CONTINUED GIVING, Back to School...

Back in May, I posted a HEARTFELT REQUEST, asking Amazon.comusers to consider going through the Amazon search tool in the right-hand column of my blog when going to Amazon to search or purchase anything. Through using the search box on my blog (or any of the books listed below it), I'm earning a small percentage (4-15%) on most products & I'm passing this small amount of money on to my little sister, who is trying to pick herself up (w/ her 4 kids) after a nasty divorce to an unstable guy. It's not alot of money, but every little bit helps! (right now she is dealing w/ a painful tooth that needs a root canal & crown or needs to be pulled NOW... no dental insurance!) Last month I earned $24, but that was from maybe 5 people going through my links (thank you!), imagine what we could earn for her by YOU using these links & by passing this info on to all of your friends & family.

I just added a couple of Back to School ads on the top of my blog's right-hand column... right now Amazon is promoting Back to School Savings AND a FREE 1 year Amazon Prime account (free 2 day shipping on text books & millions of other items) to College students joining their free Amazon Student program. (I have an Amazon Prime account & LOVE IT!) You can click on those ads & purchase ANYTHING, not just school supplies, & a percentage of your purchase might qualify for this program. (you won't get any info of what my earnings were... this is supposed to be a silent earning program for people who use their links on their blogs & websites)

THANK YOU, so much, for considering helping my little sister out!!

Clicking on any of the links throughout this post (except for the first one) will take you to Amazon through my account.


~ Julie

If you want details on what kinds of products earn what kinds of percentages, here you go:

How are fees calculated in the Performance Fee Structure?

The Performance plan allows you to earn higher advertising fees as you increase the number of shipped items generated through your links. You earn an advertising rate from 4% to 15% on items shipped by Amazon or third-party sellers in the following categories:

• Amazon Video on Demand
• Apparel & Accessories
• Automotive
• Automotive
• Baby
• Beauty
• Books
• Camera & Photo (Consumer Electronics advertising-fee rates)
• Cell Phones & Service (phones only, not plans)
• Computers
• DVD
• Electronics (Consumer Electronics advertising-fee rates)
• Endless.com
• Gourmet Food
• Grocery
• Health & Personal Care
• Home & Garden
• Jewelry & Watches
• Kitchen & Housewares
• Magazine & Newspaper Subscriptions
• Music
• Musical Instruments
• Pet Supplies
• Software
• Sports & Outdoors
• Tools & Hardware
• Toys & Games
• Video
• Video Games

Both Amazon and third-party items count toward your total shipped items, which determines your advertising rate. As you move from one level to the next, the advertising rate in the new, higher level will be applied to all items shipped during the month. For example, if you refer 100 shipped items in a given month, you will be in the third level and earn 6.50% on all general products and flat fees on other product categories (e.g., 4.00% on CE Products), whether shipped or sold by Amazon or a third party, shipped during that month (subject to any caps set forth in the Operating Agreement).

See the Associates Program Advertising Fee Schedule for a chart detailing the advertising fee rates in the both Performance fee structure.

Fixed Advertising Fee Rates for Specific Product Categories

Electronic Products: 4%, Amazon MP3 Products: 10%, Amazon Video on Demand Products: 10%, Endless.com Products: 15%, Gift Cards Redeemable on the Amazon site: 6%

Volume-Based Advertising Fee Rates for General Products

1-6 items: 4%, 7-30 items: 6%, 31-110 items: 6.5%, 111-320 items: 7%, etc....

Caps: Personal computers (both desktops and laptops) have advertising fees capped at $25, and Amazon Video On Demand as well as Amazonmp3 products are capped at $1.50 per item.

A HEARTFELT REQUEST....

Just a quickie request for you, if you will...

...okay... I'm lying... you know I don't do "quick"...I explain, w/ many many words, LOL.... but this is important, so read on, please. :o)

I have a wonderful little sister who is struggling to pull herself up after a nasty divorce from a really unstable guy. She has 4 kids & ALOT on her plate. I'm so proud of her for being strong enough to get out of her marriage, but the ex hasn't made this easy for her, to say the least. It's been a really rough year.

Anyway... my wonderful brother knew that I blogged & had a website, so he asked me if I was willing to do something that would maybe generate a little bit of money every month to help her out. I already had the following account set up, just hadn't started using it yet, so of course I said YES!

Here's where YOU come in....

Do you buy from Amazon.com?? I buy ALOT from them, I love the site! (I have an Amazon PRIME account, free 2-day shipping... LOVE IT!)

See the AMAZON.com search box & the book recommendations on the right side of my blog, a little ways down??

Do me a favor... make this blog a "go to stop" before you head to Amazon to search for anything. What happens, is that for each purchase that is made by someone coming through any of the Amazon links on my blog (or the recommended books section on my website's RESOURCES page), I get a very very small amount of $$...I think it's actually Amazon credit. You don't have to purchase any of the recommended books... just click on any of the links or use the search box on this blog to get you to the site & just go from there. This doesn't cost you anything... other than whatever you purchase on Amazon, that is. Prices will be exactly the same, whether you go from here or go directly to their site.

So... each month, if there are any purchases made through linking from this blog, there will be a small amount of $$ (or credit, not sure about that one!) in my account. I'm going to give my little sister 100% of anything that comes my way... 100%. It might not be much each month... but it might be enough for her to purchase an essential item or two from Amazon. Any little thing will certainly help.

Pretty cool, huh?? I'd really, truly appreciate any help you can give us.

THANK YOU!!

Truly,

Julie.♥

CREATIVITY...how I got here...

If you want to know a little bit about where the creative side of me came from, read on...

I'm second youngest of 5...4 girls & 1 boy (right smack in the middle! Poor guy!) My 2 older sisters were very creative & I always followed closely behind them, shadowing their every move. They taught me how to color in the lines... I was shading my crayola creations by the time I was 5 or 6!

My oldest sister, Jeri, used to take me to bead shops. My first car accident was on her 17th birthday on our way to the bead store!! A car ran a red light & broadsided us. Totaled our car. Jeri was fine. My brother ended up under the dash, bruised but okay. My first ambulance ride, too. I ended up w/ a gash in my forehead (we never figured out by what!) that needed stitches. We never made it to the bead store. :o(

We're all creative in our own way...
My dad is a retired Air Force pilot & aeronautical engineer... I remember him sketching things out for us. He's probably why I like technical drafting. We all get our problem solving skills from him, too.

My mom always encouraged us to create. She would say she's not very creative, but she is. She's creative w/ food & is probably why I care about food presentation. I remember she used to make us the funnest cakes for our birthdays! She also loves to paint ceramics... yeah, she's creative.

Jeri was the art major. She now makes jewelry...is just starting up her silversmithing studio. She's the one who got me interested in stained glass. I inherited her stained glass set-up. Her studio table is now covered in stainless steel & is my lampworking station table. PERFECT. Thank you, Jeri! :o)

Lisa loves to woodwork & makes really creative original items, like nativity sets. She likes to work w/ her hands... she's a heating/air conditioning mechanic & absolutely loves it! She loves to garden & does all of the heavy duty landscaping stuff... building fences, walls, etc. She has too much energy! :o)

Scott is a woodworker, too. He used to teach woodworking classes & now teaches a gazillion Haefele hardware employees worldwide how their products are installed & used, so he's still very hands-on w/ woodworking. He's a funny funny, sweet guy. We were once fooled to believe that he was "discovered" by someone from "Tool Time" when he was filmed doing his "Gallagher" bit, turning fruit (watermellon, etc) on a lathe. We completely fell for it because it's just like him. He should be a comedian. I'd say I get my quick whit from him... we look alike, too. :o)

Jill, my baby sister, would say that she's not creative, either... but she's a hair dresser, THAT takes creative skill. She also loves to garden. She creates children, too. LOL. She's a mother of four... & a good mommy @ that!

So...here I am. I like to CREATE, period. You'll learn more about ME & my creativity as time goes on.