Nightmare Hair Scenarios and How to Fix Them

The best-selling Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook may have taught you how to fend off a shark and escape from quicksand, but what about the real catastrophes in a chick's life — like having a heinous hair moment before a big date or botching an at-home dye job? Fear not...Cosmo comes to the rescue with our own EMT (Emergency Mane Treatment) advice.

Disentangle Your Hair from a Round Brush

Resist the urge to grab the nearest steak knife and slice off that entire section of strands. The better approach:

• Don't panic and tug. "That will only make the knots tighter," says Guy Romeo, a stylist at the Privé salon in Los Angeles.
• Pin up loose strands. Gently remove as much hair as you can with your fingers, and clip up the freed strands as you go.
• Pick the locks. Take a rattail comb, knitting needle, or similar skinny stick and use the pointed tip to dislodge the remaining hair bit by bit from the bristles.

How to avoid barrel-brush entanglements:

• Never work with a section of hair that's wider than the brush you're using.
• Lift each section up and away from your head before you start rolling the brush underneath it. (Tangles often occur when you inadvertently involve hair that's below the section you're working on.)

Fix a Dud Dye Job

While nobody's saying that orange roots couldn't have a big fashion moment, now's not it. So in the meantime:

• Go to a pro. See a colorist as soon as possible. If you try to fix the problem on your own, you'll just make it worse. This process is typically more complicated than a straight coloring job, so be prepared to pay more.
• Style curls into your coif. Until your appointment, wear your hair curly. "Curls help the botched color blend in and be less noticeable," explains Rodney Cutler, owner of NYC's Cutler Salon.

How to Prevent Home Hair-Color Mishaps:

• Watch the clock. Leaving color on for too long can be a disaster, says Cutler. You might wind up with tangerine tresses.

Disguise a Botched at-Home Bang Trim

You thought you were so savvy trimming your own fringe — until you lopped off an inch where a centimeter would've sufficed. Some possible remedies:

• Go for a side sweep. Part your hair on the side where your bangs are the longest, then sweep them across your forehead so they fall over the too-short bits.
• Create piece-y texture. The more intentionally piece-y your do looks, the more effectively your bad bang job will be camouflaged. Work a dab of pomade between your palms and fingertips, then twirl little sections of hair from roots to ends.
• Tie on a hip head-scarf. If your bangs are too short but not crooked, Romeo offers this approach: Brush them against your forehead and place a scarf or headband at your hairline to nudge them down to a normal-looking length.

How to Avoid Bad Bang Cuts:

• Rather than cut your own bangs, finagle a free fringe trim at the hands of a pro. "Many salons offer complimentary bang trims to regular clients," says Cutler.
• If you're set on doing it yourself, don't make the all-too-common mistakes of wetting your bangs and taping or holding them down (either way, they'll seem longer than they really are and you're likely to overcompensate by cutting too much off). Instead, start with dry bangs and let them hang naturally to get the most accurate sense of their length. Then use sharp, fine-tipped scissors and a slow, steady hand to do the deed.

Deal with Last-Minute Product Overload

If you overestimated the amount of styling goo to use and now your strands look more oil-slicked than glamorously styled, take these measures:

• Remove excess product. Wrap your head in a dry towel, then scrunch with your hands to absorb whatever you can.
• Powder your roots. To absorb the rest, use cornstarch, talcum powder, or a dry shampoo. Create a part two inches above one ear and sprinkle powder into the roots. Use your fingertips to rub it in. Repeat every two inches until you get to the other ear.
• Tousle your tresses. Flip your head upside down, and with your dryer blowing on cool, run your fingers through your hair.

How to Prevent Product Overload:

• Start with less product than you think you'll need — you can always add more.
• Begin your product application at the nape of the neck. "When you work from the undersections of your hair, you'll deposit the bulk of the product in the least noticeable places," explains Cutler.

Treat a Curling-Iron Burn on Your Face

"Burn, baby, burn" has a nice ring to it on the dance floor — but if this is what happens when wielding a curling iron, here's first aid for your beauty flub:

• Prevent inflammation. Apply ice (wrapped in a washcloth or plastic bag) to the burn immediately for 10 to 15 minutes, says New York City dermatologist Arielle Kauvar. Take a break for a few minutes, then repeat for up to an hour or as long as you can.
• Assess the damage. Determine if the burn is first degree (redness but no blistering) or second degree (inflammation and mild blistering). Note: The chance of getting a curling iron-inflicted second-degree burn is pretty slim.
• Treat the skin. If it looks like a first-degree burn, apply an OTC antibiotic ointment (such as Bacitracin or Polysporin) twice a day to guard against infection, and stay out of the sun to prevent discoloration. If you've managed to get a second-degree burn, see a physician for a prescription topical antibiotic.
• Disguise damage. Don't use makeup on the burn, but obscure it by leaving your locks loose and tousling them forward.

How to Avoid Curling-Iron Burns:

• When rolling the curling iron against your head, stick a thin plastic comb between your scalp and the iron, suggests Cutler. A basic black comb that's about an eighth of an inch thick fits the bill — it's enough to block the heat but not so thick that it will block access to your roots. "I use this trick at shoots, because if you burn a model's face, she hates you for life," says Cutler.

Revive Limp Locks

If your do has drooped, you don't have to spend the day with strands that are as flat as a pancake. To make your flapjack style look more full:

• Shake dry any damp spots. If you were stuck in bad weather or in a sweaty situation (hmmm...), use a towel (or tissue if that's all you have) to get your tresses as dry as possible.
• Tease your roots. Pull out a comb, hold a two-inch section of hair straight up, then briskly move the comb up and down the backside over the roots only (from your scalp to two inches away). Make sure to do the back of your head as well.
• Pull it back. When all else fails, try a sleek ponytail.

How to Prevent Limp Locks:

• Don't overload on product. If you expect wet weather, use a humidity-proof styler.
• Use a root-boosting volumizer when styling.
• While blow-drying, lift your roots up and point the nozzle up into them to lock
  in lift.

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.

Source

Protect Your Eyes At The Beach This Summer With A Touch Of Style

By Harwood E Woodpecker

For most of our lives we take our eyesight for granted, that is until realize that our eyes are extremely delicate and need to be treated with care and attention so we don't cause permanent damage to our sight.

Taking precautions when in bright sunlight is of paramount importance. The strength of the suns rays should never be under-estimated. Rather than buying cheap poor quality sunglasses a smart and intelligent way to protect your vision is to buy a pair of designer sunglasses.

You can select from a multifariousness of lens tints and can even asking prescription polarized sunglasses. I was entirely blown away by the interpersonal inspection and repair you provide.
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Designer spectacles

Please feel free to republish this article provided a working hyperlink remains to our site
You may not always agree with my writings but I hope to inform.

Harwood E Woodpecker

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Harwood_E_Woodpecker

Decorating Country Style on a Budget

By John Rutledge

Contemporary country style decorating is about clean lines, basic structure, good bones, soft color schemes and simple furniture. It's an aesthetic that is warm, inviting and hearkens back to a simpler time when design was basic and everything was well made.

Keep reading to learn how you can implement a contemporary country style in your home while still staying on budget.

1. Start by painting the room in a subdued color, typically a cream or soft white with a milk-paint finish. You want a color that will not take away from the simple beauty of the room and will show age with grace. For just a few dollars a gallon, you will be that much closer to your country style.

2. Look for country furniture that exudes a simple, but sturdy feel. The look you are going for is rustic and worn, but strong. Ask around at flea markets, thrift shops, garage sales and antique markets for "farm furniture" or "shaker furniture."

Typically, you are looking for basic items that are simply colored, made of wood and free of flourishes or intricate design embellishments.

3. Tone down your window dressings with simple, single-sheeted, white or gingham-print curtains. Instead of splurging on fancy blinds and intricate curtain designs, opt for a simpler look that is fresh and will give your home a farmhouse-feel.

4. Choose country themed fabrics like checked ginghams or tiny, vintage prints. Most boutique upholsterers will carry replicas of classic patterns, or you can go hunting in antique stores and fabric shops for authentic, vintage fabrics. One enterprising designer made country style curtains out of a 1930s farm dress.

5. Update your fixtures with rustic-themed light fixtures, wrought iron light switches and antique vent coverings. Look for classic antiques, or opt for newer items that are made to look weathered.

6. Make new furniture old by distressing it yourself. Start by battering the wood with a hammer, carving scratches with a knife and digging a couple wormholes with your axe. Then sand down the entire piece to remove any leftover paint or finish. Follow this with a dark glaze that will work to highlight your newly afflicted scars. And finally, an application of clear paste wax will seal it.

7. Look for handmade accessories to add a final rustic touch to your space. Wicker baskets, hand-knit blankets and hand-shaped pottery are all beautiful accent pieces that can really pull out the splendor in a room without breaking the bank.

For information on practical home flooring recommendations, please visit http://www.home-flooring-styles.com, a popular site providing great insights concerning help with floor renovation ideas, such as Armstrong Vinyl Flooring, Mannington Flooring, and many more!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Rutledge

Euro Vanity - Renovate Your Bathroom in Style

By Jason Delmar

A great idea to "class up" your old looking bathroom is to try the new styles of bathroom vanities that are available. One of the most popular is the Euro Vanity. However, up until now the Euro Vanity has been out of reach to the average spender. It is an expensive looking piece of bathroom furniture and its price justified the exquisite look. Unfortunately, if you go to the big box retail supply stores you might still be spending a lot of money for this new style bathroom vanity. Also, beware, these large home centers inflate prices and sell you vanities that are not made of wood. They may look like wood and might have a wood front; but the rest of the vanity is a little bit above strong cardboard.

Recently some large importers have brought in real wood cabinets that are not only of great quality, but are less money than the retail vanities. Going online to a kitchen and bathroom website will save you time and money. To further your savings, try an RTA cabinet. RTA stands for ready to assemble cabinets and they are fast becoming the best way to renovate a kitchen or bathroom. The Euro Vanity is available online at various RTA cabinets' sites for 30% to 40% less than buying it at a store!

The other amazing part of these cabinets is "the parts" themselves. The cabinet and vanities are made of solid wood, and they come with a specially designed sink bowl that extends out from the front of the cabinet (the curves in the front really helps to break of the straight lines that are traditionally found in a bathroom). You're getting a higher quality product at a better price. How can the price and quality be so much better?. This is because the cabinets or vanities are "RTA".

Don't worry, the vanities only have one sheet of directions and can be easily put together with a single flat head screw driver. They use a cam lock system that utilizes pegs and locking system that creates a snug fit.

So start shopping for your Euro Vanity online and you will see the savings. A modern look with a touch of sophistication that will dress up any bathroom.

Find out the secret to getting your dream bathroom without paying the high prices of retail. Whether you are looking for a furniture vanity, euro vanity, or a traditional bathroom cabinet, I can show you how to save hundreds on the bathroom of your dreams!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Delmar

An Overview Of CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)

By Amy Derr

It has been almost ten years since CSS was first introduced to the World Wide Web and till today, Web developers and designers have not ceased to sing its praises. CSS, which stands for Cascading Style Sheets, is a stylesheet language which has been sort of a revelation for both, Web developers and designers alike. The reason for this is apparent - CSS has made Web design so much simpler by separating document structure from style. A simple process nonetheless, but the benefits reaped are profound, as you'll soon see.

As a stylesheet language, CSS requires a document written in markup language to perform its tasks. The best known markup language today is HTML, short for HyperText Markup Language. Almost everybody who has ever used the Internet has heard of HTML, even if they aren't professional Web designers. Every webpage is powered by this language and variants of it.

But, if you had been an early adopter of the Web back in the early 90s, you can attest to the fact that HTML was really bare-boned. Reason being, it was originally conceived to describe only parts of a document and had very little concern for appearance and presentation. Then came Mosaic and HTML was forced to evolve into something more than just a structural markup language due to the increasing demands for better web presentations.

Web developers and designers were clamoring for HTML to contribute more functionality like boldfacing and italicizing texts, something HTML wasn't equipped to do. But that didn't stop HTML from introducing new elements like and into its language in an attempt to satisfy the masses. The results as expected, were frustrating.

Websites were being built with extraneous HTML elements at the expense of useful content, which presented a few considerable issues, mainly, unstructured Web pages. Unstructured Web pages made and still make content indexing in search engines very grueling and this was certainly something that Web businesses seeking coveted high search engine rankings were concerned about.

What may appear to be an innocuous tag used in place of a H1 tag for page titles, can have disastrous consequences as far as search engine optimization is concerned. This can mean the difference between attaining the number one spot on Google's front page, or not being indexed at all, something that in today's new economics of commerce, can either make or break a business.

But just when website owners were resigned to the fact of having to cope with bloated HTML code on their sites, CSS presents itself with aplomb. Though it made its grand entrance onto the World Wide Web in 1996, CSS is only now starting to be recognized by the masses as a necessary element of any Web design process. Here's why.

CSS removes the presentational markup burden that HTML had to carry and allows HTML to perform what it does best - structural markup. So, what CSS does is create a much richer document appearance by separating presentation and structure. This is a sample of what CSS is capable of:

• Allows you to define the color on text
• Allows you to define the color of any element
• Gives you control over spacing of elements
• Allows you to create borders around elements

Gives you control over the presentational style of texts. You can very easily capitalize, italicize, bold, underline, or space texts as you see fit.

Perhaps the most telling contribution of CSS is the amount of time it saves a Web designer. Where in HTML, a Web designer had to explicitly describe the presentational attributes, often repeatedly throughout the document, CSS only requires a separate stylesheet. This stylesheet acts as the centralized command center for the entire document's styles. This also makes it extremely easy for a website owner to make changes to his or her site without having to trouble the designer for a simple tweak in heading color.

This is also a huge advantage for website owners who manage large content-based sites of over a thousand pages. Because this single stylesheet can be applied to multiple pages simply by linking it, a website owner can achieve a very consistent look throughout the website and make changes to thousands of pages by editing only a single line on the stylesheet. Without CSS, this process would have necessitated a visit to every single one of those thousand or more pages to make that simple edit. Now you see why Web designers are so fond of CSS.

This element of a single stylesheet has also allowed websites to become much smaller in size, having been stripped of all that bloated code that HTML was once guilty of serving. Lighter weight websites mean faster download and loading speeds for Web users, which can only mean that it'll only be a matter of time before they too join in with Web designers in the song of praise for CSS.

About the AuthorAmy Derr seeks to help business owners and organizations market themselves effectively online. She is a Professional Web Designer who owns and operates Insiteful Web Design (http://www.insitefulwebdesign.com), a full-service web design firm. This article may be reprinted as long as the "About the Author" blurb stays in place.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amy_Derr

The (Office Style) Rules

Here are ten rules to guide you as you get dressed in the morning, half-asleep, in near-darkness, before the coffee kicks in.

1. No casual Fridays, not ever.

2. Actuaries are the worst-dressed professionals, followed by IT guys and orthodontists.

3. Always keep two clean white shirts and a navy-blue blazer in your closet at work.

4. Don't abuse the khakis.

5. There is an 83 percent chance that a man in short sleeves has been called a putz at least once in the previous week.

6. The only thing that belongs on the back of your chair is your back.

7. Jackets go on hangers.

8. Never outdress your boss, unless you expect to have his job shortly.

9. Nothing starts the week better than a good shoe shine. Except for a promotion.

10. Exposed suspenders: no.

An Oversimplified Guide to Mixing Patterns
Don't go cross-eyed in your closet. Here's how to pair shirts and ties without incident or injury.

1. Fine-Striped Shirt
Best bet: textured knit tie.

2. Checkered Shirt
Best bet: dark solid tie with subtle pattern.

3. Windowpane Shirt
Best bet: patterned tie that echoes color of check.

4. Glen-Plaid Shirt
Best bet: thick-striped tie that accents the plaid.

5. Woven Shirt
Best bet: dark tie with stripes that match the shirt.

6. Bengal-Striped Shirt
Best bet: dark solid tie with subtle pattern.

[via MSN]

The Company Style

By Nadeem Alam

The Indian subcontinent was fully captured by the British "East India Company" in 1857 AD but many parts of the great empire were already under the company's regime, even before the final battle of 1857; the Ghadr.

Where there was adversity due to the colonial rule in the south Asia, there were also influences of modern life style and the developed science and technology of the west. The arts and the skills which were linked with the royal courts, were seeking patronage either in the peace of hill states or under the new western lords-the; the Gora Sahibs.

Many officers of the East India Company, were painters themselves who, for the sake of their own record, and some time for the sake of art only, painted the local landscape, fauna and flora, and characters from everyday life on continuous basis, which caused the western realistic style to enter into the stylized tradition of painting, that was in practice across the Subcontinent.

This practice by the officers ultimately resulted into evolving a blend of the east and the west that provided solid grounds for a new style of painting; the company painting.

Many of the British officers were watercolorists who inspired the aboriginal painters of opaque miniature technique of water based colors with the transparency of western watercolor, up to a level where admiration forced the local painter to try something for the new lords in the a style they brought with them.

Anjan Chakraverty in his famous book 'Indian Miniature Painting' has mentioned this influence in the following words:

"The country became a jewel in the crown of the British empire. It attracted lawyers and surgeons, intellectuals and artists, besides merchants and adventurers. These English residents and travelers made a fruitful discovery of native artists 'who were as talented and obliging as they were plentiful."

(Page 135)

taking the art of painting into consideration, one could feel that the indigenous approach of stylized painting was getting merged into the western 'true to life' naturalism as most of local painters were engaged in the rendering of paintings which were required for the surveys and records as per company's requirements. This activity attracted the artists, who once were under the Mughal or any other feudal patronage, to seek patronage from the British rule. These artists adapted themselves to the new medium and technique so quickly that they were considered worth appreciating by the Britons after a thorough analysis.

Lord Baden Powel was one such bureaucrat who paid keen attention on the handicrafts of the Punjab and promoted the skilled persons in this area. He collected vital information about these skills and even commented upon as he appreciated the work of a miniature painter of Punjab in his 'Handbook of the Manufacturers and Arts of the Punjab' as under:

"His color is often exaggerated but it is always warm and rich and fearless. The native artist is also patient, for weeks and months he will work at his design, painfully elaborating the minutest details; no time is considered too long, no labour too intense to secure perfection in imitation or delicacy in execution. The greatness failing in native artists is their ignorance of perspective and drawing, and it is fortunate that this want is most easy to supply."

(Page 355)

In these circumstances, under the immense western influence and out of the centuries old tradition of native convention of miniature painting 'company style of painting' evolved with local artists working for the company projects and western officers, most of whom were artists by themselves, naturally those masters guided and inspired the local art in terms of technique, application and themes as by the 2nd half of the nineteenth century, the West was enjoying, realism, neoclassicism, impressionism and was also knocking at the doors of 20th century with abstract expressionism.

Company paintings emerged as the assimilation point in the arts of the subcontinent, which later became the foundation for the modern art across South Asia especially in the academic arts of this region.

Prior to this juncture of time; during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Indian artists were commonly employed by the British East India Company as its servants, to illustrate the manners and customs of India and to record its many picturesque sights, monuments, deities, festivals, crafts and occupations. Their work, a blend of Indian and British styles, evolved up to an extent that a new style of painting or a new school of painting came into view in the South Asia. This style was not as monotonous and customary as the indigenous one; mainly due to the illuminations of manuscripts, a common practice of the rich royal courts, but was distinct in style, modern in approach and western in application. As the British demand was of images from everyday life, the paintings enclosed the market scenes, religious processions and rituals, occupations, methods of cultivation and household activities. These paintings could be taken as the visual record of everyday life in the 19th century, which were a handy asset for the British rulers and administrators in carrying out their duties at a place that was diverse in culture with varying activities.

These images were often compiled as a book, and were presented as gifts to contemporaries or saved as souvenirs.

The western technique got popularity with its distinctive features like, perspective, cross hatching, opaque shades and washes of defused colours, contrary to the aboriginal gay colours with illuminating effects; a common feature of the Indian Miniature painting.

The company painting breathed its first probably in the southern cities of Madras, Tanjore and Trichnopoly in the second half of the 18th century where the Brightness of colours was at hype in the creative tradition of Golkonda. The intensity of colours in this part of Subcontinent got alleviated and the static figurative expression, introduced to the natural humanistic styles. The Western influence crawled to nearby regions and overwhelmed Murshidabad, Patna, Banaras and Avadh while Calcutta was on top in acclimatizing to the modernity in all aspects, even genres other than painting.

While Avadh, owing to its royal and lavish traditions associated to the Nawabs, provided patronage to the modern British style of painting and they hired many British painters as their court painters as early as in the 19th century when the Britons had not taken over completely.
Patna and Banaras were among the centers who received inspiration by the modern British technique but only at the surface level, while Delhi after being fallen to the Company in 1803, provided opportunities to the native families of painters who had been serving the Mughal courts for generations. They served the company by preparing architectural drawings of great monuments of Delhi, Agra and Fatehpur Sikri. Moreover, portraits of the Mughal emperors on ivory and figurative paintings of the royal dancers were other notable works under the west-influenced art.

E B Howell was the last patron of local painters who appointed Company painters from Patna, Lala Isvari Prasad was one of them, selected to serve at Government School of Arts in Calcutta to teach the intricacy of the miniature painting and ornamental art.

It was this influence that later provided basis for the modern arts of Pakistan seeing that Mayo School of arts (NCA) and Department of Fine Arts at the University of the Punjab under Anna Molka Ahmed, fashioned that very style of painting in general, while at Bengal School of arts, a very strong nationalistic movement emerged as a reaction to that influence and westernization.
But in both cases, the company painting founded the modern and western style art in the Subcontinent which now has become the most popular painting style, across South Asia.

Great Supervisors Radically Re-Think their Public Style

By Steven Grant

The front line supervisor's #1 priority is to successfully process each day's work. Accomplish that task about 250 days of the year for 3-5 years and you'll be a strong candidate for a promotion. The lessons you learn as a successful supervisor will be the most important, and intense, management training you've every received. Should you have that aspiration, these lessons will serve you well all the way up the ladder. Everything you learn, you're going to learn from the most demanding teachers in the world, your front line customer service representatives and your customers. If you can satisfy these audiences with your determination, knowledge and skill you will gain the fundamentals required to manage any group. Before this happens you've got a lot of different demands tugging on your time and energy that you need to start pulling in one direction.

The good news for many of you is that you're already an expert in the technical aspects of the job. Unlike many of the leaders above you in the food chain, you've just come from the line and actually know what is going on, most of them have been managing so long they've forgotten. Be gentle with them, if you're really successful, eventually you'll forget also.

You may have spent years developing your technical knowledge and honing your customer skills to reach the supervisor role, now there are new skills to learn and apply to be an extraordinarily successful supervisor.

The roles of front line representative and front line supervisor differ primarily in the shift from direct action to influence management. Instead of acting as an individual technical expert, the supervisor must guide the performance of 10-30 other individual experts. To successfully make this transition the new supervisor must learn the importance of their public style versus their personal knowledge. This is a major transition and one where too few companies provide practical, meaningful training.

"Style" is not to be taken lightly here, this is not about the color of your shoes or the kind of music you enjoy (but, by the way, don't wear those brown loafers with the blue suit any more, you're management now). Style is the way you move through the world, how you communicate, the confidence you exude, the respect you afford others, and your ability to hold the wheel steady when foul winds are blowing. A public style emerges when you begin to realize that you're no longer acting based on your own desires or a personal agenda, you're acting on behalf of the employees in your care, with guidance from your boss, and within the principles, values and objectives of the overall corporation. You're now a member of a larger community and are required to balance all these interests to achieve the best possible outcome.

As a front line representative you didn't have to think through any of those issues, you needed to know what you were doing, do it relatively quickly and accurately, communicate efficiently with the customers, cooperate with your team members, and listen responsively to your superiors. Do those five things with some consistency, show up on time, and you're pretty much an "A" player in the ranks.

Now, as a new supervisor you're taking it up a notch, may Emeril guide us. This is a different way of thinking about the world, even a different way of moving through the world.

Enjoy the change, fear the change, embrace the change; you're on your way to a great career in a confusing, demanding, exciting new role that can carry you as far as you're willing to reach.
Copyright 2007, Lotus Pond Media

Steven Grant is a former customer service executive from American Express with over 25 years devoted in Fortune 500 companies analyzing, improving and delivering on enhanced customer experiences. Share your experiences and suggestions on improving the customer experience at http://www.customerresearchcenter.com or email Mr. Grant at scgrant@customerresearchcenter.com.

Contribute to the discussion about the role of the supervisor in the service industry and win a free copy of the new ebook from Lotus Pond Media: The Supervisor's Handbook: Surving and Thriving on the front lines of the Service Industry. Sign up for your free ebook at CustomerResearchCenter or join at http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/serviceexperience/

Your African Style

By Adam Peters

The African style of decorating has seen quite an increase in popularity, due to the prevalence of home design shows, websites, and books. You may want to add a bit of African style to your own home, but are unsure of where to begin, but there are ways that you can add a touch of this style to make your room more visually appealing and interesting.

You can easily make your room into a beautiful refuge by choosing an African-styled wallpaper border and choosing a coordinating paint color. If you are lucky enough to have walls that already mesh well with the border, then you will only have to put up the border. Simply adding this simple touch can give your room an entirely new feel.

Choosing Your Wallpaper Border
By selecting a wallpaper border that works well with your existing paint color, you will save yourself time and you will give your room an entirely different feel. If you have furniture that dominates the room due to a big print or wild color, then you may want to consider that in your choice of border.

Finding a border online may be the easiest when it comes to African design. One such website is African-Images.Com. This site has a wonderful variety of different African styled borders and wallpapers that can give your room a touch of Africa. From tribal masks to scenery and more, you are sure to find a border that expresses your individuality and your affinity for African style. They are easy to install, too, with their pre-pasted backing that only needs water to activate. Taking care of borders is as simple as cleaning with a damp cloth. You will be amazed at the style that a border can add to your room. Even though it is a small touch of décor, it can make a big impact.

Selecting a Color of Paint
If you want to paint the walls before putting up your border, you will want to be sure that you take a wallpaper sample that will enable you to match the colors carefully. If you cannot find your particular color in the pre-mixed paint, you can always have the color specially mixed.

Décor for Your Room
Where you put the wallpaper border is entirely up to you. You can choose to put it at the top of the wall, at the bottom of the wall, or at the middle of the wall near chair railing. It is up to your personal preferences. Paint your walls first and then install your border once the paint is dry. In no time at all, you will have a room with African style.

Adam Peters is the editor of http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com You can find more information and resources on African style at his website.

Decorating Your Kitchen With Vintage Retro Style

By Adam Peters

Decorating is a favorite activity for many people and the kitchen is the most popular location in the home by far. The kitchen is the center of the family in many cases, so it is important to make it inviting and fun for the entire family.

One popular way to redecorate your kitchen is in the vintage retro style of decorating. This style helps to give you a wonderful outlet for all of those retro pieces that you can find at tag sales and it can make the room fun and welcoming.

When planning your decorating, you want to be sure that you include all of the different facets of the room. This includes window treatments, floors, cabinets, wall color, furniture, etc. You want all of the pieces to mesh well together to create a room that is a cohesive whole, rather than the pieces detracting from each other. Popular colors in the vintage retro style of decorating include pink and blue, red and white, and cream and green. Even the retro 1970's colors are not off limit, so you may want to consider orange, harvest gold, or even avocado green.

The window treatments that you choose can either enhance or detract from the rest of your décor. That is why it is so important to make your choice carefully. You can even find curtains that are original to the era that you are recreating if you are willing to hunt and spend the money. If you cannot find any, then you may want to consider vintage napkins, tablecloths, or towels that you can create curtains from.

Accessories are another great way to add that vintage retro style to your kitchen. If you cannot afford to redecorate the entire room, then just consider changing the accessories. You will be amazed at what a difference these small touches can have. Focus on choosing items that you love and that fit the style of decorating that you chose. Yard sale finds and online auction finds are a great resource for these types of items.

Displaying your accessories around the walls will give you a vintage retro style without having to redo the whole room. By putting them on shelves, you will be able to create displays of different heights and sizes to make them visually appealing and to enhance the décor of your room.

You don't have to blow the budget to add retro style to your kitchen. By making your choices carefully and searching for those special pieces, you will find that in no time at all, you will have a kitchen to be proud of.

Adam Peters is the copywriter of http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com Find more publications about vintage retro style at his website.

What is this Buzz Word "Documentary Style Wedding Photography?"

By Peter Phun

Long before the "photojournalistic style" became the catch-phrase in wedding photography today, newspaper photographers a.k.a. photojournalists have been crafting this approach in their daily work in covering news events with honesty and candor.

The most successful photojournalists have great anticipation which often comes from shooting on the streets, being observant, having good imagination, being vigilant and being ready to react.
So if that's the style of wedding pictures you are looking for, there is no one more uniquely qualified for that task than a photojournalist --- a photographer with a newspaper background.

In a crowded banquet full of guests, how does he pick out the most likely person who is going to be very besides the bride and bride's mother? And when he finds that person, how can he take the picture unobtrusively?

If he reads his subjects right, he would naturally move in or select the right lens and zoom in on his subject all the time watching the background and the lighting.

Whatever he decides he will have to work fast using whatever available light there is because the moment a flash goes off, the subjects will be aware of his presence and all spontaneity will be lost.

So the wedding photojournalist is always on the alert, looking for moments which are real and unrehearsed. His people skills are just as important because he needs to be outgoing and friendly so that he blends in with the guests.

While the guests are standing in line waiting for their food, he is watching the guests, picking out the gregarious and rowdy ones, ones who are drinking a lot and have a tendency to be the live of the party.

Sometimes those are the ones who will break out in impromptu songs.

Children at weddings are always great subjects since you can always count on them to be amusing and cute. Examples that come to mind: the ringboy who suddenly realizes he is shy when he sees the crowd before him or the flowergirl who collapses in mum's arms in exhaustion in the middle of the ceremony.

Peter Phun is an adjunct photography instructor at Riverside City College. He is a freelance photographer, web designer and stay at home dad.

He also photographs weddings and does on-location portraiture. He previously worked as a staff photographer for 18 years at The Press-Enterprise, Southern California's 4th largest daily newspaper.

Peter is the webmaster for the Mac user group in the Inland Empire. For more information about this Riverside based photographer, visit http://www.peterphun.com .

Read this article with accompanying photographs as it appears in his website http://www.peterphun.com/weddings/documentary_style.html

Orlando Luxury Resorts Comfort and Style At Its Best

By Benjamin Scott

The City of Orlando Florida is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.
According to experts, this city attracts about 52 million tourists every year. Most of these tourists come to see the famous attractions that the city of Orlando has to offer like the beautiful white beaches with crystal clear blue waters, the Walt Disney World Resort, Sea World, the Universal Orlando resort and many others.

During peak seasons, most of the Orlando luxury resorts are fully booked for months. If you are planning to come to this city and stay in one of the beautiful Orlando luxury resorts, it would be best for you to make your reservations well ahead of time to avoid any inconveniences.

Choosing Orlando luxury resorts. There are many Orlando luxury resorts that you can choose from when visiting the city. If you are one of those people who are interested in culture and arts, the Orlando luxury resorts located around the Orlando Culture Coast may prove to be very interesting for you.

If you decide to stay in one of the Orlando luxury resorts located in this area, you will be treated to the beautiful site of the Ormond Beach, New Smyrna Beach and Daytona Beach.

Aside from the beautiful beaches located around this area, you will also find a lot of cultural attractions here including the Atlantic Center for the Arts, the Museum of Arts and Sciences, the Ormond Beach Art Museum and the Southeast Museum of Photography.

Furthermore, living in Orlando luxury resorts located in the Culture Coast will allow you to visit numerous art galleries and shops located around the area. If you want to bring home some souvenirs from this lovely city in Florida, these art galleries and shops can offer you a wide array of mementos and other works of art.

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Fashion Style Tips for Women - Accessorizing

By Kirsty Semple

On the catwalks this season some distinct and varied styles are apparent. The hardness of the rock look, the futuristic metallic look and the contrasting feminine look are all hot this season and provide women with a wide range of choice to suit their own styles and still be fashionable. Not only are these looks up to date and fresh for 2008, but they carry with them classic retro style with the trends of the season are all reminiscent of the 80s: the rock bands animal print, the neon colours and metallics of the punks and the romantic ruffles and lace.

The great thing about this season is that accessories are huge leaving people free to keep their existing wardrobe and buy only a few small items to refresh it. Whatever accessory you are comfortable wearing is the one to go for because the list of fashionable items it endless:

jewellery, hats, scarves, wraps, watches, belts, gloves, bandanas, headbands, gloves, boots, bags and hair ties with jewels.

The key to accessorising is to draw attention to your best features. In the colder months when low cut tops are left in the wardrobe, the eye can still be drawn to cleavage by wearing a V-shaped medium length necklace, or layering several different lengths of necklace. Large natural beads such as wooden or stone beads are great for earthy autumn. Or contrast away from earthy naturals with mettalics. To enlarge the bust line go for a jewelled necklace.

Earrings draw attention to your face, long dangly earrings accentuate the length of your neck. Bracelets complete an outfit. Belts highlight curvaceous hips and a great pair knee high boots elongate the legs. A chocker creates a sexy collar bone. Work with your own body and place jewellery where it will draw the eye.

For the rock look a flash of animal print on a belt or a scarf, black nail polish or skull earrings. The skull motif, again on a scarf or belt has the same effect. Don’t wear all these things at once and end up looking like a nightmare, the rock look is strong enough to come through with one or two small pieces.

The metallic look is perhaps easiest to achieve with jewellery, choose a colour which suits you and your existing wardrobe from gold, silver, bronze and copper. There are many bags and shoes in these colours available at the moment. For a bold statement red and gold is great, a cooler look silver and purple, have fun and mix your colours.

In contrast to these two harder looks the romantic look is about feminine softness. You can mix in the strong colours from the rock look but with ruffles or lace of embroidery. A large loose ribbon bow, oversized bag or sexy feminine boots. Long leather gloves also appear this season.

Jewellery that is big this season feature pearls, metallics, naturals (eg, wood, shell), heart shapes, discs, hoops, exaggerated facets on stones, bold colours and large natural statements such as butterflies and bold florals.

Most importantly have fun. You can always take something and make your own statement with it. Wear a long necklace as a belt, a scarf round your wrist, brooches as a chocker on a ribbon. Contrast fine jewellery with casual clothes.

Always remember that a small statement offset with neutrals is more effective than many bold statements which will clash and be confusing. Less is more.

Sunshine JewelleryA passion for making jewellery and wearing it!
http://www.squidoo.com/fashiontrtendsforwomen

How You Can Select a Fashion Style For a Hot New Look In 7 Days

By Korbin Newlyn

Fashion is a manner of communicating your inner self through clothes. Apparel frequently symbolizes a specific style or era and each year fashion designers attempt to contribute and produce new trends that can depict the time of the present year and hopefully create a milestone in history forever.

There are numerous fashion styles through, which we remember a time period. Those fashions constantly live on since they were highly successful and frequently in a classic way which perpetually was and will be everlasting.

There are numerous of us who desire to put on what is in fashion at any expense; not only in the current year but every single season: spring, summer, fall and winter. Nevertheless, there is one matter we do not hesitate to look at, which the most significant affair in fashion is: does the fashion style accommodate us.

How Do You Recognize If a Fashion Style Becomes You?
It is really uncomplicated; clothes are normally fashioned with varied types of silhouettes in mind and despite the fact that we are no fashion models from the runway, we must contemplate the following prior to selecting a fashion style: height, weight and skin tone. All things in fashion is chosen to match and put forward a individual's quality characteristics forward and in order for you to put yours, you essentially need to be conscious of your body and skin tone.

Your height and weight will decide whether you should pick out fashion styles that apply short or long skirts or dresses as each one can accentuate a aspect of your body. Your skin tone will define what color clothes you should select and that as well is instantly connected to fashion styles as some designers make particular colors only.

It is significant you be your own judge and friend in order that you will be capable of picking out the most effective fashion styles that will bring out your best characteristics and hence, give you your money's worth. What benefit is there to wear something that is the newest fashion yet does not accommodate your style and identity?

Should You Break with Fashion Rules?
Fashion styles should exclusively be picked for your tastes since you appear good in them and not because they are in style at the moment. Also always be mindful that if you cannot have on the in style fashion design since you find it absurd, you can always wear something classic as it is perpetually in style and it accommodates everybody without exception. If you do not recognize what colors to wear for a crucial fashion meeting, always stick with black and white as they are classic and constantly in style.

Listen to Korbin Newlyn as he shares his insights as an expert author and an avid writer in the field of extreme sports. If you would like to learn more go to Fashion Design advice and at Fashion Bug tips.

Jewelry for Year Around Style

By Alice Lane

Year in and year out styles and fashion come and go. In fact, every season there is something new to be obsessed with. Though this is certainly exciting for those of us who love new and original ideas, it is also lots of fun. However, most people don’t or can’t change every single thing in their closets and accessory box every time the wind changes. Imagine the craziness of doing that every season? It is great to update your wardrobe every so often and who doesn’t use retail therapy to cope with stress of daily life. However, when you are choosing the pieces of your collection that require a little more investment, you want them to be classics. Everyone has certain basics and foundational articles that define their character and style. In terms of jewelry, every woman has those special treasures that she wears when she really wants to convey her uniqueness and give her outward appearance that extra special touch.

With clothing, there are certain fundamentals that keep coming back and that rarely change. Part of their selection has to do with your comfort with your own style. I knew a woman whose classic outfit consisted of jeans and a white button down shirt. Initially that sounds boring but she would play with jean styles and cuts as well as shirt designs. Then her jewelry and accessories dressed things up or dressed things down depending on her mood or the occasion.

Every person needs to decide what her staples are and then feel free to add the more interesting trends that appear each season. Items like knee high boots for example were huge in various parts of the 60s and 70s and continue to evolve in their frequent resurgences. This is an item that is worth investing in, as it never goes away.

In terms of jewelry, it can be a little harder or a little easier to choose classics depending on one thing...you. If you are one to get sick of something and lose it at the bottom of your jewelry box, you may be always chasing new trends every season. If you are a person who enjoys being really selective in your jewelry pieces then you want to always go with designers that have an ability to create truly lasting pieces. Judith Ripka inspired jewelry is one that comes to mind.

Once you take a look at her artistry you’ll see why she has lasted so long in this cutthroat business. Though her collections continue to evolve as with the Judith Ripka Berge earrings and the Judith Ripka Loopty Loo her pieces never go "out of style" and her collections shine with adaptability to ever changing fashion trends. In this scenario, a woman with a firm grasp on her own taste and personal fashion makes her life easier when she finds an artist or jewelry designer that offers pieces that serve as classics. From Judith Ripka Bangles to rings and earrings, with a designer like her, you can find true fundamental pieces to accentuate and augment your own personal style while remaining "in".

It is true that is can be fun yet maddening to try to keep up with the latest and greatest styles. However, with a little self-awareness and familiarity with who is out there, you can find styles and designers to help you create your fashion foundation. This will allow you to keep a style all your own while extracting new and fabulous compliments as the seasons change.

Looking for Judith Ripka inspired jewelry? If you're anywhere in the midwest then stop by Judith Ripka Chicago for the finest selection of exquisite jewelry. Whether you're looking for Judith Ripka Berge earrings or Judith Ripka Bangles or anything in between, we look forward to helping you find your perfect piece.

Christian Lacroix - Man of Style

By James Philips

A man who has made his mark in the world of fashion, Christian Lacroix was born in the year 1951 in Arles, France. The favorite son in a family of engineers, Lacroix studied Art History and wanted to be a museum curator. Blessed with a fashionable father and grandmother, his taste for fashion was tuned from his childhood though it manifested into his design skills at a much later stage.

It was his wife who slowly lured him into sketching designs for dresses. In the year 1980, he joined a firm that designed clothes and his rise to stardom started from this point. This was a time when people had formed an opinion that the haute couture was a declining field with little hope for a good future.

Lacroix survived and soon made a mark in the year 1986, when he was awarded the ‘De d’or prize by the Paris officials. The next year he won the Oscar for Best Foreign Designer, an award he received from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. The same year saw him launching his own salon in 1987. He also got involved in other accessories like footwear, hats, handbags, eyewear, jewelry, belts etc.

It didn’t take much time for him to get noticed. He ventured into even military uniforms and flight attendant uniforms. He became the favorite for the rich and the famous. He designed a red satin for Princess Diana on her visit to Paris once.

Christian Lacroix has a very unique style. He uses bright color combinations very often. It is said that the sun he used to see in his native province influenced him to use his trademark bright colours so often.

For now, Christian Lacroix has ventured deep into amalgamation of Information Technology into the world of fashion. He also won the coveted Legion of Honor from the French Government for his contributions in this field.

He has been credited with a number of different projects. He has been contacted to design aircrew uniforms for Air France, interior decoration of French National Railway high speed cars etc: With the rate at which he is progressing now, there is little doubt that there is nothing stopping this man of style.

Find Christian Lacroix perfume and colognes on sale at Perfume Center. Read more about Christian Lacroix perfumes

Why The Loafer Style Continues To Be One Of The Hottest Shoe Styles For Men And Women

By Gregg Hall

A lot of people like to trade comfort for price. A lot of women wear thing that hurt their feet such as high heels but they do it for the looks. Most other people would buy anything for comfort. Many creators of things such as clothing and shoes have begun to make thing that are more of comfort than style to the customers.

When you speak with people that own a pair of loafers, they will tell you one thing that they are the best and most comfortable shoes they have. Loafers are a type of shoe that allows you feet to get air. They are not prone to giving blisters and are good for your feet. They usually have a good thick sole and can be of comfort to many. Even though they might be a tight fit they are a good type of shoe to have and wear everyday. Loafers are something that you don’t rush to take off when you get home. Instead you may like wearing these at and in your home.

A lot of the people that wear these shoes like the fact that they are comfortable and are low maintentance. These shoes can be worn with no laces therefore no tying. They are also good for people who have had back problems and that can’t bend over easily. You can be sitting down and put a pair of loafers on without even moving. These shoes are very comfortable and won't and shouldn’t go overlooked.

Loafers are a good type of shoe because they can be worn on many different occasions. They can be worn everywhere work home anywhere. They are worn everywhere to dress up or down.
You can match them with basically anything you have. When they are worn with jeans they are most a casual look. These shoes can be worn everywhere that you go everyday.

A lot more creators of this shoe are making more and more options of this type of shoe. At first you could only buy the pair of shoes in brown or black leather. However you can still get the original brown and black you can get other styles and colors as well. You will be able to find any type of loafer that you can think of. These many different varieties can be very affordable and bought many places. In the past only older people only wore leather loafers, now younger people as well are wearing these shoes too. These shoes will not go overlooked and are very comfortable. All of the many different types are popular and are most affordable to every person that likes loafers.

Gregg Hall is an author living with his beautiful wife and family in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about shoes as well as casual shoes at http://www.dressorcasualshoes.com

How To Choose The Right Style Of Window Treatment For Your Home

By Gregg Hall

One of the most fun areas of home decorating is choosing what type of window treatments you are going to use. Not only do you have the choices of what style, fabrics, and colors but you also need to decide whether you will use matching or contrasting borders, fringe, cording, and other accents that will announce your individuality. The choice of window treatments tells a lot about a person’s personality. My wife and I recently redesigned the window treatments in one of our homes and chose a tropical them complete with bamboo rods for the curtain holders and blinds that were made of bamboo slats for an island look. When we added some floral curtains and draped artificial flowers over the bamboo rods it really set the whole room up.

Many people don’t realize how many different components go into creating great window treatments. In addition to the above you also have to choose your draperies and valances as well as what type of ties you are going to go with and with the valances you have to decide if you are going formal or casual as well as choosing the type of fabric and whether it will be flat, gathered, or pleated.

Next you will want to make a decision about blinds and shades. There is now a diverse selection of shades and blinds to choose from. This wasn’t the case as little as 20 years ago but now you can walk into home improvement store and find an enormous selection, if you shop online you find an even larger selection. Here you will have to decide whether you are going to use shades made of fabric or the cellular variety. You will also have the options of bottom arched, pleated or flat, Roman and balloon styles. Keep in mind that the cellular shades will give you a much cleaner look.

If you opt to go with blinds as we have in all of our houses then you have many more choices. You can choose aluminum, vinyl, imitation wood, or real wood for your blinds and of course you also have a rainbow of colors to choose from. The great thing about using real wood is that you can match them to any color you need. They are also very adjustable as far as how much light you want to let in and you can open them with open windows to let breezes flow through and still maintain a degree of privacy.

Gregg Hall is an author living with his beautiful wife and family in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about window blinds as well as window treatments at http://www.windowblindsandshadesonline.com

Setting Styles for Diamond Rings

By I. Maher

The manner in which a diamond is affixed to a ring is referred to as its setting, and several different setting styles are used for diamond rings. Below we examine some of the major setting styles for diamonds and other precious gemstones in rings:

Channel Setting: In a ring with a channel setting, one or more diamonds are inset into a channel and held in place by a small lip on either edge. Multiple stones in a channel setting are not surrounded by individual prongs, but are situated snugly next to one another within the same recessed channel. Excellent examples of channel settings are those in eternity rings. Eternity rings usually contain a row of diamonds inset in a channel, which stretches either halfway or all the way around the ring. Channel settings may secure all of the stones in a ring such as an eternity ring, or can be situated on either side of one larger center stone with a different setting style, a popular option for engagement rings.

Prong Setting: Also called a “claw setting,” a prong setting consists of a set of usually four or six metal prongs which protrude from the base of a ring and wrap slightly around the top edge of the diamond to hold it in place. Prong settings are popular for rings with one main diamond as the dominant feature, as is the case with most engagement rings. Prong settings are cost effective, and many people prefer them because of the belief that light can pass through a diamond in a prong setting from the bottom as well as the top, contributing to its brilliance.

Bezel setting: In a bezel setting, also referred to as a “rub-over” setting, the diamond is completely encircled by a band of metal which affixes it securely to the ring. A rub-over setting incorporates an elevated collar of metal around the edges of the diamond, which protects and secures the stone better than other elevated setting styles such as the prong setting. A variation of the rub-over setting is a flush setting, in which a diamond is set into an opening and secured at the bottom, with the top of the diamond extending beyond the base.

Tension Setting: A tension setting is a unique diamond setting style in which the metal of the ring itself holds a diamond securely in place within an opening in the metal. The diamond appears to float, since no metal from the ring extends beneath it. You may imagine the metal of the ring acting as a very strong spring which holds the diamond in place. Rings utilizing tension settings must undergo specialized strengthening treatments since the diamond relies on pressure from either side of the opening to hold it in place. A tension setting allows light to enter the diamond from all angles, giving it extra luminosity.

About the Author: Ian Maher is the CEO of Maliere, a leading provider of eternity rings, diamond rings, platinum rings and gold rings. For more information, please visit http://www.Maliere.com

Coping Styles - The Key To Stress Reduction

By Michael Benjamin

Cope better. But how can you? Make your coping styles more effective. But how? The answer is free Online Self-Help CBT. Let me explain why. My name is Dr. Michael Benjamin. For 38 years I have studied how people cope. As a Psychiatrist I learned how central coping styles are. Let me share what I have learned.

Coping styles are a mixture of experience and personality. By personality I mean the way that we think, feel and behave in given situations.

Are you getting a little edgy? How do I change my personality? Don’t worry you will not.

There is a dyad that we all accept as true. Feelings and thoughts, they interact and effect each other. Feelings and thoughts are the reaction to an event. Very often we have thoughts or basic assumptions which are completely wrong. The assumptions are unchallenged. They generate feelings. These feelings generate thoughts. Vicious circles are in the offing. A reaction to an event becomes prolonged. The reaction outlasts the event. The thought feeling dyad has led you into a mood. The mood makes it harder for you to cope.

Some people are very bad with their basic assumptions. They exaggerate. But by their very nature basic assumptions are unchallenged.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy [CBT] is the way to challenge and change theses assumptions.
Online Self-Help CBT is a very effective, easy tool to use. Almost immediately you feel a sense of mastery. You start to cope better. You will rapidly observe traits. Similar, wrong assumptions crop up regularly. You change them individually. Then you will soon see and change traits.

Maybe you wish to exchange experiences. A burden shared is a burden lessened. Online Self-Help CBT allows you to participate on a e-Group designed to do just that.

Dr. Michael Benjamin

Psychiatrist

myRay:Free Online Self-Help CBT : http://www.myRay.com