Welcome to Beautiful British Columbia!

Short Stories in the Making

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:34:00 +0000

Twitter is my new best friend. I've met so many interesting bloggers via Twitter and honestly call them friends even though I only know them 'online'. The ones who answer a 'tweet' or a call for help amaze me no end.

When I need technical help, or a simple answer about a product, I know some kind soul somewhere in the world will answer my plea and usually help me solve my problem.

Yesterday, I needed a review of a new ebook and put out a request on Twitter - sure enough, an answer quickly came from Colleen Gough of Short Stories in the Making. She agreed to write a review - and within 24 hours completed it, posted it to her blog and did a great job.

Colleen writes from the heart. After reading only a few of her posts, I know she is truly a good person who appreciates each day and is thankful for her blessings. She is strong in her beliefs and no doubt a loyal, honest friend.

The Law of the Garbage Truck is one of Colleens recent posts and is one of my favorites. If you haven't read this story of the taxi driver who doesn't let other people's garbage ruin his day, you need to visit Colleen! She will inspire you to be tolerant and forgiving!

Thanks Twitter - for introducing me to Colleen!

Ebook Affiliate Program

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:42:00 +0000

Image by woodleywonderworks via Flickr

Are you a Green Blogger? Do you love to learn, practice, and promote new ideas to make our world safer for the generations to come?

This new Ebook “How to Save Money and the Planet” will give you some wonderful ideas you can implement and share.

My friend Murray Newlands is looking for green affiliate bloggers with green affiliate blogs to write reviews of his newest Ebook. He has a variety of landing pages and is willing to make YOU a custom landing page.

As the title of the book suggests it is very much focused on how to save money and stop waste, as well as how to save the environment. Ebooks are very popular in any economy but in a recession climate, consumers want to save money and are very conscious of where every penny goes.

This is an opportunity to make money as an affiliate while doing something positive for the environment.

Please join Murray's Ebook Affiliate Program.

Beautiful British Columbia and our entire planet will thank you :)

Recession Humour from Virgin Mobile

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:06:00 +0000

Hot Tip of the Day:

'Libraries aren’t just for making out anymore. Hit up your local “free bookstore” for books & movies.'

We all need a break now and then from the incessant recession talk, and Virgin Mobile has an awesome 'Screw You Recession' blog with some very humorous articles, suggestions, and critiques of how celebrities of the world are coping in this economic downturn.

Want advice or tips on fashion, eating, daily living, the arts, going green or the tech world? Virgin Mobile has it all, using a very funny approach which will appeal to nearly everyone. Be sure you input your mood into the Recession Mood Meter to weigh in on this heavy subject!

Screwyourecession.ca will be posting interviews with financially savvy people Richard Branson, Virgin Group Founder and will be inviting interesting guest bloggers to take part in this cool site.

Everyone needs to use a budget calculator, and it, as well as e-coupons will be coming soon. Of course no blog would be complete without a Facebook page - so check back regularly for updates.

Virgin Mobile has some cool phones and affordable calling plans - sign up and say Hello to 'screwing the recession'.

Please follow @virginmobilecan on Twitter: http://twitter.com/virginmobilecan to catch the latest and greatest tips on screwing the recession!

Personalized Gifts for Special Guests

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 08:35:00 +0000

I have personalized towels and housecoats on the Jervis Mist and love them. Really special guests get a golf shirt with 'Jervis Mist' embroidered on the chest, but I've never ordered myself a shirt or jacket. It must be time!

Whether you want personalized baby gifts, hats, t-shirts or golf shirts, www.Threadsmith.com is the place to go.

I uploaded my bald eagle avatar 'Baldy' to see how it would look on a shirt. It took a while because it's a huge file, and I don't need all the background color so I need to photoshop my picture first, then upload it again. Creating custom embroidery logos and text is very simple and you may see exactly how your project will look before ordering. The simple 'foundry tool' allows you to increase or decrease the number of colors - of course, the fewer the colors, the less expensive your embroidery.

Here is a screenshot of my picture while it was loading. I really like the stylized look of the eagle.

There's a decent selection of styles and colors from which to choose - and talk about a 'unique gift'. I'll certainly use this site when I need a special birthday gift, baby gift or a guest gift! I hope you'll check it out and be sure to show me the cool gifts you choose to have embroidered.

Research Before Surgery

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:42:00 +0000

After seeing a few 'older than me' women go through various nips, tucks and facelifts I always said I'd 'never' bother. Mostly because I didn't like the extreme tightening of the skin facial skin and the problems with eyes not closing properly.

Well, that was before MY wrinkles set in and before my skin started to thin and sag and bulge in the wrong places, and before my boobs started sagging. That has to be the worst. When I look in the mirror now, I'm reminded of the cartoon where an old saggy breasted, bulgy bellied woman pulls up a really tight girdle and her boobs pop back in place making her look 30 again.

Who took my youthful beauty while I wasn't looking? What a shocker to have that happen and now I WANT IT BACK! Cosmetic plastic surgery has come a long way since I first heard of friends trying it and I might even consider obtaining Breast Enlargement Advice. I bought a lovely summer strapless dress yesterday which would look even more fabulous with perky boobs.

Mya.co.uk (Make Yourself Amazing) has an interesting website which answers many questions and offers tons of information. Beware - there are photos of surgical procedures, so it's not for the faint of heart! I'm sure I could find a reputable cosmetic surgery site on this side of the Atlantic Ocean so I wouldn't have the need to travel afar, but it's certainly worth researching many different sites to compare prices, procedures and to read first hand testimonials before making a decision.

How do you feel about plastic surgery? Would you ever consider it? Do you think there should be an age restriction? How would you choose a doctor or clinic? How far would you travel for a highly recommended service?

Changing Trends

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:59:00 +0000

28 years ago, when I was pregnant, maternity clothes were plain old ugly - and difficult to find! I bought one pretty blue top, and one pair of jeans with a stretch panel in the front - man, they were fugly!

Rather than spend a lot of money on clothes I knew I'd never wear again, I chose to sew my own outfits, even a black dress to wear to a pre-Christmas party. I was actually in labor the night I wore it to the party.

Since then, many clothing companies have embraced the 'baby bump' with comfy, affordable, attractive outfits, making it a pleasure to see a pregnant woman dressed in stylish attire, proud of her 'condition'.

If you are looking for trendy, unique styles to fit your lifestyle, I suggest taking a look at Kiki's Fashions for a great selection of quality clothing at up to 75% discounts. How much do you think the purple strapless costs? You won't believe the price!

Here is an exclusive 20% discount code for you to use at checkout: "blogfriends".

Old Spaghetti Factory

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:44:00 +0000

Last night 6 of us went out for dinner to celebrate a friends birthday. None of us had been to the 'Old Spaghetti Factory' in many years and it was a very pleasant surprise.

We didn't wait long to be seated, but we weren't fussy either about the location of our table as long as it wasn't too far a walk for Pop with his walker. We were seated at a window table which was just below street level so we saw 'everything' that was happening.

The Old Spaghetti Factory in New Westminster is right beside the Sky Train station and there are plenty of unsavory characters who hang around there, so that made for some good 'people watching'.

Our waiter was a bit of a talker, and a little disorganized, but other than that everything was very good. The place was clean, with great antique furniture and art objects imported from Great Britain. The large scale near the front door was a great conversation piece. Pop suggested we all weigh ourselves before and after dinner. He didn't get many takers - ha!

The food was excellent and I would not hesitate to recommend the Old Spaghetti Factory. Of course, you expect spaghetti to be served, but the menu was extensive with a range of prices and very kid friendly. The bill with a bottle of red wine and 3 drinks was about $45.00 per couple, which seemed very reasonable for an evening out with good friends!

It didn't look like hard times had hit in New West last night - as we were finishing dinner the lineup of families was stretched halfway up the block!

Zenni Optical Mentioned in New York Times

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 02:17:00 +0000

The companies which are offering great buys on products will no doubt do very well with sales during the next few years, but have all the retailers figured this out? I don't think so. I'm not seeing the prices of retail products drop as quickly as the jobs and hours are dropping for the average person.

One of the companies, ZenniOptical.com, that sells eyeglasses at amazingly reasonable prices will do very well in my opinion. Zenni Optical was recently mentioned in the New York Times as a provider of very reasonably priced frames - and for very good reason!

ZenniOptical.com sells quality, fashionable frames at amazingly low prices. How do they do that? Well, there is no middleman associated with your purchase and their advertising is kept to a minimum.

If it's time for you to order new glasses and you are looking for a great price on quality frames, please check out Zenni Optical. I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

Do Over Day February 26

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:00:00 +0000

February 26 is DO OVER DAY! What would you 'Do Over' if you had the chance to make things right from your past?

I have so many regrets from the past it's hard to choose just one, but since this is now an official Calendar Occasion, with greeting cards, T-shirts and more, I will start at the start to make amends. I should be able to make amends for everything I regret in the 40 or so years I have left on earth!

Here is my first remembrance of an offense I committed which hurt another.

When I was 12, I encouraged my friend to steal her Moms red lipstick on Halloween evening and we went out to the carport and I wrote all over her Moms car windshield, using up ALL the lipstick and making a terrible mess of the car.

I never admitted to that mean prank and my friend had to clean the lipstick off the windshield. I've been sorry about that for 45 years now and can't even apologize to her Mom because she died years ago. I hope this gets me off the hook! I know I feel better for having admitted I made a mistake.

What do you want to make amends for in your past? Do you regret a lost opportunity, a scene you made at your best friends wedding, a choice to get a tattoo or do drugs? Not being there for a friend when he/she needed your help?

Where would your life have gone if you could 'Do Over' just one event?

Mark Do Over Day on your calendar right now, then make your plans to make amends for something which you regret. Be sure to spread the word about Do Over Day with your friends via Facebook - this awesome day could make a huge difference in their lives!

Celebrating 96 Years Young!

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 17:10:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

My 'Pop' has had 95 birthdays already and his 96th is coming up really quickly!

My family and I have held some incredible parties for him over the years with great themes and huge numbers of guests... so it's always difficult to come up with another idea for a party. When you live as long as Pop has I think your birthday should be very special every year.

So, I'm starting to research a few ideas now for his June birthday. Once I'm at Egmont, living aboard the boat for the Spring and Summer I don't have internet access continually and certainly don't have much time for research!

I always found kids birthday party ideas were easy to come up with, but adults are another story - especially 'older' adults.

With the help of Celebrations.com I think I've come up with a fairly good idea! Summer Solstice is the end of June so that theme would fit perfectly. The decor is simple - clear mini lights in the trees, a few Chinese lanterns hung from the branches, candles on the tables, pretty napkins and fresh flowers. Add guests, with a potluck dinner, a huge birthday cake with 96 candles, and party into the wee hours, while wishing Pop all the best and welcoming summer sunshine and warmth!

Will you join us?

NASCAR Scale Model Winner

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 23:55:00 +0000

I'm so pleased to announce the winner of the NASCAR Dana 1:24 Scale Model:

Tracy O. is a member of Smart Canucks where she found a link to the Beautiful British Columbia contest which was hosted through Bloggy Giveaways.

Congratulations Tracy - I hope you enjoy your new car!

Win a Nascar Dana 1:24 Scale Stock Car AND MORE!

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:01:00 +0000

THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED - THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED. WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!

The Bloggy Giveaways Contest Carnival is ON!

Now is your chance to enter to win hundreds (maybe thousands) of prizes being given away by various bloggers taking part in this Carnival. All participants are listed and linked on the Bloggy Giveaways site!

You may WIN this Nascar Dana 1:24 Scale Stock Car:

Leave your name and email address in the comment section below and you are entered to win - yes, it's that simple!

I will ship this prize via parcel post anywhere in the world :)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Now comes the really, really exciting part TWO of this contest. You may enter to win some serious, cold hard CASH by following the directions below! This will take a little more work on your part, but think of it this way - the odds of winning the $50.00 are much higher, the fewer people who complete the steps!

Follow these directions exactly and you will be entered to win $50.00 CASH - via Paypal only - so you must have a Paypal account:

If you are ready to earn money for blogging about the things you love, display affiliate links or display sponsorship links on your blog, read on!

You must have a personal blog written in English or Spanish to enter. Basically, your blog must:

* Be at least 90 days old, with at least 20 pre-existing posts written in the last 90 days.
* Contain content that is original to you and the blog.
* Be a blog, meaning no message boards, websites, IM, emails or other similar services.
* Not be a blog kept primarily for making money. Read the SocialSpark Terms of Service to be sure your blog qualifies. If you qualify, complete these easy steps:

1. Join SocialSpark.
2. Have your blog approved by IZEA (takes a few days).
3. Claim your blog in SocialSpark.
4. Join the TEDHeads.
5. Leave a comment here.
6. Leave a comment on the TEDHeads FB Group, saying you are in the process of joining SS and are a new member of this awesome group.

The contest runs from January 26 to January 30 (noon PST) and I will select one winner of the $50.00, randomly, from all new SocialSpark/TEDHeads members once all entered blogs are approved by IZEA.

Be sure to leave a comment with your name and email address in the comment section below this post.

Good luck in the Bloggy Giveaways Contest Carnival!

Enter my two other contests:

Win a 2 GB DiskGo Edge Flash Drive

Win 'My Little Pony" or $50.00 CASH

Mickey Rourke Rocks!

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 22:46:00 +0000

When I think of Mickey Rourke, I think 'character actor' not the star of The Wrestler.

Mickey has a look about him that I certainly wouldn't call handsome - HAWT yes, handsome NO! As a matter of fact, to me he looks like he's been around the block and back a couple of times, but he is unforgettable.

This man is tough as nails, a real man's man, but he has such a soft, vulnerable side to him that is revealed in the trailer for his new movie. He won the prestigious Golden Globe 'Best Actor' award for his portrayal of a has-been wrestler in the ring, but this man is no slouch in the brains department - his IQ is 119 - according to this Squiddo page! He also has an abundance of self confidence according to reports on his actions at the Golden Globes Awards. Perhaps he feels his time has finally come after years of being in the supporting actor role. I hope to see lots more great quality acting from this amazing man.

He's definitely in good company with Bruce Springsteen who won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song, beating out Beyonce, Peter Gabriel, Miley Cyrus, and Clint Eastwood.

Is there an Oscar in the future for Mickey? I sincerely hope so, but then I'm always rooting for the underdog. Especially the guy who has duct tape holding his jacket together!

IZEA Insider's TEDHead's

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 08:50:00 +0000

Please join my TEDHead's Crew. I need bloggers to help provide input into IZEA, win prizes in contests and be eligible to receive IZEAFest tickets! Check here for all the details:

New, New, New!

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 20:40:00 +0000

Have you dropped by my newly madeover blog, Boating in Beautiful British Columbia yet?

You might be interested to see my 'Baldy' logo and Favicon created by Unique Blog Designs - they are very cool (IMHO). I hope you will take a look - and be sure to leave a comment. I LOVE comments :)

How Many Domain Names Do You Own?

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 23:09:00 +0000

Do you buy domain names and store them, hoping to use them or sell them in the future? Do you buy them whenever you 'think up' a cool name? Do you try to come up with names with great possibilities?

I always wonder what people are doing with so many domain names! I own 8 domain names I bought through Go Daddy mostly as they are so user friendly, making the process very simple and quick.

People often buy their unborn or newborn children their own domain names. I like that idea and think it would be a really cool shower gift if you know the baby-to-be's name.

Oh Hey, what's up?

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 20:42:00 +0000

Win a lovely pashmina in your color choice at Oh Hey, What's Up?.

Simply leave a comment, twitter, write a post or stumble Corrin's post - and you will be entered to win. Be sure to leave a comment for each entry to increase your chances - and leave your color choice as well!

Thanks Corrin, for this wonderful contest. Good luck everyone!

Babble about Blabble on Facebook!

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 05:21:00 +0000

I love adding my photos to Facebook to share with family and friends so they can see what I've been doing lately. If there is a way to make the pictures say more than 1000 words, I'm all for it!

Here are a few photos which I've 'Blabbled on Facebook'. Blabble is a new Facebook 'app' which allows you to add text bubbles to your photos.

Once you've installed the 'app', simply click on 'add Blabble' then move the bubble to wherever you'd like it - either to hide something obtrusive in the photo, or in an empty corner. Double click to add your words, then move the arrow to whichever edge or corner you want your words to appear to come from.

How many Blabble's do you want to put on a photo? I think you could fill an entire frame - with as many as you like.

Not only can it be a lot of fun putting silly words in someone's mouth, or an easy way to add a description right on the photo, but it can also be a great way of sharing information, such as this 'Boatin' Margarita' recipe.

Blabble is a very simple application and extremely easy to use - on existing photos or on new ones. Once you've Blabbled your photos and saved them to the album, you may right click on the photo, 'save image as' whatever name you choose on your desktop or a folder, then upload them to your blog or website to show off to more people!

You're welcome to look at my photos on Facebook to see my Blabble (just request to be my friend)! Then install Blabble on your own Facebook and start Blabbling away to the world... making your pictures tell the story and perhaps a whole lot more!

Battle in Seattle

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 17:11:00 +0000

The Battle in Seattle recreates the historic, controversial events of protesters pitted against the Seattle Police Department and the National Guard during a 5 day protest of the World Trade Organization conference. The city of Seattle was host to the 1999 World Trade Organization's first ministerial conference held in America.

The conference was intended as the launch of a new round of trade negotiation with developing countries but representatives became resentful and uncooperative upon being excluded from talks as the USA and the EU attempted to cement a deal on agriculture. Forty thousand plus, Seattle area residents protested the WTO conference in the streets in a violent conflict with the law.

The 'Battle in Seattle' feature film dramatization of the 1999 WTO protest was filmed in Vancouver and opened in select theatres yesterday in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

The film stars Charlize Theron, a SWAT team wife, who ends up on the wrong side of the law. Woody Harrelson as a member of the SWAT team, Ray Liotta as the Mayor of Seattle and Martin Henderson, one of the key protesters star in this dramatic, life altering story of an historic protest centered around the idealistic doctor who merely wishes to fight aids in Africa, and the Seattle Mayor's conflicted emotions between law and order, and human rights.

This intense drama re-ignites controversy and details the pain and suffering present today in the mines, mills and factories of the Third World. 'Battle in Seattle' may make you re-think your values once you learn how local citizens made a difference in an organized protest which turned into a violent and uncontrollable week long battle of the populace of Puget Sound against the establishment.

Ideas on Tap

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 17:00:00 +0000

Crystal, Morgan and I attended Ideas on Tap at Yaletown Brew Pub Thursday evening. This light networking event was put on by 6S Marketing to give 5 people a 60 second 'milk crate' speech to promote their web business, blog , or tech idea.

After an hour of schmoozing, beer drinking and watching the Canucks game, we listened to the speakers, voted by tapping our beer glasses and cheering for Andre Charland of Nitobi Software who won a 16 GB iPod Touch!

Approximately 250 people attended Ideas on Tap, making it a huge success for the tech/blogging community of Vancouver. Next one is January 2009. You may sign up to receive an email notification.

Costume Creations

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:16:00 +0000

I have a funny photo to share of Halloween costumes Kent and I wore in the 1980's. Yes, of course we won a prize - a bottle of wine I think! The prize wasn't the point though - we were out to have fun. Our 'Bride and Groom' costumes were made of plastic bags which I sewed, threaded and taped together. We discovered plastic is rather uncomfortably hot to wear!

Halloween is one of my favourite times as I love dress-up, whether it's a last minute alien headdress made of tinfoil or elegant Period Costumes. I love acting the part and being 'someone else' for an evening.

Halloween Day I always try to visit various business where the employees dress up. The banks always seem to be big on inventive costumes, but even seeing a pair of ghost socks on an employee in a store makes me smile.

Now, here is the bar pick-up line of October: "Have you decided on a costume for Halloween?" It's certainly an ice breaker and sometimes creates an interesting conversation. Sure - you may borrow that!

You can get some great costume ideas at HalloweenAdventure.com, "The Masters of Masquerade".

So, what are dressing as for Halloween? Do you have your costume picked out? Are you dressing up for work? Going out to a bar? Staying home to scare the little kiddies with a witch costume? Let me know - I need some good ideas this year.

Moose Hunting

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:11:00 +0000

Kent and Pop are on their way to Vernon from the hunting grounds. Their group shot 3 moose, so we'll certainly eat well this winter!

Pop is staying with Graeme and Lise for a week or two and Kent will fly home tomorrow.

Once the meat is butchered, packaged and frozen we'll drive back up to Vernon to load it and bring Pop and his motorhome back to our place then home to Egmont for a few weeks.

Toby Keith Live in Concert at GM Place

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 18:14:00 +0000

I went to the Toby Keith concert with friends Friday night. It was awesome!

Private underground parking was included with our tickets - so only a short lineup to get to the parking, then into a huge lot with very few vehicles and an elevator only a few short steps away. Our tickets were checked twice and in we went...

...to a private Vancouver Canucks box suite where we were treated like royalty, with our own server, leather furniture, private bathroom, hockey memorabilia and pure luxury. It's fun to have friends who KNOW the right people :) We ordered beer and wine and our host ordered a cheese platter and satay chicken - YUM!

Jamie Farrell and Aaron Pritchett opened and got the crowd in the party mood. And, I mean party - the air was blue with smoke in no time.

Toby Keith put on a great performance, starting off with the funniest ad for his new movie. He did lots of his older songs and entertained with 'Weed With Willie', 'Beer for my Horses' amongst others.

Video to come!

Share Your Annoying Phone Call Story!

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 03:18:00 +0000

If you have ever received an annoying phone call, I have a site for you to investigate!

Phone Number Info is available at the phonenumberinvestigator.com so you may check to see who has been calling you. You may have a debt collector after you, a telemarketer who won't leave you alone, or worse - a threatening call. Whatever or whomever it is, enter the phone number and you will be able to obtain information on the owner of the number.

Be sure to share your story by leaving a comment on the site with the number and the problem. The more people who know about this service, the better.

Ask Owen Anything Technical

noreply@blogger.com (Heather in Beautiful BC) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:44:00 +0000

I feel very fortunate to have helpful, knowledgeable blogger friends - all over the world!

View Larger Map

Owen from Ask Owen is one of them - and he lives on the Isle of Man - half way around the world - but as close as my keyboard.

If you need advice - from simple information about a sending photos via email to the most technically advanced gobbledy gook about Linux, give Owen a shout.

Owen is the creator of Word Press plugins, such as Comment Email Responder and WP Auctions.

Travel on over to the Isle of Man this afternoon - and tell Owen I sent you!