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Daily archives for January 25th, 2007

Framing Achievement Diploma Frames

Jan25
2007 Written by Editor

After a long, detour-filled journey, I finally completed all the requirements for my Bachelor’s degree last year. It’s not as though I work outside the home and actually need the degree to hold down a job or anything, but without it I always felt that something was missing in my life. So I chipped away at the requirements, took classes whenever I could, and earned my degree 10 years later than I should have.

Anyway, I was very proud of my accomplishment and decided to go all out by purchasing a nice frame for my degree. I first went to one of those do-it-yourself places at a strip mall by my house, but wasn’t able to find quality materials to work with. So next, I checked online and came across a site called FramingAchievement.com.

Framing Achievement had a great selection of diploma frames and personalization options, so I knew I had found an excellent site. The process of selecting a frame was very easy, too. First, I chose the frame style, e.g. single diploma, double diploma, tassel diploma frame, etc. (I went with the single). Then, I chose the kind of wood I wanted for the frame. This was the hardest part for me because I thought they all looked so nice. In the end, I decided to go with the glossy traditional mahogany frame because I think it’s very classy.

After that, I had to enter info about the size and orientation of my actual diploma. I ordered the frame before I received my degree, so I had to contact my school to get this data.

Finally, I chose a personalization option, which I had to pay extra for. (I decided to have a “Bachelor of Arts” seal etched into the glass.)

The whole thing cost me $119 plus shipping — a pretty reasonable price considering the quality. I now have my degree hanging on my office wall in its beautiful frame and couldn’t be happier! I recommend that you check out Framing Achievement the next time you need a high-quality document or photo frame.

Posted in Products

How I Met Your Mother 2×13

Jan25
2007 Written by Editor

I haven’t been watching How I Met Your Mother regularly in the past couple of months, but I still like the show and have been catching up on TiVoed episodes. I am actually not much of a sitcom fan, so these are the shows that automatically go on the backburner when I’ve got dramas and movies to watch.

Anyway, I was sifting through my blog here and I realize that I’ve never reviewed an ep of HIMYM before, which surprises me. Too bad I have to start with 2×13, which is called “Columns,” because in my opinion this was one of the weakest HIMYM episodes I’ve seen to date. I personally feel that this show works best when it shows the main characters interacting with each other — much like Friends used to be. Outsiders do not make the cast of HIMYM more interesting, unlike, say, Seinfeld where the characters’ strengths were making fun of other people.

In “Columns,” we get to see Ted at work, which wasn’t interesting at all. Apparently he’s a manager there and now all his co-workers make fun of him, including Druthers (played by Bryan Cranston — the dad from Malcolm in the Middle). But Druthers goes too far, and Ted’s boss tells Ted to just fire the guy. But Ted can’t quite find the right time to do it, and that becomes the running joke throughout that storyline.

Meanwhile, the rest of the gang take delight in finding an old painting that Lily did. The subject? A nude Marshall! I thought this storyline had a lot of potential for laughs, but that didn’t really materialize. One reason for that was probably because the painting was so bad that it was distracting.

Overall, this episode wasn’t very entertaining, but I’m sure the show will bounce back to its usual hilarious self soon!

Posted in TV Shows

Personalized Valentine’s Gift Baskets

Jan25
2007 Written by Editor

We’re just a few weeks away from Valentine’s Day already, which means it’s time to start thinking of the perfect gift to give your significant other. Personally, I prefer to give (and receive) gift baskets for a couple of reasons. First, there are so many different kinds of gift baskets out there that you’re bound to find a something nice for your special someone. And second, gift baskets are useful. You can be relatively sure that all the products will be eaten, used, or otherwise consumed. In short, it’s hard to go wrong with a gift basket.

Today I was looking at Valentines baskets and saw a site that gives customers the option of choosing a pre-packaged basket or of customizing a basket with the products of their choice. I love the idea of being able to fill a gift basket with things I know my husband will enjoy, so I’m definitely leaning that way right now. Take a look at GourmetGiftBaskets.com while there’s still time before Valentine’s Day!

Posted in Products

GradeSaver ClassicNotes – The Awakening

Jan25
2007 Written by Editor

Recently I’ve been wanting to revisit books that I was “forced” to read while in school in roder to take them in on my own terms. There are actually two reasons for this: First, it’s been nearly 15 years since I last had to read a book for school, so I’ve pretty much forgotten what these classics are about and it won’t hurt me to read them again; and second, when reading for school, I would often skim long passages, skip the boring parts, or just read the endings, which obviously meant that I didn’t get much out of the books.

Right now, I’m in the middle of The Awakening by Kate Chopin. I remember only the end of this book, so I’m having fun rediscovering all the things that drove Edna to her final swim. As usual, I’m reading the GradeSaver ClassicNotes study guide along with the book, and again I have to say that I’m very impressed by the content of the chapter summaries and analyses.

The guide for The Awakening was written by Jennifer Moon and is quite insightful. The summaries are short and to the point, but Jennifer spends a good deal of time interpreting the various instances of symbolism and foreshadowing in Chopin’s work. Some of the symbols are obvious, even to a non-literary person like me, but many of them I would have passed right over if not for the GradeSaver ClassicNotes guide.

I’ll be writing up a proper review of The Awakening once I finish it, but just wanted to pop in to let you know how good the study guide is. Check it out!

Posted in Books

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