Life in North Texas... by a Realtor®

We have a winner!

Sorry it took so long, but a few people requested more time for the ad challenge that I posted here. I received all sorts of awesome and inspiring layouts, but the winner is.....

• Julie Ann Shahin

Here is her layout and the magazine ad that inspired it!

Thanks to everyone for playing! Ok, Julie please send me your address so I can send you a goodie box!  :)

I think I have sent out all of the links for the mystery shopping companies to everyone who has requested them. If you have any more questions about mystery shopping, let me know!

I am off to work on a couple of projects for Scrappers Bliss and BHG! Peace!

WOW, lots of new mystery shoppers!

What an amazing response I had to my mystery shopper list! I have sent out the list of sites/companies to everyone who has e-mailed me or commented, so far, but if I accidentally missed you, please let me know so I can send you the list! I have had a few questions here and there, so I will try to address the most common ones here:

• Does it cost anything to become a mystery shopper?

Answer: NO, not if you are working with/for a legitimate company! You should never be expected to pay a fee to become a mystery shopper, nor should you ever pay for a "list" of mystery shopping links/sites. There are far too many free resources out there, including my list, that I will happily send anyone who is interested!

• How does compensation work?

Answer: In my experiences as a mystery shopper, most of the time you will be expected to pay for a particular product or service upfront, then you will be reimbursed for that product/service once you turn in a completed and approved report to the mystery shopping company. For instance, a few weeks ago, I did a mystery shop for Bennigan's restaurant. The shop required me to go for lunch and I was asked to order an appetizer, a beverage, and an entree. I was required to pay for the meal, but I was reimbursed for the entire cost of the lunch (up to $50 for two people, so hubby got to eat free too!) plus I was compensated an extra $25. I simply had to submit my receipt, my completed mystery shop questionnaire, and that was it!

• Do you get paid often?

Answer: Most of the shops pay (or reimburse) within two to four weeks. Some are sooner; some only generate checks once a month.

• They want my social security number. Is this normal?

Answer: Most legitimate companies ask for your social security number because although you are working as an independent contractor, they are still required to report your earnings to the IRS at the end of the year and you will normally receive a 1099 with your earnings. Make sure you claim all expenses on your taxes, such as mileage, etc.!

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask me! I hope this has been helpful to you!

Mystery Shopping!

Want to earn extra money and free stuff?

Someone posted on Two Peas about how they were looking for legitimate Mystery Shopping web sites. Since this is "right up my alley" and I have an extensive list of reputable companies, I will be more than happy to share them with anyone who requests the list! Just leave me a comment here on my blog with your e-mail address and I will send you the complete list that I have.

I have worked for many Mystery Shop companies, and still do here in the DFW area. I often get free tanning, free lunches/dinners, free movie tickets, free hotel stays, free amusement park visits (water parks, Six Flags, Celebration Station, etc.) from these companies. Payment is always pretty quick - sometimes within several days.

Please let me add that you do NOT have to pay to be a mystery shopper! If you run across a company that asks for money, pass them by! You should also never have to pay for a list of companies. There are too many free resources out there, including my list. So if you would like to have it, just let me know!

I will wait a few more days for entries to my challenge that I posted here about using magazine ads for inspiration for a layout, then I will post my favorite and choose a winner! The winner will receive a cool goodie package, so if you haven't sent in your entry, get it in!

Peace!

Awesome scrapbook adhesives!

LOVE THIS STUFF!

I received a great package of UHU adhesive products last week and I got a chance to use them over the weekend. Let me say that this stuff rocks! I especially love the glue pen because the wet adhesive does NOT warp the paper once it has been adhered. The roller is super-easy to use and doesn't get all gunked up with little adhesive dots like some other brands. An excellent product, and I know what I will keep buying in the future! My Joann's carries this stuff, so I can pick up more once these run out. If you haven't tried UHU yet, give their products a shot!

CHALLENGE TIME!

Sometimes when I am stumped with scrapbooking and need some extra mojo, I like to use advertisements from magazines as inspiration for my designs. I have an example of this coming up in the December BHG, but if you are looking for a great place to get magazine ads to inspire you, try this cool site:

• Magazine Ads

Can I just say I LOVE this site?! I hope you will, too. I would also love to see what you come up with! If you create something using one of the ads, send it my way! I will post my favorite one here on my blog and send you a nice scrapbooking goodie envelope!

• JUST A NOTE: You don't have to pay for the magazine ads on the web site above - just use the image as a creative reference for your scrapbook page. :)

Now get busy!  :)

Look at this mess!

And this is how my scrap studio looks after I have created a layout. Pretty messy! I confess to being a "piler". Sometimes I even create pages on top of piles of paper and embellishments! Usually, I will clean up completely before starting a new project, because I dislike working in a messy area, although from the looks of this picture, I am sure you will beg to differ with me. LOL! I have been working on several projects this past week, including my first assignment from BHG as a Creative Team member, an article and layout for Chatterbox, and a few other surprises I have up my sleeve! One of those surprises involves travel to a place FAR away, so I am really excited about that!

I am waiting for pizza to arrive so I don't have to cook tonight (bad, lazy mom! LOL!) and I keep staring at this mess on my counter top, knowing I should clean it up. Maybe after a couple slices of pizza I will be more motivated. Alright, who am I fooling?

I am going to be a guest designer for a kit club web site next month, so that will be fun! I love kit clubs, although I don't belong to any of them. Leave me a comment and let me know who your favorite kit club is! You can be my enabler!!

I got some really good scrapbook related news today from a dear friend of mine and I am so excited for her. I can't spill the beans, but she should be able to, soon! When she does, I will link you to her great news. You know who you are - I am SO PROUD OF YOU! You are going to rock the house with your work!

So how was your Labor Day? Mine was great! The weather here in Texas today is gorgeous and it hasn't been as hot as it normally is. I was told that it actually rained here over the weekend! We haven't seen rain in what seems like forever. Fall is my favorite weather, so we are finally getting close to the crisp, cool days that call for sweatshirts and sneakers. My favorite!

Matthew came home yesterday with his latest "dilemma" - he has 3 different girls wanting to go to Homecoming with him! He has given it great thought and has finally figured out who he is going to ask, so cross your fingers that she says yes! I will keep you updated. This year is going so well for him so far. It is nice to finally see him genuinely happy and feel "at home" once again.

Ok, I really am going to clean up this mess, now. I will update again later!

Ciao!