blue and cream linen stripe that wasn't too bad that I could make a couple of pillows out of for her new store.

SOOOOOOOOOO.....

I emailed the company back letting them know the fabric I had chosen by responding directly to the email they had sent to me.

This is what I received.....

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Hey Betsy,

I have the stripe for you, just measured it and there are just over 5.25 yards left.

Today is the last of the Free shipping, so you might as well grab it.

Please let me know asap

Michelle 

Designer

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whereupon I responded.......

This is supposed to be for a blog post, where your company supplies the material for no charge in exchange for me featuring the fabric with a link to your site.

I'm confused about the shipping charge.

Are we not on the same page?

Betsy Speert

betsyspeert.blogspot.com

Whereupon......

She responded.......

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm so sorry Betsy, we sell the best fabrics for hugely discounted prices.  We are not able to send fabrics of your choosing to you at no charge.

Regards

Michelle 

Designer

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By this point I was getting 

VERY CONFUSED!!!!!!

So I emailed her a copy of the original letter.

Then, being a big fan of mysteries!!!!! I called the company to see what was going on.

I spoke to an absolutely lovely women who was as confused as I was.

She asked me to send a screen shot of the email, which I did.

With this note attached.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Paula, here it is right side up.

Oy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

(I sent it wrong side up on my first try.....)

THEN I WENT OUT AND HAD FUN WITH MY BIDNESS PARTNER KRIS, LOOKING FOR STUFF FOR AMY'S STORE!!!!!

We found some great things.

When I came home, I had received this email from the fabric company

(whose name I won't divulge......)

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 Very strange. None of us have seen that email, ever

Who is it signed by?

Michelle 

Designer

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Up to this point.....

Everything had been professional, courteous, but just confusing.

THEN I GOT THIS EMAIL!!!!!!

OY OY OY OY OY!!!!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Betsy:

I own and run  I’m blocking the name. 

The letter you got was sent by a company  we have on Retainer to come up with ideas to give our company more exposure (even though our exposure and ranking are already VERY high).  

This was an idea only, one which I had not yet approved and, by some misunderstanding, they thought I had approved it and sent out the invitation to swap fabric for honorable mentions in people's blogs. 

I did not intend to approve it, and rather, just intended at most to approach a small group of people who's blogs we would be interested in associating with. 

Sadly, your blog is not on this list. I find your blog quite negative in its general tone, and though your readership may find your "attitude" amusing, I find it casts a negative pall over all your articles, even those where praise is given. 

Sorry for the confusion, but you may now consider this matter closed in terms of bartering fabric for a mention in your blog. 

Should you wish to purchase the fabric you like, you can do that directly on the website, or call us for assistance.

Thank you, 

John Fuller, Managing Partner

I’m blocking the name

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whereupon.....

I responded.....

Dear John,

I have been nothing but pleasant in my correspondence with your company.

As a designer of more than 30 years with 2 design books under my belt, many magazine covers and an international following, I do not want or need free fabric.

I was willing to do this post as a fun project that would have given a small company exposure.

I am very disappointed in your disparaging  comments about my blog.

They were neither necessary, gracious or professional

All you had to write was that there had been a misunderstanding and that you were sorry for any confusion that an agent under your employ may have caused. 

Someone representing your company contacted ME.

I responded in good faith.

Then you insulted me.

Again, not professional.

Elizabeth Speert

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I am very grown up!!!!!

Then this guy still had to have the last word!!!!

What is his problem?????

IF YOU DON'T LIKE MY BLOG,  LEAVE ME ALONE AND GO READ SOMETHING ELSE!!!!!!

He wrote.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you for you reply.  

You yourself advertise " a lot of attitude" right on the front of your blog. 

I find this " attitude" one which I don't wish our products or company associated with. 

I am entitled to my opinion, and to make these sorts of decisions for my company  

If you have " attitude",  and tell it as you see it, dont get insulted when someone looks at your blog and does the same. 

Certainly to get insulted when someone does exactly the same as you do is ridiculous in the extreme. 

John Fuller

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Stick a fork in me.....

I'm done.

But I really had to write about it because his behavior was so bizarre.

Thanks for letting me rant and rave, you guys.

You're the best.

And then I received this comment from one of my readers.....

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Katherine Wolak has left a new comment on your post "Redoing the Front of My Cape Home": 

What an adorable post, made me smile, youre such a happy and positive person! :D 
hugs, 

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I tell ya, my readers ROCK!!!!!

Latah, Gatah