Do you have a vehicle with broken or damaged auto glass? Wizards & Waterfowl, LLC can help! Don’t let broken auto glass compromise your safety and the structural integrity of your vehicle any longer.

Wizards & Waterfowl, LLC, is a Pasadena-based auto glass repair business that is constantly on the move!  With a fully-mobile 13-foot workshop, W&W can come to your home or place of business to service your auto glass needs.  Their workshop is outfitted with everything necessary to repair dings, cracks, and other types of damage to your car windows – even entire windshield replacements! W&W serves a 25-mile “as the crow flies” radius of territory around the Pasadena area.

You’re probably wondering what wizards and waterfowl have to do with auto glass repair!  We won’t keep you in suspense: Chris Donaldson and Mike Meredith, the two main W&W business partners, served in the U.S. Marine Corps together during Desert Fox (the peacekeeping operation that followed Desert Storm in the early 1990s). Chris served as a helicopter repair technician and an aerial door gunner – a tough job in a very dangerous part of the world.  Chris’ nickname was “Duck,” and Mike’s nickname was “Merlin” – hence the name, Wizards & Waterfowl.  While it might not immediately make you think of auto glass repair, it’s a name that will stick in your mind – and that’s good to know when you need top-quality auto glass services. In fact, Chris has been in the business for eight years and was recognized as one of the top 15 auto glass technicians in the country with his previous company before striking out on his own with W&W in November 2006.

Wizards & Waterfowl services both residential customers, businesses with fleet vehicles, and everything in between.  The majority of their business comes from word-of-mouth referrals or the accounts that they already have in place.  They also have established solid relationships with glass shops that don’t handle auto glass and refer as well as receive business from these relationships.

“We stand behind our work with a lifetime warranty as long as you own your vehicle,” says Chris.  W&W can repair or attempt to repair windshield damage up to the size of a dollar bill. If the repair is unsuccessful (or successful but cracks again in the future from the original point of repair), W&W credits the money paid for the original repair toward the purchase of a new windshield.  Repairs are $50 for the first “hit” and $15 for each additional hit or damage point on the windshield.  The average windshield chip repair takes about ½ hour to complete, while a full windshield replacement can take up to two hours. W&W is approved to handle claims for most major auto insurance carriers, including State Farm, Allstate, Geico, and Erie.

When he’s not doing auto glass repair, Chris works part-time for a Pasadena-based home improvement company as an insurance-trained estimator and salesperson for roofing, siding, windows and gutters. Karen Donaldson, Chris’ wife, serves as the W&W bookkeeper (when she’s not performing her duties as senior financial analyst for Alpha National Resources, the fourth largest coal company in the US).

During the month of November, Wizards & Waterfowl is offering $15 off any installation service to Cash Flow Plus customers and friends.  Give them a call – they’ll work magic with your auto glass needs! (443) 962-2791.

While most people think of spring as a time for cleaning, a good top-to-bottom vacuuming and dusting during the fall not only makes your home more inviting as you spend more time indoors, but helps get you ready for entertaining during the upcoming holidays.  You don’t need to look any further than our merchant of the month to help you get started on your seasonal cleaning!

Mike Nalepa and his son, Paul, own and operate Star Sew and Vac, located on Southern Maryland Boulevard in Dunkirk, Maryland. A longtime Maryland resident, Mike has been in the sales and service of vacuums and sewing machines since 1966, having purchased Star Vacuums in Suitland in 1988. Paul joined the business at that time, and the father-son operation has been working well ever since. While the Suitland store closed about seven years ago, Star Sew and Vac in Dunkirk is scheduled to celebrate its 14th anniversary in January 2010.

Star Sew and Vac specializes in the sale and service of Oreck brand vacuum cleaners and enjoys the status of being recognized as an Oreck “Select” store and authorized dealer.  Oreck vacuum owners receive a warranty on their purchase and can also purchase extended service contracts, and Mike and Paul perform regular and warranty service on Oreck products purchased anywhere.

If you own a vacuum that’s not an Oreck, Mike and Paul can service and repair it for you and will offer you a free estimate on repairs. All of their repairs are done in-house at the Dunkirk store. Mike says that like many things these days, some vacuums are not built like they used to be – but he and Paul can help you make the decision on whether to repair or replace your vacuum.  They also repair all makes and models of vacuums and provide free estimates, too. For peak performance, Mike recommends service for your vacuum every two years.

You can also find a complete line of vacuum cleaner parts and accessories at Star Sew and Vac – anything from bags to belts! They also carry Oreck cleaning products and air purifiers, and they rent and sell shampooers for deep-down cleaning.

In addition to vacuums, Mike and Paul repair sewing machines and provide free repair estimates for them as well. While they don’t sell sewing machines, Mike and Paul can recommend Babylock, Pfaff, and White brand sewing machines if you’re in the market for one.

Star Sew and Vac offers Oreck products at factory-direct prices and matches all Oreck sale prices (internet or printed ads).  A free gift almost always accompanies the purchase of an Oreck vacuum, giving you more value for your money! Stop in and see Mike and Paul at 10096 Southern Maryland Boulevard in Dunkirk.  Star Sew and Vac is open Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 7 PM and Saturday from10 AM to 4 PM.  You can reach them by phone at 301-855-3992 or 410-257-7383.

With the promise of cooler autumn weather just around the corner, many folks plan day trips to explore new areas, check out different shops, enjoy local festivals, and just have fun. You don’t have to look too far, though, to locate a unique collective of merchants in the Prince Frederick, Maryland, area – two of which we’re featuring as our Merchants of the Month!

Located in the Central Square Shopping Center at 143 Central Square Drive, Bag-O-Beads and Ch’Naca Fiberworks are part of the Shoppes of Southern Maryland, a collection of talented artisans who offer instruction in their specific areas of expertise as well as the opportunity to purchase finished items. The shops also offer a wide range of raw materials for basketry, jewelry making, spinning, weaving, knitting, stained glass crafting and fine arts. Leslie Downs (Bag-O-Beads) and Nancy Donley (Ch’Naca) met and became friends while at the Calvert Country Market, spending five years there before moving to Central Square a year ago. They continue to work together to keep creativity and artistry alive for their customers.

Bag-O-Beads features a full line of high-quality beads for just about any jewelry-making or beading project. Leslie initially opened a business selling antiques including vintage jewelry. From time to time she found the need to repair some pieces and eventually offered repairs as part of her business. As she shopped for beads and supplies to complete the repairs, Leslie was not satisfied with the quality of the supplies she was ordering online, so she decided to open her own bead shop featuring Czech glass beads and natural stones.  Thus, Bag-O-Beads was born! Now Leslie spends her time creating unique pieces – some using only new materials, and others using a combination of old and new — for truly one-of-a-kind items.  She also teaches jewelry-making skills to anyone who would like to learn, and she offers beading classes by appointment (to fit her customers’ schedules) and home beading parties.

Ch’Naca Fiberworks literally sprung from Nancy Donley’s purchase of llamas! In 1997, Nancy and her husband Chris were looking for a way to involve their daughter Catherine in the 4H program. They attended a llama show and came home with two three-month old llamas – Toby Tyler and Bravada – and have since added an alpaca named Café to their small farm. Nancy’s experience with fiber arts (needlepoint, knitting, etc.) got her thinking about ways to use the llama and alpaca fiber. Llamas are sheared once a year, and one shearing can net enough fiber (about 3 to 4 pounds) to make a sweater. Nancy began spinning and weaving llama fiber and eventually expanded into a full yarn and fiber works shop. The name Ch’Naca comes from a combination of her family’s first names.

Nancy dyes some of the fibers to produce stunning colors for any project – others she leaves in the natural color for customers who prefer to create their own colors. She also teaches knitting and spinning by appointment to afford her customers the maximum amount of flexibility. Ch’Naca offers sheep wool, silk, and linen in addition to alpaca and llama fibers, and some of the finished goods in the shop include shawls, capes, wraps, and woven items.

One of the unique things about the Shoppes is the atmosphere of companionship. Crafters are always welcome to drop in and work on projects together – there are areas dedicated for fiber-workers and jewelry-makers! Leslie offers beads that are perfect for incorporation into projects featuring Nancy’s fibers. Nancy also involves her customers and crafters in local service projects, such as making chemo-caps for patients of the hospital infusion center, and crafting helmet liners for U.S. servicemen and women around the world.  Both ladies can also be seen at local craft shows and events, demonstrating their techniques and selling their finished goods. Nancy will be at the Sotterly Plantation Wine Fest in October, and both Leslie and Nancy will be participating in the All Saints Episcopal Church (Sunderland) Christmas Festival in early December.

If you visit the Shoppes in September, mention that you heard about them through the Cash Flow Plus newsletter and receive 15% off of yarn and merchandise from Ch’Naca and 15% off merchandise from Bag-O-Beads. Look for the sign that says “YARN BEADS” and you’ll know you’re in the right place! The shops are open Tuesday through Saturday 9:30 AM to 5 PM, and Wednesdays 9:30 AM to 7:30 PM (Sundays by appointment).

Ch’Naca Fiberworks: 410-535-4344, www.chnaca.com

Bag-O-Beads: 410-610-1738, www.mybagobeads.com

Have you ever stopped to think about your eyes? From the time you wake up in the morning to the time you fall asleep at night, your eyes are hard at work, taking in a host of information and sending it to your brain for processing so that you know what’s going on around you. Your hard-working eyes deserve special care and sometimes need a little help.  That’s where our merchant of the month comes in!

Chesapeake Eye Care & Laser Center is a full-service vision care facility providing a host of services from annual eye exams to LASIK and Cataract surgery to cosmetic procedures.  Their carefully selected team of specialists offers exceptional personalized service and knowledge of the latest advancements in eye care to meet your specific needs.  They are conveniently located in the heart of Annapolis with two locations:  the Sajak Pavilion in Annapolis and South River Colony Main Street Offices in Edgewater.  Adjacent to their main office in the Sajak Pavilion is their own private, accredited surgery center that offers state-of-the-art technology.

LASIK (which stands for Laser-Assisted-In-Situ-Keratomileusis) has gained popularity over the past several years, and Chesapeake Eye Care offers this procedure on a regular basis.  This procedure corrects your vision by actually reshaping the cornea with a laser, reducing and often eliminating the need for corrective eyeglasses or contact lenses.  If you don’t wear glasses full time but need them for reading, the practice has a procedure that may allow you to toss those reading glasses for good! CK, or conductive keratoplasty, corrects your near vision with radio waves and is such a simple procedure that it often lasts less than five minutes.

Chesapeake Eye Care offers oculofacial cosmetic and reconstructive surgery (also referred to as oculoplastic surgery) which includes medical and aesthetic services above the cheekbones. Some of these services include treatments for thyroid eye disease, orbital fractures, eyelid tumors, and blocked tear ducts, as well as eyelid and eyebrow surgery, Botox®, Restylane®, Microdermabrasion, facial peels, and skin care treatments.

As we age, we become more at risk for developing cataracts, which is the clouding of your natural lens.  At Chesapeake Eye Care, they offer the latest surgical procedures and lens replacements for cataract patients.  Just a few years ago, patients only had one option, the monofocal lens, which is commonly set for distance and patients usually wear glasses after surgery.  Today, multifocal or accommodative intraocular lenses (IOL) greatly improve patients’ range of quality vision allowing them to see near, far and everything in between with limited or no use of glasses after surgery.  For patients who have both a cataract and corneal astigmatism, there are now intraocular lenses, such as the AcrySof® Toric IOL, that allows them to recapture quality distance vision.

For patients with glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and thyroid eye disease, Chesapeake Eye Care offers the latest surgical and non-surgical treatments.  Today, revolutionary advances in technology give you so many more options for your vision care than ever before.  At Chesapeake Eye Care, their doctors will work with you to find the solution that best suits your individual needs.

To maintain and ensure healthy eyes and proper vision, Dr. Maria Scott, Chesapeake Eye Care’s Medical Director, recommends an annual eye exam.  The exam consists of refractive dilation to look at the front and back of the eye, vision evaluation, and analysis of your prescription (if you wear glasses or contacts) to determine whether or not it needs adjustment.

From now until the end of August, Chesapeake Eye Care is offering a $500 discount for patients who elect to have bi-lateral LASIK surgery at TLC Laser Eye Center (where Dr. Scott is also the Medical Director). With TLC’s $500 discount, you can receive $1,000 off of your bi-lateral LASIK procedure.

Chesapeake Eye Care and Laser Center    1-877-DR4-2020 www.chesapeakeeyecare.com

Business owners face many daily challenges: sales, marketing, employee issues, finances, supplies…the list goes on. One of the most intimidating but fun tasks that a business owner has to tackle is advertising and signage.  Whether you know exactly what you want to say or just have an idea of what you’d like to communicate, our merchants of the month can bring your vision to reality!

Signs By Tomorrow is a nationwide franchise with approximately 170 locations throughout the United States, but we think that the best locations are right here in our own back yard! Rick Vohrer and Ray Palmer own three Baltimore-area Signs By Tomorrow stores and one store in Dover, Delaware.  Tom Olszewski is the proud owner of Signs By Tomorrow of Catonsville.

Tom’s experience with Signs By Tomorrow comes from his position at SBT headquarters in Columbia, Maryland, where he managed the headquarters store and served briefly as the franchise business consultant. The entrepreneur bug bit him, and he purchased the Catonsville location in 2007. Tom enjoys the challenges of owning his own business and the freedom he has to take an idea as far as he wants when creating and producing what his customers need.  Being an SBT owner gives Tom the freedom and independence to pursue his own ideas along with the advantages of being part of the franchise family – working with other owners to share new ideas, concepts, and technologies. “We learn a lot from each other,” says Tom.

Rick’s experience in sales and Ray’s expertise with systems and administration has proven to be a winning combination for their SBT partnership. They started out by purchasing three struggling stores – Dundalk, Holliday Street in Baltimore City, and Catonsville (which they sold to Tom two and a half years ago). Over the past seven and a half years, Rick and Ray took the struggling franchises and turned them around to make them some of the best performing stores in the SBT system, growing tenfold during that time! They added a new location in Aberdeen shortly after starting out, and they purchased the Dover store earlier this year, saving it from certain failure and turning it toward success.

Rick and Ray see their business as a solutions-driven, visual communications entity. “We use cutting-edge technology to fabricate, produce, and manufacture solutions to meet our customer’s needs,” says Rick. They can produce virtually any size and type of sign (except for bending neon signs) and can facilitate the construction of complimentary  design elements as well as coordinate the placement of signs in hard-to-reach places (like rooftops of buildings).  The Dundalk store has a full paint booth – a feature unique to SBT stores. They have also developed a line of business specializing in way-finding signs (including Braille) and offer those items at wholesale prices to other sign businesses across the country.

While signs of all kinds are their bread and butter, SBT is not just a next-day-sign store! They can print custom wall coverings and ceramic tiles, and they can even print on fabric that can be made into custom drapes for interior designs. SBT’s innovative approach to using technology that has traditionally been used for signs and graphics allows their customers to brand their businesses and communicate with the marketplace in new and creative ways. As technology continues to evolve, SBT is doing more with video messaging, visual content from copy and still pictures, and even full video productions.

As mentioned above, SBT gives its owners the latitude to develop new ideas. Within the next six to nine months, Rick and Ray will be releasing a brand new patented technology that will allow vehicles with “wrapped” graphics to light up the graphics at night, with the effect similar to that of a plasma screen.  They developed this technology with another partner and are looking forward to making it available to customers soon!

Signs By Tomorrow is offering a 20% discount to Cash Flow Plus merchants and friends during the month of July.  Simply bring this article with you to any of the five locations and you will receive 20% off of your order.  The offer is good through July 31, 2009.

SBT Catonsville: 410-788-0366 SBT Aberdeen: 410- 273-9742 SBT Baltimore: 410- 625-7446 SBT Dundalk: 410-282-4432 SBT Dover: 302-744-9396 www.signsbytomorrow.com

One thing that many of us associate with Maryland summers is the return of the Chesapeake Bay blue crab to our dining tables!

In honor of the time-honored Maryland tradition of steaming and enjoying crabs, we are featuring three of our seafood merchants as our Merchants of the Month!

Mel’s Crabs

Mel’s Crabs, located at 5005 Solomons Island Road in Huntingtown, MD (in front of Discount Liquors), specializes in the sale of Maryland blue crabs.  Mel Brennan has been a commercial waterman for the last 23 years and enjoys providing quality crustaceans to crab lovers. Crabbing in the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac and Patuxent rivers, Mel catches some of the crabs himself – the biggest one he ever caught was 9 ¼ inches! He also supplements his inventory with catches from other local watermen. His roadside truck is a familiar sight in Huntingtown from April through December, selling crabs to loyal customers from noon to 7 PM Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 7 PM Saturdays, and 10 AM to 6 PM Sundays, rain or shine.

Mel is currently in his 21st year and enjoys every minute of it – meeting new people, chatting with his customers, even watching the kids of his customers grow up and come back as adults to purchase crabs! Mel stands behind his crabs, too.  If you find that any of your crabs have died between purchase time and steam time, you can bring them back at your convenience, and Mel will replace them with the same number on your next order (please freeze them first, though, so they don’t smell!). Sales are first-come, first served – so if you need to satisfy your craving for crabs, be sure to get to Mel’s truck early!

• Contact Mel at 410-394-0777 or visit www.melscrabs.com.

Bob Evans Seafood

If you’re in the Churchton, MD, area and have a craving for crabs, look no further than Bob Evans Seafood, a family-owned and operated business located at 5527 Muddy Creek Road. Since 1976, Bob has been catching and selling seafood “fresh from the boat to you.” He is a full-time waterman and sells mostly what he catches from all over the Chesapeake Bay with the help of his two full-time employees. Bob’s two daughters are also involved in the running of the business. His offerings include hard and soft crabs in the summer, fresh fish year-round, and oysters in the winter.  He also offers some frozen items like shrimp, mussels, and scallops to give customers a variety of choices. Bob also has the ever-popular soft crabs available during the summer – you can even stop by and watch them shed their shells!  Once a crab begins, the process takes about an hour to complete.

While crabbing and fishing are enjoyable, Bob also looks forward to talking with his regular customers and meeting new ones.  He has had regular customers since 1976 and is now selling to their children and grandchildren! Bob also stands behind his seafood with his satisfaction guarantee.  If you are unhappy with anything you’ve purchased, simply bring it back for an exchange (this includes dead crabs, too). Summer hours are 11 AM to 6 PM seven days a week; during the winter, the store is open Thursday through Sunday from 1 to 6 PM.

• Advance orders are welcome! Contact Bob at 410-867-3884.

John’s Crabs and Seafood

In the Dunkirk, MD, area, John’s Crabs and Seafood offers a wide variety of fresh seafood year-round. John Watts comes from a long line of watermen: his father owned and operated Pop’s Seafood in Landover Hills for many years, and John himself has been crabbing since he was a boy. After 18 years as a maritime rigger at the US Naval Academy, John decided to focus his full attention on the seafood shop, located at 2853 Chesapeake Beach Road in Dunkirk. His seafood includes crabs (both hard and soft), shrimp, lobsters, fresh fish, clams, and oysters (raw and steamed). John gets most of his seafood from local watermen and from his dad, too, with the catch coming from the waters of Herring Bay and the Chesapeake Bay.  Joe Duvall, a local waterman, also helps John run the store.

Like some crab vendors, John started his business out of a truck, selling crabs by the side of the road in Prince George’s County for 15 years. He enjoys meeting people and catching up with his regular customers – many have followed him from that roadside to his current shop. John takes pride in selling the freshest seafood around. If you are not satisfied with your purchase, you can return it for equal replacement.

• You can also get a frequent customer card, which is worth $50 off your seafood purchase after you spend $500.
• John’s Crabs and Seafood is open year-round, 11 AM to 8 PM, seven days a week.
• Give John or Joe a call at 301-855-6880 for current prices and specials!

We are extremely fortunate to live in such a beautiful and bountiful part of America. The Chesapeake Bay and our many waterways provide us with beautiful scenery, wonderful seafood, and many places for water recreation. With summer just around the corner, it’s time to make plans for summer fun!  Our merchant of the month, SunTime Rentals, can get you started!

Located at 2820 Solomons Island Road in Edgewater, at the foot of the South River Bridge, SunTime Rentals has everything you need for a great day of fun, adventure, or relaxation on the water, from vessels to jet skis to all of the sporting and safety equipment. Bob McLean, owner of SunTime, was born in Bethesda and grew up in Maryland around the water. He’s been an avid water sportsman for years and as a seasoned business owner, he knows what it takes to keep his customers happy. He purchased SunTime in 1992 when it consisted of five small outboard boats and two jet skis that did not run. Today, SunTime’s fleet is made up of seven 19-foot boats with V8 inboard/outboard engines and four brand new Yamaha jet skis.

Safety is SunTime’s number one priority, and Bob and his staff do everything they can to ensure that your experience is a safe and enjoyable one. Boat rentals are available for cruising and for water sports like tubing, water skiing, and wakeboarding. The recommended capacity for one boat for cruising is six passengers; for water sports, Bob recommends no more than four passengers on the boat. To drive one of SunTime’s boats, you must have previous experience at the helm of a boat and be comfortable behind the wheel. Boat drivers must be at least 16 years old, but a rental contract requires the signature of someone 21 years of age or older.  Personal flotation devices (life vests) are provided with every rental, and all boats are inspected and cleaned between every rental.

If you have never driven a boat but would like to give it a try, SunTime can help you out. Once you’ve reserved your boat rental, SunTime offers boat driving lessons during weekdays with a licensed Coast Guard Captain (lessons are priced separately from the boat rental).

SunTime is open from May 1 through September 30 (weather permitting, of course). Boats can be rented for as little as two hours or as long as eight, but all boats are required to be returned by sundown. Water sports equipment is available for an additional fee, or you can bring your own. Gasoline is also priced separately – your boat will be fully fueled when you leave the dock, and you will pay for the actual gas used when the tank is refilled upon your return.  Rates are reasonable, too: boat rental for one hour is $125; four hours, $395; all day (eight hours), $745 (prices do not include tax or fuel). An additional $45 will get you the sporting equipment that you need for a four-hour period.

If jet skis are more your speed, SunTime has four available for rent. Typical jet ski rentals are for one hour, but longer rental periods are also available. One hour on a jet ski is priced at $89 for a one, two, or three-person jet ski (gas not included). For both boat and jet ski rentals, frequent user and group discounts are available.

SunTime can also bring the fun to your home or location on the water with a boat or jet ski party at your location. Vessels can be transported over land or water, and rates vary depending on the number of vessels needed, the length of time for the rental, and your location.

Don’t let summer go by without giving SunTime a call!  Hours are 10am-6pm weekdays, 8am to sunset on weekends and holidays, and they are open 7 days a week from May 1 through September 30.

www.suntimerentals.com suntimerentals@verizon.net 410-266-6020

Warm weather is coming! We’ve been teased by Mother Nature a few times here this spring, but before you know it, you’ll be pulling on shorts and stocking up on sunscreen for the fun summer months.  It’s almost time to open that backyard pool, too, and our merchant of the month, Clearwater Pool and Spa, can help you get your pool ready for the season!

Clearwater Pool and Spa has been serving customers on Maryland’s Eastern Shore for 14 years.  With locations in Easton and Cambridge, Clearwater sells and services both above-ground and in-ground pools. They also offer pool chemicals to keep your pool sparkling and a selection of pool floats and toys to make your summer afternoons fun and enjoyable. If you are looking for additional accessories for your pool patio or deck, Clearwater carries a selection of comfortable and stylish furniture, along with gas grills for those summer cook-outs.

If you don’t have a pool but are considering installing one, Clearwater is the place to start.  After meeting with you to discuss your pool project, Clearwater will draw up the plans and obtain the necessary county permits for the job. Pat Taylor, one of the owners of Clearwater, says that once permits are in hand, it takes about three weeks to install an in-ground vinyl pool.  They will also install brick or concrete decking around your pool to complete the project with style.

If a concrete pool is more to your liking, Clearwater can make that happen, too – however, Pat advises that the initial investment on a vinyl pool is 30 to 40 percent less than for a concrete pool, and vinyl pool repairs are less expensive.

In addition to pool sales and installation, Clearwater also provides all of the necessary services that you need to keep your pool in top condition, including season-opening and closing services and weekly maintenance.  Clearwater services both residential and commercial pools.

If you enjoy a nice relaxing soak in a hot tub, Clearwater can help you find the right one for your needs. They currently offer Riviera Spas as well as the necessary chemicals to keep the spas clean and comfortable. They provide spa service, too. When shopping for a spa, Pat suggests that you consider the construction of the unit as well as the warranty to ensure that you’re getting a spa that will serve you well.

May through October are the busy months for pool sales and service.  Currently, Clearwater Pool and Spa is offering discounts on pool chemicals through May 10, with discounts as deep as 30% on selected items – so there’s no better time to shop than now!

Clearwater Pool and Spa is located at 9017 Centreville Road in Easton (410-822-4377) and at 3113 Ocean Gateway in Cambridge (410-901-9008).

Store hours at both locations are 8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday, and 8 AM to Noon on Saturday.

Visit them on the web at www.clearwaterpoolandspa.com.

Spring is a time of rebirth…if you look closely, you will see crocuses and snowdrops blooming, and daffodils have begun to poke their greens through the hard winter soil. Many people use this time of year to clean house, ridding their homes of the stale winter air and clearing out clutter. What better way to bring a new life to your home than with a room makeover or a unique piece of furniture? If you’re looking to give your home a new look this spring, look no further than this month’s merchant of the month, Great Estates!

Tucked into the Brightview Business Center just off of Veterans Highway in Millersville, Maryland, Great Estates offers a wide range of antiques, consignments, and new furniture and accessories to complement your home’s present décor or start you on your way to redesigning your space. Owners Jeff and Melanie Dunaway originally started the business in 2004 as a consignment furniture store to help developers dispose of model home furniture. While that was successful, they weren’t satisfied with the quality of some of the furniture that they received to resell. They expanded their focus and launched Great Estates, offering upscale consignments, new furniture, antiques, and quality model-home pieces.

According to the team of design experts and sales associates at Great Estates, “what sets us apart from other furniture stores is our attention to detail and consideration of our customers’ needs. All requests, no matter how small, are given our undivided attention.” If you would like to put a new spin on a room or several rooms in your home but don’t know quite how to go about it, Great Estates offers expert interior design services that will leave you feeling great about your home. After an initial consultation and analysis of your space, the design team assists with color choices, furniture styles and designs, lighting, and accessories, with the goal of helping you stay within your budget.

Great Estates also offers home staging services. The team knows what helps sell a home faster – a tasteful, appealing, uncluttered space. In this current buyer’s market, Great Estates can help make your home stand out above the others. Realtors and developers can also benefit from a relationship with Great Estates by utilizing their staging services and furniture leasing program.

Got quality furniture to sell or know someone liquidating an estate? Great Estates can help by evaluating furniture pieces to give you an idea of your potential profit on the sale. Items are tastefully displayed in their showroom among other quality, complimentary pieces for the best presentation. When a consignment is accepted and sold, you receive 60% of the selling price!

Great Estates is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Great Estates, 8258 Veterans Highway, Millersville, MD 21108 – (410)987-2490

“Take time to smell the roses.” Certainly an axiom to live by, especially in today’s world. What better place to start than with this month’s merchant of the month, Bayberry Flowers!

Bayberry Flowers is a full-service florist located in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, in the Henlopen Junction shopping center on Rehoboth Avenue. Open year-round, Bayberry provides floral arrangements for every occasion, along with tropical plants for indoor display and enjoyment.

Owners Ernie Sando and Carl Grimm purchased the floral shop in January 2003 after relocating to Rehoboth Beach from New York. Leaving behind high-pressure careers in financial public relations and marketing arenas, Ernie and Carl wanted to own a business that would operate year-round and provide their customers with the highest-quality products at reasonable prices. Bayberry Flowers does just that, and more!

Bayberry specializes in flowers and arrangements for weddings, parties, corporate events, commercial establishments, and memorials. With their friendly service, depth of experience, and unique, creative designs, they will add the crowning touch to your event to make it a day to remember. If you want to brighten your office or retail location with fresh flowers, Bayberry will work with you to design the right arrangement for your needs.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, everyone thinks about roses. Carl Grimm agrees.  “Roses are the classic gift; however, potted plants are great and last longer.”  Carl also recommends plants that can be enjoyed indoors, then transplanted outdoors, like hydrangeas and azaleas.  Easy-care orchids also make wonderful Valentine’s Day gifts.

Now, you might think that there’s not much to do during the winter months in Rehoboth Beach. In fact, this time of year is peaceful and charming in Rehoboth.  According to Carl, many restaurants remain open throughout the year, and there is always something to do. If you decide to take advantage of one of several Valentine’s Day packages offered by the Rehoboth hotels, be sure to contact Bayberry Flowers to add a special touch to your weekend plans. If you need to send flowers to your Valentine, Bayberry delivers locally but can also send flowers to anywhere in the world through their extensive network of contacts.

Bayberry is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Saturday from 10 AM to 2 PM. Bayberry Flowers, 715 Rehoboth Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE  19971 (302) 227-5725  (888)814-8710 – www.bayberryflowers.net