Beats by dedre ranging from kd up to and over kd

beats by dedre ranging from 60kd up to and over 100kd<br /><br />Both headphones are fingerprint magnets and therefore, Monster Cable is kind enough to include a cloth for you to clean them. The right-angled audio jacks and coating make the headphones’ cables less prone to breaking and tangling. A microphone is included for making calls on the iPhone/iPod/iPad.. <br /><br />The word fashion in itself covers a wide range of different s and trends. Many people dress to impress and others simply dress to be noticed. Young people all over the world are becoming extremely fashion conscious, whether boys or girls, they are all fascinated by it. <br /><br />Thats the real meaning that your marketing has to have. No matter what new marketing fad is around today, customer-driven marketing is still a sure bet. Ready-fire-aim methods are at best short-term solutions,Cheap Beats By Dre On Sale 44,Beats By Dre Monster Red, and at worst Beats Dre wasteful of all sorts of resources. <br /><br />Fields will also be released through the wiring transporting the present towards the appliance. Simulated turquoise and eco-friendly beads make these chandelier earrings an attractive pair. Get the old stack out and begin re-with them for any more organized, clutter-free along with a eco-friendly household.. <br /><br />Ms. Philo also covered cartoonish pumps in rabbit fur on that runway, chrome hearts eyewear but it was her bulky flat sandals that caught on, generating odes in Vogue and dozens of blogs. Miley Cyrus donned a bejeweled pair after performing on Good Morning America in June. <br /><br />Perhaps it is because not only open burning headphones just got reasons , the bass did not seem to feel my Studio so heavy , is not fully liberalized. But compared to the Studio H in the end point of each drum s Tough , Pro performance more calm , closing at just the right time to live, but not too much. If you like it please by it on our Cheap Beats By Dre PRO Store.. <br /><br />In the first place,Dr Dre Headphones, you have to have a broker account. In case you dont have one. Get an account at 24option, theyre one of the best brokers both for tenderfoots and masters.My own suggestion though. Its okay to look online, on forums,Beats Monster, trade show boards, etc. Check up on the vendors before you buy the pop up displays for trade shows from them to see how well their prices compared with other vendors, what their customer service was like, if they had quality products, if they had a good warranty cover, etc. Its better to be safe than to be sorry, and if you dont check your vendors history, you just might be walking blind when it comes to buying from them.

How To Find Cheap Souvenirs in Hawaii

How To Find Cheap Souvenirs in Hawaii<br /><br />Since Hawaii is one of the top tourist and vacation spots all year round, you cant really blame shops there for marking up the prices of the various Hawaiian souvenirs sold. Well, technically, souvenirs are not the only things that are highly priced there. However, it may be hard to save money on the other things as you vacation there such as food, hotel stay, and airfare. So, your savings should come somewhere else namely souvenirs, the tokens you will be buying to give to your friends back home or to save as a memento of your trip. Here is a guide on how to find souvenirs in Hawaii that wont really cost as much as you would expect.<br /><br />Say no to the gift shops. The hotel where you are staying will normally have souvenir or gift shops. Technically, you can purchase your fill of souvenirs from these establishments but be prepared to spend around 3 to 5 times the normal market value of each item available. Hotels tend to jack up the prices of these items. That said if you are looking for cheap souvenirs, stay as far away as you can from these shops since you can find the same items at significantly reduced prices somewhere else.<br /><br />Check out the swap meet. Swap meets are always great places to shop at since the prices are pretty much marked down and real. You can rarely find overpricing here. The swap meet to check out in Hawaii is in Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. You can find everything here decently priced, some even dirt cheap. For instance, T shirts that are sold in hotel gift shops priced at $30 to $100 a pop will only be priced around $5 to $20. In some cases, some vendors may even drop it down further through a buy one take two or three promo. The only drawback in shopping in swap meets is that you will have to be meticulous about the quality of the item you are purchasing, as some items are cheap because the craftsmanship is poor.<br /><br />Check Wal Mart. Yes, that is how commercial Hawaii has become. You can find Wal Mart stores everywhere in the island. Like the stores on the mainland, Wal Mart stores in Hawaii offers great deals and low prices on selected items including possible souvenirs. Hence, make sure to check the Wal Mart outlets before purchasing souvenirs and gifts anywhere else.<br /><br />Check the sidewalks. Along the beach strip of Waikiki, you are likely to find a lot of vendors selling a variety of souvenirs and mementos on the sidewalk. Normally, the sell anything and everything Hawaii here from beaded and shelled jewelry to sarongs and printed T shirts. The prices are decent but you would do well to compare the prices from vendor to vendor before deciding on where to buy a particular item. Furthermore, haggling is something thats acceptable here, so make sure to negotiate for the lowest possible price on any item you plan to purchase.

How To Find Cheap Souvenirs in Hawaii

How To Find Cheap Souvenirs in Hawaii<br /><br />Since Hawaii is one of the top tourist and vacation spots all year round, you cant really blame shops there for marking up the prices of the various Hawaiian souvenirs sold. Well, technically, souvenirs are not the only things that are highly priced there. However, it may be hard to save money on the other things as you vacation there such as food, hotel stay, and airfare. So, your savings should come somewhere else namely souvenirs, the tokens you will be buying to give to your friends back home or to save as a memento of your trip. Here is a guide on how to find souvenirs in Hawaii that wont really cost as much as you would expect.<br /><br />Say no to the gift shops. The hotel where you are staying will normally have souvenir or gift shops. Technically, you can purchase your fill of souvenirs from these establishments but be prepared to spend around 3 to 5 times the normal market value of each item available. Hotels tend to jack up the prices of these items. That said if you are looking for cheap souvenirs, stay as far away as you can from these shops since you can find the same items at significantly reduced prices somewhere else.<br /><br />Check out the swap meet. Swap meets are always great places to shop at since the prices are pretty much marked down and real. You can rarely find overpricing here. The swap meet to check out in Hawaii is in Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. You can find everything here decently priced, some even dirt cheap. For instance, T shirts that are sold in hotel gift shops priced at $30 to $100 a pop will only be priced around $5 to $20. In some cases, some vendors may even drop it down further through a buy one take two or three promo. The only drawback in shopping in swap meets is that you will have to be meticulous about the quality of the item you are purchasing, as some items are cheap because the craftsmanship is poor.<br /><br />Check Wal Mart. Yes, that is how commercial Hawaii has become. You can find Wal Mart stores everywhere in the island. Like the stores on the mainland, Wal Mart stores in Hawaii offers great deals and low prices on selected items including possible souvenirs. Hence, make sure to check the Wal Mart outlets before purchasing souvenirs and gifts anywhere else.<br /><br />Check the sidewalks. Along the beach strip of Waikiki, you are likely to find a lot of vendors selling a variety of souvenirs and mementos on the sidewalk. Normally, the sell anything and everything Hawaii here from beaded and shelled jewelry to sarongs and printed T shirts. The prices are decent but you would do well to compare the prices from vendor to vendor before deciding on where to buy a particular item. Furthermore, haggling is something thats acceptable here, so make sure to negotiate for the lowest possible price on any item you plan to purchase.

How To Choose Reading Glasses

How To Choose Reading Glasses<br /><br />Is it your imagination or does the print in your morning newspaper seem like its getting smaller and smaller? Are you having to hold fine print farther and farther away from your face in order to read it? Those in the forty plus age group know its not their imagination. They simply accept the fact that as their eyes age, the use of reading glasses may help solve the problem.<br /><br />You can choose from two different styles of reading glasses: Full frame glasses contain an entire lens covered by the reading prescription, and half eyes glasses are fashioned using only the bottom portion of the lens. The disadvantage to full glasses is that theyre great for reading, but when you look up through the lens to see in the distance, everything is blurry. Half lenses, on the other hand, give you the close up correction you need while reading, yet allow you to peer over the top of the half lens and see things clearly at a distance.<br /><br />You can get prescription reading glasses from your local optician that are custom made for your particular eyesight needs. Or you can purchase ready made readers at local drug stores and department stores. The beauty of these ready made readers is that they are available in a wide variety of colors and fashion styles and are inexpensive enough for you to have several pairs to keep handy in the car glove compartment, at your computer work station or on your bedroom nightstand. The major disadvantage of ready made readers, however, is that the prescription in both lenses is the same strength and does not address your particular prescription issues which are unique to each of your eyes.<br /><br />If you purchase ready made readers that are too strong for one or both eyes, youll experience eye strain or headaches. Most reader displays at retail stores, luckily, will offer you a selection of prescriptive strengths. So before you worry about eyeglass style or color, pick up a reader pair off the display and try to read some small copy on a nearby bottle of aspirin, for instance.<br /><br />Keep trying different strengths of readers until you find a pair that allows you to read fine print clearly and comfortably without stretching out your arms or squinting your eyes. Take note of the prescription power number of the most comfortable pair, and then go in search of a color or style of eyeglass available using this prescription strength.<br /><br />If you already wear prescriptive lenses, you may feel more comfortable getting prescription reading glasses with lenses that are unique for your eyesight. If this is your first experience with needing glasses to read, investigate ready made readers as an economical solution to your reading problem.

How To Choose Reading Glasses

How To Choose Reading Glasses<br /><br />Is it your imagination or does the print in your morning newspaper seem like its getting smaller and smaller? Are you having to hold fine print farther and farther away from your face in order to read it? Those in the forty plus age group know its not their imagination. They simply accept the fact that as their eyes age, the use of reading glasses may help solve the problem.<br /><br />You can choose from two different styles of reading glasses: Full frame glasses contain an entire lens covered by the reading prescription, and half eyes glasses are fashioned using only the bottom portion of the lens. The disadvantage to full glasses is that theyre great for reading, but when you look up through the lens to see in the distance, everything is blurry. Half lenses, on the other hand, give you the close up correction you need while reading, yet allow you to peer over the top of the half lens and see things clearly at a distance.<br /><br />You can get prescription reading glasses from your local optician that are custom made for your particular eyesight needs. Or you can purchase ready made readers at local drug stores and department stores. The beauty of these ready made readers is that they are available in a wide variety of colors and fashion styles and are inexpensive enough for you to have several pairs to keep handy in the car glove compartment, at your computer work station or on your bedroom nightstand. The major disadvantage of ready made readers, however, is that the prescription in both lenses is the same strength and does not address your particular prescription issues which are unique to each of your eyes.<br /><br />If you purchase ready made readers that are too strong for one or both eyes, youll experience eye strain or headaches. Most reader displays at retail stores, luckily, will offer you a selection of prescriptive strengths. So before you worry about eyeglass style or color, pick up a reader pair off the display and try to read some small copy on a nearby bottle of aspirin, for instance.<br /><br />Keep trying different strengths of readers until you find a pair that allows you to read fine print clearly and comfortably without stretching out your arms or squinting your eyes. Take note of the prescription power number of the most comfortable pair, and then go in search of a color or style of eyeglass available using this prescription strength.<br /><br />If you already wear prescriptive lenses, you may feel more comfortable getting prescription reading glasses with lenses that are unique for your eyesight. If this is your first experience with needing glasses to read, investigate ready made readers as an economical solution to your reading problem.

How To Choose Reading Glasses

How To Choose Reading Glasses<br /><br />Is it your imagination or does the print in your morning newspaper seem like its getting smaller and smaller? Are you having to hold fine print farther and farther away from your face in order to read it? Those in the forty plus age group know its not their imagination. They simply accept the fact that as their eyes age, the use of reading glasses may help solve the problem.<br /><br />You can choose from two different styles of reading glasses: Full frame glasses contain an entire lens covered by the reading prescription, and half eyes glasses are fashioned using only the bottom portion of the lens. The disadvantage to full glasses is that theyre great for reading, but when you look up through the lens to see in the distance, everything is blurry. Half lenses, on the other hand, give you the close up correction you need while reading, yet allow you to peer over the top of the half lens and see things clearly at a distance.<br /><br />You can get prescription reading glasses from your local optician that are custom made for your particular eyesight needs. Or you can purchase ready made readers at local drug stores and department stores. The beauty of these ready made readers is that they are available in a wide variety of colors and fashion styles and are inexpensive enough for you to have several pairs to keep handy in the car glove compartment, at your computer work station or on your bedroom nightstand. The major disadvantage of ready made readers, however, is that the prescription in both lenses is the same strength and does not address your particular prescription issues which are unique to each of your eyes.<br /><br />If you purchase ready made readers that are too strong for one or both eyes, youll experience eye strain or headaches. Most reader displays at retail stores, luckily, will offer you a selection of prescriptive strengths. So before you worry about eyeglass style or color, pick up a reader pair off the display and try to read some small copy on a nearby bottle of aspirin, for instance.<br /><br />Keep trying different strengths of readers until you find a pair that allows you to read fine print clearly and comfortably without stretching out your arms or squinting your eyes. Take note of the prescription power number of the most comfortable pair, and then go in search of a color or style of eyeglass available using this prescription strength.<br /><br />If you already wear prescriptive lenses, you may feel more comfortable getting prescription reading glasses with lenses that are unique for your eyesight. If this is your first experience with needing glasses to read, investigate ready made readers as an economical solution to your reading problem.

How To Choose Reading Glasses

How To Choose Reading Glasses<br /><br />Is it your imagination or does the print in your morning newspaper seem like its getting smaller and smaller? Are you having to hold fine print farther and farther away from your face in order to read it? Those in the forty plus age group know its not their imagination. They simply accept the fact that as their eyes age, the use of reading glasses may help solve the problem.<br /><br />You can choose from two different styles of reading glasses: Full frame glasses contain an entire lens covered by the reading prescription, and half eyes glasses are fashioned using only the bottom portion of the lens. The disadvantage to full glasses is that theyre great for reading, but when you look up through the lens to see in the distance, everything is blurry. Half lenses, on the other hand, give you the close up correction you need while reading, yet allow you to peer over the top of the half lens and see things clearly at a distance.<br /><br />You can get prescription reading glasses from your local optician that are custom made for your particular eyesight needs. Or you can purchase ready made readers at local drug stores and department stores. The beauty of these ready made readers is that they are available in a wide variety of colors and fashion styles and are inexpensive enough for you to have several pairs to keep handy in the car glove compartment, at your computer work station or on your bedroom nightstand. The major disadvantage of ready made readers, however, is that the prescription in both lenses is the same strength and does not address your particular prescription issues which are unique to each of your eyes.<br /><br />If you purchase ready made readers that are too strong for one or both eyes, youll experience eye strain or headaches. Most reader displays at retail stores, luckily, will offer you a selection of prescriptive strengths. So before you worry about eyeglass style or color, pick up a reader pair off the display and try to read some small copy on a nearby bottle of aspirin, for instance.<br /><br />Keep trying different strengths of readers until you find a pair that allows you to read fine print clearly and comfortably without stretching out your arms or squinting your eyes. Take note of the prescription power number of the most comfortable pair, and then go in search of a color or style of eyeglass available using this prescription strength.<br /><br />If you already wear prescriptive lenses, you may feel more comfortable getting prescription reading glasses with lenses that are unique for your eyesight. If this is your first experience with needing glasses to read, investigate ready made readers as an economical solution to your reading problem.

How Is Coral Made Into Jewelry

How Is Coral Made Into Jewelry<br /><br />If you have a unique taste in jewelry and accessories, then you could go for coral jewelry. Though coral jewelry is not as common as wholesale silver jewelry, 925 sterling silver jewelry, and 925 jewelry, you would surely be captured by its distinct beauty.<br /><br />Coral is frequently found in clear, still waters at a depth of 25 to 1,000 feet. The color of the coral is enhanced in terms of quality and concentration when it is harvested from deeper waters. Coral needs extremely sensitive conditions in order to thrive; they can only reproduce in waters with temperatures of 13 to 16 degrees Celsius. Conditions this delicate can only be found in selected areas only. Coral of the finest quality can be harvested from the Mauritius, Southern Ireland, Canary Islands, Mediterranean, waters surrounding Japan, and the Red Sea, to name a few.<br /><br />The center for construction of jewelry made of color is said to be in Italy, which is a country known for the production of wholesale silver jewelry, 925 sterling silver jewelry, and 925 jewelry. The finest coral jewelry in all of Italy is prepared in Torre del Greco, near Naples. Large pieces of coral are usually shaped to make beautiful walking sticks or umbrella handles, while the smaller ones are made into egg shaped, round, or oval beads that are set into necklaces, bracelets, and rosaries. Coral can also be used for carving cameos that are set into beautiful earrings, brooches, pillboxes, jewelry boxes, belt buckles, rings, cuff links, tie bars, and pendants. Corals are also shipped into other countries such as India and China, where coral plays an important role in religious rituals. In the US, silversmiths also carve and design coral and release them en masse. Some blend it with black jet, others combine it with turquoise for a striking contrast.<br /><br />The Italians refer to Coral as Corallo, and they make coral jewelry in various shapes and forms. The following is a brief list of some of the colors and varieties of coral that can be made into excellent fine jewelry.<br /><br />1. Red Coral. This classic variety can also be very expensive. Some of its attributes include its positive shade, solidity, and attractiveness, thus making it in demand for numerous countries all around the world. This type of coral is harvested on the sandy parts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Naples. Red Coral can also be found in the African Region, off Tunis and Algiers, as well as in Corsica, Sardinia, Provence, and Catalonia. Some parts of the French and spanish coastline has rich deposits of red coral as well.<br /><br />2. Precious or Noble Coral. Also called Corallium Rubrum or Corallium Nobile, this type of coral is harvested in Sardinia and Sicily, as well as in Tunis, Algeria, Morocco, and the Mediterranean Sea.<br /><br />3. Black Coral. One of its distinct qualities is its ability to bend when it is subjected to heat. Thus, it is excellent for shaping and carving. Some believe that the black color is derived from its decomposition process because it does not stay black up to the center of the coral.<br /><br />4. Blue Coral. Also called Allopora Subviolacea or Akori, this beautiful coral was discovered near the coastline of Cameroon.<br /><br />5. Golden Coral. The existence of this beautiful variety of coral can be credited to the divers of Maui, Hawaii coastline. This type of coral has a glossy or resinous surface.<br /><br />For great selections on coral jewelry, along with other types of jewelry such as wholesale silver jewelry, 925 sterling silver jewelry, and 925 jewelry, try going online and searching for the stores which offer the best deals on great designs.<br /><br />925 Silver LLC., one of the largest online wholesale Thailand silver companies, is dedicated to providing the highest quality jewelry to their customers. Among their large selection of high quality items are pieces of cubic zirconia jewelry.

How Is Coral Made Into Jewelry

How Is Coral Made Into Jewelry<br /><br />If you have a unique taste in jewelry and accessories, then you could go for coral jewelry. Though coral jewelry is not as common as wholesale silver jewelry, 925 sterling silver jewelry, and 925 jewelry, you would surely be captured by its distinct beauty.<br /><br />Coral is frequently found in clear, still waters at a depth of 25 to 1,000 feet. The color of the coral is enhanced in terms of quality and concentration when it is harvested from deeper waters. Coral needs extremely sensitive conditions in order to thrive; they can only reproduce in waters with temperatures of 13 to 16 degrees Celsius. Conditions this delicate can only be found in selected areas only. Coral of the finest quality can be harvested from the Mauritius, Southern Ireland, Canary Islands, Mediterranean, waters surrounding Japan, and the Red Sea, to name a few.<br /><br />The center for construction of jewelry made of color is said to be in Italy, which is a country known for the production of wholesale silver jewelry, 925 sterling silver jewelry, and 925 jewelry. The finest coral jewelry in all of Italy is prepared in Torre del Greco, near Naples. Large pieces of coral are usually shaped to make beautiful walking sticks or umbrella handles, while the smaller ones are made into egg shaped, round, or oval beads that are set into necklaces, bracelets, and rosaries. Coral can also be used for carving cameos that are set into beautiful earrings, brooches, pillboxes, jewelry boxes, belt buckles, rings, cuff links, tie bars, and pendants. Corals are also shipped into other countries such as India and China, where coral plays an important role in religious rituals. In the US, silversmiths also carve and design coral and release them en masse. Some blend it with black jet, others combine it with turquoise for a striking contrast.<br /><br />The Italians refer to Coral as Corallo, and they make coral jewelry in various shapes and forms. The following is a brief list of some of the colors and varieties of coral that can be made into excellent fine jewelry.<br /><br />1. Red Coral. This classic variety can also be very expensive. Some of its attributes include its positive shade, solidity, and attractiveness, thus making it in demand for numerous countries all around the world. This type of coral is harvested on the sandy parts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Naples. Red Coral can also be found in the African Region, off Tunis and Algiers, as well as in Corsica, Sardinia, Provence, and Catalonia. Some parts of the French and spanish coastline has rich deposits of red coral as well.<br /><br />2. Precious or Noble Coral. Also called Corallium Rubrum or Corallium Nobile, this type of coral is harvested in Sardinia and Sicily, as well as in Tunis, Algeria, Morocco, and the Mediterranean Sea.<br /><br />3. Black Coral. One of its distinct qualities is its ability to bend when it is subjected to heat. Thus, it is excellent for shaping and carving. Some believe that the black color is derived from its decomposition process because it does not stay black up to the center of the coral.<br /><br />4. Blue Coral. Also called Allopora Subviolacea or Akori, this beautiful coral was discovered near the coastline of Cameroon.<br /><br />5. Golden Coral. The existence of this beautiful variety of coral can be credited to the divers of Maui, Hawaii coastline. This type of coral has a glossy or resinous surface.<br /><br />For great selections on coral jewelry, along with other types of jewelry such as wholesale silver jewelry, 925 sterling silver jewelry, and 925 jewelry, try going online and searching for the stores which offer the best deals on great designs.<br /><br />925 Silver LLC., one of the largest online wholesale Thailand silver companies, is dedicated to providing the highest quality jewelry to their customers. Among their large selection of high quality items are pieces of cubic zirconia jewelry.

Help me play dress up

Help me play dress up<br /><br />Ok going to a bar friday night with hubby and people he works with. Really weird thing, a girl he works with is doing a Cookie Lee Jewelry party in a back room while the guys play pool or whatever. Then all hang out afterwards. everyone there will be coming straight from work so I dont want to be too casual and I love getting dressed up but I dont want to go overboard. I just looked and the high on Friday is 66 so beautiful day here. One more thing is they havent seen me in 22 lbs!!!!! want to look great for my hubby, want to look like a trophy wife!!!! LOL so silly I know! dont give me a hard time, 2 of the women having been constantly asking about my weight loss so they know Ive lost but they havent seen so I need to look my best. You have all seen my pic so go for it what should I wear?? I dont want to be too dressed up but not too Momish either.<br /><br />I would say definitely go with a solid color that flatters you no patterns or prints, or if there are, very subtle ones. That light blue looks really good on you so maybe if you have a dress in that color or a casual shirt with a nice pair of slacks. A couple accessories maybe a cute watch and earrings, or a necklace and a ring. maybe a cute hairpin or something. Not too much though only 2 or 3 accessories at the most.<br /><br />Have you done the mystic tan before at the salon?? If you do I usually go in the regualar suntan booth of a few minutes prior then go in the mystic tan!! its a nice treat and get alot of color from it. or you could always do the at home tanning lotion. I do that too. I need to get some color so I can start wearing my cropped pants!<br /><br />White jeans with those sandals sound cute !! that is so sweet the hubby shops for you!! If I was there I would go shopping with you!! I love picking out clothes for people. My friends tell me they spend too much money when i go shopping with them because I always find them cute things. I used to work in retail clothing and got used to sizing people and finding what would look good on them.<br /><br />Since we live in the entertainment capital Las Vegas we go out on Fridays with friends a lot! I totally get what youre saying my favorite dressy but not too dressy outfit is jean capris I have these cute ones with rhinestones on the cuff part and I wear either a halter top or plain tank with lace at the bottom pair it up with some sandals and you are golden! Let me know what you decide on dressing up to go out is most of the fun!:<br /><br />Oh btw Cookie Leee has some really fun peices of jewlery new stuff for this spring! Have fun!!<br /><br />thanks. I love them! they are very dressy sometimes. I agree about not wanting to look like Im out to impress. I think Im going with the white jeans and a tank. They are cool jeans. on the thigh it looks torn but there is a patch under the torn spot and then there are some designs stitched on the back pockets very hot! they are low rise too and fitted but flare out a tad on the bottom. I wore them with a dressy black halter top in NC and it looked awesome but that top is too dressy. I will look thru the closet. I will have mom in law take a pci before I go.<br /><br />tat! you should go to one of the makeup counters in the mall, like Clinique and let them give you a light makeover! You would enjoy it and its a free way to be pampered! You dont have to buy anything if you dont want it! Just tell them you dont want much at all! Then go to the ladies section and let one of the sales clerks earn their commission and have them help you pick out an outfit! you deserve it! It would be a good way to feel girly! The makeup counter can show you how to apply everything! I have always been a makeup girl heck one of my aunts is a Lancome makeup specialist! Makeup is my girly thing! Icanhave my hair a mess and wearing hubbies clothes but I will have my makeup on!<br /><br />So tonight is the night and Im stuck at 139 still, my waist is measuring 32.5 still. Going to drink lots of water so I dont feel so bloated! I will have my mom in law take a pic because I need one of me and hubby and its time for a new After pic!

Help me play dress up

Help me play dress up<br /><br />Ok going to a bar friday night with hubby and people he works with. Really weird thing, a girl he works with is doing a Cookie Lee Jewelry party in a back room while the guys play pool or whatever. Then all hang out afterwards. everyone there will be coming straight from work so I dont want to be too casual and I love getting dressed up but I dont want to go overboard. I just looked and the high on Friday is 66 so beautiful day here. One more thing is they havent seen me in 22 lbs!!!!! want to look great for my hubby, want to look like a trophy wife!!!! LOL so silly I know! dont give me a hard time, 2 of the women having been constantly asking about my weight loss so they know Ive lost but they havent seen so I need to look my best. You have all seen my pic so go for it what should I wear?? I dont want to be too dressed up but not too Momish either.<br /><br />I would say definitely go with a solid color that flatters you no patterns or prints, or if there are, very subtle ones. That light blue looks really good on you so maybe if you have a dress in that color or a casual shirt with a nice pair of slacks. A couple accessories maybe a cute watch and earrings, or a necklace and a ring. maybe a cute hairpin or something. Not too much though only 2 or 3 accessories at the most.<br /><br />Have you done the mystic tan before at the salon?? If you do I usually go in the regualar suntan booth of a few minutes prior then go in the mystic tan!! its a nice treat and get alot of color from it. or you could always do the at home tanning lotion. I do that too. I need to get some color so I can start wearing my cropped pants!<br /><br />White jeans with those sandals sound cute !! that is so sweet the hubby shops for you!! If I was there I would go shopping with you!! I love picking out clothes for people. My friends tell me they spend too much money when i go shopping with them because I always find them cute things. I used to work in retail clothing and got used to sizing people and finding what would look good on them.<br /><br />Since we live in the entertainment capital Las Vegas we go out on Fridays with friends a lot! I totally get what youre saying my favorite dressy but not too dressy outfit is jean capris I have these cute ones with rhinestones on the cuff part and I wear either a halter top or plain tank with lace at the bottom pair it up with some sandals and you are golden! Let me know what you decide on dressing up to go out is most of the fun!:<br /><br />Oh btw Cookie Leee has some really fun peices of jewlery new stuff for this spring! Have fun!!<br /><br />thanks. I love them! they are very dressy sometimes. I agree about not wanting to look like Im out to impress. I think Im going with the white jeans and a tank. They are cool jeans. on the thigh it looks torn but there is a patch under the torn spot and then there are some designs stitched on the back pockets very hot! they are low rise too and fitted but flare out a tad on the bottom. I wore them with a dressy black halter top in NC and it looked awesome but that top is too dressy. I will look thru the closet. I will have mom in law take a pci before I go.<br /><br />tat! you should go to one of the makeup counters in the mall, like Clinique and let them give you a light makeover! You would enjoy it and its a free way to be pampered! You dont have to buy anything if you dont want it! Just tell them you dont want much at all! Then go to the ladies section and let one of the sales clerks earn their commission and have them help you pick out an outfit! you deserve it! It would be a good way to feel girly! The makeup counter can show you how to apply everything! I have always been a makeup girl heck one of my aunts is a Lancome makeup specialist! Makeup is my girly thing! Icanhave my hair a mess and wearing hubbies clothes but I will have my makeup on!<br /><br />So tonight is the night and Im stuck at 139 still, my waist is measuring 32.5 still. Going to drink lots of water so I dont feel so bloated! I will have my mom in law take a pic because I need one of me and hubby and its time for a new After pic!

Gold Masonic Rings

Gold Masonic Rings<br /><br />Gold Masonic rings are a joy to wear. This elegant tradition has centuries of history behind it, and this jewelry can be worn with pride. Finding a quality online supplier of Masonic and other jewelry is a good way to save money and find exactly what you need.<br /><br />Online shopping is allowing more and more people to get what they want without any hassle. The convenience of browsing and ordering from the comfort of ones own home is unparalleled. Its a great way to buy elegant and affordable gifts for both men and women, while eliminating wasted time.<br /><br />Jewelry is a very personal purchase. Since what we wear reflects our own unique tastes, we want to find what exactly suits us. This is why online shopping is so powerfully effective.<br /><br />With online jewelry shopping, you have all the time you want to browse. You need not be rushed or hurried, nor must you sit for hours in traffic trying to locate the item you need. You can simply browse on your computer until you find exactly what you were looking for, from gold Masonic rings to diamond tennis bracelets; gift shopping has never been so easy, or so rewarding!

Gold Masonic Rings

Gold Masonic Rings<br /><br />Gold Masonic rings are a joy to wear. This elegant tradition has centuries of history behind it, and this jewelry can be worn with pride. Finding a quality online supplier of Masonic and other jewelry is a good way to save money and find exactly what you need.<br /><br />Online shopping is allowing more and more people to get what they want without any hassle. The convenience of browsing and ordering from the comfort of ones own home is unparalleled. Its a great way to buy elegant and affordable gifts for both men and women, while eliminating wasted time.<br /><br />Jewelry is a very personal purchase. Since what we wear reflects our own unique tastes, we want to find what exactly suits us. This is why online shopping is so powerfully effective.<br /><br />With online jewelry shopping, you have all the time you want to browse. You need not be rushed or hurried, nor must you sit for hours in traffic trying to locate the item you need. You can simply browse on your computer until you find exactly what you were looking for, from gold Masonic rings to diamond tennis bracelets; gift shopping has never been so easy, or so rewarding!

Friendship Jewelry

Friendship Jewelry<br /><br />Friendship jewelry can be given to a person who is well appreciated and adored. Jewelry is often given to show that you care or to say thanks for kind deeds or actions. Any type of jewelry may be used to reflect friendship, but some designs are more appropriate than others. If you were purchasing a specific type of jewelry, such as a wedding ring, your choices would be limited to specific designs. Plus, in the case of marriage, rings will typically follow a certain shape and will almost always include diamonds into the design. With friendship rings, you could choose nearly any design and it would likely be appropriate for a friend.<br /><br />Friendship jewelry may include rings, necklaces, bracelets, pendants, crosses, earrings, brooches, or even cufflinks. Necklaces and rings are the most common choice of jewelry for friendship. When giving jewelry to a friend, you should choose a simple design. Jewelry made from silver is commonly used for friendship. You can purchase jewelry with gems in the design, but you may want to stay away from diamonds since they are commonly associated with marriage.<br /><br />Celtic designs are very popular for jewelry that you could give to a friend. Most Celtic designs are very symbolic and you can reveal your feelings for a friend through the design you choose. For instance, Claddagh rings can be used as friendship rings because they were designed to show appreciation for friends and people who had helped the creator of the ring. Because this ring design has lasted for centuries, the story of its creation has become a meaningful Irish legend.

Friendship Jewelry

Friendship Jewelry<br /><br />Friendship jewelry can be given to a person who is well appreciated and adored. Jewelry is often given to show that you care or to say thanks for kind deeds or actions. Any type of jewelry may be used to reflect friendship, but some designs are more appropriate than others. If you were purchasing a specific type of jewelry, such as a wedding ring, your choices would be limited to specific designs. Plus, in the case of marriage, rings will typically follow a certain shape and will almost always include diamonds into the design. With friendship rings, you could choose nearly any design and it would likely be appropriate for a friend.<br /><br />Friendship jewelry may include rings, necklaces, bracelets, pendants, crosses, earrings, brooches, or even cufflinks. Necklaces and rings are the most common choice of jewelry for friendship. When giving jewelry to a friend, you should choose a simple design. Jewelry made from silver is commonly used for friendship. You can purchase jewelry with gems in the design, but you may want to stay away from diamonds since they are commonly associated with marriage.<br /><br />Celtic designs are very popular for jewelry that you could give to a friend. Most Celtic designs are very symbolic and you can reveal your feelings for a friend through the design you choose. For instance, Claddagh rings can be used as friendship rings because they were designed to show appreciation for friends and people who had helped the creator of the ring. Because this ring design has lasted for centuries, the story of its creation has become a meaningful Irish legend.

Feng shui power with Magic Jewelry

Feng shui power with Magic Jewelry<br /><br />Magic Jewelry located at the Elizabeth Street Mall<br /><br />Like with many other religions, ethnic groups, and belief systems, the Chinese always try to maintain a balance in their lives. It is never beneficial to have too much of anything scratch that, money sounds good right about now. The practice of feng shui or wind water in Chinese attempts to ensure an equilibrium between all the elements. The five elements essential to feng shui include water, wood, earth, metal, and fire. Ultimately, the goal is to align the right amount of each element to achieve harmony.<br /><br />Recently, the practice has somehow morphed into a fad. While the intentions may be genuine, many people do not understand the entire concept of feng shui. They just view it as the next big thing and that they have to jump onto the bandwagon. Many people have made millions feeding bogus information to eager practitioners about how to achieve harmony within themselves and in their households. However, feng shui is a lifestyle that many truly believe in. These devout followers of this method of living try to accomplish everything that feng shui dictate to maintain positivism in their lives.<br /><br />Magic Jewelry offers a vast selection of unique jewels and stones that may help with retaining the positive vibes and repelling the negativity from your lives. Their stores located throughout the city, boasts that their Magic Jewelry crystals balances your mind, body, and spirit. Sure, the stores sell typical jewelry that you may find regularly but there is always an underlying power that comes from each distinct piece. The multiple sides of the jewels resemble mirrors that deflect any harmful elements that may come your way. Basically, each jewel is supposed to prevent bad auras from getting a hold on you. You are also advised to never let another person touch your Magic Jewelry for a long extended period because their bad vibes may rub off on you. In addition, it is beneficial to cleanse your pieces sporadically in case any negative thoughts have tainted it.<br /><br />Whether you may believe the power of Magic Jewelry or not, there are a lot of customers that have sworn that their lives have been bettered by wearing Magic Jewelry or placing a piece in their homes. While these items may be quite pricey the mentioned bracelet was $60, their clientele knows no limit when it comes to creating a peaceful environment in a chaotic world.<br /><br />For more info: Go visit Magic Jewelry at 13 Elizabeth Street between Canal and Bayard Streets in Chinatown to explore for yourselves. You may also receive a free Aura reading.

Feng shui power with Magic Jewelry

Feng shui power with Magic Jewelry<br /><br />Magic Jewelry located at the Elizabeth Street Mall<br /><br />Like with many other religions, ethnic groups, and belief systems, the Chinese always try to maintain a balance in their lives. It is never beneficial to have too much of anything scratch that, money sounds good right about now. The practice of feng shui or wind water in Chinese attempts to ensure an equilibrium between all the elements. The five elements essential to feng shui include water, wood, earth, metal, and fire. Ultimately, the goal is to align the right amount of each element to achieve harmony.<br /><br />Recently, the practice has somehow morphed into a fad. While the intentions may be genuine, many people do not understand the entire concept of feng shui. They just view it as the next big thing and that they have to jump onto the bandwagon. Many people have made millions feeding bogus information to eager practitioners about how to achieve harmony within themselves and in their households. However, feng shui is a lifestyle that many truly believe in. These devout followers of this method of living try to accomplish everything that feng shui dictate to maintain positivism in their lives.<br /><br />Magic Jewelry offers a vast selection of unique jewels and stones that may help with retaining the positive vibes and repelling the negativity from your lives. Their stores located throughout the city, boasts that their Magic Jewelry crystals balances your mind, body, and spirit. Sure, the stores sell typical jewelry that you may find regularly but there is always an underlying power that comes from each distinct piece. The multiple sides of the jewels resemble mirrors that deflect any harmful elements that may come your way. Basically, each jewel is supposed to prevent bad auras from getting a hold on you. You are also advised to never let another person touch your Magic Jewelry for a long extended period because their bad vibes may rub off on you. In addition, it is beneficial to cleanse your pieces sporadically in case any negative thoughts have tainted it.<br /><br />Whether you may believe the power of Magic Jewelry or not, there are a lot of customers that have sworn that their lives have been bettered by wearing Magic Jewelry or placing a piece in their homes. While these items may be quite pricey the mentioned bracelet was $60, their clientele knows no limit when it comes to creating a peaceful environment in a chaotic world.<br /><br />For more info: Go visit Magic Jewelry at 13 Elizabeth Street between Canal and Bayard Streets in Chinatown to explore for yourselves. You may also receive a free Aura reading.

Feng shui power with Magic Jewelry

Feng shui power with Magic Jewelry<br /><br />Magic Jewelry located at the Elizabeth Street Mall<br /><br />Like with many other religions, ethnic groups, and belief systems, the Chinese always try to maintain a balance in their lives. It is never beneficial to have too much of anything scratch that, money sounds good right about now. The practice of feng shui or wind water in Chinese attempts to ensure an equilibrium between all the elements. The five elements essential to feng shui include water, wood, earth, metal, and fire. Ultimately, the goal is to align the right amount of each element to achieve harmony.<br /><br />Recently, the practice has somehow morphed into a fad. While the intentions may be genuine, many people do not understand the entire concept of feng shui. They just view it as the next big thing and that they have to jump onto the bandwagon. Many people have made millions feeding bogus information to eager practitioners about how to achieve harmony within themselves and in their households. However, feng shui is a lifestyle that many truly believe in. These devout followers of this method of living try to accomplish everything that feng shui dictate to maintain positivism in their lives.<br /><br />Magic Jewelry offers a vast selection of unique jewels and stones that may help with retaining the positive vibes and repelling the negativity from your lives. Their stores located throughout the city, boasts that their Magic Jewelry crystals balances your mind, body, and spirit. Sure, the stores sell typical jewelry that you may find regularly but there is always an underlying power that comes from each distinct piece. The multiple sides of the jewels resemble mirrors that deflect any harmful elements that may come your way. Basically, each jewel is supposed to prevent bad auras from getting a hold on you. You are also advised to never let another person touch your Magic Jewelry for a long extended period because their bad vibes may rub off on you. In addition, it is beneficial to cleanse your pieces sporadically in case any negative thoughts have tainted it.<br /><br />Whether you may believe the power of Magic Jewelry or not, there are a lot of customers that have sworn that their lives have been bettered by wearing Magic Jewelry or placing a piece in their homes. While these items may be quite pricey the mentioned bracelet was $60, their clientele knows no limit when it comes to creating a peaceful environment in a chaotic world.<br /><br />For more info: Go visit Magic Jewelry at 13 Elizabeth Street between Canal and Bayard Streets in Chinatown to explore for yourselves. You may also receive a free Aura reading.

Etsy Interview with Shiny Cat Creations Jewelry

Etsy Interview with Shiny Cat Creations Jewelry<br /><br />First off, tell me a little bit about yourself. My name is Christina and I live in Maryland with my husband and animals. Im a stay at home fur baby mom and love being home with my animals. I have always loved making crafts and started creating things in my early twenties. Ive had many businesses but just couldnt get into them so I stopped. I blame it partly on being Gemini! Shiny Cat Creations Jewelry is the first business that I really wanted to keep doing.<br /><br />How and when did you start making jewelry and your other items?<br /><br />I really dont remember, I think I was probably looking for places to sell and read about how Etsy was mainly for handcrafted items. People that search there for items know that also, so you know you are showing your items to a certain target audience that will appreciate the handcrafted nature.<br /><br />I am on a budget also, so the low fees helped with my decision to open my store Shiny Cat Creations.<br /><br />What is unique about Etsy and what about the website do you like the most in regards to your shop?<br /><br />I like how it caters to the person who makes handcrafted items. When you are on there looking around, you know you will find something that you can use, or something someone else has made and thats about it. Only being able to list those types of things, filters out the rest of the stuff that you dont need. I also love how easy it is to list and relist and the fees cant be beat.<br /><br />What inspires you the most in regards to your creations?<br /><br />Looking at supplies is probably the number one thing. I find a piece that I love, draw it on paper attempt to anyway! and then start going from there for a finished design. There is also many times I think I dont have any supplies left and I will open up all my bead cases and stare at what I have. Sometimes I dont see anything but then the next night I open them all up again and can make 4 things with what I have.<br /><br />What is your favorite piece youve created and why?<br /><br />Its hard to say, I have a couple really. Pieces that I really wanted to keep for myself defines what my favorite pieces are. I think my number one favorite is my skull and crossbones with a purple Swarovski crystal. I have always loved skulls and anything shiny and purple is my favorite color, so when I created this necklace, I was like This is ALL me! My other favorite is this crystal flower necklace. I love how it sparkles and looks like vintage glam!<br /><br />What do you want to accomplish with your online shop?<br /><br />I love having other people see what I made, having someone purchase something that you created is a real honor. I would love to make money doing this and be able to keep staying home with my animals.<br /><br />Do you have any new creations in the works? If so, what can shoppers expect to see from you soon?<br /><br />Ive been sketching all week until wee hours of the morning on my next line of items. I dont want to say to much but this will probably the first time I will have some theme to my items. Im going with big crystals, big rings, and a lot of fall colors. Lots of shiny stuff!<br /><br />Where can readers find out about more information regarding your jewelry and other creations and possible special offers including additional websites, blogs, facebook, etc?<br /><br />I have a twitter and my personal facebook page.<br /><br />I had a group and fan page but decided to keep it simple and just post on my personal page. As soon as I list a item on Etsy, I make sure everyone on my Facebook page sees it. I also have a blog, which is where I had advertised my giveaways.

Earrings Through the Ages From the Renaissance To Modern Times

Earrings Through the Ages From the Renaissance To Modern Times<br /><br />Elegance in the 18th Century: Two styles of earrings reigned supreme in the LATE 1700s: the girandole and the pendeloque. The former featured a circular or oval surmount the top part that attaches to the ear with a central element formed of a ribbon or bow shape from which dangled 3 pendants containing precious stones, 2 smaller ones on either side of a larger one in the center. Each precious stone was surrounded with additional decorative motifs and smaller stones. Most of these earrings seem to be about 1 1.5 inches wide in the center, and perhaps 2 or more inches high.<br /><br />The pendeloque had a surmount with a ribbon or bow shaped element attached to it, from which hung another often pear shaped dangle. The stones and beads used in these were large and chunky and were usually surrounded with rows of diamonds. Seed pearls were often used in less costly earrings. There were no costume styles per se, although people had costly earrings duplicated in paste glass.<br /><br />Earrings were extremely popular in the 1800s. The Elegant lady would suspend almost anything from her ears providing it was decorative. Really wild styles from this period include: dangles made to resemble bushel baskets full of apples, hens sitting on eggs in a basket wish I had these!, jeweled arrows seeming to pierce the earlobe, acorns, flowers in a basket, a bell with a clapper dangling from a chain, carved faces of Greek gods. There were also hundreds of different dressy or formal designs in precious stones and gold. A fabulous pair of earrings set with kite shaped aquamarines in repousse gold is 12 cm long almost 5! but extremely light weight.<br /><br />In the latter half of the 20th Century, many jewelry designers such as Verdura, Hattie Carnegie, Kenneth Jay Lane, Miriam Haskell, produced wonderful costume and precious earrings. Coco Chanel designed the earliest<br /><br />fashion or costume jewelry, to match her goal of designing fashions accessible to all women. Many of her designs were made to be seen with her outfits at shows. A category of fashion jewelry that is created just for display at the fashion show is often referred to as runway jewelry.<br /><br />THE HOOP<br /><br />Perhaps the most enduring and classical style of earring is the hoop. Women wear it in sizes from tiny to gigantic, plain or totally ornate, shaped like a circle, a heart, a square, a spiral, a shrimp. Men wear hoop earrings as well. The hoop earring seems to be our most obvious tie to the distant past.

Earrings Through the Ages From the Renaissance To Modern Times

Earrings Through the Ages From the Renaissance To Modern Times<br /><br />Elegance in the 18th Century: Two styles of earrings reigned supreme in the LATE 1700s: the girandole and the pendeloque. The former featured a circular or oval surmount the top part that attaches to the ear with a central element formed of a ribbon or bow shape from which dangled 3 pendants containing precious stones, 2 smaller ones on either side of a larger one in the center. Each precious stone was surrounded with additional decorative motifs and smaller stones. Most of these earrings seem to be about 1 1.5 inches wide in the center, and perhaps 2 or more inches high.<br /><br />The pendeloque had a surmount with a ribbon or bow shaped element attached to it, from which hung another often pear shaped dangle. The stones and beads used in these were large and chunky and were usually surrounded with rows of diamonds. Seed pearls were often used in less costly earrings. There were no costume styles per se, although people had costly earrings duplicated in paste glass.<br /><br />Earrings were extremely popular in the 1800s. The Elegant lady would suspend almost anything from her ears providing it was decorative. Really wild styles from this period include: dangles made to resemble bushel baskets full of apples, hens sitting on eggs in a basket wish I had these!, jeweled arrows seeming to pierce the earlobe, acorns, flowers in a basket, a bell with a clapper dangling from a chain, carved faces of Greek gods. There were also hundreds of different dressy or formal designs in precious stones and gold. A fabulous pair of earrings set with kite shaped aquamarines in repousse gold is 12 cm long almost 5! but extremely light weight.<br /><br />In the latter half of the 20th Century, many jewelry designers such as Verdura, Hattie Carnegie, Kenneth Jay Lane, Miriam Haskell, produced wonderful costume and precious earrings. Coco Chanel designed the earliest<br /><br />fashion or costume jewelry, to match her goal of designing fashions accessible to all women. Many of her designs were made to be seen with her outfits at shows. A category of fashion jewelry that is created just for display at the fashion show is often referred to as runway jewelry.<br /><br />THE HOOP<br /><br />Perhaps the most enduring and classical style of earring is the hoop. Women wear it in sizes from tiny to gigantic, plain or totally ornate, shaped like a circle, a heart, a square, a spiral, a shrimp. Men wear hoop earrings as well. The hoop earring seems to be our most obvious tie to the distant past.

DIY How to Turn a Frame into a Jewelry Holder

DIY How to Turn a Frame into a Jewelry Holder<br /><br />This framed jewelry holder is perfect for hanging in your closet. This will prevent it from taking up any room on your dresser. The jewelry holder can hold necklaces, earrings and even a couple rings. This project is inexpensive and easy to create. The materials that you will need for the framed jewelry holder are:<br /><br />Old picture frameSpray paintStep Three: Next, spray paint the frame to a color of your choice. Then let it dry. You dont have to do this step if you like your frame the way it is.<br /><br />Step Four: Place your fabric right side down on a counter. Then place the foam board centered on it.<br /><br />Step Five: Now, fold up the side of the fabric and staple it to the back of the foam board. Keep doing this until your foam board is covered. Make sure that while you pull the fabric tight when doing this process. If you dont it may cause your fabric to be loose or wrinkly. I suggest flipping it over often to make sure that everything looks ok on the front.<br /><br />Step Six: Then place the cut piece of chicken wire into the picture frame. You can secure the chicken wire in place by using hot glue along the edges. The hot glue will hold it in place.<br /><br />Step Seven: Next, apply some more glue along the edges of the back of the chicken wire and then place the foam board fabric side towards the wire on top of the chicken wire. When looking at the front of the frame you should see the chicken wire and the fabric should be behind the chicken wire.

DIY How to Turn a Frame into a Jewelry Holder

DIY How to Turn a Frame into a Jewelry Holder<br /><br />This framed jewelry holder is perfect for hanging in your closet. This will prevent it from taking up any room on your dresser. The jewelry holder can hold necklaces, earrings and even a couple rings. This project is inexpensive and easy to create. The materials that you will need for the framed jewelry holder are:<br /><br />Old picture frameSpray paintStep Three: Next, spray paint the frame to a color of your choice. Then let it dry. You dont have to do this step if you like your frame the way it is.<br /><br />Step Four: Place your fabric right side down on a counter. Then place the foam board centered on it.<br /><br />Step Five: Now, fold up the side of the fabric and staple it to the back of the foam board. Keep doing this until your foam board is covered. Make sure that while you pull the fabric tight when doing this process. If you dont it may cause your fabric to be loose or wrinkly. I suggest flipping it over often to make sure that everything looks ok on the front.<br /><br />Step Six: Then place the cut piece of chicken wire into the picture frame. You can secure the chicken wire in place by using hot glue along the edges. The hot glue will hold it in place.<br /><br />Step Seven: Next, apply some more glue along the edges of the back of the chicken wire and then place the foam board fabric side towards the wire on top of the chicken wire. When looking at the front of the frame you should see the chicken wire and the fabric should be behind the chicken wire.

Craiger Drakes Custom Jewelry

Craiger Drakes Custom Jewelry<br /><br />In the heart of Rittenhouse, there now lives a custom jeweler, Cragier Drake, whose quietly avant garde tailor made jewelry is operating like a diamond out of the rough. Opened recently in November last year, Craiger Drake Designs has brought back an old world, labor intensive technique of diamond polishing and he applies it to all his precious gemstones. The results are timeless, highly decorative works of artisanal charm. His company is a private wholesaler offering custom as well as one of a kind jewelry to clients assuring an exclusive customer experience.<br /><br />A Philadelphia native, this third generation jeweler has worked with famed jewelers such as Cartier, Bailey Banks Biddle, and Tiffany Co. and employs his understanding of gemology along with a purebred knowledge of custom jewelry creation. After working with these up scale jewelers, Drake has learned and dealt with a multitude of quality standards. He and his business partner, master stonecutter, David Nassi travel all over the world to collect their rough gemstones. Exotic locations like Brazil and India are among the many. The jewelry collections are manufactured in Italy and New York City.<br /><br />Aesthetically, Drake adores the usage of colored gemstones and unusual combinations in his work. With the eye for lavishness and a keen sense of modernity Craiger Drake gives his clientele the luxury of an affordable pricing spectrum. Ones personal jewelry experience can begin from transforming an estate piece to designing something from concept to creation. I can elate people with or without an imagination, Drake says. His pieces can range from a few hundred to one million dollars. Its up to the buyers to decide how luxuriantly they want to adorn themselves. I love when I can see the customer really enjoying their piece, says Drake.<br /><br />I was invited for a private viewing of the showroom. The interior; a swanky, diamond filled arena made perfectly for those intimate one on one consultations. There is a super chic and modern perspective that allows one to browse Drakes collection, which sets the ambience for either selecting or creating that one of a kind piece. Drakes technique is unquestionable especially when one views his magnificent settings with romantic details in platinum, 18ct. yellow, white, or rose gold. His designs are both whimsical and bold, with every minutia emblazoned harmoniously with diamonds and gems.<br /><br />He feels there is a misnomer when people consider precious stones not to be fine jewelry. What he fashions is considerably affordable fine jewelry, unless a customer wants large flawless diamonds as apart of their creation. He can certainly accommodate for them as well. Retail isnt solely the benefactor of the merchandise to Drake, he believes in selling an emotional connection to the wearer. Drakes customer is the most important thing, aiming to create valuably priceless works of art and build long term relationships. Next month hes going to start offering educational events to his clientele on the decorum of specific gemstones.<br /><br />The approach to marketing is quiet and subtle. Making a current customer happy, that word of mouth, is the type of advertising that cant be bought, he says. This philosophy not only rectifies the prestige, but also shows how luxurious and private he actually is. So for Drakes sake, let go of the adage Diamonds are a girls best friend, and welcome to the new era where Emeralds are the gateway to Goddess along with Tourmalines, Topaz, and Sapphires, oh my!

Chunky Jewelry and Jewelry Boxes for Women

Chunky Jewelry and Jewelry Boxes for Women<br /><br />Women love to use chunky jewelry as it is the trend today. Special jewelry boxes for women had to be designed to hold these large pieces of jewelry. Various metals, plastic, wood, and other materials are used to make this type of jewelry. They are also ones that are carved and inlaid with semi precious stones and precious stones.<br /><br />The metals commonly used for making jewelry boxes are gold, silver, bronze, copper, resin, rhodium, titanium, stainless steel, and oxidised metal. A mixture of five different metals are sometimes used to make it easier to mould the beautiful patterns on the jewelry. These metals are gold, silver, bronze, copper, and brass; the proportion of gold and silver are very small when compared to the other metals.<br /><br />There are also those drops that are made with big beads and floral designs of embossed enamel. The painting work is done very meticulously. There are also earrings made of precious stones like pearls, garnets, and crystals.<br /><br />Head bands made of encrusted crystal with silk chiffon and designed in rows of clear crystal and threaded with metal wire look absolutely gorgeous. You can also get one with a big carved metal flower fixed in the middle of the band.<br /><br />Chunky necklaces are made of carved metal as well as leather. Even crystals, beads, clear beads are used to make these necklaces. Huge rings, of different colors, with a big circumference are threaded with a silk thread to make four layers that look beautiful.<br /><br />Large sized women mostly stay away from chokers or short necklaces and instead wear long chains with pendants till their waist. They also like to wear huge bracelets made of metal and stones or crystals inlaid in it.<br /><br />You could get a huge ring with your birth stone or one with a fringe of stones of different colors, which is considered fashionable now. A lot of other accessories are there like brooches and hair combs to adorn the hair. It holds the hair well and also has designs that are beautifully inlaid with stones or pearls.<br /><br />For storing chunky jewelry, the box should be quite spacious and the best materials for this are leather and wood. The base of the box should be hollow and deep where you can keep all your chains and necklaces.<br /><br />The other compartments can be for keeping your bangles. Make sure it has a bangle rod so the bangles dont clash against each other. If this happens, the bangles might lose its pendants or the stones might break.<br /><br />The topmost drawer should have spacious compartments to store your chunky earrings. The bracelets will also need equally big compartments. You will also need chain hooks to keep your chains from getting entangled.<br /><br />Choosing your jewelry box should be done with care so that it will act as a safe and spacious storage space for all your jewelry. Make sure you have a clear idea about what your needs are before you set out to buy one.<br /><br />Post CommentNo HTML is allowed in comments, but URLs will be hyperlinked. Comments are not for promoting your Hubs or other sites.

Chunky Jewelry and Jewelry Boxes for Women

Chunky Jewelry and Jewelry Boxes for Women<br /><br />Women love to use chunky jewelry as it is the trend today. Special jewelry boxes for women had to be designed to hold these large pieces of jewelry. Various metals, plastic, wood, and other materials are used to make this type of jewelry. They are also ones that are carved and inlaid with semi precious stones and precious stones.<br /><br />The metals commonly used for making jewelry boxes are gold, silver, bronze, copper, resin, rhodium, titanium, stainless steel, and oxidised metal. A mixture of five different metals are sometimes used to make it easier to mould the beautiful patterns on the jewelry. These metals are gold, silver, bronze, copper, and brass; the proportion of gold and silver are very small when compared to the other metals.<br /><br />There are also those drops that are made with big beads and floral designs of embossed enamel. The painting work is done very meticulously. There are also earrings made of precious stones like pearls, garnets, and crystals.<br /><br />Head bands made of encrusted crystal with silk chiffon and designed in rows of clear crystal and threaded with metal wire look absolutely gorgeous. You can also get one with a big carved metal flower fixed in the middle of the band.<br /><br />Chunky necklaces are made of carved metal as well as leather. Even crystals, beads, clear beads are used to make these necklaces. Huge rings, of different colors, with a big circumference are threaded with a silk thread to make four layers that look beautiful.<br /><br />Large sized women mostly stay away from chokers or short necklaces and instead wear long chains with pendants till their waist. They also like to wear huge bracelets made of metal and stones or crystals inlaid in it.<br /><br />You could get a huge ring with your birth stone or one with a fringe of stones of different colors, which is considered fashionable now. A lot of other accessories are there like brooches and hair combs to adorn the hair. It holds the hair well and also has designs that are beautifully inlaid with stones or pearls.<br /><br />For storing chunky jewelry, the box should be quite spacious and the best materials for this are leather and wood. The base of the box should be hollow and deep where you can keep all your chains and necklaces.<br /><br />The other compartments can be for keeping your bangles. Make sure it has a bangle rod so the bangles dont clash against each other. If this happens, the bangles might lose its pendants or the stones might break.<br /><br />The topmost drawer should have spacious compartments to store your chunky earrings. The bracelets will also need equally big compartments. You will also need chain hooks to keep your chains from getting entangled.<br /><br />Choosing your jewelry box should be done with care so that it will act as a safe and spacious storage space for all your jewelry. Make sure you have a clear idea about what your needs are before you set out to buy one.<br /><br />Post CommentNo HTML is allowed in comments, but URLs will be hyperlinked. Comments are not for promoting your Hubs or other sites.

Carlos Collections at Emory University

Carlos Collections at Emory University<br /><br />While on my way to the Michael C. Carlos Museum, I thought that a college campus was an odd place for a museum, and I was not quite sure what to expect. After a little bit of searching, I was on my way, and I was impressed with the campus and the walk to the museum. Nevertheless, the Museum is a work of art in itself. The color of the exterior stone, whether it is marble or granite, is beautiful. The architecture was interesting as well. I really enjoyed the experience, and I will go back for a much more detailed experience. The only negative aspect to the visit was the parking, which was hectic. On the day of my visit, I chose to stay on the first floor at the beginning and this was an exceptional experience with the Egyptian, Greek, and Roman artifacts; as well as some of the drawings and works on paper by some the master artists of the Renaissance era. I am a little partial to the Egyptian artifacts and history. The reason for the partiality is that I attended the exhibit of King Rameses when it was on display in Nashville. I got enthralled with all the intricate details on the jewelry, the master carvings and paintings of the sarcophaguses. The Egyptian burial process intrigued me as well. time frame and beyond. It absolutely goes beyond my comprehension how such beautiful works of art, whether it be a very large piece or a piece of the smallest size, have managed to make it through such a long length of time and not be destroyed.<br /><br />As I entered the hallway of the Carlos Museum, I was welcomed by large statues, one being of Julius Caesar and other Roman figures. As I meandered through the statues, I noticed this stone sarcophagus with ornate relief carving all around. It reminded me of some of the relief carving images in our textbook. As I continued through the exhibits, I was pleased to be able to view some of the articles, and known about the relief carvings on them. Also, the artistry on the painted pottery impressed me with the details exhibited on all the jewelry. How did they make such unusual and detailed pieces? The jewelry display, especially the extremely small pieces was very fascinating. What kind of tools could make such small intricate jewelry? As I continued viewing all the different artifacts, I tried to visualize myself during the time the piece was being produced. I thought about how we would use modern tools that the 21st century has afforded. The Egyptians, the Romans, and the Greeks, to name just a few, had mastered those skills with very simple tools, but how did they do it? I continued to be mesmerized with the talent and skills that produced such beautiful pieces of art. I saw a piece of jewelry, a carving of a fly and another one of a fish. They each had such remarkable details. They were each very small pieces, so just how could they make something so small yet so beautiful?<br /><br />Patrons enter the museum through the rotunda designed by Michael Graves. I am usually focused on where I am going and normally do not notice the architecture, but this time it was impossible not to. From there I entered a room to my left, where it seemed transported to ancient Rome or Greece. This room was filled with sculptures and pieces dating back as early as the Neolithic period around 4000 BC to Roman pieces from 5 AD. There were marble pieces in relief, and full around and pieces made from gold, silver, bronze and ivory to name a few. I was really taken by the Roman sarcophagus, made of marble and intricately carved. I could not imagine the weight of this and the number of people slaves it took to move it.<br /><br />After looking at the different types of sculpture, I headed into each anteroom to look through all the other exhibits of jewelry and pottery. Another piece that caught my attention was the Larnax bathtub. I was amazed at the pictures on the outside and inside of the tub as well as its functionality; there was a drain and it would have had a plug. I also learned that tubs like these were used as coffins, two very important uses for this piece; bathing and burial. The next room we entered was the Egyptian room that held the ancient sarcophagi. I found it interesting that each piece told a different story and that the Egyptians were more concerned with the afterlife than the here and now. The hieroglyphic inscriptions were to identify the owner as well as offerings for the spirits to make the transition a smooth one and for their rebirth. My favorite piece in this room was the Coffin of Nesbetit. There is a pair of eyes painted on one side of the coffin pointing north. The priestess would have been layed on her side, enabling her to look through the painted eyes at the sunrise to the east, which symbolizes rebirth.<br /><br />Our next adventure was through Ancient America, Africa and Asia. Here I saw many small statues of gods and goddesses as well as jewelry, headdresses and various articles of decoration. I was surprised to find many similarities between the Ancient American and African pieces. They seemed to have similar colors and likenesses. Without doubt, my favorite exhibit was the Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamen. The exhibit is a chronological series of photographs by Harry Burton and various articles depicting the discovery of King Tutankhamens tomb in 1922 by archeologist Howard Carter. The photos take you on a journey from the beginning in the Valley of the Kings; to the discovery and excavation, through the burial chamber, to the Kings mummy and the many treasures inside. I enjoyed following the story and learning how Carter came upon the tomb which was covered by debris from the excavation of the Tomb of Ramesses. When asked what he saw upon opening the door to the tomb, Carter replied, I see wonderful things.<br /><br />As I continued to view the articles, I stayed in the state of amazement due to the fact that all I was seeing was created so long ago, and it is still in such magnificent shape. I recall several displays in the text that correlated with the exhibits at the museum. The text helped to identify some of the pieces. The pottery, its designs, and shapes were also very interesting, how each item had a specific use. There was this one extremely large jug. It was as tall as I am. I remember reading the identification card, but cannot remember now what it said. I can just remember how big that jug was. I saw the carvings on the side, and I thought this is just too cool. It had symmetrical carvings all around.<br /><br />This was my first trip to the Michael C. Carlos Museum, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am now looking forward to returning and enjoying some of the upcoming exhibitions. Love acting and love the Lord as well! I Love to travel and get to know places where I have never been to before. You pay and Ill go! Acting is my passion and teac.

Blackest Night

Blackest Night<br /><br />Comic Book deaths are a very serious business, with serious here meaning a chance to make more ka ching by reviving dead characters. The DC Universe has had its share of heroes and villains living, fighting, dying, living again, sometimes dying again, and living again. In fact, the Joker has been caught up in so many explosions that insurance agents consider him more of a threat than Batman does. However, there are those who died in the DCU that apparently bit the dust for good Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Firestorm, and other heroes that arent Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman.Its amusing how Aquaman becomes a badass zombie and still chooses a seahorse. Theres a goddamn zombie shark behind you, King of Atlantis. Hell, theres two.Before Blackest Night, it was revealed that the Green Lanterns, who were the universes police officers, were not alone in wearing skintight suits and wielding all powerful jewelry. In fact, there were six more Lantern Corps existing, each wearing a color of the rainbow red, orange, yellow, blue, indigo, and violet.With the appearance of the Blackest Night, however, it is revealed that every hero who was resurrected in DC continuity owed their resurrections to a being called Nekron and his subtly named aide Scar, who wished to eliminate all life in the universe.Nekron, feeling that life was corrupting the universes existence, hatched a plan to eliminate all of it once and for all. This is Nekron:The Blackest NightBlackest Night begins when Black Hand, one of Green Lanterns enemies, digs up Bruce Waynes grave and summons an incantation that allows him to begin charging up a Black Lantern Battery. Pretty soon, Black Lantern rings similar to the ones the Green Lanterns use begin to fly out all through the universe, resurrecting heroes and villains in the DC Universe, as well as the dead members of the Green Lantern Corps.See that Rise command? The only counter you can use against that Black Lantern command is Shit Pants.Later on, it is revealed that for every person the Black Lanterns kill, the Black Lantern Battery charges by .01 percent, which considering that they plan to kill every single one of the 6 billion people on earth has, according to the Google calculators, a chance of charging around sixty million times over. Luckily, the Battery charges only once throughout the course of the story. Unfortunately, it came at the cost of the aforementioned B player deaths, and resulted in the creation of, but not excluded to:resurrected heroes turning into Black Lanterns.every criminal buried in the Justice Leagues base turning into Black Lanterns.DC Comics, If they were written by George RomeroAside from removing all life in the universe, perhaps the second most sinister plot of Blackest Night was to find a simple reason for killing off many minor DC characters and bring back to life more interesting ones. Sure enough, many minor characters, such as Firestorms girlfriend, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Tempest, and Damage are zombifically sacrificed by order of Blackest Nights ultimate dark lord, Geoff Johns.Left: Damage, newly inducted minion of the Dark Lord. Right: The Dark Lord.Flash spreads the word of the Blackest Night throughout the world, calling out for all the heroes to work together. However, for a bunch of superpowered heroes, Earths frontal defense might as well have been Robin and his pair of short shorts, as the Black Lanterns, who were composed of pretty much everyone who fucking died, overwhelm the heroes, killing this and killing that all around the world.Above: Not even everyone who fucking died.After agreeing to pull off this Power Rangers style sequence, a series of rings begin searching the Earth for those who could embody the different colors of emotion. Strangely enough, for a group wanting to save the Earth, these rings have a shitty moral compass, choosing villains like Lex Luthor and Scarecrow to embody greed and fear, respectively.The skulls represent dedication to protecting the Earth.Despite better combinations such as a Blue Lantern Flash and a Violet Wonder Woman, things fail to go well for the good guys, especially with Orange Lantern Lex Luthor trying to steal every single one of his comrades rings. Because of the Power Rangers Corps failing to work together, the Black Lantern Corps leader, Nekron, manages to arrive on Earth and attempt to kill the White Lantern Entity, which is the opposite of life. In Power Rangers lingo, its like Rita Repulsa arriving at the Power Rangers base and trying to kill Zordon.Just as Sinestro and Nekron are about to face off, Hal Jordan, apparently not content with Sinestro being the heor for once, decides to steal the White Lantern Energy from him, transforming he and his friends into an entire White Lantern Corps. They then resurrect Black Hand, the guy from the beginning fo the story whom everyone ignored, who was in fact the real thing that was keeping all the Black Lanterns alive. The White Lantern Corps then take it upon themselves to kill Nekron, making the other colored Corps look like a pile of flying multicolored cheerleaders.

Blackest Night

Blackest Night<br /><br />Comic Book deaths are a very serious business, with serious here meaning a chance to make more ka ching by reviving dead characters. The DC Universe has had its share of heroes and villains living, fighting, dying, living again, sometimes dying again, and living again. In fact, the Joker has been caught up in so many explosions that insurance agents consider him more of a threat than Batman does. However, there are those who died in the DCU that apparently bit the dust for good Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Firestorm, and other heroes that arent Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman.Its amusing how Aquaman becomes a badass zombie and still chooses a seahorse. Theres a goddamn zombie shark behind you, King of Atlantis. Hell, theres two.Before Blackest Night, it was revealed that the Green Lanterns, who were the universes police officers, were not alone in wearing skintight suits and wielding all powerful jewelry. In fact, there were six more Lantern Corps existing, each wearing a color of the rainbow red, orange, yellow, blue, indigo, and violet.With the appearance of the Blackest Night, however, it is revealed that every hero who was resurrected in DC continuity owed their resurrections to a being called Nekron and his subtly named aide Scar, who wished to eliminate all life in the universe.Nekron, feeling that life was corrupting the universes existence, hatched a plan to eliminate all of it once and for all. This is Nekron:The Blackest NightBlackest Night begins when Black Hand, one of Green Lanterns enemies, digs up Bruce Waynes grave and summons an incantation that allows him to begin charging up a Black Lantern Battery. Pretty soon, Black Lantern rings similar to the ones the Green Lanterns use begin to fly out all through the universe, resurrecting heroes and villains in the DC Universe, as well as the dead members of the Green Lantern Corps.See that Rise command? The only counter you can use against that Black Lantern command is Shit Pants.Later on, it is revealed that for every person the Black Lanterns kill, the Black Lantern Battery charges by .01 percent, which considering that they plan to kill every single one of the 6 billion people on earth has, according to the Google calculators, a chance of charging around sixty million times over. Luckily, the Battery charges only once throughout the course of the story. Unfortunately, it came at the cost of the aforementioned B player deaths, and resulted in the creation of, but not excluded to:resurrected heroes turning into Black Lanterns.every criminal buried in the Justice Leagues base turning into Black Lanterns.DC Comics, If they were written by George RomeroAside from removing all life in the universe, perhaps the second most sinister plot of Blackest Night was to find a simple reason for killing off many minor DC characters and bring back to life more interesting ones. Sure enough, many minor characters, such as Firestorms girlfriend, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Tempest, and Damage are zombifically sacrificed by order of Blackest Nights ultimate dark lord, Geoff Johns.Left: Damage, newly inducted minion of the Dark Lord. Right: The Dark Lord.Flash spreads the word of the Blackest Night throughout the world, calling out for all the heroes to work together. However, for a bunch of superpowered heroes, Earths frontal defense might as well have been Robin and his pair of short shorts, as the Black Lanterns, who were composed of pretty much everyone who fucking died, overwhelm the heroes, killing this and killing that all around the world.Above: Not even everyone who fucking died.After agreeing to pull off this Power Rangers style sequence, a series of rings begin searching the Earth for those who could embody the different colors of emotion. Strangely enough, for a group wanting to save the Earth, these rings have a shitty moral compass, choosing villains like Lex Luthor and Scarecrow to embody greed and fear, respectively.The skulls represent dedication to protecting the Earth.Despite better combinations such as a Blue Lantern Flash and a Violet Wonder Woman, things fail to go well for the good guys, especially with Orange Lantern Lex Luthor trying to steal every single one of his comrades rings. Because of the Power Rangers Corps failing to work together, the Black Lantern Corps leader, Nekron, manages to arrive on Earth and attempt to kill the White Lantern Entity, which is the opposite of life. In Power Rangers lingo, its like Rita Repulsa arriving at the Power Rangers base and trying to kill Zordon.Just as Sinestro and Nekron are about to face off, Hal Jordan, apparently not content with Sinestro being the heor for once, decides to steal the White Lantern Energy from him, transforming he and his friends into an entire White Lantern Corps. They then resurrect Black Hand, the guy from the beginning fo the story whom everyone ignored, who was in fact the real thing that was keeping all the Black Lanterns alive. The White Lantern Corps then take it upon themselves to kill Nekron, making the other colored Corps look like a pile of flying multicolored cheerleaders.

Blackest Night

Blackest Night<br /><br />Comic Book deaths are a very serious business, with serious here meaning a chance to make more ka ching by reviving dead characters. The DC Universe has had its share of heroes and villains living, fighting, dying, living again, sometimes dying again, and living again. In fact, the Joker has been caught up in so many explosions that insurance agents consider him more of a threat than Batman does. However, there are those who died in the DCU that apparently bit the dust for good Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Firestorm, and other heroes that arent Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman.Its amusing how Aquaman becomes a badass zombie and still chooses a seahorse. Theres a goddamn zombie shark behind you, King of Atlantis. Hell, theres two.Before Blackest Night, it was revealed that the Green Lanterns, who were the universes police officers, were not alone in wearing skintight suits and wielding all powerful jewelry. In fact, there were six more Lantern Corps existing, each wearing a color of the rainbow red, orange, yellow, blue, indigo, and violet.With the appearance of the Blackest Night, however, it is revealed that every hero who was resurrected in DC continuity owed their resurrections to a being called Nekron and his subtly named aide Scar, who wished to eliminate all life in the universe.Nekron, feeling that life was corrupting the universes existence, hatched a plan to eliminate all of it once and for all. This is Nekron:The Blackest NightBlackest Night begins when Black Hand, one of Green Lanterns enemies, digs up Bruce Waynes grave and summons an incantation that allows him to begin charging up a Black Lantern Battery. Pretty soon, Black Lantern rings similar to the ones the Green Lanterns use begin to fly out all through the universe, resurrecting heroes and villains in the DC Universe, as well as the dead members of the Green Lantern Corps.See that Rise command? The only counter you can use against that Black Lantern command is Shit Pants.Later on, it is revealed that for every person the Black Lanterns kill, the Black Lantern Battery charges by .01 percent, which considering that they plan to kill every single one of the 6 billion people on earth has, according to the Google calculators, a chance of charging around sixty million times over. Luckily, the Battery charges only once throughout the course of the story. Unfortunately, it came at the cost of the aforementioned B player deaths, and resulted in the creation of, but not excluded to:resurrected heroes turning into Black Lanterns.every criminal buried in the Justice Leagues base turning into Black Lanterns.DC Comics, If they were written by George RomeroAside from removing all life in the universe, perhaps the second most sinister plot of Blackest Night was to find a simple reason for killing off many minor DC characters and bring back to life more interesting ones. Sure enough, many minor characters, such as Firestorms girlfriend, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Tempest, and Damage are zombifically sacrificed by order of Blackest Nights ultimate dark lord, Geoff Johns.Left: Damage, newly inducted minion of the Dark Lord. Right: The Dark Lord.Flash spreads the word of the Blackest Night throughout the world, calling out for all the heroes to work together. However, for a bunch of superpowered heroes, Earths frontal defense might as well have been Robin and his pair of short shorts, as the Black Lanterns, who were composed of pretty much everyone who fucking died, overwhelm the heroes, killing this and killing that all around the world.Above: Not even everyone who fucking died.After agreeing to pull off this Power Rangers style sequence, a series of rings begin searching the Earth for those who could embody the different colors of emotion. Strangely enough, for a group wanting to save the Earth, these rings have a shitty moral compass, choosing villains like Lex Luthor and Scarecrow to embody greed and fear, respectively.The skulls represent dedication to protecting the Earth.Despite better combinations such as a Blue Lantern Flash and a Violet Wonder Woman, things fail to go well for the good guys, especially with Orange Lantern Lex Luthor trying to steal every single one of his comrades rings. Because of the Power Rangers Corps failing to work together, the Black Lantern Corps leader, Nekron, manages to arrive on Earth and attempt to kill the White Lantern Entity, which is the opposite of life. In Power Rangers lingo, its like Rita Repulsa arriving at the Power Rangers base and trying to kill Zordon.Just as Sinestro and Nekron are about to face off, Hal Jordan, apparently not content with Sinestro being the heor for once, decides to steal the White Lantern Energy from him, transforming he and his friends into an entire White Lantern Corps. They then resurrect Black Hand, the guy from the beginning fo the story whom everyone ignored, who was in fact the real thing that was keeping all the Black Lanterns alive. The White Lantern Corps then take it upon themselves to kill Nekron, making the other colored Corps look like a pile of flying multicolored cheerleaders.

BEST WESTERN PLUS The Inn At Horse Heaven

BEST WESTERN PLUS The Inn At Horse Heaven<br /><br />A trip to wine country is just what you need, and our Prosser hotel makes it easy with some of the best wine packages in the region. Were known for the cleanliness of rooms, a good location for wine tasting and a fantastic location featuring easy access off Highway 82. Were a good stopping point next door to a truck stop, but many of our guests choose to stay a little longer to enjoy the beauty of the region. Wine tasting and Thanksgiving in wine country are idyllic for romantic getaways. Enjoy numerous wine related festivals throughout the year, or head to our Prosser hotel for a weekend escape. Wine inspectors, vendors and trucking companies are all regular guests at our Prosser hotel. If youre here for work with ConAgra, the Bonneville Power Administration, the Department of Fish and Wildlife or an agriculture business or corporate business, youll feel right at home with us. Slip into luxurious bedding and enjoy the peace and quiet that you need while on business. Our friendly staff members are happy to accommodate groups, too, making your stay the best it can be. Do you need help choosing the best tasting rooms and wine packages in the region? Depend on our Prosser hotel staff to help you pinpoint exactly what you need. When there are so many wineries to choose from, it can be overwhelming. Do you also need recommendations on the best restaurants and sightseeing locations? We can help with that, too. Our priority is your happiness. No matter what brings you to this part of Washington, you deserve a stay thats comfortable, cozy and just like home. Thats what our Prosser hotel delivers. What do you want your trip to entail? Just ask, and well go above and beyond to make it happen. Book your stay at the BEST WESTERN PLUS The Inn at Horse Heaven, where location meets value!<br /><br />Book online using the form above.

Angelina Jolie opens school in Afghanistan

Angelina Jolie opens school in Afghanistan<br /><br />Angelina Jolie is using her role as a UNHCR United Nations High Commission for Refugees Goodwill Ambassador to help educate children in Afghanistan. after a mission trip in Africa that addressed violence in the region. Now, Jolie is concentrating on creating new schools for girls who rarely have the opportunity to pursue basic education.<br /><br />Although she states that she is dedicated to helping children get an education, Angelina Jolie is actually planning to use the money from her jewelry collection to fund the school projects. This is leading to some free advertising and promotion for her jewelry. Her line, Style by Jolie, will be sold in stores starting with Tivol in Kansas. Tivol has already announced that the collection will be available on April 4, and designer Robert Procop, who helped Angelina with the line, will be making an appearance at the stores. Angelina claims that the proceeds from her Style by Jolie jewelry collection will go to the Education Partnership for Children of Conflicts. Jolie was one of the founders of this nonprofit organization.

A Zale Short Reviews Its Conference Call ZLC

A Zale Short Reviews Its Conference Call ZLC<br /><br />I listened and read Zale Corporations ZLC 2nd quarter 2007 conference call on Wednesday, 21 February 2007. Zales fiscal year end is July 31st. This is a follow up of my previous article, previewing Zales earnings.<br /><br />I will provide an update to the earnings forecast table from my prior article. After, I will walk through the conference call and provide my commentary.<br /><br />Earnings Guidance 2Q Earnings Actual 2Q Quarter Jan 07: $1.94; 3Q 3Q Apr 07: $0.00 $0.04; 4Q 4Q Jul 07: $ 0.05 $ 0.01; and FY Fiscal Year: $1.46 $1.52. The company indicated that store comps for Q3 are expected to decrease 2% to 3% and for Q4 are expected to be flat to slightly positive. These figures exclude the impact of derivative accounting and the change from a two year to a lifetime jewelry protection plan. For the full year, the company is projecting total revenue growth of 3% and flat store comp growth after adjusting for Bailey Banks Biddle store closures. Excluding the jewelry protection plan, the company is projecting an improvement in full year gross margins by 40 basis points to 52.2% compared to 51.8% for the previous year. The overall guidance is less than what the market expected and thus the stock sold off today, down $1.40 to $28.56 for a loss of 4.67%.<br /><br />There was an interesting exchange during the question and answer session between Brian Tunick from JP Morgan and , CFO.<br /><br />Brian Tunick JP Morgan<br /><br />I was just curious how you would characterize your second half earnings guidance, because looking at the past five years, right, you have earned anywhere from $0.20 to $0.35 in the second half so breakeven for this year is a significant decline. So maybe you can just give us a little more color on kind of the thought process behind your guidance. Do you think its conservative, realistic, some thoughts on that?I would say its very balanced. I think clearly the back half reflects, as Betsy talked about, the biggest difference is the investments in the infrastructure, some of the modest sales expectations as we rebuild traction, the impact from deleveraging, particularly of SG investments of new stores, of occupancy costs and of payroll. So I think we would expect to return back to more normalized trends, but the near term guidance, particularly for Q3, reflects that deleverage.<br /><br />From this brief exchange, we can see that the analysts are disappointed with the guidance.<br /><br />Margins From the conference call transcript:<br /><br />Gross margin declined by 40 basis points, including the impact of gold contracts under hedge accounting, but excluding the impact of the lifetime jewelry protection plan, and the $6.2 million of charges in last year related to the disposition of Bailey Banks Biddle inventory. The aggressive pricing strategy and breadth of Brilliant Buys in the diamond categories contributed to a decline in gross margin for the quarter of 51.2% of sales versus 51.6% last year. Direct sourcing of solitaire product and direct import of finished goods provided the ability to sharpen price points, thus lessening margin erosion.<br /><br />Later, in response to a question from Janet Kloppenburg, Betsy Burton provided additional commentary on the margins as follows.<br /><br />We recognized and I think the shift in strategy going into January, unfortunately because of holiday we were really locked into the pricing and promotional strategies that were in place. In January we went back to a strategy of clearly trying to maximize growth profit dollars which means that you give up a little bit of top line but you are able to get back more in terms of growth margin dollars. So our strategy will shift back to a more normalized growth margin strategy going forward.<br /><br />These quotes indicate that the competitive landscape remains challenging. The company is attempting to strike a balance between market share and pricing. A key question is, Can the company maintain its margins without giving up too much market share?<br /><br />Lifetime Jewelry Protection Plan At the companys Zales and Canadian stores, the company replaced its two year protection plan with a lifetime protection plan. This change affects the companys accounting in that, while more money is charged for the plan, less money during the initial years is counted as recognized revenue because of the longer amortization period. For the past quarter, the company recognized a loss of revenue of $15 million while generating a $24 million in deferred revenue. Thus, the company gained $9 million from having switched to a different protection plan. While this transition phase is underway, expected to be about three years, the company will show less revenue. After the transition period, the company will show an increase in revenue. All these machinations are simply accounting effects. The reality is that the lifetime protection plan is a huge plus for Zales.<br /><br />E Commerce The companys e commerce initiatives continue to gain traction. Holiday traffic was up 23% over last year, with conversions up 50% giving rise to total revenues up 75%.<br /><br />Average Selling Prices I will provide the last quarter average transaction prices as well as the year ago values in brackets.<br /><br />Zales: $354 $338; Gordons: $381 $394; Baileys: $1,602 $1,559; Outlet: $395 $380; Peoples: $296 $286; and Pagoda: $43 $41. Tax Rate A quote from the transcript is as follows.<br /><br />The effective tax rate for the quarter was 37.7% versus 28.3% last year. Last year, the effective tax rate included an $11.5 million or $0.23 per share income tax benefit, resulting from the repatriation of foreign earnings under the American Jobs Creation Act. Excluding the repatriation impact, the effective tax rate for the quarter was 37.7%.<br /><br />Quarter End Store Count Zales: 790; Gordons: 285; Baileys: 73; Outlet: 136; Peoples: 187; and Peoples II: 72; and Pagoda: 810. Zales plan to spend $90 million for the fiscal year to add 55 new jewelry stores.<br /><br />Inventory Merchandise inventory at January 31st was $1.1 billion, which was $161 million or 16.8% higher than last years figure. This higher amount is the result of three primary drivers: First, $51 million in remaining clearance inventory; Second, $50 million are earmarked for holiday and future sales; and Third, $37 million are dedicated to ZAP Zales Assembly Process.<br /><br />Valentines Day The company reported that its Valentines Day sales fell short of expectations. The shortfall was exacerbated by the storm during the last two days. As a note, I am always cautious when a company uses weather as an excuse.<br /><br />Promotional Sales Strategies Throughout the call, the company referred to different initiatives that were underway to improve margins or sales or both in its various brands. I was left with the impression that the company is refocusing or reorganizing itself. I did not get the clear impression that the company has its strategy well articulated internally. That might be the nature of retail, one where the retailer must constantly evaluate and adapt to changing circumstances.<br /><br />Well, we believe that in terms of translation, if you look at the merchandise assortment the strategy and in terms of promotional strategy, returning to the diamond store, all of these we believe were great successes. So we already believe that the strategy which we brought back, which it was interesting because when Zales Canada originally started their turnaround they basically took some of the things that Zales was doing right and took it to Canada. So basically we are bringing back a lot of the things that worked before and are obviously working now. So we feel very good that the merchandise assortment, the planogram strategy, the going back to the diamond stores, the TV creative and the TV strategy, we fell very good about all of that. So we believe that you can already draw the conclusion that there are far more similarities than there are differences between the two markets.<br /><br />Information Not Discussed I was hoping the company would discuss its share repurchase plans. But given that the company guided lower than anticipated, I am guessing that share repurchase plans were not at the top of its list of to do items.<br /><br />Summary Overall, I thought the conference call was weak in that the company lowered its forward guidance and that its strategies and tactics seemed to be in flux. Zales appears to be wrestling with its margins and market shares. The companys inventory levels are still causing it grief and that deserves further monitoring. Investors will need to wait to determine if some of the companys initiatives take hold and provide some upward momentum. On the positive side, the companys decision to switch away from a two year to a lifetime jewelry protection plan appears to be providing much more uplift than the company and investment community had anticipated. Because the company lowered its guidance and was unable to cleanly articulate its various strategies, I remain bearish on the stock.