Get the Magnifying Glass!

IdeaStar Creative Director Brent Williams recently scored big with his classic mini car. A picture of the 1977 Mini 1000 appears in the April edition of Mini World, a British magazine for enthusiasts of the tiny vehicles.

Brent inside his Mini. Yes. The steering wheel is on the "wrong" side.

Brent and his wife Chanda purchased the car and had it shipped over from England two years ago. They stripped the body to bare metal and repainted it the original Antique Gold, with a complimentary eggshell-colored roof. They replaced all the chrome and completely overhauled the mechanicals.

They continued the renovation by refurbishing and replacing every nut and bolt. The interior is next on the list. Brent and Chanda plan to recover the seats and add new carpet before declaring the Mini in mint condition.

And yes. Both Chanda and Brent do fit in that little mini at the same time. Learn more about minis at Mini World.

Copyright 2007 IdeaStar Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

A Few Spares and Strikes for IdeaStar

By Andi Hoppes

Well, we don't think anybody is ready to quit their day job and turn pro yet, but we sure had a lot of fun bowling Friday night at Cloverleaf Lanes. Greg Kopp and his wife Bonnie and son Joe teamed up with Steve Harrison and Dale Cassidy to take on Mike Wise, Mike Balogh, Steve Lamb, and Andi Hoppes.

Although the games started off slow, Steve H. seemed like a natural from the beginning, racking up points early. Steve L. had the spin technique down from his college years. Greg helped Joe out with some pointers to improve his game. Greg and Mike W. were the most adventurous, trying out all kinds of techniques.

Dale, with his exceptionally graceful delivery, was known as the quiet striker - except when he kept "borrowing" Mike B.'s ball. That seemed to jinx him until he went back to using his ball.

Mike B. tried his best to distract hot bowler Steve H. with a little dance. This backfired, however, since Steve H. only seemed to get more strikes and spares in sync with the dancing. Greg ended the evening with the high score in two games. And, despite taunts from Steve L. and Mike B., Andi was able to pull out two strikes in the tenth frame. (Hah! Take that guys!)

Copyright 2007 IdeaStar Inc.

All Rights Reserved.