teeny.tiny.cute

Big City Life

2012-01-16T14:40:00.000-05:00

Big City Life

Thanks for the guest post by Jo Levy

When we moved to Miami, we really felt like we needed a class called Home Security 101. We never lived in a big city before, and it was difficult to know if we were doing all the right things. In our old town, everyone knew everyone else, so we didn’t worry too much about safety. Every once in a while there would be a problem in town, but it was usually an isolated incident. We knew that the realtor who helped us buy our house said our neighborhood was one of the safest in South Florida, but that doesn’t mean that bad things don’t happen. My husband was completely paranoid that something would go wrong, so we decided that we would reach out to friends for some advice about life in Miami. We were lucky enough to have a few good friends that my husband works with. We were really touched by the way our friends were so willing to help and give us tips about how we could make our home safer and a less likely target. We never thought that people would be so helpful in such a big city.

Bring in the new year with style

2012-01-04T14:10:00.002-05:00

Bring in the new year with style 200 words
A quality watch . . . . . is one of the finest, most precise, most carefully made mechanisms in the world. We are an authorized reseller of some of the best brands are ridiculously low prices, with FREE 2-day shipping

Recently I wrote a very positive review about the watch website bluedial.com.
I had written how I wanted a specific watch from that shop, and how I wanted to get my husband a Citizen Eco-drive watch.
Well, my husband surprised me with the watch I reviewed for Christmas!! I am so thrilled with it. It looks beautiful on my wrist. They had free 2-day shipping, so it arrived just in time for Christmas Day!!

My brother's birthday is coming up in March, and I know that he has been dying for a new watch. He likes the kinds that are self running, like the Eco-drive. So, I decided to browse Blue Dial to see what brands also carried similar watches. It turns out that Seiko watches also carry their own version, the Seiko Kinetic. These watches have an automatic power generator, which is powered by the motion of your wrist. My brother is very green, and wanted one of these partly because there are no batteries, which contaminate the groundsoil if thrown away. He is also very active, so I wanted to get him a style with a black rubber diver's strap.
I decided on the Seiko SKA413 Mens Watch Kinetic Dive Watch Black Dial Strap - USA model of SKA371P2. Here it is:

It has a contemporary yet classic face, and I like the silver and black contrast. I am going to order this right away. I love this site!

See better in 2012

2012-01-04T13:58:00.000-05:00

My husband had such great success in buying his new eyeglasses

from ZenniOptical.com that when my father was looking to buy some new ones for himself, I didn't hesitate to recommend their website. My father has worn eyeglasses for all of his adult life.

He prefers the frameless ones. He was on track to become a professor of history, so he definitely prefers the scholarly look. I told him about this site, and he was immediately interested. He hates the mall, he hates crowds, and he hates paying a lot for essentials like glasses.

He jumped on his new iPad to check out the site. Their prices range from 6 dollars to only 46 dollars! He wears bifocals, and they also sell progressives. On the left you just click all the options you want, and they provide you with pages of choices.
He decided to go with style #378911 for only $39.95, and $4.95 shipping.

When they arrived, he was thrilled. They definitely have a customer for life!

Sis Tells me

2011-12-12T13:47:00.000-05:00

Written by Fermin Washington

My sister kept telling me, “You need Amigo energy for your Northlake home!” and I just didn’t listen. She’s so nosy and I don’t see why she thought it was any of her business who we used for energy. But last year when that first cold day hit and our heat wouldn’t turn on because we hadn’t paid some kind of deposit we didn’t even know about I knew she was right – what was I thinking just winging it when she’s lived here for years? I think it’s just that I get tired of being the baby sister who doesn’t know anything about anything and I wanted something of my own. We were moving here for my new job, not to be closer to my family, and I wanted to set up a house and generally just do everything without any help from anyone. But at the end of the day it’s nice to have family so close by and I think I’m going to listen to my sister from now on. She does know best.

A simple, elegant gift for Christmas. A watch!

2011-12-05T17:17:00.000-05:00

          Have you struggled to find a perfect gift for that certain someone for Christmas or Hanukkah? Is your significant other into the latest tech gadgets? Do they always want the newest cell phone? I know that when my husband got his first iPhone and I would ask him what time it was, it seemed a little ridiculous to me to have to wait for him to a. pull it out of his pocket b. power it on, and then c. slide it to on in order for me to know the time.
         I wished he just wore a watch, or better yet, he had bought me a nice watch. It is so elegant to see a watch on a wrist, so classic and gentlemanly. So, I decided to buy him a watch for Christmas this year. And, I asked for a watch for myself. He doesn't know that he is getting one, too. Shh, it's a surprise!
        We are both recycling nuts and try to do our part for the environment. So, I went to this site a friend had recommended to me to look for ladies' watches to see what they had in terms of eco type watches. It turns out that they sell the Citizen Eco Drive watch, both for men and women. These watches require no batteries, so you don't have to be buying batteries constantly, then just throwing them into the landfill. Their prices are ridiculously low, too. I'm not a super girly girl, so I wanted something simple and elegant. They have a ton of selections, some with swarovski crystal.
        I finally decided on this one http://www.bluedial.com/ew8240-50a.htm

Isn't it beautiful? I can't wait to open it up on Christmas Day!

Silver Jewellry for Christmas Gifts at SilverSupermarket.com

2011-11-08T16:19:00.002-05:00

Many of my readers are non-US based. Christmas is fast approaching, and I hope to help my UK readers find some XMas gifts. Sterling Silver Jewellery is a classic and trendy gift idea for the ladies in your life. Silver Supermarket carries rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and pendants. Every piece is .925 Sterling Silver and their prices can't be beat! If I lived in the UK, I'd ask for an Emerald Cut Pink Cubic Zirconia Pendant for only £8.99!

Deserving Eyes Buy Their Eyeglasses at ZenniOptical.com

2011-11-02T15:27:00.000-04:00

My husband has been looking for new eyeglasses for a while now. We tried the mall eyeglass place, at least three times. Each time the wait for talking to a customer service rep was at least 30 minutes long. Finally, we gave up and went online to search out his new glasses.
We found zennioptical.com. They offer direct from the factory prices, with no middlemen. They only sell their own brand, which makes it easy to pick a style out. Their prices were crazy cheap, too! We decided to go with ZenniOptical.com to buy his cheap eyeglasses.

I saw that they had an option called Zenni Frame Fit. You can upload a photo of your face and see how the different frames fit your face. I uploaded a pic I had of my husband, he loved it! We tried on at least 10 different styles until we found the perfect pair for him. The most expensive pair on the site was only $46. That is an amazing bargain compared to the mall chain store. My hubby loves that vintage 50s style, like Buddy Holly. We were torn between style #239621 and #484321. The site had a convenient feature in which you can save your favorite styles when you want to come back to browse the site. Using their Frame Fit feature, we finally decided on style #484321.

Once we placed our order, we waited about a week for the glasses to arrive. We couldn’t believe that the shipping for US customers was only $4.95!
When he tried them on, they looked perfect! When he went to work the next day, all of his co-workers complimented him on his new glasses.

My Assistive Technology for my painful hands

2011-10-14T11:58:00.000-04:00

Dragon annoys me sometimes, so I usually end up using other "assistive technology" devices. The mouse is the worst for me. I have used two different foot mouses (feet mice?? :). The first one had two large click pedals. The pedals were close together and stiff, so it was hard to use.

Foot Mouse

Then I bought a large slipper type foot mouse, like a giant mouse for the foot, with a large mouse pad, and a separate piece for clicking the buttons. I really like this one, but it doesn't work well with my new computer. Here is the one I like. I bought it on ebay for much cheaper than the list price:

http://www.bilila.com/foot_mouse_slipper_mouse

Head Mouse

I started using all these about 5 years ago. I've since gotten better, but want to start using them again.

Here is the first model I used.

That was a joke. We made a fake one to spoof my husband's boss. He almost bought it!!

In addition to the foot mouse, I use a head mouse. I have the Smartnav 3. It was expensive, so I asked for it for Christmas.

http://www.naturalpoint.com/smartnav/products/3-at/
You can probably buy the 3 on ebay for way cheaper now.

Here is the Smartnav 4 head mouse, just to see how it's used.
The hat has a reflective strip at the front, you can also stick extra strips onto anything else, like your forehead, earlobe, etc.

Initially I used the head mouse, with a voice software. Dragon was too slow. Then I used just the voice clicking part. It makes a giant grid with numbers then you say "click 36" to click on that area.

I will say that even with all this, it was slow and frustrating. I usually ended up using my mouse and keyboard.

Trackball Mouse

So, now that I'm better, I limit my typing and computer use to at most 2 hours per day. Best is 1 hour. I use a special mouse that has a giant ball in the middle. A friend lent it to me.

I know this is a lot of information, I just wanted to throw out the other options to make it mouse free.

Flexibility and more

2011-10-07T16:15:00.000-04:00

Guest post from: Constance Rodgers

It’s a lot of fun having the flexibility of owning your own business but it’s also a whole heck of a lot of work. I don’t know if I just had unrealistic expectations or what but to be honest, I didn’t realize my life was going to be so taken over by my commitment to this store. I’ve been in the business now for about 4 years and though you might think things would be easier by now there are still challenges that come up every week that there’s really no way to prepare for. For example, I did a lot of research about technology when I opened the place – I hired a great IT guy and went to smallbusiness xo and really just looked into all the details. I was good to go! But that sure didn’t prepare me for when the city cut my power line last month and I didn’t have power for four whole days. Things like that just can’t be anticipated and you’ve got to be flexible enough to get past them when they happen, you know?

Doing the thing: Guest post of the week by Brittany Booker

2011-08-01T12:39:00.000-04:00

Doing the thing

Guest post of the week by Brittany Booker

What was I thinking being out here all by myself? There’s no real reason for a single woman my age to buy a house all by herself on the coast of Maine but that’s exactly what I did, for no real reason whatsoever. I guess it had something to do with the idea that things are just calmer at the beach, more peaceful. I was really sick and tired of the city life and I thought moving up here would make me a calmer person and I’d have time to finally do all the things I’ve been wanting to do for so long. What really happened, though, was I started spending all my time working on this ramshackle house and worrying about the boogeyman all the way out here! I went to www.home-ALARM-SYSTEMS.com and got an alarm and I have a great contractor but I just didn’t think this was the way I was going to feel once I moved in. Oh well, I guess you can’t win them all in life!

Spices jumbled in your cupboard?

2011-07-28T14:02:00.000-04:00

Do you love to cook? Does your family savor and delight in your cooking? Are you proud of your large spice collection?
If you're like me, you have a cabinet full of spices. They are jumbled in there, hidden behind each other. You can't find the one you want. And, some of them are so beautiful that you want to show them off.

Why stuff your spices in a cupboard? Why not buy a beautiful spice rack for your kitchen? You could install a wall spice rack, or order freestanding spice racks for your counter. Don't you think you deserve some new kitchen spice racks?

Need a Web Host? Overwhelmed by all the choices? Visit webhostinggeeks.com Today!

2011-07-26T15:58:00.000-04:00

I run several blogs. When I was searching for a host for my domains and websites, I wish there had been a comprehensive review site. I wanted reviews that categorized the hosting companies. The website http://webhostinggeeks.com has a super thorough web hosting directory. The categories I would have been drawn to first would have been Top Ten Hosts, Budget Hosts, CPanel Hosting, and Multiple Domain Hosting.

Are you looking to reduce your carbon footprint? Do you consider yourself an environmentalist? Then maybe Web Hosting Geeks' Green Web Hosting Reviews would be up your alley. Green Web Hosting can mean that your host uses sustainable energy to power your hosting servers. They could also offset their carbon footprint by donating to green causes, plus they probably recycle and utilized energy saving practices in their offices.

Update on Butterick B4790 Retro Dress Pattern

2011-07-23T16:47:00.001-04:00

Well, I am so glad that I Googled this pattern! I didn't just read all the positive reviews, which is my tendency. I actually read the negative reviews, especially the ones with detailed reasons for disliking it.
I made a muslin from a slippery material I had lying around, which is a whole other topic. I sized the dress to fit my pear shape.

Butterick B4790 Retro Dress Pattern

(Click picture to go to the Butterick site)

Then I put it on. I had clothes underneath, not a slip, but I was swimming in it. I am 5' 3.5" which makes me petite in height. My hips are about 40," my waist is 30" and my bra size is 36B. I can wear a small top and a large bottom. I'm that pear shaped. And short. So, the volume of fabric in this dress makes it look like a robe on me. It only accentuated my wide hips, did nothing to flatten my belly, and did nothing to enhance my small chest. I looked like a girl playing dress up with her mom's clothes.

So, I scrapped this dress.

I am now onto a Retro Butterick dress pattern that is turning out very nicely.

My other kitty Dot!

2011-07-20T22:25:00.002-04:00

We adopted Dot on December 1st 2010. Her full name is now Miss Dot Talk-a-Lot. She lets us know, very loudly, when she wants food, which is all the time. At first she was very scared and lived in her own special room for about a month. Then she slowly came out into the house. Now she only uses the litter box in that room. She eats near Buster, our other kitty, and everything.

Here she is on our little couch. At first I didn't even see Buster hiding in all that clean laundry! Look at her stretching her little paws out at us!! She is adorable!

My kitty Buster!

2011-07-20T13:28:00.000-04:00

This is Mr Buster Fluffy Pants. He is about 3 years old now. He loves to play with dum dum lollipops. Isn't he gorgeous?

Buy Your Next Sports and Concert Tickets at www.acheapseat.com Today!

2011-07-19T21:30:00.000-04:00

Do you love going to concerts? HOw about sports events? Do you love making it easy to get the tickets? Do you remember when you used to have to call your favorite arena or stadium and wait on hold, or keep hanging up when you heard the dial tone? It took hours out of your day, and, you weren't even guaranteed a ticket! They could be sold out while you waited to get through on the phone!

Now, with the website http://www.acheapseat.com, you not only do not have to use the phone at all, but you can buy the seat that is available, where you want want it, instantly. From the comfort of your own home, you can order your Avril Lavigne Tickets.

Wouldn't you love to see art brought to life? Wouldn't you love to get the Pageant Of Masters Tickets right from home? And, you can get the tickets right in your mailbox. You don't have to drive your car, find a parking spot, wait in line, then drive home.

The biggest names in show biz perform at Nassau Coliseum. Check out the site for Nassau Coliseum tickets to get your tickets for Britney Spears, Motley Crue, American Idol performers, children's shows, and tons more!

Wouldn't you love to buy your United Center tickets online, right from home? Are you planning to see the Chicago Blackhawks, Sade, or Disney on Ice? Check out United Center tickets today!

Do you love going to Madison Square Garden? Do you love ordering your tickets online, at the cheapest price? You're in luck! Order your Madison Square Garden tickets right here! Buy your next tickets to the New York Knicks, Basketball, Katy Perry or Cirque du Soleil today!

Find Your Next Degree at www.findyoureducation.com Today!

2011-07-18T22:29:00.036-04:00

Is this economy freaking you out? Are your co-workers being let go right and left? Do you think having a degree would make your position more secure? You need to check out the sites below.

Or, are you currently underemployed, and to apply to a better job? One with better pay, better benefits, and maybe more job security? Do all the want ads and job listings ask for a Bachelor's Degree?

One of the easiest and simplest ways to obtain your Associates or Bachelors Degree is to look for Online Degrees.You can search from the comfort of your own home. From your couch, your bed, or your desk. No need to search online, even, this is a one stop place to search for your next degree.

Are you an artsy type of person? I sure am. I would love to get a photography degree online. How awesome would that be to attend online degree programs in photography? You could go out snapping photos during daylight, then submit your pics to your professor at night.

Don't think you can afford a degree? Then you need to apply to the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. This is the government aid website, no private loan companies. It's a one stop form to see what you may qualify for. Don't just sit there, check these sites out today to advance your future!

Buy Your Arctic Armor Winter Pool Covers from PCPools

2011-06-28T14:12:00.001-04:00

It's not too early to start planning for your winter pool needs! It's summertime and your kids are loving life in your pool. Your grill is always smoking away, and your family and friends love coming over to your place in the summer. Your pool is the center of your summertime fun. You don't even need to take a vacation, your house is a vacation in the summer!

Don't disappoint your children and family next summer when you reveal your pool after wintering it over with an inferior pool cover. Imagine the look of distaste on your children's and spouse's faces when you lift off another company's pool cover to show a sheen of algae coating the underside of your pool cover. Arctic Armor Pool Covers have a polyethylene undercovering helps prevent algae on the underside, while a strong UV coating on the exposed side helps protect your pool from the elements. They are 50% tighter in their mesh than the competitors, resulting in limited algae growth over the winter.

Order your winter pool covers at Arctic Armor Pool Cover from PCPools. Above ground pool? No problem! Arctic Armor pool covers are available for above-ground and in-ground pools. Arctic Armor Pool Covers come with multiple year warranties.

Order your pool covers from PCPools today!

The Steam Team - Carpet Cleaning in Austin and Beyond!

2011-06-28T13:11:00.004-04:00

When you think about your carpets, do you think your vacuum does a thorough cleaning job? Do you think you have successfully sucked up all those microscopic dust mites? Well, the average vaccum cleaner does not clean your carpets as well as you hope. That's where professional carpet cleaners come in. If you want the best in professional carpet cleaning in the Austin area, including Carpet Cleaning in Onion Creek.

The Steam Team in Austin serves neighboring communities. Folks in these towns use The Steam Team to carefully and delicately clean their priceless Oriental Rugs. Have you ever tried to vacuum your Oriental Rugs yourself and accidentally sucked up the fringe on the edges. Don't you hate the sound that your vacuum cleaner makes? Avoid that sound, and potential damage of your rugs, by using The Steam Team in Austin!

Have you found it difficult to locate a reliable, professional carpet cleaning company? These trained professionals meticulously and carefully go over every inch of carpeting in your home, every corner and step, to provide top notch care. Check out http://www.thesteamteam.com/austin-carpet-cleaning today!

Starting to sew Butterick 4790

2011-06-02T18:00:00.002-04:00

I ordered an adorable Butterick pattern last year, but never had the energy to make it. A year later, I'm a size larger than the largest size on the pattern, so I am trying to scale the dress up.

I finished cutting out the pattern pieces, now I am cutting out some cheap fabric to make a kind of muslin first.

This is the pattern, isn't it scrumptuous?

http://butterick.mccall.com/b4790-products-6089.php?page_id=371

I'll keep you updated on my progress. Click here for my next entry on this dress.

INK'd by Coleman - A Time Lapse Tattoo Series produced by Scott Coleman and Joshua Taylor

2011-05-30T14:47:00.004-04:00

Have you ever wanted to see someone getting tattooed? Maybe to help you decide if getting a tattoo is for you? Check out my good friend Josh's tattoo video series on Youtube. He has produced many time lapse videos of his friend Scott Coleman inking many tattoo clients.

Check out Video 5 in the series here:

Subscribe to the whole series here:
INK'd by Coleman - A Time Lapse Tattoo Series produced by Scott Coleman and Joshua Taylor

I got married!

2011-05-15T22:33:00.000-04:00

My long time live in boyfriend and I got married last Saturday!! We got married at the historic Holyoke Merry Go Round. It was magical, and super exhausting. Here are some pics.

Neurobotic Transmission Web and Print Design

2011-05-03T15:06:00.001-04:00

The Neurobotic Transmission

One of my dearest friends has an outstanding design company. If you know of anyone looking for work, both web design and print design, they need to check his site out.

The Neurobotic Transmission is an interactive design consulting studio located in Washington, DC. Established in 1991, TNT has offered professional creative services for over two decades. We help local organizations grow by building community-driven brands through Online Media, Traditional Print and Social Lifestyle campaigns.

Our Clients

20th Century FOX, AKQA, AOL, Bloomberg LP, Boston Scientific, Citronelle Restaurant, Current Sushi, Discovery Communications, Foote, Cone & Belding, Frankel & Company, Grafik Marketing Communications, Human Rights Campaign, Ogilvy Public Relations, Peace Corps, Public Broadcasting Service, Shurtz/Capriotti, SMWM Architecture, Supon Design Group, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, U.S. News Online, While You Were Sleeping Magazine + many, many more!

New Project?

We have partnered with many great industries, which include: Advertising, Architecture, Arts, Broadcast, Design, Education, Food & Beverage, Government, Magazines & Publishing, Marketing, Medical, Music, Nightclub Entertainment, Non-Profit, Public Relations, Small Business and B2B.

Please feel free to contact us at b2b @ neurobotic.com (remove spaces) and we will work closely with you to get your new project underway. Welcome to the family!

previously published 4/29/2011 Favorite TV Episode guest post

2011-04-29T09:43:00.004-04:00

Thanks for the post from Stan Atkins
I'm so glad I can watch my favorite TV episode of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" on best choice tv. It makes the show seem clearer and fresher than when I watched it using my old TV antennae.
The episode was the one where Rob and Buddy thought they had seen and heard a UFO when they worked late at the office one night. It was hilarious to watch them first try to convince themselves that they hadn't seen or heard anything. Then, gradually, fear began to grow. The music that was used to intensify the mood of funny fear was used to wonderful effect as they crept through the seemingly empty office building, looking for the "flying saucer".
Of course "The Dick Van Dyke Show" was always a funny program, and I can watch it over and over again. The fact that it is in black and white doesn't matter a bit. It's a comfortable program with characters that I enjoy getting to know now that I'm an older adult. It makes me wish for more innocent times, too.
Nowadays, UFOs are in the news quite often. A person who sees something strange and unidentifiable in the sky is not always looked upon as a nut as they were back in the early sixties.

previously published 4/3/2011 inkgrabber.com Grab a deal on ink at inkgrabber.com!

2011-04-04T21:51:00.003-04:00

Don't you hate going to your local big box store to search for ink for your printer, and you find that they don't even have your ink brand? Or, they only have one or two for printer models that just came out that year? That's where shopping for your ink cartridges online comes in super handy!

Do you have a Dell printer? Laser or inkjet, one of the best places to buy Dell printer ink is at www.inkgrabber.com/DELL_menu.html Many bricks and mortar stores still only stock inkjet printer ink. Shopping online assures that the store will carry your laser ink cartridges.

One of the bonuses of shopping online is receiving your Dell ink cartridges directly at your house. Nothing beats online shopping for ease of use. It takes just steps to your mail box, versus driving around searching for an empty parking spot.

Inkgrabber.com/DELL_menu.html has three ways to locate your Dell ink: a drop down menu showing all the series, a drop down menu showing all the Dell cartridges by number, and a search box. I prefer the searching with the cartridge number menu. Just take your old cartridge out of your printer, and browse all the numbers until you find the one matching yours.