Monthly Archives: September 2016

Top Business Fashion Tips for Women

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Every office has different rules and traditions in their business, but they all have one thing in common – the dress code. Professional business women should always look classy, stylish and no skin should be left distastefully uncovered. Sometimes, this business look can come off as dull, but if you know what to combine, you will still look stunning and professional.

The Image

Many ladies believe that if they are successful enough and manage to earn money from their business, the look is not that important. Well, if you show up at work wearing sneakers and a regular shirt and sweatpants, no one is going to take you seriously. It’s all about the image you create and business attire helps. Stylish and formal clothes that you wear at work will accentuate your skills, professionalism and qualifications. The more formal you dress the more competent and serious you look, which is always a big plus in the business world. However, that doesn’t mean you cannot wear comfortable and colorful clothes, it just puts an accent on dressing office-appropriately and creating your own elegant style.

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Colors

When creating your business style, you can never go wrong with the classic black and white combos. Simple black pant suit combined with a white shirt or a top and a pair of pumps of a medium height are the safest play. Another timeless classic among colors is navy blue. Many women’s suits, formal dresses and other work attire are made in this royal shade and it suits everyone. If paired with a white shirt, statement necklace or even bright red pumps, this outfit will exude elegant professionalism you’re striving for. Despite the fact that black, white and navy blue are never going to be out of style, today’s fashion requires a bit more experimentation. Trends are inclined towards neutral and calm overtones correctly combined with each other, such as white, gray, deep gray, pastel tones, olive shades, brown and sand shades. Also, you can be bold and pick some accessories and details in wine color or other shades of red, but be careful not to pick the brightest ones.

The Length

Women love showing off some skin, but in the business world, that is not the best idea. There are several rules that need to be followed about how much skin you should show, and make sure to follow them:

  • The neckline of your shirt should never go lower than 4 inches below your collarbones.
  • The shortest sleeves you should wear are the ones extending to the end of your shoulders. No spaghetti straps allowed.
  • No short hemlines. The safest length is at the knee or just an inch or two above them.
  • Backless anything is not appropriate for the office. Leave those for casual parties. If you wish to wear such tops at work, cover them with a blazer or a stylish jacket.

The Materials

Sloppy, messy clothes will instantly create a sloppy image about you. Clients and colleagues will think you’re not dedicated to your job, since you couldn’t even iron your clothes. Opt for materials that don’t wrinkle easily, no matter how much time you spend sitting in one place. Your best choices are sturdy synthetic materials, such as lyocell and polyester, but you will also be safe with wool and cashmere. Just remember not to look tacky and pick the materials that you consider comfortable. However, if you don’t like synthetic materials, just be sure to iron the clothes before leaving for work.

Even though it is not right to judge the person by the clothes they wear, that’s just how it is in the business world. Don’t allow yourself to be treated with disrespect just because your wardrobe is sloppy. Create a serious image and don’t let anything stop you from achieving your goals.

Musicals That Enriched Our Childhood

Remember those good, old times when every new day was an adventure waiting to unravel and every movie you saw was a love at first watching? The fact that we’re adults who may (or may not) have grown out of love with Flashdance doesn’t make dance movies any less of an impact on our formative years. As a matter of fact, musicals we’ve seen in childhood were an integral part of our music education, and as such helped our younger selves develop rock-solid linguistic and spatial-temporal skills to go with an admirable IQ, memory, and talents. For all the benefits and enjoyment musicals brought us, let’s give a round of applause to the best dance movies that enriched our childhood and remember the melodies many among us still hum in the shower.

Annie (1982)

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Who could ever forget Annie’s dreamful ‘Maybe’ or her buoyant ‘Tomorrow’? The tale of a little orphan girl and her dog Sandy is one of those that stay with you for a lifetime and inspire a smile every time we go back to them for a fresh dose of childlike faith that everything will turn out just fine in the end. After a series of antics and adventures ranging from dramatic to comical, Annie eventually gets her heart’s biggest desire, and the scintillating smile that seldom leaves her lips never fails to rekindle our faith in happy endings in the face of adversity.

The Sound of Music (1965)

You can’t really say you’ve ever been a kid if you haven’t seen The Sound of Music. As we follow Maria’s path from the convent to her Happily Ever After with Captain von Trapp and his children, we’re reminded of the power of an open heart and positive thinking that can make the world a better place even in the most precarious of times. After the closing credits, Maria’s “confidence in confidence alone” remains in our minds as a private lighthouse we can turn to when the going gets tougher than we’d like it to be.

 

The Wizard of OZ (1939)

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Dorothy Gale sure is a strong girl underneath her meek semblance, and she doesn’t give up on her desires and dreams easily. As we follow Dorothy’s journey to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard of OZ, we’re constantly reminded that all we seek is right there inside us: we’re as gentle as the Tinman, as courageous as the Lion, and as smart as the Scarecrow, and we certainly have all it takes to beat the Wicked Witch of the West. ‘There’s no place like home’ is one of the lessons the movie leaves with us, along with renewed faith in the power of good over evil.

 

Grease (1978)

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John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John certainly know what romance, dance, and music are all about, and they’re not afraid to show it on the big screen. As the love story between Sandy and Danny unravels, the old adage about love being able to conquer all is put to test time and time again, only to emerge triumphant at the closing scenes of the musical. Even though its plot is up the coming-of-age lane, Grease is one of the biggest movies of the 20th century even folks who don’t normally watch musicals need to see at least twice.

Footloose (1984)

This one goes out to all the rebels at heart who won’t settle with less than rock and dance. Ren McCormack is a teenage boy from the city trying to set his life in a small town on the right foot and coming across obstacles en route. As Ren struggles to make his voice heard and restore the right to dancing and music at the prom to his peers, the adult audience is reminded of all the challenges they’ve gone up against during their teenage years – and kids get to learn a thing or two about the value of friendship, fights for righteous ends, and bopping to rock tunes.

Mary Poppins (1964)

Life can be supercalifragilisticexpialidocious if you’re in good company and know how to find fun and magic in every day. Miss Poppins, a peculiar nanny with a pack of Wow-ing magical tricks in her handbag, will color the life of a cold-hearted banker’s kids in all the shades of the rainbow, reminding us that silver linings can be as real and as dazzling as we want them to be. Even if you prefer to watch documentaries online, Mary Poppins is a must-see: it will clear away the clouds on a rainy day and inspire you to dream big and see a chance for adventure at every corner.

We’ve had the time of our lives watching musicals back when the world was sparkling new – and we should by all means go back to dance movies when the world turns grim and lackluster. After all, growing up is mandatory, but growing old shouldn’t exactly be an option you should jump at just yet. The world may not always be bright, but when it turns a tad more disheartening than usual, it’s as good a time as any to let the musicals play and dance to the classic melodies in your pajamas.

 

 

5 Reasons Why it’s Time to Sell Your Home

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Moving home is incredibly stressful, but there will probably come a time when no matter how much you love your home, you need to upgrade or downsize. If you look online, you will find a hundred and one house selling tips, but before you reach that stage in the process, it is a good idea to think about whether you actually need to sell. After all, there are plenty of ways to enlarge or improve an existing property, which could save you money!

If you are still undecided, here are five reasons why it is time to sell up and move on.

A Growing Family

A one-bed studio apartment is fine when there is just the two of you, but once kids come along, it will soon begin to feel a bit cramped. Kids take up a lot of room. They come with extra furniture, toys and hundreds of miscellaneous bits and pieces. Even if the bedrooms are large enough to accommodate siblings, as your children grow into teenagers they will want their own space. For this reason, most families take the decision to move to a larger property once their home begins to feel cramped.

Financial Reasons

A home is a huge investment. Unless you are lucky enough to be able to buy your home outright, you probably have mortgage payments to make every month. When times are good, this will not be a problem, but if the worst happens and you lose your job for any reason, it will be hard to pay the mortgage. One way to deal with this change in circumstances is to sell up and buy a cheaper property. Ideally, you can pay off your mortgage and be debt free, but at the very least, your repayments will be lower.

A Career Change

Ticking along in the same old job for years suits some people, but if you fancy a change in career, selling your home and buying something cheaper could release enough equity to fund a new business venture. However, this is not a decision to be taken lightly, as you could lose your home if it all goes wrong.

An Unexpected Windfall

Have you inherited a large sum of money or struck it lucky on the Lotto? If so, now would be a good time to trade in your one-bed apartment and upgrade to a beachfront condominium somewhere hot and sunny.

Bad Neighbours

Bad neighbours are a nightmare to deal with. Sometimes the situation can be resolved with some careful negotiation or legal action, but if you have tried everything to make the best of a bad situation, selling up and moving to a new home with nicer neighbours could be answer you are looking for. It is not ideal, but sometimes you just have to admit defeat and take the path of least resistance.

Selling a property is always stressful, no matter how well organised you are, so do not make the decision to move unless you absolutely have to.