30-Minute Garden Box DIY

So lately i've decided to build a garden box now that my tomato plant has finally started to bloom little green tomatoes, lol.  I watched a couple of YouTube videos on just how to go about building it, there are several out there.  I thought I would just share with you guys what I used to build mine.  Note this is a 2-person project but if you are alone you can still build it yourself it just may take a little while longer.

I went to Lowe's for my supplies:

2 2x8x8 Top Choice KD Dougl boards (cut in half to equal 4) Cost: $11.70
1 roll of Organic Landscape Fabric (you can use any weed control fabric) Cost $ 9.97
4 Angle Z-Max ML24z brackets (optional) Cost $7.64
8 Timber Tite 1/4 x4 Cost $5.52

Additional Materials needed:
Drill
1/4 Drill bit
Tack Nails
Hammer
Scissors

Have your helper hold the boards in place while you pre-drill your holes for the screws (this makes it easier for the screws to go through).  Repeat this step all the way around until you have a square.  Once your done with all your screws, measure your landscape fabric across the square & use the tack nails to hold it in place using your hammer.

And your all done!!

You can use the brackets to reenforce your corners together on the inside, you can also paint your box any color you choose for added uniqueness.

The hole project took about 30 minutes & costed a total of $34.86 (not including tax), if you choose not to use the brackets it will be a lot less.  Have fun & build as many as you like!!

Happy Gardening!

Time for Action!!

I know that there are lots of people that feel the way I do in regards to "debt"  Are you tired of all the harassing phone calls from both live & automated systems?  Calling all times of the day & night? Wether the debt is a valid one or not doesn't seem to matter to these companies that have bought your information from another company.  8 out of 10 of the so called debts that these people are harassing you to pay back isn't even a valid debt.

Most people are unaware that there is a statue of limitations on debts! Yes you read it correctly, each state has different guidelines in regards to debts.  I would suggest that you visit your local library & look them up.  Most laws are so old that both creditors, collection agencies, consumers & some judges don't even know they exist.    There are also guidelines that collection agencies must abide by, you can view them here: http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpajump.shtm  I often check this site to stay up to date on the laws.  You can also file complaints against companies that break these guidelines.

A word of advise, when a collector calls you, you have the right to request that they no longer call your home & to contact you via mail only! Let them know that you are recording the phone call.  NEVER volunteer your personal information, I've noticed that most of these companies have searched the internet & bought your information.  The most the have is your name, address & phone number.  It's also up to the collection agency to prove that the debt IS YOURS, not the other way around.  It is a wise thing to keep track of all the phone calls, times & letters that you receive from collection agencies.

A lot of them will continuously sell your so-called debt to various companies and they all will report negatively on your credit reports & you've never heard of them before.  Even if you've filed bankruptcy & the debt has been discharged, the original company will sell that information to another collection agency, they change the account numbers & adjust the balance to make it reflect a new account when in actuality it's the same debt.

Well I'm beyond sick of being a victim to collection agencies, I'm tired of avoiding answering my phone because of an automated debt collector or a rude cold-hearted judgmental person on the other end of the phone demanding payments for debts that I do not owe!

I was watching School House Rock a couple of weeks ago, the one about "Bill"  I used to love that show as a kid, that saturday morning cartoon was just the fuel that I needed to spark a change in the laws that govern debts & debt collectors.  We shouldn't live in fear of them, they are only robbing us.

Please stay posted to my blog for more information on my petition that I will be building to do just that as well as the drafting of the Bill that I plan to propose to Congress.  If you have any input please feel free to share, all contributors are welcome.

Thank you

**THIS BOOK IS COPYRIGHTED **

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THIS BOOK "HAVE YOU EVER DREAMED?" IS REGISTERED & HAS A LEGAL COPYRIGHT ASSOCIATED WITH BOTH THE TITLE & CONTENT LISTED ON THIS BLOG.  I AM JUST SHARING A SNEAK PREVIEW OF THE CONTENTS WITH YOU.

Pt. 2

Shanice and Trey had developed a plan, he would drop her off about 2 blocks from the bank and she would walk and they would meet in the same place when she was done, but he was to drive around and not sit still.  She would be in and out in about 5 minutes, every time the teller would ask how she wanted the bills, and she always said that it didn’t matter cause she was just gonna pay bills anyway and they bought it.  She was surprised on how easy it was, she kind of got a high off of doing it.  Shanice had cashed all 20 checks in about 2 hours, they called Blackey and he was impressed, he told them to come back and get some more checks.  While on the way back from the the last bank, Courtney called Shanice and told her that she had been arrested, Shanice was nervous, she called Blackey and told him what happened and he told her that if she didn’t want to cash anymore today that would be fine, just come on back to the house.  They had to wait for Courtney to get to the police station to go and bail her out.  She was charged with Uttering & Publishing and her bond was $500.  Blackey gave Shanice the money to bail her out and told her to just lay low and if she didn’t snitch he would take care of everything. 

Courtney knew the game and was down, the cops kept asking her where she got the checks from and she told them that some guy walked up to her at the corner liquor store and asked her if she wanted to make some quick cash and she said yes, she has a handicap son at home and she needed the extra cash.  The cops bought her story hook line and sinker; they released her and gave her a court date.  While Courtney was waiting for her court date Blackey felt like Detroit was getting too hot, every week somebody was getting busted for a check scam so he decided to take his crew on the road, he asked Shanice to go with him but she said that she couldn’t because she was getting her micros re-done and she couldn’t leave her children alone.  He told her to find a baby sitter for them and ask her hairdresser to come along with them he would take care of everything and that she didn’t have to cash any checks that she would be going as his woman.  Of course she said yes, he told her to be ready in ½ hour, he would be there to pick her up, also not to pack too much because he was taking her shopping.  That was music to her ears, she called Courtney and told her and asked her if she would watch the kids for a few days that Blackey would pay her; she said sure. 

They went to Minnesota, Blackey had a cousin that lived there so she hooked them up with all the businesses and bank info they needed.  They went to Office Max and stocked up on check paper and ink.  It took them 12 hours to drive there, but they were driving in two Cadillac Escalades, Blackey, Shanice KeKe (her step sister) and one of Blackeys boys named Marcus was in one and Trey, Casey and 2 of thier girls was in the other one.  They were having a ball racing each other on the highway and keeping track of the state troopers.   Once they got into the city, they stopped at the liquor store and got a 5^th of Remy VSOP, Hennessy, and Grey Goose, they also stopped at Pizza Hut and got a couple of pizzas and some coke.  When they got to the hotel, they rented three double bed suites; Trey, Casey and they girls was in one, KeKe and Marcus was in another and Blackey and Shanice shared the last one, he told her that if she did not want to sleep with him she could have her own bed.    They stayed up late that night just drinking, smoking and having fun.

 The next day while he sent everyone out to cash the checks, KeKe finished Shanice’s hair and Blackey went out, he told her that he had a surprise for her later.  He was gone for about 5 hours, but KeKe was able to finish her hair and they were sitting around talking and having drinks.  Blackey called up to the room and told Shanice to shower and don’t put anything on except her Victoria Secret Vanilla and a towel he would be there in 15 minutes to pick her up and something for her to wear, she trusted his taste because he knew what she liked and what looked good on her.  Before she could ask any questions he hung up.  She did as she was told, she was very excited and curious to know what was up.  When she came out of the shower the room was empty and there was two dozens of white & red calla lilies and a big white box with a big red bow sitting on the bed.  Excited, she ran to the box and tore it open; there was a badass GIGI Hunter floor length, very low back white knitted dress with a pair of silver heels with crystals in the heel.  Her mouth dropped because he spent about $1500 on the dress alone.  She pinned her braids up and had two hanging down in the front and the back and grabbed one of the red lilies, broke the stem and put it in her hair.  While she got dressed, she noticed a small black box sitting on the nightstand; she opened it and tears fell from her eyes.  There was a beautiful diamond choker at least 5 carats, a 3 carat tennis bracelet and a single line of 2 carat diamond earrings in the box, that had to set him back a good $10,000 to $15,000.  She put the diamonds on and put on her MAC lip glass, she didn’t wear nor needed any make-up she was a natural beauty.  Something she inherited from her grandmother.

Have you ever Dreamed?

Coming soon!!!

Have You Ever Dreamed?

Have You Ever Dreamed?
A Novel

byLisa Marie

I want to try something new, i've been working on this story off & on for almost 5yrs now. I've had great reviews from co-workers & friends, now I would love to have some outside opinions on whether I should continue or give up. I hope that you enjoy it, I am still learning.

Thanks

Chapter 1:
The First Meeting

Have you ever dreamed? Of having it all, living life in the fast lane, being able to go to the mall and buy whatever your heart desired without paying attention to the price tag, buying something new every day because you never wanted to be seen in the same thing twice? Or, because you just didn’t feel like doing laundry that day? Well in the summer of 2001 Shanice did just that. The year started off bad for her, she just got fired from her job at the bank where she worked as a loan processor, the man she loved for 5 ½ years decided that he no longer loved her and cheated on her. He would wait until she was asleep and take her car to go see another woman. And to top all that off she was being evicted from her home because she did an interview on the news about a fire that happened in her building, if it had not been for the woman whose apartment was on fire running and banging on everyone’s door, a lot of people would be dead right now, including her and her daughters. The owners did not have any smoke detectors or fire extinguishers in the building. She needed money in a bad way; she had three children she had to take care of and a car note with insurance to pay.

Shanice was 5’2”, 115 lbs. And had smooth milk chocolate skin, hazel eyes and dimples, she kept her hair in micros with a couple of blond streaks in it. Shanice knew that there was only one person she could turn to, her cousin Courtney. Courtney was the only person she knew with connections to some fast money without resorting to prostitution and she knew that Courtney would not let anyone take advantage of her or hurt her. Courtney was the type of woman every man wanted; she was 5’ 0”, 98 lbs. high yellow with green/grey eyes and long red hair and freckles. Courtney had the perfect solution to Shanice’s little problem, a guy named Blackey.

Blackey was known as one of Detroit’s most notorious drug dealers and had a real nasty reputation with the ladies, but also very much wanted by all the ladies. He was 6’1, smooth dark chocolate skin and had a body cut like LL Cool J’s and he always kept a baldhead. He had a smile just like Tyrese, the kind that would make any woman be ready to drop her panties in a heartbeat. The FBI wanted Blackey in Mississippi for murder and in Chicago on felony drug charges. He drove a cocaine white 2002 Cadillac Seville with chrome Datons, TV’s and a badass sound system. Damn his black ass looked good driving in that car and he knew it that’s why he kept it clean. He always wore white and I do mean white, no matter how hot it was he was still clean. Everywhere he went the females were always trying to holler cause they knew he had bank. One day while Shanice was just hanging out over Courtney’s house, Blackey came over when Shanice first saw him she was like “damn cuz who is that?” “Girl, that ain’t no body but Blackey”, I sure would love to meet his black fine ass. That’s the guy I’ve been telling you about, I will hook y’all up but you watch out for his crazy ass ex-girlfriend Keisha. That bitch is crazy and I don’t want to go to jail for killing that crazy ass bitch cause I can get just a crazy as she is.

When Shanice and Blackey met it was like love at first sight and when they started talking they really just clicked. Shanice asked Blackey if he was still involved with his ex Keisha and of course he said no, he said that she was really starting to get on his nerves, calling all the time and following him around. He said that he told her that if she didn’t stop he was going to pay someone to kick her ass, which seemed to stop her harassing him for the moment anyway. They went out on a couple of dates, everywhere they went women would always stare at him, waitresses would always flirt with him, Shanice would just look at him and smile to herself.

As the weeks turned into months Shanice was getting comfortable with Blackey, he felt the same with her. He had never left things in the hands of anyone before, he was real careful about his money, but for some reason he felt like he could trust her so he gave her a little test. One day Blackey came up with the idea to make and cash counterfeit payroll checks. He asked Shanice and Courtney if they wanted to be down, and of course after they heard all the details they were all in. He got his brother Trey to make the checks on his laptop, and his cousin Casey to find more people willing to cash them, Casey & Trey would drive them around to cash the checks. They felt that they had came up with the perfect lick. Trey would look through the phone book and find different companies and use different banks in the city (he had a different girl he was fucking at every bank in the city, so they would give him the routing numbers for the banks) then he would make the checks out for anywhere between $350.49 to $849.37, he made them really look legit so at first glance you could not tell the were fake. They would print about 10-20 checks per person Trey and Casey would drive them around to the different branches cashing the checks. They would try to hit at least 10 branches a day. The girl would get $150 for cashing the checks, Trey and Casey would get $50 for diving them around and the rest would go to Blackey. Blackey sent Shanice and Courtney out on a Friday afternoon with 20 checks a piece, but they did not travel together, Shanice rode with Trey and Courtney rode with Casey.

TO BE CONTINUED.............