Anklets Ahoy!Written by Fadwa Qasem
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Indian poets were inspired to picture movements of lover's dance and jingling of bells on her anklets as seductive and bewitching. The idea being that woman has adorned herself seductively in anticipation of a meeting with a secret lover. The classical Indian dance also concentrates on dancer's rhythmic footwork, particularly elaborately detailed positioning of her feet in relation to ground. The overall effect is ever so subtle, sensuous & erotic. But, I also read about practical effects of anklets with foot bells. One is that in some tribes' husbands give their wives these anklets in order to frighten snakes away. Then again, I also read that husbands give their wives anklets with bells so that they can keep an "ear" on them, should they "dance" out of range!! Fadwa Al Qasem Jewelry Designer (www.fadwa.com)
My specialty is chokers. My concept: painting with beads. With semiprecious stones, Venetian style, lamp, & faceted crystals/beads, I create limited edition pieces. After spending much time studying beads & bead history, I discovered that glass beads have an auspicious background just like diamonds, pearls, & semiprecious stones. Inspired by this & by many pleasures in life, I design individual chokers that each have a name, a character, a story.
| | The Real Estate Bubble-when Will It Burst?Written by Nicole Soltau
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While diversity is always a good idea and placing all of your investment funds in one vehicle, such as real estate, is never a good idea; there is reason to believe that real estate bubble in US is not about to end any time soon. This is true for a wide variety of reasons. First, simply supply and demand. Mark Twain once suggested investing in real estate because as he intimated, they simply aren’t making any more of it. What we have is all we have and when there is a strong enough demand; it can be quite valuable. Individuals and families are looking for safe, secure and affordable housing; however there is a dangerous shortage of this commodity. This is primary reasons why flipping real estate has become almost a national hobby. It pays and it pays well. Under ideal circumstances, an investor can purchase a property with financing from credit union, provide a model renovation and then resell property with a return of around 15-20% on their investment. This may occur anywhere between 3-6 months from initial purchase date. Not bad. Professional investors have also learned how to tap into huge profit potential of foreclosed homes, which they able to be purchased for under market value and then flipped for an even larger profit. As with any type of investment, one of keys to investing in real estate is in understanding when to sell. Holding a piece of property is rarely in financial best interest of investor. Some investors have found that a mixed strategy of holding and selling works well to provide income returns; however best strategy in real estate investment remains flipping on short term projects to maximize profit potentials and reduce risks.
Nicole Soltau is the President and Founder of CreditUnionRate.com. The Leading Credit Union Directory. Search, Find, Join. http://CreditUnionRate.com
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