Baltimore Style

5 Tips for Green Shipping on Green Monday (or any other day)

2011-12-12T08:24:00.003-05:00

The second Monday of December was designated "Green Monday," by e-bay in 2007, and it's consistently one of the top spending days of the season. So it's “Green” as in for dollars, but you can also be “Green” for shipping by following these 5 simple tips:

Re-use that old box, but remove ALL labels and stickers, and make sure the cardboard has not started to break down
This year, styrofoam peanuts are out. Shredded paper is in. Bubble wrap, is well, on the bubble...
Get packages out in the morning to allow time for processing and avoid the afternoon rush
Food is usually best shipped early in the week to avoid layovers on weekends
Don't wait to ship, you will pay higher rates

For online shipping, retailers have varying deadlines that have started and some extend through Dec. 22. On Friday, Dec. 16, participating merchants will offer free shipping with delivery by Christmas Eve.

Of course whenever possible, check out your local small businesses' gift offerings. They depend on your support!

2010-10-10T10:10:00.001-04:00

(Posting 10:10am on 10/10/10) Open calculator in Binary, type in 101010, & flip to Decimal mode. The answer to the Universe is revealed...42

2010-10-09T22:15:00.001-04:00

Fascinated by Google's interactive doodle paying homage to what would have been John Lennon's 70th Birthday. http://ping.fm/Lu0TE

2010-10-04T22:19:00.001-04:00

Signed up to attend The Web's Largest Online Facebook Marketing Conference-- looking forward to learning new tricks! http://bit.ly/d5Liqv

2010-10-04T15:16:00.001-04:00

After 34 years, daily comic strip "Cathy" waves good-bye-- thanks for all the giggles!
http://ping.fm/sr0mB

2010-09-30T20:49:00.001-04:00

Yabba Dabba Doodle! 50 years since the Flintstones aired, marked with a Google Doodle
http://ping.fm/r2tx5

2010-09-28T13:10:00.001-04:00

Today's Giggle: "The Waldo Ultimatum" by the Canadian comedy troupe, The Imponderables. Anybody seen Waldo? http://ping.fm/zv9gG

2010-09-14T09:53:00.001-04:00

Child's bedroom makeover: the challenges of small and north-facing http://ping.fm/yxvzd

2010-09-14T09:50:00.001-04:00

Think ceiling colors, patterns & textures for an inviting look, balance large spaces & make small rooms feel bigger! http://bit.ly/axmLJ9

2010-09-03T08:41:00.001-04:00

Glad Earl turned out be bluster! Paint & repair stucco exterior as scheduled. Feel bad for the folks who had to alter Labor Day wkend plans.

2010-08-13T11:56:00.001-04:00

Vending machines of the future use thumbprint or retinal scans. Will it help keep you Snickerless if you're on a diet? http://bit.ly/9lcJCC

2010-08-11T13:44:00.001-04:00

Sad the HPOA girl turned out to be a hoax -- http://bit.ly/9y9ZUm -- yesterday's amusing story where she used white boards to quit job

What gender is your bedroom??

2010-08-05T12:27:00.001-04:00

This is an interesting article from Growers and Nomads, and designer Shannon Kaye has some great ideas if your bedroom is confused.

2010-07-09T09:23:00.001-04:00

Ugh. One infected computer this am... found 5 Trojans and 1 Rogue Antivirus. PSA: download www.malwarebytes.com-- run the freebie-- be safe!

2010-07-02T21:36:00.001-04:00

Happy 4th of July!! Look for Bristles in Towson's parade July 3d. Celebrate in style, catch local fireworks here: http://bit.ly/d1NYYa

2010-06-28T14:40:00.001-04:00

Darkening sky, thunderstorms in forecast. Recalling crews from their jobsites, so the featured color is Ben Moore's 2112-50 Stormy Monday

2010-06-14T13:26:00.001-04:00

Happy Flag Day! In honor of our flag the color of the day is everybody's favorite red, SW6321 Red Bay. Try it out on your front door.

2010-06-04T12:17:00.001-04:00

Check out this incredibly useful list for social media from our friends at mashable.com Check out 1 a day all summer! http://bit.ly/c0KN11

2010-05-27T15:06:00.001-04:00

Crews painting exterior trim on multi-story residence halls on local campus, using boom lift w/ safety harnesses.

2010-05-17T09:05:00.001-04:00

CertaPro Painters spots still airing in Baltimore! Off to TV Hill to NBC's "Upfront 4" preview of the fall shows. http://tinyurl.com/24yy4k8

2010-04-07T22:50:00.001-04:00

Salute to one of the Baltimore greats, Billie Holiday, born on this date in 1915. So today's color must be Jazz Age Coral, SW0058

2010-03-25T15:08:00.001-04:00

The city of Venice was founded on this date in 421. We found this cool how-to on Venetian Plaster-- or just contact us! http://bit.ly/y84MM

2010-03-23T20:28:00.001-04:00

Today in 1957, the US Army sold their last remaining homing pigeon, so today's color is Ben Moore's Pigeon Gray. http://bit.ly/PigeonGray

2010-03-19T17:15:00.001-04:00

Today in 1964, Sean Connery started filming one of our faves, "Goldfinger," so the color of the day is Glitzy Gold SW6691

2010-03-15T22:17:00.001-04:00

First dot.com was 25 yrs ago! March 15, 1985, Symbolics Computer Company of Cambridge, MA registered "Symbolics.com" http://bit.ly/bYMf8n

2010-03-15T21:21:00.001-04:00

CertaPro Painters commercials began airing on Baltimore TV today! Spring season underway, call to set estimate appts for priority scheduling

2010-02-27T13:37:00.001-05:00

Visit Booth 1135 at the MD Home & Garden Show in Timonium to meet CertaPro Painter's Bristles and get great ideas for your next home project

3 ways to quickly boost your web presence

2010-01-07T10:44:00.003-05:00

After many hours of design and programming, we released our new website for the CertaPro Painters national website design challenge.

Things to consider to boost your web presence:

Use keywords in your headlines
Create links to interesting content
Position yourself as the expert

Check it out our award winning website for new promos and special offers http://bit.ly/5I5kNl

New LEAD laws take effect this year.

2009-12-29T11:52:00.006-05:00

When planning any renovation projects, make sure you are dealing with companies that are LEAD certified. Beginning in April 2010, new EPA laws take effect on buildings built before 1978.

For more info:

http://www.getwithgreen.com/2009/01/20/lead-law-will-take-effect-in-2010-likely-to-impact-your-remodel/#hide

Make a Great First Impression

2009-04-20T11:43:00.004-04:00

The front door to your home or office creates a lasting impression .. for better or worse.

Classic colors such as black and red are incredibly smart for front doors. Other popular front door colors include dark greens and blues. On the other hand blue grays in exterior eggshell will give a more relaxed and contemporary feel.

It is important to consider the other elements of color which surround your front door – obviously the color of the stone, brick, stucco or siding as well as the color of the window surrounds. Red brick calls for stronger colors, like dark green. Softer colors like gray are good with stone while the stronger whites work well with white stucco.

If you want your front door to feel more imposing, paint the whole structure in one strong color – the door, side windows and paneling.

Selling your home? The front door and foyer are the first places to start.

Realtors: Call us about our free front door program. It may help for a quicker sale.

When free is free .... and when it's not

2009-04-14T14:10:00.002-04:00

We believe in giving back to the community. Community clean ups, painting projects, supplying tools and experience, etc.

We were recently asked to help out with some work on a renovation at the Baltimore Child Abuse Center (BCAC). Along with some of the Ravens players and a lot of other volunteers, CertaPro joined in to lend a helping hand.

I mention this not for any credit or attention, but to bring up a troubling trend.

A sign of the times.

It's the 'free' services offered by less than honest contractors.

When you are looking at multiple bids for work, and you should, beware of the contractor who offers a deal too good to be true. When he starts offering 'free' labor, or 'free' materials, ask him why he's in business.

Contractors giving away their time and materials simply cannot deliver safely, legally, and with good quality. The games contractors play to cut corners include not allowing for the proper labor hours (ask to inspect the work before continuing), paying their labor under the table (meaning you are not covered by workers comp if someone gets hurt - don't risk your house for a cheap job), letting the general liability lapse (make sure you get a certificate with your name listed as additionally insured - it doesn't cost anything and if your contractor balks, you know he's playing you), and using inferior products (ask to see receipts with your last name as the project name).

Recently, a customer went with another contractor who offered 'free' materials and labor. Wow! 12 gallons of paint - 'free!' 50 hours of labor - 'free!' Really? I must say, he's either very generous or he'll be out of business very soon. Maybe I should hire him for 'free'.

Would you give 50 hours of your time to someone other than a charity? ... I don't think so.

We offer free labor, tools and experience, but only to those truly in need. That's free.

The contractor that offers you 'free' items to win a job ... that's not.

I'm Flocking

2009-03-23T22:11:00.002-04:00

It may not sound proper, but it's Flocking cool!

If you have social web accounts ... Facebook, LinkedIn, Digg, Twitter, etc., Flock makes surfing easy. Check it out...www.flock.com

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Waiting for Spring? Get a preview in Timonium this weekend.

2009-03-10T11:01:00.012-04:00

SPRING .. It's almost here!

A couple of warm days tempt us, then it gets chilly again. Mid March is a tease here in Maryland, but in a couple of weeks, you'll be able to get outside and get a good look at your gardens and home.

What hath winter wrought!?

The gardens obviously need work, but what about your home? Look closely at the trim. Study the soffits. How about the caulk and window glazing? Notice cracking and gapping?

If you see any peeling or flaking, it should be taken care of before serious damage occurs. Wood rots. Gaps allow moisture to penetrate. Mildew can eat away the surface.

What may not be as obvious is the damage to your wallet.

When gaps in wood and caulk are visible, your house is leaking. Water leaks in causing damage. It is also leaking the air you paid to heat and cool! With energy costs at all time highs, don't you want to keep the outside elements outside?

Your home protects you from the elements, return the favor.

Visit CertaPro Painters' booth 1135 at the MD Home and Garden Show this weekend. You may win a $5000 painting project.

Now that helps your home and your wallet.

The Super Bowl is not over! I mean SOUPER Bowl!

2009-02-13T18:01:00.003-05:00

The Super Bowl was great entertainment, but that's all it was... entertainment. It gave us a brief respite from the difficult times we live in.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of Marylanders that may not be able enjoy even a game. Thousands go hungry every day and need your help. The Maryland Food Bank helps by serving hundreds of thousands of meals every year, but their supplies are running low.

Please join Sherwin Williams and CertaPro Painters in supporting The Maryland Food Bank. Drop off soup or other canned food items in the specially marked containers at the Sherwin Williams stores in Timonium and Hunt Valley. We will be collecting food through the end of March.

Timonium store: 2159 York Rd
Hunt Valley store: 11343 York Rd

With your help we CAN fill the bank.

Even 'The Funnies' gets into the painting act!

2009-01-29T11:02:00.004-05:00

If you've got a teenager, you'll love this! Trouble communicating? Not sure what to expect when choosing colors? You think you know what's involved in prep?

Check out Zits. Starting on Jan 26, 2009 and as of today, continuing with the painting theme.
http://www.arcamax.com/zits/s-482990-720697

Have fun!

Obama helps 'LEED' the way to help the environment

2009-01-28T15:00:00.007-05:00

We're with President Obama on this one. Like the President, CertaPro Painters is concerned with the environment in general, and particularly, indoor air quality. As noted in the article (click on the headline), the President is using paint from Benjamin Moore. The Aura line is fantastic at covering most colors in one coat, but note that it is also low-odor and low-VOC.

There are numerous choices of low and no VOC materials on the market now. In addition to Ben Moore, CertaPro uses LEED certified paints from Sherwin Williams, Pittsburgh Paints, Duron and others. Do you have a preference in manufacturer or need additional info? Just let us know!

With great concern for the environment, this homeowner wanted to be sure we used processes friendly to the environment. While indoor air quality is important on a personal level, outdoor air quality is important to everyone.

Care was taken to capture and clean up paint chips, the mortar was sealed, bare wood primed, then everything finish coated using the most environmentally conscious products possible.

Oops! I threw out a couple of acronyms which may need some explanation compliments of Wikipedia.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), provides a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction.

VOC Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are organic chemical compounds that have high enough vapor pressures under normal conditions to significantly vaporize and enter the atmosphere.

Questions? Comments? Please let us know!

Community cleanup yields major haul.

2009-01-18T13:14:00.004-05:00

We teamed up with Boy Scout Troop 444 a couple of weeks ago to help clean up a stretch of Loch Raven Reservoir. With the help of some boys and past customers, we collected about 2 dozen contractor sized trash bags, a bunch of tires, car bumpers and some headlights. Amazing that some are willing to trash their drinking water.

It was such a success, we are planning on a monthly clean up. If you want to join in to help your community, just give us a call. We'll provide trash bags and drinks. If you know of a spot that needs clean up, let us know.

Hope to see you in February!

GO RAVENS! Boost your roost.

2009-01-18T13:05:00.003-05:00

We love the hometown Baltimore team. I've heard of some Raven fanatics painting their family rooms purple, gold and black. Maybe not the whole thing.. maybe just an accent wall or stripes or trim. Decorating with team colors is fun ... so why not!?

If you need some help, we're doing free team colors until the Super Bowl!

Recession blues ... now what color is that at Sherwin Williams?

2008-12-20T16:56:00.008-05:00

This is my first blog ever....

I know, I know. What took so long right?

My wife Lorena and I have had an Animation & Special Effects studio since the mid-eighties, so you could say we're pretty tech savvy. But blogs? I always wondered who cares what I think or do.

Well, we opened another business a couple of years ago. It's a painting franchise! A departure from the high tech world of animation? Yes. Friends, family, customers, clients... they all wonder why? Why start another business? What does it have to do with the high end world of broadcast and corporate presentations?

Well, I'll tell you... but first a bit about me. My name is Dave Streb. Along with my wife, we own Reel One Media and CertaPro Painters in Baltimore, MD. Check out the links above to see our websites.

OK... so why did we do it? The simple answer is diversification. People always need paint to protect their homes, or update the appearance, or change the mood, or.... the list goes on.

But they are so different! Well, they both involve color, design, deadlines, professionalism, schedules, ... again, the list goes on.

I'll be updating regularly. If you have comments or questions, please let me know.