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iRenew Is Now Advertising on Suddenlink

April 12th, 2011

                Over the past year and a half or so, we at the Tyler Directory have made a modest living writing about the energy jewelry craze. Interestingly enough despite endless criticism both on the internet as well as in some courts their popularity seems to be at an all time high. The manufacturer “irenew,” continues to wage an advertising offensive on the television audience led by pitchman Art Edmonds.

            I’m finding that my animosity for this company is increasing by the minute. I’m still amazed and appalled by how it’s grown since I first became aware of it a year ago. Lately they’ve even had a label on the Suddenlink digital menu. With the advent of DVRs, viewers simply zip through traditional commercials. But by pasting an ad directly on the menu screen, company labels are always in front of an audience. Now I have actually come to like my suddenlink service, but I do wish the cable giant wouldn’t lower itself and its standards by raising irenew to the appearance of legitimacy by carrying their labels. I realize business is business, and advertisers pay good money for those slots, but I just prefer to see charlatans like these ones selling their wares from the back of a horse drawn carriage rather than marketing to a national audience.   

Life Gem Brings Beauty from Well… Ashes

November 22nd, 2010
Diamonds from loved ones remains

Diamonds from Loved Ones Remains

I was recently researching for a geology paper I was writing when I came across a very unusual business. While reading on synthetic diamonds and gyms I discovered a company called “Life Gem,” that grows precious stones from the cremated remains of loved ones who have passed on.

Tyler Texas Jewelers

The process, by which synthetic or “cultured” stones are created, is essentially the same as the natural one. Heat and pressure are applied to carbon molecules. Only the synthetic process takes about four days as opposed to four million years. Interestingly the manufactured variety can be superior in some respects than their natural sisters; however they are considerably more inexpensive up against comparable stones.

Life Gem has found a way to make the process of diamond buying infinitely more personal. The carbon used in the formation of Life Gem’s stones is of course carbon taken from the hair or ashes of the diseased. The website reads like it was written by a funeral home director. It offers testimonials from satisfied customers who found comfort in their new rings, pendants and other jewelry, claiming that it helped them to deal with their grief and feel closer to those they had lost.

Oh and those enthusiastic pet owners among us with more money than they know what to do with… well, you guessed it. They can also work the same magic if your lost loved one happens to have four legs. By the way the company firmly insists that the remains, (I’m not really comfortable with that term in this context), or carbon left in their care is meticulously documented and tracked in order to avoid loss or confusion. I personally know of no reason to distrust them on this point.

I have to say I find the whole process rather off- putting. It’s like a modern twist on the medieval relic. I wonder why the same process couldn’t be used to make wedding rings for the living. The Bride and groom could each donate a lock of hair and have rings made to commemorate their love whilst both still live; still creepy somehow, but a little less so. Despite my admittedly ill- informed opinion, the business has found a market. The process is not terribly cheap by the way, but for some people it is a fitting memorial to those they’ve lost. To each his own I guess, but I think I’ll settle for a wake and a nice head stone. For more on Life Gem visit their webpage at http://www.lifegem.com.

Clair’s in the Mall

September 13th, 2010

Claire’s has been in the Broadway Square Mall for a long time. When you raise two extremely girlie girls that love dressing up, Claire’s is a frequent stop while shopping at the mall. My girls’ faces light up when they see the corner of fairy and princess accessories.

I can get all my kids’ dress up needs here at Claire’s. The walls are lined with tutus, princess crown, colorful jewelry, hair bows, and fairy wings. With Halloween just around the corner you can dress you kids up with the fun, colorful accessories.

Claire’s does not only have stuff for toddler girls, but for women of all ages. They have the newest styles and accessories. Claire’s has had sales pretty much every time I have gone into the store. Many times they have earrings for “buy one get one half off”. The store has all different style of necklaces, earrings, rings, and bracelets. You can get all different jewelry for a great price. Some of my favorite things in the store are the selections of bags, scarves, and hair accessories. They have all accessories to top off all of your outfits for every season of the year.

When I was really young I got my ears pierced at Claire’s, and I recently took my daughter to get her ears pierced there too. They pretty much do the same thing that they did when I got mine done. They sat her in a car and let her hug a teddy bear. A lady marked her ears with a purple marker just to make sure that they keep the earrings even with each other. I sat her on my lap just to make sure she did not jerk and to make sure that the lady did not miss the mark that she made. After the lady pierced my daughter’s ear, my daughter started crying, but the lady was fast at getting the second ear pierced even though she had to “re-load”. As the lady was doing the second ear, my daughter jerked, but the lady still pierced it on the right spot. After it was done my daughter was still crying so the lady helped calm her down by showing her how beautiful her ears were and by giving her a lollipop. Candy always helps kids be happy. The only thing that I had to pay for to get her ears pierced was the actual earrings. The piercing was free and it came with a solution that you have to clean the ear with three times a day.

Claire’s is a great place to shop for all your make up, and jewelry needs for a low cost. And it is a great place to shop for all little girls love for finger nail polish, princesses, jewelry, and dress up.

Hand Me Ups

July 2nd, 2010

Almost every day I pass by this small store called Hand Me Up and was always curious about it. I finally went into the store the other day. It was really nothing special, about two rows of men’s clothes, maybe a foot and half of the rack in the children’s section would have fit my children, and they have about five rows of women clothing.

The women’s section was a few rows including pants, shirts, dresses, junior and misses sizes. There really were not very great clothes. I dug through the women’s dresses but most of them were full suit dresses that the women in church would wear when I was a little child.

They had a small selection of over sized jewelry behind the glass counter. If anyone knows me they could tell you that I love long and thick jewelry; but there was nothing very fashionable about huge blue rocks tied together. They had a pretty big selection of purses, most leather and had those ugly strings of leather hanging off of them. Lastly they had a pretty descent selection of shoes and that probably was the best thing about the whole store.

I glanced over the men’s section, but the outfit on the manikin in the window was tight pants and a pink collared shirt. If that was the best outfit I was curious what else they offered. There were about two rows of men’s clothes most were odd sizes and extremely out of style.

Lastly I checked out the children’s selection. Probably they most annoying thing was the fact that all the clothes were on miss labeled hangers. Eighteen month clothes were on three month hangers. It was so difficult to find the right size of each outfit. They had a cute selection of shoes. They were organized so I could see each pair of shoe and their sizes.

Hand Me Up is a consignment store. All clothing is pre-owned and way over priced! I did not want to spend twenty dollars on used clothes, I do not care if they are brand names or not. If you are interested in selling clothing in the store, they take consignments, such as clothing and accessories, Tuesdays thru Saturday. You get 50% of the sold price of every item you bring in.

All clothes have to be designer labels and not from Wal-Mart or Target. I do not really understand why they do not sell items from Target, some of my kid’s cutest clothes are from Target.

You have to make sure all clothing is clean, pressed and on hangers. Also all the clothes that you bring up there has to be in season, right now they are looking for summer clothing. Every four weeks the store will write you a check of the money earned of the items you sold. If the clothing that you brought in is not sold after 90 days, they will donate all clothing to local charities.

It was not worth it to go up there when I went shopping, but you never know, they are constantly getting new clothes. You might be able to find something that you will like. None of the employees seemed like they wanted to help anyone in the store. The business seemed poorly ran and the products were over priced used clothes.

Pawn Shops

April 6th, 2010

Doesn’t everyone wish they did not have to wait for a warm sunny day to go garage sale shopping? Well you can with the large amounts of Tyler’s pawn shops. Where else can you find VHS players, personal loans in Tyler and a Spice Girls cassette?

Tyler’s A-1 pawn shop has all your junk loving needs. If you are looking for a giant glass owl to put in your garden or a dial television, you can always find interesting things here. Tyler has many different Pawn shops through out the city. A-1 is a family run store, like many pawn shops. The service is extremely helpful and kind. If you have jewelry that needs to be sized, guns that need to be cleaned or junk laying around the house that needs to be sold, pawn shops are a great place to deal with your business.

There are pawn shops dedicated to the gun lovers out there. Mac’s Gun Shop, Inc. has a great selection of all types of shotguns and handguns. Most gun stores along with Mac’s Gun Shop sale and buy guns and ammo.

I don’t really have the love of pawn shop shopping. I do not need a faded pink tricycle or an old flowery lamp. But I can see the fun of digging through junk to find one small treasure that might actually look good in your house. Tyler has a great selection of stores like A-1 and Mac’s Gun Shop, Inc. in which you can find great selections of junk for every room for great prices.