Yummy Coleus

Buying Gold Jewelry Without Being Ripped-Off

2005-08-03T04:28:00.000-07:00

Sam Serio

Buying gold jewelry can be fun, exciting and confusing. Whether you're considering a gift of gold jewelry for someone special or as a treat for yourself, take some time to learn the terms used in the industry. Here's some information to help you get the best quality gold jewelry for your money, whether you're shopping in a traditional brick and mortar store or online.

Gold
The word gold, used by itself, means all gold or 24 karat (24K) gold. Because 24K gold is soft, it's usually mixed with other metals to increase its hardness and durability. If a piece of jewelry
is not 24 karat gold, the karat quality should accompany any claim that the item is gold.

The karat quality marking tells you what proportion of gold is mixed with the other metals. Fourteen karat (14K) jewelry contains 14 parts of gold, mixed in throughout with 10 parts of base metal. The higher the karat rating, the higher the proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry.

Most jewelry is marked with its karat quality, although marking is not required by law. Near the karat quality mark, you should see the name of the U.S. registered trademark of the company that will stand behind the mark. The trademark may be in the form of a name, symbol or initials. If you don't see a trademark accompanying a quality mark on a piece of jewelry, look for another piece.

Solid gold refers to an item made of any karat gold, if the inside of the item is not hollow. The proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry still is determined by the karat mark.

Jewelry can be plated with gold in a variety of ways. Gold plate refers to items that are either mechanically plated, electroplated, or plated by any other means with gold to a base metal. Eventually, gold plating wears away, but how soon will depend on how often the item is worn and how thick the plating is.

Gold-filled, gold overlay and rolled gold plate are terms used to describe jewelry that has a layer of at least 10 karat gold mechanically bonded to a base metal. If the jewelry is marked with one of these terms, the term or abbreviation should follow the karat quality of the gold used (for example, 14K Gold Overlay or 12K RGP). If the layer of karat gold is less than 1/20th of the total weight of the item, any marking must state the actual percentage of karat gold, such as 1/40 14K Gold Overlay.

Gold electroplate describes jewelry that has a layer (at least .175 microns thick) of a minimum of 10 karat gold deposited on a base metal by an electrolytic process. The terms gold flashed or gold washed describe products that have an extremely thin electroplating of gold (less than .175 microns thick). This will wear away more quickly than gold plate, gold-filled or gold electroplate.

The Authors of the above Article, Sam and Tami Serio have been passionately involved with Jewelry and Gemstones for over fifteen-years. You are cordially invited to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com for a wealth of information about the fascinating world of Jewelry and Gemstones. Together they also shelter 20 abandoned and abused dogs & cats. A portion of their profits goes to the care and feeding of the animals.

The Bigger the Carat the Better the Wedding?
Donna Monday

Ahh . . . sweet romance.

The flowers. The chocolate. The late night whispers of "I love you."

For most people in love, the culmination of months of togetherness and special friendship comes down to one single moment: The marriage proposal - - featuring a simple, but elegant, diamond engagement ring.

Of course, if you're a celebrity, a simple ring may not have enough wattage to suit your tastes. Thus, we see many celebrities sporting five-carat to seven-carat diamond studded engagement and wedding rings.

Well, if you can afford it, why not flaunt it, right?

Take for instance the recent marriages of Britney Spears and Star Jones. When Britney Spears got engaged to her former back up dancer, Kevin Federline, she promptly bought herself an awesome-looking five-carat diamond engagement ring. (Does anyone really believe that Kevin bought this for her on his dancer's salary?)

Britney bought herself the ring she felt she deserved - nothing wrong with that. Then, she and Kevin quickly made the leap to matrimony in a matter of months with a surprisingly nice (no lip kissing of Madonna) wedding ceremony.

As for Star Jones, it's not known whether her stunning seven-carat princess cut diamond ring was bought or donated, but she too happily skipped off to a wedding ceremony with all the trimmings.

So, does all this extra diamond wattage mean that celebrities have a better wedding ceremony than everyone else?

Absolutely, not.

There's absolutely no proof that their multi-carat diamond rings and fancy wedding accommodations gave them any more satisfaction at the alter than Joe and Jane Doe's down right sparse nuptials in a run-down back yard.

Buying the biggest and fanciest diamond engagement ring on the planet doesn't guarantee anything but a nice piece of ice jewelry to show off to your family and friends. Other than that, celebrities have the same odds for a successful, happy union as the rest of us.

And that's the way it should be.

Copyright 2004
Donna Monday
One special moment. One special ring.
http://www.1-love-rings.com

Buying Jewelry For Your Business Part 4 Buying Platinum Jewelry

2005-08-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

Sam Serio

Whether you presently own a retail or web based business and are looking for an additional profit center or you are thinking of starting a business, jewelry is a "no-brainer" choice for a proven product category. The buying public, (particularly women) never tires of jewelry as the choices in color, materials, finishes and styles are endless and innovations are continual. Every generation reinvents jewelry for itself in much the same way that it reinvents music and fashion. Styles change but the basic facts remain the same. If you are a seasoned professional, please consider the following a refresher course. To the new comer, use this information as a foundation for your ongoing jewelry education.

The Facts About Platinum Jewelry
Platinum is a precious metal that costs more than gold. It usually is mixed with other similar metals, known as the platinum group metals: iridium, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium and osmium.

Different markings are used on platinum jewelry as compared with gold jewelry, based on the amount of pure platinum in the piece. The quality markings for platinum are based on parts per thousand. For example, the marking 900 Platinum means that 900 out of 1000 are pure platinum, or in other words, the item is 90% platinum and 10% other metals. The abbreviations for platinum - Plat. or Pt. - also can be used in marking jewelry.

Items that contain at least 950 parts per thousand pure platinum can be marked simply platinum. Items that have at least 850 parts per thousand pure platinum can be marked with the amount of pure platinum and the word platinum or an abbreviation (for example, 950 platinum, 900 Plat. or 850 Pt.). Jewelry that contains less than 850 parts per thousand pure platinum, but has a total of 950 parts per thousand of platinum group metals (of which at least 500 parts is pure platinum), may be marked with both the amount of pure platinum and the amount of the other platinum group metals in the piece. For example, the marking 600 Plat. 350 Irid. means that the item has 600 parts per thousand (60%0 platinum, and 350 parts per thousand (35%) iridium, totaling 950 parts per thousand of platinum group metals, and 50 parts per thousand (5%) other metals.

For more information on jewelry and gemstones, we cordially invite you to visit www.morninglightjewelry.com to pick up your FREE copy of "How To Buy Jewelry And Gemstones Without Being Ripped Off." This concise, informative special report reveals almost everything you ever wanted to know about jewelry and gemstones, but were afraid to ask. Get your FREE report at www.morninglightjewelry.com.

Ralph Lauren 2005 Summer Collection
Sher Matsen

The Ralph Lauren Spring 2005 Collection is simply fabulous! The collection ranges from Shimmering Luxury to Breezy Elegance to Throwaway Glamour - the common element appears to be the color white. Lauren said he used the sophistication of old-time Hollywood and the chic refinement of cafe society as starting points for his collection, which featured several halter gowns, fuzzy cashmere sweaters and some tailored jackets paired with capri-length pants or Bermuda shorts. The fabrics are flowy and romantic, the colors are outstanding, and the statement is sexy!
Ralph Lauren states "Spring is about romantic refinement - an old-Hollywood charm that's luxurios in a modern, off hand way." The spring line has a sexy blend of softness and glamour bringing out the feminine side in an elegant and sophisticated way. This is a collection most any woman can be part of. There are cuts and styles suited for all ages and body shapes.

Here's some great sites to see the Ralph Lauren Spring Fashions hitting the boutiques now.
� NewYorkMetro
� Ralph Lauren Runway Show
� MSNBC News Coverage

Did anyone watch the Golden Globes? Emmy Rossum wore this fabulous Ralph Lauren gown - strapless, silhoutte shape to accentuate every curve with this fabulous flowing layers of material from the knees down. Certainly a gown made for a star! How about the Amanda Coat with a cost of $1800.00? Amazing lines! The Bronson Vest with a cost of $898.00 teamed with the Amanda Skirt with a cost of $850.00. All lookers and all certainly make a fashion statement!

Pearls are hot this season and you only need to look at the Ralph Lauren collection to confirm this. Many of the Ralph Lauren spring fashions are being accented with pearls. Pearls are getting a whole new face lift this summer with a mix of colors and styles not seen before.

Yes I know. Ralph Lauren's may be out of the reach of many of our pocket books. Don't fret! Have a look at the designs he has to offer. Take good visual notes. Similar lines and looks can be found for much less. You can make your fashion statement on a budget! You need to find the syles and colors that suit you and that you are interested in, then go shopping for similar garments without out the designer name.
These seasons fashions are fabulous, fun, and very retro. Your certain to find something that makes your fashion statement in your budget.

Ralph Lauren was born in the Bronx NY in 1939. After dropping out of college he served in the US Army from 1962 to 1964. He married Ricky Low-Beer in 1964 and they had three children. In 1968 he was able to secure a $50,000 loan and Polo Fashions was born. SInce then it has grown into a $5 billion dollar industry. Ralph Lauren once said "I don't design clothes, I design dreams."

This season is truly a season of personal style and every woman is certain to find the right item[s] to make her fashion statement!

For more articles and information on summer fashions be sure to visit our resource pages at Estate Jewelry International

© Copyright Sher Matsen, All Rights Reserved.

About the author:
Sher has been serving customers for over 20 years, providing affordable estate jewelry, and a wealth of information on jewelry, fashion, designers, and beauty with on staff industry professionals. Please visit us at Estate Jewelry International.

How Much Should You Pay for a Click

2005-08-01T08:58:00.000-07:00

Andy Quick

Title: "How Much Should You Pay for a Click?"
Copyright © 2002
Author: Andy Quick
Contact Author: mailto:andy@findmyhosting.com
Website: http:// http://www.findmyhosting.com/web-
resources/Articles/howmuch.htm
Publishing Guidelines: You have permission to publish this article
electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the resource box
at bottom is included. No notification required.

How Much Should You Pay for a Click?
Andy Quick

You have a web site ready for action. Your product catalog, order
tracking, credit card payment system, and fulfillment process are all
in place. Now all you need is traffic! Many web entrepreneurs have
learned that the magic nut to crack is attraction: get a steady flow of
customers who explore your site and eventually purchase goods. The
overhead costs of most web businesses are minimal relative to brick and
mortar stores. However, the variable marketing costs can over shadow
sales revenues by orders of magnitudes. Unfortunately, unlike the
saying in the movie Field of Dreams, "If you build it, they will not
come!" Luckily, the industry has learned this lesson; some the hard
way, and others in spite of the losers. Dot-coms are clearly not the
darlings of the capital markets any longer; however, there is still
money to be made! If you plan to start a web business or already have
one but are not sure how to increase traffic and make money at the same
time, you should consider a science-driven approach. What does that
mean? Read on-

How to Lose $500 in 12 Hours

One weekend, my business partner and I created an affiliate commerce
site. The site comprised a list of links to other online retailers.
People go to our site, pick a link to a jewelry store for example, buy
something, and in turn we receive a commission from the sale. The
process of creating the site, signing up the affiliate agreements, and
turning it on was a cinch. The cost was virtually nothing. We, being
new to this whole web business concept, thought we had an incredibly
smart marketing idea: pay to have our site come up in an ad box on a
major search engine (Google) every time someone searched on the word
"gifts". The word gifts is searched for 49,000 times per day! We
figured we would have a good flow of visitors and the money would start
rolling in. For certain, we would at least break even. We sunk $500 in
one day and let it rip. Here's what happened:

Our investment in Google - $ 500
Number of times our ad was displayed (impressions) - 36,964
Number of times people actually clicked on our ad when they saw it
(click-throughs) - 429
Number of times a person visiting our site made a purchase - 10
Our total sales revenue- $ 77
Our total gross profit - $ (428)

The whole process took less than 12 hours. At least we learned a lesson
quickly at a relatively low cost. Let's look at this event from a
slightly different perspective, putting the costs in terms of number of
visitors:

Our investment in Google - $ 500
Number of times our ad was displayed (impressions) - 36,964
Number of times people actually clicked on our ad when they saw it
(click-throughs) - 429
Ad cost per visitor - $ 1.17
Number of times a person visiting our site made a purchase - 10
Average sale per purchase - $ 7.70
Average revenue per visitor - $ 0.18
Average gross profit per visitor - $ (0.99)

We were basically giving $1 away for each visitor that came to the
site. Not a winning business model. However, taking this information,
we can assess which marketing techniques can work best for the
business. Let's add 2 additional critical data points to our table:

Our investment in Google - $ 500
Number of times our ad was displayed (impressions)- 36,964
Number of times people actually clicked on our ad when they saw it
(click-throughs) - 429
Percentage people who clicked on our ad (click-through rate)- % 1.16
Ad cost per visitor - $ 1.17
Number of times a person visiting our site made a purchase - 10
Percentage of visitors who purchased something (conversion rate)-% 2.3
Average sale per purchase- $ 7.70
Average revenue per visitor- $ 0.18
Average gross profit per visitor- $ (0.99)

Running the Numbers

Putting this all together, you can create a formula for estimating the
gross margin per visitor for a specific marketing campaign:

Average Gross Margin per Visitor = Average revenue per visitor -
Advertising Cost per Visitor
Advertising Cost per Visitor = Campaign Costs /(Impressions x Click-
through rate)

Average revenue per visitor = Conversion rate x Average sale per
purchase

Putting it together:

Average Gross Margin per Visitor = (Conversion rate x Average sale per
purchase) - (Campaign Costs / Impressions x Click-through rate)

Using our Google example, the average gross margin per visitor would be
calculated as:

Average Gross Margin per Visitor = (0.023 x $ 7.7) - $500 / (36,964 x
.016) = (0.99)

Remember, this formula can only be used for a single type of campaign.
Depending upon your target audience and the type of campaign, all of
the above variables can change. When we launched our Google campaign,
we used impression-based advertising, that is, we paid Google a certain
amount of money for every 1,000 impressions of our ad (about $15 per
1,000 impressions in our example). However, just because our ad was
displayed inside someone's browser did not mean they would click on the
ad itself.

Enter pay-per-click advertising. This advertising model allows you to
pay for an ad only when a person actually clicks on it. In this model,
you are guaranteed to get visitors. However, the cost per click is
usually much higher. Let us assume we ran our same Google campaign
except we used pay-per-click advertising. Pay-per-click also factors in
position which will drive the amount you pay per click (the higher the
ad position on the screen, the higher the price per click will be).
Let's say we pay google $0.50 per click and based on Google's traffic
for the word gifts, we receive 170 clicks per day (or visitors), or in
total 1000 visitors over the life of the campaign (we still only put in
$500, so $500/$0.50 = 1000). Using our same ratios, let us re-compute
our Average Gross Margin per Visitor, modifying our formula slightly
(notice the formula is simpler):

Average Gross Margin per Visitor = (Conversion rate x Average sale per
purchase) - (Campaign Costs / Visitors)

Plugging in the numbers:

Average Gross Margin per Visitors = (.023 x $ 7.7) - ($500 / 1000) =
(0.32)

If we used a pay-per-click advertising model, we could have saved $100.
Either way, we would have lost money, but imagine if we had started
with $5,000 instead of $500. The nice feature of pay-per-click is that
you know ahead of time how many visitors you will receive. If you know
your conversion rate and your average sale, you can modify the formula
to determine the most you should pay for a pay-per-click campaign:

Max Pay-per-click = (Conversion rate x Average Sale per purchase)

In our Google example, our maximum pay-per-click should be $0.18. For
every penny we pay less than our maximum pay-per-click, we're making
money! Unfortunately, as of this writing, the minimum pay-per-click
cost for the word "gifts" on Google is $0.37. The ultimate lesson is
that for this particular site, the Google marketing campaign will not
generate sales revenues. But is that really true? We could increase our
conversion rate and our average sale per purchase. We could increase
our conversion rate by optimizing the design of the web pages. We could
increase our average sale per purchase by entering affiliate agreements
that offer higher commissions. Let's say we used the $0.37 pay-per-
click model on Google for our gift site. In order to make money we
would have to get our average revenue per visitor to at least $0.38. If
we just focused on our conversion rate, we would need to increase the
percentage of visitors who make a purchase to 4.9%. If we left
conversion rate alone, we would need to increase the average sale per
purchase to $16.50. Alternatively, we could try and increase them both.

Not All Ad Models Are Created Equal

Using the same model, let's look at a different type of campaign:
newsletter advertising. This form of advertising involves placing an ad
embedded in a newsletter that is distributed to a subscriber base via
email. The model for calculating average gross margin per visitor is
exactly the same as impression based, except your target market is
different. For example, let us say we spend $1,000 to place an ad in an
email newsletter about shopping tips. And let's say the newsletter
reaches 500,000 subscribers. If we used the same click-through rates
and conversion rates, our average gross margin per visitor would be:

Average Gross Margin per Visitor = (.023 x $ 7.7) - $1000 / (500,000 x
.0116) = $0.004

We're making money!! (not much, but the margin is positive).
Translation: this campaign brings us under a half a penny per visitor.
Another helpful ratio is to calculate the return on your advertising
dollar:

Return of Advertising = [(Impressions x Click-through rate x Conversion
rate x Average sale per purchase) - Campaign Cost] / Campaign Cost

Or in our case:

Return of Advertising = [(500,000 x .0116 x .023 x $ 7.7) - $1000] /
$1000 = 2.7%. Translation: you're making 2.7 cents in gross revenue
for every dollar of advertising you spend. Also keep in my mind that
this newsletter reaches a different target audience. While people on
Google may casually look for gifts, the recipients of a shopping
newsletter may have a higher tendency to buy (i.e. your conversion rate
may be higher). If your conversion rate were higher, let's say 3%, your
new average gross margin per visitor becomes $0.05!! or a 34% return on
our dollar.

The Bottom Line

Using formulas to compute the success of marketing plans is extremely
helpful and reduces the risk of throwing away precious advertising
dollars. However, understand that each marketing campaign will differ
based on cost per click, conversion rates, target audience, and average
sales per purchase. I encourage you to track all the data available
about your marketing campaigns so you can realize profits instead of
losses.

Marketing on the web can be difficult. Predicting the behavior of
surfers is an art unto itself. Before you begin spending a lot of money
on advertising, experiment with different types of campaigns, track all
of the results, and make future marketing decisions based on real
customer behavior. Also keep in mind that there are other, free forms
of advertising. Writing articles, participating in newsgroups, print
advertising, and email marketing are other examples. Remember that all
of these marketing techniques will have different click-through rates,
conversion rates, and revenues per visitor.

Andy Quick is co-founder of Findmyhosting.com (www.findmyhosting.com),
a free web hosting directory offering businesses and consumers a hassle
free way to find the right hosting plan for their needs. Feel free to
contact Andy at andy@findmyhosting.com in case you have any questions
or comments regarding this article.

Andy Quick is co-founder of Findmyhosting.com (www.findmyhosting.com),
a free web hosting directory offering businesses and consumers a hassle
free way to find the right hosting plan for their needs. Feel free to
contact Andy at andy@findmyhosting.com in case you have any questions
or comments regarding this article.

Selling on Ebay and Wholesale .... Would You Like to Resell Mexican Products for Great Profits ?
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Don't expect to get the best possible prices from those "mexican products providers" that you can find on the web for free.-

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Buying Gold Jewelry Without Being Ripped-Off

2005-07-31T12:57:00.000-07:00

Sam Serio

Buying gold jewelry can be fun, exciting and confusing. Whether you're considering a gift of gold jewelry for someone special or as a treat for yourself, take some time to learn the terms used in the industry. Here's some information to help you get the best quality gold jewelry for your money, whether you're shopping in a traditional brick and mortar store or online.

Gold
The word gold, used by itself, means all gold or 24 karat (24K) gold. Because 24K gold is soft, it's usually mixed with other metals to increase its hardness and durability. If a piece of jewelry
is not 24 karat gold, the karat quality should accompany any claim that the item is gold.

The karat quality marking tells you what proportion of gold is mixed with the other metals. Fourteen karat (14K) jewelry contains 14 parts of gold, mixed in throughout with 10 parts of base metal. The higher the karat rating, the higher the proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry.

Most jewelry is marked with its karat quality, although marking is not required by law. Near the karat quality mark, you should see the name of the U.S. registered trademark of the company that will stand behind the mark. The trademark may be in the form of a name, symbol or initials. If you don't see a trademark accompanying a quality mark on a piece of jewelry, look for another piece.

Solid gold refers to an item made of any karat gold, if the inside of the item is not hollow. The proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry still is determined by the karat mark.

Jewelry can be plated with gold in a variety of ways. Gold plate refers to items that are either mechanically plated, electroplated, or plated by any other means with gold to a base metal. Eventually, gold plating wears away, but how soon will depend on how often the item is worn and how thick the plating is.

Gold-filled, gold overlay and rolled gold plate are terms used to describe jewelry that has a layer of at least 10 karat gold mechanically bonded to a base metal. If the jewelry is marked with one of these terms, the term or abbreviation should follow the karat quality of the gold used (for example, 14K Gold Overlay or 12K RGP). If the layer of karat gold is less than 1/20th of the total weight of the item, any marking must state the actual percentage of karat gold, such as 1/40 14K Gold Overlay.

Gold electroplate describes jewelry that has a layer (at least .175 microns thick) of a minimum of 10 karat gold deposited on a base metal by an electrolytic process. The terms gold flashed or gold washed describe products that have an extremely thin electroplating of gold (less than .175 microns thick). This will wear away more quickly than gold plate, gold-filled or gold electroplate.

The Authors of the above Article, Sam and Tami Serio have been passionately involved with Jewelry and Gemstones for over fifteen-years. You are cordially invited to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com for a wealth of information about the fascinating world of Jewelry and Gemstones. Together they also shelter 20 abandoned and abused dogs & cats. A portion of their profits goes to the care and feeding of the animals.

Best of Friends Now and Always: Gifts for the Bridesmaids
by Jessica Rosenzweig

(BNN) The tradition of the bridal party began in ancient Rome with a bride selecting close friends and relatives to accompany and protect her on the journey to the marriage ceremony. Times have changed, of course, and while bridesmaids have less of a bodyguard role these days, their participation is no less important.

Bridesmaids offer faithful support and generous advice as wedding plans take shape. As a remembrance of her cherished friendship, the thoughtful bride always presents each bridesmaid with a gift as an expression of esteem, love and gratitude.

Jewelry and accessories will always be a reminder of that special day and treasured for a lifetime. They also complement and enhance the bridesmaid's dress.

Diamonds, still a girl's best friend, add dazzle to bridesmaids' dresses. Diamond Essence, one of the world's best-known makers of artificial diamonds, has exquisite simulated stones. A stunning 2.0 carat pendant on a 14K gold chain is $69 and 2.0 carat studs set in 14K gold are $45 at www.diamond-essence.com/bridal.

Personalized jewelry is also an enduring gift. Lillian Vernon's sterling silver bracelet with a heart charm can be engraved with a bridesmaid's monogram, including engraving for $20 at www.lillianvernon.com. Ross-Simons engraved sterling silver locket on a black silk cord brings a dash of romance to a bridesmaid's neckline. Inserting a picture of the bride and bridesmaid personalizes it even more. Including engraving for $60 at www.ross-simons.com.

Dainty pearl and crystal earrings accent dressy, swept-up hairstyles. $45 at Fortunoff. If the bride registers at a Fortunoff store, she also receives a 10% discount on gifts for her wedding party. www.fortunoff.com.

Bridesmaids will delight in luxurious pashmina shawls sprayed with Swarovski crystal beads in soft lilac, pink, champagne or black. Wear to the wedding and for years to come! $119 www.pashminaboutique.com.

The gift a bride chooses reflects the strong bonds of friendship celebrated on this joyous occasion

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Successful Online Gift Shop Marketing - Part 2

2005-07-31T08:24:00.000-07:00

Shannan Hearne

7. Organize

To a great extent, we've been covering this all along. But it can't be
emphasized enough. Don't make me, the shopper, search high and low on
your site for a statue that perfectly matches my wizard logo. Combine
the wizard, sorcery, magical, knights of the roundtable products
together. Think of every way that someone like me - or any other
shopper - might go looking for them. And make them easy to find by
organizing.

8. Monopolize

Many merchants worry that this is a taboo form of marketing. Not at
all.

Would it have been taboo to sell flags on 9/11/01? Perhaps. But every
day since then they have been selling like hotcakes. And if you offer
American patriotism in the form of products on your gift site, then you
need to monopolize on the new American patriotism. For years merchants
have monopolized on Christmas, Mother's Day, and every other gift giving
occasion. Let's face it, Hallmark and American Greetings would go belly
up if this year we all decided to boycot our moms on Mother's Day.

So how do you do this? Jog your memory by looking at everything we've
covered. Specialization and categorization. Organization.
Preplanning. They all come into play.

You don't need a crystal ball to see what trends are coming along in
consumerism. And if you see them, you need to monopolize on them if you
want to run a successful gift sales business.

Look at what eToys.com, Walmart.com, BlueLight.com, etc. did this year.
A rather unstable economy kept people from spending quite as freely as
they have in years past. Rather than give up all together, merchants
increased their specials and discounts. And didn't we all buy at least
one thing this past holiday season not because we or our gift recipient
needed it, but rather because it was too inexpensive not to buy?

9. Design Your Site Carefully

This could be an entire article on its own. But let's look at the
general mechanics of a site that would rank high in the search engines.

Quality and quantity keywords and meta tags are imperative if you want
the right kind of traffic. Speed of loading and ease of navigation are
required to get visitors where you want them to end up - the order
page. Aesthetically pleasing visuals make shoppers happy and turn them
into buyers. And finally, the more payment methods you are able to
accept, the more buyers you will receive.

Invite a friend, preferably an internet newbie, to shop from your site.
Perhaps even offer a free gift as the incentive. See how long it takes
them to find what they are looking for and order it. Do they get
frustrated? Do they smile or frown? Re-think your gift site design
accordingly.

10. Market Every Day

What no holidays or Sundays off? That's right. You should always be
prepared to hand out a business card or zap off an email when you see a
marketing opportunity. And you can be marketing even when you aren't
marketing. Your signature text in your emails should ALWAYS contain a
link to your business site. Every thing you ship should have your URL
printed everywhere. When you leave a pen at the bank, it should have
your business contact printed on it. If you stop at a yard sale and see
that someone obviously likes Teddy Bears, you should tell them how to
get to your Teddy Bear Site.

What about getting other people to market for you?

Groups like http:/www.mompack.com are all about having other people help
promote your business for free. When you ship a product, always include
at least THREE of your business cards, one for the recipient to keep and
two to give away. Affiliate programs are a great way to get people to
sell for you. Don't overlook any option.

And when you are running a special, don't forget to advertise on sites
that compile savings information. My favorite is
http://www.clearancecrazy.com But there are tons of them.

11. Utilize Every Contact as a Potential Marketing Contact

One category of products that I sell is gourmet coffee, tea, and
snacks. It has absolutally nothing to do with my primary business,
http://www.SuccessPromotions.com. However, it is very successful in its
own right. Http://www.coffeeteaetc.com gets more hits regularly than
Success Promotions. Why? Because I tell everyone about it. For
example, every time I get a free cup of coffee somewhere, I leave a
couple business cards and web cards. (see www.mothersdayout.com/ for
web cards) I participate in marketing material exchanges through the
Mom Pack mentioned earlier. When I meet someone who sells any type of
home party product whether it be food/kitchen oriented like TupperWare
or completely different like PartyLite Candles or House of Lloyd, I tell
them about my business. It is easy to recruit for and easy to promote.
Almost everyone I know drinks coffee or tea. I give away samples. I
invite neighbors over for gourmet coffee. Everyone I talk to is a
suspected buyer or reseller until they prove themselves otherwise.

You should assume the same.

Wear the clothes that you sell or the jewelry. Drive the car that you
sell. Drink the coffee that you sell. And be prepared to share them
with anyone who even casually asks.

Along the same lines, encourage your own customers to do the same.

I have purchased many shirts from Sirr Max, http://www.sirrmax.com
Their positive logoed apparel fits my personality and I enjoy sharing
their messages of hope with anyone who takes the time to read my
clothing. At least twice a day, when wearing Sirr Max apparel, someone
will comment on how much they like my shirt or admire the message on my
tote bag. I'm always prepared to give a business card to them.
Ordering from this online giftwear site is easy. But potential
customers have to get to the site to order. So I help Pamela Jordan of
Sirr Max by advertising for her every time I wear her clothing.

If you sell anything besides underwear, then your customers' friends are
going to eventually see it. Make sure they are prepared to tell their
friends how they can get some too.

12. Network

The dreaded "N" word. This has nothing to do with multi level
marketing. It is all about who you know and what you know.

When you network, you invariably make potential business/client
contacts. So do it wholeheartedly. Don't just join a group like
Digital Women http://www.digital-woman.com or The Network for Women
http://www.thenetworkforwomen.com, but participate in them. Join the
email lists. Advertise. Donate time, products, services, etc. Make
yourself visible enough within the group that your networking is
accomplishing something. The contacts will be invaluable. And you neve
know who you will meet who either is just now looking for gifts like you
sell or knows someone who is.

Its a new year and all of is are ready for a fresh, new start. Make an
effort to utilize these suggestions in the way most appropriate for your
business. Sell more gifts by working to sell more gifts.

And remember, Success Promotions, http://www.successpromotions.com is
always just a quick browser surf away with tons more tips, tools, and
tricks.

Shannan Hearne
President and Wizard
Success Promotions
http://www.successpromotions.com
Building Your E-Business Better

The Modern Bridesmaid is Chic!
Sher Matsen

It's a whole new day, and there is a whole new look for bridesmaids. It's a welcome change from the past years. At it's not just the bridesmaids look that has gotten a facelift, the brides are sporting a whole new look too.

Traditional wedding gowns and traditional white will always be a choice. That's a tradition that's just not going to disappear. And that's okay. But the choices now available for the modern bride are welcome change, allowing those creative juices to flow, and one's own personality to stand out.

The history of the bridesmaids attire is quite interesting. In past centuries brides wore elaborate colorful gowns, and bridesmaids wore similar gowns. This was to disguise the bride and protect her from being kidnapped by evil spirits. By the Victorian era things had changed producing brides that wanted to stand out in the crowd. Thus the formal elaborate white wedding gown entered the wedding fashion scene. However the bridesmaids attire didn't change, remaining bold and frilly.

Well this century bridesmaids have a lot more to say about what they wear. Not only have the traditional dresses taken on a more sophisticated and elegant look. Many brides now let their bridesmaids choose their own dress based on the chosen color scheme. All bridesmaids weren't created equal. By allowing them to choose a dress that flatters them, you have happier bridesmaids and better photo ops.

Gowns and dresses worn by the modern bridesmaid are often functional enough for other formal events and gatherings. A much smarter alternative to the expensive gown that's worn once then buried deep in the closet never to be seen again. We all remember wearing one of those "awful" dresses at some point.

There are also no longer fast and set rules on how many bridesmaids you must have. The size of your wedding often relates to how many attendants, and these days the choice is entirely up to you. Tradition has gone out the window, a pleasing thought for many future brides. You can even have more than one maid of honor if you wish. The rules you must play by are your own rules.

The same new rules apply to your flower girl[s] and ring bearer[s] choose more than one, have only one, have one of each. The best age range for this very important little people's job is between 5 and 7. Younger children have a harder time staying focused. Now if you don't' mind if they mess up a little bit, then by all means you can choose a younger child. After all they can be a great source of amusement! Older children will also be thrilled to be chosen to man the guestbook or help guests. It makes them feel extra special.

The more bridesmaids you have the more coordination and communication your going to have to take care of. Remember you'll have plenty of issues to deal with from dresses, to nails, to hair, to jewelry. So don't choose more bridesmaids than you think you can handle. This is supose to be a happy time for you and stress doesn't make a person happy.

Forget the old theory that if you don't include everyone that's close to you, there will be hard feelings. Most women have outgrown this childish thought pattern, and recognize that the modern bride has tough choices to make to stay within budget and fulfill her special day. Sometimes a future bride just has too many close friends to have them all in the wedding party. Relax! Invite them to the wedding, and if you want ask them to do special favors such as perhaps your nails or your hair, depending on their own unique talents.

The maid of honor has a role to play besides in the wedding party. She needs to be the brides right arm and help with any wedding tasks she can. She can help select the wedding gown, get the invitations in order, arrange a wedding shower, help with choosing a reception location, help decorate, or even help prepare the food. The duties that can be assigned to your made of honor are endless, just be sure not to overwhelm her with too many requests. Your maid of honor is like the brides personal first aid kit. Ready to fix anything that's broken.

Bridesmaids also play an important role by planning the bridal shower, preparing munchies, cake, or sandwiches for the shower. They are also there to support and help the bride whenever they can.

For the modern bride these are happy times, choices are endless, you can make your fashion statement and let your bridesmaid's make theirs. No more having to follow traditions unless you want to. Planning the perfect wedding has never been easier!

© Copyright Sher Matsen, All Rights Reserved.

© Copyright Sher Matsen, All Rights Reserved.

About the author:
Sher has been serving customers for over 20 years, providing affordable estate jewelry, and a wealth of information on jewelry, fashion, designers, and beauty with on staff industry professionals. Please visit us at Estate Jewelry International.

Does It Matter What You Wear?

2005-07-30T14:17:00.000-07:00

Susan Dunn, MA, Personal and Professional Development Coach

Of course it does! We want to be appropriately and comfortably dressed so it isn't distracting.

How can you court your honey when your shirt collar is choking you? your waistband is too tight? How can you represent your client if the judge doesn't allow women lawyers to appear in court in pants? How can you enjoy touring the Turtle Farm on Barbados when it's 95 degrees and you've got on polyester slacks? How can you work the Trade Show when your feet are killing you?

CLOTHING AS NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Clothing can show:

� How much money you have
� How you spend your money
� Your values
� How you take care of things
� How organized you are
� How creative you are
� What profession or industry you're in
� Whether you're a copy-cat or an original

ANALYZE THIS

It's easy to do -- clothing is all around us -- so spend some time analyzing. This is something you need to master.

It's been said "dress for the position you next want," so take a look around your office. Where are the lines drawn. How do you fit in?

Be mindful. Are you representing what you want to, and what you intend to? I'm thinking of the mother at our children's 8th grade outdoor morning graduation ceremony in spangles, cleavage, boa and dangly earrings. What look was she after, I wondered. She had achieved the "appearing nightly" look.

FIND OUT WHAT'S APPROPRIATE

The emotionally intelligent person plans ahead. When planning to travel on business, call a coach in the area you're going to.

Male lawyers in San Antonio, TX USA wear suspenders, while when my sister first started practicing law in D. C., judges did not permit women lawyers to wear pantsuits in court.

In San Antonio, TX there isn't much use for a coat rack. I had no idea when I got to the Chicago Art Museum that I could check my coat and boots. There were lockers. How nice! But neither was I prepared for how hot they keep their buildings. People who come to San Antonio are never prepared for how icy we keep our buildings in the summer.

DOES IT REALLY MATTER?

Of course it does, because you want to be able to concentrate on what's really important.

You'll probably have a sense of what areas of the country are different, and in which areas dress matters more than in others.

I had no idea for instance what to wear for a professional trip to Seattle, Washington (USA). Don't laugh, but all I'd seen in photos was lumber jackets and jeans. Of course YOU are not your CLOTHES, but the more comfortable I am, the better I can do my job, and the more I'll enjoy myself.

As my friend who didn't listen to me and took her bright floral patterned dresses to D. C. found out, there are good ways to stand out, and there are bad ways to stand out. In the room of 300 people all wearing solid colors, she might as well have had a bone in her nose. She found it hard to get it out of her mind. That can take the edge off what you're about!

FORGETTING

Where I live it is 98 for a good part of the year, and then plummets all the way to, oh maybe freezing once in a while. It is said to snow once every ten years, but it's been longer than that since last it did. Therefore, I forget what "cold" means. I know cold, I went to college in Minnesota but I forget the feel of it.

When I arrived in Duluth, MN in February and it was 40 below - honest degrees, not windchill - I was appalled. When you check with that coach, don't settle for "it's cold up here" or "it could be 40 below," ask them "what's should I bring?" and, as I did before going to Russia, "please tell me what it feesl like when it's 70 degrees with 100 percent humidity and wind blowing at X mph."

If you're female, ask that coach about jewelry. I was so grateful to the mentor who told me when I attended my first XX conference that the women in that profession in that town would be "draped in jewelry, rings, bracelets, necklaces earrings, toe rings, naval rings -" Of course I would like to know the opposite, too. Why? Well, it's not cool to sit down to a business dinner in Seattle and ask for iced tea. If you know what I mean. Oh, you haven't done that? Let me tell you what happens. Everyone's head jerks toward you. Then they look away. The waiter stammers and shifts from foot to foot. You realize immediately there is no iced tea in this town. But the waiter won't let it go. "I'll brew some tea," he says, "and bring you a glass of ice." "Or just shoot me," I'm thinking. Then he adds, "Is that what iced tea is like?" Everyone is still looking at the ceiling.

ASK THE COACH

Your answers are only as good as your questions. Here's a good question to ask that coach: "What will I wish I'd brought with me that I won't think of." That will trigger the "tourist" mindset in your resource person. Oh the things I've wished I'd brought.

�A well broken in pair of sandals for my Caribbean cruise
�A bathing suit for my December trip to Chicago. Of course the hotel had a hot tub. They all do.
�A pair of comfortable heels each time I've given a presentation. Why do I fool myself?
�Slacks with elastic waistline for cruises
�Something Tencel for long trips
�The black Pashmina shawl that works with everything. Why do I leave it in the back of my closet?
�Something for the rain. It rains when you go somewhere else. You can go to the dollar store and buy what amounts to disposable ponchos and head covers. (Great for touring Russia in the summer or Seattle nearly any time).
�Something really cute for vacations. You think you want to go funky, but then you see someone in a smashing linen matching outfit, and there you are, buying something cute in the hotel store with a price tag that isn't cute at all.
�An evening bag. With an evening bag you can get by with that same black Tencel skirt - you know what I mean.
�Jeans. Dry cleaned and starched.
�Sensible shoes. Oh was I mad when they wouldn't let me rent a motorbike on Grand Cayman with my thong sandals, and the heels back in my room wouldn't have made the cut either.
�That thing that's hanging on the back of your chair if you're in an office right now. You know what I mean. Bring it along for when you get cold which could be anywhere, any time.

Find out what you need to know and master the fundamentals so you don't have to think about what you've got on!

©Susan Dunn, MA, The EQ Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc . Coaching, distance learning, and ebooks around emotional intelligence for your continued personal and professional development. I train and certify EQ coaches. Get in this field, dubbed "white hot" by the press, now, before it's crowded, and offer your clients something of real value. Start tomorrow, no residence requirement. Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc for free ezine.

"Generating Leads..And Multiple Streams of Income"
Christopher Wright

"Finding Leads...Before and After You"

By Christopher Wright, Guerrilla Marketer
www.GuerrillaPromotions.com

Once again...everyone's looking for leads. One can't really blame them...they are the 'life blood' of business. Lets take a look at a simple strategy for locating leads, not just a look but a vertical look.

"Are You In...The Cycle?"

Sometimes the best way to find leads is to work your cycle (sales cycle). Before you can 'work' this cycle, you first must find where you fit in this cycle. Once this is done, then its just a matter of contacting those before and after you to inquire as to the possibility of a promotion.

Now, you may be wondering what I mean by 'before and after' you. This means who will your customers need before they see you and who will they need after they've done business with you. This applies whether you're focusing online or off-line.

"Form Your Crosses...Join Your Joints"

Ok, you've found your place in the sales cycle, now it's time to contact other businesses. The hot term now on the net is 'joint venture', but its been called 'cross promotions' for ages off-line. Let's say you're wedding planner and you're looking to increase your business. Let's see what we can do. Who would your potential clients need before they seek out your services? Surely they'll need wedding rings. So, let's contact some jewelers. Don't expect many jewelers to jump for joy over your prospective 'joint venture'...at least without some incentive.

The best incentive (but not always) is cash. How much should you offer? Should it be a flat fee per referral or a percentage of what they spend? This is something only you can answer. Your decision will be based on your expenses and profit margins.

Why pay a referral fee you ask? Simple. What you give up on the front end, you'll more than recoup later on the back end. How? Well, lets look at who they'll need after they've done business with you? Maybe they'll want to go on a honeymoon...which means they will probably want a good travel agent. Now, you contact (ahead of time, of course) travel agents and propose a similar joint venture to the one you used with the jeweler. Only this time, you'll be receiving the referral fee.

We're not finished yet! Keep these names on file in your database, we'll be using them to generate other streams of revenue for our (um..I mean your :) business. You have their anniversary date...it was the date you helped plan remember? Well send a postcard to the husband about a week or so before asking if he would like some flowers sent to his wife's job (women love that). What about sending a postcard about a month before the date offering a special discount on jewelry? Or maybe its their fifth or tenth anniversary and they've been talking about another vacation. Send a postcard a month or two offering a discount on a vacation package.

How will you be offering all these discounts on these services...through your 'joint ventures' you'll set up ahead of time! You're only limited by the time and effort you put into this strategy. Next time, we'll discuss how this technique can be implemented on the Internet.

Best of Luck,

C. Wright, Guerrilla Marketer
"Free 100+ Ezine Article Database"
www.GuerrillaPromotions.com/TrafficMagic.html

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Are You Are A Rhinestone Enthusiast

2005-07-29T17:03:00.000-07:00

Sher Matsen

Rhinestones have a glittering past. Originally rhinestones where referred to Czechoslovakian or Bohemian glass dating as far back as the 13th century in Bohemia and the Czech Republic. Both have a history steeped in beautiful hand blown glass as well as molded and cut glass.

By 1918 glass was no longer limited to functional items. Czechoslovakian glass began to make its appearance in dazzling and brilliant jewelry. This Czech glass became known as rhinestones.

Rhinestones were manmade gems from highly refined glass. By using various metals the glass was colored to the desired shade. It was then pressed into molds. Each stone was then ground and polished by machine, resulting in a brilliant glass stone. Often the stones were foiled on the back which increased their brilliance.

Today, the same refining process is still used. You will often here rhinestones referred to as paste. Originally paste was referred to a glass stone that made of ground glass which was molded and then melted, producing an opaque dense glass frosted stone. Paste had many air bubbles and swirl marks. The high lead content glass was then polished and faceted, and set on either copper or silver resulting in a brilliant stone. Today the term paste usually refers to rhinestones. In Europe rhinestones are often referred to as paste, strass, and diamante.

Austria is another area with a history in rhinestone production. In 1891 Daniel Swarovski created a new glass cutting machine which quite literally revolutionized the jewelry business. This machine could cut faceted glass, producing finely finished product in a very short time. Prior to this invention it would take a very long time for each stone to be hand cut and finished. Swarovski's background in glass making, combined with his glass cutting machine soon found him producing rhinestones with a lead content of over 30%. The brilliance of these rhinestones was superior to anything seen on the market.

Swarovski wasn't content with his invention and the best rhinestones ever seen. His next invention was once again transforming to the jewelry industry. He created a vacuum plating for the backs of the stones with silver and gold, reducing the need for hand labor. Still today Swarovski rhinestones are recognized as the highest quality in the industry. Over 80% of rhinestone jewelry manufactured in America use Swarovski rhinestones.
Rhinestones have played an important role in costume jewelry for hundreds of years. It is used to enhance and accent, and sometimes rhinestones will provide the entire design. During the Victorian period common motifs for jewelry included snakes, flowers, and hands most often adorned with rhinestones.

The 1890s were a time for extravagant jewelry heavily adorned with rhinestones. As time moved forward designs became simpler with figural shapes once again making their fashion statement. However this time they were small and more elegant with small rhinestone accents.

During the Edwardian period extravagance had made a comeback with diamonds and pearls being the focal point. Once again rhinestones were in heavy use, often used to imitate the real thing.

During the 1920s fashions were rapidly changing. Dresses had gone from fitted to a looser more comfortable style. Two distinct styles occurred during this era - the feminine style and the androgynous style. Jewelry from the 1920s drew on the art deco period. The majority of rhinestone jewelry was made with clear rhinestones.

As the 1920s moved jewelry once again became bolder. Dramatic color was in style. Designer Coco Chanel was an integral figure in the setting the stage for jewelry of this era.
During the 1930s during the depression labor intensive fashion was no longer feasible. While the world was in turmoil, jewelry represented an affordable comfort to many women. Inexpensive costume jewelry could be used to revitalize an old outfit. The industry began to produce bright colored enamel pieces accented with rhinestones. Dogs, birds, or cats with a rhinestone eye were common place.

The jewelry during the 1940s once again became big and bold with rhinestones being produced in every imaginable color, large stones set on large bold settings was the norm.
By the 1950s there were two very distinct looks - elegant and sophisticated for the more mature woman, and casual and fun for the younger woman. The 1950s saw jewelry made completely from rhinestones. For the younger woman were flirty pieces, for the older woman sophisticated elegance. Rhinestone parures became extremely popular.
In 1953 the aurora borealis rhinestone was introduced to the market with its fabulous array of color. It was an instant hit!

By 1960s women were wearing very functional clothing. By the late 1960s the hippie fashions were extremely popular with their roots tied to Mother Nature. Tie dyed shirts, long flowing skirts, frayed jeans were everywhere. This generation had no interest in rhinestone jewelry.

By the mid 1970s the punk look had been born and the rhinestone was revitalized. It was the disco movement brought the rhinestone back to center stage. The disco movement turned into the club movement during the 1980s and rhinestone jewelry continued to gain popularity.

Since the 1970s rhinestone have remained main stream in the jewelry world. They continue to gain popularity and today there is a style to suit almost every ones needs. There is rhinestone jewelry which is perfect for a bride, rhinestone jewelry for a prom girl, rhinestone jewelry for the young and fun crowd, the business woman, the sophisticated woman, and the mature woman.

Beautiful pieces of rhinestone jewelry adorn almost every woman's accessories.

If trends are an indication of the rhinestones future, it appears to have a vibrant healthy life ahead of it. Pleasing for most woman with a fashion sense who instantly recognize the value and beauty of rhinestones!

Sher from Estate Jewelry International has been serving customers for over 20 years, providing fashion, jewelry,and wedding help. Please visit us at http://www.estatejewelryinternational.com/

The protection of a diving wetsuit
Jakob Jelling

Wetsuits are meant to keep divers warm by giving them thermal protection. There are some important guidelines which a diver should learn regarding the wetsuit he might acquire and use. First of all, it is important to know that they are usually made from neoprene; most of the times open cell neoprene. Besides, when wetsuits have a coating added to the neoprene they are easier to be worn and taken off.

The practice of free diving and scuba diving imply the use of different kinds of wetsuits. While a 5 mm thick wetsuit would be ideal for keeping warm a free diver, a scuba diver would need a 7 mm thick wetsuit to achieve the same results. Besides, while most free diving wetsuits don't have a zipper, most scuba diving wetsuits do come with them.

If you are looking for an open cell neoprene wetsuit, it is important that you have into account the fact that they can be easily damaged. If, for example, you are going to use jewelry under your open cell neoprene wetsuit, this could easily damage it and open it, so you should be very careful with it or try to find another kind of wetsuit instead of it. If you have long finger nails you should be careful as well since you could damage it while putting it on or taking it off.

It is also important to have in mind that free diving wetsuits should fit the diver in order to work well and give him the proper thermal protection. If a free diving wetsuit is loose or too tight it would not give the protection it should and it could even become a problem since it could be an obstacle to the diver's movements.

There also are recommendations on how to maintain and store your wetsuit. In order to store it properly while you are not using it, you should hang your wetsuit up avoiding folding it since that could damage it. Besides this, you should make sure to wash the suit after using it and make sure to wash all salty water off from it.

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.divepilot.com. Please visit his website to discover the world of diving!

ONLINE PHOTO SHARING: NOT JUST FOR FAMILY AND VACATION PHOTOS

2005-07-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

Valerie Goettsch

You may have joined the photo-sharing craze to share your family vacation photos, but have you thought about other uses for photo sharing?

Here are just a few ideas:

Scrapbooking:
Show off your creative projects. You can design scrapbook pages and enhance them with clipart using software like Paint Shop Photo Album or FotoFinish and then upload them to a photo sharing site for everyone to enjoy.

Hobbies:
Perhaps you belong to a cross-stitching club or the other end of the spectrum, a motorcycle or classic car club. You can share your best cross-stitch projects or pictures of you with your Harley or '57 Chevy with other club members.

Class Reunions:
What better way to share reunion photos with former class members across the miles than in an online photo album, so all can view and reminisce.

Arts and Crafts Portfolio:
Do you design jewelry, paint or make woodcarvings or other crafts to sell? A digital photo gallery is a great way to show off your pieces, and you can add your own captions, prices, etc.

Genealogy:
If you are in charge of recording your family's history, organize old family photos in a digital album to share with distant family members. Chances are, old photos will need some repair for cracks, fading, spots, etc. You can easily repair photos yourself using photo software like Photoshop Elements or Paint Shop Pro.

School Events:
Create an online album for pictures of football or basketball games, proms, graduation parties and other school events to share with classmates.

Weddings:
You can design an elegant photo album and let those who couldn't attend the wedding see the bride walk down the aisle and "virtually" experience the conga line at the reception. Weddings were made for photo sharing!

Rubber Stamping Designs:
A photo gallery of your rubber stamp creations is a great way to showcase them for fellow stamp artists.

Okay, you get the picture. Use your imagination and you'll find dozens of opportunities for sharing your photos.

PHOTO SHARING SITES AND SOFTWARE
The next step is how do you do it? That's easy too. With the digital camera craze comes a proliferation of photo sharing sites and software. The top sites include Ofoto, Shutterfly and Snapfish, which give you simple, free software so you can make basic edits such as adjust the contrast, crop and remove red-eye. You can quickly upload your images to their website and put photos in different albums, name the albums and add captions. Then you just email your friends the link to your album. The good news is it's free; the down side is that some sites limit the number of photos you can share. These sites, of course, will also print your photos for as little as 22 cents each and mail them to you; those who view your albums can also order prints.

There are some great services dedicated to photo sharing that offer unlimited photo storage space for a nominal fee. These include Pixagogo, which is a web-based service for sharing, organizing and storing your digital photos inside instant albums that can be viewed by anyone you want. It's an easy way to share photos with others, and an excellent means of backing up valuable photos or publishing illustrations on a web site or a market place. For a $5 monthly membership fee, you get unlimited secure storage of your original images of any size for as long as you want. Pixagogo's features include easy drag & drop photo uploading, the ability to create elegant online albums and full screen slide shows, share selected album links with family and friends via a simple email link, and a self-organizing photo timeline. You can also order prints on Fuji paper at competitive prices.

There are also several inexpensive software applications for photo sharing on the web, including FotoFinish and the SendPix sharing feature of ACDSee 6.0. With both programs you can email photos directly from the application at sizes you specify. FotoFinish also gives you 20MB of free personal web space to upload and share your albums or individual photos. ACDSee lets you share up to 50 photos in an unlimited number of albums on their server at no charge for up to 30 days. It also has an HTML photo album generator so you can create web page photo albums to upload to your own site.

Whatever method you choose, sharing your pics on the net is a great timesaver with lots of opportunity for creativity.

Valerie Goettsch publishes the digital photography website http://www.digitalphotos101.com featuring reviews of photo editing and album software and digital photo printing services.

Want To Make Money Online? You Need To Sell What People Are Buying!
Opal R. Gilbert

For several years now, enterprising individuals like you have been trying to make money on the Internet. It's flexible, low-cost, and if you do it right, can be extremely profitable. If you're among those who have tried to succeed and have not yet found that magic formula, you may just need to re-evaluate what you're trying to sell.

It's no secret the economy has been lagging for months, even though some economists are now calling for an unprecedented recovery, and that's great. We can all benefit from a thriving healthy economy. However, many companies have been forced to take a step back to decide whether anyone really wants their product or services. After all, if you're selling things that nobody wants to buy, where are your profits going to come from? Before you start any business (or re-evaluate a current one) you need to make sure there is a demand for your product.

Year round (and especially during the holidays), there is a constant demand for gifts on the Net. Millions upon millions of people go online every week looking for that perfect gift, and helping them find it is a sure-fire way to make a profit. Giftware is definitely one market that
has potential appeal for EVERYONE. If you can grab even a tiny percentage of those purchases, you'll be sitting pretty.

If you want to get your share of the market, you need to stand out among the crowd. You need to offer unique and quality items that people will notice and want to buy. Plus, it would be extremely helpful to carry exclusive items that can't be easily found elsewhere. That way, anyone who wants that item will have to buy it from you.

Now, just because you have some exclusive items it doesn't mean you can gorge people on prices. Keeping your prices low is your number one way to attract customers, and it's no real sacrifice on your part. The profit margin on gifts and collectibles like figurines, ornaments, jewelry and home accents is huge, so you'll definitely be better off to
keep your prices low and attract more customers.

There are some very good business opportunities out there for smart people looking to sell giftware online or offline. For example, you can buy your inventory from www.globalspecialtygifts.net at wholesale prices, then markup your prices a bit to make a profit.

If you want to take advantage of this tremendous market get started now and then you'll be ready for the holidays and any special events.
However, offering a varied inventory of high-quality giftware and collectibles, fine jewelry, and exclusive giftware will all but guarantee your success at any time of the year. After all, birthdays happen every day, as well as anniversaries and other special days. No matter the time of year, the demand for quality gifts is always there. When you're trying to make a profit, isn't that the bottom line?

Author Opal R. Gilbert is president of O.R. Gilbert Enterprises and runs Global Specialty Gifts. For more information or to shop for these unique and exclusive products visit www.globalspecialtygifts.net . Contact Opal R. Gilbert by email at lendingog@aol.com
Telephone No: (212) 685-1729; toll free: (888) 241-3267. Also, ask about the fantastic business opportunity.

Opal R. Gilbert Is President and Owner O.R. Gilbert Enterprises.She runs Global Specialty Gifts which has over 3,000 giftware and collectible items. Visit the website at:
www.globalspecialtygifts.net

Diamonds Are Forever

2005-07-29T05:57:00.000-07:00

If you're still young enough to remember your birthday, you probably also remember the special birthstone assigned to it. But at your age, we bet you don't really know the SIGNIFICANCE of your birthstone and what power the ancients felt would be bestowed about you by wearing it.
August Birthstone: Peridot Birthstone Properties: Illumination Alternative Birthstone: Sardonyx
Peridot is the birthstone for August and 16th anniversary gemstone. Its name comes from the Arabic word "faridat," meaning gem. Peridot is sometimes referred to as an �Evening Emerald� because under artificial light it glows as a brilliant green.
Peridot is transparent with subtle color in a variety of greens, ranging from light yellowish green to a dark olive. The purer green a peridot is, the higher the value. Any tinge of brown greatly diminishes the value of a peridot, as well as visible flaws.
Ancient History Found in both early Greek and early Roman jewelry, peridot has been popular since 1500 BC when the Egyptians started mining it. The Egyptians called the lustrous stone the "gem of the sun" and believed it had the power to ward off anxiety, enhance speech, and foster success in relationships and marriage.
Peridot crystals are sometimes combed from the black sands of Hawaii where the gemstone is abundant and available in larger sizes. Hawaiians believe that peridot is the tears shed by Pele, the volcano goddess. Pele must have traveled extensively, however, because peridot is also mined in Burma, Norway, Brazil, Australia, Hawaii, the Congo, and in Arizona.
Peridot is found in Europe in many medieval churches decorating several treasures, including the Cologne Cathedral. Peridot use peaked during the Baroque era, but the gemstone fell out of favor over time until the 1990's when a new source in Pakistan re-ignited interest in the forgotten stone.
Take Two and Call Me in the Morning Legend has it that drinking from a peridot goblet can increase the potency of medicines. Egyptian priests drank from cups made of peridot, believing it would draw them closer to Isis, their goddess of nature. Peridot was said to be useful for calming raging angers, curing nervous afflictions and promoting tranquility in high-strung individuals.
Many legends state that peridot was considered a powerful amulet against all evil, as well as a remedy for sinus problems. Powdered peridot has been used to cure asthma, while a peridot stone placed under the tongue of someone with fever is believed to lessen his/her thirst.
Making Dreams Come True Peridot was thought to help dreams become a reality, and was often given as a symbol of fame, strength and vitality�as well as promise of new growth in the years ahead. It also symbolizes eloquence and persuasiveness.
Peridots were especially favored by pirates. The terrors of the sea considered peridot powerful amulets against all evil, and when set in gold, were said to protect the wearer from the terrors of the night�including nightmares.

Peridot is August's Birthstone
Sam Serio

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2005-07-04T11:52:00.000-07:00

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2005-07-04T11:36:00.000-07:00

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2005-07-04T04:42:00.000-07:00

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2005-07-03T20:40:00.000-07:00

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2005-07-03T19:20:00.000-07:00

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2005-07-03T17:57:00.000-07:00

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Hot Rods For Sale

2005-07-03T16:13:00.000-07:00

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2005-07-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

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2005-07-03T06:12:00.000-07:00

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