Getting Personal ? Customization Trend Hot for Holidays
Why look like everyone else when you can stand out?
Look on the cover of any magazine or newspaper these days and you will realize that the customization trend is hot right now.
Once a privilege reserved for the well-heeled, customization is now catered to the rest of us with product lines such as NIKE ID, Target-To-A-T and Reflect beauty products, along with independent boutiques offering everything from custom t-shirts to custom blended perfume.
Savvy consumers are demanding products that they can customize to their lives, as well as truly personalized presents for the holidays. One company at the forefront of this trend is 5 year old 1154 LILL STUDIO ? a custom handbag retailer and manufacturer with stores in Chicago, Boston, Kansas City and Online at www.1154lill.com."When I formed the company in 1999" said owner Jennifer Velarde, "the custom shopping trend had truly not yet begun.
1154 LILL began simply out of a desire to give customers the same experience that I was having.
I loved the creative outlet of playing with colors, textures and fabrics to create a unique handbag that expressed my personality or mood, or simply created a look that stood out from the rest."
This original custom handbag concept has proved very popular as thousands flock to 1154 LILL STUDIO's creative, colorful and friendly stores each month to design one-of-a-kind "LILL Bags".
Customers may select from over 20 handbag styles, then mix and match their fabric choices from hundreds of ever-changing and limited-edition textiles for the exterior, interior, pockets, trim, straps and more.
"Our customers love the fact that they have a truly one-of-a-kind bag from a brand they believe in," said Vice President Robin Newberry, "and we love helping them to create, getting to know them as friends along the way."
"Every time I carry my LILL Bag I feel unique and creative ? what a great feeling!" said one customer.
Another raved "I walked 3 miles in the hot, hot sun to get to 1154 LILL and I would do it again for another LILL Bag!"
With such strong customer devotion, it is no surprise that 1154 LILL prides itself on customer service.
"We believe that 1154 LILL is as much about the interactive custom experience as it is about the handbag" said Velarde, "I started 1154 LILL as a way to express my creativity and independence and our goal is to give that same experience to our customers.
Their LILL Bag is a reflection of their tastes, their personality.
The design of it should be a fun, creative and girly event to share with friends."
In fact, though individual shoppers are always welcome, many groups choose to get together for private LILL Handbag Parties after-hours at the studio, where they can socialize and create together. In addition to the Chicago, Boston and Kansas City boutiques, 1154 LILL offers handbags both custom and ready-made on it's website ? www.1154lill.com.
Mix, match and design a custom handbag for a friend this holiday season, or give a gift certificate and allow her to experience the ultimate in handbag creativity.
Price is always based on style, not fabrics or accent options, making a custom bag the same price as a ready-made.
Bags range from the upper $50's for a wristlet clutch, upper $80's for a handbag and around $150 for a versatile tote or baby bag.
Makeup bags, wallets and coin purses range from the upper $20's to low $40's.
Custom bags take around 4 weeks and may be picked up or shipped for a small fee. 1154 LILL has been featured in media both national and local, including: Lucky Magazine, The Style Network, The Washington Post, Chicago Magazine, and the Kansas City Star.
And though other custom handbag lines have sprung up in the last year or two, 1154 LILL's original commitment to quality, design, service and creativity remain unmatched.
With 1154 LILL, customization is not just hot, it's here to stay..
The Perfect Present: Using Your Five Senses to Live in the Moment
Copyright 2005 Vivian Banta
"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift - that is why we call it the present." Author unknown
How much of your life is lost either dwelling on the past or worrying about the future? When your thoughts are imprisoned by the past or fearful of the future, you can miss out on one of life's greatest gifts: that which is happening today and indeed this very moment.
The reality is that when you are yearning for yesterday and either tempted or terrified by tomorrow, your ability to move forward will be confined by your inability to make the most of today. The key to throwing off your shackles is to put your effort into the present moment.
Not only will you reap the rewards of enjoying a new awareness of everything around you, but also you will have a healthy and positive place from which to move forward in a constructive and fulfilling way.
Utilizing the five senses, here a few simple...
Perfume > The Perfect Present: Using Your Five Senses to Live in the Moment
Know Your Own Scent.
It may sound funny to you, but it is really essential to understand your own scent (or "smell"), it is really good to realize and recognize how your body smells as it will affect the type of perfume you choose, or amount of particular perfume oil you add while making your own perfume.
The body and skin of each person has a peculiar smell - similar to a fingerprint, voice check or a model of your chromosome. It is scientifically proven that our doubts, hopes, requirements, our nutritional preferences, our fitness, our ability to believe and liberate, are highly influenced by the smell of our body. There are many interesting stories about how detectives and spies were able to trace out the thieves by their body odor. It has also been stated by different researchers that the smell of our body has a deep impact upon our brain. When we go out to purchase a perfume, or select any perfume oils, we knowingly or unknowingly prefer those fragrances which are acceptable and can easy...
Perfume > Know Your Own Scent.
Caribbean Cruise: An Enchanting Experience
A Caribbean cruise is the world's most popular cruise. The Caribbean islands are a dream destination and the journey is equally out of the world. The island chains with a delightful combination of modernity and natural resources are a heady mix. If you are a nature lover used to the modern way of life the Caribbean islands and the Caribbean cruise are perfect getaways for you. A Caribbean cruise takes you to a land of lush vegetation, beautiful beaches and dense forests.
Amidst the luxuries of the modern resort, you have the good fortune of experiencing the richness of the immaculate nature reserves. You witness nature in all its glory be it Puerto Rico's dense rain forest or the nesting grounds of flamingos on Bonaire's beaches. The pleasant climate of the Caribbean is just perfect for a swim in the sea, snorkeling or just basking on the beach. It is an ideal location for a nature or outdoor lover. Caribbean cruises have their distinctive charm and characteristic appeal.
Caribbean Cruise: An Enchanting Experience
Perfume > Caribbean Cruise: An Enchanting Experience
Home Fragrance In Vogue
The home fragrance market is booming. From perfume, toiletries, and cosmetics to pre packaged foods. It is currently a multi billion dollar industry that continues to show strong growth. The strongest growth has taken place in the last 5 years and is expected to continue through 2007 and beyond. Western Europe, Japan, and the US continue to lead with 65 percent of demand and over three-quarters of world wide production of home fragrance products.
Rapid growth of home fragrance sales has also been registered in Asia/Pacific, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.Market researchers attribute the growing trend of home fragrance popularity in the US to the fact that we are spending more time at home. We are using home fragrances to UN-stress ourselves and make our indoor environment a healthier and more pleasing place to be. And we like it, it makes us feel good. Consumer research is quite convincing. People feel better about themselves and are more comfortable at home when a home fragrance...
Home Fragrance In Vogue
Perfume > Home Fragrance In Vogue
Wholesale Perfume
For most people, buying a perfume means visiting their favorite department store and picking up their choice of perfumes over the counter.
Few people are aware that it is possible to get perfumes at wholesale rates. To purchase goods from a real wholesaler means that you need to have a "Certificate Of Resale," generally available from your State Department of Revenue; it can cost anywhere between five to twenty dollars. Some states do not require that you have this kind of certification.
A proper wholesaler is typically next in line of distribution to the manufacturer. Wholesalers buy in large quantities and are therefore able to pass on their savings.
Buying from a wholesaler may mean that you have to purchase stock of a minimum purchase price, which could be anything from $100 to $1,000.
To find out where you can pick up wholesale perfumes, you should check dedicated trade publications. Such trade information can also be found through directory...
Perfume > Wholesale Perfume
Ladies, wear Black-Widow perfume and catch your own Spider-Man
(ContentDesk) July 4, 2004 -- Hot on the heels of the new Spider-Man* movie, comes a perfume called Black Widow. Now women everywhere can spin their own web of seduction and snag their very own "Spider-Man".Black Widow perfume comes in a glossy black bottle with a red hourglass logo, mimicking the look of the female black widow spider. The fragrance is a rich combination of all natural essential oils and resembles Opium perfume but with an updated scent.The scent of Black Widow will "Entice Him Into Your Web so you can Devour Your Lover Tonight." Ask for Black Widow at your local Hot Topic store or order it directly from www.black-widow.net.More information on Black Widow can be found at www.black-widow.net. The web site also has a place for customers to post their comments about Black Widow. Here are a few of those comments: "I really like Black...
Ladies, wear Black-Widow perfume and catch your own Spider-Man
Perfume > Ladies, wear Black-Widow perfume and catch your own Spider-Man
The Mask I Wear
Copyright ? Jan Tincher - All Rights reserved
http://www.tameyourbrain.com
The more I wear the mask, the more I am it. I may start out unsure of myself, but the more I wear the mask of surety, the more I am sure.
What mask are you wearing?
Is it a mask named *Success*? Look at the mask and what do you see? What are you succeeding in when you wear it? Who are your friends? What are they saying? What is the weather like outside when you are succeeding? Can you feel the cool breeze or do you feel the hot sun? Is there air conditioning inside, or is there heat? What type of clothing do you wear when you are successful? Do you have a special scent for success, cologne, perfume, candle? Look in the mirror to see what you look like. Are your shoulders back? Is your spine straight?
Or is it a mask of relaxed competence? When you look at that mask, what do you...
Perfume > The Mask I Wear