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Showing posts from September, 2012

Gratitude for this Month- Sept. Issue

Well. this month has truly been a labor of love, as I am given the opportunity that most people do not allow themselves to do, which is doing something that I love everyday. Positivexpert is written with the purest intention of making others feel better about themselves. I am especially grateful to my sister, who gave me the nudge to pursue this labor of love. As anyone starting out on a new project we have had some bumps; however we are grateful, that you the reader stood by us and as we grow, we can only get better. As the Oct. issue is almost ready for publication our theme for Oct. is "Fall for Health and Grace." We will show you how to get in the best shape for the upcoming holidays, how to prepare for house guests, and the best beauty products for your skin. We haven't forgotten the gentlemen, Michael Sin- Co- Founder of Urban Cargo will give his fall/winter grooming tips for men. We also have the best plays to see that are family friendly and ways to igni

Calling all Fashion Designers! Check out Third Wave Fashion

Entrepreneur’s Corner: Third Wave Fashion: Interview- Co-Founder Liza Kindred Everybody wants to look good, but ever go into a store and think I can design better than that, or have great fashion idea, but no designer or Venture Capital backing.  Well, Third Wave Fashion has what you need. Recently, I spoke with Co- Founder Liza, of Third Wave Fashion, to find out how her company is meeting the growing needs of Fashion Tech entrepreneurs. What is your background in Fashion and Tech? Liza: “I was always interested in fashion, and I did have my own clothing boutique, which closed, then I freelance in the fashion world for several years- doing everything from photo styling, event planning, model prep’s for fashion shows, until I was approached about 6 years ago to join a tech startup. Working for a tech startup is extremely fast paced, but I learned everything about how to successfully run a tech startup and was introduced to the players within the tech space, but…."

My Picks for Upscale Food: Online Buys

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OK, couple of posts ago, I did mention that I would give my picks for "Luxury Food" Items. These sites are great for the person who is extremely busy or the person who is "Culinary Challenged." 1. deananddeluca.com -- I can see this why this site has won awards for the best "luxury food" for years. This summer, my parents had several house guests that specific tastes, but with Dean and Deluca I was able to order, just about everything that satisfied their guests. For the guests that only ate Seafood and Vegetables- I ordered lobster flatbread, crabcakes, roasted vegetable medley,  mushroom ravioli and a zucchini and onion ravioli. They loved everything! Summer dessert pick for these guest were a Berry Galezeta--which was a fresh berry torte that was low in sugar. Another group of Guests- No dietary restrictions, so I order the famous Roasted Potato Salad, that  was the equivalent of eating a loaded potato skin, they loved it! For an entree I pers

FELLAS CHECK OUT: Urban Cargo

Old Spice, Axe, and Brut-(A way throw back), you think of the male grooming space, times are changing and men are more interested in their appearance.  During an interview with Michael Sin, Co- Founder of Urban Cargo, Michael gave me his insights to why he started the business, especially in male grooming. How Urban Cargo began? While working at Coach, during the launch of the male retail division, Michael and his co-founders witnessed an explosion of consumption by men for retail products. Michael “followed this hunch, he did market research and found out that men were interested in buying grooming products other than the normal drugstore brands.”  However, men are still not comfortable with the experience of getting a face analysis at Barney’s or Sephora, so Michael and his team launched Urban Cargo. What is Urban Cargo? "Urban Cargo is a paid subscription plan where men receive travel size grooming products, for $12.00 a month then after the trial sizes

One of Kind Gifts-- My Picks

If you are looking for that one of kind gift for someone here are my picks. National Geographic-  I came across this catalog last year and I was pleasantly surprised. They have items from all corners from the world from jeweled mirrors from India, wool jackets from Peru, and Egyptian perfume bottles; in addition to their famous videos on animals and nature. Metropolitan Museum of Art- They have the collection of my favorite artist, Georgia O'Keeffe, and while I may not have any of her paintings, I was able to buy a beautiful calendar that showcased her artwork. If you can't make it to New York for the exhibit on let's say the Prada exhibit-- on their website they have the excellent hard cover copy from excerpts of the exhibits. ABC Store- For, this store you do have to save up, but I was able to buy a replica of the Robert Indiana LOVE statue. That is what the world needs in LOVE... Museum of Natural History If you are into the "stars", then this is t

Top 5ive Online Sites

 I am all for online shopping, click, click... Today, I am choosing the Top Five sites for online shopping all for very different reasons. 1. Gilt.com  Everyone has heard of them by now, the reason why they snag the top spot is for "Gilt City" offers, Gilt Taste Gilt Home, and of course Gilt Women offerings. "Gilt City" offerings are truly one of kind experiences, and the deals that I have gotten in on, were well worth the money. One deal was a Book Party for Peggy Post at Michael C. Fina, not only did participants get the New Book on Etiquette by Peggy Post, participants where given a 15% discount at Michael C. Fina and the experience of a book party with Peggy Post. "Gilt Taste"  I planned my entire gratitude party using the majority of findings on Gilt Taste, the pricing, shipping charges, and scheduled date of delivery were all fair and accurate. "Gilt Home" offerings I used for my party favors with their candle blowout sales and c

Simple Ways to De-Stress

Let's Take A Break from Click, Click OK, most of us are not going to have the luxury of going to Tibet to mediate with the monks, or spend a month in India learning from yogis. But, we can do simple things to enhance our moods and de-stress. Aromatherapy: I firmly believe in aromatherapy, that is why we wrote an article on candles. There is something about coming into a citrus scented room, for energy there is eucalyptus, and earthly tones to invoke the presence of nature. Nature: If we can’t get to the country anytime soon, we can look at pictures and visualize you one with nature, whether it is on a country English estate, or the Rocky Mountains, connecting with something that reminds of us pure beauty centers the soul. I would suggest that you create a slide show, with your favorite places, or flowers, plants, or even animals. Mediate: Meditation is the key in releasing all mental toxicity. You don’t need to go to formal class, or chant, or ring bells

The Best Day Spa: The Red Door Spa

While it is my ultimate goal to go to Mirval Spa in Arizona.  I have found one spa that really "takes the cake" in terms of ambiance and the best in customer service.  Several years ago, I thought I would treat my parent's to his and her day at the Red Door Spa, 5th Avenue flagship spa in Manhattan, but that didn't work out so they told me to use the gift certificates. So, I booked several services starting with a message, facial, nails and feet and finished it off with a makeup refresher. Yeah, I was there for the entire day, but that experience alone made me a customer for life.  Why??  Was it because it was on 5th Avenue? Did I meet a celeb?  No, no and nope! Several years ago I was obese and I was expecting less than stellar treatment from them, but that never happened. The woman who gave me my message, knocked out every knot I had since ten years ago, she did not mention my weight, and I never felt bad about myself.  Also, the wait

The Keys to Intimacy- It's Not What You Think

I wanted to change it up a bit and focus on frugal ways to intimacy. I know why the divorce rate is extremely high in this country, not that I have ever been married, but we do everything in a microwave way including dating. In today's world by the 4th date, we are planning our wedding date and going to our lawyers for the prenup, but as I reflect on the best dates after the 5th date was some of the things that literally cost nothing at all. Once you get past a certain phase in dating, then you should spend as much time with that person as possible.  Frugality Tip Number One-- A Walk in the Park. One of my best dates was while I was living in Philadelphia, and the walks in Rittenhouse Square Park with my ex-boyfriend. We would spend hours on a certain bench e talking or sometimes not speaking and playing silly games like what squirrel was going to be first to catch the acorn. It was also those times that we spent just really clearing our head from worldly madness.

This Week's Top 5ive Songs!

I know "another week to get it right" as a former broker would always tell me. So, here are my picks for this week' top 5 songs: 1. New Day -- will.i.am 2. Fireworks-- Katy Perry ( Just when you begin to doubt yourself, before that presentation or meeting.) 3. Party In the USA-- Miley Cyrus ( Fun song to get over HUMP day) 4. Whatya Want From Me-- Adam Lambert (When it seems as though the world is getting on your nerves!) 5. Love On Top--Beyonce (Just the thoughts of you and your significant other after a long week!) Happy Work Week and Make it A GOOD one!

Time for FUN!! How take advantage of the Fall

Fall, is really my favorite season, it is not too hot or cold. The colors of the leaves in the Northeast are amazing and everyone is back on point in terms of work and school. That is why fall is a perfect time to pack a small bag for the weekend and really enjoy the beauty of nature. A couple of years of ago, I had the pleasure of going on a weekend trip out to a nature preserve on Shelter Island, NY. The drive out there was beautiful, because you are going through The Hamptons and you get to see all the colors of the season and the farm stands with great local produce, then the ferry to Shelter Island was relaxing. The day was filled of educating lectures about the history of Shelter Island and the nature preserve. We did a beach clean, nature walk, saw deer and ate a great meal from local produce. However, the aspect that impressed me the most was at night. This guy bought his telescope, he use to work for NASA as an astrophysicist, so this telescope was the real deal! The s

No Time for Creativity? Pottery Barn Maybe the Answer

Once again, the fall begins the season of entertaining commences as well. Even if you use an event planner, the first thing that we ask our clients is what is your vision for the event? A good event planner wants to learn as much about the client as possible to plan accordingly to their clients taste and budget, and the one thing a good professional doesn't want to do is disappoint their client. Many excellent event planners will tell you that most frustrating thing is not having a client's clear vision of the event. So, what do you do? I recommend a couple of things... 1. Any Carolyn Rohemn book is wonderful, to stir the imagination and for practicality. 2. Preston Bailey is the king of the ultimate fantasy event, he can transform any space into a work of art. My favorite design of his was a Winter Wonderland Wedding that he did years ago, that was simply breathtaking. His books can be purchased online at amazon.com 3. Culinary Schools-- Many reputable culinary s