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Ah the 70s, between disco dancing and polyester, it was an interesting time. So why not throw a party for your friends who remember the 70s and may still have a few disco moves still in them? Or, you can throw a party for those who never lived in the 70s but always wanted to.

To stimulate your memory of the 70s, let’s look at what was going on. The 70s were mainly about disco dancing and leisure suits. It was a time of shag carpeting, avocado green appliances, macramé and paneling. The music of the 70s was coming from people and bands like Donna Summer, the Bee Gees, Earth Wind and Fire, Gloria Gaynor, Lionel Richie, Peaches & Herb, and The Village People.

How do you decorate for the 70s? Simple things such as hanging beaded curtains at the front door to create a disco ball from Mylar can really make a room. Black lights, psychedelic posters and lava lamps are quick and easy too. Happy face posters, candles or incense also are small details you can add.

As for food, look around at yard sales for old fondue pots and place them in the middle of each table. Each pot serves your meal as well as works as a centerpiece. To really get your guests mingling, put a different type of fondue at each table and serve different types of cheese fondue as your appetizer. Cook up spicy chicken, Mexican, or teriyaki fondues as the main course. Add chocolate fondue for your dessert. The addition of finger food and buffets are also nice for your guests. Vintage types of foods such as Frito’s, deviled eggs, Jiffy Popcorn and Ding Dongs are fun. Vintage candy also brings back memories for people like Abba Zabba, Boston Baked Beans, Big Hunks, Sixlets, Pop Rocks even Ding Dongs! For drinks how about Dr. Pepper, Tab, RC Cola or even Grape Crush?

Do you enjoy games at your party? Musical chairs can be played to the funky sounds of Sly and the Family Stone, Donna Summer, the Commodores, La Chick, K.C. & the Sunshine Band, and Kool & the Gang. You can invite friends to dig out their favorite record or eight track tapes and hold a contest for best dance music. Of course you will need an eight-track player and record player to play your guests vintage music.

Other games could include charades or even using the Ouija Board.

And last of course, you want to emphasize your guest’s costumes. During the 70s there was carryover from the 60s, so encourage guests to bring their best bell-bottoms if they don’t own a disco dress. Other types of clothing wore during the 70s included brightly colored scarves, big sunglasses, platform shoes, floppy hats, halter/tube tops, jewelry in the shape of a peace sign, tie dyed clothing and big hair. You can vote for the most creative or most unique.

A 70s themed party is sure to please everyone and even bring back a few interesting memories. So go all out and have lots of fun.
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You want to buy a piece of jewelry. Not just any old piece of jewelry will do, either. You want something different and unique. You aren’t interested in some run-of-the-mill, see it in every shop and catalog item. It’s got to be special. It’s got to be high quality. And you know it’s going to be expensive. Buying jewelry wholesale can deliver everything you’re looking for – unique, high quality jewelry with an added bonus: a fraction of the cost of retail. So, just how do you go about buying jewelry at wholesale prices? The following five tips can get you started and well on your way to becoming a satisfied wholesale jewelry customer.

Wholesale Buying Tip #1

You first need to find out what you have to do to qualify to buy jewelry wholesale. Sometimes a vendor’s license is required. Most times, but not always, bulk buying is a necessity. Often, you will have to deal with sellers in overseas countries. Each of these qualifications poses different challenges and hurdles to over come. Vendor’s licenses often come at a price. Can you afford the licensing fees? Vendors are most often required to submit tax forms every so often. Do you know what forms you need, how to properly complete them and where they should be returned? Do you have the time for forms and other paperwork? Bulk buys may not be your thing, especially if you are only searching for that perfect engagement ring or sweet sixteen gift. There are online suppliers that will sell single pieces, as well as jewelry fair or show vendors, but they require a bit of digging to find and contact. Do you have the time to Google through hundreds of websites to find the one that will sell you just one of whatever it is you’re looking for? Many overseas vendors sell at wholesale prices. When dealing with foreign sellers, several things must be taken into consideration – pricing, currency and shipping. What currency are the prices listed? That great ring may in fact cost closer to $4000 if the price listed is £2000. How will your payment be made? Most online sellers do accept credit cards or PayPal, but there are sometimes extra charges for handling “foreign” accounts. Lastly, consider shipping. How long will it take for your item to arrive? Can it be insured? Are the shipping charges going to negate your savings over retail prices?

Wholesale Buying Tip #2

Once you make the decisions that wholesale buying, is in fact, for you, your next decision should be where to buy. Again, a Google search can be most helpful in finding just the right vendors for you. Notice I said vendors, not just vendor. You want to comparison shop. Find similar pieces on several sites and compare their prices, their shipping policies and prices, and their return policies. If one or two sites stand out above the rest, then you can feel assured that you will be dealing with a reputable company. Just as you wouldn’t necessarily buy that special piece of jewelry from the local con artist pawn broker, you don’t want to deal with a slick Internet snake oil salesman, either. Most quality dealers’ sites will be listed with Better Business Bureaus, professional associations or other quality assuring organizations. If you aren’t familiar with a site’s accreditations, perform a Google on them too. Also, be sure that you are dealing with a “real” wholesaler. Most will ask for either your vendor’s license number, or a tax identification number. If a site doesn’t ask for these, flee as fast as you can close the site. An informed buyer is a happier buyer.

Wholesale Buying Tip #3

Be sure that the merchandise you are buying is the real deal. Educate yourself on how jewelry is made. Plated jewelry isn’t as high a quality as vermeil jewelry, which isn’t as good as solid jewelry. Become familiar with the terminology used to describe jewelry, too. Know what vermeil is. Learn the difference between a simulated gemstone and a chemically enhanced one. Don’t be fooled by imitations or wannabes. Don’t be afraid to ask question, either. If you can’t figure out an item’s description in the online catalog, contact the seller. A reputable seller will reply, hopefully with an answer to your query. If not, find someone else. If you are looking for a special, unique piece, you want it to be a quality piece, not a half-priced knock-off.

Wholesale Buying Tip #4

You’ve straightened out all you paperwork and become a wholesaler. You’ve searched out the sites that sell only quality stuff. You can spot a simulated emerald from the real thing at a hundred paces. Now, you’re ready to go shopping. Don’t buy the first piece that catches your fancy. Again, comparison shop. You may be able to find the item, or something very similar available somewhere else. Maybe even retail or from an auction site. And it may just be less costly somewhere else. Don’t just compare prices, either. Compare shipping, return policies, customer ratings and feedback comments. In short, narrow down your purchase to the best possible choice. It’s a lot of facts to juggle, I know. In the end, though, all your hard work will be worth it.

Wholesale Buying Tip #5

Find yourself at least one reputable local seller to deal with in cases of cleanings and repairs. Most wholesalers don’t offer repair services, and even the highest quality piece can suffer an unexpected break or bend. You certainly don’t want to have to pay shipping just to get your jewelry cleaned, either. A local retailer with a friendly face to go along with the service is a necessity.

Buying jewelry wholesale needn’t be a chore or a bore. It can be a rewarding and fun experience. You just need to be prepared for the adventure and ready for anything!

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On October 31, you will be greeted by witches, ghouls, demons, devils and monsters when you open the door to hand out your trick-or-treat goodies. Parties for the young and old will be popping off all over town where kids and adults bob for apples, dance to the “Monster Mash” and tell scary stories to spook each other. Jack-o-lanterns, witches, black cats and creepy cobwebs decorate the front porches of neighborhood homes. Halloween is a spooky day, indeed, but where did it all start, and how? And what’s with that “trick or treat,” anyway?
Celtic legend leads us to believe that it began with their fascinating society and culture. The Celts believed that when a person died, they passed into a land of eternal happiness and youth, called Tirnan Og. This mythology predates the introduction of Christianity in their part of the world, and therefore they had no knowledge of the heaven or hell that the Christians later taught them about.
It was the mix of Christian theology and Celtic legends that led to the development of All Hallow’s Eve. On this night, the dead would return for in search of a living body to inhabit, which was said to be their only hope for the afterlife. However, modern views of the holiday differ greatly from earlier times. Today it’s more about the fun of trick-or-treating, putting on a costume, going door to door and gathering yummy sweets to fill your sack. There is simply a ton of fun, for all ages, in dressing up as your favorite fictional character, superhero or ghoulish creature. For one night you can be an entirely different person, or not a person at all!
From piety to party
For many hundreds of years Halloween was just one religious observance among many. Its reputation today is built on fun and parties, but some people seem to think that it was thought of as an evil holiday for hundreds of years. This in turn has put fear into a lot of people who might not know all the facts, and think of Halloween as some sort of anti-Christian celebration. This is not the case.
Halloween began with two different developments that coexisted peacefully. On the one hand, it was a celebration of the dead where people would gather in cemeteries around their departed loved ones. They would light candles, burn incense, pray and even dance around the headstones. They believed that by doing this it would help the dead on their journey through the afterlife. Many of those practices still find expressions today in the traditions of both cultures and individual families.
On the other hand, Halloween was a time for devout believers to ridicule the devil and make fun of demons and spirits. Dressing up as a witch and carrying a broom, or putting on a sheet to play a ghost, were exercises in religious propaganda, you might say. Irish immigrants brought several strands of this tradition to America in the 1800s, while other Western nations began to recognize the day (rather, the night) in the mid-1900s.
Halloween in the third millennium
Halloween was born in Europe, and it is still primarily the Western world that recognizes and, in different ways, celebrates it. October 31st is the designated day in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Ireland, New Zealand, Japan, the United Kingdom and certain areas of Australia.
For adults, Halloween resembles nothing so much as a mix of masquerade balls and parties, something like Mardi Gras. People of all ages, in every disguise imaginable, participate in parades, decorate their homes, walk their children around the neighborhood and hand out candy at their front doors. For the kids, of course, it is a day and night of myth, mystery, magic and enchantment – and candy, of course.
Halloween has often been misunderstood as an evil day, which was never the case, and there are some people who still take it all much too seriously and seem unable to separate fact from fiction. So, if you are afraid of demons, monsters and creatures from another planet, and begin to see them invading your neighborhood, don’t worry. Just check you calendar. It’s probably Halloween,

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Unfortunately, not all of us are blessed with a Maid-of-Honor of the gods – sometimes we just have to handle things ourselves. Here are some great tips to make the big day before the Big Day…as glorious and fun as it can be!

Create a budget and stick to it

When you are planning a bridal shower, it is easy for your imagination to run wild. You may embrace visions of serving $200 champagne garnished with red raspberries. But even if you only invite a dozen guests, the costs of the occasion can quickly add up. Moreover, you and your family are likely simultaneously dealing with the costs of the wedding itself.

Choose a theme that reflects your personality

You throw a bridal shower not simply to celebrate your betrothal but also to show the women close to you a good time. Throwing a spring wedding? Then celebrate the joys of spring somehow in your theme. For instance, you could have a gardening motif - enjoy fresh treats prepared from a local garden or picnic in a park full of wild flowers. Your theme need not be seasonal, of course. It can reflect your personality or the personalities of your guests. For instance, if you are a sports fanatic, weave the relevant sports motif into your shower. Setting a theme will not only help create a specific mood for your shower, but it will also make it easier for your guests to get you appropriate gifts.

Get out your invites ASAP

The longer you wait to invite guests, the lower your turnout will likely be. Plus, if you obligate people at the last minute (relatively), you can frustrate their schedules and cause resentment. Many of your guests will likely have family or work obligations that they will need to set aside to come to your shower.

Choose a fantastic menu for the day

Your menu ideally should tie into your shower’s theme. But it doesn’t have to. You need not hire a top-of-the-line caterer to prep your meals. Browse Martha Stewart Living for cost-effective and fun ways to set up a meal for your girlfriends. Aim for the simple over the fancy and costly. That said, don’t be afraid to pamper your guests — after all, they are taking time to celebrate with you, and now is the time to indulge.

Choose games and/or activities to enliven the party

A bridal shower is traditionally more “tasteful” than a bachelorette party. However, it need not be a prudish affair. You and your girlfriends can play fun pre-wedding related word games, quizzes, or even pin the tail on the donkey. Or pin the something on the…something. The games should be tailored to the crowd that shows up. You don’t necessarily want to divulge naughty, secret details about your husband to be in front of your 85-year-old Aunt Esmeralda — nor do you really want to hear her naughty party tales from her youth.

Pick a good location for the shower

Aim for a central location, so that your guests can easily make the date. If you have girlfriends on both the east coast and the west coast, you can throw two separate bridal showers. Otherwise, you will have to exclude many close friends and relatives.

Give out gift-bags to guests

Everyone enjoys getting fun, free gifts. Choose giveaways that reflect the theme of the day, and tailor your gifts to individual parties and guests, if possible. You don’t have to spend tons of money here — a little thought goes a long way.

Use the internet to organize and hunt for new ideas

Are you stuck on a theme? Are you having trouble drawing up a budget for your bridal shower? Are you unsure how to plan the perfect menu or decorate your aunt’s porch in preparation? Websites and web forums abound to help brides to be with these matters of taste and etiquette. Read. Talk to other people who have gone through the experience. Don’t be afraid to ask silly questions.

Send thank you notes

Get your “thank you note writing” out of the way as soon as possible. You will likely be distracted by tons of pre-wedding logistics, and if you don’t attend to this time consuming but crucial task relatively soon after your shower, you will likely push it back on your queue. This could offend people. You need not print up fancy cards or stationary. But you probably want to avoid sending thank you notes via e-mail. Be formal but simple.

Indulge yourself and your guests

Your bridal shower is meant to be a time of bacchanalia. Once you’ve got all your ducks in a row in terms of planning the affair, let your hair down and be present for all the fun and mischief. You only get to do one of these parties (for yourself) in your lifetime. Have a few drinks, ruffle a few feathers, and embrace all who show up with love and affection.

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When we think of pearls we quite naturally think of the ocean, since that is where the pearl originates. Since the dawn of time, mankind has held the seas in great awe, seeing them as another, separate world, the sometimes dark and often mysterious home of amazing creatures both great and small. The pearl is truly the crown jewel of this ocean kingdom, and has been revered as such since the earliest recorded times.

Natural pearls are produced by two groups of “molluscan bivalves,” or clams, one family of which lives in the sea. These are the pearl oysters. A second, very different group of bivalves lives in freshwater. These are the freshwater pearl mussels.

“Natural” pearls are formed without any human interference or aid, in the wild, and are very rare, exceedingly difficult to find and, thus, prohibitively expensive. “Cultured” pearls, on the other hand, are mass-produced on pearl farms. The vast majority of pearls used in jewelry today are cultured pearls.

The pearl is one of the oldest gems used by humans, and is mentioned many times in history as one of the most valuable and sought after stones in every part of the world. In ancient Roman times, only certain individuals that held high ranks in society were allowed to wear jewelry with pearls. In 13th and 14th centuries the pearl was very popular among the upper classes in Europe. Both men and women wore pearls that were sewn into their clothing, which in their estimation made the rarest and most perfect form of fashion statement.

The Incas and the Aztecs both marveled at the pearl’s beauty and lustrous while Native Americans prized freshwater pearls and often harvested them from the lakes and rivers. One legend tells of a Native American princess who presented explorer Hernando de Soto with many gifts that included freshwater pearls. Pearls have been valued by the elites of every society that has been privileged to find them, and in lands where they did not occur naturally, they were considered the rarest of riches.

Pearls have also been crushed and used in cosmetics, paint and even medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine recommends pearl powder for a variety of internal and external conditions. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved the powder for medicinal use in the U.S., but it is still an ingredient in various skin treatments and claims a dedicated following both here and abroad.

Pearls have captured the hearts of people for thousands of years. Perhaps the pearl does harbor some kind of magic, as it certainly seems to give people the feeling of being a part of the timeless history that it holds in its radiant globe. No one truly knows what it is about the pearl that seems to ignite and inspire the moods of those who wear them, but whatever it is, it has kept people intrigued and coming back for more. The pearl may in fact be the most valued gem of all time, esteemed far beyond its “dollar value” and treasured, around the world and throughout the ages, as a priceless gift of nature.

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Halloween in near and can now be felt already. Various decors and costumes are now available in stores worldwide. We never ran out Halloween parties every time the occasion comes, and during parties we always make sure that we are at our best and we wore costumes we think is the best for the occasion. Shopping for a Halloween costume takes a lot of time and tough decision in order to land with the best one. The following things can be considered when shopping for Halloween costumes:

Price – this can be the first thing to consider for mostly of the buyers of Halloween costumes. Since Halloween costumes can be used only once or once a year, we must go for the cheaper ones. Sometimes I go look around on a thrift store to look for some cheaper costumes.

Materials used – this is also important when buying for a Halloween costumes. Materials used should be durable and cool to the body. Costumes normally have many accessories that cause some hot feeling that is why it is important that costumes be made of cool fabric.

Design – this can be the most important to everyone when considering in buying for a costume. When buying for a Halloween costume, of course it is important that it should be stylish and hip to get everybody’s attention on the party.

Various designs are available when buying for a Halloween costume. The Ghost tops of the list. During Halloween, this can always be the inexpensive costume. One can always create their own ghost costume by cutting some holes in an old sheet.

An angel is another design used during Halloween parties. One can make this angel costume by using a sheet like for the ghost, but this time around one should spray the sheet lightly with some clear spray paint and toss glitter on it before the paint will dry. Create a halo and the wings out of hangers covered with an aluminum foil. Before you knew it, you already have a wonderful angel costume created.

The nerd is one of the cheapest Halloween costumes one can ever have. It costs even nothing if you are creative enough with what you already have. All you have to do to have a nerd costume is to make use of your old pants that are too small already, then mistakenly buttoned you shirt up, have your hair slicked back, make use of your old par of glasses with a tape, white socks, and a big book to carry under your arm.

A princess costume can be the bestsellers for the little angels. To have a princess costume without spending too much is to make use of mom’s old slip, hem and take some that is just enough for a little girl. Get some discounted sparkly netting attached to the bottom half of the slip to make a billowy skirt and make use of a long length of it by doubling up an wrap it around the shoulders and clasp it with a pretty pin. Add some beautiful finishing by using mom’s make up and jewelries.
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The Secret to Choosing the Perfect Halloween Costume

Halloween’s the one time of the year adults get to play dress-up. Whether you are attending a raging Halloween Block Party (like the West Hollywood Street Fair held every year on Santa Monica Boulevard) or a subdued house party (while the kids go out trick-or-treating), here are some ideas to help you fashion the ultimate costume.

Let your inner id speak. Even if it’s been 30 years since you actually went door-to-door asking strangers for candy, you likely harbor secret dress-up desires. Maybe you want to be a wolf because that costume “speaks to your inner totem.” Maybe you want to dress-up to terrify your roommate. Whatever you choose, let it be an expression of some fundamental desire that you keep repressed during the other 364 days of the year.

Aim for the satirical. Halloween is a great opportunity to send up popular politicians or cultural figures or otherwise make commentary about modern life. During the height of the recent North Korean nuclear standoff, for instance, one couple dressed-up as Kim Jong-Il and his nuclear weapon. Of course, you don’t need to make a political statement with your outfit. But you will get a lot of laughs if you do something original and unexpected. For instance, you might want to dress-up like the personal injury lawyer you see advertised on the back of the phonebook.

Go cheap. You don’t need to spend an arm and a leg on a prosthetic arm and a leg to have fun on Halloween. You can do a lot with duct tape, glitter, old clothes that you were going to give away to the Salvation Army, and makeup. Unless your costume depends on exotic special effects or sartorial accoutrements to make its point, you don’t need to burn through your wallet to make it come to life. Of course, if you do plan to do something involved, give yourself plenty of time, so you’re not scrambling on the day of Halloween to get everything together.

One of the big worries for Halloween costumers is coming up with a costume that everyone else at your party or parade is doing. To avoid these “run of the mill” costumes, is not so hard. After all, the big-ticket costumes are usually easy to guess. In an election year, they will include the major political candidates, for example. If there is a national villain on the landscape — Saddam Hussein was popular for many years — chances are that thousands of people around the country will dress-up like him (or her).

If you are worried about being copied, add a little something extra to your costume to distinguish you. Wear weird boots or oversized glasses or crazy jewelry to enhance an otherwise dull costume. Whatever you add should compliment the costume’s aesthetic. If you just throw on a bunch of beads, makeup, and homemade sheets, you will end up looking more like a mess than like anything that makes sense. And you don’t want to have to explain your costume all night — that can get old, fast.

In the rush to build new costumes, many people forget about functionality. You are going to be walking around all night, drinking, and dancing with friends. So don’t wear a costume with tons of extra fabric, which can trip you and make you uncomfortable. Don’t go out into the rain or freezing cold in a skimpy little outfit. Check the weather conditions and wear a costume that’s appropriate for your occasion and your venue.

There is a difference between sexy and slutty. Halloween can be a time to show off your bod. But it is easy to make a faux pas. If you expose too much skin (or expose it in a non-aesthetically pleasing way), your costume may earn ridicule as opposed to praise. There are also issues of decorum to consider. If you’re attending a Halloween party with a bunch of children, obviously you don’t want to wear anything too lewd. Similarly, if you are partying near a dangerous neighborhood, avoid dressing overly provocatively.

At the same time, however, you can focus attention on attributes that make you look good. If you have ribbed abs, for instance, wear a shirt with no stomach. If you’ve got amazing hair, style your hair to draw attention — for instance, you might want to dress-up as a mental patient who has been zapped by an electric shock and wear your hair frizzed-out in a wild mane. Experiment with different costume ideas before you settle on your outfit. If you’re going with a friend or partner, coordinate so that your costumes compliment each other in a funny or sexy or otherwise interesting way.

About The Author

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