Good morning everybody!

Over the weekend I was getting caught up on a lot of on-line reading.  I couldn’t help but be struck by a number of family blogs that say something like:

“Well, I guess I have to start shopping for her Communion dress (or suit)” and then they go on to say how much they’re dreading the whole “ordeal”.

The thing is - the fact that they DID wait this long is why it’s going to be “an ordeal”.  The stores are completely picked over now.  Selection is down to a minimum.

These same people are contacting us saying that they HAVE to have this specific dress WAY sooner than it’s available.

That’s why we talk so much about shopping early - getting at it in December or early January.  February is even good.  You can choose from a myriad of styles for communion dresses or suits!

But the longer you wait - the fewer choices you have.  That’s just the way it works. 

Wish we could wave a magic wand and change it for the late-minute shoppers, but we can’t.

You need to know WHERE TO LOOK now.  We DO have choices!  But as with anywhere else, not as many as you would have had a month or two ago.

Where to look?  First, in our Clearance Dept.  There are a lot of gems in there - and these dresses and suits are ready to ship out right away.

Next, in our Sale and Available Fast Departments. These can ship much more quickly than our typical special order styles.

And please - keep an open mind!  When you’re shopping at the last minute, you need to select from what IS available.  Please don’t ask us to get something for you sooner than the availability shows in the description.  We just can’t take an order requesting delivery sooner than a style is expected to be available!  That’s why we provide you with all the information - to help you make a fully informed choice.

And if the approximate delivery date is just days before your wear date - pick something else!  This is the busiest season for children’s dresses of all and absolutely anything can happen to cause a delay - things that are COMPLETELY out of our control.  We do our utmost to serve you well and promptly but there are some things that just are not within our grasp to make happen.

Think of it this way — if you’re in a store, you have to pick from what is available there.  Same here - you have to pick from what is available for when you need it.  The difference is that we have SO MUCH selection!

So what I guess I’m trying to say is that at this late date, your #1 choice may not be available for you anymore — but don’t despair, because something truly wonderful IS available in time if you’ll approach your shopping with an open mind.

And we really DO want you to enjoy your shopping experience.  We just can’t make the impossible happen for you.  Wish we could! But we can’t.  That’s why we go to so much trouble to provide you with all the information you need to make a fully informed decision that is right for you.

Shopping for First Communion can be a wonderful time of bonding for parent and child!

Do you need help getting your Communion photo or video up to enter our Communion Portrait Drawing?

 We want to share the help we found in  The Costco Connection, April 2008, page 13:

Q.  Can you tell me how to post a video clip on a site such as YouTube?

A:  Uploading video to YouTube might sound daunting, but it’s quite a simple — and rewarding — process.

First, make sure your edited video is shorter than 10 minutes and smaller than 100 megabytes.  Save your video as QuickTime, MOV, Windows .AVI or. WMV, or .MPG files as they work best with YouTube.  The e site also recommends the MPEG4(DivX, Xvid) format at 640 x 480 resolution with MP3 audio.

That might sound like jargon soup, but all you need to remember is that once you have a video you want to upload to YouTube (say, transferred from a camcorder), simply save it as one of the above-mentioned formats, found in your video editor’s option settings.

Next, click the “Upload Videos” button near the top right corner of any YouTube page and enter as much information about your video as possible, such as title, author, description, tags (search keywords), category and so on.  Also, select if you want your video to be public (for the whole world to see) or private (by invitation only).

After you click the “Upload a Video” button you’ll be prompted to browse for the video file on your computer’s hard drive.  Select the file you wish to upload.  That’s it!

Keep in mind that it can take up to an hour for the bideo to be uploaded and available for viewing.

If you want to learn how to upload a YouTube video from your cell phone, visit LifeHacker.com

Thank you Costco!

What keywords should you use?  We suggest:

• Child’s name
• Term such as - First Communion, First Communion dress, First Communion suit, First Communion day
• Settings  Public - definitely public

Looking forward to seeing your photos and videos!

More answers to your questions about our fantastic Communion Portrait Drawing . . . .

 How do I post my photo/video?

That’s a GREAT question!  However, we’re not technical people here.  We know dresses and suits and special occasion customs and things like that inside and out, but we’re not techies.  Wish we were!  (Gosh - wouldn’t THAT be great?!?!?)

This is one thing I can say for sure though - just about every teenager in the country knows how so there’s lot of help out there for you!  There is “HELP” on the sites as well and lots of tutorials if you Google for them.  It HAS to be simple (admittedly not to this old brain) because bazillions of people are doing it every day!

So don’t stress over it - there are lots of folks out there who can help you at the drop of a hat.

Who knows, you might get “the bug” for it!

Woohoo!  We’ve added Husky Sizes to several colors of pants now too!  Available in our Separates Department.

(Nope - we don’t have a separate photo for each color of pants - sorry.   The khaki photo really shows them off the best anyway.)

Our boys’ blazer #CV-779 is now available in HUSKY sizes!

This is a very popular blazer - in fact, this entire line is very popular. 

We have just added husky sizes.  That is, while supplies last . . . .

Does this blazer qualify for our Communion Portrait Drawing?  ABSOLUTELY!  (See below for details)

The news is HUGE about our First Communion portrait drawing!

 Let’s answer your questions . . . .

Does the Communion photo have to be from Spring 2008? 

No!  It can be any time showing garments purchased from The Perfect Pear since opening in 1993!

Does the photo I post have to be the child I want in the portrait if we win?

Yes, please.  That’s the whole point!

Read more about our First Communion Portrait Drawing - to win a beautiful, hand-painted portrait of your child, grandchild or godchild - by scrolling down to read the announcement or go directly to:

Communion Portrait Drawing

Keep your questions coming in - we’ll be happy to answer!

We’ve mentioned that a huge announcement is coming a couple of times now (we couldn’t help it because we’re so excited!) . . .

 It’s here!

Announcing our First Communion Portrait Drawing!

We plan on selecting 2 winners - a boy and a girl - from this drawing.  Their families will win a GORGEOUS - HAND PAINTED - PORTRAIT OF THAT CHILD.

No sitting time or traveling necessary - this AMAZING ARTIST works from photographs.

See all the info here:  Communion Portrait Drawing

• What’s the catch?  NONE!
• What do you have to do?  Share your photos (videos too!) on line and then just tell us about it!
• Does the outfit have to be purchased from us?  Yes, at least something the child is wearing in the photo has to have been purchased from us (that includes headpieces, gloves, shoes if you can see them . . . ).
• Did you have to purchase it this year?  No!  It could have been purchased any time since we opened in 1993!
• How?  Right here!

Enter as often as you’d like!

We give you plenty of time to get photos and/or video from First Communions this Spring, too.

We ask you to tell a little story with the posting.  It can be short or long - your choice!

Enter - EARLY & OFTEN!

There is NO limit to the # of times you can enter!  Just keep it fresh by using a new photo, a different story, etc.

 WISHING YOU AND YOURS A TRULY BLESSED EASTER

There’s absolutely no doubt about it - dress #ALG-DR1141 is a FAVORITE this year for First Communion dresses!

And it’s easy to see why . . . . It is not the “typical” dress in any way, and yet it has features that make it very special.

The simple a-line silhouette is VERY flattering on all figure types.  The raised bodice too. The square neckline sets it apart, and the beautiful embroidery trim is just the right detail.

What’s more - it comes with a matching jacket.  So whether you need a dress with sleeves for her First Communion or not — this dress can meet your needs in a lovely way.

And — at a GREAT price!

Did we mention that it is also made in the USA????  And it’s because of that - we can still offer it.  Why?  Because they’re scurring to cut many more than originally planned to meet the demand.

A great dress  - from a great company - at a great price - made right here in the USA.

Definitely a top pick!

On February 14 we announced a whole new dress line has arrived - and you’ve shown us you love it from Day 1!

 But we forgot to mention something REALLY important . . . .

. . . . this line is MADE IN THE USA!

Yes, the Angels Collection is made in the USA (except for one gorgeous style we haven’t added to our store yet).

Thought you would love to know!

Earlier we talked about our very specifically Irish First Communion dresses.

Today we want to mention our Irish Communion accessories - which our Irish customers are loving!

Yes, you can have a dress that is made of fabric completely embroidered in shamrocks (like  CR-D4195).

Many come to us asking for just touches of Irish motifs for their child’s First Communion day - and we have just the answer for this, too!  It’s ACCESSORIES.

Accessories are available with both the shamrock or the claddagh symbol.  You can select from:  

• ties for boys
• purses
• rosaries
• guest books
• Bibles

You will find them in our Communion Accessories Department .