552 Productions

A nice website I saw today was one for 552 Productions. The site was nice and clean, and since they are in the field of video production DC, they have some nice media on their homepage show casing their talents. A lot of their work is done for non-profit organizations, but they also work for private companies / citizens as well. If you need any work done in that area check out their blog or about us pages. The only critique I have is that a blog should have regular posts if it's going to be heavily show cased on the home page.

Metropolis Chair

The design of the Metropolis Chair is definitely closely related to the Miles Chair. Graceful curves and clean lines blend in a chair that borders on artsy.

New contest service

I'm trying out a new service to promote my futon cover give away.

Miles Chair

The Miles Chair is a wood workers nightmare or dream. The bent birch slats must have been nerve wracking to create, but the piece really is quite stunning. Another simple steel frame completes the piece.

Carbon Fiber Chair

Another awesome chair from Solv Studios, the Carbon Fiber Chair is wafer thin. A simple stainless steel base completes the design. The light weight design of the carbon fiber put every other minimal style piece I've ever reviewed to shame.

-Enjoy

Need A Credit Card?

Here's a good site with a list of credit cards for bad credit. If you have bad credit, and would like a credit card, head over to Bad Credit Offers for a list of the top ten credit card companies that will approve high risk applications. Oh yeah, the site had quite a bit of information, so take your time and read up on avoiding bad credit decisions. Enjoy.

Feedjit

I just found a really cool widget that shows the approximate location of my site visitors. on the lower right you'll see a small world map that will show a red blip every time someone enters the futon blog. Check it out, and if you want one for your site visit FeedJit.

Window treatments

When I woke up this morning, the temperature on the thermometer read two degrees below zero. Obviously I don't live in Florida. :)

So anyway, this morning I made some coffee and went to sit down near one of the windows to sit in the sun when I was hit by a cold draft. Now, I'm blogging well away from the windows at my computer, and I got thinking about window blinds or shades that could help insulate around the windows in the winter. I was thinking something along the lines of the half inch cellular shades that I found on the Just Blinds website. The prices looked fairly reasonable and the selection was, to me, quite varied. Just Blinds had cellular shades in three thicknesses and like twelve colors per model. So they should fit just about any space.

If cellular shades aren't your thing, Just Blinds also carries Roman Shades, Wooden Shades, Shutters, Pleated Shades & More. If you're not trying to save heat this season there are all sorts of different shade styles for you and your space. Check out the selection and let me know what you think.

Solv Chair

The Solv chair looks quite comfy. Low and loungy, it's definitely made for deep relaxation. The molded seat is well complimented by the simple hoop base.

Metra Cocktail Table

The Metra Cocktail Table is made of Aluminum bicycle rims and is topped with a green polycarbonate window from a Chicago commuter train.

Letting go of ego

As an aikidoka, I found an immediate connection with the Sedona Method. The founders, Lester Levenson and Hale Dwoskin, promote the Sedona Method as a path towards creating a new earth through simple, powerful, and easy-to-learn techniques that shows you how to uncover your natural ability to surrender – or let go. But wait, how do you get anywhere if you let go? That all depends on what you let go of, ego is one good thing to surrender. Pain is another. The Sedona Method, much like some aikido practice emphasizes this, and they can teach you how to be aware of the things that we all hold onto. Those types of hang ups usually impair our progress in life.

The Sedona Method has seminars and classes on a regular basis. You get hands on teaching with people that have made an active change in their behavior and who want to help spread a better way.

Modulus Loveseat

The Modulus Loveseat will add tremendous style to your environment. It is constructed of strategically bent and expertly welded steel bicycle rims.

It is available with inner-tube upholstery, or custom-made cushions in a variety of fabrics and materials.

File Hosting

Have you ever wanted to share pictures with friends or family, but they were too big for an email? If so, you should visit TurboUpload, Your File Host. TurboUpload is a great site where you can upload your files and friends and family can download them, saving your email bandwidth. Now you don't have to worry about file sizes quite so much. Check it out and share your life with your family through TurboUpload. Also, in my line of work, I have quite a few manufactures who send me large image files. These files can eat up tons of bandwidth, and with a program like this, we can both save on our usage.

Check it out.

Vector Lounge Chair

I was blown away by the ingenuity of the Vector Lounge Chair. The use of materials that are not generally used in furniture is very refreshing. The rims that serve as arm rests on this chair can be fitted with your favorite mountain bike tires or with inner-tubes only. They can also be fitted with a simple pad.
This chair is suitable for outdoor use. Very Cool

Getting Ahead - Some May Try To Stop You

When I worked for a well known furniture retailer in Massachusetts, the owners were always discouraging their employees from advancing in their lives. Whether that advancement included activities within the company or not, it was usually looked down upon. For instance, the company was owned by two people, one of them came from a wealthy family out of Missouri and the other was from a working class family from Montana. The working class guy wanted to take some Management Courses to get some formal training, and the wealthy gentleman made him feel like an idiot for the thought. Even though, we call him Mr. Wealth, has a masters degree and went to school for years, he still had to discourage anyone else from ahead.

For that reason, I have decided to actively pursue knowledge relevant to my field. Mr. Wealth isn't the only guy that should be allowed to get ahead in the world.

Is retro your thing?

If you like retro style furnishings you should visit Retro Showrooms. While I'm not sure if the furniture is authentic retro or reproduction it definitely looks the part. From radios to dinettes they maight just have what you're looking for.

Identity theft protection - Lifelock

In a world of identity theft, companies like Life Lock are finding the market wide open for their services. Even with fears of credit and identity theft taking on larger than life proportions for some, it looks as though LifeLock.com is still giving a little back in order to get new customers. Here's the details for the new promotion that LifeLock is offering to new customers. Right now they are giving a thirty day free trial, after which an annual fee of only ninety-nine dollars will apply for your first year of service.

Their site looks alright, it's no frills and to the point. The only thing I would suggest is maybe giving consumers tips on the site on how to avoid behavior that can put you more at risk for identity theft. You know, like telling consumers what to look for in a website when shopping, or what types of information are safe to even enter on a form or volunteer. Other than that minor gripe, the service looks solid and the site was average.

Skyline Dinnerware

Wanna see the New York Skyline without having to go to NYC? How about under a home cooked meal? Well, if you're in the mood for a little NYC in your daily dining, without the hassle of actually going to New York, the NYC skyline plates may be just what you're looking for.

Most popular posts

In my attempt to make the futon blog more accessible, I've just added a link to my most popular posts. I think it will make browsing through the blog a little easier. I've noticed quite a few blogs doing this and I think it's a nice addition. We'll see if anyone uses it.

Beds in the UK

Being in the furniture business as well a fantastic blogger (I wish) I like to see whats on the market every now and again. Today I found some really interesting Oak Beds for sale across the "pond" in the UK. I was particularly fond of one platform bed called the Headlam. If you look at my site, and I hope you have, you'll probably have noticed a lot of minimally styled platform beds, with a few mission style platform beds. Wheat I really liked about the Headlam is the fact that it has a panel style head board, with your choice of a low profile foot board, or a panel style foot board. The natural oak looked quite stunning, I enjoy seeing wood furniture in a more natural state, and the Headlam bed didn't disappoint.

They also carried some interesting Faux Leather Beds, which you also don't see every day.

Enjoy my newest find.

You could win this cover this March!

This month I will be giving away a full size Chinese Poem futon cover valued at $116. What do you need to do to win? Just comment in this tread, and wait till March 12th for me to announce the winner. I'll be using a random integer generator to pick the winner.

BTW, winners must reside within the Continental US for free shipping. Everyone else, don't comment unless you want to pay for shipping.

1-2-3-GO!

Mega Furniture Click & Mortar

I think when I found www.gowfb.com I got web site envy, their eCommerce furniture store has everything. The selection is huge. I just couldn't get over the variety of bedroom furniture specifically platform beds; in fact it gave me inspiration to add more to my collection. For instance, www.gowfb.com carries children's furniture, living-room, dining room, contemporary, and patio furniture. The site navigation is fairly extensive, but when your site is so immense that can happen. They also have a convenient list of locations, if there's one in your area it won't be hard to get directions. Check it out, you may be able to find some interesting furnishings and a few deals.

My Furniture site has gotten a face lift.

Old Home Page


New Home Page

For those of you who have visited my retail site you may have noticed that a few things have changed over the past few days. For the better I hope. Well, I've added a couple new furniture categories, like rugs and the Zzz Chest. The home page is now new and improved for easy navigation and product visibility. So, what do you think? Leave a comment to share your opinion.

Be Oyster Aware

Ok, I know my video was fairly humorous, but the site I put it together for is quite the opposite. Be Oyster Aware is a great source of information about Gulf oysters and what you get from eating them. Be Oyster Aware also educates everyone about the risks of eating raw foods as well who is more at risk from them. Check it out and be, well, oyster Aware. :)

These Blue Print Plates are so cool. I love the idea, combined with the shape of the plates, it's just so right on! You have to see these, they are great. The plates themselves retail between $7 and $32 per plate depending on the size.

Wrist Watches

The other day I broke the pin on my wrist watch, which normally wouldn't be a big deal. But today was different, the bracket that holds the band in place also broke and I can get a matching replacement part. So, in my quest to find a new wrist watch I found a nice site that carries Seiko Watch company. One watch that really caught my eye was the Seiko SPC015 Men's Coutura Advanced Alarm Chronograph Timer Black Dial. It looked really sharp and, if I could afford it, I would definitely buy it.

My Ad Contest was a Success

I just wanted to let all my readers know that my ad contest was a success. This is my first contest and it lasted about 12 hours before people realized what I was offering and how to get it. I'd like to congratulate Crumblepie and MeetHere for grabbing the top two ad spots on the right for free. Their ads will remain on the site till March 26th.

Congrats and Enjoy!

Phoenix Furniture Stores

Mitch’s Furniture & Bedding Liquidation is a local furniture store in Phoenix Arizona that seems to carry a little bit of everything. With furniture for the whole house, dining, bedding, upholstery, futons, kids furniture, & more. Their site design was quite busy, with a huge selection to see, they've dubbed them selves furniture Phoenix. What's really nice is the total area Mitch’s Furniture & Bedding Liquidation covers, with delivery options well noted. Check it out.

Ravenwood Zzz Chest

The Ravenwood Zzz Chest is another Las Vegas find that we just added to the site. Bead board combines with innovation in the Zzz Chest to bring a stylish functional piece. Each Zzz Chest comes with a specially designed innerspring futon mattress.

I could win $5000 from Ocean Potion!

I just entered a Spring Break contest sponsored by Ocean Potion and their Xtreme tanning & sun careproducts. The Xtreme tanning formulas are PABA-free, cruelty free and many are fragrance free and hypo allergenic. Ocean Potion cares about your skin too, with products designed to nourish, and keep your skin looking its best, longer.

I was quite impressed by the variety of Xtreme tanning products that Ocean Potion offers, as well as the fun they are having to promote their goods. If you've already visited the links above, you must know that they made a really funny commercial with Chuck Woolery. In the commercial, you'll see just how well the Xtreme sun block made by Ocean Potion really works. I bet the sun burned guy wished he had some Ocean Potion Xtreme sun block on before he fell asleep in the sun. See for yourself what I'm talking about.

As you can see, my video (the one above) is a brief animation showing what could happen to you if you don't use your Ocean Potion Xtreme tanning product when you head to the beach. Plus, I've entered it in the Spring Break Contest and I could be in the running for $5000! So, head over to the Spring Break Contest and vote for me. I sure would appreciate it.

So, if you want to either block the sun, or enhance your tan, Ocean Potion has a sun product for you and your skin.

I'm giving away some ad space

I plan on giving away two 125 x 125 ad spots for a month on the futon blog. There are a couple conditions before anyone enters the contest.

1. No adult or gambling sites
2. You provide the link and image
3. If I visit the link and it is deemed inappropriate the spot will be declined.
4. Only one spot per person.
5. Here's a link to sign up.

So, in order to enter the contest, just make a comment on this thread. The first two commenters who provide a 125 x 125 image, link, and a comment on this thread will get one month of advertising for free.

So, let's start.

Black Friday Ads

Evidently it's never too early for retailers to start planning for Black Friday Sales. Not that theres anything wrong with planning ahead, but I sure was surprised when found bfads, the official web site for the2008 Black Friday Sales Ads.

So, what's all that mean?

Here's how it works.

Retailers like Ace, Amazon, KB Toys, Target, Pacsun, Walmart, & more place ads in preparation for Black Friday, the biggest day for sales in the US. Wat's really nice about the site is the layout, in my opinion at least. They show all the stores logos, they have the latest news for the upcoming shopping season (deal info), and they allow you to contact them in case you want to place an ad listing for this season. I find the idea of getting the all the Black Friday deals from home great. Next year I won't be fighting the masses for Christmas presents.

Milan Zzz Chest

The Milan Zzz Chest is one of the fantastic new additions to Goodnight Moon Futon. I personally favor the Milan over the Savannah or the Ravenwood due to it's modern look. Also, each Zzz Chest includes a specially designed innerspring futon mattress. You have to check out these Zzz Chest models, they'll blow you away.

Emotional Eating?!

As an aikidoka (guy that studies aikido), I like to think that I'm in fairly good shape and as such I like to stay on top of new trends in staying fit. So, in my travels on the information super highway I found a site called www.ShrinkYourself.com that discusses diets and eating habits. Shrinkyourself.com talks a lot about emotional eating, and how people who can lose weight often give in to depression / low self esteem and eat to feel happy. At first I thought this was a crock, but the more I read the more it made sense. I think even I fall into the emotional eating category from time to time, luckily my metabolism is still high enough to keep pace, but as I get older I may want to keep an eye on things. So, check out the site if you want to take a look at your eating habits, or don't if you don't. :)

The tweaking is finished, maybe !?

I just finished rearranging the items on the Futon Blog to my liking. I felt the layout before was cluttered and didn't flow very well, but I must say that the new layout is cleaner and flows better.

But, it's not just about me, feel free to leave a comment about your thoughts.

Health insurance

The past twelve months have brought drastic changes in the way quite a few states handle health insurance. For instance, Massachusetts, California, and Georgia health insurance laws have all undergone overhauls to attempt to save tax payers money. At least that's what the politicians are saying, but anyway, now everyone has to have health insurance by law. If you don't the state revokes your right to claim yourself on your taxes. Now more than ever the need for sites like Kaiser Quotes has peaked. At Kaiser Quotes you can shop for insurance, compare plans / rates, and find out information on the insurance available in your area.

Sunday Speed Linking

Here's another speed link post, if you don't know what that means you should leave immediately. :)

Pan-Dan is a very cool blog where you can fins all sorts of posts. Random stylish items for the house & home are abundant, as well as the humorous & bizar. The only gripe I have is the unmodified blogger template, but oh well.

Vocino, fun techno-babble and random, quirky stuff. The author, Travis, is finally posting again after a 1-2 month hiatus when he stated that he hated blogging (some days, when I'm really brain dead, I can respect that). But luckily he's back :).

Lastly, Derek Semmler made the list once again. Derek recently threw a contest and I was one of the winners, of a very tight tank top :D . Maybe I'll try to squeeze into it and share an image.

Clocks

Clocks Blog is an interesting blog dedicated to all things, well, clock related. If you didn't guess that you probably weren't paying attention. There's actually quite a lot of information on the blog, such as the evolution of clocks, different clock styles, as well as what goes into making clocks. The layout of the blog is nice, and their posting history is rich. Actually, seeing this blog reminds me of the grandfather clock that my nana and papa used to own. Maybe http://www.clocksblog.com will bring back some memories for you.

Share your thoughts on Sunday

Starting today, the Futon Blog is going to start posting an open thread. So, come on in, have a seat, and tell us what's on your mind. Enjoy.

New York Real Estate

Last year my aunt Nadeen moved back north, from Miami Beach to Just outside New York City. And even though the real estate market in the rest of the country seems to be in a bit of a slump Manhattan real estate still seems to be booming. Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate is one company that specializes in upscale NYC and Long Island real estate. Their site was awesome, definitely leading with their best foot forward there. Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate is show casing some really high end spaces on their homepage, but they also have some properties that are a bit more reasonable, for Manhattan and NYC anyhow. :)

Back to my story, Nadeen found an awesome space through a mutual friend, just outside the City. She's enjoying her first winter in fifteen years and having a great time in the NYC area.

Who Sang That 80's Song Sara?

Noelle and I actually went out to Northampton last night, we stopped into the Dirty Truth (a great bar downtown) and had a nice dinner. On the way home we heard that song "Sara" from the 80's and I was convinced it was created by singer / song writer Richard Marx. Noelle though it was performed by Fleetwood Mac or Jefferson Starship. So, we need your help, who sang "Sara"?

Debt Management

As of this time, I feel fairly fortunate not to have gone through any financial crisis. Don't get me wrong, things have been tight from time to time, but luckily I have not been through any situation where I have had to contact a Debt Management company to keep my head above water. I think a lot of my ability to stay out of debt has involved my wife Noelle. She is definitely the better half of our partnership when it comes to money. The main strategy has involved avoiding reckless spending, and paying for things as you go.

For instance, I used to work with a guy named Rob, who used to refinance just to buy toys (snow mobiles, guns, etc) instead of investing it back into his home. This strategy was definitely a poor one, buying wasteful items and going further into debt. Luckily, Noelle and I have been able to avoid this pitfall, mostly thanks to her. :)

Contemporary Homes.......For Birlds?!

I think a contemporary house can look really nice, but do birds also need such stylish abodes? I have to admit that the contemporary bird houses and feeders to look unique, but those crazy German's (at least I think the site was German) went a little too far with this one. Anyway, this post turned into a bit of a rant again.

Cubs Hats

When I in middle school my friend Adam had a really cool Cubs baseball cap, it was almost flannel with the small Cub Logo on the side. Well, just the other day I tried to to find another one and that's when I found CubWorld.com, a site that carries official Chicago Cubs merchandise. The site was nice, had tons of selection, was easy to navigate, but they didn't have the hat I remember. I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about, there's always that one thing from the past that nothing else measures up to, right? But, what did I expect after fifteen years?

Anyway, check it out if you're into the Cubs or other MLB memorabilia.

Not the nutcracker you remember

I don't eat too many walnuts, or even nuts with their shells intact, but if I did I would invest in one of these Nutcrackers. The Nutcracker has a solid stainless steel base, domed top in black rubber and non-slip rubber bottom to protect against scratched table tops. But the real genius of this nutcracker is the ribbed metal fitting on the underside of the dome that ensures that only a light tap is needed to split the shell.

Exotic Destinations

Get ready for another rant. :)

I've always been interested in traveling abroad, to somewhere other than Europe, Like Australia or the islands in the Pacific. But do you know how long a flight to Australia or Japan is? You're in the air for like twenty four hours. Not that it would be too bad I guess, but that's a very long time in a coach seat. Even so, I've heard really great things about Australia and would like to see it for myself. I would love to go to some of the crazy restaurants in Sydney, and even go out to Ayers Rock in the desert. Well, maybe I don't want to see the poisonous creatures.

Forest Cups

The Forest Cups designers have taken inspiration from the Scandinavian forests and designed a stylized pattern of trees and branches in black lines on a white background. All of the cups are identical, but appear to be different members of the same family, depending on how you look at them. Packaged in sets of four.

Old School Bikes

I just found a cool site that sells old school bicycles. You know the ones I'm referring to, bikes that have one speed, are made out of metal (no carbon fiber), and have no shocks. The kind of bike that you used to see back in the day. Well, Cruiser Style.com is helping old school bicycles make a come back with their pink beach cruiser.

I don't really see many of these bikes in the Northeast yet, but Noelle went to Amsterdam last year and they were in abundance. When she told me about the bicycle culture in Amsterdam, I thought it sounded awesome. Here's how it went. Usually two people would ride one bike, the guy would peddle while his girl sat side saddle behind him and held on with a hug. As the pair would try to get moving, the boy friend would sit on the seat and start peddling and his girly would run along side for a few steps and then jump on. I thought it sounded wicked cool, and if I were over there Noelle and I would have definitely been renting a bike to try it out. So, if you want an old school bike to ride with you girl, check out the liks above and have some fun.

pink beach cruiser

Light House Heater

The Light House Heater is another great find for your home. It's a great source of light as well as functional in that it can keep your tea warm or maybe your fondue. Oh yeah, if you couldn't figure out why it's called the Light House Heater, you should search google for Light House Images.

One overlooked aspect

One thing a lot of people over look when they think about furnishing their new space is moving to it. For instance, my mother in law, Bev, is about to move into the apartment that Noelle and I own. She and Noelle have spent a tremendous amount to time and energy getting the apartment ready, but the moving side of the whole process is taking a back seat to everything. And, it's not as though we have a small amount to move, there a lot of stuff. So, I've been looking into a truck rental so we can take care of the move in one shot. That's when I found MovingOrbit.com, they can hook you up with truck rentals, movers, and give you a free quote. It may be a little less stressful if we have some additional help on this one.

Cool Potholders

Normally the two words in the title don't go very well together, but the Fingerprint Potholder may just be the exception. The Fingerprint potholder is manufactured in heat-resistant silicone, has good friction properties and gives a sure grip on everything from pots and pans to hot oven dishes. Quite an interesting find for your home.

Anyone Else Getting Gouged On Heating Oil?

This winter has been quite cold in the Northeast and I don't know about you, but I'm really feeling it as far as my heating costs go this year. Consequently, I've been thinking about supplementing my forced hot air, oil heat with one of those propane convection heaters. From what I've read they're supposed to be quite economical and clean, economics being quite important. I've always wanted one of those radiant heat stoves in my space, and this might just be the year for it.

Risqué Lamp

Who ever designed the Lady Lamp must have been traumatized or fantasized by "Christmas Story". The lamp itself is very reminisent of the stockinged lamp the Ralphy's father won. Well, it's slightly more on the risqué side though.

Ok, we've touched base on rugs, now you need a good vacuum

For those of you who didn't read the last couple posts, I just blogged about antique rugs. But, now that you know about nice rugs, you should probably invest in a good vacuum to take care of it. Now, Noelle and I have a great dane, and for years we never had any rugs in the house. Since our dog is huge, we used one of my shop vacs on the hardwood floors. Last year we got a small area rug, and the shop vac is terrible on it, so we've started to think about investing in a nice vacuum, like a Dyson vacuum from 1AwsomeVac.com. They have a great selection by the way.

But we're also taking our time. When I was single I probably would have just bought a vacuum based on it's color, but now I know theres more to than that. I guess we'll be using the shop vac for a little while longer. :(

New Top Commenter File

After trying and failing with the comment program that blogger provides, I decided to try Intense Debate on my blog. Intense Debate give bloggers more control over their comments. Also, commenter's are given reputation, so bad seeds that spam will be shown for what they really are. Bloggers also get statistics on the comments on their blogs. Keep an eye out for the new comment system soon.

Antique Rugs

If you've been on the site lately you probably noticed that I recently added a collection of area rugs. While the rugs I have on the site are nice, I must say that an antique rugs is a step above. Like the rugs I found at Nazmiyal Antique Rugs. The patterns are usually more intricate and most often antique rugs are made by hand. Which, in my opinion is very pleasing to the eye. Consequently,antique Persian carpets are usually more expensive, but they can be worth the extra cost.