Wedding Postage Stamps Press Releases & Articles

Wedding Postage Stamps At Sale Prices

2009-07-14T08:48:00.000-07:00

Last month it was Budget Bridal Days for savings on wedding invitation postage stamps. I didn't know I'd be announcing another sale so soon. In fact, there are just a few days left for the current promotion to save on wedding postage stamps At ArtisticPostage.com. Brides have until July eighteenth to pick their stamps.

To take advantage of the stamps sale for twenty five % off, simply use the coupon code that is listed on the site.

They have stamps that will work in any wedding season as well as those specifically designed for fall weddings.

Military Wedding Stuff

2009-07-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

Beyond the custom wedding postage avaialble at discounted prices for military briodes that I;ve been talking about over the past few entries, other customizable military theme items are also available from the same site.

One unique item for the military bride is a three dimensional photo sculpture made from the letters of the word "love" in which a photo of the couple or the military member may be inserted. The sculpture can be made in a smaller size and fastened into a magnet, a wearable pin, or into a keychain. In any form, it's a unique way for a bride to keep the picture of her future husband close at hand and heart.

See the entire line of personalizable military wedding stuff.

Military Brides Get Special Pricing On Custom Wedding Postage Stamps

2009-07-11T11:02:00.000-07:00

This is info about a new offer for military weddings from the custom wedding postage stamps site Artisticpostage.com.

Special military pricing puts the one ounce first class designated personalizable stamps at $17.95 to $19.95 per sheet depending on size. The military deals can be combined with volume discounts, which range from $.50 to $2.00 per sheet, again depending on size. The volume discounts are taken off each sheet when two or more sheets are purchased. Most wedding shoppers automatically take advantage of the volume discounts because they send more than twenty invitations anyway.

TDSwhite, who photographed the images and created the designs said, "As a group, military brides are often younger and just starting out in school or careers so they tend to be wedding planning with limited budgets. Knowing that every little bit helps, we're pleased to institute these military specials to thank them for the sacrifices they and/or their future spouses are making for the country."

Military Brides Deals

2009-07-09T16:17:00.000-07:00

Starting last week, Artistic Postage celebrated the Fourth of July this year by instituting a discount for military brides on its military wedding invitation postage stamps. This is a permanent price reduction on these items for miltary brides.

Popular postage selections for military wedding invitation envelopes include a design featuring a flag and yellow ribbon set against a royal blue background, a stamp with two connected hearts wrapped in a flag and sharing the words, "American Sweethearts" across them, and several other postage stamps with artistic variations on the Stars and Stripes theme.

RSVP and Save The Date wedding postage stamps are also available with military themes.

Miitary Brides Deals Custom Wedding Postage

2009-07-07T10:55:00.000-07:00

This entry details a new custom postage stamps site offer of military wedding invitations postage stamps at a discount for military brides.

Cocinciding with July 4th festivities, ArtisticPostatge.com took the time to remember and honor the men and women of the armed forces who make it possible for all Americans to enjoy the freedoms that are so easily taken for granted by oferring reduced pricing on military theme wedding postage stamps in the form of a permanent military discount for military brides.

The special pricing applies to its entire line of military wedding invitations postage stamps.

Custom Monograms For Weddings Postage Special

2009-06-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

ArtisticPostage.com offers brides the choice of customizing postal designs in many ways and also offers three physical sizes and seven denominations of wedding postage stamps. This is the last day of their Budget Bridal promotion.

After several years of creating custom wedding stamps, it's not just customers who have responded so favorably to TDSwhite's pictures and drawings. Several of his original designs (both photographs and digital creations) are also now available in the premium postage wedding store on the USPS (United States Postal Service) website.

Brides wishing to personalize their stamps with monograms, names, dates, or other information will still want to start at ArtisticPostage.com, however since the post office only sells the postage stamps without customization and does not offer any of the other additional incentives mentioned above.

Weddings Special Savings Event Sale

2009-06-29T10:48:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of Budget Bridal Days? If you are getting married or know anyone who is, this is one event that you don't want to miss.

Budget Bridal Days offers wedding postage stamp customers of ArtisticPostage.com three ways to save on their customizable USPS postage orders. The good news for wedding planning shoppers is that all three types of savings can apply to the same order.

TDSwhite, the photographer and digital artist responsible for most of the designs featured on ArtisticPostage.com, commented, "One of the most rewarding aspects of working in this part of the wedding industry is knowing that my designs adds the final touch on a bride's invitation package. After she has worked so hard, she can be assured that a personalized postage wedding stamp will make the invitations as unique as everything else about her wedding day."

Wedding Sale Personalizable Wedding Stamps

2009-06-28T01:25:00.000-07:00

As June 2009 draws to a close, wedding season is officially underway and it's a great time to pick up a bargain during the wedding sale at ArtisticPostage.com. The sale continues until the end of the month.

To help brides achieve the goal of making wedding shopping more affordable, the site starts the season by declaring the rest of June 2009 as Budget Bridal Days. This means customers will have access to unprecedented offers on the site's most popular items such as personalizable wedding invitation stamps.

Wedding Invitations Deals

2009-06-27T19:10:00.000-07:00

Brides love to find great deals on wedding invitations. They often forget that they will need custom wedding postage for the outside of the envelopes in order to complete their invitation kits.

The deal in place at ArtisticPostage.com until the end of June 2009 is:

First, free standard shipping is available on all postage stamps as well on all other items on the site including save the date magnets, save the date postcards, wedding invitation envelope seal stickers and even non-wedding related merchandise.

Second, significant volume discounts kick in immediately when two or more sheets of stamps are purchased. For example, buying just two sheets of large size stamps earns a discount of $2.00 dollars off each sheet.

Finally, every wedding postage stamp on the site is on sale meaning this is the best time to get wedding postage stamps featuring autumn wedding colors and foliage designs and photographs, wedding cake postage and custom monogram postage. For example, sale discounts range from $1.50 per sheet to $1.85 per sheet on standard one ounce postage depending on the physical size.

Wedding Bargains Custom USPS Postage

2009-06-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

Popular wedding postage stamps site Artistic Postage is helping brides on a budget by offering multiple special deals on postage stamps for wedding invitations.

Brides need to act fast before the special offers expire at the end of the month of June.

People don't realize that there are many different kinds of love stamps available these days and many are the perfect complement to fancy wedding invitations.

Wedding Deals On Postage Stamps

2009-06-25T11:32:00.000-07:00

Brides are always looking to find great wedding deals so this is information that will be helpful to them in their quests to have the invitations come out just right.

To help brides achieve that goal, ArtisticPostage.com has decided to kickoff the fall wedding postage season by declaring the rest of June 2009 as Budget Bridal Days. This means customers will have access to unprecedented offers on the site's most popular wedding postage stamps.

Monograms For Weddings Custom Postage Stamps Invitations

2009-06-17T14:18:00.000-07:00

Using custom wedding monograms can make all the difference between having wedding ivnitations that look like everyone else's and having unique wedding invitations that display unique us postal stamps that reflect the monogram of the engaged couple.

Choosing a wedding monogram is actually one of the easier wedding planning tasks that coup;e's take on. The same monogram wedding theme can be used in other aspects of the decorations and the preparations beyond the bridal stationery.

Wedding Postal Stamps USPS

2009-05-06T13:01:00.000-07:00

Another popular and seasonally appropriate must-see wedding postage stamp in the new from ArtisticPostage.com line consists of ocean waves in the shape of a heart. Postage designer TDSwhite says, "Because the ocean already evokes many romantic feelings for weddings and honeymoons, it's a natural extension to incorporate a heart design into an ocean photograph to make the perfect wedding invitation postage stamp."

Keeping with the theme of heart shapes in nature, a new love stamp featuring a photograph with a pair of swans face to face on a peaceful lake forming a heart by the way they are posing would make just as good a framed art print as it does a love stamp for wedding invitations.

Of course, all the wedding stamps choices can be personalized. Brides have the option of utilizing templates and simply filling in their own names and other information or they can use the current photo stamps as a base and apply their own customization ideas.

New Wedding Postage Stamps

2009-05-05T01:04:00.000-07:00

If you are in the market for wedding postage stamps for your invitations, the news gets better all the time.

Amazing floral photographs and designs lead the way to the summer wedding postage stamps line recently unveiled by ArtisticPostage.com. Exploring beyond the many types of flower stamps available, summer brides have an array of summer wedding choices from which to choose for their special invitations.

Brides and wedding planners who purchase before May 24, 2009 can use the discount code on the site to get an additional 1$ off per sheet of stamps as well as taking advantage of the regular volume discounts.

In addition to the thousands of choices that are appropriate for weddings taking place any time of the year, ArtisticPostage.com continues to showcase innovative new designs for each season and has recently presented a new summer line that reflects the natural beauty of the summer months.

Choices include a wedding stamp that does triple duty called Green Wedding. While its color and blades of grass evoke this time of year and can fit into a coordinating color scheme, they also represent a growing trend in the wedding industry – ecologically friendly couples and professional wedding planners cognizant of saving the environment that practice their wedding planning with an eye towards ensuring the happy day has minimal environmental impact.

Custom Wedding Postage Stamps

2009-05-02T17:15:00.000-07:00

ArtisticPostage.com continues to update its offerings while retaining the many popular wedding postage choices that have made the site the destination of choice for brides and grooms looking to add another layer of personalization to their special days by creating custom wedding stamps.

Wedding season is underway and one of the hottest wedding trends in the industry is utilizing personalized wedding postage stamps on the invitations. Among the styles causing buzz this year at Artistic Postage are the new wedding rings stamps and new wedding cake stamps.

Engaged couples looking to carry a monogram theme throughout their wedding décor will love the wedding cake postage stamps with initials on the base. Some couples choose to leave the default B and G for standing for bride and groom, of course, while other couples will personalize the style with the letters of their own names, just as they might do for the actual wedding cake served at the reception.

2009 Wedding Stamps

2009-05-01T01:45:00.000-07:00

Those who favor focusing on wedding rings as a symbol of love will appreciate the photographs of gold bands and diamond rings set among flower petals or the stylish design with the letters of the word "love" intertwined with rings. Another popular choice for 2009 wedding stamps includes wedding bands photographed on a satin pillow with a strand of pearls. To make the customization process for brides, the line has been expanded to include many options with popular wedding sayings such as "You're Invited," "RSVP," and "Thank You," already worked into the stamp.

Brides concerned about the postage rate increase going into effect on May 11, 2009 can relax knowing that all the wedding postage stamps on ArtisticPostage.com are available at the new rates. (Rate changes can sometimes cause confusion in wedding planning when invitations are mailed at the old rates, but the response cards aren't due until after the official change.)

Photographer TDSwhite, whose beautiful artwork, designs, and photographs are featured on the 2009 wedding invitation postage stamps throughout the site says, "Always a plus in today's economic climate, there is also a discount code on the site which allows brides who act prior to the rate change to purchase their custom stamps for less. Regular volume discounts still apply as well. Volume discounts begin when brides order at least two sheets at which time they receive a discount off all sheets ordered."

Now entering its third wedding season, ArtisticPostage.com has been a favorite of brides and wedding planners since its inception because they know they will find the right customizable wedding stamp to coordinate with their invitations.

Wedding Invitation Stamps

2009-04-30T03:00:00.000-07:00

The video above shows a great sampling of the wide range of choices that brides enjoy when choosing their special wedding invitation stamps. All the stamps can be personalized by the bride and groom so they can make their own unique creations.

2009 Wedding Postage

2009-02-24T02:05:00.000-08:00

In what could be called a niche within a niche, ArtisticPostage.com has introduced specific types of wedding postage stamps. Covered types include:

Military brides and planners of military weddings now have more options than ever when it comes to choosing the best wedding invitation stamps. ArtisticPostage.com offers a collection of military wedding stamps and flag stamps featuring heart designs and wedding wording and phrases such as "RSVP," "I Do," and "American Sweethearts" that will make any invitation stand out.

Stamp designer TDSwhite says, "Wedding planning is very complicated. The last thing any bride wants to do, especially one who may be thousands of miles away from home and family support, is worry that she can't find the right stamp to make her wedding invitation package perfect -- especially because an invitation is the first thing a guest sees in relation to the wedding. At ArtisticPostage.com, brides can relax and quickly find the postage stamps they want."

Destination weddings (to places such as Las Vegas, Hawaii, and other tropical locations) account for about 150,000 weddings per year. These special weddings involve special postage. Stamps in the destination wedding category include a Bermuda sunset, a lucky slot machine with wedding images, Niagara Falls, and several variations with palm trees.

When many brides decide upon their wedding dates, the first thing they imagine is the particular month of the year. TDSwhite created a line of postage stamps with the name of each month and the coloring of that month's corresponding birthstone. Stamps with coordinating colors and appropriate phrases such as "Thank You and "Our Special Day" complement the line. There are also blank stamps with the same color coordinated backgrounds which make it simple for brides to customize their own line of matching stamps if they desire. Also, each month, TDSwhite adds to the line by making month-specific variations of his other general best sellers.

Finally, to serve the growing market for authentic Asian weddings as well as Asian-inspired theme weddings, TDSwhite produced a line of stamps with Asian characters such as those meaning "love" and "marriage" in addition to the well known Yin and Yang symbol. The Asian wedding postage stamps utilize traditionally appropriate colors such as red and jade.

For more information on these niche wedding stamps or any of the custom wedding postage at ArtisticPostage.com, please visit the Wedding Stamps page on the site.

2009 Wedding Stamps

2009-02-24T01:48:00.000-08:00

Cyber artist and digital photographer TDSwhite has unveiled his new line of coordinated wedding stamps for brides to use on wedding invitations, RSVP envelopes, and thank you notes as well as on engagement announcements and shower invitations. They are available to brides and wedding planners at ArtisticPostage.com.

During the wedding planning stages, brides painstakingly personalize every aspect of the process. Since the invitations are the first indication of the bride's taste and choices that most guests will see, they set the tone for the guests' expectations. Until now, all the bride's hard work and desire for perfection in the paper stock, writing style, and ink color of the invitations couldn't compensate for the uniform and often mismatching (to the rest of the stationery) stamps provided by the United States Post Office (USPS) that had to be used on the envelopes.

The problem has been solved.

TDSwhite has combined his original photography with classic fonts to create an entire line of beautiful monogrammed wedding stamps. In addition to the monogram options, those getting married can also choose postage stamps with words and phrases such as: Please Join Us, RSVP, Our Wedding, Love, and Thank You all printed over one of the artist's exclusive photographs. Finally, the option exists to customize by using one of the artist's pictures and adding one's own words, such as inscribing the names of the bride and groom or date of the wedding ceremony on the postage stamp, to create a truly unique item.

Artist TDSwhite says, “I'm so pleased with the response I've received since I created this postage line. I'm glad my customized stamps help take a little stress out of the wedding planning process and also make the invitations and other correspondence really stand out in an elegant way. Each bride is unique and every aspect of her wedding should reflect that.”

For more information and to view the many wedding postage choices available, visit the Wedding Stamps page at ArtisticPostage.com.

ArtisticPostage.com provides an array of exclusive photo stamps for many occasions including weddings, anniversaries, birth announcements, and holidays as well as everyday stamps with special themes.

Utilizing Internet Dating Advice

2007-11-30T19:17:00.000-08:00

Web advice seekers have many choices when it comes to finding the services they desire.

Experienced analysts with advanced degrees and even doctoral degrees covering counseling, social work, and psychology are available continuously. Anyone seeking relationship advice can determine which analysts are ready to help with their issues.

Advice seekers can search through counselors' credentials and choose the psychologist that they feel most comfortable confiding in.

There are many analysts available continuously. If someone would rather to talk to a personal advisor who is not online at the time, he or she can simply leave a message to contact the experts and set up an online counseling session at a later date.

Experts have experience with a variety of areas including many aspects of dating advice.

Asking for advice from the experts starts free so the client can determine if he or she is satisfied with and has found a good match in a particular counselor. Once approved by the counselee, the person is charged on a per minute basis. Because of this clients and the advisors decide the proper amount of time based on the difficulty of the issues. This method is a enormous progression away from traditional hourly charges in another setting.

Receiving personal online advice services has been available for several years. Those who desire relationship advice love the opportunity because it provides the chance to get another point of view immediately. It allows them the chance to follow up on whatever the counselor says. Obviously, that is not possible with typical advice columns.

Two kinds of advice seekers who can benefit from online advice services are people in remote locations and those who are not comfortable discussing their concerns in front of someone. When these conditions are present, getting help online may be the difference between getting help or the situation worsening.

An additional aspect that appeals to clients is the reassurance that someone is always standing by to focus on them and their situations solely as opposed to speaking to other people online or via texting on their cell phones who have 10 simultaneous windows going on.

Using Web-based advice services is one of the best uses of the the Internet. Assisting people everywhere in the world 24 hours a day actually means that nobody has to feel alone.

Christmas Postage Stamps For Envelopes

2007-11-29T04:42:00.000-08:00

Most people, including those that count down to the December holidays, discover that writing holiday cards can be a chore. This is a new way to change that and make sending holiday cards more exciting for you in addition to everyone on your holiday communication list. Business associates, customers, neighbors, friends, and relatives will get an extra kick out of opening your holiday cards in the mail when you personalize the items.

Due to today's world wide web abilities, customizing holiday greetings and postage is a simple process. Luckily, you are no longer restricted to choosing cards and then looking everywhere for / hoping for similar postage from the post office. You can now get your postage and cards from the same site to ensure a perfect and identical fit.

Even more exciting than that, you now have the ability to personalize both the cards and the holiday postage. Imagine the impression you will make on everyone you know when they receive a postage with a photo of a holiday gift tag on it that has your name in the "from" section. Imagine how cute it would be to include a photo of your special animal on a postage stamp within a snow globe design. Ideas such as these are simply put into action on a custom postage website such as ArtisticPostage.com. In fact, with templates already in place, you could make beautiful postage stamps like these in a matter of a few clicks.

Of course, most people write individual messages inside of their holiday cards for each person on their card list. Technology and creativity now make it possible for individuals to utilize the same idea to and take it to the next level by having special messages printed professionally as part of the card. Technically, people have been able to print their own cards on their personal computers at home for generally the last ten or so years if they had a color printer and access to quality paper. Even so, the quality of produced on home printers is not comparable to the quality of professionally completed print jobs.

For creating your own card, you have two options. You can start from scratch if you prefer or you can use a basic design already created by an expert and then customize it to your liking from that point. If you are super creative type, then you will like making your creation from the ground up, so to speak. Most holiday consumers will be thankful that they can start with a template making use of professional artwork or phography as the building blocks of their creation and simply add fun creative touches to make the card distinctive.

The unique holiday cards and postage that you give as part of a gift or as seasonal communications will be something that those who receive them will save as keepsakes. It's been said that the sweetest sound a person can hear is his or her own name so it stands to reason that getting personalized materials is just as pleasabnt to the eye.

The holiday season is a wonderful time of year to create original presents. Thanks to the ease of the customization process, creating personalized cards and postage is as much fun for the person making them as it is for the person getting them.

Holiday Card Postage

2007-11-17T17:09:00.000-08:00

ArtisticPostage.com releases its custom holiday stamp collection by designer TDSwhite in plenty of time for holiday postage stamp buyers to get free shipping on their custom stamps. Consumers now have more choices than ever before when it comes to making their seasonal greeting card envelopes truly unique.

Every year, holiday card senders make their annual trek to the post office to see what the USPS is offering that year in Christmas stamps. Postal customers then hope that their local branch has a design they like in stock.

ArtisticPostage.com introduces a new holiday stamp tradition this year – using stamps with photographs and designs created by TDSwhite and customized with the purchaser's own holiday greeting (if they prefer). Part of this new holiday tradition includes getting their stamps delivered right to their doors.

Of all the stamps he's made for the holiday season this year, one has already distinguished itself in an interesting way. The Holiday Wreath Stamp, which features a snow-covered real pine wreath with a traditional red bow started selling in August this year to super-efficient holiday card senders. Perhaps the fact that the wreath was photographed during a snowstorm and snowflakes are visible in the picture gave the shoppers a dash of holiday magic to help them make it through the hot summer weather.

Other stamps in the new seasonal set include candy cane colored monograms, Christmas tree decorations, various snowflake patterns, and many more.

Creator TDSwhite appreciates all the positive comments that are generated by his work. Praise for his Christmas and holiday designs include: "Love your gallery. The celebration candles give such a warm, homey feeling," "Your new Christmas collection is beautiful." A telling comment on his overall work said, "An abundance of beauty and creativity fills your gallery. A real joy to browse such stunning artwork."

For more information and to view Christmas postage and holiday postage choices available, visit the Holiday Stamps & Christmas Stamps page at ArtisticPostage.com.

In addition to holiday collections, ArtisticPostage.com showcases an assortment of TDSwhite's exclusive photo stamps and computer designs for many occasions including weddings, birth announcements, and thank you acknowledgements.

Custom Wedding Stamps

2007-11-11T00:29:00.000-08:00

As more brides become aware of the possibility of using custom wedding stamps to enhance their invitations, they need to know that whatever time of year the choose for their weddings, the stamp designer at ArtisticPostage.com will be sure to come up with just the right choices to help them make their invitations as beautiful as possible.

Winter Wedding Invitations

The Winter Wedding Ice Rose stamp tops the collection of winter wedding postage stamps introduced by designer TDSwhite. In addition to the Ice Rose, winter brides will find an assortment of seasonally appropriate stamps for their invitations at ArtisticPostage.com.

Adding to its popular year-round wedding stamp line, ArtisticPostage.com has just introduced a winter wedding collection to help brides and wedding planners turn those winter wedding invitations into conversation pieces. TDSwhite's winter wedding stamps incorporate seasonal icons such as snowflakes, holiday greenery, candlelight, and crystals into the various designs. Color choices reflect nature's own color scheme at this time of year.

As always, stamps are designed to accommodate personalization by brides who often choose to add their own names and dates turning the stamps into keepsakes for the invitees.

Postage designer TDSwhite says, "Guests should feel that each aspect of the wedding experience was carefully thought out by the happy couple. Couples can rest assured that the custom postage stamps at Artistic Postage were carefully designed to help them get the most out of their invitations." Admirers agree as evidenced by this feedback on TDSwhite's stamp collection, "You have the most beautiful stamps. Impossible to choose a favorite," and this one, "Amazingly creative. I want to get married all over again!"

Different artistic styles reflect the tones different brides want to set for their weddings. For example, a formal black tie reception would be represented well by the stamp with a black background and a single red rosebud in the foreground with the word "love" superimposed in silver script. Another great choice for a formal winter wedding is the stamp with an intricate snowflake design set against a two-shaded background with the names of the bride and groom in a delicate script. For a more lighthearted tone, the smiling snowman stamp would be ideal.

To obtain additional information and to view the many winter wedding stamp options available, visit the Winter Wedding Stamps page at ArtisticPostage.com.

ArtisticPostage.com's ever-growing line of customizable wedding stamps includes digital photography and computer designs as well as combinations of the two. Stamp options include three size choices and seven denomination choices along with the ability to add words, monograms, and dates.

Find Holiday Cards & Christmas Cards Online

2007-11-01T20:33:00.000-07:00

ArtisticPostage.com introduces its line of custom holiday greeting cards and custom Christmas cards in time for card buyers to take advantage of a special offer that allows them to get any five cards at no cost. This offer runs until November 8, 2007.

Online holiday shopping just got a little easier thanks to the addition of Christmas cards and holiday cards to the inventory at ArtisticPostage.com.

Responding to consumer instincts for wanting to examine an item in person before purchasing, the company that prints and ships the cards displayed on ArtisticPostage.com is offering a special holiday deal in which customers can get up to five different holiday cards as samples at no charge.

The special applies to holiday template cards, which are specifically designed to accommodate customer's own photographs, as well as standard cards utilizing the designer's full picture or graphic on the card. Of course, both types can be further customized with the buyer's own message, monogram, etc.

The cards at ArtisticPostage.com include a variety of designs appropriate for everyone on a person's Christmas card list. One easy to use template in which customers can insert their own pictures makes it look like their photos are inside a snow globe. Other card designs incorporate seasonal favorites such as Christmas tree ornaments, pine branches, and holiday wreaths.

Card designer TDSwhite says, "It's great to know that my creations will help people express their wishes to friends and loved ones this holiday season.” Consumers and fellow designers have also expressed their opinions on TDSwhite's work over the past few months: One commenter stated, "Beautiful. You are so gifted. Great Gallery." Another fan said, "Really wonderful stuff. Fantastic photography and awesome graphics." A third much appreciated comment was, "From one photographer to another, you do great work."

To view the seasonal greeting cards designed by TDSwhite and to obtain the online coupon code for the holiday promotional credit, holiday shoppers should visit the Holiday Card & Christmas Card page at ArtisticPostage.com.

Eighties Trivia

2007-10-23T22:07:00.000-07:00

It was the decade of decadence. It was about glitz and glamour as well as baubles, bangles, and beads.

Elizabeth Taylor dropped in for Luke and Laura's wedding. Lady Diana Spencer joined the Royal Family. Nighttime soaps like Falcon Crest and Dynasty ruled television. Margaret Thatcher ruled the United Kingdom. Kevin Bacon danced his way across the screen in Footloose. Gordon Gekko taught Wall Street whiz kids that greed was good. Material Girl Madonna made her musical debut.

When did all this take place?

We can only be talking about that terrific time period – the unforgettable eighties.

Here are twenty-one ways for you to verify that you belong to (or belong in) the 1980's.

1. You tried breakdancing. Now you're trying to figure out how you didn't break any bones doing it.

2. You can still recite dialogue from any movie starring Molly Ringwald.

3. You remember paying by the minute for long distance telephone service and you can still hear the tune from the phone company commercial when they encouraged you to "reach out – reach out and touch someone."

4. You had at least one of the following: a Cabbage Patch Kid, My Little Buddy, a Rubik's Cube, or something with a Star Wars logo on it.

5. You first heard about the Human Genome Project in the science newsletter your teacher would pass out on Friday afternoons. You also remember how this was supposed to lead to the eradication of disease.

6. You were tuned in the exact moment that thousands of radio stations across the world played "We Are The World" at the exact same time. (Now, you're singing it!)

7. You call CD's records or albums and you still have a diamond needle record player. You also know what a Cassingle is. Bonus points if you still have one.

8. You remember who Bernard Goetz is and why he made headlines.

9. Someone on your street or neighborhood sent his or her life savings to a later discredited televangelist.

10. You hung out with your friends at the mall, especially in the video arcade where you exchanged those hard-earned quarters for tokens.

11. You remember when Reagan met Gorbachev in Reykjavik, Iceland for a summit.

12. You and your friends made fun of the "Where's the beef?" commercials for Wendy's starring Clara Peller.

13. You think the word "like" in an integral part of every sentence and should be used as often as possible. Like this, "She was like, like why would I say that, that's not like me at all. Like who does she think she is, you know? Like, really!"

14. You know there was only one way Dorothy on the Golden Girls could make Sophia behave. She simply said, "Shady Pines, Ma, Shady Pines."

15. You joined a protest or gave an interview to a local media station demanding that New Coke be shelved and original Coca-Cola be brought back.

16. You remember when there was no such thing as CNN, E!, or MTV.

17. Your parents were afraid you'd cut yourself putting on a snap bracelet.

18. You were inspired by Geraldine Ferraro, the first (and as of this writing only in a major political party) female Vice Presidential candidate.

19. Renting horror movie sequels about Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, and Michael Myers took up a lot of your time.

20. If someone says, "I don’t know," you automatically cringe expecting the green slime to mysteriously fall from the ceiling.

21. You played Atari, Intellivision, Sega, Nintendo, and Coleco until your hands went numb.

Are you still a Duran Duran fan? Do you still know all the words to Time After Time? Then you better get right over to the 80's music, fashion, and television list at (http://www.comprehensiveadvice.com/80s.html) to quench your thirst for more 80's info at Matthew W. Grant's 80's Trivia pages.

Holiday Discounts

2007-10-23T03:35:00.001-07:00

SPECIAL OFFERS:

FREE HOLIDAY CARDS - Get any five holiday cards for free when you enter the code GET5FREECARD during checkout. The Zazzle system will apply the $14.95 credit to your order. (Offer good through November 8, 2007)

FREE SHIPPING ON STAMPS - Use discount code FREESHIPSTMP during checkout when you get 3 or more sheets of holiday stamps. Each sheet can have a different design so you can mix and match your styles. (The promotion runs until December 31, 2007.)

Cards and stamps can be customized with your own monograms, messages,etc. if you desire.

Click on any item below to see it in a larger size and be taken to the Zazzle site where you can take advanatge of the special offers.

Feeling Creative Today?

Make your own holiday stamp or make your own Christmas stamp.

Click on the blank one below to get started:

What Happens When You Rely On Spell Check

2007-10-23T03:32:00.000-07:00

Repeat After Me: Bad Spell Checker

Unfortunately, too many computer users are solely relying on spell checking software as their only means of proofreading. The rule of thumb most people go by is that anything going to a friend gets sent the way it is typed without the benefit of being examined for errors while communication being sent to a colleague or being turned into an instructor should be put through spell checking software. People think that's all they need to do to it.

I find that spell checking software is great at catching typos such as transposed letters, but that's about it. It will not save you from typing (or rather mistyping) homophones. [You remember those from English class, right? They're sets of words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and have different meanings such as "they're," "there," and "their."] Spell checking won't save you when your mistyped word happens to be another real world. Another potential pitfall is letting the spell checker automatically correct as you type. It may "correct" your typing error, but change the word to something else entirely. If "ewe" don't believe me, read on.

Would you want the following message being sent to your customers?

To Out Values Customer;

We got your e-male about yore missing shipment and are sew sorry for ant incontinence we may have caused. Where not shore how your order got miss placed hair? But were looking into it. Wheel chip it write out fro you too day fro our wear house. Thanks for undertaking!

That information gets through spell checkers with flying colors. Try it in yours and you'll be amazed. Spell checking software is a good start, but it's not the final answer. The software is a complement to, but not a replacement for, proofreading and editing the old-fashioned way.

An editor would know the appropriate corrections to make.

To Our Valued Customer:

We received your e-mail about your missing shipment and are so sorry for any inconvenience we may have caused. We’re not sure how your order got misplaced here, but we're looking into it. We’ll ship it right out for you today from our warehouse. Thanks for understanding.

Imagine a professor receiving this.

Is it jest a myth that hour frost precedent shopped dawn a cheery tree? Scholars have rebated this store four ages, but to day wheel come to a definitive concussion.

An editor would know the appropriate corrections to make.

Is it just a myth that our first president chopped down a cherry tree? Scholars have debated this story for ages, but today we'll come to a definitive conclusion.

Again, try it in spell check. Go ahead. I'll wait. I hope these examples have convinced you that spell check is only the first step in the editing process.

Is your essay writing on life support? Please visit author Matthew W. Grant's site, A+ Editors, at (http://www.APlusEditors.com) for options.