I had posted a blog a couple of weeks ago about my upcoming wedding and just wanted to give you all an update on how everything went. The wedding was April 14th at Smith Memorial Chapel here in Indianola. Everything went very well and flowed along nicely. Amber sang wonderfully and got plenty of compliments on how great of a job she did. We had a pretty big wedding considering my mom comes from a family of 12, there were plenty of people just from her side. She is from Northeast Iowa around Harpers Ferry, so It was great to see everyone again. The reception went very well also and was very memorable.

We left Sunday, April 15th on a plane to Las Vegas for the honeymoon. It was the first time either of us had ever flown, but the flight wasn't bad at all. My husband, Dave, was a little more nervous than I was. The weather wasn't as warm as I had expected it to be; it was about 73 degrees. We stayed at the Monte Carlo, which is right in the middle of the strip. We mainly walked the strip and stopped in different casinos/hotels. I think my favorite hotel was the New York New York, which is right beside the Monte Carlo. There are so many different shops and restaurants in there, more than you could see in one day. Besides seeing different casinos, we went to the shark reef in Mandalay Bay and got to pet sting rays. Now that was scary!! We also saw a lion habitat in the MGM Grand Hotel. I think my favorite site was the water show in front of the Bellagio. We had a great time, but were definitely ready to come home and relax after all the walking we had done. You really appreciate the atmosphere and calmness of the country after being in a big crowded city. All in all it was a very memorable experience that I will never forget.

My husband and I are first time homeowners. The top level of our new home is all hardward floors. I think we have spoiled ourselfs with having this in our first home because now we'll always want them! The floors work well with our pets...we have a 7 year old cat, 3 year old dog and at 14 week old puppy. Trust me, the hard wood floors have came in VERY handy with a new puppy in the house! Not only are they easy to clean but they don't trap hair like carpets would which is really nice for us considering my father is allergic to cat hair.

Hardwood floors provide a great look to your home too and you are not stuck with that "well, what would look good with our color of carpet" factor. But back to my original question...So, Why Wood?

• Longevity – Solid wood floors last for hundreds of years. Over the centuries, wood has proven itself to be a durable floor choice. Newer synthetic materials have been unable to stand the test of time.
  
• Increased Home Value – Hardwood floors add real value to the home, as well as structural stability. Solid wood is a permanent flooring solution rather than a simple floor covering. Potential home buyers desire hardwood in homes because of the durability & aesthetic value. 
  
• Coziness & Warmth – Wood is naturally warm, holds the surrounding temperature and is an excellent insulator. There are thousands of air channels within each piece of hardwood which hold in the surrounding heat.
  
• Hypoallergenic – For people with environmental allergies, hardwood is a must. Unlike carpet, wood does not harbor mildew, mites & pet hair.
  
• Easy to Clean – Sweep, mop a little and you have a spotless floor. While hardwood floors are easy to repair, if you do get a gouge or a scratch in the floor, it often adds to the character. Modern polyurethane finishes eliminate the need for waxing & hand buffing.

If you are interested in hardwood flooring, whether it's refinishing, remodeling or new construction, Barnum Floors are just the people to talk to! Barnum Floors specialize in custom hardwood flooring, installed and finished on-site while consistently setting the standard for restoration of existing hardwood floors. This family owned & operated company repeatedly demonstrates their commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction. Check them out on the web at www.barnumfloors.com to learn more about them and what they do.

Tiffany Nickelson • Business Team
business@edje.com • tiffany@edje.com
www.edjetechnologies.com
515-961-9799 • 1-866-839-3353

"Friday 13th is unlucky for some. The risk of hospital admission as a result of a transport accident may be increased by as much as 52 percent. Staying at home is recommended."

I found this quote at about.com. You can go there to read the complete story, but I just wanted to comment on a few things I found. I had no idea that the fear of Friday the 13th was so widespread, up to 21 million Americans.

"...If you have 13 letters in your name, you will have the devil's luck (Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy and Albert De Salvo all have 13 letters in their names)."

Lord help you if you have 13 letters in your name. Let's try me, ERICA MCKASSON. Hmm. 13. I must have the devil's luck. Coincendentialy, my maiden name is OAKLEY, which bings my total to 11, so my bad luck must have started when I got married. Go figure.

Now, I will be honest. I don't know a lot about feeding livestock. The only memory I have of feeding livestock is with my dad in the dead of winter going out to the field yelling "whoop cow whoop whoop cow", and watching all the cows come tromping over for the grub. My dad would making me fill up the buckets with feed, and he would throw it into the bin. My dad took care of any hay feeding, but I do remember riding in the tractor with a double bale stabber, though at the time I thought it was some sort of torture device. I was very young.

So for those of you that actually know what you are doing, you will appreciate the efficiency of the Amazing Hay$aver, exclusively sold by EFS Distributing. You will recoup your cost of the feeder in just three years, and it will last much longer than that. Scott here in the office uses them, and says they really do work. So if you have him on the phone, ask him how his Hay$avers are doing.

EFS Distributing doesn't just sell the Hay$avers, they also distribute Miraco Water Systems, Kverneland Tines, and Garst Seed. Head on over and see what they have to offer.

An email blast that is! I have had a very busy week with all of the recent email blasts that I have been designing.

If you are thinking to yourself, "what is an email blast?", the answer is simple: It is a very easy way to advertise you or your product and get people to check out your site or sale. Everyone that we send an email blast to receives a really colorful, eye-catching email. When they scroll over the email, they can click on it and it will take them directly to a sale page or website.

Now if you are thinking, " I have a sale coming up - I could really benefit from sending out an email blast" or "I just started a website and I want people to know about it" an email blast would be a great way to let people know. Contact a sales person and see what they can do for you! Then all I need from the sales person is your information, pictures, colors or even themes. 

I really enjoy creating email blasts that have a theme to them. A couple of email blasts that I have recently designed have had a theme carried out within them. Cattle Visions has been sending out some really catchy ones recently. They just sent out one with groovy theme - check it out!

So if you still have not had a blast, you should have one with us!!

Tiffany Summy 
Web Designer
Cattle Team
tsummy@edje.com

At Bumgarner Ag Services, the goal is to maximize their customer's profits and manage their risks. Consider their programs if you're involved in livestock or grain production or if you're an investor looking to diversify your investment portfolio with a proven futures trading program. http://www.bumgarneragservices.com

Randy Bumgarner has been trading Agricultural commodity futures for 37 years. Prior to starting Bumgarner Ag Services, helped farm and raise livestock on the family farm near Bruning Nebraska, owned and managed an agricultural seed and chemical sales and crop protection service and worked for a livestock loan company for 16 years where he made agricultural loans and set up hedging programs. He was president of the loan company and was in charge of a 10 state area. He has a Master's Degree in Ag Economics from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. 
 
   
Lee Bumgarner has been trading agricultural commodity futures for 4 years. He graduated from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. His primary duty is to customize Bumgarner Ag Services’ hedging and investing strategies to the individual needs of the customer.

- Sherry

Some of you may be wondering why I titled my blog "a good day," but the truth is, even with the cold and snow we are getting here in Iowa today, it really has been a good day!

You also may not believe it, but some people really like the job they go to everyday, and we designers at EDJE are definetly those kinds of people.  Today was a good day because I got to work on a re-design for the Iowa Simmental Association website.  I worked with Lisa Junck to come up with a new look for the ISA site that was both visual and easy to navigate.

The Iowa Simmental Association is a group of 150+ members actively promoting Iowa Simmental cattle.  The ISA sponsors various shows & events throughout the year as well as supporting the Iowa Junior Simmental Association (which just happens to be the largest section of the website - those juniors sure are busy!)

So even with the snow coming down on April 11th, I am having... a good day!

Normally I work on business websites, but in the spring, Joe and Alisha get busy doing tons of updates and new sites. I was glad to offer my services and help them complete updates, and of course some new sites. Here are my recent livestock sites, and my first pig site!

Lindsey Club Lambs 

This is a classic case where all I had to work with to create a design was "red & black". I have a personal love to typography, so I went with what you see today. This was a quick one, which we don't get much of on the business team. That is the great thing about doing livestock sites! They are having a sale at their farm, Saturday, May 19th at 1 pm. They are located in Seminole, Texas, so if you are in the area, I bet they would love to see you there!

Baglien Suffolks

This site was the complete oposite of Lindsey Club Lambs. Jim knew exactly what he wanted, so even though I didn't have the complete creative freedom as I do others, I am really pleased with how it turned out. Blues didn't use to be my favorite colors, but as of late (and as I am typing this wearing a blue shirt), blue is becoming my favorite color to use for websites (as for my wordrobe, I think I probably have more red).  They are having their sale April 21, 2007. The sale sheep will be posted April 14, 2007 on their website.

Hanna Show Lambs

I love how this one turned out. I wanted to do something a little different than I usually do. A relaxed, old world style is what I was feeling, and apparently Alan was too, since there weren't any major changes to the original design. This year they plan on adding several Hamp ewes as well as some Dorset ewes for Speckled Faced lambs. Go on over and check them out!

Dover Genetics

What I like best about Dover Genetics is the use of color. Using the bold orange against the white and grey really makes it pop. I have also never done the black & white photos with the color photo rollover. Having the original photo greyscale helps to keep the modern feeling consistent throughout the site. I am very pleased with how it turned out!

Huinker Durocs LTD

Huinker was actually a redesign that I did. After I agreed to do it, there landed a pile of faxes on my desk with all the text for the website. Before I could get to it, I got a call from Joe Huinker wanting to talk about the site. I was honest and told him I hadn't had a chance to look over it, but no problem, we went over it together, filled in the missing peices, and by the end of the conversation, I had a crystal clear idea of what they wanted out of the redesign. I knew they wanted to get the new site out before their online sale, so within a few days their new site was up and running. Joe and Ruth are some of the nicest people I have ever worked with. Very polite on the phone, and easy to work with. Never did talk to John, but I bet hes a good guy too. And I promise you, I did not enhance the photos in any way!

Sage Hills Show Lambs

The most recent of the livestock sites that I have finished is for Sage Hills Show Lambs. With this one, I had a logo from the customer to work off of. They had some very nice greens, and a very nice looking lamb graphic. And guess what? They have a sale coming up too! Their 2007 production sale is on May 12, 2007 at their farm, 6 miles west of Tremonton, UT. Go on over to sagehillslivestock.com to find out more about the sale and their program!

I had the honor of redesigning a site for a long time EDJE Technologies customer, USA Tire Management Systems, Inc. They recycle certain sizes of used tires...what a great way to help out the environment!

USA Tire Managment Systems Inc. also offers a complete line of automatic water tanks along with Yard, Snow/Manure Scrapers Rubber Water Tanks, Rubber Scrapers, Automatic Waterers, Snow Blades, Snow Scrapers...

• Tanks have tank heaters, cement inserts, drain hole and more.
• Rubber Tire Scrappers that will last a lifetime. 
• Rubber tire yard scrappers used for large or small feedlot operations.
• Natural Resource Conservation Service approved.

Check out their new look by visiting www.usatireproducts.com today!

I hope everyone had a great Easter. Mine went very well, although it was a little nerve racking knowing that my wedding would be only a week away. The big day will be this Saturday, April 14th at Smith Memorial Chapel here in Indianola. I will be taking a week off to go to Las Vegas for our honeymoon, which should be a very fun get-away. Hopefully we will have a safe trip there and back. Neither of us has ever flown before, so it should be an interesting experience. Wish us luck!!