So my husband and I started a side business a couple of months ago called Captured Memories. We do not have too much extra time right now to get into heavy marketing. We pretty much create them for family and friends and get new clients by word of mouth. We have been accepting cash or checks but I know it is a good idea to look into a merchant account. Merchant fees can be pretty high so I can't really set it up right now but it is worth looking into for the future when I feel I can handle mo... Read Full Story

Living in NJ is getting ridiculous. The cost of living is rising while the economy is still in a recession. Our homeowners dues just went up again per month and our property taxes went up as well. It is very frustrating to be working just to pay bills especially with a baby on the way. Luckily we are optimistic and tell ourselves everything will work out :) We would love to refinancebut we have only lived in our house for 2 years so it wouldn't be worth it. We are starting to think the best i... Read Full Story

I'm still teaching myself Illustrator..when I find the time..lol :) The tools are similar to photoshop so it has been easy for me to navigate so far. My goal is to make a design to print out on a t-shirt. I have signed up for a silk-screening class. So far it does not seem that too many have signed up so I am getting worried it will be cancelled.I did find a article on screen printing at home. It got a lot of good reviews and it seems like a cheap process. So if anything I guess I can tea... Read Full Story

I decided to start teaching myself Illustrator since I have a pretty good knowledge of photoshop at this point. I only have the CS2 version at the moment but I'm sure one day I will get the upgraded version. I ordered the Adobe Illustrator book from Amazon and was happy how cheap it was with the CD included:) I am really ready to learn about vector art and to start creating designs for print. I hope to create my own graphic tee's and hoodies one day. Even if it is just for myself;) I ... Read Full Story

NY NY CasinoI went to Vegas for the first time for work but still had some time for play :) It was a very exciting town and I found there was no way you can see everything in one trip. We stayed at the Rio which is about five minutes from the new strip and it has a great venue on the roof called the Vodoo Lounge. I was very happy I was able to dance on the roof and get such a great view of the strip. My favorite site has to have been the water show in front of the Bellagio. It was so beautifu... Read Full Story

My husband and I decided to start a new side business for some extra income. He has made this beautiful priceless personalized creations for family members for a couple of years now and he decided to start marketing it. A lot of people loved the idea and we have already have a couple of jobs lined up! I am so happy that I know the programs now to create them as well. These captured memories are great to give to anyone for any occasion. All you need is to gather a bunch of photos and think of ... Read Full Story

I love holiday music. It brings back many memories of childhood and all of the holiday traditions that brought me so much happiness. Here are my top 10 favorite holiday songs:The Christmas SongBaby it's Cold OutsideRockin' Around The Christmas TreeSleigh RideDominic the DonkeyJingle Bell RockSanta BabyWinter WonderlandI'll Be Home For ChristmasAll I Want For Christmas is YouI like to play carols on the piano while my husband joins in with his guitar. We don't have to much time... Read Full Story

My husband's band The Anger Management Project, along with other local bands In Spite Of, and Artikay to name a few are coming together this Sunday December 14th in Union Beach, NJ at the 7 days bar and grill to raise money for a friend suffering the financial burden of medical bills from a dirt bike accident that has left him paralyzed.Here is a copy of the article about the event from newstranscript.gmnews.com: Friends & family rally for Marlboro resident Ken Majonis, 31, was left ... Read Full Story

I have experimented with Windows Movie Maker at work before to post some testimonials to our website and discovered that is a great program to create movies and slide shows with. I decided to create a mini-movie for my brother after he successfully completed his second marathon. I was able to take the photos of him running in the NYC Marathon along with some video footage and music to create a mini movie. The program also also allows you to add animated titles, credits, and transitions. Kudos... Read Full Story

I had the pleasure to stroll through Central Park this past Sunday to cheer on my brother as he ran in the NYC marathon. It was such a perfect day to part take in the event. I haven't been in the park since we walked the marathon last year for Breast Cancer. It is such a great park and so gorgeous in the fall. I was very inspired by my brother running the marathon for the second time because he shows what determination can help you accomplish. He also exemplified what the human body is ca... Read Full Story