In Season Pop-Up Shops

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Mass retailing today does not meet the changing buying patterns of the American consumer, who has been buying closer and closer to her need for many years now. This trend has only been amplified by the recession and the consumer’s lack of discretionary spending funds.

Despite this trend retailers stand by their traditional merchandising calendars and seasonal merchandising approaches. Back to school starts arriving in late May for initial setups in June, before most kids have even been let out for the year. Christmas and other seasonal holiday goods are “on the water” over the summer, begin hitting the sales floor in late August, and set up completely in September.

There are a lot of reasons for this. Retailers know that the first sale is the most profitable and that early indications on upcoming seasons are critical to allowing either re-orders of trending items or cancellations of things that look like they could be “dogs”. They also know that chasing a season can be very expensive as the last buy is the one that ends up in the markdown bin, potentially ruining a season’s profitability for a buyer. This is a key reason why experienced merchants are willing “to go home early” and leave the in-season sales to others. And therein lies the opportunity for a brave entrepreneur.

The rise in acceptance by landlords to “Pop-Up Shops,” driven overall by the extra retail storefronts available across America, further facilitates this novel approach.

Selling and offering large assortments of swimwear in July and August not just near the shore but in large cities is a business that would have virtually no competition. Similarly other summer goods, such as beach chairs, umbrellas and the like, have all been replaced by fall apparel in the nation’s retailers by the time most of get to an August vacation. We want it, we need it, but we cannot find it.

This strategy isn’t without its challenges. In season Pop-Up Shops would either have to transfer their ending inventory to another in season shop operating in another seasonal market, or pack it away until they re-open for next year’s same season. Alternatively, a well planned In-season Pop Up shop could morph from one merchandising focus to another, throughout the calendar year. Imagine closing for a week to shift from a bathing suit Pop-Up shop after Labor Day to a Halloween pop-up shop on Sept. 15th. This would add excitement to the location and keep a work force employed throughout the seasons. And perhaps, most importantly, garner increased loyalty from a consumer who would finally be able to shop for the things they need when they actually need them.

Cheap Living – Try RVing As a Lifestyle

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Cheap living is something we may not have thought much about before last year. Then the stock market went south and people are thinking “Now I can’t ever retire”. When you are dealt lemons why not make lemonade? Cheap living does not mean living cheap it can mean a lot of fun. How?

Consider fulltime Rving as a way of life. Lots of people do it or haven’t you been caught behind a RV on a 2 lane curving road. Yep that’s us in the RV, not in any particular hurry, enjoying the scenery. RVing is also a great way of living cheaply.

List the money you spend on your home mortgage, home insurance, utilities, property taxes, painting, termite service, etc . Compare with monthly rent of around $500 per month for an RV space. Add your RV insurance, a maintenance fund and compare the 2 columns.

Are you shocked? I ran the numbers when we first got an RV and figured I could RV for about 35% of what I spent operating a house. Now of course I did miss mowing the lawn, cleaning the screens, gardening, and doing house chores…get the picture.

Replace the restrictions, let alone the expense and life on the road seems like a winner to me. It is a way of life that has many rewards.

The obvious are choosing the climate you experience, being closer to family, or being further from family. Whatever it is your choice.

Before the RV, when we were working we vacationed by plane. Go to the airport, get the bags (I assume they made it), get the rent a car and off you go. You may pack and unpack a couple of times, but what the hay you are on vacation.

Compare that, which we did for 20 years, to RV life. One you pick when you go through big towns to avoid traffic, you never have to unpack, and your “home” goes with you everywhere.

A big bonus in RV life is the scenery you see on the road. You miss a lot when you fly.

We used to fly from Phoenix to Denver and drive to Steamboat Springs. Flying takes about 12 hours of hassle and frustration. When you drive to Steamboat Springs from Phoenix you go through Monument Valley, there is no traffic, great scenery…oh yeah it takes 12 hours. Do I have to mention the difference in cost?

Here is a great example of how cheap living can be a positive instead of worrying about your next brokerage statement. RV life costs less, offers tremendous flexibility, and is a lot of fun. Enjoy.

Contemporary Bengali Wedding

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Weddings have come out of the old fashioned customs of the past to include more contemporary elements. A Wedding is a very important affair for a family. Moreover Indian families give a lot of importance for many wedding ceremonies. Indian weddings are very popular for their lavish and colorful ceremonies which add to the glamour of the ceremony. Most of the Hindu religions regard the marriage as tradition than a legal affair. The marriages in India are the appropriate mixture of celebration, tradition ad sentiments. The reason being, it is merging of two different families and souls at the same time. In spite of diverse religions and different kind of rituals and traditions, the common aspects among the weddings are commitment, sentiments, mixed emotions & gatherings.

The Indian weddings have modernized to a large extent according to the generation. But they still remain a grand family affair. The Bengali weddings also have changed accordingly as per the generations. The Bengali bride and Bengali groom are treated very royally like prince or princess. The couple is showered with gifts and presents throughout the wedding during various ceremonies. Earlier, the groom would arrive at bride’s place or the place where the wedding takes place, mounted on a horse. Nowadays most of them come in decorated cars. The Bengali bride on the other hand is dressed in traditional attire, with heavy embroidery and authentic traditional jewellery. The jewellery is given to her by her family.

The mantap is decorated with pretty things. More of red color is used as it is considered to be auspicious. Brides’ generally hire a henna artist to apply mehendi on their hands. It is generally done two to three days before the wedding.

Bengalis are known for their rich culture and they boast of interesting rituals for their marriages. Every Hindu wedding is made very special. Similarly Bengali wedding have their own unique customs during and after the ceremony. Whether it is a simple or a lavish Bengali wedding, one can witness the rituals followed appropriately and strictly. The Bengalis make sure that most of the rituals are covered in the contemporary weddings also.

A Bengali marriage can be divided in three phases basically. They have pre-wedding rituals, wedding rituals and post wedding rituals. During pre wedding rituals the pandit starts certain pooja, couple of days before the wedding. This takes place in both bride and grooms place. During these days, both the families exchange gifts for Bengali bride and Bengali groom. They also exchange assortments like sweets, fish and sarees etc. This is then followed by the haldi function where the bride is adorned with turmeric paste. It is believed that this ritual brigs glow to the bride’s skin.

The families get together around the mantap. The couple then ties knots during the recital of vedic mantras. They move in circle for seven times around the sacred fire. They are then seated in their respective seats. The groom puts vermilion in the Bengali brides’ hair parting.

This is then followed by post marriage rituals, where the bride bid adieu to her parents and family and joins her husband family. The next day the bride cooks a traditional meal for all the family members.

4 Options For New Hairstyles – Help For Your Next Salon Visit

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Every woman goes through moments where she can’t stand her hair. It helps to understand that you are not the only one that experiences this. If you focus on some basic options for your hair you might end up with a better hairstyle that you will make you happy. A good hair day, like a new pair of shoes, just makes you feel better. And if there is anything that you can do to create a good hair day, such as getting a good hair cut, will help you out a lot in the long run.

It is important that you select a hair stylist that you are comfortable with. Someone who understands what you want and has the experience to give you that style. When it comes to hair salons, you generally get what you pay for. If you try to get a new style at a discount store where you pay $5 for your cut, you shouldn’t expect much.

The 4 basic options for your hairstyle are changing the length and/or adding layers, adding bangs, adding highlights or lowlights and changing the color. If you don’t want a drastic change, you can go with just one change at a time to gradually look different.

Changing Length and/or Adding Layers: The big trend today is to go shorter. The short and medium bob hairstyles are replacing the long and curly hairstyle of last year. If you are too scared to go really short, try just a few inches off the ends. If you don’t have layers right now, you may want to experiment with adding a few layers. For best results, go with a long layer so that it will be easier to maintain and grow out if you don’t like them. Layers are great for helping thick hair lay smoother and creating depth and movement in a style.

Add Bangs: Bangs are big right now. You can go with a low-commitment bang that is long and side-swept off the face. Then there are layered bangs, full bangs, short bangs and choppy bangs for variation. Generally speaking there are usually some sort of bang that will work with just about any hairstyle. Bangs help to soften up facial features and make you look younger. They can require some extra styling time in the morning, especially if you have hard to manage hair.

Add Highlights,Lowlights: A few strands here and there are a great option to spruce up your hairstyle and brighten your face at the same time. If you don’t want to cut your hair and are just undecided about the style, maybe start with a few highlights.

Change Your Color: Nothing says change like a different hair color. If you want to go more than 2 shades darker or lighter than your natural hair color, it is highly recommended that you go to a professional hair stylist. There are many good hair color products that you can buy at your local drugstore and apply yourself.

In short, if you want to change your hair, there are many different options available for you. You don’t necessarily have to go with a certain hairstyle, just make minor adjustments to your style and create your own new look.