Unlike much of the USA, Texas is enjoying a nice warm spring with plenty of moisture.  This is gardening weather, and even those of us without much land to sow can benefit from the pleasures of gardening thanks to a new twist in container gardening.  The Garden Tower Project is an amazing way to grow multiple plants in only 4 Square Feet of space!

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Although I have not yet tried this, I really would like to.  I've already got seeds I'd like to plant.  I just need to place my order.  This ad below links to the order page - in case you are also interested as I am.  ​Happy Gardening!
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Whether you are in Texas, your Dad is in Texas, or either of you longs to be in Texas, Father's Day is a time to give Dad the gift that means the most - something TEXAN!  While searching for things my husband would enjoy receiving for Father's Day, I came across these awesome gift ideas.  Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

I had never heard the term "storm chaser" until I came to Texas and discovered how important it is to keeping people out of harm's way when tornadoes or funnel clouds pop up.  The brave people who do this professionally are one of the reasons the tornado warning system in Texas is as advanced as it is.  Sorry to say, it's not perfect and sometimes the tornado pops up unexpectedly and creates a disaster. 

However, as I have discovered, there are many hobby storm chasers in Texas, too.  Catching a funnel cloud on camera could lead you to your proverbial 15 minutes of fame if a news agency broadcasts your image capture.  I am not a chaser of storms, but I can totally understand the allure of the chase.  What I really like the most, though, is how creative people are when it comes to putting their somewhat unique hobby onto their bodies, usually on a tee shirt.  These shirts are some fine examples of that and are currently available on Amazon.

The Texas Flag is Red, White, and Blue, and while the rest of the nation dons these colors in celebration of Independence Day, Texans tend to celebrate the Lone Star State in daily wear.  I doubt there's a single article of clothing that can't be used to show your Texas Pride.

This is just a small sample of things to wear that celebrate being in or from Texas.  I"m sure there are a lot more!

Texas is honestly like no other place on Earth, so it is any wonder that Texans absolutely adore anything that features their state?  I'm beginning to think there is nothing that can't be made Texan with the right imagery.  Take these baby outfits for example - babies are cute as they are, but Texas Babies are just ... well, snuggle muffins.  Here are some of the cutest Texas Themed baby shirts and rompers I could find today.  Click on any image to find current prices and availability.  These are from both Zazzle (a print on demand company) and Amazon.  

Texas Treats and Treasures is a member of the Amazon affiliate program, and Zazzle's affiliate program as well.

How does an entire year go by without a single post here?  Well ... shift happens and life tosses curve balls.  But, I'm happy to note that our eBay store is thriving - click the red letter link below to see what's listed - as of this writing, Bob has 880 items listed.  (Link will open in a new window, by the way.)

Recently, Bob has put a LOT of things on sale, trying to do some inventory reduction. Here are some of my favorites:​ 

Finding my sweet spot in the big blue sea of online opportunity is probably one of the most difficult things I've ever attempted, next to raising a special needs child, that is.

What you probably don't know is that I've been online tinkering, learning, and observing since the early 1990's.  Talk about a blast from the past, I earned my first online affiliate check from selling Cory Rudl's manual on internet marketing way back when he first compiled it. (Cory passed away some years ago, and I don't know who owns his website now.)   Yeah, I've been around that long. 

So, bearing that in mind, I wanted to share today a post that I saw in a Facebook group this morning.  I was so impressed with not only the content, but the fact that this person shares with me a disgust of marketers who prey upon those who are vulnerable.  Offered up as advice to help creators of hand made items who are learning how to sell their items online, this just resonated with me on so many levels I asked if I could share it here, and was given permission.

Thank You So Much, Kateland!

• Kateland Kelly is the owner and operator of The Write Assistant LLC 
  
• You can find her on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/TheWriteAssistantLLC
  
• You can find her services on Etsy, here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheWriteAssistant
  

I want to put something out there for everyone. 

First of all, this is a fantastic group, and I am really excited to be a part of it. For those of you who do not know me, I am a professional writer and a big advocate for teaching others how to write well with SEO in mind.  I've recently had an experience with a client that had a very bad experience with a different SEO service and this got me thinking. 

If you are considering hiring a writing service that offers search engine optimization assistance I would like to implore you to follow these general guidelines: 

1. Try to do it on your own first! 

There are tons of free resources available to you on the web.  This forum is a great example.  Go to Etsy Help.  Read everything you can.  Ask questions from established experts who do offer complimentary advice (we exist!).  Tweak your listings and if you truly struggle to the point where it is taking up too much of your time, then consider a service.  Do NOT go to a service first; you can do this! 

2.  Ask for references! 

Do not just blindly jump on an ad and pay someone to write your SEO for you.  It is so easy to throw a website together and say, "I am an expert!"  Question the service!  Ask for references that are independent. 

3. Talk to former clients. 

Are they happy?  Many of us who are also shop owners hesitate to put up public feedback if they have had a negative experience.  Instead, talk to a former client privately for the full scoop. 

4. Look for red flags! 

Red flags include improperly structured sentences on THEIR websites.  If a person is trying to sell you a SEO or writing service and they cannot implement these techniques for themselves, they will not do you justice. 

5. Look for professionalism! 

Do they respond to you quickly?  Do they answer your questions without attaching strings to everything?  Are they well known in their communities?  Do they help build others up, or do they publicly bash their clients?

I know this may seem counterintuitive coming from me, but I really hate to see people scammed and I really want to encourage everyone to be educated consumers of digital services.

This is a cross posted rant. Thank you for listening.

I hope you found Kateland's advice to be as useful as I did.  I also hope you will take a moment to visit her on Facebook and on Etsy. 

Here are some of the books I'm thinking of for myself:

Seems to me that no matter what plans I make, life has a way of using me for a hockey puck.  So I've decided to just do what I feel like doing and to hell with planning.  When I feel like writing, I'll write ... and when life prevents me from writing, I won't.  It's that simple.

Today I'm testing Easy Product Displays and thinking about everything I've learned about online marketing over the years.  So essentially, this is a sort of test and a way to get my feet back into the water slowly and without much stress.

Today's topic is Big Bang Theory and Minions - specifically tee shirts.  This was fun!


Tee Shirts are the ultimate gag gift, especially when they are of a theme that you know your recipient loves. In my case, I adore both the minions and the Big Bang Theory TV Show. Even if a person doesn't wear tee shirts, they are awesome for upcycling into pillows, wall hangings, and even shopping bags. I loved these tee shirts - which one is your favorite?