About a month ago, I started wondering what would make an interesting Happy Holidays card to send clients and friends.

We've come up with some pretty funny cards in previous years but this year's not looking all that funny - so I was stumped.

Then I remembered Donald, the artist.

I called and asked him if he could paint us an image to represent new beginnings - fresh starts for the coming year. I didn't want Christmas trees, Santa Claus or palm trees with lights on them.

He said, "How about a baby chicken?"

Hmmm. Let's take a look.

A few days later, I drove over to Donald's and he showed me an acrylic painting of a small yellow chick emerging from the whitest of cracked eggs on a green and red background.

I loved it.

We created a card using it with a straightforward headline: We asked our friend Donald to paint a holiday card. He painted this chicken.

On the inside, the copy reads: He said the holidays for him mean "new beginnings" like this baby chicken. We wish you a new beginning, new hope and fresh starts this year. All the best, Lois Geller Marketing Group. We're a new chicken too (after 14 years as Mason and Geller Direct).

Then, by a total fluke, I came across a place that sells realistic fake eggs. Put one in a bowl of water for a few days and a yellow chick emerges. It comes out bigger than the egg. It's fun to watch. I bought a bunch of them and sent each out with a card.

So, if you're not yet on my Christmas card list, here's to all of our new beginnings this 2009. It'll be a good year to help a friend, do random acts of kindness and create good karma in bad times - may they be oh so short.

If you'd like to win the original 9" X 12" New Beginnings Chick painting by Donald Sexauer, just share your new beginnings story below... The best story wins.

 Tell me your story and you might win our prized chicken.