Let me first start by saying Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and big hugs and wishes to whatever you celebrate this time of year ! Remember, it's about the kindness, the love of family and friends and the passion for whatever you believe.... Remember what you think about you bring about
( Thank you Zig Ziglar) and whether you think you can or you think you can't---- YOU'RE RIGHT
Let's go to someone who certainly can.... Elvis Tribute Performer Walt Sanders
It's amazing that I am getting the opportunity to chat with ETA's from all over. Walt was so nice on the phone. I'm also excited to have built a relationship with booking agent Sandy Delvillar of the " Wonder of you promotions " Find her on Face Book ! Sandy helped to put me in touch with Walt. She's a fan and her enthusiasm for his show is amazing !
I find it so interesting that when I pose the question on the "why" and the "how" of being an Elvis Tribute performer, the answer I have been getting is FOR THE LOVE OF ELVIS THE MAN.
It's amazing that I've spoken with artists from various States that say the same thing. It's a true honest to goodness love of the Man and his musical contributions to society that bond the ETA's no matter where they are.
I love the mutual respect I am finding between the ETA's as well. I do have to say that speaking with a few of them brings up the conversation concerning the ETA competitions and such. I think that it's enlightening to hear that many of the ETA's are much more interested in being the best they can at their craft than competing.
You can see in the photos that Walt is passionate about what he does. He's been singing since he's 6 years old , roughly, and has been performing as Elvis for over 25 years....
Here, Walt is seen with one of the original members of the Jordanaires , Ray Walker
The Jordanaires were the back up band that sang with Elvis for many years ! ( As well as having their own illustrious careers)
Ray is quoted as saying that if you get an opportunity to see Walt performing as Elvis , you should take it....
All of the ETA's stress that they are not trying to BE Elvis yet they are trying to pay him the best Tribute that they can.
Hello friends and fans of the Balcony Blogger. Whew ! Hanukkah is upon us and Christmas is just around the corner.... with various other Holidays around this time of year. Let me take a moment and say, whatever you believe- whatever you celebrate- make it FANTASTIC and be kind to one another....
So I spent the last couple of days in fabulous New York City with my husband and a group of friends and associates. We had a blast which makes today the day I can let the Balcony Blogger out ! LOL
I'm sure you are thinking of something totally different from the title of THIS blog post.... I always try to capture something different in the title as we move forward..... Stretching that dollar, especially around this time of year, is a subject I know we are all interested in.....
...Well, what if you stretched that dollar across the Globe? Where does that dollar wind up after you spend it? Where does it travel? How far does it go?............ Let's take a look at one of my favorite hobbies........and meet founder and CEO of Where's Geroge, Hank Eskin.... here's a peek to start....
* Video mentions over 7.3 million registered on the site.... that # is currently more and reflected in the post over the conversation I had with Hank
With what started out as a weekend project for fun, the Where's George site is currently at over 9 million registered "Georgers" in the 19 years Hank has been running it ! I had the pleasure of speaking with Hank over this particular blog post yet I have known him through the site and have been talking with him on line since 2003 when I became a registered "Georger" myself. I was so intrigued ! I found a dollar bill , that I had gotten as change from Macy's , with a red stamp on it that said something like "Track my bill at www.wheresgeorge.com "... I carried that bill in my wallet for what seemed like several months before I ever got onto the site.... Once I did...I was hooked !
This site is free for you to explore. There is a "Friends of George" upgrade you can get that is optional and the site will fill you in on all of that....
I fell in love with not only tracking my bills yet talking with other "Georgers" and actually getting to meet them in person at what is called a gathering .... I have even set up my own gathering in the past.... I'm looking forward to attending one in the New Year ! With my busy schedule I'm not on the site as much as I would like, yet I try to get on there when I can. I love the conversations in the forums, the information on money and all that is going on with it,
the ENCYCLOPEDIA GEORGEITANICA!!! , and many other features the site has to offer.
You can see how many States you have "hits" in - also how many counties in those States. I am currently 13 States short of what is called a "50 States Bingo". To date, I have 89 hits in N.J./ 40 in PA./ 26 in N.Y./ and 21 in Fla. just to name a few.... I also have one hit in Hawaii, D.C., India, the U.K. and the Armed Forces Europe. I find it very interesting...makes a nice gift for someone too if they would like a little hobby!
Hank is so down to Earth. I always get a response when I need to speak to him about something yet I also know he is extremely busy and I don't bother him unless I really need to discuss something important. Let me say here, "Thank you , Hank, for taking the time to let us blog about this fun and unique site...and you !"
Here is what Hank initially told me... "In 1998, I found adollar bill waiting to buy lunch that said 'write this message on 10 other dollar bills and you'll have good luck. St. Lazarus" (or something like that). I thought, who wrote this message, and how did it end up in my hands? Shortly after that, I realized that unlike chain letters people used to send out, that dollar bills have a unique number -- the serial number -- that allows them to be tracked. Over lunch that same day, the idea for WheresGeorge.com was born. I spent two or three months cobbling together a very rudimentary version, and launched Version 1 on 12/23/98." Over the years, Where's George has been written up on Yahoo, in the Associated Press, New York Times, USA today and more.... check out the site and always remember the main rule: EMS ENTER MARK SPEND... Regular rules are fairly simple and all spelled out on the site. Here is what I use on my bills:
This is a fun, FREE, hobby and makes a great gift too ! This year, I joined the Holiday Card exchange group on the site through the forums there. This has been fun and I have received some Awesome cards from all over the Country....
As always, you can contact me about any and all subjects of my blog posts.... I'll answer what I can. Stay tuned for Christmas Eve , Sunday, as we post our last ETA topic for the Year....
Have a very Happy Holiday Season, Merry Christmas and just ENJOY whatever you celebrate ! Maybe head out for a festive time.... and spend a little using a "George bill".... then we can see where it ends up !
Wow ! Just looking at my photos makes me want to go out and get one of the best cupcakes around from SIMPLY SWEET CUPCAKES of Egg Harbor City, N.J.
Meet Jac and Gina Ciaburri (pronounced (CHA-BERRY)
These ladies give a whole new meaning to family fun.... they are SISTER-IN-LAWS as their husbands are brothers.... yea, for real !!!!! LOL
Let's go back and see a little of the story as these gals took home the bacon.... I mean the cake... I mean the cupcake at CUPCAKE WARS ! Winners of the show a few years back.... here is how it started....
First they were in the cleaning business...then they were in the candle business...then they were pregnant and stay at home Moms watching the food network ! So one day, they made cupcakes for a bake sale and the rest is history. At first, it started out as a hobby... their big break came, as they told me, when they were hired to cater an event. This wasn't just any old event either...it was a send off party for the Bat Mobile ! Yep, a party before the Bat Mobile was shipped off to L.A. to be shot for the movie THE DARK KNIGHT. Many customers sent in nice comments on the cupcakes and before they knew it, the CW Network contacted them to apply for CUPCAKE WARS.
At first, the girls took it as a joke...3 days later they did a skype interview for the show and then found themselves ON the show ! When the limo came to pick them up, they realized this was no joke! Even better when they came home with the grand prize !
Today, they have an amazing reputation and live up to that with amazing cupcakes !
They love the camaraderie the best . "It's like our 2nd family", they said. They compared themselves to the familiarity of the show "Cheers"....." Where everybody knows your name....."
Let me tell you, Jac and Gina are a hoot ! Get over there if you are in the area...and tell them Ava sent you ! You will love the cupcakes. You can relax and grab a cup of "Joe" with your cup of cake in the spacious seating area that looks out onto downtown Egg Harbor City....
If you don't catch Jac and Gina there, you can catch Michelle James, their manager and all around right hand....
I even loved the way the place was decorated for the holidays and various themes.....
Maybe the popular Red Velvetis your cupcake of choice.......
No matter how you slice it, Simply Sweet cupcakes will have you wanting more from your first step into the quaint shop....
...... Notice there is no Question Mark at the end of that statement..... I want YOU to find that Question inside you and put it into action...
First let me say this busy weekend has taken me to post this on Monday...... and I personally want to thank ALL of you for taking this blog to almost 54,000 viewers and growing. Love you guys ! We are read in the U. S. yet also in Germany, France, Poland , the Ukraine the U.K, Canada, Spain, Brazil, India, Italy and Mexico. ... THANK YOU !
Now let's look at the Question of How you think DIFFERENT... or DIFFERENTLY ... as the case may be....
I had the honor and pleasure of attending our PR Council luncheon, here in Atlantic City last week, with well known Celebrity Entrepreneur SCOTT PETINGA. Raised in Atlantic City, Scott now makes his home in Minneapolis, Minnesota yet has lived in many places across the Globe from Reading , PA to California and several places in between....
Scott fascinated me with his entrepreneurial spirit and what has happened in his life to get him to where he is.... As I always say, everything leads you to where you are.....
Check out his book at selected locations and on Amazon..."NO ONE EVER DROWNED FROM SWEAT"
One of the things he mentions goes back to the saying , "...getting up one more time than you fall..."
Scott proceeded to talk about the failures in his life that led him to his next adventure. As my Dad would always say to me, learn by your mistakes....
Scott is a Cancer survivor, has several different Non profits he founded or oversees, and is PASSIONATE about being the Change we want to see in the World.... I love that ! He owns about a dozen different companies and follows his PASSION on a daily basis.
I loved this: 🔻 VII 🔺 VIII
Can anyone guess what that is????? Ok, time is up... I'll tell you.... He was down 7 times yet got up 8.....
So why the no Question Mark???? I want YOU to put that in on the what you think is THINKING DIFFERENTLY.... better yet, let that be the stamp you leave on the World..... Take a little look into the life of Scott Petinga.... Thank you Scott for sharing your moments with us and for making us THINK a little differently, for making us know that following our dreams and our Passion is the best way to navigate through life ! AND....thank you for allowing me to share this !
Hello friends and fans. We are here with Spotlight # 4 of our ETA special edition with facts from Krista Joy on the fabulous ETA style of Peter Alden....
Let me first say that a lot goes into me getting the "story" for these special editions. I love to be able to meet and/or talk with the artist themselves yet that is not always possible. I do the best I can to bring you the best story I can render on our special ETA'S.... I did, however, for this piece, have the pleasure of speaking with Booking Agent Krista Joy.... boy is she herself talented and creative and I just fell in love with talking to her... we will expand on HER story below as well.....
Right now, Let's take a look at the Life of Peter Alden.... You can visit his Face Book fan page PETER ALDEN FANS and stay up to date there too.... also, ALL of Peter's information can be found on his web page www.peteraldenentertainment.com
I took a listen to an interview of Peter on the Geri Petito Show. (find her on Face Book).. ...crazy, I'm going to be on her show next week and I'm so excited about that. Shout out to you Geri. What a great interview this was. I heard Peter's deep voice and even got to hear him close out the show with a little of "How Great Thou Art" . You can find that song on a Gospel album Peter has also released. If you'd like to see the entire interview head over to the Face Book page of Krista Joy and check it out.... Elvis won 3 Grammy's for his Gospel work. This was one of the songs that was recognized in his illustrious career.
Peter is interesting as he does several different tributes. He does a whole Elvis show... and one is coming up in Dec. so check that out..........
................yet he also does a few other things... like Dean Martin working with the Corvairs....
He works with a band known as Splashback which is a tribute to the Beach Boys and does an entire show as a Ricky Nelson Tribute Artist as well.
One of the things I thought that was interesting in his interview with Geri is that he was talking about a new show he is working on called Mr. 57.... this is an Idols tribute of sorts.... Fitting as American Idol comes back to us in 2018.... Peter tags the show with "....before there was American Idol, there was American Bandstand"... and he goes on to discuss Dick Clark and all the memories many of us share there.... So I'm truly grateful to bring this spotlight to you as one of the show panelists asked,
"What's a bandstand?".... Well, for those of you that know , this was truly funny ! Peter proceeded to describe what Bandstand was and what Dick Clark represented then.... he said he felt rally old doing that...now I feel really old ! I WAS a kid when I used to watch it.... So needless to say, there was no lack of conversation talking about Bandstand, Mr. 57, Ricky Nelson and of course, our favorite, ELVIS !
Check out Peter's web page and see when you can catch a glimpse of one of his shows.... Thank you, Peter for being part of our ETA spotlight this month....
We will feature an ETA ( Elvis Tribute Artist ) on the last Sunday of each month....
Krista Joy is not only Peter's Girlfriend.... oooh la la, yet she handles all the bookings, does the fan club newsletter, is President of Peter's Fan club and still finds time to inject us with her creative endeavors.... She is an Elvis fan and a Disney fan and has had the wonderful opportunity to turn her passion for Disney into her own personal and successful web page: www.disneyways.com Krista is also a social media expert and web designer. She has been able to sit in with the coveted 33 Club at Disney with Disney 'Imagineers' and other insiders. She is also the Narrator of Enchanted Secrets of Disneyland produced by themeparkology !
Currently she is working on TCB radio which is another passion.... We are so lucky to have Peter and Krista joining us in this month's spotlight !
Please note that Krista is not affiliated or employed by the Disney company or Elvis Presley Enterprises - she is just a fan - with a passion for sharing her interest and love of these 2 entities with others.
Thank you again... stop by www.cdbaby.com/peteralden for downloads and information about purchasing his music.
We, at 4 A STAR and AVA's Eye Bagz are honored to know you both ! Happy Holidays from Ava, your Balcony Blogger......
I'm heading back to a short blog post that I did some time ago.... now that we have more "eye-ball s's here", I thought I'd take a look at a few things and share it with you... well, I can't share it all as I am loving the DOMAIN GAME and if you are not familiar with that- it may be something you would like to visit.....
So I took a look at some fleeting DOT COM's . What do I mean by that...well take a minute and any idea or thought that pops in your head....add a DOT COM after it and see if anything exists on line...
Here is what I found as I was thinking about a few things ....
ok... I really like these 2 pics so I entered them first... yet let me go in order....
First up Elvis.com....yep, it exists... it takes you to the official Elvis site where you can find out about the new projects with the Royal Philharmonic among other things....
Then... Animals.com.... well, it says this site is under construction.....which leads me to believe that this site also exists....
Next Health.com yea, that's out there too. It is sort of a generic site yet seems to cover some ground... If you scroll a little , there is actually a link to an Oprah Article about her favorite sneakers.... so I went there to find a photo of them and to find out that wearing these sneeks...that Oprah likes can make it easier at the airport when you are checking in..... HMMMMM.....
Since we are sitting her with the Sunday night Football game on, I thought I would try Football.com
Yep...that is there too ( love those pics !) You can actually choose if you like American Football or European Football.... interesting....
So on the way home from Cherry Hill this evening "The Mr." and I saw a shooting star.... I find that I see them around the Holidays yet not this soon usually. Marco said that this was the first one he has ever seen. Good things to come is what I say ! So I entered Shooting Stars.com What I found there was a black screen with what looked like stars all over it...and this it what it said there..
THERE AIN'T NOTHING HERE YET BUT THERE WILL BE. SOON....
Found that quite interesting....
Since we have the "give back" part of our handbag line getting ready to kick in... I decided to end the searching with Shooting Stars.org... jus tor shits and giggles.... AND I f ound this:
and then it said, coming soon underneath of it.... another HMMMM.......
I find this very interesting and a great way to see what else is out there....
So I ask you,"What is your DOT COM?" Maybe you will find something that resonates with you !
