Talent Agency 411

Boutiquing: The Way of the Future

The business of beauty is experiencing a major change for the better: salons are adding boutiques, complete fashion accessory centers that generate more sales and profits for their business.

The key to their success? Boutiquing: a new salon service that compliments traditional beauty services. Boutiquing allows stylists to transform into full service fashion advisors for their clients. What’s most surprising about this movement is that it started far from the style centers of New York and Los Angeles, in the rural Northwest. Led by Sunriver Specialties, “Boutique Salons” are popping up in cities across the U.S.

What exactly is a “Boutique Salon”?

Picture a popular salon with a loyal local following, drawn from a community of several thousand women, all of whom what to look attractive and stylish. To fulfill this wish, they all turn to one particular person, Julie, the owner of the town’s hippest salon. While they come to her for traditional salon treatments such as cuts, color, and perms, they also come to her for much more: a full style makeover.

Julie understands that while these women may live in a small town, they want to be stylish. To meet the needs of her clients, Julie carries a full line of hip, yet affordable hair accessories, jewelry, handbags, watches and more. She has transformed her salon into a full service style center where women can customize their whole look from hair to toe. Julie’s clients walk away happy while she enjoys the added revenue earned by high profit margins of accessories.

Many salon owners have already established themselves as premiere hair care centers, and because of this the addition of fashion accessories would be simple and inexpensive, yet very effective.

Why Boutique?

- Make more money!
Boutiquing creates additional profits with minimum expense and effort.

- Become Fashionable!
Boutiquing gives salons a friendly, stylish atmosphere.

- Be Unique!
Boutiquing makes salons stand out and remain in the minds of clients.

- Have Fun!
Accessories are fun additions to everyday life; give your clients this treat!

BUSINESS & BOUTIQUING TIPS

Always keep a good stock of merchandise in your boutique/salon. By doing so, it shows your clients that you are dedicated and knowledgable in selling these items, which will in turn give your customers more confidence in asking your advice and buying your accessories.

Josie Herman is Operations Manager of Boutique Salon, which is a wholesale fashion accessory company that focuses on selling and educating salons on the benefits of adding accessories to their product lines. They also sell to gift shops, boutiques, and clothing stores.

Climate change and the financial crisis, these dual apocalypse have passed by the French Alps, at least for now. However it may have been so entirely contrary. In the weeks before Christmas towns in the Brevent region were isolated when snow storms rained down. Road routes such as the busy Col du Val-d Isere were closed. There was no electricity or telephone lines, residents were moved out to temporary accommodation, it seemed as if it were a double of 1998.

It looks that all promotion is good promotion. Bessans featured every night on national French news. As soon as mains was fixed inquiries began to come in, attracted by the good conditions.

Plateau de Beille and neighbouring Verchaix lay claim to virtually 4.5 m snow on the higher slopes at 2000 m altitude and 2.1 meters at the base of the resorts. Currently the deepest in the French Alps. Serre Chevalier claims there is six meters at the top of the resort. Regrettably a snow storm has demolished a pylon of the drag lift which accesses the sector. It will be out of commission till the middle of March.

In other places in the S. Alps reservations are up 15% in Portes du Soleil, Megeve and La Chavanette. La Plagne, not too far from Geneva airport, has 99.1% occupancy and traded a record breaking number of passes on Wednesday. This is welcoming for main ski businesses.

To provide a complete wildlife touch to your home settings, wood
curtain rods are the best decorating items. Not only the rods
add to the beauty of the homes but they also hold the curtains
in a unique way. It is because of the perfect fittings of the
curtains in the wood curtain rods that the curtains flutter
softly and gracefully to give a pleasing aura to the rooms.

Technical specialties of wood curtain rods

The wood curtain rods are made of walnut, teakwood, mahogany,
oak or other hardwood that make them durable. The rods usually
have a tobacco finish and the finials of the rods are available
in either small or large sizes. The wood rods are available as
either smooth rods or as fluted rods. While the smooth rods are
usually of 1-3/8″ diameters, the fluted rods are of 2″ diameter.

The rods in general are available in three different lengths of
4″, 6″ and 8″. These are the curtain rods for normal sizes but if it is a
non-standard window frame, then you cut down the rods to
specific sizes and then use them accordingly. However, if you
need longer than the normal length rods, then use pole connector
screws to get the necessary length.

Different types of wood curtain rods

The wood curtain rods are available in different finishes like
historic white, burnished gold, natural white, weathered white,
honey maple, matte black, gold, warm oak, gold leaf, lacquered
natural, pewter, cherry and piano white. You can choose one of
these curtain rods that will best suit the style and furnishing
of the rooms.

Brackets in the curtain rods are very important, for they
actually hold both the light and heavy curtains. The wood
curtain rods are advantageous, as they allow the usage of
different types of brackets like ring brackets, flat brackets,
cup ring brackets, double ring brackets, centre support
brackets, end caps, extension brackets and ceiling brackets. The
wood curtain rods are truly durable and with their variety of
designs they simply give a different yet aesthetic touch to your
home décor ideas.

A great way to dress up a patio and ensure your guests comfort
is a chaise
lounge. Chaise lounges are a classic piece of furniture. The
have been a part of many cultures across the world for many
eras. There is more to the history of the chaise lounge than
simply architecture. Even the name chaise lounge is derived from
another cultures name for the stylish chair.

The chaise lounge is actually a merger of the day bed and the
chair. The day bed itself has a long history. Originally created
in Egypt, it has provided a design for architects to use
centuries later. Many ancient Grecian art works depict gods and
elite persons reclined in chaise lounges. Early African chaise
lounges were created out of carved wood and were very
simplistic. The ancient Mexican culture called the Olmecs also
had their own version of the day bed.

The name comes from the French Chaise longue which means
long-chair. Art movements in France were reflected in the
furnishings as well, and the chaise longue was a popular piece
in the Rococo period. The rococo style loved asymmetry and
contrast in elements that were unbalances. Because of the
similarity of the French word longue and the English word
lounge, the chaise is most commonly referred to in English as
the chaise lounge, though French speakers tend to go with
longue.

Architects of the early 20th century also adored the chaise
style and used it in many settings to reflect the straight lines
and long floor plans popular in the time. It was an extremely
popular show case in many architectural displays. Originally,
chaise lounges were not easy, nor economical to construct. The
metal hand was actually bent by hand which made the chaise
lounge unavailable to the general public. It also had to be
shipped in full assembly which provided transportation
problems.

Today, modern machinery and intuitive engineering have allowed
the chaise lounge to be constructed and distributed much more
economically. They provide superior comfort, especially when
strategically placed on a patio. There are so many different
options, whether it be cushion chaise lounge, aluminum strap
chaise lounge, or plastic resin patio chaise lounge, they all
offer distinct advantages and design that will add elegance to
any patio.

www.matches.com is nowadays an extremely high ended clothes fashion shop with tons of great success. Seventeen years & Matches Fashion have seen themselves climb from one clothes fashion store to a string of fashion outlets in tremendous and trendy Notting Hill, prosperous Richmond & lovely Wimbledon along with their amazing site now as well. Each and every single Matches Shop has a varied character and elegant style. This has consequently resulted in Matches Stores that are also as distinct and appreciated as their purchasing public. The Matches philosophy places massive significance on expression & creative elegant style

Like heaps of other stylish desinger fashion stores, Matches Fashion is constantly shifting & presenting new novel chic designers. The staff are experts at seeking out the newest key items for the particular time of year and consistently focus around the key fashion pieces from high flying fashion creators such as Freda, Christian Louboutin and Chloe along with other flourishing fashion designers and new up & coming ones.

Both the fashion outlets and the spectacular looking website has had a lot of achievement; the fantastic looking website is like reading into a top of the range sleek expensive fashion monthly mag, it supplies the internet surfers the inspiration they all need to have a browse at trendy designer clothes that could look elegant and feel great www.matches.com is consistently featured in chic fashion magazines such as Ok & The Times Magazine.

For this seasons Chloe Fashion check out the Matches Fashion website.

If you are looking for an all-rounder, a Green Star Juicer GS-3000 may be one of the best choices available. Manufactured by Tribest, this is just one of the award-winning products in their outstanding range.

This machine will be your juicing partner for a long, long time. And when you’re not juicing, the versatile Green Star GS-3000 Complete Juicer and Food Processor Deluxe will keep you busy in countless other delicious ways!

The main advantage of the Green Star Juicer lies in its innovative heavy duty twin-gear technology. Gentle extraction of the delicate juices equals superior quality, delayed oxidation, and maximum retention of all the vital nutrients. The nylon safety buffer, which forms part of the twin-gear system, ensures peace of mind, and prolongs the life of your juicer significantly.

The magnetic process, bioceramic technology and Far Infrared energy involved here, add to the benefits. The low 110 rpm’s of this machine explains why juice from the Green Star is so stable. It allows you to store some juices for up to 48 hours without loss of goodness. As in other twin-gear juicers, the noise level while in use, is quite low.

The machine offers continuous juicing with automatic pulp ejection, a very convenient feature. The resultant pulp is wonderfully dry, which means more juice in your glass.

Not only does the The Green Star Juicer make short shrift of a variety of fruits and vegetables, it also gobbles up herbs, wheat-grass and other leafy greens such as parsley or spinach with ease. A bonus is that the stringy fibres in celery presents no obstacle.

The feature that allows for this, is the extra cutting points on each of the gears, which prevents clogging.

If you buy a Green Star Juicer, you can know that the design of the twin gears makes provision for special pocket recesses to improve processing of harder textured produce. This unique feature also limits the strain exerted by the motor, and extends its life.

The pressure adjustment mechanism is another important feature responsible for increased effectiveness. Enabling the user to adjust the pressure for softer and harder textured produce, contributes to less clogging and jamming.

An optional pulp adjusting knob specifically aimed for use when juicing soft fruits, is also available. This will allow for better extraction from fruits such as pears and melons. Even when juicing citrus, you will experience superb results. The juice yield is much higher than with many citrus juicers. The pulp is ejected without difficulty. The pulp left in the juice, is just what is needed to give it that refreshing, home-made taste.

Additional accessories make it possible to use the machine as a food mill, a breadstick maker and as a pasta press. With this juicer in your kitchen, your repertoire will include nut butters, frozen desserts, baby food, pates and much more.

The standard list of accessories for the GS-3000 model Green Star Juicer is impressive: a coarse screen, a fine screen, a drip tray, a stainless steel strainer, a Japanese rice cake guide, a homogenizing blank, two plungers, a juice pitcher, and a cleaning brush. The pasta screen, guide, and screw are also standard equipment. The juicer has two pasta settings.

The capacity of the motor is 1/4 HP (190 watts). There is a 5 year warranty on the juicer.

Users mention only a few drawbacks. The first is that one has to cut the fruit and veggies into quite small pieces in order to fit them into the chute. This adds a few minutes to the preparation time.

How easy the Green Star Juicer is to clean and re-assemble, is debatable. Due to its size and all the components, this aspect can be somewhat time-consuming.

As with the components of many other juicers, staining and mineral deposits present a challenge. It is possible to remove these to some extent by soaking them in a mixture of baking soda and lukewarm water. However, you will save yourself a lot of aggravation by accepting stains as an inevitable part of juicing.

Although there is a built-in carry handle, the juicer is quite heavy to move around.

If you want to be the proud owner of a Green Star Juicer, but you can’t afford the GS-3000, consider starting with the GS-1000. The same basic functions will be at your disposal. In time you can add the optional accessories, such as the Breadstick Maker, Pasta Maker, Coarse Screen, Stainless steel strainer, and drip tray. You will still have what is considered to be 3 machines in 1. When buying such a versatile product as the Green Star Juicer, you need to become familiar with all its functions. An entertaining way to ensure that you make the most of your juicer, is by investing in the book ‘Living With Green Star’ by Elysa Markowitz. The book offers clear instructions, over 150 tempting recipes, tips and mouth-watering photographs.

For daily use, this juicer is a good choice. The extra high enzyme, vitamin and mineral content in the juice will probably have you up and dancing, with little or no regard for the one or two small snags!

For more information visit www.Best-Juicing.com

Mexico is a country in North America with some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It is a very popular destination with tourists who would like to spend some lazy days around the beach getting their skin tanned. There is a lot that a traveler can look forward to when visiting Mexico. It very well connected with other cities in the world. There are regular flights that fly in and out of many cities in this country such as Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico City etc. There are many cheap flights with no frills that give the traveler a chance to fly within their tight budget to Mexico such as Aires, US Airways, Alma de Mexico, VivaAerobus, Click Mexicana, EasyFly, and many others.

People visiting Mexico can choose to travel to this beautiful destination through a cruise too. There are a plenty of cruises to choose from that cater to every type of traveler. There are luxury cruises that a person can choose if they want to travel to this exotic country in style. There are special cruise packages that have an itinerary that covers different locations of Mexico. A traveler can choose his Mexico cruise depending upon the places they want to visit and the number of days they have available. These vacation packages are priced very well and let the traveler enjoy the beauty and historical treasure of this sunny state. You can visit Mayan sites during the morning and then head for a cocktail after lunch. Anything is possible here and everything goes!

Both Hollywood and the rap industry are promoting a diamond term more serious than “ice” or “bling.” In a world where looks are everything, and the jewelry worn by a star is envied and emulated by peers and fans alike, a movement is emerging that raises awareness of a serious issue - the importation of conflict diamonds.

Also referred to as blood diamonds, conflict diamonds are those which have been stolen and sold over bloodshed to finance rebel African armies in regions of unrest. These diamonds can easily get lost in the shuffle and work their way into the mainstream diamond supply - a great source of concern for the world. Broad based awareness, aided by the entertainment industry in recent months, is the first step to fighting this problem.

Warner Brothers tackles the conflict diamond issue in its upcoming film, The Blood Diamond, which might star Leonardo DiCaprio. The plot explores the intertwined lives of a conflict diamond smuggler and a Sierra Leone farmer whose son vanishes into an army of child soldiers.

Rapper Kanye West also denounces conflict diamonds in his new single “Diamonds From Sierra Leone: “Little was known of Sierra Leone, And how it connect to the diamonds we own, How? when I know of the blood diamonds, Though it’s thousands of miles away, Sierra Leone connect to what we go through today.”

While the entertainment industry assists with increasing public awareness of conflict diamonds, reputable jewelers are already knowledgeable about and have been fighting against conflict diamonds for years. Neustaedter’s Fine Jewelry in St. Louis has been dedicated to the issue for decades and is committed to educating the public.

Conflict Diamonds: Products of Bloodshed with a Centuries-Old History

According to the Global Policy Forum, conflict diamonds date back to the early 1900s when European entrepreneurs gained control of diamond mines by instigating wars between African tribes. Over a hundred years later, conflict diamonds are still affecting the lives of people throughout Africa.

You might be astounded that over 3.7 million people in Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola have died in diamond-related wars. About 6.5 million people in these nations have lost their homes during the wars.

How do conflict diamonds play a role in these wars? Rebel armies, many composed of child soldiers, kill miners and steal the diamonds which are sold on the black market to fund their weapons and other illegal activities. Oftentimes the conflict diamonds are traded and routed through neighboring countries through many middlemen, making it hard to trace their origins.

How the Government Regulates the Importation of Diamonds

Fortunately, many nations are trying to prevent the trade of conflict diamonds. Ratified by 52 countries in 2002, Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) “is a voluntary system that imposes requirements on participants to certify that shipments of rough diamonds are conflict-free,” according to Amnesty International USA.

In 2003, President George W. Bush signed the Clean Diamond Trade Act into law, creating restrictions on the importation of rough diamonds from Sierra Leone into the United States. The act strictly prohibits the importation of rough diamonds from Liberia into the U.S. The Clean Diamond Trade Act also bolsters KPCS by requiring an annual review of anyone in the U.S. who issues KPCS certificates.

But both the KPCS and the Clean Diamond Trade Act have loopholes through which conflict diamonds can pass undetected. Some organizations, including the Global Policy Forum, believe that the KPCS-established World Diamond Council is not monitoring the issue well enough and that many nations have done a poor job of applying KPCS.

Despite its strong implications, the Clean Diamond Trade Act does not require the inspection of sealed diamond containers. The law only calls for U.S. customs to review and record information on a form that accompanies the import. This can lead to false documentation, including inconsistencies between the form and the actual contents. Organizations like Amnesty International USA believe that occasional random checks should be performed on diamond imports to better regulate the industry.

The Diamond Industry Takes a Proactive Stand

De Beers, who controls over 60 percent of the world’s diamonds, has performed many measures to help control this issue. The company has entirely embargoed diamonds from Angola and stopped purchasing diamonds from Liberia and Sierra Leone almost 20 years ago. De Beers only sells diamonds from its own mines, most of which are located in South Africa and Botswana, and provides guarantees that all of its diamonds are conflict-free.

Aside from De Beers, the diamond industry in general has a self-regulatory system that issues warranties for conflict-free diamonds. This system is a result of KPCS, which allows the government to trace your diamond back to its untainted origins.

Your Important Role

All of these regulations mean that you don’t have to worry about conflict diamonds, right? Wrong. Neustaedter’s Fine Jewelry encourages customers to ask jewelers the following questions when purchasing diamonds:

What countries do your diamonds come from?

Do not buy a diamond from areas of conflict in Africa, namely Angola, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone. Even if the jeweler says that the diamonds are from safe regions, most jewelers cannot trace their diamonds’ origins since they travel through three to 15 middlemen.

Instead, people should look for jewelers with direct connections to the mines and cutting facilities. For example, Neustaedter’s conducts business directly with Festdiam, the prestigious Diamond Trading Company sightholder. This means that Neustaedter’s knows exactly where each of its diamonds comes from.

Have you visited the mines and cutting facilities that produce your diamonds?

A trip to the diamond mines allows the jeweler to personally observe how their diamonds are mined and how the workers are treated. As one of six American jewelers recently invited by De Beers to visit Bultfontein Mine in South Africa, co-owners Richard and Jacqueline Neustaedter received the piece of mind they needed, knowing that their diamonds are mined and cut in a safe, humane environment.

Do you have a conflict-free diamond certificate?

The most reputable jewelers provide customers with written guarantees or display certificates in their stores that attest to the non-conflict origins of the jewels. Without authentic and written certification, you will not know if a jeweler’s diamonds are conflict-free.

While many important steps have been taken in recent years to end the distribution of conflict diamonds, we must all continue to play an active role in their elimination by educating ourselves. Patronize jewelers who are committed to combating conflict diamonds, and who can prove that they are taking steps to help end this tragic situation.

Jay Heiseler is the Operations Manager at Neustaedter’s Fine Jewelry, a South St. Louis County jewelry store. Owned by Richard and Jacqueline Neustaedter, the firm has over 42 years experience in the jewelry industry. The Neustaedter’s belong to the American Gem Society, a group dedicated to the highest industry standards which accepts less than 1% of the country’s jewelers. For more information on Neustaedter’s Fine Jewelry visit http://www.wowdiamonds.com

It was “in” in the 60’s, out in the 70’s and 80’s and came roaring back in the 90’s and hasn’t looked back. Hardwood flooring is more popular today than it has ever been. With so many different choices out there such as carpet, tile or laminate, most new home builders are sticking with today’s popular choice, you guessed it, hardwood flooring. People are looking for comfort and versatility in their homes. It comes in a variety of styles and colors such as maple, cherry, oak, pine, teak only to name a few. One of the most popular manufacturers is bruce hardwood flooring. I will give you more details about them below. Another option to consider is bamboo flooring.

Health professionals conclude that traditional hardwood flooring or bamboo flooring is helping people with respiratory conditions live healthier lives. Carpets contain amounts of dust, dirt and bacteria which contribute to serious health problems. For over 100 years, bruce hardwood flooring has been the most recognized name in the industry. Their most costly “best” collections will give you a more uniform appearance in color with less character. The lower you go within the line, the more character you will see so product is very popular with vacation homeowners. As you move up in grade, the warranties are longer and the grading is enhanced. Product available include French White and Red oak, teak, Brazilian cherry and mahogany to name a few.

The one challenging thing about traditional hardwood flooring such as bruce hardwood flooring is the installation process. It is important that you use a professional to do your installation in order to get great looking results. You need experience to laying and finishing it so don’t cheap out and try to do it yourself. A fantastic product is bamboo flooring. It is distinctive and unique and uses the latest technology to turn a plain room into a conversation piece. The grain comes in either medium or soft brown shades.

Let heaven shine down upon whomever invented the tankini - it is the perfect mix between a one-piece swimming suit and a bikini. A tankini is like the offspring of a loving bikini/one-piece couple.

Well, enough with that, let us talk more about the tankini. A woman should be able to wear whatever she wants to the beach - there are no age limits or size limits on who can wear bikinis and who cannot. A woman should be able to wear whatever she feels comfortable in.

Of course, unfortunately, some women do not always feel comfortable wearing a bikini - a bikini expose so much skin (and bulges beneath that skin!) Even women who felt perfectly comfortable wearing a bikini, even a string bikini, in their youth may not feel so comfortable wearing a bikini after having a couple of children. This, in no way, means that a woman should not be allowed to wear a one. Again, a woman should wear whatever she feels comfortable wearing.

Tankinis are great alternatives to bikinis. Many more woman are likely to feel more comfortable with themselves in one rather than a bikini. And why shouldn’t they? A tankini can be very flattering on most women.

A tankini is great because it is more modest than a bikini. Also, it has a bit more flair than most one-piece swimming suits. Another great thing about tankinis is that if you still want to tan your entire stomach, you simply need to roll up your tankini top to expose your belly as you lay out in the sun. Just try to do that with a one-piece!

A woman will feel most comfortable in a tankini not just because she knows she looks good, but because a tankini is also comfortable in a physical sense, as well. Most women are not used to having to put on a anything like a one-piece suit during an average day. Women are, on the other hand, used to pulling on a pair of underwear and a tank top, though. And this is pretty much what a tankini looks and feels like. Also, a tankini stays in place better than a bikini. You do not need to worry about those waves crashing down on you and stealing your suit!

Tankinis come in a wide variety of styles, just as bikinis and other swimming suits do. You can find ones that pretty much cover your entire stomach or tankini tops that end well above the belly button. There are tankinis with a bandeau top style and ones that come with boy short bottoms or string bikini bottoms. There are tankinis that come in a variety of fabrics as well - the patterns on the fabric of a tankini can be more exciting and brilliant than those of a bikini because, well, there is more fabric to work with.

Before you decide to hide at home and not go out to the beach at all this year because you do not want to put on a bikini or a frumpy one-piece (although, there are very cute one-piece swimsuits out there!), try on a tankini. It might just be the answer to all of your prayers. Besides, they are also very trendy right now, so you know that you will be in fashion when you wear one!

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on bikinis and fashion please visit Brazilian Bikinis and Swimwear.