It’s My Imagination

Olan Mills UK Takes Its Final Photograph

December 30, 2008 on 9:33 am | In Finance | Comments Off

Another retailer bites the dust.  Olan Mills, headquartered in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, UK, has ceased operations and asked to have an administrator appointed (similar to bankruptcy in the U.S).

Olan Mills is a proffessional photography studio where families have been going for over 25 years to have family portraits made.  All photography sessions had to be paid in advance and the company continued doing business up until Boxing Day.  All of those individuals who received pre-paid portrait gift certificates may be holding worthless paper.  They must now apply for a refund directly from the administrator and are not guarenteed to receive anything.

At this point in time, the downfall of Olan Mills in the UK has not affected Olan Mill U.S.A.  These two companies, while sharing the same name, have been operated as two completely separate companies.

Passing By Louis Vuitton and Saks

December 29, 2008 on 5:27 pm | In Finance | Comments Off

My daughter and I headed out today, gift cards in hand, shopping list at the ready, to purchase those accessories and what-nots that we didn’t get for Christmas. We decided to venture out of our comfort zone and visit a shopping center we’d never been to before, mainly because it had an Apple store location and she was looking for accessories for her mp3 player.

We were very surprised upon arriving to see that it was a regular shopping mall, not exactly what we were expecting. Then, upon entering the mall we discovered most of the stores inside were quite upscale including Saks Fifth Avenue and a Louis Vuitton store. We did quickly find the Apple store, but they were sold out of the cases my daughter was looking for and then just strolled around getting sticker shock at just about everything we looked at.

With the economy the way it is, it didn’t surprise me to see so few people in the mall and most of the stores. Although the Dallas area as a whole has not been hit as hard as other areas of the country, people are certainly watching their money more closing and not spending. Many people have found themselves carrying too much debt and are now risking job loss or have all ready lost their jobs. The job market is uncertain and again, causes people to stress over how they’re going to pay their bills.

Perhaps, rather than being out shopping, many people were looking into IVA, a formal a legally binding agreement between debtors and creditors, which allows people to make as large of payments as they can afford, the most important thing being that payments are being made. The IVA can be the best option for creditors because they are more likely to get payments if a person has not yet filed for bankruptcy, and for debtors, it is simply a positive approach to fixing a financial situation.

I’m certainly hoping the economy turns around sooner rather than later, but if you’re one of those who may be facing bankruptcy, IVA may be the right move.

850 Pound Emerald

December 28, 2008 on 3:43 pm | In news | 3 Comments

This 850 pound emerald, reportedly worth some $370 million, is known as the Bahia Emerald.  It was originally dug up in Brazil and is thought to be the 2nd largest stone of its kind.The stone was being stored in a Las Vegas warehouse and, through falsification of paperwork, was stolen.  The stone was then recovered by Los Angeles County Sheriffs Deputies and is currently in the custody of the sheriff’s dept until a decision by a judge  can be made as to who rightfully owns it.   There is apparently a dispute over ownership.

I’d love to step in and claim it, how about you?! 

Affordable Tutoring Services

December 27, 2008 on 9:38 am | In Family | Comments Off

Standards in schools are being raised and students must keep up. Here in Texas, state wide exams must be passed in order to be promoted into the next grade level and even to graduate from high school. For many kids, this can be overwhelming and very stressful. To prepare for testing and even day to day studies, tutoring can help.

If a Tutor is what your student needs, check out Club-Z tutoring services. They offer in-home, one-on-one tutoring at a reasonable fee and they’ve helped over 100,000 students raise their grades and test scores. Visit www.clubztutoring.com for more information.

The Gaza Strip Attacked

December 27, 2008 on 9:28 am | In news | 2 Comments

Following a 6 month truce that ended December 19, Hamas refused to extend the agreement and began firing rockets on the area.  In an effort to put a stop to the attacks begun by Hamas, Israel has launched an air assault on The Gaza Strip and Hamas quickly retaliated.  In this escalation of violence, at least 155 people have all ready been killed.

Leaders from surrounding countries, including Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, are calling for an end to the violent attacks from both sides.

After Christmas Discounts

December 26, 2008 on 5:46 pm | In Blogging, technology | Comments Off

Did you receive all of the latest technology gadgets for Christmas this year? There may be one that you didn’t receive is possibly one of the most useful pieces of technology you could ever have. Piqued your curiosity? Watch a few of the videos and I’m sure you’ll agree, Dragon Naturally Speaking is a must have for anyone who spends time on the computer.

Dragon Naturally speaking is a great, time saving tool. Download the Dragon Naturally Speaking software and then, using a microphone, speak naturally and Dragon types exactly what you’re saying. Now, I took typing class in school and can type at a reasonably fast pace, but there is no way I could ever type as fast as I can speak. In fact, I don’t think there is anyone that could accurately type as fast as a person could speak. Try it and you’ll probably find a lot of mistakes, but that’s not the case with Dragon. Dragon types accurately and, on your command, even puts in the punctuation. It also allows you to go back and make changes, highlight text, underline and even make paragraphs.

There’s no better time to get your own Dragon Naturally Speaking because here are some after Christmas discounts of 10-25% off that are currently being offered:

• $50 Coupon Code- DNSMSBG -Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Preferred
• $25 Coupon Code- DNSMSBG -Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 Standard
• $25 Coupon Code- DNSMSBG -MacSpeech Dictate

If you’ve been considering getting this product for yourself, now is a great time to do it because these discounts expire 12/31/08! By the way, this product can qualify as a business expense and may be eligible for a tax deduction for 2008 if purchased by the end of the year.

Wordless Wednesday – Happy Holidays!

December 24, 2008 on 12:00 pm | In Some of This Some of That | 1 Comment

I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

We will be staying home, just the three of us and I am looking forward to it. This is our first time in many years to not have certain guests staying with us. I’m not saying I don’t enjoy their company, but this is certainly a nice change. The weather has warmed up slightly and the sun is shining, it’s going to be a very merry holiday!

Santa Vacations in Branson

December 23, 2008 on 7:22 pm | In travel | Comments Off

Due to budget cuts and the fact that my daughter is getting older and her Santa list is shorter, this holiday season has not been quite as hectic as it has been in the past. Nevertheless, bad weather, last minute house guests and all the normal hubbub of holiday activity leaves me thinking that Santa is going to need a vacation beginning in a few days.I’m highly recommending that Santa, along with everyone else, take advantage of the current winter savings being offered by Hilton at several of their Branson, Missouri locations.  I’ve personally only been to Kansas City to visit, but I’ve really been wanting to go to Branson for a long time and this may be just the time to go.  The Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel is actually connected to the Branson Convention Center and is right in center of historic downtown Branson. They’re also just minutes from all of the entertainment that Branson is known for as well as shopping venues.

Now, if you’re like me and want to be in the middle of all the shopping, then I have to recommend the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing. This hotel is literally in the middle of the new Branson Landing shopping and entertainment district and has rooms with spectacular views of Lake Taneycomo and downtown Branson. Again, if you’re like me, you may not be able to escape by yourself, but taking the family is what Branson is all about and both of these hotels have great rooms, some with kitchenettes, making staying with children a breeze.

I have to tell you too, if you’ve never stayed at a Hilton, you’ll be very pleased with their beds. The rooms have the “The Serenity” mattresses and they are certainly what the name implies, serene! The only thing that could possibly get me out of those beds is the wonderful shopping and entertainment available in Branson. This is definitely a fun place to rejuvenate and possibly even spend New Year’s Eve and a great time to save money by taking advantage of Hilton’s Winter Escape Package.

Championship Rings for the State Champions

December 22, 2008 on 3:13 pm | In Some of This Some of That | 1 Comment

I don’t normally pay much attention to high school football, but hey, football and Texas go hand in hand! That was certainly true this past Saturday night as we watched the team from the high school my daughter will be attending in 3 years play in the State Championship game! Our next door neighbor also plays on the team which made it even more interesting for us to watch.

The game was played at Reliant Stadium in Houston and matched two phenomenal teams. The beginning of the game didn’t look so good for our team, but 4th quarter they came on strong and wound up defeating their opponents. The Allen Eagles are now the 2008 Texas State Division 5-A Champions! Way to go Eagles!

Lowering Water Levels in Lake Mead

December 19, 2008 on 10:21 pm | In travel | Comments Off

Lake Mead is certainly showing the signs of water depletion. The white bands around the perimeter of the lake show where the water level used to be. Lake Mead, located just outside of Las Vegas, is the largest man made lake in the United States and it is suffering from drought. Perhaps the snow in Nevada this week will help, but it will take much more than that to bring the lake levels back to a normal state.