And you thought Steam was the only digital download service that had Christmas specials. Once again, these prices are in USD.

Direct 2 Drive

• Crimecraft $39.99 $29.99
• Warhammer Online $29.99 $19.99
• Star Wars Galaxies $19.95 $9.95
• Final Fantasy XI $19.95 $9.95

Impulse

• Eve Online: Dominion $19.95 $9.95
• Alganon $39.95 $19.95
• Fallen Earth $49.99 $24.99

The sales aren’t as big as Steam’s, which is why I stuck them on the same article. Direct 2 Drive does have two things Steam doesn’t (That I mentioned in the Steam sales page): Warhammer Online and Crimecraft. Impulse has Alganon, however neither Direct 2 Drive nor Steam carry the title.

Other than that the prices are pretty close. With the shared sales, it all depends on which service you prefer.

It’s about 1AM on Christmas Day down here in Australia, so this one will be brief.

The second round of daily specials has gone up in Steam’s Holiday Sale – you have 24 hours. I, for one, will be picking up Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter, which is $5 less than yesterday. If you haven’t personally grabbed the id Super Pack, I wholly endorse it – at $23.79, and packing 22 titles, that’s scarcely over $1 each!

Football Manager 2010 – $29.99 (25% off) ($52.49 USD in AU store)
id Super Pack – $23.79 (66% off)
Left 4 Dead 2 – $33.49 (33% off)
Need for Speed: Shift – $37.49 (33% off)
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter – $9.99 (50% off)

[Steam]

It’s the holidays and time to celebrate!  Life at StudioWorks has been particularly good for which we all are thankful.  Our sale and show have been a gratifying success and we have had many visitors wishing us well.  Most left with an ornament or other artwork and for some folks, we were a pleasant discovery!  To those people we say thank you and come again soon!  We can never have enough friends.

What’s a celebration without food?  To kick-start our party we made reservations for lunch at the Theater Square Marketplace.  We loved the atmosphere in the restaurant with its unique lighting fixtures which appealed to the artists within us.  We took up two large tables and here’s a couple of pictures to show who was able to attend.  “Hey guys on the left…the camera’s this way!”

The ladies have the right idea.  And now, here’s table number two:

The food was wonderful as was the service!  StudioWorks gives this place our highest rating which was clean plates all around.  It’s great having another restaurant near us on Fourth Street.  We did, however, save room for dessert which was waiting for us back at the gallery.  Check out these cupcakes that Vickey made for us!

Here’s a nice photo of Natalie and the reason she has such a big smile is that it was her birthday!  In addition to celebrating the season, three other  StudioWorks artists were also about to observe their birthdays!!  Within the span of a week, Natalie, Carol, Eric, and Dorcas will all be a year older. 

Naturally, we all sang “Happy Birthday” to everyone and watched them blow out the candles on their cupcakes.  Let’s hope they all made a wish.

Afterward, there was time for presents.  There was a generous feeling in the room and many cards and gifts were given and received.  Jeremy led the way and seemed to make or have something personal for just about everybody.  To all the families and care givers who sent us presents… we say “Thank You Very Much!”  Your well wishes are appreciated.

Before everybody had to move on home to get ready for even more parties!… we decided to gather for a photo under the tree.  It’s a bit of tight squeeze to get everyone in the shot, but standing on a chair helps.  Here’s wishing everyone the happiest of holidays, Merry Christmas, and Season’s Greetings from the artists at StudioWorks!

Icedtime.com features G-Shock Diamond watches from Casio. G-shock is world famous watches that are known for its resistance to shocks, hard knocks and strong vibrations. http://www.icedtime.com/ lists collection of G-Shock watches with natural authentic diamonds. G-Shock watches have a long tradition of design and quality, back to 1983 when the first G-Shock watches were released. Every year Casio is working on improvements of G-Shock watches adding new features and releasing handful of new models.

G-Shock is the watch created with idea to never break and represents a challenge to common sense. Through breakthrough thinking G-Shock watch was launched to the market. http://www.icedtime.com/ is proud to list Casio G-Shock watches in its online collection of diamond watches. This G-Shock watch comes with stainless steel case back and diamond bezel combining digital movement and water resistance with beauty of diamonds. Since G-Shock model was launched it is continuing to carry the toughness of spirit and uncompromising passion.

Icedtime.com offers great holiday prices on G-Shock watches and other designer brand watches. Log on to http://www.icedtime.com/ to see whole collection and purchase your G-Shock with diamond bezel for a low price. G- Shock is a unique watch and can be a perfect holiday gift. Icedtime.com is committed to providing wholesale prices on designer diamond watches and jewelry. G-Shock is a revolution in watch design and technology. Purchase them at http://www.icedtime.com/ and get them with free express shipping during the holiday season.

Storybook Tea and Boutique is having a BIG sale on EVERYTHING!!!  15-50% off our entire stock!  Including gift certificates for Tea Party Playdates! Get 15% off the original price!  Receive a free gift with any $25 purchase!

Give us a call or stop by!

360-479-3501

2015 Harkins St.

Bremerton, WA 98310

Home decorators, designers and remodelers all have one thing in common, to make the best of a house. Many will agree that its all in the details yet so many fail to consider one of the most prominent of attributes in a home or office. This common thing is the most widely disregarded aspect of any structure, the ceiling.

It wasn’t always this way. The Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all decorated their ceilings with the best of craftsmen and artists. The most wealthy would represent their prosperity by their housing decorations. This is quite different in today’s society primarily due to the way homes and businesses are built. ‘Cookie-Cutter’ housing developments with one or two designs to choose from clutter our suburbs and continue to grow throughout our country. Pre-formatted houses have options, molding, edging but what about the fifth wall? It’s inevitable, it has to be there, so why settle with drywall?

Over one hundred years ago, the embossed metal panel was introduced to the United States. It was a response to tedious, expensive artisan plasterwork brought over by Venetian artisans. A not-so-practical application brought about technologies that spread from coast to coast in the new America. Factory manufacturing allowed for metal panels to be produced in a way that was practically made and installed in places like Victorian homes, Restaurants and Hotels. Stores that were part of larger buildings that contained housing above it utilized tin ceiling panels not just for added beauty and a historical attribute, but also to protect the apartments and living dwellings above from fires, a source of protection.

The 21st Century brings new technologies to this traditional product allowing for today’s homeowner to be able to afford this for their home or business. Offered in a variety of designs, colors and installation methods, the tin ceiling is here to stay. Take a look up, then take a look at your options! The American Tin Ceiling Company is only a click away from transforming your fifth wall into something extraordinary!

Wanna make an Old Silly happy and do yourself and/or a loved one a favor at the same time? Got some last minute Christmas shopping to do? Here’s a novel (pun intended) idea for ya…

Buy one of my books!

Yupperdoodles, it’s shameless self-promotivation time today on Free Spirit as I am announcing a Christmas special offer. AaaaaannnNND now …

here it is!

Whoever buys a copy of Owen Fiddler or Between the Storm and the Rainbow between now and the end of Christmas Eve, and emails me at marvwilson2020 at gmail dot com with a copy of proof of purchase, will receive a FREE copy of my first release, I Romanced the Stone (Memoirs of a Recovering Hippie).

I know, I know, I’m too kind – call me a soft Old Silly. Oh – and if you already have a copy of I Romanced the Stone? Let me know that and I’ll substitute a copy of one of the newer releases for ya. Fair ’nuff? Thought so. What’s that? You already have all three books? First of all, I LOVE YOU! – and secondly, pick up a copy or two for some family and/or friends, right? It’s Christmas, baby!

Okay – here’s the books and a quick rundown on them. You can click on the titles or the cover images to go directly to the buy page. Aren’t I just the accommodating one, hmm?

Owen Fiddler

 Owen Fiddler wants to tell you his story. It just might be yours!

(Everyone sing along to the tune of the Beatles’ “Nowhere Man”)

Has a selfish point of view, why he’s such a fool, no clue. Isn’t he a bit like me and you? Owen, man, please listen. You don’t know what you’re missing. Owen, man, your world is at your command!

He’s no role model for you or your kids, but reading his story will learn ya a thing or two, and that’s a fact. This is an entertaining, thought-provoking, humorous and spiritually insightful book which will surely have you thinking about your own life.

“I heartily recommend reading Owen Fiddler for a spiritual perspective on life that will cause you to think about your own actions and behavior. Whether or not you believe in God, a higher being, heaven, law of attraction, or any type of life after death, you will walk away from this novel having at least been inspired to glimpse the possibility that there is more to life than a simple daily existence. ” -Lisa Haselton, award winning writer/editor/book reviewer

***

Between the Storm and the Rainbow

The internationally popular award-winning Free Spirit blog – an anthology of the best of the best posts that will inspire you, stimulate your deep thoughts and emotions and also give you plenty of laughter. Read the spiritual/inspirational writings of author Marvin D Wilson and join the global community of readers who count on their daily dose of Free Spirit.

***

And here’s the book that can be yours for FREE if you purchase one of the above books-

I Romanced The Stone (Memoirs of a Recovering Hippie)

 ”From one nightmare to another” in I Romanced the Stone, Marvin Wilson carries us through the horrors of addiction to the glory of salvation in a rollicking, sometimes terrifying journey to joy.” – multi-published historical novelist, Peggy Ullman Bell

“Marvin Wilson destroys all the stereotypes of drug use on both ends of the scale. He is neither part of the Hollywood/New York “elite” associated with upscale drug abuse, nor is he a part of the underclass. He is just an average middle class guy who fell into a bottomless pit.
His recovery from drugs and the recovery of his marriage is an inspiration for anyone who has felt that their lives had become hopeless.
His book takes the reader on a ride of emotions as he shares a truly remarkable story of despair and redemption.
This is a must read.” – Walter Sorg, WILS Radio Talk Show Host

So there you have it, gang. This offer is extended through midnight, EST, December 24, 2009. Have a jolly day, a wonderful Holiday Season, hopefully made even better by the acquisition of one (make that two, with the special offer) of these books, and remember the Old Silly loves y’all!

psst – ‘fore ya go, Adam Atom send his regards – he’ll be back in typical smashing atom form next week in his regular Monday feature spot.

Click on Tweety Bird and Tweet this post if you liked it!

It’s good karma to say ‘thanks’ in style… with an Annagrammatica Thank-You Card

Well-mannered gift recipients say “thanks” with a card; it’s traditional. It’s appreciated. It’s good karma. You can use many of our thank-you cards (probably not the one pictured here, however) as “friendship cards” to send any time.

"Nifty Gifts" cover

"Nifty Gifts" inside

25%-off sale!

Through December 23, receive 25 percent off every item in our Holiday Store… including our unique thank-you cards. Pay only $15 for a pack of 10 cards, regular price $20! Hot damn!

What happened to our meditations and our music?

Until recently, you could find eight-plus pages containing hundreds of audio (and several video) meditation and music selections, all free, no signup,  on Annagrammatica.com. Well, the pages are still there, but the audio meditation instructions, the guided meditations, and the music are… mostly… gone. We’re publishing some great meditation videos, as fast as we can find them!

We were able to provide the audio resources through the service formerly known as imeem.com, which allowed us to embed imeem playlists on our own site. We created the playlists, using meditation materials of our own and others found on imeem.com. Then all we had to do was cut and paste a little piece of html code for each playlist.

With imeem.com hosting the playlists, the number of selections we could provide was virtually unlimited, since they weren’t using valuable space on our site. (Audio files can be quite large and take a long time to load.)

Gradually, our selections became unavailable except as thirty-second samples, but you could easily log on to imeem.com to hear the full selection. A few weeks ago, the audio playlists themselves disappeared… during, we suppose, the dead of night. Now you will find the following notice on our meditation pages:

Until that happy day, we are searching for audio resources and additional videos. You’ll find, for example, four excellent instructional audio selections and an entire set of video instructions on our “How to Meditate” page. We’ll keep you posted as we, or MySpace, or both, restore the missing meditation resources.

Subscribe to our blogs…

• The Movie Time videos posted December 20 on Sister Alma Rose Has the Last Word will give you goosebumps… in fact, we bet you cry! Plus…
• Write Light
• MAD About Annagrammatica
• Diary of an e-BaY Store

…and a Final Reminder

• We use 100%-recycled PCF (processed chlorine-free) cover stock for all our cards
• There’s always free shipping if you pay with a credit card via PayPal
• We love compliments! E-mail us your Annagrammatica happy-customer testimonials!
• Start your Amazon.com shopping on our home page
• Interested in link exchange? We’ll barter for links to our website and blogs
• Find sample blogs on a gazillion topics at Alpha Inventions
• Help us decide which poems to submit for contests and publications. Go to Write Light to comment and rank….

—Blessings from ALL of us at Annagrammatica

Cool Neon is having a 2-for-1 holiday shopping sale on party starting luminescence.

Sprite Bombs

For some unknown reason, these babies are not illegal yet, so get’em while you can! Remember those small, paper wrapped bombs we enjoyed as kids? Well, a whole new generation of instantaneous explosive gratification has arrived!!!

Neon Strobing Sunglasses

The name pretty much explains it: “Clear plastic frames with Cool Neon wire wrapped throughout the inside of the frames.” AA batteries not included.

Remote Control Rainbow Lightbulb

It has 16 preset colors including bright white at variable brightnesses and can cycle or morph trough all 16color and the 1000’s of colors in between.

Let us know if you buy any of these.

Follow us @absurddelight

Thanks to Alex H. for the tip.

If you’ve been around the handmade community for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard about Etsy (You can visit my shop here). However, a little over a year ago, I opened up a second shop at 1000 Markets, a newer online storefront based on communities with similar products/interests/locale. For instance, I am a member of the California Crafter’s Club, since I am in California, and the Child’s Play Market since I make mostly children’s items. Though the site offers a beautiful format, all of my sales have been through Etsy…until now!   

In the last couple of weeks, I was invited to be a part of the “Holiday Gifts the Artisan Way” Market, whose sole purpose is to promote great handmade Christmas Gifts for this holiday season. I was glad to be invited and hoped it might generate some traffic into my “shop”.    

Well, I was delighted to get an email notification that my Bangle Dot Bib sold today on 1000 Markets!! Though it isn’t my first online sale, it is the first sale through this avenue so I am very excited.   

There are many gifted artists on 1000 Markets and the great thing about shopping there is that they process payments through Amazon payments, an account most of us already have.   

So it’s not too late! Be sure to head on over (by clicking the links above) to check things out! I’ll include some of my own personal favorites below to give you a sampling. Just click on the photo for more information and Merry Christmas!   

Classic Pleated Clutch by stash

Happy Birds - Retro Birdcage Pillow by Cotton Colors

Ipod Case by Byrd & Belle

As of this last weekend things are busy but not quite as busy.  The Big 100 went amazing, I wasn’t able to go to the opening, but have heard that it was ridiculous, something like 1100 pieces of art sold that night.  Which is, well obscene!  Congrats and thank you to Chris and John for having me.  Happy Chanukah boys! Although it was a bummer to miss the Big 100, Jay Ryan’s show at  The Goodfoot was fantastic!  The artists were a bit late due to weather, but the poster art film coupled with the poster art show, and just general badassery of the event, was awesome.

http://www.thebirdmachine.com/

The p:ear benefit was a lot of fun.  I got to hang out with some of my favorite artists, to try to raise money for my favorite Portland do gooders.  If you are unfamiliar with p:ear, they are center dedicated to mentoring creative homeless youth.  Beautiful space, beautiful gallery, great music, lovely art work.  Like:

Anna: http://annatodaro.com/home.html

Kirsten: http://www.piperewan.com/

Brent: http://www.brentwear.com/

Learn more about p:ear :

http://www.pearmentor.org/home.html

Had fun turning the living room into a little gallery for Miss Karen on Friday, she is a delight and her shop Salty Teacup in St. John’s is fabulous!

xo heidi

Do you know the current specials OCDiesel.com is offering right now? If not, head over to the Special Offers page at OCDiesel.com for a list of current OCDiesel offerings!

Here is a sneak peak:

Happy Holidays from all of us at OCDiesel.com. If you are shopping around for some great deals on diesel performance parts and products this holiday season, then check out what OCDiesel.com has to offer your Ford Powerstroke, Dodge Cummins, GM Duramax or other diesel powered engines. We also offer FREE SHIPPING on orders over $100!*

Current Offers from:

• Boost Bunny Apparel
• Orange County Diesel Apparel
• Snow Performance
• AEM
• Edge Product
• CFM+
• DiabloSport
• Torco
• TS Performance
• Site Wide 5% Off Holiday Discount*

*Please click the links above for details.

Barefoot Books has just announced that they are extending the fantastic 30% off sale until 11am on December 23rd!!

Here is a recap of the great online deals….

30% off ALL products (books, cds, puppets, puzzles, etc.) through December 23rd

FREE SHIPPING with NO MINIMUM through December 15th

FREE SHIPPING with $35 minimum from December 16th-23rd

Ignore the end date….30% extends to 23rd.

Wow! There is only one more week until my Holiday Sale!  I just finished putting my e-mail list into groups. I added the whole membership of EBHQ; hundreds of names!   That took a while.  Figuring out how to add people to groups presented a little challenge as well.  Now I am all set.  I have 8 more groups of e-mails to send and I will feel like I have really accomplished something!

This past week I started to finish off the cool totes that I am making out of some fabric samples that I have been itching to use.  I am coordinating 4  fabrics for 4 different “looks” as they are reversible.   I’m very excited that I have rescued fabric  that would have otherwise ended up in the land fill, giving it new life.  I’ve been doing my creating in between client work. There is just never enough time!  Here are some pictures of recently completed work.

Red Cotton Sateen Table Runner

Quilt for a first grandchild

Angel Kitty Quilt

I am looking forward to my Open Studio and Sale.  I have a lot to do this week!  Ruthmary Shauer will be bringing her quilts as well.  There are children’s and adult sizes.  She may bring some table runners, too.  In any case, I hope that you will come by and say hello.

www.Finders-Keepers.net

The Rosetta Stone Holiday Sale has begun!  Now through January 1st, we’re offering significant savings on this phenomenal software. Check out our Quick Ship listings for super speedy delivery of our most popular Rosetta Stone sets.

Questions about the program?  Give us a call at 1-800-525-7252. We’ve used the software ourselves, and Finders-Keepers has been an Authorized Rosetta Stone retailer since 2001.  If we don’t have the answers, we’ll find them for you.

• 6 Month “No Questions Asked” Money-back Guarantee

• Free Tech Support from Rosetta Stone

• Free Homeschooling Support from Finders-Keepers

• Brand New, Latest Release

• Free Priority Mail to APO/FPO Addresses