Hottest Jewelry Trend for 2010!

Hi All!  It’s me, Laurie.

I am so excited about this new designer line produced by Domaine Ltd.  It is called Beadelle(R) by Domaine.  If you love things that sparkle, as most of us do, you will be a big fan of this line.

Beadelle(R) by Domaine is fashionable, unique and most importantly sparkly. The beautiful Beadelle(R) beads are in a class of their own.  First you had diamond, then there was emerald’s and NOW you have BEADELLE(R).

This is the hottest new jewelry trend for 2010.  I expect the  Beadelle(R) Collection is here to stay.  You will see more and more items made with those gorgeous Beadelle(R) Pave’ beads as the year moves on.

Talk to you again soon!

A Resource Guide for the Bride

Good morning all!  It’s me Laurie, your very lovable Gadget Gandhi.

With Spring in the air, I can hear all the “Brides to be”  buzzing with anticipation for their  upcoming weddings.  There is a lot of preparation with a wedding and each bride wants their day to be perfect.  Anyone who has been married will tell you, the perfect wedding is all about the details.

I hear many young brides asking where to get invitations, bridal jewelry, accessories and favors.  This is a new arena for them and not always so easy  to navigate.   They receive many suggestions from friends and family.  If only there was a Resource Guide for Bride’s?   Have no fear,  I want to help.   As they say, the best advertisement is word of mouth.   I have listed three companies, by word of mouth, provide an exceptional product.  They are known for reasonable pricing, exceptional customer service(and understanding) and quality of product.  So finally, enclosed is a Resource Guide for the Bride.  These companies will give you the best deals at the best price to ensure your day is everything you wanted it to be!

Invitations:

Invitations by Yvonne is a great online company with a personal touch.  They have an enormous selection of invitations and favors to make that special day “perfect”  One of the greatest things about Invitations by Yvonne is they will work with you on pricing.  They have Flexible Pricing.  Now, how many companies do you know that will do that?  They are known for their attention to detail, quality of product and pricing.

Bridal Jewelry

Domaine Ltd. sells a line of bridal jewelry.  Their prices are very reasonable and I have personally purchased other jewelry items from their online factory outlet.  Their quality is much better than many items I have purchased in the past from various retailers.  Bridal jewelry tends to be an expensive purchase.  At Domaine Ltd. you can buy bridal jewelry at a fraction of the cost then most retailers.  They also have Domaine Cash.  You can accumulate Domaine Cash for another free shopping day.  You really can’t beat that deal!

Accessories:

Glitterize.com offers something called “Crystal Splash”.  You put it on the tables at your reception or you can sprinkle some on the bridal path.  Everything always looks better when it sparkles!  Glitterize.com offers a variety of items for the “do it yourselfer” who wants to make everything sparkle.

Well, that’s all for now.  As I always say, It’s your money so spend it Wisely.  Even a wedding doesn’t need to cost you a fortune.

Valentine’s Day- A Man’s/Husband’s Guide to Gift Giving

Antique Heart Locket- Click to Picture to Find Great Gifts

Passionate Pink Cateye Necklace- Click the Picture to Find Great Gifts

–Hi  Everyone! It’s me again, Laurie

Valentine’s Day will be upon us in the next 30 days. I am writing to share some good advice and save all you guys out there from a night in the doghouse.

For most of the men in this world, I know life’s daily routines and responsibilities are your main objective. You work hard to provide the best life you can for your wife and kids. You want to be acknowledged once in a while for all that you do to provide the good life you created for your family. Those are some tough shoes to fill but you do it everyday without complaint or any expectation of reward. Most of the time you’re wondering if your wife and kids understand all that you do to provide for them. Do they appreciate what you do? You become the silent soldier.

Then, once a year, an unofficial holiday arrives that can literally wreak havoc on your life, “Valentine’s Day”.
1. If you forget it, you have a one-way ticket to the doghouse for an unspecified amount of time.
2. If you buy something that is not personal enough, you could be expecting the cold shoulder for at least a few days.
3. Or, one of the worst things, you buy her some household item she needs and she completely explodes telling you how utterly thoughtless you are. You on the other hand are baffled and try to understand what you did wrong and just try to defuse the situation.

I get it. That’s why I’m here to help!

Let’s start by saying, your wife, just like you, wants to be appreciated for the things she does. She might wash your clothes, make your meals, clean your house, tend your children and/or work a full time job too. She might do it all but whatever it is she does, it is done because she love’s you and the children.

The big “to do” about “Valentine’s Day” for women is this. This is the one-day your wife is recognized as an individual. Not for being mom, not for what she does for you but for who she is to you. It is the one-day that she wants you to acknowledge her as the women you pursued and proclaimed your undying love for. (Do you remember that?) Those were the days when you treated her like a queen.

Often, couples that have been together for many years loose passion in the relationship. It’s easy to understand; life’s situations kind of sucks it out of you. The best part is you can get it back and it’s simple really. Let your wife know how much she means to you. DO NOT just buy her a card. Write it, or say it. It was always told to me that a man wants to be king of his castle, as no man likes to be told what to do. Well then, elaborating on that thought, a good king (who doesn’t want to be overthrown) will lead his people with compassion and understanding. The key here is, “lead”. A man who can lead his marriage with compassion and understanding will be a happily married man. I can assure you that your wife will make you feel like a king.

So, I leave you with this. Start this Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2010 making your wife feel like your queen. It never really was about the gift you buy for her but how you make her feel about you and her. I have put up some links for some great inexpensive gifts so you’re not empty handed. But make sure you give her what she really wants and that would be you!

Jewelry- Where are all the Great Deals?

Hello Everyone! It’s me again, Laurie!

Now that the major “Gift Giving” holidays have passed, I can begin to concentrate on starting my list for next year.  (I know, I’m a dork-What can I say?)  After this year’s holiday, I promised myself I would never do the last minute gift gathering hustle again.  I know I say it every year but this time I really mean it!

A few months ago, I decided to set up a Face Book Page. At first, I was a little apprehensive about it but now that I have established my network of friends and family, I am more than happy I did this.  I have many old friends on my page that I had lost track of do to Life’s infamous ups and downs. Many of those people from my life mean the world to me.  I wish I had stayed in contact all these years.  Unfortunately, sometimes the craziness of life brings us down another path and we loose touch with some of those great people in our lives along the way.  The great thing about Face Book is you don’t need an address or a phone number, just your friend’s name.  Kudos to the people at Face Book!

With the expansion of my friend network (new friends of recent years and great friends of years passed), I realized my gift-giving list had increased by quite a bit.  (Hence, my resolution to start shopping now for gifts.)  With many family and friends to buy for, I decided I needed to put my shopping skills to the test.  We all know I like a bargain and know I am to the verge of OCD when it comes to getting the best product for my money.  I researched some of the great programs out there to get the best return on my shopping experience.

I found two programs that give you great return on your money spent.

1. Kohl’s Cash- For Every $50 you spend at Kohl’s, you get $10 in Kohl’s cash towards your next purchase.  They do have a time frame on the Kohl’s Cash Coupons but still it’s a great deal!  Kohl’s has a huge selection of clothes, furniture and decor, jewelry and watches, electronics and much, much more. Their prices are very reasonable and you will get a great selection of products to choose from to use your Kohl’s Cash.

1. Domaine Cash- If you like jewelry, this is the place to go.  You get $5.00 for every $50.00 you spend from Domaineltd.com.  The best part about this program is the Domaine Cash is good until December 31, 2010.  You can use on your next purchase or accumulate them for a free shopping on domaineltd.com website. (and they’re good until the end of 2010)  Domaineltd.com has the best prices I have seen for Quality Fashion Jewelry.  In combination with the Domaine Cash, you are getting the real deal.

Ok people, that’s all for now!  Until next time.

You can find those great deals at:

www.kohls.com

www.domaineltd.com

Jewelry-What in Life can you Get for Free?

Good afternoon all!

It’s me again, Laurie!  Your very lovable Gadget Gandhi!  LOL

Today I come to you with a great new service.  It is called the Accessorize Queen. The Accessorize Queen is a person (yes people, a real live person) who will give you great gift advise for your entire gift giving needs.  The best part about this service is it’s FREE.

Now, you all know I’m a skeptic.  Especially when someone is telling me a service or anything for that matter is free.  We all know everything comes with a price or at least an ulterior motive.  So, I made it a priority to check it out.  The Accessorize Queen is the Marketing Manager for Domaineltd.com located in Providence, RI.  Domaineltd.com is a designer and manufacturer of Quality Fashion Jewelry.  If you had read one of my previous blogs, I had blogged on their product.  They have great quality fashion jewelry at very reasonable prices.

Well, since I had a birthday party to go to over the weekend, I decided to put the Accessorize Queen to the test.  I anticipated, given the fact she works for DomaineLtd.com. that her ambition would be to sell me jewelry.  I sent the Accessorize Queen an email asking for her advice.  She promptly sent me a reply asking me specific questions about the girl I was buying for.  Ironically, the girl I was buying for is a bit of a “Tom Boy” or as my daughter likes to say “Tommy Girl”.( I love that expression!).  I’m sure you understand that jewelry would not be an appropriate gift for this individual.  I figured I had nothing to loose since I’m a bit girly, girl myself and I really had no idea what to get her.

After answering a few questions about my friend, she came back with a recommendation of a “Barnes and Noble Gift Card” with a recommended amount.  Honestly, I was shocked.  I thought for sure, she would recommend jewelry.

So, to satisfy my own curiosity, I sent her an email thanking her for the great gift idea and asked her how this “service” benefited her company?  Her recommendation had no mention of the DomaineLtd.com product.  Her answer was truly inspiring.  She said, “The objective of Accessorize Queen is to provide a true service to people out there who have a tough time trying to find the perfect gift.  Keeping in touch with people helps them identify peoples needs so they can continue to be a leader in their industry and ensure they provide the best to the consumer.  If a jewelry piece had been applicable, she would have provided me a link to domaineltd.com as well as other companies providing the same product so I could choose for myself.

Honestly, I was amazed by her answer but am pleased with the results of this service.  I highly recommend “Accessorize Queen” to anyone looking for the perfect gift!

Check it out at http://www.accessorizequeen.wordpress.com

Holiday Traditions- A Gift for Her

Good morning all! It’s me again, Laurie. Your very likeable gadget Gandhi! – LOL

Well, last night, since nobody was home, I decided to venture into my basement and pull out the holiday décor. After a very grueling 30 minutes of hauling boxes up the basement stairs, I was finally ready to sit down and begin the ritual of sorting through the holiday decorations.

It’s amazing how many happy memories that floods you when you’re sorting through items you haven’t seen in at least a year. I found many homemade gifts that were made for my husband and me by our children. Shells painted with holiday cheer, paper Mache decorations with loving notes and I can never forget, the infamous spaghetti necklace. Now that was a long, long time ago.

As I was taking out the last of the homemade gifts and decorating them around my house, I finally came to my box of special ornaments. This particular group of ornaments has a very sentimental meaning to me. It is my collection of Swarovski Special Edition Holiday Ornaments. There is a new ornament made for each passing year.

Many years ago, when our children were small, my husband and I decided it would be best not to buy each other gifts at the holidays. We were already strained trying to raise 3 children and most of our money went to living expenses, or the children. My husband has always been a very proud man. He has always done his part to ensure that our children had the best holiday they could possibly have. He would work many; many extra hours to make sure each of his children got that one special gift they had asked for. I have to admit, he never once failed in his quest.

On one particular year, after the children had opened their presents, I noticed there was another small gift stuffed between the branches of our tree. Puzzled, I walked over to see whom it was for. To my surprise, it was for me! As my husband looked up at me sheepishly, I opened the box. It had to be the most beautiful crystal I had ever seen. It was a 2000 Swarovski Special Edition Holiday Ornament. I could tell from looking at it, it was expensive. I asked him, “Why would you buy something so expensive for me?” He said, “ To see the happiness on your face when you opened the box.” I was beyond surprised and amazed that he purchased such a beautiful, thoughtful gift. Feeling a little less than thoughtful myself, I said, “But I didn’t get anything for you.” He looked at me in surprise and said “Yes you did. The happiness on your face is the best present you could ever give me”. (I got to admit, he really is a great guy).

Every year since that day, there has been a box with a new Swarovski Special Edition Ornament for me under our tree. He has bought me one every year since that day. (And I make sure I have a present for him too.) It always makes me smile and has become my most favored tradition.

Please feel free to leave me a comment.

The 2009 Swarovski Special Edition Holiday Ornament can be purchased at Merchants Overseas, Amazon.com as well as many other online retailers or department stores. (The best buy I have seen has been Amazon.com)

Well, that’s all for now. Until next time.

When Will This Recession End?

OK people, it’s me again “Laurie”. Today’s blog is dedicated to educating all the Consumers out there who want to know: “When will this Recession end?”

The news has been nothing but doom and gloom for over a year. I have watched many friends, relatives and associates loose their jobs, get reduced hours, loose their house, loose funds in a 401K’s as well as seen many homeless “tent city’s” sprouting up in my own state. I have to admit, it has been pretty bleak. The recession has made its intruding mark on all facets of our society. I do however; believe a good part of our current woes could have been avoided.

Have you ever heard the term “ignorance is bliss”? Most of you have and in certain circumstances it should be used. Due to the mainstream media’s attempt to educate the public on the financial crisis, they made the crisis worse. The media, hosted by an assortment of educated individuals emphasized the problems for over a year without emphasizing a solution to fixing our problems. (And people think the news is unbiased??) People need to understand that the mainstream media is a business. Their job is to generate news that people want to hear. Their objective is to create higher ratings than their competition. Unfortunately, doom and gloom sells. Morbid curiosity of a negative situation seems to draw an individual’s attention more so than circumstances of a happy nature. So I guess in a nutshell our own curiosity is our downfall.

To address the problem, we need to ask; “What makes our economy work?” The answer to that is simple. EACH AND EVERY AMERICANS DAILY SPENDING OF MONEY. Can you believe the answer is this simple? When people think their “rainy day has arrived”, money stops being spent. People will horde their money to make sure their essentials are met. If large numbers of people stop spending money, the results are catastrophic. Consumers need to purchase a company’s services or goods. If consumers stop purchasing a company’s services or goods, the company goes out of business. The people who work for this company loose their jobs. (BUSINESS 101)

So what happened in the good US of A? The people of our economy stopped spending money in unprecedented numbers. This is why our unemployment rate is so high. This is why people cannot pay their bills. This is why people are loosing their houses. You need spending to create jobs, without spending people cannot locate new jobs. The job pays the bills. If the jobs disappear, the bills go unpaid and more companies go out of business. This has put us in a down cyclone effect. With the loss of so many jobs, people are forced to take jobs with much lower pay reducing the individual’s standard of living. Hence, they are no longer capable of paying for the things they could previously afford. I’m sure you don’t want this to happen to you and for anyone who is currently affected, I’m sorry. I’m not saying we didn’t have other problems in the banking area but I feel strongly that the impact would not have been so severe without the compounded problem of job loss. Reason being: Most people make enough to pay for what they have, but when that is reduced or eliminated, you no longer can provide for what you could previously afford. Everything you pay for creates a paycheck for someone else.  I believe, if Americans would have continued to spend their money, the foreclosure problem would have been minimized, State governments would not have the crisis they do and the majority of job losses could have been avoided.  “We the People” are compounding the problem.

We all want to know “How do we fix this?” This recession will end when we as consumers start spending our money. This in turn will generate jobs. The media has done quite a fabulous job of scarring the American public but it is up to us to educate ourselves and fix this current problem. Some of the programs initiated by the government will help but the main fix needs to come from the American public. We as a whole, 300 million plus, need to infuse our money back into our economy. We will then finally feel the relief from this big mess. After we fix this problem, then its time to tackle Washington and all of the problems there!

Until next time, buy something to help infuse money into businesses (they get busy, they hire more people), go out to dinner (owners and staff make more money, infuse their money into our economy) innovate and start your own business (create new jobs). We need to create jobs. Jobs pay the bills.

Suggestions:
Domaine Ltd (RI Jewelry company who sells direct to the consumer- great prices)
Merchants Overseas- (Supplier of all crystal and many different jewelry components- best buy for people who sell or are interested in doing their own arts and crafts)

It’s Your Money! Spend it Wisely!

The Best Jewelry Deal on the Web!

Good morning World!  It’s me again, Laurie, the Gandhi of Consumer Products.  (I’m really starting to like that name.)   Today’s blog is dedicated to all the girls out there who like to look their best.  OK girls, your going to love this one.

As I was randomly browsing the web, looking for something to help accessories my new outfit, I found this fantastic new website.  The website is www.domaineltd.com.  This site has great costume jewelry at unbeatable prices!  Now, we all know that I believe in getting the best value for my money.  Like all of you, I work very hard for every dollar.  I want to look good but I can’t afford to spend a fortune.  I know we all secretly dream of winning the Powerball so we can go out on that elaborate shopping spree.  Unfortunately, for most of us, it will never happen.  I too am under funded to fulfill my full shopping potential.  I live the “True American Experience”.  I bargain hunt.

When I first viewed this site, being the skeptic that I am, I said to myself “This stuff must be JUNK. Why else would the items be so cheap?”  To appease my own curiosity, I ordered a piece.  I have to admit, I was surprised when I received a very nice piece of jewelry.  Not at all what I expected.

Bewildered by the idea of buying a really nice necklace for under $10.00 when I know very well it should have cost between $20-$30, I made a point of calling the company to obtain more information about them.  I was pleasantly surprised with the information they provided.  This company is a manufacturer of costume jewelry located in Providence, RI.  They sell primarily to the retailers and catalogs in the USA.  All their costume jewelry is designed and manufactured by them.  Their website was set up recently to sell the remainder of their discontinued items.  They have small amounts of stock of each item shown on the site (varies per style). This means it’s first come, first serve. They are leftovers pieces from a large customer who has discontinued the item or a sample item they chose not to go forward with.  Items are put on their web site once they have been discontinued.   So, I asked, “What is wrong with it?  Why is it discontinued?”  The girl told me, “Nothing”.  She explained that the fashion industry has forever changing trends and styles.  Jewelry styles change season to season just like clothes.  To remain a leader in the Jewelry industry, it is important that they continually design and develop new pieces that correlate with upcoming seasonal trend.  The website is regularly updated every season with new items that have been discontinued from past seasons.

After speaking with their representative, I felt like I hit the JACKPOT!   Now, I am a big clearance rack shopper.  You can get the best deals by buying items between seasons.  Can you believe it?  Now we have access to the CLEARANCE RACK for jewelry. This is a website where I can find a great Christmas presents for my girlfriends.  Who doesn’t like jewelry?   The best part is I don’t have to spend a ton of money to do it.  (But it will look like I did- LOL)

Feel free to send me a comment.

Bye for now!