The massive amount of money that is spent trying to come up with the perfect logo is mind boggling. Not only does this take a lot of money but a lot of time and effort as well. All for the sake of a little picture that people will hopefully relate to and remember for years to come.

I remember when Nationwide Insurance (my insurance company) came out with their new and improved logo, which is an empty blue box:

New Nationwide Insurance Logo

Personally I enjoyed the former logo (pictured below) which most of you know was an eagle. It makes no sense to me to have wasted all that money on an empty box, especially since the eagle is such an important bird for the U.S.A and worked so well for so long. What a waste!

Nationwide Insurance Eagle Logo

Guest post written by Jennifer Vickers

Here’s a fun fact: By day, I work as an accountant. But by night? I moonlight as a hairdresser. Allow me to explain. Ever since we got married, my husband’s had me cut his hair. One, he’s very cheap and likes to pinch pennies whenever he can. He also trust me with his hair and, as he says, “If it comes out looking funky, you’re the one that’ll have to look at it!”

So anyway, after a few months of giving him a shape-up every now and then, I found myself really liking what I was doing. I started experimenting with different cuts and styles (but very slightly so he didn’t feel like a science project) and ended up investing in some great tools, like professional hair cutting scissors and this great razor comb to help make the cuts more quality. Then, I got brave and started trimming my own ends, and then my friend’s hair, and so on. It’s like my own private business, just goes to show you that you can always do what you love, and still find ways to pay the bills. I’ve contemplated taking my business pro one day, but that’d involve one serious home pro improvement venture!

A buddy of mine came to visit a few weeks ago and we had planned to go out to the ocean and go fishing, water skiing and knee boarding. We were both so excited to spend some time away from home and have some fun, and go wild. We made a list of things we needed not just for the road trip but for the trip on the water as well.

It took a lot of thinking and gathering to get everything we needed but we did it. Before we knew it we were out on the open road on the way to the ocean front with my buddies boat hooked to the back of the truck ready to rock and roll on the water. When we finally got to the boat dock, my buddy noticed that his lanyards were old and rusty and needed replacing as soon as possible.

I searched Google through my phone to find a good deal on lanyards, and it didn’t take much time at all to come across a site that offers lanyard pins at a great price, so I immediately ordered some for him without him knowing at the time. When it arrived shortly after, I wrapped them up as a gift, knowing his Birthday was in a few days, and gave them to him before he had left to go back home.

He was so happy to have them for his boat, I couldn’t be any more thrilled to know I helped my buddy out, when he least expected it. It might have been a small item, but its something he needed and the price wasn’t something I couldn’t ignore.

A close friend of mine I used to attend school with, is coming to visit me in a week or so from Colorado. I’m so excited to finally spend some time with him like the good old days. We used to hang out after school and play guitar and the drums together with some other friends who also played various instrument’s. We ended up calling ourselves the “Under Dogs” shortly before school had ended our Junior year in school.

We all have kept in touch over the years but my friend whom is coming to visit, is my closest friend out of them all. We had talked about incorporating something different then what we were used to, but couldn’t think of anything, until I had came across a site on the net, that had excellent boss pedals. Something I never thought of purchasing or even messing with. But after reading about it and talking to my friend who is coming to visit, I have decided to give it a go and try it.

I ordered one and it had arrived at my door step in no time, for an unbelievable price. When it arrived I immediately opened it and started messing with it and to my surprise I’m enjoying it to the fullest. My friend is excited to try it out himself, and add some spice to our music. He should be here in a few hours, and I’m so excited to hear what we can come up with to share with the old Under Dogs, and the world.

My older brothers and most of their friends were (and still are) muscle car freaks. There was always at least one car in the back drive way that was being worked on and/or restored and I learned a lot about cars by being surrounded by them growing up, if the car wasn’t from the 60′s or 70′s or earlier they just didn’t hold our interest even though there has been a few cool cars manufactured since then, not many but a few.

We have an annual fair and parade in our town each May and there is always a good amount of muscle cars, antique vehicles, fire engines, hot rods, motorcycles and the like cruising the town in anticipation of participating in the parade. This is a huge parade and people come from all over to watch and to participate in it each year. I enjoy watching the high school bands, the dancers, beauty pageant queens, the civic groups, celebrities and the local politicians that are in the parade, along with various other entries that entertain the large crowds.  But my favorite is when the muscle cars start coming down the street and the Harley Davidson’s of course. They just get me going, big time!

It’s cool to see that some of the older model cars are starting to go back to some of the classic looks. The new Mustang the new Corvette and the new Camaro are starting to make more appearances around town now and then. Heads are turning to see how they look from behind and to how they sound. A guy that used to hang around my brothers just bought a new 2010 Camaro and is looking for Chevy Camaro accessories to start souping her up for his fall and winter project.  By next May he may be ready to cruise along the parade route along with the newer good-looking cars.