How To Travel On A Budget And Make Money While Traveling – It Is Possible!

Many of us wish to travel the world whether it be to places near and familiar or places way from home and much more exotic. The thought of plane tickets, hotel accommodations and food is daunting but rest assure that there are many ways to travel this beautiful world of ours on a budget and even ways to travel while making money. Wherever your destination (or destinations) may be there are many tricks of the trade that make being a world wanderer a feasible and budget friendly a reality.

While you can still travel on a budget, (we will discuss that in the next section) some travelers prefer to travel while still making an income. Many hopeful travelers rule out the idea of working to travel and working abroad because of a potential language barrier but in most cases that is not the correct scenario. There are plenty of work opportunities where speaking English will actually benefit you and will give you the extra income necessary to explore the world.

  1. Au Pair: We have all seen the job of an Au Pair in a movie or television show. In literal translation, the French word Au Pair means an extra set of hands. Ambitious world travelers can work as Au Pairs for families looking for extra help with their children and light work around the home. An Au Pair is typically a college and above aged person who seeks traveling the world and in exchange is paired up with a host family who provides food and board and a wage as well. There are several programs that can be found online that will pair an aspiring Au Pair with families around the world. Many Au Pair programs offer the option of attending school/university while working with the possibility of traveling even after the contract is expired. Working as an Au Pair is a great opportunity for English speakers because the majority of host families are looking for a Native English speaker to teach their children English. If the idea of an Au Pair sounds thrilling but also intimidating at the same time, make sure to check many resources available online that can help you in your search.
  2. Teach English abroad: As mentioned above, being a Native English speaker can raise your likelihood of finding a job abroad. Teaching English abroad is a great way to be able to travel and make an income. If you have decided that this is the route you want to take in your endeavors to travel and get paid, the first thing you must do is decide your desired country and research the rules of the country for teaching English. Some countries have differing rules, regulations and requirements before you can teach English there. Some countries in Europe even require you to join the European Union. Before embarking on your journey, it is imperative to get a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate in the USA. The TEFL program can also be taken in your desired country after you obtain your certificate. It is important to take a TEFL class in the desired country so that you can meet fellow peers, learn the country’s customs and potentially be placed in a job after the class. The most important thing to remember before embarking on such an important journey is to research, research and then research some more. It is important to know when the peak hiring season is, rules and laws and of course about the culture.
  3. Cruise Ship: The idea of working on a cruise ship and traveling may sound glamorous and alluring but it is a lot of hard work and long hours. Working on a cruise ship also means you must live and coexist with your fellow crew members which may or may not be a problem. There are several job options if you decide that working on a cruise is the route you want to take. Job options range anywhere from child care, restaurant work, bar work, maintenance, customer service and much more. The variety of jobs makes it a great hub for those who want to work and travel because there is literally something for everybody. Working on a cruise has many great perks and can be a great way to travel the world and meet new people so remember that there will be a lot of competition so do your research and make sure your resume stands out.

While there is the option of traveling and working there is also the option of traveling on a budget. Believe it or not, you can travel the world on a very limited budget, granted you may have to give up many luxuries that can come with traveling.

  1. Hostels: Hostels are a great way to travel on a budget and meet new people. Wherever you go in your travel expedition there is sure to be a hostel for you to stay at. Sure some hostels are much nicer than others and some are for the brave but there are options. Here is where research comes in handy again. Before you travel seek to learn information about the hostels where you will be staying, you can also find several reviews online from former guests. When you do your research, you can see the prices of the room, if you will have a private room or communal room and how far the hostel is from all the landmarks you wish to see.
  2. CouchSurfing: The new craze in budget traveling is. What is CouchSurfing you might ask? CouchSurfing is a social media platform that allows users to literally surf from couch to couch at host’s homes. CouchSurfing is available in more than 10,000 cities world-wide and is free to users. CouchSurfing offers the traveler a place to stay with a host family, it also offers the “couch surfer” a different way to meet new people and new places. CouchSurfing is attractive to many people because they feel as if they are getting an authentic travel experience from a local of the destination and saving money.
  3. Food: Many ambitious budget travelers worry about food costs when traveling. The reality is that if it is done correctly, obtaining food can be extremely cheap and in many instances even free. Many restaurants/cafes all over Europe practice throwing away food at the end of the day. A great way to get free food is by visiting family owned food establishments before close and asking if you may have the food they are planning on throwing away. In many instances they will give you more food than you planned hence you will have food for days while traveling. Another option for obtaining low-cost meals is to shop at small farmer’s markets. Many farmer’s markets in Europe and other parts of the world offer fresh fruits and vegetables at a ridiculously low price. Keep an eye out for fruit stands on the side of the road as well. If you are staying in a hostel this is another great way to save on food as chances are there will either be a communal kitchen you can use to prepare the food you bought at a low price or many hostels provide at least one meal a day withe their nightly price for stay.

It may seem intimidating but traveling on a budget can be done and attainable. You must first concoct a plan and develop your research from there. Seeing the world is a possibility and it can also be your possibility with some drive, determination and hard work. It may take some time to device your final plan but in the end it will be worth all the work when you are looking back at the people you met, the places you discovered and the memories you made.

A Short Note About the Variety of Travellers

Traveling is a fruitful entertainment. It gives utmost pleasure to the travelers and makes them enjoy their life time by traveling to different destinations. Traveling is the basic activity got closer to the life of human. Humans started traveling even before the ancient civilization grows up. Hence, it is the activity mingled with the human nature. So traveling is not the newly invented entertainment. In this article, I would like to explain the different categories of travelers. Generally, travelers have been categorized with respect to their needs, shapes and gender. Let us see the different variety of travelers in detail.

Backpacker:

A traveler packs all of his or her stuffs into a backpack is called as “Backpacker” These stuffs include food, water and shelter to sleep. They carry these gears in highly compacted mode as a backpack. Backpacking is a combined activity of hiking and camping in a single trip. Generally, a backpacking trip must include at least one night stay in the wilderness.

Women Travelers:

You can understand the meaning and the type of travelers from the title itself. It refers to single female traveler or a group of females traveling together.

LGBT Travelers:

LGBT is the abbreviation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgenders. Travelers belongs to those category are known as LGBT travelers.

Disabled Travelers:

You can understand the variety of traveler from this title itself. People who travels even with their disabilities are called as “Disabled Travelers”. It is necessary for them to take enough medications. The visually impaired travelers would be helped by the Royal National Institute of the Blind to hail taxis but a simple sign up is required before you start traveling. There are no restrictions and limitations for the disable. Anyone can enjoy their tour.

Festivals abroad:

People who would travel to any country with the purpose of festive season are known as the kind of “Festivals abroad”. They would be starting for the vacation and they will be back after the season.

Winter, water and extreme sports:

These are all the travelers who travel on that particular season in order to participate in the sports. For ex: Travelers who are all going to Christmas Ski or bungee jump or any winter sports etc. They should carry appropriate medications and fully prepared to avoid the injuries.

Overseas weddings and civil partnerships:

These categories of travelers are the people who are willing to get married in other countries. They may need to travel to that country and have to be clarified with the legal terms. In such cases, perfect documentation is required. Hence, planning far before the date of wedding is necessary. Some process would take few months.

Hajj pilgrims:

Hajj Pilgrims are a variety of travelers who travels from a country to Hajj, the largest annual pilgrimage in the world. They are a kind of spiritual travelers. Only the people who belong to Muslim religion would travel to Hajj.

Visiting friends and family abroad:

These types of travelers start their travel to other countries to visit their friends and family.

Traveling abroad for medical treatment:

People who are traveling to abroad for the special medical treatments would come under this category.

Traveling football fans:

People who travel to other countries to enjoy the football tournament comes under this kind.

Cruise ship passengers:

People who travel through cruising are called as Cruise ship passengers. It is one of the safest mode of traveling.

Antarctica visitors:

Antarctica is a unique travel destination and highly protected place on earth. People who are all traveling to Antarctica is called as Antarctica visitors.

Winter Olympic & Paralympic Games:

The sports lovers who are all traveling to enjoy the winter Olympic and Paralympic Games are comes under this category of travelers.

These are the different types segregated according to the purpose and the identity of the travelers.

How To Find Your Own Style

Each of us have our own unique  sense of style. Our clothes can sometimes reflect our personality. This is the reason why most of us love to play around with different pieces. Some fashion styles are categorized in different types. It may be a mix of one or more styles but what makes it special is because these styles are worn uniquely by you.

HOW TO FIND YOUR OWN STYLE

1. Bohemian Goddess 

If you are more of a laid-back kind of girl, and has a knack for putting together unique pieces in a flash, then you may be a bohemian goddess.

Key pieces: tie-dye shirts, floppy hats, batik prints, unique accessories

Put it Together: You can mix and match boho-inspired items with classic garments such as jeans, vests, and cotton tees. You can even add a unique flavor to a neutral outfit with some funky, vintage looking accessories and other beaded details.

2. The Classic Chic

Your love for classic cuts, clean lines and elaborate detailing determines your affinity for elegant and chic styles.

Key Pieces: Classic pieces that never go out of style, statement jewelry, sophisticated bags

Put it Together: Give some glam to your outfits by mixing floral or animal print patterns. If you love wearing subtle prints, pair them with crisp neutral pieces such as a peach top and a white blazer. Finish the look with gold accessories and a big pair of sunglasses.

3. The Head Turning Avant Garde

If you have a fearless approach to fashion, you may have an avante garde kind of style. You are more inclined on fashionable, up and coming pieces and you are never scared to take risks.

Key Pieces: Black pieces layered with eye catching materials

Put It Together: Try to choose conversation-starter pieces and combine them with your classic black garments. Who says that you can’t be as avante-garde as Lady Gaga?

4. The Whimsical Fairy

Fun, creative and flirty are the three words to describe the whimsical style. Retro pieces are given a fashionable revival thanks to your confident, and effortless stride.

Key pieces: Vintage accessories, quirky prints, playful, girly pieces

Put it Together: Give a retro-ish dress a modern twist by pairing it with classic accessories and a trendy bag.

Fashion isn’t all about following the rules by the book. It’s all about letting yourself loose and express your own style. Remember that there is a fine line between tacky and tasteful. Try to experiment with different styles and you will eventually discover one that is uniquely yours.

5 Criteria to Select Travel Websites For Your Travel Planning

With the world now becomes a global market place, travel is increasingly turning into the number one activity that people do on a regular basis. Equipped with rapid internet penetration at travel destinations around the world, people are making travel arrangement online.

Websites such as priceline, travelocity and cheaptickets all of sudden attract high interest to savvy travelers who are looking to plan their travel at convenience.

Besides the above three travel websites, there are numerous sites that specialize into different market niches.

Like the old saying ‘don’t put all your eggs into the same basket,’ selecting one travel website for all your travel needs is unnecessary. You should find the best site that meets your objective. After all, competition is always good for customers.

What question should you ask yourself before jumping into the one travel website? Here are a few criteria that you should consider when selecting travel websites:

1. Objective

If you take a step aback a little bit and ask yourself your current travel situation, you should be able to find out what the real goal is at that time.

For example, if during holiday you unexpectedly receive news that one of your close relatives just passed away and you need to be there the fastest way possible, how do you make your travel arrangement?

Would you still go to priceline and bid for the lowest fare – or hit for ticket at lastminute right away? Priceline specializes in the lowest fare on bidding situation, so it will take a certain while to get the best deal. However, if you go to lastminute, you will be able to get the lowest fare at the last minute.

Under other circumstances, bidding through priceline can be more desirable than lastminute.

Forget about purchasing directly from the airline company. It costs more for them to serve your purchase – customer support, advertising, maintenance and all the sales overhead are incurred to fulfill your purchase. This translates to higher ticket price for customers.

On the other hand, travel websites acting as ticket middlemen purchased tickets at wholesale price. They are in competition with other travel websites to attract you to their websites. More competition translates to a better pocket for customers.

2. Country

Next tip is about the country you are visiting. Each country has a specialized or national travel websites that cater to foreigners.

For example, if you travel to the Great Britain or Paris, the national travel association offers unlimited entry pass to visit a multitude of attractions at one price. If don’t know about this offer and purchase tickets at a number of independent websites, you are guaranteed to spend more money, time and hassle.

On other occasions, if you travel to unfamiliar developing countries where infrastructure is not as adequate, it is better to make your arrangement via a trusted national agency who has long been in business.

3. Trustworthiness

Purchasing online is essentially the same as purchasing offline. The difference is security and convenience. Now that you are aware of the convenience, I will explain about security.

Online travel websites need to be secure and trustworthy. I am not talking about fraud only. From handling promotion, sales process to customer support, the company needs to be able to demonstrate its strength in doing business online.

I would typically look for Better Business Bureau (BBB) sign, investigate how long they have been in business, what guarantee, terms and conditions that the company holds before landing on one travel website.

Another indication is browsing through customer testimonials. Although they might be orchestrated, reading testimonials is a great way to understand the products and services of the company.

4. Savings

For budget-conscious customers, saving money on flight is definitely a win. The best advice is to plan your travel way in advance. Take advantage of pricing comparison websites or recurring promotions from each travel websites.

However, if you are on a time or budget constraint, knowing what website to baseline from will be beneficial. Again depending on your situation, I would recommend you start with priceline and bid for the lowest price. In parallel, you would go to special niches websites such as lastminute to shop around for ticket pricing.

For business flyers though, they are prepared to pay a higher fee for their ticket price. Business customers usually fly during weekdays and make last minute arrangements. The airline companies know this – that’s why last minute tickets are costly.

5. Uniqueness

The last important factor to select the best travel websites is how unique they are, compared with other websites.

Some websites are more user-friendly and informative; some others are very clunky yet professional. Finding what makes each website ticks will play well in your decision.

Availability of travel guide or blog is also crucial in my opinion. It shows that the company cares enough not only to sell the best priced tickets, but also the best total value experience.

In conclusion, selecting travel websites that suit your particular travel situation is important. Due to a heightened competition, customers will find the best value to their dream travel experience. Taking the time to understand which website is good at which niche will be beneficial in both short and long run.

Why Every Travel Writer Needs to Have a Travel Niche

I’m often asked by travel writers to look at their website and make suggestions. Because of this I’ve discovered a lot of really great travel blogs. I always offer constructive feedback, however, most of them make a common mistake that keeps them from getting any significant amount of site traffic, and few, if any, comments.

What’s this grave mistake that prevents them from becoming authority sites? As great as they are, as well written as their content often is, they lack specialization, or more simply, a travel niche. They have no specialty that would set them apart from every other travel blog out there.

There are some travel writers who do an exceptionally good job with their travel blogs – they travel frequently and regularly add fresh travel content to their blog. Their sites are well organized and easy to navigate, and I enjoy reading their travel articles. But let’s be honest here – there are thousands of travel writers out there, many of whom are also doing just as good a job.

So how do you stand out from the crowd? The answer is simple – choose a travel niche. Find a specific topic that you are passionate about (and no, “travel” is not specific enough), and focus on writing about that topic.

A perfect travel niche for you should be:

  • Something you love, and
  • Something you know a lot about, and
  • Something you have firsthand experience with

Your travel niche can be a specific place or a specific type or method of travel. Examples of some travel niches for which I’ve seen websites that are very well done include:

  • Place – bloggers who write about what’s going on in their hometown, expats who live abroad and write about their adopted place of residence as they explore it, and travel writers who focus on writing only about the Spas of the world;
  • Type – bloggers who write about solo travel, traveling with small children or pets, girls getaways, Eco-tourism, voluntarism, adventure travel, and spiritual pilgrimages;
  • Method – bloggers who write about backpacking trips, bicycling or walking tours, river cruises, and even some of the worlds best train trips.

The reason these websites do very well is that they remain focused on a small travel niche that they can dominate by regularly adding new, interesting, valuable, and focused content about that niche. By doing that, it’s far more likely that people who are searching for information on that topic will find them.

In addition to attracting more site visitors, when you write on a specialized travel niche topic, you have the opportunity to be perceived as an expert in your travel niche. And being an Expert is a good thing. People love to quote experts, especially in print. People love to ask experts for help and advice. Experts get offered opportunities – frequently paying opportunities – that others don’t get.

When Publishers want content on a specific locale, they look first for writers who already know that particular destination well. When an Editor or Journalist needs a quote on a specific subject, they look for an expert on that subject. Experts get asked to sit on Panel and Advisory Boards, judge competitions, give speeches or lectures, contribute to new projects, and much more. The fastest way to become an expert is to pick a niche that you know very well and write about it. Teach others. Share your knowledge.

The bottom line is that if you choose to write about all things travel and all destinations, you might be able to succeed and make a living from it, but it will certainly be challenging because you have a lot of competition in that market — some really good competition, too. But if you pick a niche, and work to become the go-to person in that niche, success will be easier and opportunities will come sooner.

Caster Wheels For Home Furniture

Furniture casters and wheels are available on today’s marketing in a variety of different makes, designs and sizes. Selecting the right caster is very important and can shape the way in which you use your furniture and the ease of use when moving it around your home. You can purchase furniture with fitted casters such as breakfast servers or computer desks. Foldaway tables can also include wheels on one set of legs to enable you to move the table around the room whilst ensuring it is safe to use. However, these casters selected professional who are to test both the short term and long term impact of using the casters.

To select the right casters it is important and incredibly useful to be clear about how the piece of furniture will be used. There are basically three types of casters when it comes to wheels.

The first is single wheels, secondly dual wheels and the third are ball wheels. These are listed in order of popularity with ball wheels now considered old fashioned and dated. People now prefer to use minimalist wheels which are less visible. The weight carrying limit is also crucial as this will dictate how much weight can be transported using the specific wheels. When measuring the weight it is important to consider the complete weight of both the piece of furniture and also its contents. For example, if you are using casters on a chest of drawers it is important to include the weight of the clothes and other contents of the drawers.

Single wheeled casters are commonly used for light pieces of furniture. They are made from strong material and high quality rubber to ensure they last longer. For heavy furniture or for heavy contents the best option is to use a dual wheel. This type of wheel spreads the weight across a larger surface area of the wheel and also uses more rolling surface from which to create momentum with which to the move furniture.

Caster can also be made from different materials such as metal, plastic or rubber. Metal caster should only be used on hard-wearing surfaces such as tile or concrete. An anything lighter such as wood or carpets you should use either plastic or rubber. Rubber is the preferred option however this may have less grip requiring you to apply more force in order to move the object or furniture.

In summary, there are different types of caster wheels and it can be a challenging task to ensure you have the correct caster. However, by using the information above and make sensible decisions you can select the right casters for the purposes you need.

Early Autumn Advertising Photography Styles 2012

The following is a collection and introduction of the early autumn advertising photography styles 2012. Through relevant analysis, some women’s fashion is to be revealed.

Jil Sander: the Association of Schoolgirls

The early autumn video of Raf Simos’s Jil Sander drew successfully its materials from the American Campus Style and has reshaped the latter. The collective portrait in the video taken by the photographer Ben Weller reawakens people’s memories of schoolgirls’ sorority life, which is definitely a response to the Take Ivy, the “Bible” of campus style, created by Teruyoshi Hayashida in 1965. In Weller’s college scenes, the feeling of sisters’ happiness and harmony among the school chorus models (including Hanne Gaby Odiele, Karolina Mrozkova and Katie Fogarty) is presented by him. In their fixed rest time, these models always appear together in the social occasions, wearing the gentle and quiet Bell skirts, school team sweaters, and pairs of serious Stella Luna.

Gucci: the Darling in the Luxurious Drinking Party

Produced by Mert & Marcus, the early autumn video of Gucci presents a series of elegant and charming new products featuring the evening dress fashion for the boisterous drinking parties in the dimly-lit American bars that are popular in Venice. Being the notable representatives of this style, and with Edward Enninful being their communal stylist, Karmen Pedaru, Nadja Bender and Staffan Lindstrom, the three famous fashion models, are disposed to the mature as well as fashionable retro appearances that highlight wide-leg pants, elegant trousers, red strapless shirts, buttonless handbags, and metal necklaces and neckties. And as a result of plentiful smoke and strong club atmosphere created by the Grimes, the picture turns out to be more gloomy and hazy.

Akris: A Mysterious Journey to the Far East

The pictures that compose the early autumn video of Akris are captured from the angle of a female passenger who was about to embark on a journey abroad after ascending the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway, with Karim Sadli being the photographer, Karlina Caune the actress, and Albert Kriemler the costume designer. The stylish dress in the video includes excellent leather accessories and photo-printed items which, having drawn their materials from the outdoor landscape occasionally caught sight of by passengers, dispose the journey from Moscow to the Far East to further mystery.

Balenciaga: A Feast of Flourescence

The early autumn advertising video of Balenciaga, whose consultant being Steven Meisel, demonstrates in its entirety the catwalk show of Fashion Week. The male and female models in the video show their fashion styles through walking down the neon-lighted steps, with the background music being Dance Yourself Clean of the LCD Soundsystem.

Assisted by the creative House and Holme the director, Marie Amélie Sauvé the stylist, and Pat McGrath the make-up artist, Nicolas Ghesquiere succeeds in this season in visualizing the 1980s’ postmodernist interest the Balenciaga has been attempting to reveal: brilliant colors, shoulder pads, prominent geometric prints, dark-colored cheekbones, and brand new wavy hair.

Elie Saab: Balade a Paris

Abundant in endless elegance, Balade a Paris (stroll in Paris), the early autumn video of Elie Saab embodies incisively and vividly the feminine sense via the minimalist daywear as well as its evening maxi dresses which enjoy widespread renown.

By means of employing intimate close-ups that highlight the dress’s exquisite tailoring, intricate details and superb handiwork, the director manages to pursue the fashion footprints of a Paris girl. Likewise, a romantic nostalgic tone for the fast-paced Paris in the video is created by the score by Anders Trentemoller.

Loeffler Randall: A Genuine Girl

Directed by Dan McMahon, the early autumn video of Loeffler Randall consists of a group of the “genuine girl” shots.

With Willa Gross(the brand’s E-commerce assistant), Ellen Moore(the PR of Krupp Group), Tara McCollum(the PR Director), and Susan Domelsmith(the jewellery designer, musician, and the brand’s activity planner) all serving as the fashion models in its products’ catalogue which likewise contains the inserted personal interviews, the elegance and maturity, as well as the extreme coolness of this particular brand is fully displayed.

Louis Vuitton: the Early Autumn Doll

Directed by William Snieg and photographed by Mark Segal, the early autumn video series of Louis Vuitton, whose inspiration coming from the elegant French architect and designer Charlotte Perriand, is invented on the basis of improving the 1960s’ silent film.

The doll-luxury-like models Xiao Wen, Nyasha Matonhodze and Valerija Sestic, styled by the designer Julie de Libran, are dressed up to kill in the lounge scene: wearing colorful fashion accessories and with the Louis Vuitton shopping bags and travelling bags serving as the perfect foils, they reveal to the public a unique fashion style that takes form in a series of fur embellished dress, including the round shoulder coats which being slightly heavy, yet gorgeously ornamented.

Prabal Gurung: A Dazzling Party

Directed by Dan Martensen, Prabal Gurung’s first video of the early autumn series turns out to be a fascinating as well as kaleidoscopic journey of women’s fashion.

The Ford models Alanna Zimmer, Hanne Gaby, Kate King and Ming Xie converge on this video. And accompanied by the music Body Mod of DJ Pictureplane, the brand’s style is shown by them on the catwalk, and that the geometric cut of relevant dresses, being discordant with this season’s kaleidoscopic floral prints, serves as a more intense foil for the latter.

Jimmy Choo: the Phantom of Interest

The Jimmy Choo team launched this brand with relevant inspiration deriving from the 1960s’ charming rock scenes in London as well as the stylist Camilla Nickerson.

The early autumn video of Jimmy Choo is photographed by Terry Richardson who aims at creating an atmosphere which arouses the feeling of “extreme coolness and fashion”.

Acting as the 60s’ non-mainstream rock aristocrat in the video, the model Bette Franke shows the fashion style through sitting with two attendants in the back of Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Guide to Decorating With Popular Home Furniture Accessories

When choosing home furniture accessories, it sometimes seems like there are far too many choices. How does one know which too choose and which to pass up?

The curse of too many options has long been a curse for the pickiest designers. This is true even if the goal is to decorate one’s own home, let alone someone else. What may help some individuals, couples, families, or designers is to know how certain popular accessory items might be displayed in a particular room.

Of course, the easiest way to learn how certain home furniture accessories would best look displayed in a room is to view pictures. It also would be very helpful to attend furniture shows or pay attention to furniture displays in popular retail stores. Of course, you may also be inspired by people you know who have an eye for interior design. In any case, the following pieces are some of the most popular accessories used in the home today. Please take a look at suggestion placements for each of them:

  • George Nelson Ball Clock: This is a very popular accessory that could be placed in most any room. It is multi-colored so it can brighten up any bland furniture blend. It might be quite attractive in a children’s room of an appropriate age, or in a living room or guest room. It also might accent a dining room, kitchen, or study room. Other items made that are inspired by this designer include the following: George Nelson Eye Clock, Kite Clock, or Star Clock.
  • Paul Andes Art Work: Depending upon availability, various paintings created by this person would like exquisite in most living rooms or parlors. They might also look divine in dining areas or libraries. They might blend will with certain contemporary or classic coffee table styles.
  • Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Barcelona Hall Bench: These are made into a variety of lengths. Often they are more suitable for business settings. However, some large estates might carefully display a smaller one of these units in an office area, or in a front vestibule area.
  • Eileen Gray Cocktail Table: Today this is made in the same vein as the original which was first produced in 1926. This unique piece could fit anywhere in most lounge areas. It would probably look very attractive off to the side, in between a couch and chair, or in the center of a room. The frame of it is of a high-grade still that is polished, and has the look of silver. It would match perfectly with similar glass coffee or dining table pieces.

This of course is a very limited selection of pieces to use in various rooms. Many more home furniture accessorizing tips are available. Please check back regularly.

6 Surprising Truths About Tax Preparers

Choosing the right tax preparer for your business is a decision best not left until April. A former tax preparer and small business mastermind offers insights into the secret world of tax preparers.

1. All tax preparers are not created equal.

It stands to reason, somewhere in the country is the Worst Tax Preparer. The bad news is you may have already booked your appointment with him. Preparing taxes is a complex activity. So complex that many of us simply throw in the towel, pack up our receipts, and head for the nearest tax office. When you arrive at the office, you fully expect our tax preparer to be highly competent and completely vested in getting you the best deal in town.

Back in my tax preparing days, I worked for one of the big name tax preparation franchises both as a preparer and as a tax return editor. I worked with seasoned professionals and total neophytes. I well remember the first time I stepped up to the plate as a new preparer. I was terrified. Terrified the customer would know I was inexperienced. Terrified I’d make a huge blunder and the customer would pick up on it. Terrified the more experienced preparers would laugh at my mistakes.

I quickly realized that as inexperienced as I was, I still knew way more than my clients did. And because the franchise had great systems, others would be checking and re-checking my work so my mistakes and oversights would be caught before I did any damage to the client.

As a tax return editor, I saw and corrected more mistakes than you would feel comfortable knowing about. Which brings me to a very important point, tax preparation is not a cut and dried, read the manual, do the formulas, follow the instructions, and poof! you’re done kind of activity. The tax codes in this country are complex and open to interpretation.

Tax preparers have a wide range of experience from none to grizzled veteran. They also span the continuum from ethical to completely fraudulent. The more complex your return, the more you need a veteran preparer. And if your preparer tells you about this great deduction that you can take and it sounds suspicious to you, listen to your intuition. It’s the difference between paying a little bit now or paying a whole lot later.

2. Tax preparers are not business experts.

The only business experts in the world are those who are running successful businesses. Tax preparers are trained to understand taxes. They’re trained to know the proper forms and deductions. They’re trained to help you with tax planning. They are not trained to understand how business works.

Now, you may have a tax preparer who is also a successful business owner. Many CPA’s, accountants, bookkeepers, and tax preparers do run their own businesses. They’re in a much better position to help you with your taxes because they understand the day to day challenges of running a business.

Understand that having your taxes prepared by a big name franchise, although it does ensure that your return is accurate, does not mean that your return is prepared in a way that is best for your business. Only a preparer who understands business can prepare a return that works for your business.

3. Hiring a tax preparer doesn’t mean you’re excused from understanding taxes.

I’ve seen it so many times. I sit down with a client to talk about finances or taxes. As I talk, the head is nodding, the mouth is saying, “uh huh, uh huh”, but what they’re really focused on is the pen in their hand. They don’t want to understand, they just want to sign off on the paperwork and be done with it. “That’s what I hire you for”, they say.

Big mistake. I could be sentencing them to time in a federal prison. Trusting someone else to the point where you abdicate all responsibility and have no knowledge of what you’re signing or what is being done in your name is a recipe for a big fat slice of disaster. That’s how embezzlement happens-I trust Mary completely. Bob always takes care of that. And it’s also how business owners end up in trouble-What do you mean he took a deduction for my Chihuahua as a guard dog? Hey, why didn’t I get a deduction for my new computer?

You have to know enough about taxes to be able to read your return intelligently so you know what you’re signing. You also need to know enough about taxes so you know what your tax preparer needs to know to prepare your return accurately and to your best advantage.

And don’t get your education from your buddies. I heard a lot about these “special deductions” you can take. Usually the information is not based on facts or tax codes. It’s a conglomeration of bad information that can get you into tax trouble.

4. Your tax preparer shouldn’t be the one telling you how your business is doing.

It hits them hard. They couldn’t be more shocked if you’d hit them upside the head with a dead fish. “I owe how much!”, they gasp. “How can that be? I don’t have any money!” Then the desperation sets in. The tax preparer is accused of not doing a good enough job. “You must have missed something.” Or, they dig deep trying to think of anything, anything at all, that can lower their tax liability. “Did I mention that vacation, I mean, business trip I took to the Caribbean? That’s deductible right?”

If the only time you know how your business is doing is on April 15th, you’re doing yourself a huge disservice. If you’re not tracking your tax liability and making plans to satisfy that liability, you’re in for a very long, painful, tortuous lesson delivered at the hands of the Internal Revenue Service. You will pay. You will pay way more than if you’d planned ahead. And it will take you forever to get caught up.

5. Why getting your tax return prepared shouldn’t be an errand you run on your lunch break.

I was in a client’s office one day getting her books closed out for the year so she could have her tax return prepared. I overheard a woman in the next office telling someone, “I’m just going to run out and get my taxes done.” I was horrified. Having your taxes prepared is not something you just “run out” and get done like an oil change. Good tax preparers are like good hair stylists. They have followings. People pre-book them.

If you just “run out” and have your taxes done, who do you think you’ll get as a tax preparer? The best and the brightest? Hardly. You’ll get the first year preparers who haven’t built up a following. The ones who are fresh out of tax class and generally have no experience preparing tax returns or running a business. The ones who don’t have the expertise to know the ins and outs of interpreting tax codes to your best advantage while still keeping you within the law. Sure everyone deserves a chance to gain experience but do you really want to be the first patient a surgeon operates on?

6. Procrastination is your worst enemy.

It’s April 14th. You think you probably should get your tax stuff together pretty soon. So, you work late into the night, gathering receipts, pawing through stacks of paper, digging under the seat of your car until finally you’ve got everything you need. Off you go on your lunch break on April 15th to get your return prepared. Your tax preparer, who has been working at a feverish pitch for weeks, has deep circles under her eyes, her hands are shaking from lack of sleep and too much caffeine, and you notice a small stream of drool running down her chin. “Oh look,” she exclaims laughing maniacally, “Another return!”. And you think to yourself, “What’s her problem?”.

You, my procrastinating friend, are her problem. Now she’s got to frantically race around trying to keep you out of trouble because you didn’t have the courtesy or forethought to be prepared well ahead of the deadline. And then she’ll have to listen to you whine because now all of a sudden you have to come up with thousands of dollars that you didn’t know you owed.

Do yourself a favor, get your return done early. If you owe money, you don’t have to send it until April 15th. At least you’ll know that your return was prepared by a tax preparer who wasn’t fatigued, you’ll know ahead of time what you owe, and you’ll have it off your mind so you can focus on other important things. Like getting your oil changed on your lunch break.

The Effects of Fashion Style to Females

Fashion has great influence to all females over the years because females are more into fashion styles than men. To females, fashion is a statement and determines your own personality by portraying your different styles. Fashion should be unique in every individual, however because of media influences fashion style has created a common denominator which most people imitate to become like the “supermodels”. Fashion style its has positive and negative effects to females. We will determine first the negative effects of fashion style and we will re-enforce it with positive effects.

Negative effects of fashion style

Identity. Your identity is affected with fashion style because you tend to follow what is stereotypical in the fashion world. Fashion industry created a stereotyped supermodels who are labelled to beautiful with their thin physique. Most females worked so hard just to achieve that supermodel figure, because of their misconception about being beautiful. To them a little meat is fat and being fat is not beautiful.

Financial Deficit. Stereotypical is what’s going on with fashion style. You often buy branded clothes that are very expensive and you tend to spend more beyond what you earn just to be up to date with fashion style and you end up broke or even in debt.

Peer pressure among teen females. Fashion style has influence on many young teenage girls, if you don’t wear the latest clothing from famous brands like Abercrombie and Fitch, Chanel or Dolce & Gabbana, it simply means you are not “IN” and you cannot be part of the popular girls group in your school. This adds pressure to young girls to become part of a group that more often will result to low self esteem and even depression.

Positive effects of fashion style (re-enforcement of negative effects)

Identity. In contrary to the negative effects, style will definitely help you become creative and unique with different style that will fit your personality and lifestyle. It is a matter of understanding how fashion can influence you in a positive way. It also a matter of personal choice whether or not you will follow what the media has branded beautiful. Fashion is about your own personal style, it not about looking the same like the supermodels. You can be beautiful with curves as long as you feel good inside. Beauty comes from within.

Avenue for savings. With a gigantic variety of different styles, your wardrobe will not go out of style. You can mix and match, and add a little accessories, your old will become something new and trendy. You don’t need to spend extra money to buy for super expensive branded clothing just to be “in” with fashion. Creativity is all you need with a little help tips from the experts and you will create a fashion statement in your own little way.

Be Confident. Becoming a popular is not an issue as long as you are confident with your looks. Fashion is not all about expensive designer clothes. There are more brands that offers good quality and amazing designs, than expensive designer clothes. If you are confident with your style, you will get the attention you deserve and peer pressure will no longer be an issue.

According to top designers, fashion style is not what you see on TV or magazines but it is how creative you are by turning a simple top to an astounding blouse that will set a trend in fashion world. Set your worries aside and don’t be afraid to be wonderful yourself.