Incredibly Beautiful Beaded Work by My Friend Chris

My friend Chris (at MsCsBeadedCreations on Facebook) makes the most beautiful beaded ornaments, needle cases, and more. She seems to have infinite patience.

When I look at the images she creates with those teeny tiny beads, I am in awe.

For anyone who is looking for something different for gifts or decor for the holidays, and even all year round, you need to bookmark her page.

There are lots of folks who love to pick one item each year and give the same thing to each person on their list - these would be great. Or, if you love to get just one special new ornament each year...whatever, if you love beauty, you'll love her work.

She has everything: Santa's sleigh and reindeer running around the ornament, or a Christmas village, or the hummingbirds...so much and so lovely!

Go visit and browse and enjoy!

https://www.facebook.com/MsCsBeadedCreations

Great Gift Ideas from CathysCraftWorld on Etsy

One of my favorite Etsy shops is CathysCraftWorld. 

Cathy has a wide variety of gift ideas but my favorites are her latch hook rugs and hangings (incl Sesame Street, Pooh, Snoopy, animals and seasonal), her gift baskets (birthday, bon voyage, seasonal, more) and her hand made greeting cards which are not your plain-jane type of card - they are truly unique.

What I like about Cathy's items is just that - they are each unique. You can count on getting something not found anywhere else, made with thought and love.

She's got so much more - jewelry, sequin art, and special picture frames.

Her reviews are heartwarming - she even has one from author Debbie Macomber! That really impressed me. 

Cathy puts her heart and soul into each item and loves customizing as well. Her items truly cover any gift-giving, well-wishing event you can imagine.

So, if you are looking for something different but special and well done, browse this shop and surprise someone (or a few "someones") on your gift list this season!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/CathysCraftWorld

Las Vegas/Henderson Printer Repairs

I’ve been meaning to share this for a while. Today made up my mind. I have a color inkjet, a Brother all-in-one. Today it began eating paper. No matter what I did, I couldn’t find the teensy pieces in its innards. I called my guy, John Carter, here in the Las Vegas - Henderson area. He came right over. I cannot believe the little pieces he found, retrieved and “surgically” removed. He’s a genius.

He has helped me with both my own color inkjet and with the dedicated black and white laser printer I use strictly for our mobile home community newsletter.

One of the things I like best about him is that he is up front, straightforward and honest. If a repair will cost more than it would be to buy a comparable new printer, he tells you right away.

If you have a computer printer, you ought to save the following info and call John Carter the next time you run into a problem you cannot handle yourself.

702 553-9792, 702 203-2539

website:  www.alaserprinterprofessional.com

email: service@alaserprinterprofessional.com

I love John’s sense of humor, as well. He strongly recommends that I put my printer on a low-fiber diet from here on in...   

Free Fax Service from Online

Not all of us have fax abilities from our computers and/or all-in-one-printers. I just discovered a neat site that let you send a fax, for free.

Free service is limited to three pages or less, at a time, and up to five times a day.

Or for a small fee, you can send up to 25 pages, unlimited times a day.

Check it out at FaxZero.com

I made sure to bookmark the site.

I also suggest you read the FAQs. One of them is especially important, so I’ve copied it below...

Q: Why do I get directed to Paypal after clicking on the Send Free Fax button?

A: FaxZero requires the use of Javascript to function properly. Please enable javascript for your browser or disable any javascript blocker such as NoScript to resolve this issue.

This would be a lot easier than my running to FedEx/Kinkos to fax things.

As long as I can still scan with my all-in-one printer, I’m all set. I can’t fax from the printer because I have an older landline phone and I really love the message machine feature which confuses the fax settings. This is a good solution.

 
Hope it helps someone out there.  

Bragging About My Auto Mechanic

This morning, my lemon of a 2001 Saturn passed smog immediately for the first time since we bought it 5 years ago on a used car lot. Before my live-in middle-aged nephew died on Feb. 1st, we were just throwing money into this poor car. Normally a Saturn is a good vehicle, but of course, everything depends on how the previous owner(s) took care of it. Apparently nobody took care of this one.

Anyhow, we've finally found someone who got this thing in shape. For me, that is a very crucial issue. At 74, I need to be able to depend on it when I am running around town on errands, medical issues, and whatever.

I just got the car back on Saturday for what I hope is the last repair for a long while. That, of course, doesn't include car sensors which is another matter altogether. Don't get me started on car sensors. So, the car came back. I decided to do the inspection this morning and get it over with because for now, there are no warning lights lit up on the dash.

Wonder of wonders, for the FIRST time in the 5 years that we've had this car, it passed without a glitch! I am stunned but happy. It also doesn't "clunk" when I'm driving it now. The "clunking" was something we had decided was this car's way of purring.

Of course, just because I love this guy (Mitchell) and his crew, it doesn't mean everyone will. But I have to share the info because that is part of my nature - spreading good news whenever I can. He's over on my side of town, on Boulder Highway, just south of Desert Inn/Lamb, on the east side of Boulder. Here's the info, in case you are interested...

Tune & Lube Repair Center

Auto Repair Shop
4251 Boulder Hwy
Las Vegas, NV
702/433-0580

 

This shop has certified mechanics and they keep up on all the latest in the industry. I find them to be honest and for me, integrity is hard to find in repair shops. 

What I love is that he always tells me what might need work down the line. I really need that heads' up because of my extremely limited funds. 

Oh, that's another thing. I love his prices. He's not a country-wide chain so his overhead isn't as high as a nationwide shop would be. 

Anyhow, in my book, this shop is small but mighty - mighty good.  

Penny and Dell Puzzle Lover's Dream - Freebies to Print

Oh, wow, I found a free spot tucked into the website for Penny and Dell puzzle magazines. I originally visited this site a long while back when looking for packs of outdated puzzle magazines to pick up for a sick friend. I registered for free and I receive updates by email. That's how I found these freebies.

This is like finding a treasure chest. For those of us who firmly believe nobody makes puzzles like Penny and Dell, you really MUST check this out. 

NOTE: When you open any of these free puzzles, they will open in Adobe Acrobat, but you must print them; you cannot "save" them. Keep this in mind.

Now, here's what you do and here's what you find - I'm giving you the dessert without making you eat the okra (apologies to okra-lovers, of which I am not one). Not that Penny and Dell should be compared to okra...

Beautiful Hair Bows for Kids by Sallie Bache

One of my friends was finally talked into putting her beautiful handmade hair bows online. She has both an Etsy shop at this link, and a Facebook page called Bows by Bache.

She has only just begun putting the photos up but I love the ones that are already there. Her prices probably should be higher so buyers might want to take advantage before she catches on (LOL).

If I had a little girl, two of my faves would be the wispy and delicate Fluffy Bow and the one with the ladybug in the center. I also favor the pretty flower hair clip. I don't see why women and teens couldn't also wear these creations!

Sallie has two adorable but human (and active) grandkids so her bows are made to hold up to normal wear and her work is meticulous and lovely.

What a sweet gift for any little girl on your list this holiday season, or to dress up that special little gal.

As previously mentioned, she is still filling her online pages so some bows are on Etsy, some are on Facebook, and some are on both. Check out both sites.