My friend and I rented a space similar to what you're describing. We were fortunate in that they offered 3 mo. contracts. Because our 3 months included Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas... we did well on sales. Having to keep the booth going year 'round would definitely have eaten up the profits. This was our biggest problem. The store owner constantly took pieces from our display and used them to fill in or beautify the less attractive booths. His attitude was that it didn't matter where buyers found the product... just that they bought them. We had very unique items. We'd designed them and created them. They didn't exist anywhere else. But once the guy spread them all over the store it appeared EVERYONE was making them... like a "craft-of-the-month" project. So he not only diminished the artistic value of our pieces by making them appear common place... but he also destroyed the beauty of our booth by taking so many things and then rearranging the leftovers so that it wouldn't be strikingly obvious. After three months of going there several times a week to retrieve our stuff from other booths... we bagged it. Anybody else have that problem?

ROFLOL, Alice...they were taking you to the fake eyes, not the eyelets!!! This whole line of card creating stuff was new to the stores this fall, so maybe your store has not been stocked yet. In my store, it was on a free-standing display in the main aisle near the Sizzix die-cuts, then a whole huge wall section near the scrapping aisle and the picture frames. I could not believe all the stuff! I did find some great packs of little metal charms in matched theme sets...meant for cards, but perfect for making wine glass charms and cheaper than the official "wine glass" ones. It is so true to shop all the aisles to compare products & prices. I remember a post on another board where a girl got those skeleton leaves for half the price in the floral department than the packaged ones in the rubber stamp department!

Personally, I prefer cash. But some feel that's "impersonal". Gift cards are the modern version of the gift certificate or the trendy "check" (or "cheque" to my Canuck-lehead friends) being given as a gift. My gift shopping used to always include a stop at the liquor store for at least one person on the list. I knew that wasn't going to go to waste. A friend used to always give his grandmother a small ham for Christmas because she'd never buy it for herself. Some would be appalled, nay, even insulted if someone gave them grocery stoe food! It needs to be in little jars, in a box, flavors nobody likes, won't eat, and will be given away or thrown away! LOL I'm really bothered when someone says cash is a bad gift, impersonal or whatever. Doesn't anyone get tired of getting trinkets that someone else thinks is cute and you find abhorrent? But somehow that's a better gift than giving someone cash so they can put it toward their electric bill on a month they're a little short, or go to a movie, or put gas in the car to get to work, or put toward the heat bill or into a (heaven forbid) savings account or get the car repaired house reroofed or whatever else. What troubles me is there used to be a saying that it's the thought that counts. I buy someone a gift, it's thoughtful, right? They hate it so they return it or leave it on a shelf or whatever. But that's more thoughtful or personal than cash? I don't think so. If someone is considerate enough to give me cash and trust that I'll make a good decision on what to do with it, that, to me, is thoughtful. Our western society is so hung up on materialism. It's the gift not the thought. We have to spend more on that wedding gift than the Jones' spent or we'll look bad. Doesn't matter what the gift is. I could go on and on but won't. Consider that your Christmas present! :D This time of year often brings out the best, but also the worst in people. Lots of generosity at times, but also greed, selfishness, self-centered thoughts and after all, Christmas is about giving and receiving gifts right? There was a religious event that some people used to get into! :D I'll give you an example of why I don't like gift cards in place of cash. I had my oil changed last summer for about $17. I used a coupon and had it done. Hard for me to do that stuff anymore. :( I got an award from work - a $25 gift card of my choice. I don't shop at Macy's. I don't go on cruises. (I would have appreciated a gift card for the cruise though...) I don't have Staples in the state, much less nearby. There were 2 things I could see myself using. An oil change place or Amazon. I was going to go with Amazon but decided I'd need an oil change before leaving town for a trip so that could be OK. It'd pay for most of the oil change right? Not after it being a $65 oil change! LOL I got another card choice, same thing. I took a restaurant card but now wish I'd gone Amazon. Not sure when I'll get to the restaurant, but not totally sure what I want from Amazon either. Had a voicemail that I have another gift card coming from work. (I must really have them fooled, eh?) If they had options for Home Depot, Lowe's, Menards, gasoline stations, or a prepaid credit card would be preferred. Keep in mind that the designation is important. They bank on people losing them or not using them. Extra profit, not unlike the post office selling stamps that don't get used. That's pure profit. And companies often get a discount so it appears to be more. But it could be worse. I remember when giving a turkey was often a Christmas bonus. Not everyone can use a 15# turkey. Some, a 15# isn't enough anyway. LOL How many people can't use cash?

I have never heard of Oregano oil. How much and how often? Does it have to be tomato juice or can I use something else? I will have to check it out. Im not too sure on the stinging nettle. I wanted to try tumeric formy chronic pain but not sure how to use it. And now Im thinking of black cohosh for other things. These allergies/sinusitus/menopause symptoms are killing me plus my chronic pain. . I just want to feel normal again. If I didnt color Id prob be going out of my mind. Thank you Amy! Oh did I mention my daughter finally graduated cosmetology school in nov. so no more 14 hr days with the grandbaby. And Im finally getting days off. And she finally gave me a decent haircut after about 4 times of messing my hair up. She did what she was told to do and correctly followed directions. (usually cutting too short or giving me layers when I told her no ..lol)Yay.