I came across this Portland video production company the other day and love their work.  On their site, Shields films states this about their services:

What do Oregon’s top restaurants, realtors, musicians, fashion designers, and non-profits have in common? They have all hired Shields Films for video production services.

Our full service video production studio is dedicated to producing exceptional media content. 

Motivate prospects to buy. Communicate what makes your business different. Demonstrate how your products work. Educate customers and employees. Your company’s success depends on the power of your message. The ability of video to improve business is the reason it is rapidly becoming a critical component of business communications.

They have some excellent work done on their site.  I watched the video on Trebol, which shows a local tequila bar.  While you might not see this happen at the bar, they to claim to be the largest tequila provider in town.  It’s not uncommon to see all kinds of people in that place, including guys wearing men’s gothic clothing.  When your out at a bar, you run into all kinds of interesting people having a good time.

 The production of the video was sweet because you could get a real feel for the atmosphere they were trying to generate.  If you are a local business, I can’t see why you wouldn’t want to have a sweet production video like this for promotion.  It’s a great way to get new customers and expand your business.  People want to see video, and it’s becoming an essential part of the business environment.  

If you are not looking for a commercial video, but need professional photographs, this is a great company.  They do shots for weddings and really any other kind of personals.  So, there you go.  Two great Portland companies. 

Recently, I’ve come across a beauty store online that I really like, probeauty-supply.com.  They have a huge selection of products, and there are always great monthly specials to be found.  If you own a salon or have a friend who does, you definitely need to bookmark this site.  But even if you are just looking for personal products, the site is an excellent resource.

One of the best features of the store is their selection of electrical appliances.  They have the top brands you are looking for, including Andis, Belson, Solano and more.  I frequent them often to check out their Conair hair products.  Conair has a great line of curling irons and flat irons that get great reviews.

The other strong point of the store are their wigs.  Celebrities are always using hair pieces, but wigs and hair extensions aren’t just for celebrities any more.  And the good news is that they are becoming more affordable.  Check out probeauty’s line of Motown Tress wigs.  You’ll be sure to find a product you like.  And if not, they have a great selection and good pricing on Raquel Welch wigs.

Once you have your appliances and hair pieces down, you may want to check out this site for cosmetics.  Bloftincosmetics is know for their Alexandra de Markoff line, but they also carry Nvey Eco, for the eco friendly shopper.

Well, those are a few of my recommendations.  Hope they are of use!

I got to be a part of an amazing meeting this week.  Recently, our church body had come to an end as people were leaving the church, and then the elders stepped down.  Normally, this wouldn’t be a sign to rejoice, but in this case it led to incredible blessings.  Over the past 6 months, we’ve been working to sell the building because it was free and clear.  We got a buyer, closed, and this week we met to distribute $420,000.

Have you ever given away $420,000 to bless ministry?  Yeah, it’s pretty rare.  I mean, think of how good you feel when you give your kids something as simple as Speed Racer gifts, High School Musical jewelry, or some other toy.  Now, multiply that good feeling by about 400,000.  I mean, it’s incredible.

What I am most excited about is that we were able to bless a local ministry that has been a huge part of our life with $100,000.  We’re giving this to Southeast Cincinnati Young Life to carry on the work of spreading the gospel to adolescents for years to come.  Plus, I’ve convinced the delivery of this gift to be in a form of a big check, which is going to be priceless.  Got the idea from Michael Scott.  God is good, and this is a moment to celebrate his abundance.

My good friends just had their fifth baby, and she is adorable.  Recently, my buddy made a post about children and his perspective on them from the Bible.  I love it.  We should be on the offensive and children are like arrows.  Offensive weapons to be used against our enemy.  Powerful.

Babies make me very excited, but childbirth does not.  Stupid Fall.  Can you imagine a world without painful childbirth?  It would be amazing!  There would probably me wayyyyyy more babies too!  But now, we are forced to contend with people wearing Black Label scrubs and others, while they shoot you up with an epidermal.  Not a pleasant thought.  It makes me think twice, but the thought of creating a life and being a parent far outweighs the pain.  So, I go to sites like this one and brush up how to have solid pregnancy nutrition and other helpful tidbits.

Having a baby is a miracle.  To think of a new life that comes out of you is enough to melt anyone’s heart.  More than anything else, I am amazed at what can be learned in our relationship with the Father by becoming parents of our own.  He is our daddy, our abba.  And he loves us as his children.

I’m happy to see this.

Shaun has been a great friend of our families since his days at Boone County High School, and I’m really happy that he gets another shot of playing.

By the way, I think he still has a lot left in the tank.

With September and football season upon us, it won’t be long before Halloween starts lurking around the corner.  In every Halloween costume season, the impact Hollywood has on sales is always serious.  This year will be no different.  You’ll be sure to see plenty of Batman costumes running around.  Who doesn’t want to dress up like the Dark Knight whenever they get a chance?  Of course, you’ll probably see plenty of Joker costumes as well.  With the latest Star Wars Clone Wars movies, you’ll probably see some of these as well.  With the girls, there is no doubt you’ll see a bunch of Hannah Montana costumes this year.  They hype of Hannah continues to go with no end in sight.

Of course, you’ll still see the traditional ghosts, zombies, pirates, princesses and the like, but if you want to be on the latest hype, just do a little shopping.

Well, last week was our annual trip to camp.  It’s always a chore getting ready for camp.    You have to spend an ample amount of time and energy making sure the garbage is out, laundry is clean, bills are paid, etc. etc.  And then, you have to do some of my least favorite work, which is packing.  This year, it was a bit easier because we had some new gear to work with.  I’m a new big fan of Mcklein and their luggage.  We also made sure to have backpack camera bags this year, which were extremely helpful.  Making sure you have everything packed is another issue.  Toiletries, clothes, sunscreen, and other protective gear, chap stick, sunglasses, towels and of course, Gold Bond.  It was a pretty crazy year, and it was amplified because of a legal issue on a bill that is not ours.  It made the camp trip a bit more stressful.  We’re still trying to resolve it.  All and all though, the trip was great, and when we came back – an angel had cleaned our house and bought us some fresh groceries!  Amazing!

“Chili’s is the new golf course.” – Michael Scott, Small Business Man.  (Well, he submitted it).  As I hop from coffee shop to coffee shop, not only do I see a lot of mothers with their babies, old men reading the paper and talking sports, Bible studies and work meetings, but I see a lot of business getting done.

It seems that coffee shops are the preferred place of business for salespeople.  If they can buy you a Mocha and a bagel, then you may be more willing to sign on the bottom line.  I’ve overheard discussions about real estate, health insurance, life insurance, their 401k rollover and many more.  I’ve seen salesman pedal a step in shower and all kinds of products.

I was in sales for a while, but I quickly got out because I am not a salesperson.  I do highly respect the salesman though.  One person in particular that I admired was Bruce Etherington.  He is one of the world’s most lucrative financial planners, and I got to have a lunch with him.  One of his famous lines was how could a prospect me mad at you when he is eating a sandwich that you bought him.  It’s true!  It’s a cheap gift.  The prospect knows it’s coming, but when you are sipping down that latte, it’s hard to say no.  Next time you are at a coffee shop, check it out for yourself.

I did a little shopping for some bags online, and have found a great new site.  BagYou.com has excellent selection on a wide variety of bags ranging from laptop cases to carry on luggage and totes.  For myself, I shopped for a Baggallini Bagg and looked at their Crumpler selection as well.  It felt good to shop for some accessories because I had to pull myself away from this shop.  It’s an incredible store that is Green, and is full of organic friendly clothes.  I highly recommend you check it out.  I’ve been on a mission to make my life more green and start taking responsibility for the world around me.  Hey, maybe shopping online is one way I can help, right??? 

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