The ActiveRain Stuff You Won't Find Anywhere Else on the Web

Steven Graham from ActiveRain shared some cool information about photos and images at RainCamp Atlantic City.  He's up on stage right now sharing how and where to find photos and images for FREE and how to post them on your websites and blogs.  I know that many of you couldn't be here today so I wanted to share this small segment of Day-2 with you.  These RainCamp's are loaded with tons of information and content that help every industry professional no matter what part of the industry you represent. 

In this video you'll learn where to find some free images, photos, and graphics.  You'll also learn about share and share alike photos and creative commons.  How and what is an attribution?  There's even a touch on copyright and infringement.  Now the end of the video I had to cut it off abruptly since it started to go in a direction that was out of my control. The discussion was addressing Blog title's and using long-tail keywords and I heard some certain keywords and terms, that's the point at which I decided I needed to press the stop button.  TMI.  lol~  Enjoy!

This will be my first trip to Atlantic City and I'm really excited to be part of the new 2-Day extravaganza.  I've never been to Philly or New Jersey so this will be another great adventure.  After hearing there's going to be some special guests and some great stuff happening this year, I volunteered to come participate and contribute as well. 

The theme is Reputation Architecture.  I'm honored to be able to share some of what I have learned of this topic over the years. I also cannot wait to come see many of my old friends and AR family.  Some of the greatest memories and relationships I have were created at RainCamps.

Just before writing this, I was looking at the RainCamp Squidoo Lens that was built way back when RainCamps first started. It brought back some wonderful memories. Many of you were there.  Reading the comments, watching the videos and reviewing members posts reminded me why we started these, and it also put into perspective how far we've come.

One of the most valuable take-aways folks can expect from RainCamp is the ability to implement what you learn into your business immediately.  I've seen people do this before RainCamp is even over. (Mobile Technology rules!)  Some of my personal and favorite take-aways happen at lunch time, and in the hallways, and talking with others at the breaks and at the after-party.

The synergy, ideas, and creative tips that get shared are worth every effort it takes for me to be at these events.

"Relationship seeds get planted and created here on ActiveRain, but at RainCamp, they blossom into harvests."  

If you're going to make it to RainCamp in Atlantic City, I'll have a special gift for you.  Just come up to the booth at the break or anytime during the day and say "RainCamp - The Treasure Map" and my gift will be yours.  Have a piece of paper and a pencil ready so you can copy your "personalized" treasure map.  Every "map" will be different and unique, and I guaranty that YOUR map will help lead you to a buried treasure and to your success.  

CLICK ON MAP to begin your quest...

Need a little more motivation to go?  This certainly got me excited...

Modeled after the world famous Qua Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace Las Vegas, Caesars Atlantic City's new Qua Baths & Spa features, elegant Roman baths, and a new rooftop pool that takes the spa experience to a whole new level.  There's a good chance you might find me @Ahhh The Spaaahhh :)

See you in Atlantic City next week and if you're flying into Philly on Sunday night, let me know.  You can catch a ride to Caesar's with me if you're going that way.  Looking forward to seeing you all there.

Caesar's Atlantic City -  New Orleans — Convention Center2100 Pacific Avenue, Atlantic City, NJ 08401

"Who's keeping your costs down and making it affordable so you can succeed? Kudo's to these guys!"

ActiveRain Member WINS Extreme Landscape Makeover Contest

Please join me in congratulating ActiveRain member Martha Kolko of Keller Williams Realty in New Jersey.  She was the finalist and winner selected for the SavATree.com Extreme Landscape Makeover Contest held back in July of 2009.  The ActiveRain community played a large role in supporting and providing entries for this contest. On behalf of SavATree, and the entire team here at ActiveRain, we want to thank all of you who participated and entered your clients homes.  The response from our members was awesome, thank you.

Over 50 properties were submitted for consideration. They selected Ms. Kolko's client's property because they believed it would benefit the most from their services. The trees and shrubs were significantly overgrown and the lawn was overtaken by weeds. Together with Tom O'Shea of Tom O'Shea Landscape Design and Paul Calicchio of Landscape Supply, they transformed the overgrown and unruly landscape into a beautiful buyer-attracting property.

Here's What They Did:

• Conducted an assessment of the trees, shrubs and lawn to diagnose and treat disease, insect infestation and any other health and safety concerns.
  
• Removed trees and shrubs that were not salvageable due to disease, overgrowth or improper care. New shrubs and colorful plants were added.
  
• Pruned to create an attractive, more balanced, landscape that complements both the look of the outside of the home as well as the view of the front yard from the living room window. This will allow more sunlight to enter the home.
  
• Expended the size of the flower garden and added a second to add color and beauty.
  
• Gave three applications of fertilizer over the course of three months to thicken the lawn, rid it of weeds and restore its vigor.

Here's A Before and After Slideshow of Martha's clients Home:

Both the homeowner and Martha where thrilled with the results.  "You only get one chance to make a first impression! When selling a house, curb appeal is one of the most important factors ― no doubt [SavATree's] services improved the curb appeal of this home", explained Ms. Kolko. The home is set to go on the market soon.  A very special thanks goes out to SavATree for letting our Real Estate Community and members be involved in their contest.

CONGRATULATIONS To Martha and to her Client, we wish them both all the best in the sale of this home!

SavATree.com, offers tree, shrub and lawn care services throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.