Can't hide Kenseth's heritage.

NBA Champ Locker Room Shots

Fifteen Time Champ... but it's fun just like the first.

Cool parade pic

From the AP Wire....

Pin Collecting?

Why People Love To Collect And Display Collectible Pins
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Pin collecting has always been a popular hobby and continues to be so. There is such a huge variety to choose from and since they are small, they don't take up a lot of space.

Before you begin to collect them, decide what your favorite category is, such as sports, entertainment or even politics.

If your favorite category is sports, you can narrow it down to your favorite team or player. There is no end to the types of pins offered in this category. You can collect pins that solely represent your own favorite recreational activity, such as fishing or even bowling

Another popular category is entertainment. Disney pins are very popular, but you can also choose can also get pins that represent movie stars or rock bands.

Many people like to collect pins from their favorite political party and candidates. They also collect the many buttons that these individuals handout and display them proudly.

Yet another category is pins from events. If you go to a concert or a festival or any type of popular event, chances are you can get a pin that represents it.

There are various ways to display your pin collection. One way is to mount them on a hat or a cap. This is especially popular with the sports fans, because they can wear it when they go to watch the big game at their friend's house. Other people mount them on jerseys and jacket lapels, vests and purses. Because they are pins, they can be mounted on just about anything.

Another easy way to display them is to mount them in a scrapbook or a notebook. If you're going to use a notebook, select a loose leaf binder that offers a zipper or Velcro fastener. Instead of paper, use craft foam or sheets of dark felt, so that you can securely fasten the pins to the pages.

They can also be mounted on a bulletin board. This is a good option because your collection is bound to grow and you can fit a lot of pins on a bulletin board. It also makes a nice room display, because the collection is easily viewed by whoever enters the room. Consider covering the board with black velvet. This makes a beautiful background for your collection and brings out their full beauty.

It can be hard to avoid getting scratches on your pins, no matter how hard you try to protect them. If your pins get scratches, a little car wax might be able to smooth them over.

The next time you're looking for a hobby, consider pin collecting. It's fun, inexpensive and there are so many choices to choose from, you'll never get bored.



About the Author
Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as Collectible Figurines at http://www.collectingtrinkets.com

Author Profile: teahupoo

Wouldn't you love to have been there?

I read this today in Yahoo sports about why Juan Pablo Montoya is finding himself in 7th place in the standings:

Apr 8
This week: Montoya, who is only 16 points out of the Top Spot, planned to head home to Colombia to enjoy the Easter holiday, but that doesn't mean he won't be thinking about how his race team can improve. "Brian (Pattie, the crew chief) and I work well together," said Montoya. "We understand each other, and that helps while we race. We both want to win, and we are getting close to that."
Last week: Montoya was all smiles after finishing seventh at Texas for his second top-10 finish in the last three races. "Great run for the 42 team," said Montoya. "The guys worked hard all weekend." The three straight finishes of 12th or better -- the first time he has done that in his Sprint Cup career -- have lifted Montoya into 13th place in the standings.
Etc.: Pattie said a "heart-to-heart" talk he and Montoya had in Montoya's motor home last July in Chicago is the biggest reason the team is performing so much better in 2009. "The reasons he stayed at Ganassi, and the reasons I stayed over the winter, stem from that conversation," said Pattie.


All I can tell you is here's one flag one won't be able to find in WalMart... HA.

Prophetic or Ironic?

Just look at how dominant the light blue is in the generic Final Four logo this year... did they know something we didn't?

I hear around the place that we have a few extra generic Wastebaskets that we can make someone happy with, North Carolina on my Mind?

Name the Cities

Wow...our College Flag line is huge this year, so these stumped me for where the schools are located. Now don't cheat and look ahead.




ok....

You got your answers?... sure Kutztown is in Kutztown but what State?

ok...


... the answers


Central Michigan is in Mount Pleasant, Georgia Southern is in Statesboro, Kutztown is in Pennsylvania, and Northern Iowa is in Cedar Falls

Ok so yes I learned something today... Georgia Southern is in the city made famous by Blind Willie McTell and the Allman Brothers for the song Statesboro Blues. Enjoy.

A Dying Cubs Fan..

Steve Goodman wrote one of the best train songs ever, "The City of New Orleans" made famous by Arlo Guthrie, but I ended up a huge fan of this short guy from Chicago after I first discovered him as a musician and writer for Jimmy Buffet. Steve died of leukemia that he lived with during his 15 year musical career. Since I was always a Cub fan from little on, I especially loved his sports song, "The Dying Cub's Fan Last Request." I heard at one point his ashes are buried under home plate, but Wikipedia would dispute that to be just scattered at Wrigley. See below for an excerpt.

So here's one of the best sport songs ever written:



Now I'll try not always show my team allegiance, but the mighty Cubs are playing the Brewers home opener this weekend in what's becoming a pretty nice border rivalry. Let's feed the rivalry a bit by hanging up one of our coolest new wood sign... Isn't it incredible? Go Cubbies....


Excerpt from Wikipedia on Steve Goodman:
On September 20, 1984, Goodman died at University of Washington Hospital in Seattle, Washington, his life finally taken by the leukemia from which he had anointed himself with the tongue-in-cheek nickname “Cool Hand Leuk” (other nicknames included “Chicago Shorty” and “The Little Prince”). He was only 36. Just four days after Goodman's death, his beloved Chicago Cubs clinched the Eastern Division title in the National League for the first time ever, earning them their first post-season appearance since 1945, three years before Goodman's birth. Eight days later, on October 2, the Cubs played their first post-season game since the 1945 World Series. Goodman had been asked to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before it; Jimmy Buffett filled in, and dedicated the song to Goodman. In April 1988, some of Goodman's ashes were scattered at Wrigley Field, the home of the Chicago Cubs.[2] He was survived by his wife and three daughters.[3]

Carlos is a big guy...

Mr. Zambrano is not a small man, and when I walked by his new pennant all I could say was WOW... I'm intimated and he's not throwing a 90 MPH fast ball at me.

Just see, he's almost as big a Nina in the 17x40 pennant.

What a great looking pin...

Makes you proud, doesn't it? We ended up with a few left from our Peter David acquistion.

Kurt Warner

This note came across my email this morning; I just had to share it because I couldn't write it any better. Name withheld because I didn't ask or permission.

I found your product for the first time today at Just Sports in Tempe, AZ. Being a huge Kurt Warner fan, your pennant of him caught my eye.

I am amazed at the detail of your product. It looks just like the photo! Awesome!

As soon as my job picks up and I can spare the money, that pennant's going up on my wall.

I am especially happy that your product is MADE IN THE USA. It is good to know that my purchase will go straight to hard working Americans.

Keep up the great work.

Can you believe it?

Take a look now... this pennant won't be in stock much longer. A Bear QB... is it their answer finally for stability over a year?... we'll find out.. He is a very talented QB. Now if a rookie trading card is valuable, why not a rookie pennant?

Aunt Bee would love this pennant.

Aw Shucks everyone knows Carl looks a little like Ron Howard, plus and he's a pretty good at back flips when he wins too.

Play 30 outdoor matches....

Hey I thought this blogger had a great idea.... The classic was great ... do more of it. Read the article here... Of course, I think the blogger fails to note that it was on NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman's watch that the Winter Classic was even started. NHL's product lately is some of the best hockey played in a long time.

Until then... wasn't it a great way to spend a New Year's day... I saw we had a few great pins left. Once I heard pins called the smallest and best collectible... hmmm.

Pass me an Ale.

Something about European Soccer always makes me thirsty. I noticed tonight that this flag has been flagged not to be rerun again. What a great sport to hoist a few with friends! And the flag can get you in the mood hung outside or inside the house, so let's see Monk's Brown Ale or Borthwicks’s Best Bitter?

St. Louis All Star Game

So I better hit the road and go home... first I ran into the Manchester U flag that reminded of a English Ale, and then a good American beer came to mind, and quickly I thought of a hot summer night in July. Watchin' that cool Home Run Derby, and the sluggers go at it.

This year we'll have the coolest 17x40 pennant that has the facade from the front of the stadium. Dang, I wish had this new product during the last 20 years. We're having fun bringing out some of the coolest pennants that I've ever seen.

Bigger is Better

2009 will definitely be a year when Pennants are talked about more with every customer than they have in my over 22 years with WinCraft (except maybe the year we were given the NFL license); and much of it started with a quick conversation after a meeting. Our new soft premium felt pennant was being discussed as to how to market the ability to roll it without damage, would the consumers pay more than our traditional pennant, that we would only offer a 12x30 and not smaller, and how deep of a line would we invest in before we get all these questions answered. Just like how all good church and civic meetings get hashed out in the parking lot afterwards, the conversations kept going out in the hallway. Chris said, “Why not do it bigger instead of smaller?” Why not? The 17” x 40” pennant was born, and 8 weeks later incredible art was rolling of the presses. 2009 will have a deep line of large pennants using photographs or stadiums, full color designs and just graphics that will blow away the consumers. The pennant has done the October – December Show circuit and is receiving RAVE reviews and everyone is convinced it’s the right value at $20 MSRP compared to other items in the market like a wall hangings & stickers. Of course we do want to point out that Nina our model, is kind of short. HA.

100 years of racing?

Wow... can you believe it... Indy has been racing over 100 years. We did this cool wastebasket. Does it come with the smell of burning rubber?... no but tin plated steel trash cans are fire proof you could throw your burning rubber into it. HA!

O, O, Obama

Yes... just because our President is such a sports fan, shouldn't you be able to find him on a pennant?

I guess we're waiting for the White House to call and send us a picture of him playing basketball in a pick up game. Until then, these are great commemorative pieces both done our dramatic 17" x 40" Premium Quality Pennant felt.

My Soft Side

I think my wife is still wishing we had a girl, but I'll tell you what... if we did this clock would have been in her room... ! So THERE now you know who wears the pants in my house. HA! ;-)

Go Irish!

WinCraft is honored to be a licensee of some prestigious licenses, including Notre Dame since 1988. Recently the management team visited with the University for a Line Review with the Licensing Department. Easily, Notre Dame fits in the mold of New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys or Green Bay Packers for tradition. At the same time, we found that representing WinCraft’s heritage of U.S. made quality products at a fair price, and our core value that “Our people make the Difference” fit the mold of what Notre Dame was looking for in a licensee.

While the campus was steeped in tradition, its bookstore was rich with merchandise. The depth of the product lines from Hats, T-shirts, and souvenirs allowed the store to generate over millions of dollars in revenues for a game weekend. We learned much about the significance of multiple designs, holding to heritage, and yet moving with trends. Our contacts also explained new available graphics, programs that could be made with famous alumni, China policies, promotional opportunities, and heritage marks that could have appeal to any fan.

After this great meeting, we put some significantly new items for us into the line. Products that included items related to The Four Horsemen , Notre Dame Football tradition, and to the exclusive released X-Line Leprechaun. Go Irish! Go college tradition of College football, we love it!