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t's a new year and it's time to start looking at the upcoming 2008 Spring and Summer Jewelry trends! The ever changing business of bead jewelry and fashion trends isn't always easy to predict, but I've been reading a lot of fashion magazines, listening to my customers keeping an eye out for what sort of jewelry has been selling and what hasn't been. Based on these observations and my own inner fashion diva, here's what will be hot in beads and jewelry in 2008:

Natural Colors: There is lots of emphasis on "natural" colors and materials such as wood or stone beads use in jewelry. Along with this natural feel are a lot of organic and botanical looking beads and pendants as well. If it is even slightly reminiscent of nature it seems to be popular in most jewelry and bead circles right now.

Bold and Big: Large stones, gemstones and beads are still in, though they're becoming a little less "over the top" and little more natural in size and pleasing to the eye. In 2008 bead jewelry pieces will still be expected to make a bold statement and not just lie on the neck or wrist. The "chunky" jewelry is still popular and I'm noticing that a lot of people like the rough cut or asymmetrical stones and beads.

Pendants, Charms and Single Stones: Single large stones that hang in a pendant configuration are popular. Lots of celebrities and media women are wearing bright and somewhat larger charm bracelets and even necklaces than they were in the past.

Colors!: Yes, I'm talking about color again! Natural is good, but also remember to be bright and bold! Bright colors from the 1980's are out. Think more along the lines of the brightest colors you might see in a sunset or seascape. The color yellow is still popular, but I've seen it used more as an accent color in a lot of jewelry pieces and beads rather than the main event. These bright colors are being seen in bead jewelry and clothing fashions together. Many of these bright colors are "warmer" to go along with the natural feel!

Metals: Yes, natural and chunky are in, but there is still room for metals in beaded jewelry, especially when it is sleek and modern looking or even mixed with natural materials like wood and stone beads. There are always people who like the more "modern" beads and jewelry as opposed to the more traditional bead jewelry designs. You can buy modern beads for jewelry making or you can go for a more unique look and actually make bead jewelry out of hardware washers!

Shiny Stuff: Silver and Gold: Silver is still hot, but gold is making a comeback. The two metals are being seen mixed together in more and more pieces and more and more unique ways. I've seen a lot of charms, pendants and larger jewelry beads designed with a gemstone, gold and silver all in one piece.

I would describe the perfect bead jewelry necklace for 2008 to be comprised of bright, colorful oversized beads that invoked nature in either their shape or color and the whole piece would be be brought together with a tasteful silver and gold gemstone pendant hanging off the neck to bring it all together.

I hope you have a great 2008 and you're able to find or make some wonderfully fashionable and trend-setting bead jewelry for yourself!

A fashion conscious person never misses the fashion trends for the year to come. If you are already reading this article, this means that you are interested in what to wear in 2008. Do you like the fashion of the fifties? Well, you should, because it will come back in 2008 and that entire craze will be in style again. As a matter of fact, this trend of the 50s comeback has already started before 2008, so you are at least a bit familiar with the concept. Such items as high heeled pumps, slim skirts, large belts, and loose blouses with puffy collars and sleeves appear to be becoming all the rage once again. It appears that the days of butts hanging out of low-rise jeans are ending and a more sophisticated look is returning to the mainstream.

Here are some of the latest staples of your wardrobe should be: * A slim skirt * A wide belt * A great fitting pair of slacks * A fitted jacket * Shaped t-shirts * Wrap blouses and dresses * Metallic accents including grey metals and gold * Denim items

The colors that are dominant for the style for 2008's spring and summer are the grey, black, red, white plus yellow. This color is a problematic color that does not suit with everything, so it must be worn with great care. Use these colors to add to your classic wardrobe in unique ways. However, next year, dare to wear yellow and see how it looks.

The accessories must match also the outfit. The oversized bags are still in style, while the super huge earrings and necklaces will compliment the overall clothing. The jewels may be made of plastic or more natural materials such as wood or even clay. These can be ethno influenced and create a great effect on the entire apparel, making the body look small and giving an interesting perspective.

So, are you ready for spring and the summer of 2008? Get your wardrobe ready for this year's style and buy some great new trendy apparel online or in the stores that you usually visit. For those who love to shop online, i recommend to visit Designer Clothing Shop like StyleRunway.com and feel free to browse from their wide range collection of designer items. Now you know what to hunt for, just go and get them.

Here are some tips you need to know in maintaining beautiful hands and nails:

Protect Your Hands From The Sun

If you think that your face and neck are the only parts of your body that you need to shield from the sun, you are making a big mistake. Your hands are also prone to developing sunspots, wrinkles, skin discolorations and brown spots due to frequent exposure to the harsh ultraviolet rays from the sun.

Before you step outside, especially during noontime, be sure to protect your skin with sunscreen or sun block. Make sure that the sun protection factor, or what is commonly known as SPF, is of a high number. If you want vitamin D from the sun, you must limit your sun exposure during the day and preferably only between 7AM to 9 AM. You also need to remember to put on sunscreen when you are driving your car.

Wear Gloves

Many people forget to wear protection when they are washing their clothes or using harsh ingredients, such as strong detergents, bleach and other chemicals. Some ingredients can instantly burn your skin or cause development of rashes, while others can make your skin dry. To prevent such chemicals from further damaging your hands, be sure to wear gloves when you are handling them.

Use Special Hand Cream

There are virtually thousands of hand products in the market so you will not have any difficulty in finding a lotion or cream that is specifically designed to make the skin on your hands smooth and soft. It is advisable to choose a product that is not greasy and one that can protect your hand for a longer time.

You should remember to put a hand cream after you wash your hands. No matter how much lotion you put in the morning and night, if you frequently wash your hands during the day, you might still end up having dry and wrinkled hands and palms.

Exfoliate Regularly

Any part of your body that is covered with skin should undergo exfoliation every once in a while to slough off dead skin cells. One of the reasons why your skin may be rough is because you do not exfoliate and scrub off dead cells regularly. You can use a body scrub with tiny beads or a loofah to exfoliate.

Be Mindful Of Your Soap

Most hand wash or soaps contain anti-bacterial ingredients and other chemicals that may be harsh on your skin. If you want to prevent aging, you need to find a hand soap that contains moisturizer. There are many in the market that not only give you full protection against germs, but also take care of your skin.

Mind Your Nails

Beautiful hands include well-kept and clean nails. Hence, you should also use products that take care of your nails and cuticles. Discolored nails can make your hands look older than they really are.

If you are having a manicure in a salon, be sure to check if the tools that they are going to use on you are sanitized. You can catch an infection if the nail-cleaning tools used are not clean and sanitized.

One nail problem that you need to treat immediately is nail fungus. This kind of infection does not only make your nails discolored and brittle, it can sometimes cause foul-smelling odor. You can get rid of nail fungus by applying a strong and high-quality anti-fungal product. One nail care system that can help you with nail fungus is Somasin. Check out http://www.somasin.com/ for more details.

Designer Handbag Liners

Perhaps the most important item that can be purchased for a designer handbag is the handbag liner. This insert will effectively shield the inside of a bag from all sorts of messy items. As most handbag owners frequently carry lotions and makeup, this is quite a worthy investment in the long run.

Some debate the matter, saying that the purse was bought for a reason: for carrying things. While this may certainly be fine for the extra wealthy individuals, most bag owners will want to invest in a bag liner. They aren't necessarily always the most attractive thing to grace a designer handbag, but they do indeed keep the return on investment high.

Special Care for Designer Handbags

Designer handbags can be very reactant to items and chemicals on one's hands. This means that proper hand washing should be observed before handling a designer bag. This is especially true if certain chemicals, makeup, or lotion are present on one's hands. Among some of the most dangerous chemicals is alcohol- something found in many beauty products.

Extra care should be taken when visiting certain locations. The hairdresser, for instance, will have certain products that have chemical agents that may splash onto one's handbag. This requires the owner to keep a keen eye over the designer handbag, and a sense of foresight is required to keep risks minimal.

Although designer bags would indeed make good surfaces to jot things down on paper, it is highly recommended that another surface be found. While pens and pencils may not always penetrate the paper and mark the handbag, they will still in some cases make indents on the handbag.

Storage Solutions for Designer Handbags

When storing a designer handbag, one should avoid moths at all costs. This means that instead of storing handbags in tissue paper, bubble wrap or similar counterpart should be used. This will help keep the moths at bay, unlike tissue paper- which will actually attract them.

If the storage is going to be long term, then care should be taken in how the designer handbag is placed. If it is placed in any sort of way that induces creases or strain, the handbag may be permanently affected. This is much more common with straps and buckles- so keep an eye on these problem areas when storing designer handbags.

Lastly, there should be some sort of measures taken to counteract the inevitability of dust. Dust can attract dust mites and other creatures, not to mention it will require careful cleaning once the bag is needed for use. To save yourself the trouble, purchase a dust bag to place over the designer handbag.

Last Thoughts on Designer Handbag Care

Most designer handbag care is common sense. We have all had items at one point in our lives that meant something special. Designer handbags, thanks to their often high cost, are no different- simply take extra care and practice foresight for best results. Following these rules will help ensure the expenses undertaken to obtain the bag aren't wasted- and that a long healthy lifetime for the handbag will result.

Jobs in the fashion world (part 2)

Design

In the creation departement, designers exercise their knowledge of drawing to create sketches of outfits. Some will manage the entire drawing and advertising developments. Then hire a patternmaker, to produce creative textiles and trimmings. And production managers, to supervise the actual creation of the fashion line. And a merchandiser to introduce and establish the designs in the fashion marketplace.

 Shopping at home

Today with virtual accommodations you can buy in the comfort of your home. Perfect!! No more lines ups to the cash register. With just one click your purchases will be delivered to your door steps. Like amazon.ca or .com for books or HMV.com for music CD’s. You also have clothing store online that you can buy from.

Fashionablez is a new and hip store. With they’re wide range of clothings, jewelries, beauty products. Also an official representant of Avon cosmetics, the choices are unlimited.

 Black Magic Beauty Bundle

Fashionablez: www.fashionablez.com

Sparkling You Gift Set

Fashionablez: www.fashionablez.com

For secured shopping you might want to try with a PayPal payment procedure. What is Paypal? A secure way to send and receive money. PayPal lets you send money to anyone with email. PayPal is free for consumers and works seamlessly with your existing credit card and checking account.

Adress:

Fashionablez: www.fashionablez.com

Paypal: www.paypal.com

Banana Republic Clothing   by Kenneth Scott

Fashion today is all pervasive and try as you might you cannot avoid it. Whether you like in the United States or Switzerland or Timbuktu, fashion will find you in some way or the other and have a say in your life.

Even of you chose not to follow it you will see it all around you oozing from your television sets (I am sure you know that there are channels dedicated to only fashion!), your office colleagues, at a party; practically every place you can think of. The epitome of a fashion statement is the Banana Republic range of clothing from Gap.

It satisfies our need to look nice and be attractive for other people. Some people will go all the way and spend a fortune trying to look nattier than the next door neighbor. To suit various style statements that different people want to make about themselves companies today launch sub brands or different types of clothing under different brand names. One brand for a particular style! While Old Navy (also from Gap) may be all about casual clothing and comfort, Banana Republic provides the stylishness that some consumers may be searching for. So they resort to different brands for different styles, price range and purpose.

If you are looking to pick up something to make a high fashion statement then Banana Republic is the brand for you. It has an optimistic, modern look. It is range of clothing which will lure even those men who like to claim that they do not care about looks. Fight as they might men will need to admit today that even a schmuck looks better in a tuxedo and a gentleman can spoil his own image by making an appearance in torn, dirty jeans.

Most women also like the wide range offered by Banana Republic. It gives a business look and a nice club-look. It gives a nice elegant look and though the prices may seem higher the price-value equation works out very fine. One only has to remember the t-shirt one purchased a few weeks back at bargain prices only to find that it faded in a single wash.

If you want to look good and be seen in the latest a la mode dresses, then my dear friend you will need to spend lavishly to obtain that look. There are no free lunches in life.

To find more tips about fashion and Banana Republic clothing visit http://shopping-questions.com

Fashion world is slowly turning green by design   by Gerardo Butler

Fashion trends come and go, but Shalom Harlow is hopeful the industry's ultimate interest in all things 'green' isn't a transient phase. ' The corporation has to catch up' Harlow expounded after checking out the 2008 fallwinter collection for John Patrick ORGANIC. 'moral design and production -- that's becoming of supreme importance' asserted Patrick, who lived on a kibbutz as a teenage in Coxsackie, N.Y. Though organic cotton is becoming more common in everything from bed linens to diapers, costs and production strategies haven't made it a simple sell. Modal is spun from the reconstituted cellulose of beech trees and Ingeo, a derivative of fermented corn sugar. Soft and sturdy, it tends to be stronger than rayon and cotton, and can resemble denim or silk.

Raina Blyer, who uses hemp and soy-cotton mixes for the Ryann line she started in 2005, claims she asks makers for their organic certification.

About the Author

Gerardo Butler writes for http://www.naturecounts.com