Reduce the Cost of Your JewelryWritten by Kathleen Badeaux
You probably feel that to cut cost of your jewelry you must give up some beauty, not always true. Let’s say for instance that you have found a necklace that really is appealing but cost is a bit more than your budget will allow. There are a few options that you can investigate with this particular necklace rather than just giving up on jewelry or even more dangerous, spending more than you had planned. This approach requires a little work on your part but can pay off immediately. As an added benefit principles here may not only help you get jewelry that is outside of your budget but could also reduce cost of jewelry that you may be prepared to purchase, now wouldn’t that be something to brag about! Obviously objective is to save you money on jewelry that you wish to purchase. It is possible to achieve your objective and benefits to this method are that you spend less and you receive jewelry that is more attractive than you could have ever wished. The trick, and it’s not a hard one, is to find a designer that is willing to work with you. Using these methods you can prioritize most important aspects, prioritize least important aspects, suggest possible replacements for less important aspects, and offer a possible wish list if your designer can save enough to include items you would like to see. I have included a short catalog for your convenience that will transform these methods into actions; you can modify procedures to whatever fits in your comfort zone.Create Your List Your first course of action is to write down “critical” components / characteristics that attracted you to this particular piece of jewelry. Next you will want to write down all components / characteristics you notice that are “less critical”. You can, but it’s not required, suggest replacements to areas that are not as critical or perhaps areas where attractiveness won’t be diminished if a less costly item is replaced where a more costly item exists. Keep your budget in mind and remember this is all according to your preferences with or without input from anyone else Finally, include a wish list, you must keep your budget in mind but here is an area where you can include components / characteristics or a pattern that may be possible and would increase your appreciation of jewelry. Check your work. It is very important to review you work up to this point, look at your list and make updates if needed. Be honest and realistic for best results. All hard work is now completed; it’s time to have some fun. Create a list combining all information you’ve prioritized. I have included an example with sample information for your review. Name of Jewelry Piece “Critical” A – Description B – Description C – Description “Less Critical” – (Replace?) Clasp – (Same size, less costly) Silver Beads – (Less number) Chain – (Remove) Charms – (Install type – smaller) Wish List Swarovski Crystals More spacers
| | Balancing Mars and Venus in Each of UsWritten by Kevin B. Burk, Author of The Relationship Handbook
When we think of ourselves first and foremost as human, we've taken first step towards regaining our balance. Gender does not define who we are. Gender is nothing more than a biological point of view. Once we take 2,500 years of ego- and fear-based conditioning out of picture, main difference between men and women is whether we have indoor or outdoor plumbing. We are not our bodies. Our bodies are nothing more than a suit of clothes worn by our spirit. The main differences are that our spirits wear our bodies for longer than our bodies wear our clothes, and our bodies are harder to dry clean. Men and women do have different points of view, but what matters is that we are all human. And every human has equal amounts of masculine and feminine energy. It would be easier to embrace this truth if we had a better understanding of exactly what "masculine" and "feminine" really mean. Our current definitions are inexorably linked to gender, sexuality, biology, and ego-based lie of male superiority. We have lost touch with many of qualities that were once associated with feminine. In order to rediscover these qualities, we have to go back more than 2,500 years and explore culture of Ancient Greece. The Ancient Greeks were last civilization to include reasonably healthy feminine archetypes. Of twelve Gods in Olympus, five of them were women. Until very recently, though, we only embraced three of feminine archetypes. Women could be sex objects, in which case they connected with archetype of Aphrodite (or Venus, in Roman pantheon), Goddess of Love, Desire and Beauty. Women could be wives, in which case they connected with archetype of Hera, wife of Zeus and Goddess of Marriage--who, despite her tremendous strength and cunning, was repeatedly forced to be subservient to her philandering husband. And women could be mothers, in which case they connected with archetype of Hestia, Goddess of Hearth and protector of home. These three archetypes embodied sum total of feminine for more than 2,000 years. The male ego successfully suppressed powerful female archetypes of Athena and Artemis, who collectively embody feminine strength, skill and mastery. Athena was Goddess of Wisdom, Reason and Purity. Severing our connection to her archetype was no small feat, as Athena was one of most revered and respected of all of Olympians. In fact, city of Athens is named after her. Athena was fair, just, and an incredibly powerful warrior. She was embodiment of feminine strength. While Ares, God of War (and Greek counterpart to Mars, Roman God of War) was wantonly destructive, childish, violent, aggressive, and ultimately a coward, Athena was proud, strong, and courageous. More importantly, Athena would only fight in order to defend city--she would never initiate any conflicts, and she always preferred diplomacy to warfare. Athena is archetype of female warrior. Female warriors are in no way inferior to male warriors: Time and again, women have proved that they are in every way equal to men on battlefield. The difference is that female warriors do not fight in same way that male warriors do, nor do they fight for same reasons. Male warriors fight to attack, while female warriors fight to defend. The female warrior archetype has returned, however. We see it when Sarah Michelle Gellar beats up vampires and saves world (while still maintaining every ounce of her femininity) in Buffy Vampire Slayer, and when Lucy Lawless battles warlords, gods and monsters alike in Xena, Warrior Princess. More recently, we see Guinevere portrayed as a warrior in Walt Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer's 2004 film retelling of King Arthur.
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