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Showing posts from October, 2013

Book Report: Jonathan Adler: My Prescription for Anti- Depressive Living

AOL had a video series of innovators and Jonathan Adler was featured, he is noted for his distinct, classy, yet whimsical take on design. I was so impressed with the video series that I decided to purchase one of his books. Jonathan's book: My Prescription for Anti- Depressive Living is one of the best Modern Day books on design that I have seen in years! He not only gives you great ways to design and decorate any room, but it is part inspirational as well. Adler tells of how he decided to ditch a coveted junior talent agent position, to make pottery non-stop for three years!! Fast forward today he is the most sought out after designer having key retail stores in major markets and such a zest for life. As a former art history major I know Jonathan will be ranked as the designer of the who infused the world with laughter in a tasteful way. Please pick up this book, this is a must for your coffee table or if you are doing any room in home. He inspired me to create a R

This Week in Fashion and Beauty

OK, Fashionistas and Beautyophiles here's what happening in this world. 1. FIT - School for Continuing Education It is GREAT to be an awesome designer but you have to have the business/ FINANCE  background to go with your great clothing line. FIT has several classes from Managing Cash Flow to Day to Day Accounting to Operations. 2. CEW- Cosmetic Executive Women The Entry Deadeline for Eco Beauty Awards are Oct. 30, 2013, Late Entry Deadline: Nov. 22, 2013. 3. Register for FBA360 courses 4 week online courses, from starting a fashion line to Taking your label to the next level, these courses are taught by veterans. Cheers to all our fashionista's and Beauty-o-philes!

Beauty Spot: Garnier Face Mask

This week, we switched it up a bit regarding, beauty products. We heard a lot about Garnier Face Mask, so we had to try it out! Garnier Face Mask, for 6 sheets it costs about 14.95, put it on as you would any face mask for ten min. I did feel a tingling sensation; however it was nothing unbearable. After 10 min. my skin, looked and felt great! I tried it again for three days straight as directed, and my skin was a noticeable radiant, smoothe, and brighter. Someone asked if I can been on vacation, nope and I smiled :) So, for Garnier is our go to product for facial masks under $25.00. You can get Garnier at any major retailer including Wal-Mart! Cheers to beautiful skin thanks to Garnier!

Organization = Less Stress

Ever wake up in the morning and spend a great amount of time figuring out what to wear? Did you spend an hour sorting your dirty laundry from lights, darks, etc. Here are some time saving techniques that will help you organize which is less stress for YOU. 1. This is true weather comes on at exactly 11:15-7pm on your local station, if you need to be in bed before 11:00pm, then there is the National Weather Service online, which is extremely accurate. 2.Outfits for the Next Day:  Now, that you got the weather, you can plan and coordinate your outfits for the week or just the next day. Saves you a lot of stress trying to figure what in the shower what to wear, and you will always be on time when it comes to work. 3. Inventory:  I always do inventory when I see things get to mid point of use, in terms of laundry detergent, body wash, food staples, etc. some online places will actually check, if this is an item for reordering. 4. Cooking:  Your kids or hubby wants those famo

From Our Friends at Spa Week

Our Friends at Spa Week have graciously given the following to the Positivexpert followers: Free $10 eGiftCard with min. $50.00 purchase Please use this link http://spaweek.7eer.net/c/65297/92429/1991  there are thousands of great spas to choose from, youcan get mani/pedi's, messages, and a host of other services, nationwide. Cheers to being beautiful!

This Week in Fashion's Events

We heard all of your comments, more fashion, more events... The week ending in Oct. 25 here are the following fashion related events 1. Giorgio Armani Special Exhibition of Clothing, Accessories and Jewlery Friday, Oct. 25- Sunday,Oct. 27 10 am - 8:00pm SuperPier @Hudson River Park 2. Tory Burch Private Online Sale Up to70 percent off. 3. Alex and Ani our fav in positive jewlery- online exculsive 4. Simply Stylist New York 20013 Sunday, Oct. 27, 2013 10 am to 6:00pm The Park Central Hotel 870 7th Avenue New York, NY 10019 info@simplystylist.org 5. Boot Camp for Digital Marketing Start Ups (Not for Fashion ONLY) Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013 1:00pm - 8:00pm Town Hall Conference Center 18th Floor 3 Columbus Circle Between 57& 58 th Streets Cheers to our Fashionistas and those interested in design careers!

Book Report: Dear Preston

We still have a few more months in the year to accomplish your business goals. If starting a business was one of them this book comes highly recommended. Dear Preston is written none other than the special event guru Preston Bailey. When Oprah had her daytime show, he did her events, his clients are a whose who in the industry. But, you aren't opening up a catering, event planning, or creative business. So, even if you are opening up a fashion, tech, or bio- tech business this book, is a must read. He addresses: 1. Giving to get ahead. 2. Dealing with unethical "potential customers" 3. Really focusing on your brand. Who you are and how that is reflected in your business. 4. Dealing with your envy--seeing others get ahead--- we all have been on that rodeo. 5. Listening to your customer 6. Providing excellent customer service!!! Sadly most businesses fail because of poor customer service these days. So, if you are ready to make a serious commitment to those

How to Eliminate Choices

We live in a society where we have millions of choices and options for everything. But what do you do when you have an "abundance?" A few weeks ago, I was faced with a lot of  "opportunities," on the surface things it seemed as though everything was going "as planned." But, I was getting some warning signals. 1. Feeling overwhelmed is never a good sign especially if it is an "opportunity." 2. Evaluate all the pros and cons of a situation. 3. If you have to make an instant decision on something, it is never a good opportunity. 4. Mediate, pray, go within, but spend some quiet time with yourself, be as honest as possible and ask yourself, what do I really believe and how is this going to improve the quality of my life. 5. When you define your core--your true heart's desire, you will begin to eliminate the wrong choices instantly! 6. The power of focus many successful people, didn't start out doing ten things at once, they fo

Fall Take on Bacon and Eggs

Fall is here and you want that something special for brunch, what do you? Bacon and Eggs Instead of scrambled and sunny side up try deviled eggs, yes, Deviled Eggs for breakfast! Deviled Eggs Recipe: 1. 4 Hard Boiled Eggs 2. Curry Powder 3. Dried Tarragon 4. Greek Yogurt 5. Sweet Relish 6. Turmeric- for natural coloring Cut half the hard boiled eggs put the yolks into a bowl with curry powder, dried tarragon, Greek yogurt and sweet relish, turmeric is great because it adds the yellow pop to the eggs. Fill the egg whites with the mixture and chill. Bacon: William- Sonoma has bacon steak- which is high quality bacon that can be served as an entrée, broil the bacon steak the last five minutes of broiling then add maple syrup and brown sugar, bake again for another 2 min. Serve hot with the deviled eggs and hot almond milk. Cheers to different take on Bacon and Eggs!

Home Goods Alert: Mason Jars

Mason Jars were the big thing in grandma's day, canning fruits and vegetables from the summer harvest. However, Mason Jars have taken on a life of its own. So what can you do with a Mason Jar? 1.Floral Centerpieces:  Spray paint/ paint it in seasonal colors and create mini seasonal floral arrangements, great for Holiday Entertaining. 2. Baking Fall Fruit Crisps: Take a Mason Jar and put the same fruit filling you would a pie and add an oatmeal crumble on top, bake excellent!! Excellent Book on Cooking Desserts: In these Jars at Crate and Barrel. 3. Toy/ Crayon Jars: Take the largest Mason Jar out, and put your kids small toys and crayons and other school supplies. It makes the whole room look great and tidy and your kids will get a kick out it as well. 4. Nail Polish Containers: Especially, if you have nail polish collection like myself, these jars come in handy, it is great for teens who have a collection as well. 5. Game Night: Great for serving beverages! Ch

August in October

The cold has settled in and you and your significant other can't wait to go on your Winter V-Cay but that is in January. Make your own day at the tropics: 1. Scents and atmosphere: Moss and Mint Candles from Nest Fragrances 2. Take your summer bathing suits out of storage- have a great bubble bath and pretend you are in St. John or the Bahamas. 3. Meals: Go to the Grocery the night before and under the Latin Section, pick out frozen tropical foods, and frozen tropical fruits for that fruity adult beverage. 4. Rum it UP! Add either Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum or Malibu Coconut Rum to your frozen fruity drinks. 5. Playlist Play salsa, reggae, and calypso to have your own private dance party. This would have you and yours living it up and have just enough fun to get you through to you Winter Va-Cay. Cheers to August in October!

Sweet Sixteen Guide

How do you cope when your child asks you for a Party, that costs more than 5 weddings? As we do in business manage "expectations." 1. Tell your child that if they would like to go on vacations, have extra curricula activities, live in a home, and eat then they you and her father is not going have to provide them with that kind of party, because it would take up all of that budget. 2. Set a limit for your children in terms of invitations. If your home can only accommodate 10- 20 teens comfortably, tell them to think hard about their favorite friends--who you haven't bullied them, who they are not trying to buy friendships from, and who you and husband believe after the party is over would still be her/his friend. They would come back with a realistic guest list of about 5-10 friends. 3. When you approve of the guest list, then you can pick out nice invitations-- Papyrus, Vista Print have excellent invitations for under $35.00 for 20 invites. 4. Have them selec

Job Hunting Tips

Everyone says the economy is slow and people aren't hiring, this maybe true, but here are some ways we found that could help. 1. Get rid of any signs of desperation. I know your credit cards are past due, your spouse and extended family are telling you are a slouch, you are libel to take the first thing that comes your way, only to find out it is the worse thing. 2. Mentor a small business owner. If you are over 35 you have more skills that you know, go to your local college or community college, or business incubator program and ask to be a mentor to a start-up. This is a great way to have a work routine, get back to a professional setting, and sharpen your skills in the process. Treat this as a job and more than likely the start-up or the business host will give you a job. 3. Get up, get dressed and go out with people who are going to work and come back home during rush hour. Even if you do this 3 days a week, you are conditioning your mind to rigors of work day, don'

How to Love An Aging Parent

Many Americans view age as a big TABOO, we say now 50 is the new 30? Given that how do you love a parent who is aging? 1. Most of the elderly when they begin to attend their friends funeral, innately become scared of dying, so they cling on to their independence. 2. Let them do as much as they can physically do with their doctor's consent. 3. Include them in as many activities as possible, always make them the center of attention. 4. Take your kids to see them and let your children allow them to tell "their" stories. 5. Even if they have dietary restrictions, ease them into it, instead of hamburgers try turkey burgers or Moringstar excellent taste and value and don't tell them what it is or they will be immediately turned off. 6. If they live at home physically, check on them everyday, "I am on my way home from work." This way you can assess their living arrangements, in an informal way--you can take out garbage easily, check the fridge when t

It's Party Time: Halloween Savings for Everyone

  As an event planner the average American will spend around 300.00 for an in- house Halloween party, that price is very steep, however we will   give you a guide to plan the perfect party for 8 children age range from 5- teens that would fit any budget. We were able to plan, and shop for a party of 8 children and 4 adults for under half the cost of one party. Before You Go Shopping!   Assess your pantry what staples do you have that you don’t need to buy, such as eggs, cooking oil, ketchup, BBQ Sauce, muffin tins and cookie sheets. Now that you done the initial check create a menu, children are developing taste buds so think simple. Also, during the fall and winter months, prices on premade frozen pizza, chicken tenders and wings tend to be priced at their highest because of game nights, with that in mind we decided to make everything! This cut our food bill down to 75 percent. Also, please keep in mind our menu is as allergen free as possible, in term of nuts and our pepperoni

Treats for YOUR MAN!

Last month we looked at taking care of ourselves and truly honoring who we are as women. However, if you are blessed to have a soul mate, then you should treat him as well. Here are a few items that would make him smile: 1. Bespoke Post Box: He is tired of you getting your MUST HAVE Boxes, so the men at Bespoke Post, curates wonderful boxes that the man in your life will love. 2. Gift Certificate to the Art of Shaving: The Art of Shaving are the masters of the clean old fashion shave with hot towels and the whole nine. 3. Burlesque Show: You can create for him a private burlesque show, that will not be filmed or be placed on twitter, etc. This way after your performance he can take the pasties off himself! 4. If your guy is into sports then, a free weekend where he can watch all the sports uninterrupted. 5. A free day of not counting calories and treat him to a "Mad Men" meal of a porterhouse steak, mashed potato's, green beans, a dirty Martini, and Appl

College Admissions Prep

High school seniors are busy writing college applications, interviewing and making certain their social media accounts are "clean." The following are tips that may help them and YOU! 1. While your child is applying to schools, don't speak about the application process to your friends or family. Teens don't need the added pressure by every family member about "the process." 2. Create a list with your child's Top 5 Favorite Choices--this way if they don't get into one school they had their heart set they won't feel as much rejection. 3. Don't have your child discuss his/her college choices with their classmates, too much competition if her best friend gets in and she/he doesn't. 4. Remind her/him that many people have done great things without an Ivy League education. I have fifteen childhood friends who all went to Ivy League schools, and none of them have been  Congressional Staffers, ran their own companies, met 4 Hollywood Di

Building A Business w/ a Spouse

Over the years, I have had the good fortune of speaking with some great business owners who are happily married. However they have shared with me the keys to building a business with a spouse. 1. Separate business from home life, always have a separate office from your home, even if you have to get a co-working space from a business incubator. 2. Running a business is 24 hours, decide on what times in your home you MUST discuss things, such as a potential lawsuit, or employee theft. 3. Make certain you are balanced--if your husband is great at product and design, you are the sales and marketing person, stick to your strengths. 4. Never argue in front of an accountant or lawyer or worse a potential client. 5. Never hire an attorney that are friends with just either you or your spouse. They are way too biased. 6. Never put the business before your relationship or children. 7. This should be number one but have a shared passion for the business whatever it is, if you appro

What Really Turns Men OFF

There are tons of dating and matching shows, that tell women how to look our best to get the man of our dreams, etc. However, we took an informal poll and asked men if looks are the only thing that men want in a relationship. Our results: 1. Men don't like shallow women- grooming and self care is great but a true man want a women who can discuss the basics of current events, have a formal education, and are cultured. 2. Men can't stand women who lie, gossip, and nag! 3. Men no matter how rich they are, they can't stand a spend thrift-- men love women who have self control when it comes to spending. 4. Men especially if the man wants or already has children of his own, they can't stand a mean bitch, men often equate gentleness and femininity with nurturing and mothering qualities. 5. An entitled and ungrateful attitude- We spoke to one man who was severely hurt because he got involved with a woman who felt she could always do better than him, and he was no

Baby Gift Giving Guide

Whoever said that the U.S. Population was on a decline was WRONG!! This summer we counted on one day 10 pregnant women in Manhattan. So what do you get a new born? 1. A piece of silver- It is customary to give silver when a child is born, it dates back to European times, when the next in line to the throne was given silver. Two places where you can find great silver for a new born: 1. Reed and Baron- Great silver spoons, silver cups, silver rattles 2.Tiffany& Co.- Another great store for silver spoons, they even have a brush and comb set for a girl. 2. Diamonds- In some Latin American traditions it is customary to give diamond studs to a newborn girl, especially if she is the first grandchild. 3. Practical Things: 1. Soft books 2. Blankets- for newborns it is swaddling blankets, then everything cotton blankets. Only on formal occasions should you bring out the cashmere blankets. 3. Allergen Free Laundry Detergent 4. Bottles- Even if you are breast feeding, there

Major Designers for A LOT less

So you had your eye on this rad Michael Kors dress, hoping it would go on sale, which it will never do, unless you took advantage of a one time offering from a major department store. Michael Kors--Blue Print Dress in this season's color cobalt blue originally over $100.00 came up to $44.00 at macys.com. We really missed out on the 3.1. Phillip Lam for Target but I scored big at Kohl's with the Catherine Maladrino collection. Catherine Maladrino had this awesome fabricated faux leather dress, I was able to get it! She has a similar dress at Barney's for over 600.00.  I was so happy about that and a week later I was able to get the blue pleated dress already marked down 20 percent to another 20 percent with a promo code at kohls.com. We saw a moto jacket at Target for 19.99 but with our Target card it came up to 15.00, awesome no one knows the difference at all. We noticed that pajamas are very expensive however, on clearance at kohls.com we able to get two pairs

Savvvy Shopping!

After back to school shopping and Fall Designer launches we did discover some new ways to save and get more for your buck. Now that the holiday season is approaching us fast, you should make certain that your credit card has a cash back feature, some credit cards during Oct to January offer this feature, one credit card is discover.com , also use your americanexpress.com , points as well as your debit cards from your bank, major banks such as chase.com, does offer cash back and points towards goods. A site that I love is shopathome.com that not only offers cash back but discount codes on all retailers including Bloomingdales, Saks, and Nordstrom. Also check your RECEIPTS!! When I bought some items there was a 40 percent coupon, one receipt I filled out a survey and got free appetizers, another receipt was $5.00 the next purchase. When new clothing line such as the 3.1 Philip Lim launch goes on live, it is best that you the retailers website the night before or one week befor