Wedding Anniversary Symbols
October 26, 2009 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
Jason Hennessey asked:
Modern day marriages are seemingly harder to keep together without necessarily finding fault that requires a divorce. With the current divorce rates rising by the day, people are suffering from too much pressure at their workplaces and the demands on the home front given very little attention to warrant constant wrangles between married couples. But that does not mean that we should despair. We have a lot to be thankful for all the years that we share together as a couple and as such, every anniversary should be celebrated as a great milestone and what better way to celebrate like having special gifts for each other for the occasion?
Like all wedding traditions, gift giving has a history that is guided by the years that the two of you have been married. For example, a 25 years old marriage is supposed to be your silver jubilee and hence gifts of silver should be shared among the couples. This may sound rather extravagant but it goes with the importance that you place on your marriage, and believe me, 25 years is a long time, its not just silverware you should be giving each other.
The Symbols started as an informal way of sharing gifts by married couples and there was really no particular order until it started spreading around as a fresh idea as things took order and relevance. Then there was obviously a change when the calendar was introduced across borders as people chose to be selective and made their own changes here and there hence the traditional and the modern symbols.
Below are the symbols that most gift shops around the world go by and are found in a gift calendar that was established in the United States of America then spread to United Kingdom with particular modifications, although the Germans are said to have had such an arrangement earlier on.
The first ten years
Traditional Modern
1 Paper Clocks
2 Cotton China
3 Leather Crystal
4 Fruit & flowers Electrical appliances
5 Wood Silverware
6 Candy or iron Wood
7 Wool & copper Desk sets
8 Bronze & pottery Linens & lace
9 Pottery & willow Leather
10 Tin or aluminum Diamond jewelry
The next 11 – 20 years
11 Steel Fashion jewelry
12 Silk & linen Colored gems, especially pearls
13 Lace Textiles or furs
14 Ivory Gold jewelry
15 Crystal Watches
20 China Platinum
Later Years
25 Silver Silver
30 Pearl Diamond
35 Coral Jade
40 Ruby Ruby
45 Sapphire Sapphire
50 Gold Gold
55 Emerald Emerald
60 Diamond Diamond
Creativity is also encouraged and the gift does not have to be very expensive. Remember that the gesture is symbolic, a celebration of a wonderful life together, your togetherness all these years later and as such, you have 365 days between anniversaries to plan your next gift. If you’re traditional and your spouse prefers the modern approach, you can still use the different calendar differences as a guide.
Some can be combined or accessorized to feature aspects of both for example, you can have a small steel jewelery box customized or engraved with her initials or name and when she opens it, she finds a well assembled collection of fashion jewels. Whatever you do, don’t spend too much to make you miserable much later.
Modern day marriages are seemingly harder to keep together without necessarily finding fault that requires a divorce. With the current divorce rates rising by the day, people are suffering from too much pressure at their workplaces and the demands on the home front given very little attention to warrant constant wrangles between married couples. But that does not mean that we should despair. We have a lot to be thankful for all the years that we share together as a couple and as such, every anniversary should be celebrated as a great milestone and what better way to celebrate like having special gifts for each other for the occasion?
Like all wedding traditions, gift giving has a history that is guided by the years that the two of you have been married. For example, a 25 years old marriage is supposed to be your silver jubilee and hence gifts of silver should be shared among the couples. This may sound rather extravagant but it goes with the importance that you place on your marriage, and believe me, 25 years is a long time, its not just silverware you should be giving each other.
The Symbols started as an informal way of sharing gifts by married couples and there was really no particular order until it started spreading around as a fresh idea as things took order and relevance. Then there was obviously a change when the calendar was introduced across borders as people chose to be selective and made their own changes here and there hence the traditional and the modern symbols.
Below are the symbols that most gift shops around the world go by and are found in a gift calendar that was established in the United States of America then spread to United Kingdom with particular modifications, although the Germans are said to have had such an arrangement earlier on.
The first ten years
Traditional Modern
1 Paper Clocks
2 Cotton China
3 Leather Crystal
4 Fruit & flowers Electrical appliances
5 Wood Silverware
6 Candy or iron Wood
7 Wool & copper Desk sets
8 Bronze & pottery Linens & lace
9 Pottery & willow Leather
10 Tin or aluminum Diamond jewelry
The next 11 – 20 years
11 Steel Fashion jewelry
12 Silk & linen Colored gems, especially pearls
13 Lace Textiles or furs
14 Ivory Gold jewelry
15 Crystal Watches
20 China Platinum
Later Years
25 Silver Silver
30 Pearl Diamond
35 Coral Jade
40 Ruby Ruby
45 Sapphire Sapphire
50 Gold Gold
55 Emerald Emerald
60 Diamond Diamond
Creativity is also encouraged and the gift does not have to be very expensive. Remember that the gesture is symbolic, a celebration of a wonderful life together, your togetherness all these years later and as such, you have 365 days between anniversaries to plan your next gift. If you’re traditional and your spouse prefers the modern approach, you can still use the different calendar differences as a guide.
Some can be combined or accessorized to feature aspects of both for example, you can have a small steel jewelery box customized or engraved with her initials or name and when she opens it, she finds a well assembled collection of fashion jewels. Whatever you do, don’t spend too much to make you miserable much later.
The Benefits and Pitfalls of Platinum Jewelry
October 23, 2009 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
Christine MacDonald asked:
Today like no other time in history the choices in metals that can be used to make jewelry especially engagement rings and wedding rings is almost over whelming.
A metal that may be new to many people is platinum, however it does have a rich history with its use in decorative pieces dating back to the 7th century and ancient Egypt. The use in jewelry and decor began its rise in Europe in the 18th century however it was not obtainable to those who were not royalty or extremely wealthy. In 1930′s during the time of the great depression and WWII platinum became a controlled substance therefore its use in jewelry making was almost unheard of.
It has only been in the last ten years that platinum has made a real resurgence. This metal has gained popularity in recent years among the general population however the price makes it an unrealistic choice for most of us. A platinum ring generally costs double the amount of its white gold counterpart therefore it still viewed by many as a symbol of wealth and status.
Platinum is a white metal that is appreciated for not only its beauty but its strength and long wear ability. This is one of reasons many skilled jewelers especially those making high end items like to use platinum prongs in order to set diamonds and gems in their pieces. It is also a desirable choice because it does not oxidize and is hypoallergenic. Another characteristic that makes platinum stand out from the competition is that when it does sustain a scratch this will not cause further damage to your ring, where as if a gold ring is scratched the gold will continue to breakdown in that area.
Unlike gold, high quality platinum has a purity of 95% and is often alloyed with metals such as titanium, copper, rhodium, palladium, iridium, osmium, and ruthenium. Platinum is rated by a 1000 count, with platinum of 950 parts per thousand being used to make high quality jewelry. It is recommended that if you are going to pay the money for a quality platinum piece that you do not buy anything below 850 parts per 1000. High quality platinum will have a mark stating what its count is and it should be and combination of the number such as 950 and the lettering Pt or Plat.
If you ever decided to purchase or even try a platinum ring on the first thing you will notice is the weight of it. Platinum is a very dense metal therefore a platinum ring will weigh approximately 60% more than the same ring made from 18kt gold. As well platinum has a much higher melting temperature then gold, and can be heated over and over again allowing very small intricate pieces to made. Platinum allows a jeweler the flexibility to make pieces that are very elaborate and detailed without losing strength or durability.
Platinum rings may not be for everyone however if the price is out of reach then an option may be to purchase a ring that has its diamonds or stones secured with platinum prongs. Other options can be to go to a simpler design with the added security that your ring will last or do to a ring with a mix of metals.
Today like no other time in history the choices in metals that can be used to make jewelry especially engagement rings and wedding rings is almost over whelming.
A metal that may be new to many people is platinum, however it does have a rich history with its use in decorative pieces dating back to the 7th century and ancient Egypt. The use in jewelry and decor began its rise in Europe in the 18th century however it was not obtainable to those who were not royalty or extremely wealthy. In 1930′s during the time of the great depression and WWII platinum became a controlled substance therefore its use in jewelry making was almost unheard of.
It has only been in the last ten years that platinum has made a real resurgence. This metal has gained popularity in recent years among the general population however the price makes it an unrealistic choice for most of us. A platinum ring generally costs double the amount of its white gold counterpart therefore it still viewed by many as a symbol of wealth and status.
Platinum is a white metal that is appreciated for not only its beauty but its strength and long wear ability. This is one of reasons many skilled jewelers especially those making high end items like to use platinum prongs in order to set diamonds and gems in their pieces. It is also a desirable choice because it does not oxidize and is hypoallergenic. Another characteristic that makes platinum stand out from the competition is that when it does sustain a scratch this will not cause further damage to your ring, where as if a gold ring is scratched the gold will continue to breakdown in that area.
Unlike gold, high quality platinum has a purity of 95% and is often alloyed with metals such as titanium, copper, rhodium, palladium, iridium, osmium, and ruthenium. Platinum is rated by a 1000 count, with platinum of 950 parts per thousand being used to make high quality jewelry. It is recommended that if you are going to pay the money for a quality platinum piece that you do not buy anything below 850 parts per 1000. High quality platinum will have a mark stating what its count is and it should be and combination of the number such as 950 and the lettering Pt or Plat.
If you ever decided to purchase or even try a platinum ring on the first thing you will notice is the weight of it. Platinum is a very dense metal therefore a platinum ring will weigh approximately 60% more than the same ring made from 18kt gold. As well platinum has a much higher melting temperature then gold, and can be heated over and over again allowing very small intricate pieces to made. Platinum allows a jeweler the flexibility to make pieces that are very elaborate and detailed without losing strength or durability.
Platinum rings may not be for everyone however if the price is out of reach then an option may be to purchase a ring that has its diamonds or stones secured with platinum prongs. Other options can be to go to a simpler design with the added security that your ring will last or do to a ring with a mix of metals.
Jaipur Travel
October 22, 2009 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
Debolina Debroy asked:
The name of this picturesque city is world famous. No trip to India will be complete with out a trip to Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. It is also known as the pink city because of its pink sand stone building. It was once the capital city of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, a Kachwaha Rajput. Now the very structure of the city reminds us the taste of the Rajput and Royal family.
The city
Flooded with palaces and monuments, Jaipur is a living monument as a city. The old city looks most wonderful at the sun set with pink hue. It is these buildings that give Jaipur the sobriquet of pink city. Traveler always remember the pink city experience with modernism reflected in the urban spaces. The shopping extravaganza and the first walk through a Rajput Palace are really unforgettable.
Attractions
The enchanting city Jaipur lures large number of tourists with its numerous attractions. The city is known for its architectural grandeur and town planning. The attractions of Jaipur are as follows-
City Palace Museum- Located in the heart of the city, the former royal residence a blend of traditional Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. This palace is welknown for its architecture and grandeur. The different mahal of the palace are beautifully designed. The beautiful palace with its carved ivory and brass doors, marble paved courts and chandeliered ceilings is used in part as a private residence by the present Maharaja. The Diwan – i -am now houses the Maharaja’s collection of rare paintings and manuscript and is called the Maharaja of Jaipur Museum.
Hawa Mahal- Jaipur’s most striking landmark, the Hawa Mahal or Palace of Wind is located in the heart of the city. It is a five storeyed pink sand stone building, intricately carved and balconied, once served as a screened grand-stand for the royal ladies who could watch the victory parades and religious processions without being seen. Hawa Mahal is the loveliest in the morning when the direct sunlight peeps off its many window.
Amer Fort – Just 11 km from the main town Jaipur Amber fort is a magnificient old citadel, which stands high on a rocky spur of the Aravalli range. It is considered as one of the best hilltop forts in India. It is an wonderful work of art and symbol of the lives of our Royal Rajput. The architecture of the fort is amazing and it is a perfect blend of the Muslim and Hindu architecture. Jaipur attracts tourists from every nook and corner of the earth and the Amer fort stands as a proud reminder of the exotic architecture of the bygone era. The famous attractions of the fort Diwan-e-Am or the hall of public audience, Kali Mata temple – a black marble of the Goddess Kali, Diwan-e-Khas or the hall of private audience is famous for its colJaipur travel gives a brief idea about the city Jaipur. It describes the various attractions of Jaipur. The city is famous for palace, forts, culture and shopping. It is one of the most sought after destinations in India. ored glass work depicting Rajput legends and Radh Krishna. Most interesting attraction of the Amer fort is the entrance, – the ramp which takes the tourists to the hill top palace. There are provision to climb the ramp by sitting on the elephants back and it really make our travel to Amer Fort an unforgettable experience.
The other attractions of Jaipur to name a few are – Jal Mahal, Jantarmantar, Nahargarh Fort, Jaigarh Fort and Rambagh palace which is a palace turned heritage hotel. There are so many other attractions in Jaipur which hardly fails to lure tourists.
Jaipur is also considered as the shopper’s paradise. It gives a variety of shopping experience to the tourists with its amazing collection of tie and die febrics, exquisite kundan, gold and silver jewelery. The vibrant and rich market of Jaipur offers tourists an excellent opportunity shop and enjoy the rich culture of the state. The visitors in Jaipur are stuck by the contradictions of the memories of battles and romance with the creations of science and technology. It is one of the happening place in India but despite all its modernity Jaipur still retains its Rajputana flavour.
The name of this picturesque city is world famous. No trip to India will be complete with out a trip to Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. It is also known as the pink city because of its pink sand stone building. It was once the capital city of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, a Kachwaha Rajput. Now the very structure of the city reminds us the taste of the Rajput and Royal family.
The city
Flooded with palaces and monuments, Jaipur is a living monument as a city. The old city looks most wonderful at the sun set with pink hue. It is these buildings that give Jaipur the sobriquet of pink city. Traveler always remember the pink city experience with modernism reflected in the urban spaces. The shopping extravaganza and the first walk through a Rajput Palace are really unforgettable.
Attractions
The enchanting city Jaipur lures large number of tourists with its numerous attractions. The city is known for its architectural grandeur and town planning. The attractions of Jaipur are as follows-
City Palace Museum- Located in the heart of the city, the former royal residence a blend of traditional Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. This palace is welknown for its architecture and grandeur. The different mahal of the palace are beautifully designed. The beautiful palace with its carved ivory and brass doors, marble paved courts and chandeliered ceilings is used in part as a private residence by the present Maharaja. The Diwan – i -am now houses the Maharaja’s collection of rare paintings and manuscript and is called the Maharaja of Jaipur Museum.
Hawa Mahal- Jaipur’s most striking landmark, the Hawa Mahal or Palace of Wind is located in the heart of the city. It is a five storeyed pink sand stone building, intricately carved and balconied, once served as a screened grand-stand for the royal ladies who could watch the victory parades and religious processions without being seen. Hawa Mahal is the loveliest in the morning when the direct sunlight peeps off its many window.
Amer Fort – Just 11 km from the main town Jaipur Amber fort is a magnificient old citadel, which stands high on a rocky spur of the Aravalli range. It is considered as one of the best hilltop forts in India. It is an wonderful work of art and symbol of the lives of our Royal Rajput. The architecture of the fort is amazing and it is a perfect blend of the Muslim and Hindu architecture. Jaipur attracts tourists from every nook and corner of the earth and the Amer fort stands as a proud reminder of the exotic architecture of the bygone era. The famous attractions of the fort Diwan-e-Am or the hall of public audience, Kali Mata temple – a black marble of the Goddess Kali, Diwan-e-Khas or the hall of private audience is famous for its colJaipur travel gives a brief idea about the city Jaipur. It describes the various attractions of Jaipur. The city is famous for palace, forts, culture and shopping. It is one of the most sought after destinations in India. ored glass work depicting Rajput legends and Radh Krishna. Most interesting attraction of the Amer fort is the entrance, – the ramp which takes the tourists to the hill top palace. There are provision to climb the ramp by sitting on the elephants back and it really make our travel to Amer Fort an unforgettable experience.
The other attractions of Jaipur to name a few are – Jal Mahal, Jantarmantar, Nahargarh Fort, Jaigarh Fort and Rambagh palace which is a palace turned heritage hotel. There are so many other attractions in Jaipur which hardly fails to lure tourists.
Jaipur is also considered as the shopper’s paradise. It gives a variety of shopping experience to the tourists with its amazing collection of tie and die febrics, exquisite kundan, gold and silver jewelery. The vibrant and rich market of Jaipur offers tourists an excellent opportunity shop and enjoy the rich culture of the state. The visitors in Jaipur are stuck by the contradictions of the memories of battles and romance with the creations of science and technology. It is one of the happening place in India but despite all its modernity Jaipur still retains its Rajputana flavour.
Italy Shopping In Rome With Rome Shopping Guide.Com – An Interview With Stefania Troiani Rome Shopping Guide
October 21, 2009 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
Karen Smith asked:
Good morning Stefania, please tell us about yourself. Are you originally from Rome?
Good morning Karen. I am extremely keen on sharing the love I feel for Rome, my city and my fondness for shopping in this amazing city with your readers.
My family is from Rome and we have been living in the Eternal City for as long as any member of the family can remember and I am very proud of that.
Rome is the largest open air museum in the world and as a local I love sharing it with visitors who come from all over the world. My philosophy is to provide my guests with the finest vacation in Rome, backed up by my personal friendly service.?
What makes Rome such a popular shopping city?
Shopping in Rome is a marriage in paradise. You have the most famous and desirable designer shops all nestled in a colorful and unforgettable urban landscape made of small alleys, old patrician palaces and unique squares designed by the genius artists Italy is famous for.
In some cities you shop between districts, in Rome you shop between centuries.
Beside Rome is not only for the glitterati who like to splash out on the latest must-have bag. On the contrary the Eternal City has plenty to offer for all tastes and wallets, from chic boutiques to small ateliers and artisan shops that you can only find by taking your time walking the ancient walks of Rome.
Actually the best of the Made in Italy with its sartorial touch can be found here and if you knew whom to ask for you can even find the Pope’s tailor in downtown Rome!
When did you begin your business as a personal shopper?
About six years ago, during one of my frequent business trips to London, I decided to maximize my shopping time hiring a personal shopper. The result was excellent because of the great value of the assistance I got and because I realized that I took a service that I used to give to my friends when they came to visit me in Rome. I suddenly realized that this creative job could have been a great challenge for me since, in 2003, almost nobody knew of this profession in Italy.
I asked my friends about my idea of sharing my expertise for styling and fashion together with my passion of Rome with guests and they encouraged me to “launch myself” setting up a “shopping friendly” website and that’s how http://www.romeshoppinguide.com was born! Since then word of mouth has been my best advertising.
I am extremely happy with this decision since it gave me the opportunity to get in touch with people from different places and cultures. These encounters often turns into friendship and give us the possibility to exchange views on the latest fashion trends from NY or Mumbai to Shanghai and Paris and it is really fascinating.
What are your most popular tours or types of shopping requests?
My clientele, both male and female, when they come to Rome for pleasure or business, are interested in having access to the “unknown Rome”.
Actually what I enjoy most is taking them beyond the street level retail shops sharing “my shopping secrets” with guests curious to experience Rome in a no tourist way.
Just to give you an example, since Italy is also famous for leather I have being asked several times by my clients to take them to leather goods shops. I often accompany them to visit skill craftsmen of which there are few left downtown Rome. These are my favorite gems. In these leather shops cum-laboratory guests can purchase and customize their bags, suitcases, jackets, coats, shoes with the kind of leather, seize, color and accessories they prefer.
This kind of shopping trip together with those that target private showrooms and local artisan laboratories are always a successful experience. Italy is actually still a country with an alive artisan heritage and if you would like to have a unique quality piece, this is the place to come to for it!
Then going back to your question, and actually a question I have also been asked often from my clients, there are not popular tours but similar shopping requests as for clothing and shoes of course but also for watches, for customized jewelery, for gourmet food and wine, for pottery and home furniture, for kids clothing and toys and even for pens!
But let me tell you that sometimes I also get bizarre requests such as the one from two ladies who asked me to take them just to the best quality open air food market in town because they wanted to make a dinner surprise for their husbands! We had an amazing time together, they were eager to learn about Italian recipes and so during our shopping food tour I was pleased to share my family secrets with them on how to cook with those fresh ingredients. After few days I was very happy to receive a thank you letter from those ladies. This is just one of the several wonderful memories I got.
Can you provide me with a sample itinerary of two contrasting tours, for example, Piazza Navona and Via Veneto?
My pleasure and specialty is customizing itineraries to the client’s objective and make sure that it is unique and unforgettable for them.
The Piazza Navona and the Via Veneto guided shopping tours as proposed in http://www.romeshoppinguide.com are based on my experience and entice most of guests that visit the Eternal City for the first time. But please keep in mind that these itineraries can be tailor made, revised and eventually turn up side down even at the very last second according to the guests requests.
When I receive a shopping or a wine tour enquiry, 99%by e-mail, I ask for as many details as possible so that I can create a personal itinerary based on their particular needs, maximize their precious time and make their trip fun and relaxing. So through this “questionnaire” I plan the tour making sure to book, if necessary, private ateliers, schedule the tour with the “right” shop stops. Sometimes my questions are amplified by a phone call to get even more details and the day I meet up my client/s at their hotel, we reconfirm their personal preferences so that we get the best outcome!
Following your question, the Navona and the Via Veneto guided shopping tours vary for the different kind of shops you can find and for the feeling you get by strolling around.
Shopping through the historical Navona area means going for antique and marble shops, artisans and glass shops, minimalist boutiques, enoteche and gourmet food, breathing the ancient Roman atmosphere on every corner. In this shopping area surrounded by marvelous fountains, noble palaces and ancient ruins, guests get the perfect combination of a shopping and sightseeing Rome tour since, besides leading them to the shops, I point out and explain to them all the treasures around.
The Via Veneto area, well known as the Dolce Vita Street, has many exclusive leather goods, jewelers, gloves and fashion shops that I usually suggest to a sophisticated and more mature clientele.
American clients enjoy also this route because in the Dolce Vita Street they can also appreciate the magnificent 19thcentury Palazzo Margherita beloved to the first Queen of Italy, Margherita di Savoia, which nowadays houses the U.S. Embassy.
You also offer tours to Tuscany & Umbria, as well as factory outlets and food/wine stores. What do these tours encompass?
I love offering my guests different choices of shopping and wine tours as well as promoting my country letting travelers know that Italy is not only confined to Rome, Venice, Florence, Capri etc and that besides the astonishing Tuscan countryside well known around the world, there is also the beautiful Umbria countryside region.
The Umbria area is extremely picturesque and with a wide variety of choices from visiting ancient Castles surrounded by vineyards, where is lovely to stop for a personalized wine tasting; to visiting the pottery and cashmere outlets (the best Italian ceramics and cashmere brand name factories come from this region); from stopping at the chocolate factory (the famous Bacio perugina comes from Perugia!) to visiting the gourmet shops specialized in the famous black truffle.
I mean the list of treasures to discover and things to do is endless and it is definitely worth a visit!
The factory outlet tours are the bargain tours and, in nowadays with this bad economy, finding quality designer goods at 30% to 70% discount on the retail price is wonderful!
Often those outlet tours could be combined with magnificent wine and genuine Italian food tastings, according to the region we are going to.
Can you share some of the current fashion trends in Italy, from clothing to shoes to eyewear?
I gravitate towards unusual, special and unique pieces. I love clothes and accessories that have style and are not related to any specific trend.
In my opinion fashion trends for 2009 would be a lot more towards affordable fashions than big labels. Today’s fashion designers need to be extremely creative in order to have a competitive edge in today’s growing fashion industry.
Having said that I am saving for a beautiful suitcase that I have recently seen at the last Pitti in Florence. I won’t tell you the brand! After all I am Italian and I am a fashion victim by default!!!
Good morning Stefania, please tell us about yourself. Are you originally from Rome?
Good morning Karen. I am extremely keen on sharing the love I feel for Rome, my city and my fondness for shopping in this amazing city with your readers.
My family is from Rome and we have been living in the Eternal City for as long as any member of the family can remember and I am very proud of that.
Rome is the largest open air museum in the world and as a local I love sharing it with visitors who come from all over the world. My philosophy is to provide my guests with the finest vacation in Rome, backed up by my personal friendly service.?
What makes Rome such a popular shopping city?
Shopping in Rome is a marriage in paradise. You have the most famous and desirable designer shops all nestled in a colorful and unforgettable urban landscape made of small alleys, old patrician palaces and unique squares designed by the genius artists Italy is famous for.
In some cities you shop between districts, in Rome you shop between centuries.
Beside Rome is not only for the glitterati who like to splash out on the latest must-have bag. On the contrary the Eternal City has plenty to offer for all tastes and wallets, from chic boutiques to small ateliers and artisan shops that you can only find by taking your time walking the ancient walks of Rome.
Actually the best of the Made in Italy with its sartorial touch can be found here and if you knew whom to ask for you can even find the Pope’s tailor in downtown Rome!
When did you begin your business as a personal shopper?
About six years ago, during one of my frequent business trips to London, I decided to maximize my shopping time hiring a personal shopper. The result was excellent because of the great value of the assistance I got and because I realized that I took a service that I used to give to my friends when they came to visit me in Rome. I suddenly realized that this creative job could have been a great challenge for me since, in 2003, almost nobody knew of this profession in Italy.
I asked my friends about my idea of sharing my expertise for styling and fashion together with my passion of Rome with guests and they encouraged me to “launch myself” setting up a “shopping friendly” website and that’s how http://www.romeshoppinguide.com was born! Since then word of mouth has been my best advertising.
I am extremely happy with this decision since it gave me the opportunity to get in touch with people from different places and cultures. These encounters often turns into friendship and give us the possibility to exchange views on the latest fashion trends from NY or Mumbai to Shanghai and Paris and it is really fascinating.
What are your most popular tours or types of shopping requests?
My clientele, both male and female, when they come to Rome for pleasure or business, are interested in having access to the “unknown Rome”.
Actually what I enjoy most is taking them beyond the street level retail shops sharing “my shopping secrets” with guests curious to experience Rome in a no tourist way.
Just to give you an example, since Italy is also famous for leather I have being asked several times by my clients to take them to leather goods shops. I often accompany them to visit skill craftsmen of which there are few left downtown Rome. These are my favorite gems. In these leather shops cum-laboratory guests can purchase and customize their bags, suitcases, jackets, coats, shoes with the kind of leather, seize, color and accessories they prefer.
This kind of shopping trip together with those that target private showrooms and local artisan laboratories are always a successful experience. Italy is actually still a country with an alive artisan heritage and if you would like to have a unique quality piece, this is the place to come to for it!
Then going back to your question, and actually a question I have also been asked often from my clients, there are not popular tours but similar shopping requests as for clothing and shoes of course but also for watches, for customized jewelery, for gourmet food and wine, for pottery and home furniture, for kids clothing and toys and even for pens!
But let me tell you that sometimes I also get bizarre requests such as the one from two ladies who asked me to take them just to the best quality open air food market in town because they wanted to make a dinner surprise for their husbands! We had an amazing time together, they were eager to learn about Italian recipes and so during our shopping food tour I was pleased to share my family secrets with them on how to cook with those fresh ingredients. After few days I was very happy to receive a thank you letter from those ladies. This is just one of the several wonderful memories I got.
Can you provide me with a sample itinerary of two contrasting tours, for example, Piazza Navona and Via Veneto?
My pleasure and specialty is customizing itineraries to the client’s objective and make sure that it is unique and unforgettable for them.
The Piazza Navona and the Via Veneto guided shopping tours as proposed in http://www.romeshoppinguide.com are based on my experience and entice most of guests that visit the Eternal City for the first time. But please keep in mind that these itineraries can be tailor made, revised and eventually turn up side down even at the very last second according to the guests requests.
When I receive a shopping or a wine tour enquiry, 99%by e-mail, I ask for as many details as possible so that I can create a personal itinerary based on their particular needs, maximize their precious time and make their trip fun and relaxing. So through this “questionnaire” I plan the tour making sure to book, if necessary, private ateliers, schedule the tour with the “right” shop stops. Sometimes my questions are amplified by a phone call to get even more details and the day I meet up my client/s at their hotel, we reconfirm their personal preferences so that we get the best outcome!
Following your question, the Navona and the Via Veneto guided shopping tours vary for the different kind of shops you can find and for the feeling you get by strolling around.
Shopping through the historical Navona area means going for antique and marble shops, artisans and glass shops, minimalist boutiques, enoteche and gourmet food, breathing the ancient Roman atmosphere on every corner. In this shopping area surrounded by marvelous fountains, noble palaces and ancient ruins, guests get the perfect combination of a shopping and sightseeing Rome tour since, besides leading them to the shops, I point out and explain to them all the treasures around.
The Via Veneto area, well known as the Dolce Vita Street, has many exclusive leather goods, jewelers, gloves and fashion shops that I usually suggest to a sophisticated and more mature clientele.
American clients enjoy also this route because in the Dolce Vita Street they can also appreciate the magnificent 19thcentury Palazzo Margherita beloved to the first Queen of Italy, Margherita di Savoia, which nowadays houses the U.S. Embassy.
You also offer tours to Tuscany & Umbria, as well as factory outlets and food/wine stores. What do these tours encompass?
I love offering my guests different choices of shopping and wine tours as well as promoting my country letting travelers know that Italy is not only confined to Rome, Venice, Florence, Capri etc and that besides the astonishing Tuscan countryside well known around the world, there is also the beautiful Umbria countryside region.
The Umbria area is extremely picturesque and with a wide variety of choices from visiting ancient Castles surrounded by vineyards, where is lovely to stop for a personalized wine tasting; to visiting the pottery and cashmere outlets (the best Italian ceramics and cashmere brand name factories come from this region); from stopping at the chocolate factory (the famous Bacio perugina comes from Perugia!) to visiting the gourmet shops specialized in the famous black truffle.
I mean the list of treasures to discover and things to do is endless and it is definitely worth a visit!
The factory outlet tours are the bargain tours and, in nowadays with this bad economy, finding quality designer goods at 30% to 70% discount on the retail price is wonderful!
Often those outlet tours could be combined with magnificent wine and genuine Italian food tastings, according to the region we are going to.
Can you share some of the current fashion trends in Italy, from clothing to shoes to eyewear?
I gravitate towards unusual, special and unique pieces. I love clothes and accessories that have style and are not related to any specific trend.
In my opinion fashion trends for 2009 would be a lot more towards affordable fashions than big labels. Today’s fashion designers need to be extremely creative in order to have a competitive edge in today’s growing fashion industry.
Having said that I am saving for a beautiful suitcase that I have recently seen at the last Pitti in Florence. I won’t tell you the brand! After all I am Italian and I am a fashion victim by default!!!
Replica brand handbags,Designer bags,fashion bags
October 20, 2009 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
paityshopping asked:
Women are born shopaholics.They like to wear several fashionable jewelry items and like to carry unique handbags. It is generally seen that women have the craze of collecting several types of fashionable handbags. As we all know that bags are made up of several types of materials but the leather made handbags are preferred most because of its efficient nature. It do not get tatter early, do not torn away easily, and also gives a natural look.
Jewelery, handbags, shoes and different outfits are all women’s favourite. The most famous designers like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Chanel,D&G, etc. design also handbags but the prices of their handbags are thousands of dollars. The price make many women keep away from their favourite handbags.
It is lucky that the Internet has lots of valuable source for various fashionable things nowadays. There are many online websites that can provide knockoff handbags for different prices.replica handbags are lovely additions to any wardrobe. There are many styles, colors, materials, and sizes of handbags so everyone can accomplish the look they want.
“High quality” replicas are the ones that are made with the same or similar material as the original, or are stitched similarly with durable materials. These are usually advertised as “A+” replicas.Buying replica handbags enables them to get more for their money. They can buy several replica purses for the price of one genuine designer bag. Replica handbags are great to carry to formal dinners or dances, weddings, proms, and other extravagant events.
Parityshopping.com is aiming at providing the best replicas. As a designer handbags cloning master in its field, parityshopping.com will carry out its ideas and provide its customers the very latest and best shopping experience and products.
More Replica Designer Handbags are available in http://www.parityshopping.com/index.html
Women are born shopaholics.They like to wear several fashionable jewelry items and like to carry unique handbags. It is generally seen that women have the craze of collecting several types of fashionable handbags. As we all know that bags are made up of several types of materials but the leather made handbags are preferred most because of its efficient nature. It do not get tatter early, do not torn away easily, and also gives a natural look.
Jewelery, handbags, shoes and different outfits are all women’s favourite. The most famous designers like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Chanel,D&G, etc. design also handbags but the prices of their handbags are thousands of dollars. The price make many women keep away from their favourite handbags.
It is lucky that the Internet has lots of valuable source for various fashionable things nowadays. There are many online websites that can provide knockoff handbags for different prices.replica handbags are lovely additions to any wardrobe. There are many styles, colors, materials, and sizes of handbags so everyone can accomplish the look they want.
“High quality” replicas are the ones that are made with the same or similar material as the original, or are stitched similarly with durable materials. These are usually advertised as “A+” replicas.Buying replica handbags enables them to get more for their money. They can buy several replica purses for the price of one genuine designer bag. Replica handbags are great to carry to formal dinners or dances, weddings, proms, and other extravagant events.
Parityshopping.com is aiming at providing the best replicas. As a designer handbags cloning master in its field, parityshopping.com will carry out its ideas and provide its customers the very latest and best shopping experience and products.
More Replica Designer Handbags are available in http://www.parityshopping.com/index.html
Work at Home Ideas for Beginners
September 30, 2009 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
Pedro Martinez asked:
You will be amazed at the number of online work at home business that you can find in the internet and choice is yours. Any hobby you have can be turned into an awesome business and never mind it is your hobby so it is better and it will work better, so try and do not spend much money.
Homebased business can be very profitable and lucrative if you know how to find and do it. Be it online business or offline business. Offline business in today’’s world is a little bit harder to do. Online business is a lot easier to do and easier to start. But again, you have to uncover a lot of things before you start a work at home business.
For thousands would be online entrepreneurs, the possibility of making easy money from the comfort of your own home is a tough one to pass up. Whether the job involves assembling jewelery, clipping newspaper advertisements, stuffing envelopes or processing worksheets.
There are thousands of work at home business opportunities including Internet affiliate programs, network marketing or MLM, work at home data entry jobs, paid survey opportunities, online auctions, online dollar stores, and more. If you are looking for work or a chance to have on some extra cash, work at home business can seem like an ideal solution.
But beware. These jobs are not always anything they”re made out to be. In fact, while most online opportunities are credulous, some can end up costing you a lot more than you bargained for.Blogging is the easiest way and the cheapest path to make money online for a work at home business.
The way for bloggers to earn money online is via the contextual ad program from Google. Adsense and BlogAds. With this type of internet business you don’t need a load of cash to start your online marketing, what you need is time to write articles that is relevant to your niche or your chosen field of business. Blogging as a work at home business can be very profitable with no capital to start.
Another work at home business that is cheap to start is paid surveys opportunities. With this work at home business, you simply join paid survey programs and you get paid for your opinion or opinions. But the best thing to join is where you can carry residual income and putting your website on autopilot.
But this type of internet marketing needs more research and experimenting with the unheard-of affiliate programs or MLM’s.
You do not want to start your own online business and venture into the affiliate marketing arena without a proven, step by step blueprint, developed and written by someone who uses these same steps every day and who has already helped others just like you achieve their dreams while in practice for themselves and from the comfort of their own home. The online world can be baffling, especially at first.
In conclusion, research first and make a well informed decision before you start your Work At Home Business.
You will be amazed at the number of online work at home business that you can find in the internet and choice is yours. Any hobby you have can be turned into an awesome business and never mind it is your hobby so it is better and it will work better, so try and do not spend much money.
Homebased business can be very profitable and lucrative if you know how to find and do it. Be it online business or offline business. Offline business in today’’s world is a little bit harder to do. Online business is a lot easier to do and easier to start. But again, you have to uncover a lot of things before you start a work at home business.
For thousands would be online entrepreneurs, the possibility of making easy money from the comfort of your own home is a tough one to pass up. Whether the job involves assembling jewelery, clipping newspaper advertisements, stuffing envelopes or processing worksheets.
There are thousands of work at home business opportunities including Internet affiliate programs, network marketing or MLM, work at home data entry jobs, paid survey opportunities, online auctions, online dollar stores, and more. If you are looking for work or a chance to have on some extra cash, work at home business can seem like an ideal solution.
But beware. These jobs are not always anything they”re made out to be. In fact, while most online opportunities are credulous, some can end up costing you a lot more than you bargained for.Blogging is the easiest way and the cheapest path to make money online for a work at home business.
The way for bloggers to earn money online is via the contextual ad program from Google. Adsense and BlogAds. With this type of internet business you don’t need a load of cash to start your online marketing, what you need is time to write articles that is relevant to your niche or your chosen field of business. Blogging as a work at home business can be very profitable with no capital to start.
Another work at home business that is cheap to start is paid surveys opportunities. With this work at home business, you simply join paid survey programs and you get paid for your opinion or opinions. But the best thing to join is where you can carry residual income and putting your website on autopilot.
But this type of internet marketing needs more research and experimenting with the unheard-of affiliate programs or MLM’s.
You do not want to start your own online business and venture into the affiliate marketing arena without a proven, step by step blueprint, developed and written by someone who uses these same steps every day and who has already helped others just like you achieve their dreams while in practice for themselves and from the comfort of their own home. The online world can be baffling, especially at first.
In conclusion, research first and make a well informed decision before you start your Work At Home Business.
70 Work Home Business Ideas: Crafts and Creations
September 19, 2009 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
TinaLynnLove asked:
Ever looked at something around the house and thought “I could make that.” Would you love to make things and just need ideas for ways to earn profits? Great! These ideas are exactly what you’ve been searching for; packed with 70 craft ideas. They way you choose to go about any of these ideas is entirely up to you. It will take research and work on your part to follow through with it but the reward can make it all worth while. Remember that you can showcase your creations online, at exhibits, fairs, and even in craft and antique shops willing to buy your merchandise from you to sell. The opportunities are as large as your imagination.
1. Candle Making
2. Scrapbooking
3. Design an Sew Children’s Clothing
4. Gift Basket Business
5. Soap Making
6. Quilter
7. Jewelery Making
8. Custom Painted Mugs
9. Wind Chimes
10. Wood Working
11. Pottery
12. Ribbon Crafts
13. Rubber Stamps
14. Porcelain
15. Clay Art
16. Gift Bags
17. Crochet and Knitting
18. Collages
19. Beading
20. Cross Sticthing and Embroidery
21. Create and Sell Craft Kits
22. Compiling Photo Albums
23. Making Custom Lamp Shades
24. Dried Floral Bouquets
25. Decorate Shopping Centers for a Festive Holiday
26. Make Custom Sew On Patches
27. Make Unique Christmas Ornaments
28. Make Candy Bouquets
29. Custom Picture Frames
30. Customizing Clocks
31. Stuffing Animals
32. Making Rugs
33. Card Making
34. Personalized Pillows
35. Doll Making
36. Glass Art
37. Making Miniature Furniture of Dollhouses
38. Creating Games
39. Making Decorative Air Fresheners
40. Weaving
41. Ceramics
42. Decorative Painting
43. Decoupage
44. Calligraphy
45. Bridal Crafts
46. Lace Making
47. Metal Crafts
48. Mosaics
49. Making Shadow Boxes
50. Decorating Eggs
51. Repairing Needlework Jobs for Others
52. Carving Jack-o-lanterns
53. Making Custom Key Chains
54. Creating Costumes
55. Monogramming
56. Making Jigsaw puzzles
57. Nautical Crafts
58. Leather Crafts
59. Gourd Art
60. Mosaics
61. Plastic Canvas
62. Repairing Old Books
63. Bronze Anything
64. Bath Salts
65. Custom Stationary
66. Pet Accessory Grooming Bows
67. Henna Tattoos
68. Home Decorating
69. Furniture
70. Unique Flower Pots
Ever looked at something around the house and thought “I could make that.” Would you love to make things and just need ideas for ways to earn profits? Great! These ideas are exactly what you’ve been searching for; packed with 70 craft ideas. They way you choose to go about any of these ideas is entirely up to you. It will take research and work on your part to follow through with it but the reward can make it all worth while. Remember that you can showcase your creations online, at exhibits, fairs, and even in craft and antique shops willing to buy your merchandise from you to sell. The opportunities are as large as your imagination.
1. Candle Making
2. Scrapbooking
3. Design an Sew Children’s Clothing
4. Gift Basket Business
5. Soap Making
6. Quilter
7. Jewelery Making
8. Custom Painted Mugs
9. Wind Chimes
10. Wood Working
11. Pottery
12. Ribbon Crafts
13. Rubber Stamps
14. Porcelain
15. Clay Art
16. Gift Bags
17. Crochet and Knitting
18. Collages
19. Beading
20. Cross Sticthing and Embroidery
21. Create and Sell Craft Kits
22. Compiling Photo Albums
23. Making Custom Lamp Shades
24. Dried Floral Bouquets
25. Decorate Shopping Centers for a Festive Holiday
26. Make Custom Sew On Patches
27. Make Unique Christmas Ornaments
28. Make Candy Bouquets
29. Custom Picture Frames
30. Customizing Clocks
31. Stuffing Animals
32. Making Rugs
33. Card Making
34. Personalized Pillows
35. Doll Making
36. Glass Art
37. Making Miniature Furniture of Dollhouses
38. Creating Games
39. Making Decorative Air Fresheners
40. Weaving
41. Ceramics
42. Decorative Painting
43. Decoupage
44. Calligraphy
45. Bridal Crafts
46. Lace Making
47. Metal Crafts
48. Mosaics
49. Making Shadow Boxes
50. Decorating Eggs
51. Repairing Needlework Jobs for Others
52. Carving Jack-o-lanterns
53. Making Custom Key Chains
54. Creating Costumes
55. Monogramming
56. Making Jigsaw puzzles
57. Nautical Crafts
58. Leather Crafts
59. Gourd Art
60. Mosaics
61. Plastic Canvas
62. Repairing Old Books
63. Bronze Anything
64. Bath Salts
65. Custom Stationary
66. Pet Accessory Grooming Bows
67. Henna Tattoos
68. Home Decorating
69. Furniture
70. Unique Flower Pots
Learn How to Be a Great Budget Fashionista
September 10, 2009 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
Bryan Burbank asked:
If you are into fashion and consider yourself a fashionista there could not be a better time to live than right now. In years past to be well dressed it took a great deal of money, but today it has all changed. With so many off-price, discount and close-out stores spread from coast to coast and the development of large off shore markets creating clothes and accessories at such low prices it is not difficult for one to look fashionable and well dressed without spending large amounts of money.
Find Awesome: Fashion Deals Online
First, you should scour fashion magazines and periodicals to familiarize yourself with current hot fashion trends so you don’t waste money on items that are no longer fashionable. Styles change so fast, so what you see in the store and think is such a good deal, may be yesterdays news. That is why it may be so cheap.
How to Find: Online Clothing Wholesale
Secondly, Start shopping the discount stores, off-price stores and wholesalers in your shopping area. Get familiar with the stores and see which of them has the style and fashion that best suits you. Your age and body type may determine the best places for you to shop. Some stores may be either too young or to tailored for your taste. Shop pricing also, so you can see which of the stores best fits into your budget.
In addition when creating a wardrobe that will make you a Fashionista you must start with core items, this will be the base for your wardrobe. Then you can find pieces to build on. If you have the essential basic items you can always add those key fashion items that will make any wardrobe fashionable. A new belt, scarf or some fashionable jewelery can make any old wardrobe look new at a very small expenditure.
Another, good idea is to always have in your wardrobe a good fitting black skirt, pant and jacket. I suggest a new white crisp shirt each season with these key items you can always look in style. From the basics you build. A few new accessory items each season can perk up an old closet. I suggest buying a new pair of black trendy shoes each season that will say “I know what is fashionable”.
Lastly, keep current in your trends, nothing tells the world that you do not know what is going on more than being all decked out in last seasons Hot Styles. Sometimes trying to be trendy will make us not trendy at all.
If you are into fashion and consider yourself a fashionista there could not be a better time to live than right now. In years past to be well dressed it took a great deal of money, but today it has all changed. With so many off-price, discount and close-out stores spread from coast to coast and the development of large off shore markets creating clothes and accessories at such low prices it is not difficult for one to look fashionable and well dressed without spending large amounts of money.
Find Awesome: Fashion Deals Online
First, you should scour fashion magazines and periodicals to familiarize yourself with current hot fashion trends so you don’t waste money on items that are no longer fashionable. Styles change so fast, so what you see in the store and think is such a good deal, may be yesterdays news. That is why it may be so cheap.
How to Find: Online Clothing Wholesale
Secondly, Start shopping the discount stores, off-price stores and wholesalers in your shopping area. Get familiar with the stores and see which of them has the style and fashion that best suits you. Your age and body type may determine the best places for you to shop. Some stores may be either too young or to tailored for your taste. Shop pricing also, so you can see which of the stores best fits into your budget.
In addition when creating a wardrobe that will make you a Fashionista you must start with core items, this will be the base for your wardrobe. Then you can find pieces to build on. If you have the essential basic items you can always add those key fashion items that will make any wardrobe fashionable. A new belt, scarf or some fashionable jewelery can make any old wardrobe look new at a very small expenditure.
Another, good idea is to always have in your wardrobe a good fitting black skirt, pant and jacket. I suggest a new white crisp shirt each season with these key items you can always look in style. From the basics you build. A few new accessory items each season can perk up an old closet. I suggest buying a new pair of black trendy shoes each season that will say “I know what is fashionable”.
Lastly, keep current in your trends, nothing tells the world that you do not know what is going on more than being all decked out in last seasons Hot Styles. Sometimes trying to be trendy will make us not trendy at all.
My Parents Love; And How They Saved Me
September 5, 2009 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
scott weiler asked:
Swinging on a swing under a thick branch, sheltered by the shady old maple tree in the back yard. A good memory from when I was young girl. A very good one. My father would push me for as long as I wanted and he never seemed to tire of it. When I think back now, I know he must of had so many things that needed to be done, he worked as a union representative in a steel mill, yet that didn’t prevent him from taking the time to push me on that swing. I have pictures of that, him and me and that old swing. Mom would bring us lemonade and fruit slices. I had an old blanket that I used as a picnic blanket. It had a picture of Mickey and Minnie Mouse dancing on a shooting star while fire works exploded in the back of them. The three of us would stretch out on my blanket and eat the fruit, drink the lemonade and find animals in the clouds. I loved those afternoons. I was the only child and I never suffered from lack of attention or love. I grew up in Farrell, Pennsylvania. Our house was not the biggest but it held more love then one might think those walls could handle. That is what makes it so hard to look at them now…my parents that is.
I was average in school, my appearance and my grades. I didn’t have a lot of friends. I found it more pleasant to play by my self or read a book. Nancy Drew was my favorite from the time I started reading until well into my high school years. Boys were always a curiosity to me but they were simply too erratic and impulsive for me. I kept my distance from them. I still had a great relationship with my dad and mom during my high school years. I see now that once puberty hit, I changed how I behaved with my dad. The onslaught of puberty seem to wreck what we once had. We went from wrestling and hugging and hanging out eating ice-cream while talking about sports and music to a more physically restrained affection. We didn’t talk as much about sports and music because I started to listen to music that he didn’t understand and I simply loss interest in sports. I thought it too boyish for me as I was becoming a woman. More like a silly girl then a woman in retrospect. Still, we all loved each other and that stayed the same. I suppose it is still there now, I am just too filled with shame to accept my parents love. I don’t believe I am worthy of it anymore. They tell me no, that I am as worthy of their love as ever. They try to make me feel like our love, the love of a mother, father and their child, can never change. I hear them but I see a difference in their eyes when they tell me this. It is different then before.
My life changed in college. Not for the best. I met and began dating my first real boyfriend in college. His name is no longer important. I will call him Tony for the sake of using a name. Tony was from Detroit, Michigan. He was the first person I had met from a big city. Well maybe not the first I had met but was the first that I got to know. He was tall and confident in a way I hadn’t seen. He didn’t take any crap from anyone. Other girls watched him as he walked through corridors or when he walked through the campus. I saw it all of the time. It made me feel a sense of power knowing that they watched him but it was me he was watching. He was mine. I began to pay more attention to how I looked and what I wore. I even found a lady who taught me how to better apply makeup to accentuate my features. I wanted Tony to keep on being interested in me. Through him, I became visible in a way I never was before. I lost my virginity to Tony a few months after we started dating. It was sooner then I wanted but I was afraid if I kept saying no to him, he would find some other girl who would say yes. It wasn’t romantic and it didn’t feel good for me. It hurt and it felt…messy and dirty. It happened in a bathroom in the woman’s residence. We he was finished, he slapped my *** and promptly walked out of the bathroom while saying the words, “And that’s a take.” over his shoulder. I didn’t know what that meant at the time. Alone, I cleaned myself up and quietly walked to my room were I laid in my bed and cried.
Tony became distant with me and started to talk with other girls. I couldn’t get him alone to ask him what was going on. I was so stupid and trusting that I thought if I gave him space, he would come back to me. I told myself that maybe he felt bad about how it happened between us…the ***. Not only was I wrong about that, I discovered that we were not alone in the bathroom at my residence. He had a buddy sneak in before we got there and video-tape us doing it. They circulated the footage around the school and eventually put it on the internet. I was mortified and enraged when I found out. How could he do that to me? When I built up the nerve to try to watch the video for myself, to see if you could see my face, I was met with horror. My face was clear as day and he had labeled it with my full name and called it ‘Slamming A Home Run’. Of course I stormed at him in a public display of emotion that did nothing but make me look like even a bigger idiot. People called me a **** and a ***** who didn’t even know me. Other males on campus thought me easy and the cat-calls and groping began. They offered to ‘do me’ in countless cheap and humiliating ways. I felt shame and guilt. The worst by far was when I was off campus and in a restaurant and a man closer to my fathers age recognized me from that video only I didn’t know it. I saw him starring at me but didn’t pay much attention to it. I got up and walked towards the restroom and didn’t hear him follow me. When we were out of site, he grabbed me from behind. He covered my mouth with one hand and grabbed my ******* with the other and press me against the wall while pushing his hips into me. He said my name! HE SAID MY NAME! He told me what he wanted to do to me in a disgusting slimy voice. I felt his ******** against me and I was so scared I couldn’t make a sound. A noisy server came walking randomly in our direction and that is what saved me. He let go of me and walked back out front and kept on walking out the door. I was terrified to go outside because I thought he may be waiting for me out there somewhere. Eventually I had to risk it and leave. I made it back to the campus. I dared not tell anyone what had happened because I was afraid the video would come up and I would be told I brought it on myself. I felt my life was ruined and there was nothing I could do about it. I was afraid all of the time. My marks began to fall and I started experimenting with drugs. Worse became worse.
It happens fast you know. You go from being a regular girl into a heroin addicted ****. My experimental phase was short and my dependency came fast. The heroin was cheap at first. I could afford the little amounts I used. But as I needed more, money became and issue. I did horrible things to get the money I needed for my fix. I didn’t want to alert my parents by asking them for money so I came up with my own ways to get money. Hell, I was a *** celebrity. Fork over some cash and you get to slam a home run with me. *** felt like nothing to me and when I did it for money, it gave me a sense of power over the dirt bags that lined up to pay to have *** with me. It worked for awhile to keep my in my stash of drugs. That is until I got kicked out of school for not attending classes and failing too many courses. I had no where else to go but home. The school sent a letter to my very surprise parents explaining why I was asked to leave. Asked to leave….that is rich. Like I could of said no and they would have said okay then, you get to stay. My parents where dumbfounded. All the while I had been telling them that school was great and that I was doing better then I had expected with my grades. I came home too skinny with circles around my sunken eyes. If my parents had any idea of the signs of addictions, they would have known right off the bat. They didn’t. I passed it off as having the flu or menstrual issues. It took until I became so desperate for money, that I arranged for someone to break in to our house and steal my moms jewelery, before they figured me out. Like I said, I did horrible things.
My mother had a ring that was handed down five generations from mother to daughter. It was valuable and since I knew it was eventually going to be given to me, I didn’t think It would matter if I could get my hands on it now and hawk it at a pawn shop in Mercer, the next town over. I wanted the money bad so I set up a break in with my new heroin supplier. It didn’t work to plan. My father came home early and caught the guy doing the job. They fought until the burglar hit my dad with a bat and gave him a concussion. My mom found my dad bleeding from the head and laying in the living-room with the living-room table smashed to pieces. She found him bleeding and unconscious and it was my fault. She called the police and the police caught the burglar I hired. He confessed to everything. That is when I got my criminal record and when I could no longer look at my parents in the eyes.
The court forced me into a methadone clinic and my parents requested I be placed under house arrest instead of going to a jail facility. Meth clinics are hell. They try to cure you of addiction by using methadone which is a less addictive substance to rid you of the heroin addiction. They call it Replacement Therapy. There is always a dealer somewhere outside, waiting to give you some samples of their heroin if they can catch you alone for a few seconds. Heroin feels way better then meth. You would think they would police that a little better. I was restricted to my house and always had to be in the company of someone the court approved of as a chaperon. That changed my parents schedules significantly. They had to arrange new work times so one of them could always be home. That meant everyone in the world new of my situation. They never said a bad thing to me…my parents that is. They never showed any anger or disappointment. If anything, they expressed love and, believe it or not, they apologized for not being there enough for me when I needed them the most. They said they didn’t see it and should have been looking. I never said anything at all about that back to them. I felt nothing but shame. How could I say anything to them. I let them down in the worst ways. I was the worst daughter ever.
It has been five months since my last heroin experience. I am still under house arrest for another seven months. I have gained back my weight and my face isn’t so hollow looking anymore. I know I hurt my brain using those drugs and I do spend time worrying how bad I may have damaged it. I don’t feel like using any longer and am finished with the Meth lab. For the first time I have opened up to my parents. I told them last night how it all began. I told them about Tony and the video and the man in the restaurant. My dad cried openly as I told them both. My mom didn’t cry while I stumbled through my story, she looked to the floor the whole time but would not let go of my hand. She held it tightly. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. I cried so hard at times I couldn’t speak. They waited without a word in those times for me to pull it together and continue my story. I cried not because of what I went through. I cried because my mom and my dad were being torn to pieces by what their little girl was telling them. When I managed to finish my story, both my mom and dad stood up and gathered me to them and hugged me fiercely. They did not let me go for a long long while. We all cried together and I felt that love again that I truly believed I had lost for ever. I felt that love that I remembered from when I was a little girl on that swing. Now when they tell me they love me no matter what, I see that the look in their eyes hadn’t changed. It has been the same the whole time. It was me who had changed and that changed girl didn’t know what she was looking at. I am back and I can see better then before. I will never totally forgive myself for putting them through what I put them through. I know it wasn’t in my control what Tony and his friend did but I could have chosen to handle it differently then I did. I could have talked to someone. There are laws that protect women who go through the things I experienced. It isn’t easy to ‘go public’, trust me…I know, but it is so much smarter in the end. There are people who want to help. They are there and they won’t think you a stupid person for being used. I wish I knew these things a little sooner in my life. So here I tell these things to you.
It was with their urging that I wrote my story down for others women to know. If my experience can help even just one other woman from making the mistakes I made, then it is worth while. Shame and embarrassment can be very powerful tools when used against you…even when it is you that uses it against yourself. Don’t be a victim…even if the Tonys of the world trick you into being one, you don’t have to continue it. It doesn’t make you a bad person. Count on love having the power to save you. It saved me. If you don’t have someone to love you like I did, then I want you to look me up. I will help you. I have had the best teachers of love. I have learned how far a mother and fathers love goes when their child goes astray. I have also learned how much I can love in return. And there is plenty of it in me to share. I owe them both so much and will never hurt them like that again. They saved my life.
Last thing I want to write. I want to simply give my thanks. Thanks mom, thanks dad…you are wonderful.
Swinging on a swing under a thick branch, sheltered by the shady old maple tree in the back yard. A good memory from when I was young girl. A very good one. My father would push me for as long as I wanted and he never seemed to tire of it. When I think back now, I know he must of had so many things that needed to be done, he worked as a union representative in a steel mill, yet that didn’t prevent him from taking the time to push me on that swing. I have pictures of that, him and me and that old swing. Mom would bring us lemonade and fruit slices. I had an old blanket that I used as a picnic blanket. It had a picture of Mickey and Minnie Mouse dancing on a shooting star while fire works exploded in the back of them. The three of us would stretch out on my blanket and eat the fruit, drink the lemonade and find animals in the clouds. I loved those afternoons. I was the only child and I never suffered from lack of attention or love. I grew up in Farrell, Pennsylvania. Our house was not the biggest but it held more love then one might think those walls could handle. That is what makes it so hard to look at them now…my parents that is.
I was average in school, my appearance and my grades. I didn’t have a lot of friends. I found it more pleasant to play by my self or read a book. Nancy Drew was my favorite from the time I started reading until well into my high school years. Boys were always a curiosity to me but they were simply too erratic and impulsive for me. I kept my distance from them. I still had a great relationship with my dad and mom during my high school years. I see now that once puberty hit, I changed how I behaved with my dad. The onslaught of puberty seem to wreck what we once had. We went from wrestling and hugging and hanging out eating ice-cream while talking about sports and music to a more physically restrained affection. We didn’t talk as much about sports and music because I started to listen to music that he didn’t understand and I simply loss interest in sports. I thought it too boyish for me as I was becoming a woman. More like a silly girl then a woman in retrospect. Still, we all loved each other and that stayed the same. I suppose it is still there now, I am just too filled with shame to accept my parents love. I don’t believe I am worthy of it anymore. They tell me no, that I am as worthy of their love as ever. They try to make me feel like our love, the love of a mother, father and their child, can never change. I hear them but I see a difference in their eyes when they tell me this. It is different then before.
My life changed in college. Not for the best. I met and began dating my first real boyfriend in college. His name is no longer important. I will call him Tony for the sake of using a name. Tony was from Detroit, Michigan. He was the first person I had met from a big city. Well maybe not the first I had met but was the first that I got to know. He was tall and confident in a way I hadn’t seen. He didn’t take any crap from anyone. Other girls watched him as he walked through corridors or when he walked through the campus. I saw it all of the time. It made me feel a sense of power knowing that they watched him but it was me he was watching. He was mine. I began to pay more attention to how I looked and what I wore. I even found a lady who taught me how to better apply makeup to accentuate my features. I wanted Tony to keep on being interested in me. Through him, I became visible in a way I never was before. I lost my virginity to Tony a few months after we started dating. It was sooner then I wanted but I was afraid if I kept saying no to him, he would find some other girl who would say yes. It wasn’t romantic and it didn’t feel good for me. It hurt and it felt…messy and dirty. It happened in a bathroom in the woman’s residence. We he was finished, he slapped my *** and promptly walked out of the bathroom while saying the words, “And that’s a take.” over his shoulder. I didn’t know what that meant at the time. Alone, I cleaned myself up and quietly walked to my room were I laid in my bed and cried.
Tony became distant with me and started to talk with other girls. I couldn’t get him alone to ask him what was going on. I was so stupid and trusting that I thought if I gave him space, he would come back to me. I told myself that maybe he felt bad about how it happened between us…the ***. Not only was I wrong about that, I discovered that we were not alone in the bathroom at my residence. He had a buddy sneak in before we got there and video-tape us doing it. They circulated the footage around the school and eventually put it on the internet. I was mortified and enraged when I found out. How could he do that to me? When I built up the nerve to try to watch the video for myself, to see if you could see my face, I was met with horror. My face was clear as day and he had labeled it with my full name and called it ‘Slamming A Home Run’. Of course I stormed at him in a public display of emotion that did nothing but make me look like even a bigger idiot. People called me a **** and a ***** who didn’t even know me. Other males on campus thought me easy and the cat-calls and groping began. They offered to ‘do me’ in countless cheap and humiliating ways. I felt shame and guilt. The worst by far was when I was off campus and in a restaurant and a man closer to my fathers age recognized me from that video only I didn’t know it. I saw him starring at me but didn’t pay much attention to it. I got up and walked towards the restroom and didn’t hear him follow me. When we were out of site, he grabbed me from behind. He covered my mouth with one hand and grabbed my ******* with the other and press me against the wall while pushing his hips into me. He said my name! HE SAID MY NAME! He told me what he wanted to do to me in a disgusting slimy voice. I felt his ******** against me and I was so scared I couldn’t make a sound. A noisy server came walking randomly in our direction and that is what saved me. He let go of me and walked back out front and kept on walking out the door. I was terrified to go outside because I thought he may be waiting for me out there somewhere. Eventually I had to risk it and leave. I made it back to the campus. I dared not tell anyone what had happened because I was afraid the video would come up and I would be told I brought it on myself. I felt my life was ruined and there was nothing I could do about it. I was afraid all of the time. My marks began to fall and I started experimenting with drugs. Worse became worse.
It happens fast you know. You go from being a regular girl into a heroin addicted ****. My experimental phase was short and my dependency came fast. The heroin was cheap at first. I could afford the little amounts I used. But as I needed more, money became and issue. I did horrible things to get the money I needed for my fix. I didn’t want to alert my parents by asking them for money so I came up with my own ways to get money. Hell, I was a *** celebrity. Fork over some cash and you get to slam a home run with me. *** felt like nothing to me and when I did it for money, it gave me a sense of power over the dirt bags that lined up to pay to have *** with me. It worked for awhile to keep my in my stash of drugs. That is until I got kicked out of school for not attending classes and failing too many courses. I had no where else to go but home. The school sent a letter to my very surprise parents explaining why I was asked to leave. Asked to leave….that is rich. Like I could of said no and they would have said okay then, you get to stay. My parents where dumbfounded. All the while I had been telling them that school was great and that I was doing better then I had expected with my grades. I came home too skinny with circles around my sunken eyes. If my parents had any idea of the signs of addictions, they would have known right off the bat. They didn’t. I passed it off as having the flu or menstrual issues. It took until I became so desperate for money, that I arranged for someone to break in to our house and steal my moms jewelery, before they figured me out. Like I said, I did horrible things.
My mother had a ring that was handed down five generations from mother to daughter. It was valuable and since I knew it was eventually going to be given to me, I didn’t think It would matter if I could get my hands on it now and hawk it at a pawn shop in Mercer, the next town over. I wanted the money bad so I set up a break in with my new heroin supplier. It didn’t work to plan. My father came home early and caught the guy doing the job. They fought until the burglar hit my dad with a bat and gave him a concussion. My mom found my dad bleeding from the head and laying in the living-room with the living-room table smashed to pieces. She found him bleeding and unconscious and it was my fault. She called the police and the police caught the burglar I hired. He confessed to everything. That is when I got my criminal record and when I could no longer look at my parents in the eyes.
The court forced me into a methadone clinic and my parents requested I be placed under house arrest instead of going to a jail facility. Meth clinics are hell. They try to cure you of addiction by using methadone which is a less addictive substance to rid you of the heroin addiction. They call it Replacement Therapy. There is always a dealer somewhere outside, waiting to give you some samples of their heroin if they can catch you alone for a few seconds. Heroin feels way better then meth. You would think they would police that a little better. I was restricted to my house and always had to be in the company of someone the court approved of as a chaperon. That changed my parents schedules significantly. They had to arrange new work times so one of them could always be home. That meant everyone in the world new of my situation. They never said a bad thing to me…my parents that is. They never showed any anger or disappointment. If anything, they expressed love and, believe it or not, they apologized for not being there enough for me when I needed them the most. They said they didn’t see it and should have been looking. I never said anything at all about that back to them. I felt nothing but shame. How could I say anything to them. I let them down in the worst ways. I was the worst daughter ever.
It has been five months since my last heroin experience. I am still under house arrest for another seven months. I have gained back my weight and my face isn’t so hollow looking anymore. I know I hurt my brain using those drugs and I do spend time worrying how bad I may have damaged it. I don’t feel like using any longer and am finished with the Meth lab. For the first time I have opened up to my parents. I told them last night how it all began. I told them about Tony and the video and the man in the restaurant. My dad cried openly as I told them both. My mom didn’t cry while I stumbled through my story, she looked to the floor the whole time but would not let go of my hand. She held it tightly. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. I cried so hard at times I couldn’t speak. They waited without a word in those times for me to pull it together and continue my story. I cried not because of what I went through. I cried because my mom and my dad were being torn to pieces by what their little girl was telling them. When I managed to finish my story, both my mom and dad stood up and gathered me to them and hugged me fiercely. They did not let me go for a long long while. We all cried together and I felt that love again that I truly believed I had lost for ever. I felt that love that I remembered from when I was a little girl on that swing. Now when they tell me they love me no matter what, I see that the look in their eyes hadn’t changed. It has been the same the whole time. It was me who had changed and that changed girl didn’t know what she was looking at. I am back and I can see better then before. I will never totally forgive myself for putting them through what I put them through. I know it wasn’t in my control what Tony and his friend did but I could have chosen to handle it differently then I did. I could have talked to someone. There are laws that protect women who go through the things I experienced. It isn’t easy to ‘go public’, trust me…I know, but it is so much smarter in the end. There are people who want to help. They are there and they won’t think you a stupid person for being used. I wish I knew these things a little sooner in my life. So here I tell these things to you.
It was with their urging that I wrote my story down for others women to know. If my experience can help even just one other woman from making the mistakes I made, then it is worth while. Shame and embarrassment can be very powerful tools when used against you…even when it is you that uses it against yourself. Don’t be a victim…even if the Tonys of the world trick you into being one, you don’t have to continue it. It doesn’t make you a bad person. Count on love having the power to save you. It saved me. If you don’t have someone to love you like I did, then I want you to look me up. I will help you. I have had the best teachers of love. I have learned how far a mother and fathers love goes when their child goes astray. I have also learned how much I can love in return. And there is plenty of it in me to share. I owe them both so much and will never hurt them like that again. They saved my life.
Last thing I want to write. I want to simply give my thanks. Thanks mom, thanks dad…you are wonderful.
Analysis of industry experts of latest styles watches on 09
August 10, 2009 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
watches123 asked:
1, the latest fashion styles deliberately focus on ideas appearance. The exhibition will feature the latest fashion watch styles in exterior design, the major manufacturers are given a very bold and creative attempts, and some vendors are required to meet a specific fashion, in particular the introduction of a very user-friendly, personalized features of design, which for this year’s new products to add unlimited new ideas from a higher realm of the creative to meet the fashion.
2, this year’s new products are very focused watch manufacturing process technology and technology-intensive new materials combined with ingenious and bold refreshing change to the new watch. In particular the style of simple and composite material manufactured by a variety of watches to become the mainstream of the international market in 2009, while the traditional men’s 18K gold watch, bi-metal high-end luxury brand watches, more than material, as well as the top female classical luxury of high-grade diamond embedded in close Watches have also been popular, it will also be the world’s high-end watch market in 2009 a major hot spot.
3, this year the most popular fashion jewelery new devaluation red spinel, garnet classic cutting process will be the future trends in the carvings on the stones will also be increasingly popular, engraved with striped agate or with There will also be cameo rings become fashionable.
Fourth, this year the latest fashion watch mostly adopt the material of ceramics and enamel parts. Watch this show for the production of new materials are also used in the participating merchants and the audience’s visual focal point. Whether Germany Glashütte watch, or just getting started in the top left-Wei Sha watch watches were introduced this year new watch on the use of a ceramic enamel material with accessories.
The application of enamel material has also become a major part of this exhibition. Used in the past, most enamel jewelry, and with the watch on the rare. Today, international brands Lists Apart from continuing the widespread use of a large number of red gold, platinum, a variety of alloys, but also extensive use of enamel material. The application of enamel material not only watch the value of their own has been a qualitative leap in class, but also to shape the face and dial watches has been a new interpretation of the connotation.
5, the Fair is the new shape is designed to continue to watch the popular large-size, who belong to the latest popular style watches that year will be missed large-size models, and were placed in a very visible and important position. Compared with the previous exhibition, this year this trend increased rather than decreased; the vast majority of these large-sized watch size varies between 44mm-60mm, and were powered by a lightweight titanium as a material.
6, silicon materials, this exhibition is still high-end watch one of the common use of new materials. Chairman of the Committee the current exhibitors Jacques Chaine told reporters that any watch manufacturers are eager to mechanical watch movements use less oil as possible, even without lubrication, while the silicon designers can help achieve this purpose. Since 2005 Patek Philippe launched the first silicon escapement wheel, the making watch and clock industry to produce watches with silicon core parts. Watch industry in the timber on a breakthrough in industrial development for the silicon found a new direction. Duchaine told reporters that the introduction of the modern watch industry a new high-tech composite materials, double-metal materials, semiconductor silicon material and the new ceramic materials, showing the development of international watch industry direction and market trends, but also indicates that with the close watch and clock industry related industries will be driven the rise, and usher in a new development opportunity.
1, the latest fashion styles deliberately focus on ideas appearance. The exhibition will feature the latest fashion watch styles in exterior design, the major manufacturers are given a very bold and creative attempts, and some vendors are required to meet a specific fashion, in particular the introduction of a very user-friendly, personalized features of design, which for this year’s new products to add unlimited new ideas from a higher realm of the creative to meet the fashion.
2, this year’s new products are very focused watch manufacturing process technology and technology-intensive new materials combined with ingenious and bold refreshing change to the new watch. In particular the style of simple and composite material manufactured by a variety of watches to become the mainstream of the international market in 2009, while the traditional men’s 18K gold watch, bi-metal high-end luxury brand watches, more than material, as well as the top female classical luxury of high-grade diamond embedded in close Watches have also been popular, it will also be the world’s high-end watch market in 2009 a major hot spot.
3, this year the most popular fashion jewelery new devaluation red spinel, garnet classic cutting process will be the future trends in the carvings on the stones will also be increasingly popular, engraved with striped agate or with There will also be cameo rings become fashionable.
Fourth, this year the latest fashion watch mostly adopt the material of ceramics and enamel parts. Watch this show for the production of new materials are also used in the participating merchants and the audience’s visual focal point. Whether Germany Glashütte watch, or just getting started in the top left-Wei Sha watch watches were introduced this year new watch on the use of a ceramic enamel material with accessories.
The application of enamel material has also become a major part of this exhibition. Used in the past, most enamel jewelry, and with the watch on the rare. Today, international brands Lists Apart from continuing the widespread use of a large number of red gold, platinum, a variety of alloys, but also extensive use of enamel material. The application of enamel material not only watch the value of their own has been a qualitative leap in class, but also to shape the face and dial watches has been a new interpretation of the connotation.
5, the Fair is the new shape is designed to continue to watch the popular large-size, who belong to the latest popular style watches that year will be missed large-size models, and were placed in a very visible and important position. Compared with the previous exhibition, this year this trend increased rather than decreased; the vast majority of these large-sized watch size varies between 44mm-60mm, and were powered by a lightweight titanium as a material.
6, silicon materials, this exhibition is still high-end watch one of the common use of new materials. Chairman of the Committee the current exhibitors Jacques Chaine told reporters that any watch manufacturers are eager to mechanical watch movements use less oil as possible, even without lubrication, while the silicon designers can help achieve this purpose. Since 2005 Patek Philippe launched the first silicon escapement wheel, the making watch and clock industry to produce watches with silicon core parts. Watch industry in the timber on a breakthrough in industrial development for the silicon found a new direction. Duchaine told reporters that the introduction of the modern watch industry a new high-tech composite materials, double-metal materials, semiconductor silicon material and the new ceramic materials, showing the development of international watch industry direction and market trends, but also indicates that with the close watch and clock industry related industries will be driven the rise, and usher in a new development opportunity.
