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Unique Diaper Cakes - Decoration ideas
Unique diaper cakes that you have made can truly acquire that unique look, if you decorate them according to the theme of your party. Generally, individuals use petty gifts and other baby items for decorating diaper cakes. Conventional diaper cakes use items, which include stuffed toys and grooming items.
You can decorate your diaper cakes in a unique way depending on the party theme or nature of cakes. Below mentioned are some of the decorating ideas that you can implement.
1. Sports theme:
If expectant parents are sports enthusiast, they can opt for unique diaper cakes considering a sport theme. You can decorate such cakes using items such as:
1. Baby toy sports equipment
2. Mini athletic shoes
3. Small size jersey of a favorite sport squad
4. Sports towels and washcloths
5. Use mini baseball hat, cap as a topping over these diaper cakes.
2. Music cake:
Diaper cakes with musical themes make the ultimate diaper cakes. Decorate such cakes by including items such as:
1. Lullabies or children's classical music CDs,
2. Musical instrument in toy versions such as shakers, drums or guitars,
3. Music mobile,
4. Toy, that plays song,
Other decoration ideas:
Christmas cake:
If a woman is expecting a baby during Christmas days, then opt for diaper cakes, based on Christmas theme. Decorate the cakes by including following items.
1. Christmas ornaments
2. Baby Santa suit and Santa hat
3. Christmas songs CD
Princess diaper cake:
A newborn baby girl is cynosure of parents and rightly their princess. Give her a royal welcome with a princess cake. You need to wrap diapers on such a cake using stain blankets or ribbons and top it with a princess hat. Also, include items such as:
1. Silver spoon
2. Princess theme clothing
3. Rattles, crown, castle and fairy wand
4. Lacy booties, ribbon headbands and bows.
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A lot of people hesitate on wearing holiday-themed accessories due to the fear of appearing tacky. Most would rather go for the safe and traditional silver oval-shaped cufflinks or dark-colored ties. What many do not realize, though, is that elegance shines brighter when you are more confident to try new and interesting things. Often, the customary becomes boring and goes unnoticed simply because everyone else is wearing just the same thing.
Experimenting on a new look, however, may not be as easy as getting the first attention-grabbing item that meets your eye. You need to pick the right accessories carefully, or end up being the talk of the evening. The trick lies on knowing the boundary that sets apart what is still elegant and what is already tacky.
One of the most subtle yet remarkable ways to show individual style is wearing cufflinks. For the holiday season, several Christmas cufflinks have been made available. Again, a word of caution, getting the first set that catches your fancy is not the best way to go. Always, it pays to be more prudent to ensure that you only get and pay for the accessories that would fit you extremely well.
Christmas tree cufflinks are common holiday-themed sets. As a beginner, it would be wiser to choose pewter or silver cufflinks without the holiday colors yet. Most of the time, beginners are so conscious of their colored cufflinks that it distracts the other guests. Remember that only with a certain level of poise and confidence can a man truly offer justice to the distinctiveness of his accessories.
Also, you must be cautious with how open to different fashion styles the other guests in the party are. Are the other guests very conservative or are they creative and inventive? If you think they are of the conservative type, keep it simple first and go for crystal snowflake cufflinks or silver-and-gold Christmas present cufflinks. These choices are perfect -- not too predictable, yet also not too extreme.
If you feel you are ready to express your individual sense of style, try out red Santa Claus cufflinks or funny Snowman sets with Swarovski crystal buttons. When you decide to wear those that come in the season's staple colors red and green, though, make sure that they match something in your wardrobe and not appear as misplaced trimmings.
Aside from Christmas Cufflinks, you can also try other Christmas fashion accessories like Santa neckties. If the big-bellied man does not suit your style, then simply find a necktie in deep red with a splash of gold in it. You may also opt for a green tie with a hint of red. Always consider your personal ease when wearing holiday accessories, as your level of comfort will translate to your degree of confidence. People will notice you for how secure and positive you look.
Christmas is the season to be merry, so spread the cheer with holiday-themed accessories! Don't be afraid to experiment. Stand out above the rest by choosing to wear what the holiday brings.
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If you've decided to add stress toys to your range of promotional products, you have several important choices to make, which will most likely depend on what goods or services your company provides. There is quite an extensive variety of stress toys available, so it's relatively easy to choose items that reflect the business you're in.
While one of your important considerations will be the price of the items, with most items ranging from ₤0.50 to ₤1.00 each, there is not a huge amount of different in price with the majority of stress toys. In addition, most are made from fairly similar materials and manufactured in similar ways, so there are no big decisions to be made when it comes to the materials used in making the items.
Your most important decision in choosing your stress toys will most likely be the shapes of the printed stressy toys you choose--and there is a great deal of variety in this area, with toys that are appropriate for companies in a wide range of industry and business sectors.
Pharmaceutical, Medical and Healthcare Stress Toys
For companies in the medical or pharmaceutical industry, there are several different stress toy themes available. There are toys in the shapes of organs, such as the heart, brain and kidney, as well as toys shaped like teeth, hands and noses, and capsule and tablet-shaped toys, too. There are even some slightly more unusual toy shapes, such as vertebrae and others.
Financial and Housing Stress Toys
For companies involved in housing and real estate, there are several varieties of house-shaped toys, including Alpine homes, thatched huts, and even igloos! There are money bags, pound signs, gold bars and gold nuggets for the financial sector, too.
Transport and Travel Stress Toys
There is a wide range of stress toys shaped like vehicles, suitable for any company in the transport or travel industries. Choose from aeroplanes, ships, ocean liners, trains and trucks, as well as sports cars, motorbikes, and racing cars.
Construction and Industry Stress Toys
Hard hats, bricks, fire extinguishers, screwdrivers and bricks are just some of the shapes that might be suitable for companies in construction and other industries. There's even a giant brick-shaped toy that can be gripped with both hands, or even thrown--completely damage-free!
Seasonal Stress Toys and More
If you'd like your stress toys to be a little more general, and less focused on the goods or services your company provides, you have plenty of options. Choose from simple ball-shaped toys, dice, cubes, stars or paint drops, globes, animals such as cows, cats, elephants, toucans, and dolphins, stress toys in the shape of mobile phones, or toys that double as mobile phone holders.
If you're planning on giving seasonal gifts to commemorate holidays throughout the year, stress toys can meet your needs there too. Choose from Christmas-themed toys such as Santa Claus, a Christmas pudding or a snowman, St. Patrick's Day shamrocks, Halloween pumpkins, or a simple gift box for any other festive occasion.
For additional information on promotional stress toys, business gifts and marketing promotional products why not check out the market leading online promotional gift suppliers where you will find a massive range of items to choose from and also get exceptionally low prices combined with highly professional fast service levels.
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The festivities have begun, shops are laden with colourful decorations and gifts are in abundance. What would Christmas be without Santa and his helpers being ever present in the malls, with children flocking around to put in their Christmas wish lists or to catch a glimpse of Santa.
Your shopping is all but over and now it's time to turn your attention to throwing the most amazing party!!
If you would like your party to stand out forever in the minds of your friends then this article is an absolute must read. Make originality your art form and choose one of the following themes.
Costume Theme Ideas:
- Winter Wonderland
- Ancient Dress
- Santa's helpers
- Naughty or Nice Christmas
- Red & Green
- Christmas Decoration or a Gift
- Biblical
- Holy or Unholy (similar to Naughty or Nice, however slightly tamer)
- Christmas Carol (dress as a character or thing from a Christmas carol e.g. a bell from "Jingle Bells", taka a miniature Christmas tree and go as a -Rocker- star adorned with a Santa hat for -Rockin around the Christmas tree-.
- Edible Food (dress in red & white stripes for a candy cane)
- Toy (dress up in uniform, take along a toy rifle and hey presto you have the makings of a toy soldier)
Now that you have chosen your theme, what character do you want to dress up as?
Costume Ideas:
- Winter Wonderland - Snow Queen or King, Frosty the Snowman, Ice Princess, penguin, reindeer
- Ancient Dress - Ghost of Christmas past, Jesus, 3 Wise Men, Joseph, Mary Angel, Devil, Shepherd
- Santa's helpers - Mrs Claus, elves, reindeers, sexy helpers
- Naughty or Nice - Wicked Snow Queen, The Grinch, Ebenezor Scrooge, Angel, Christmas caroler, Evil
- Elf, Devil, Fallen Angel, Sexy Helper or Elf
- Red & Green - Christmas tree, parcel decorated, baubles, mistletoe, elf, Santa, Mrs Claus, The Grinch
- Christmas Decoration or Gift - Angel, star, gift wrapped parcel, Christmas tree
- Biblical - 3 Wise men, Joseph, Mary, Jesus, Angel Gabriel, shepherd
- Holy or Unholy - Jesus, 3 Wise men, Joseph, Mary, Jesus, Angel, shepherd, Devil, Fallen Angel
- Christmas Carol - Jingle Bells, Jingle Bell Rock, Little Drummer Boy, Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer,
- Santa Claus is coming to town, Rockin around the Christmas tree, Mary's boy child, Mistletoe & Holly,
- Frosty the Snowman, Silver Bells
- Edible Food - turkey, chicken, plum pudding, gingerbread man, candy cane
- Toy - Toy soldier, doll, Jack in the box, drum
Not interested in wearing a traditional costume this year, or being nice; try naughty instead!!! Here are a few ideas to get your juices going.
Naughty Sexy Costumes:
Elves there are so many variations on this character. Elves are known to be mainly whimsical, however why not add a touch of sexy to your costume, by wearing long striped red/white or green/white socks with high heels in place of the traditional green tights.
Santa's female helpers can be fairly tame in their red dresses trimmed with faux fur. Try wearing sexy red frilly knickers, gloves and striped stockings with a set of suspenders and high heels.
Angels are known traditionally for their purity and spread peace and goodwill. They generally wear long flowing white dresses. Create a sexy look to your costume this year and shorten the length, add marabou fur to the hemline. Purchase a pair of white sexy thigh high stockings and team with high heels.
Mrs Claus wants to play hard this year, forget the traditional long skirt, blouse, vest and apron. Once again shorten the hemline, lower the neckline of the blouse and team it with a corset and a short frilly apron. Perhaps wear a pair of long black or white boots.
By putting some thought into your theme 1st up, choosing your costume will be easy...
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When it comes to craft projects, glass blocks are amazingly versatile. There are so many fun and interesting ways to decorate with them in every room of the house.
Once you could only find glass or art deco blocks at home improvement centers. There were solid and in order to put lights or objects inside, you had to use a large drill bit and a complicated process to get them "open" - if you choose to do this - consider hiring this out to a professional. Now you can find glass bricks conveniently at your local crafts store with one side left open. You can even use these wonderful finds as vases. They are generally available in two sizes and I've seen them available all year.
Take a look at these top 10 ways to use lighted glass bricks to bring soft illumination, charm, and beauty to your home.
Faux gifts - Fill two bricks with Christmas lights. One should be smaller than the other. Stack them and then tie a large ribbon around the stack, completing the look with a bow on top. Voila, you have "gift boxes" for decorating during the holidays or simply for every day. (Or how cool for a baby shower or wedding!) Place the lit glass bricks under the tree, next to potted plants, on a windowsill or mantel, or decorate the foyer with them to welcome your guests. Paint the outside of a block with a design that will fit into your decorating scheme for that room. Put lights inside and you have added charm to the space! Nightlight - wonderful idea for a child's room. Add decals, stickers, or a painted scene on one side of the glass brick. Insert Christmas lights inside. Place on a shelf or dresser and turn on at night for your child. They'll love it! Create a lighted village display - glass blocks can easily be transformed into a little village display. Paint each as a building - the post office, library, church, house, etc. Add fabric and other accents to make the glass squares look like the building it depicts. Fill each "building" with a string of Christmas lights and you have a lighted village display! This is a fun project to complete with your kids. Decorative paperweights - another way to decorate with glass bricks is to turn a small one into a decorative paperweight. Add your favorite embellishments or paint the block to match your office decor. The weight of your creation is perfect for keeping papers in place. Wedding decor - glass bricks with lights, tulle, and ribbon look absolutely stunning at a wedding reception. Fill the glass brick with lights. Attach gorgeous organza or wired ribbon around the edge of the brick. Nestle the bricks into mounds of "billowing" tulle and you have a beautiful decoration for your gift table, foyer, food table, cake table, or any other space you like. Window decor - instead of the traditional candles, place one lighted block into your window. It will illuminate the room softly and will look beautiful from the outside as well. Welcome sign - spell out the word "welcome" with glass bricks. These would be a perfect addition to a foyer or nursery. Or spell out other messages like "believe", "faith", "joy", etc. Lighted stand/base - decorate with blocks in any room of the house by using one as a stand or base for a display. Place a glass brick filled with a Christmas light string on a flat surface. Put small items on top of it such as small collectibles, candles (in another container), a vase of flowers, a small lamp, or anything else that would look pretty sitting a bit higher and illuminated. Ambiance - add a bit of romantic lighting to the master bedroom with a few lighted glass bricks strategically placed around the room. Decorate with ribbon to match your decor. As you can see, there are many possibilities when it comes to projects involving glass bricks. Let these ideas just be a starting off point for your home decoration and gift giving list.
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Christmas is coming faster than you think!
Each year the same thing happens to millions of parents, when they have to tell their little one that "Santa didn't have time to deliver this year". Instead of running around like a headless chicken trying to find that special toy during the Christmas rat race, why not shop early and take a look at some of the most in-demand toys for Christmas 2008.
Basically there are 10 toys that are going to be hard to find by the time Christmas comes, so shop early for the best selection of Christmas gifts in 2008.
Toy Number 1
The Nintendo Wii
Nintendo's Wii video game system (pronounced "we") is designed to attract people, regardless of their age or video game experience, to sit down and play together--whether they're in the same room or on different sides of the globe. The system's name reflects this simple idea. It's easily pronounced in a variety of languages, and the distinctive spelling suggests two players side by side. The two Wii features Nintendo thinks will create new levels of gaming community are built-in Wi-Fi access, supported by a new online gaming service, and Wii's intuitive, wireless, motion-sensitive game controller.
Toy Number 2
The Wii Fit
Wii Fit is designed to be enjoyed by the whole family. In Japan it has been encouraging family members as a whole to discuss the topic of fitness and take an active interest in understanding their own fitness in a fun and entertaining way, all in the comfort of their own home.
Wii Fit comes bundled with the Wii Balance Board, an accessory developed exclusively for the Wii console that will have a far-reaching impact for all who use it. It's innovative, exciting and most of all fun and simple for all to use. It is a pressure sensitive, wireless balance board that goes on the floor - so someone can stand on it in front of the TV. It senses weight and shift in balance in any direction and therefore by standing on the Wii Balance Board during activities allows players to follow along to movements ensuring they have full control of the on-screen activities. This allows personal improvement goals to be set to effectively help you and your family to train and stay fit.
Toy Number 3
The Nintendo DS
Sleek black and white may have been the must-have look this summer, but now it's all about pink as the hugely successful Nintendo DS Lite turns pink. Nintendo's latest console includes all the existing features of the Nintendo DS, yet includes a variety of distinctive changes which truly sets it apart from other handheld consoles. Nintendo DS Lite retains the advanced touch screen technology, allowing players to control the software with a stylus or even their finger, as well as dual screens, voice recognition and Wi-Fi capabilities of the Nintendo DS but is now both smaller and lighter. Weighing nearly 60g less than the original, it is just two thirds of the original size. The redesign isn't only cosmetic though, the Nintendo DS Lite features adjustable screen brightness with four settings, a repositioned microphone for ease of use and a larger and more comfortable stylus. With its new design and unique features, this console is perfect for everyone regardless of age, gender and gaming skills.
Toy Number 4
Sony Playstation 3
The PS3 features IBM's "Cell" processor and a co-developed Nvidia graphics processor that makes the system able to perform two trillion calculations per second. That makes the PlayStation 3 40 times faster than the PS2. Along with the traditional AV and composite connections, it also boasts an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) port, which delivers uncompressed, unconverted digital picture and sound to compatible high-definition TV and projectors. The system is capable of 128-bit pixel precision and 1080p resolution for a full HD experience. This console also provides for a sound experience by supporting Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, as well as Linear PCM 7.1. A pre-installed 40 GB hard disc drive allows you to save games as well as download content from the internet. Unlike the other models of the PlayStation 3, the 40GB does not offer backwards compatibility.
Toy Number 5
Xbox 360
In comparison to the Darth Vader inspired design of the original Xbox, the Xbox 360 a thing of (near) wondrous beauty.
In addition to playing games and movies, the Xbox 360 can stream music and video from a wide variety of electronic devices, including iPods and the Sony PSP.
Toy Number 6
Sony PSP
All other portable consoles seem like chess to this. what is the point of making them. The PSP slim and lite has out classed the original and out classed all other portable devices. You can even get satnavs now for PSP! FANTASTIC!!!
Toy Number 7
Lego Mind Storm
Build-your-own Star Wars droids with the Droid Developer Kit. If you have ever wanted your own R2D2, now's your chance. With a little time and patience you can create a droid that can be programmed to do what you want it to.
At the heart of the Droid Developer Kit is a small, intelligent brain called the Micro Scout. This minute computer can react to light, has a motor to bring movement and has seven pre-programmed routines as well as a programmable option via your PC. If R2D2 is not your ideal choice of robot then you can build one of the two other droids in the pack: L-3GO Training Droid or the Jedi Knight Droid.
Toy Number 8
Silverlit PicooZ Twin Blade 3 Channel Helicopter
Be warned. This is no ordinary radio controlled helicopter. This is the TandemZ. A full three channel, auto stable system with twin propellers and an advanced multi-role set-up that requires skill, brains and determination to master. In appearance, the TandemZ closely resembles the iconic Sea Knight Helicopter, a vehicle famed for its assault transportation of combat troops and its ability to land on aircraft carriers. The twin propeller system is a striking feature of this unique style of helicopter, and providing greater stability, greater control and added power when airborne. With the TandemZ being a full 3 channel radio controlled unit, users are able to control the flight altitude, forwards and backwards movement and the direction of flight. Easier said than done. The handheld control unit (which doubles as the charging base for the TandemZ) is more complex than the standard R/C chopper, incorporating controls for Yaw trimming (direction), Pitch trimming (hovering angle), Throttle (altitude), Direction (forward/backward movement) and an additional headlight switch for flying in the dark. With guidance from the instruction booklet and a little practice, users will quickly appreciate the added control that the TandemZ offers and once mastered, can attempt more challenging stunts than ever before.
Toy Number 9
Speed Racer & Snake Oiler
Chase the robbers in the air and catch them at sea. This police seaplane is perfect for difficult police missions. Open the side door, take your seat, spin propellers and get ready for takeoff! Total wing span 40 cm/ 15.7 inches. Includes one police pilot.
And Finally - Toy Number 10
Original Rubix Cube
One of the most famous toys in history, Rubik's Cube is the incredibly addictive, multi-dimensional challenge that has fascinated fans since it arrived in 1980. Over "43 Quintillion" (that's 43 with 18 zeros to you and me) moves are possible with this original 3x3 Cube, but there is only one solution! A must for puzzle lovers, the aim is to twist and turn the Rubik's Cube to return it to its original state, with every side having one solid colour. For those who struggle to master this challenge - or simply lack the patience - the enclosed guide provides the simplest ever 7-step Rubik's Cube solution and introduces a number of other fantastic games to play. So, whether you're into simple siding or prefer a spot of classic cubing, hours of challenging fun lie ahead.
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A Fistful of Dollars (Per un pugno di dollari in Italian) - 4 Stars (Excellent)
Is it possible for an excellent, groundbreaking film in a specific genre to be overlooked at award ceremonies? Absolutely, and a perfect example is "A Fistful of Dollars" that gave rise to what we commonly identify today as "the spaghetti Western".
A Fistful of Dollars was the first of Director Sergio Leone's masterpiece trilogy that would be followed by "For A Few Dollars More" and "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly". It was Leone who realized that the American-made Westerns of the 1950s had become nothing more or less than housing developments designed with a cookie-cutter pattern of staleness.
Leone's answer was to shoot the film as if he was orchestrating an opera. The result would become the model for many Westerns to come, featuring his trademark taciturn characters, precise framing, extreme close-ups and the haunting music of Ennio Morricone.
All of this would give rise to "The Man With No Name" (Clint Eastwood), who was originally referred to as "Joe" in A Fistful of Dollars, but became The Man With No Name in the sequels.
I am very boffo on this film and for good reason. The combination of Leone's direction is excellent given Morricone's music, the cinematography by Massimo Dallamano and Federico Larraya, film editing by Roberto Cinquini and Alfonso Santacana, and sound by Elio Pacella. A Fistful of Dollars was shot in the Spanish province of Almeria.
Despite its credentials, A Fistful of Dollars would win only one award-the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists' Silver Ribbon for the Best Score by Ennio Morricone. You could see this film for the musical score alone and come away very impressed.
Released in 1964, A Fistful of Dollars would not make its American debut until 1967. The film's arrival here was delayed when "Yojimbo" screenwriters Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima sued for breach of copyright and won, receiving 15% of the film's worldwide gross and exclusive distribution rights for Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. Kurosawa said later he made more money off of this project than he did on Yojimbo, which was released 3 years earlier. The screenplay was written by A. Bonzzoni, Victor Andres Catena and Sergio Leone.
The story is about a gunfighter (Clint Eastwood) who comes to a small border town and offers his services to two rival gangs-the Rojos and the Baxters.
The Rojos include the dangerous Ramon (Gian Maria Volonte), Esteban (Sieghardt Rupp) and Don Benito (Antonio Prieto), Ramon's girlfriend Marisol (Marianne Koch), Rubio (Benito Stefanelli) and Chico (Mario Brega). The Baxters include John (Wolfgang Lukschy), his wife Consuelo (Margarita Lozano) and a bevy of additional lesser-light banditos on both sides.
The bell-ringer in the film, Juan De Dios (Raf Baldassarre) warns the gunfighter, "you'll get rich here, or you'll be killed." The gunfighter later acknowledges that the "crazy bell-ringer was right, there's money to be made in a place like this."
Neither gang is aware of The Man With No Name's ploy to play one against the other, each thinking they are using him against their rival, but the gunfighter will outwit them both.
Along the way he will personally kill at least 14 of them, get the Rojos to completely obliterate the rest of the Baxter gang, rescue the kidnapped wife and return her to her family so they can safely escape, rescue the innkeeper Silvanito (Jose Calvo), and eliminate Ramon Rojo in a classic showdown worthy of any Western movie ever made and too good to share here.
Another actor to watch in this film is Piripero the undertaker (Joseph Egger), who provides the avenue for The Man With No Name's escape when he is incapable of doing so on his own.
The genius of Sergio Leone is seen in one of the film's earliest scenes. As the gunfighter rides slowly into town, 3 Baxter gang members fire shots to scare the mule he is riding. After some food and whiskey, the gunfighter confronts his tormentors with this dialog:
"I don't think it's nice, you laughin'. You see, my mule don't like people laughing. He gets the crazy idea you're laughing at him. Now if you apologize, like I know you're going to, I might convince him that you really didn't mean it."
Properly incensed and challenged, 4 key Baxter gang members draw to fire and are cut down in a blink of an eye by The Man With No Name.
While the dialog and action in this scene are excellent, Leone's direction is even more so and here is why: In American films, when a cowboy was shot, one camera was ALWAYS focused on the shooter and a split second later, another camera cut to the victim. Leone captured the scene with the camera over Eastwood's shoulder, so the moviegoer could vicariously witness the shooting as if he was doing the shooting.
Leone's genius was as powerful today-44 years later-as an interactive web site on the Internet, both of which did not exist in 1964. No wonder it is so easy for moviegoers today to experience his genius.
A Fistful of Dollars is too good not to experience. Like so many films that are expected to be nothing and become classics in movie history, the role of The Man With No Name is littered with big names who did not play the role when an unknown like Clint Eastwood did.
This list includes Henry Fonda, James Coburn, Charles Bronson and Richard Harrison. Harrison would later acknowledge that "maybe my greatest contribution to cinema was not doing A Fistful of Dollars and recommending Clint for the part."
Eastwood had been in the television series "Rawhide" prior to being tapped for the role. He helped build the character of The Man With No Name by buying black jeans form a sport shop on Hollywood Boulevard, buying the hat he wore from a Santa Monica wardrobe firm, and buying his trademark black cigars from a Beverly Hills store. He cut the cigars into thirds to give them a more distinctive look.
Leone was reportedly taken with Eastwood's distinctive style, commenting in Italian that "I like Clint Eastwood because he has only two facial expressions: one with the hat, and one without it."
Like another tremendously successful actor Tom Hanks, Eastwood knew how to instinctively exude enormous charisma that was never evident in his low-key style. Any real man in America would be proud to strap on The Man With No Name's gun belt and pistol. Is A Fistful of Dollars a guy film? Certainly.
Leone did not direct the first spaghetti western ever made, but his was the first one to receive a major international release, not to mention the fact that it launched Clint Eastwood on an incredibly successful career as one of Hollywood's most popular, profitable and bankable actors and directors ever.
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley
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My trade show exhibit experience began at an early age around the dinner table. My father, Joseph LoCascio, would come home every night with fascinating stories about designing and building displays and exhibits at various New York City exhibit houses where he worked as graphic artist.
When the projects he worked on were completed he would take the family into New York City and show us the results of his artistic handiwork, which often included IBM's Madison Avenue window displays, Crane's display of new bathroom/kitchen fixtures, Allied Chemical's lobby displays, and various displays at the New York Stock Exchange and the World Trade Center. Many other exhibits of his would be on display at trade shows at the New York Coliseum, Waldorf Astoria, or the New York Hilton.
My admiration for my father's artistic talents started when I would be invited to join him for his local freelance work on weekends. I'd help him load the car with his art supplies and then watch in amazement as he laid out and hand-lettered a bank's new window sign in gold leaf, or a company's name on a truck door, or a new sign for a local church.
The exhibit building business was cyclical, and there were times when work was scarce and some shop workers had to be laid off for a few weeks. Other times there was too much work, which called for hiring more people and working overtime and weekends to complete exhibits.
My chance to work with my father at Exhibit Craft, Inc. in Long Island City, came when the shop was on a full-time work schedule, including weekends, to complete multiple exhibits in time for the National Hardware Show in Chicago.
I jumped at his offer and was excited to not only be making .50 an hour at the age of 14, but also to get to work with my father and begin learning the exhibit building business from the ground up. My work that first weekend - and many others that followed - included cleaning silk screens and squeegees, resurfacing art tables with new paper, sweeping the floor, carefully peeling frisketed graphic panels, and mixing paints.
I knew right then and there that the exhibit business was where I wanted to spend my career. During high school and after military service I worked at Exhibit Craft, Inc. working my way up the ladder, which included Silk Screen Production, Assistant Production Manager, Shipping and Receiving Clerk, and Assistant to the Purchasing Manager.
A major career transition came when ECI won the new Olivetti Underwood account and needed an account executive to manage their multiple product exhibits for more than 40 trade shows per year. I applied, interviewed, and got the job. To my amazement, I soon found myself in planning meetings at Olivetti's corporate headquarters at 1 Park Avenue in New York City.
At 22, I was enjoying a dream job, learning the ins and outs of being an exhibit account executive and looking to the future when, unsuspectingly, ECI was sold to IVEL, which is today a part of Exhibit Group. IVEL then moved the ECI plant to Brooklyn, New York. For me, it was unreasonable to work in and travel to Brooklyn as I still enjoyed living an almost carefree and independent lifestyle at my parents' home in Bergenfield, New Jersey, where I grew up. But if moving out for a job was a necessity, I thought moving to California might be a much better choice.
With an eye for adventure, travel, and an urge to start fresh, I sent a resume out to Stewart Sauter, an exhibit builder and show decorator in San Francisco. I was hired after a great interview. I had contracted Stewart Sauter many times in the past to set up and dismantle Olivetti Underwood's exhibits and had established an excellent working relationship with Mr. Tony Panacci, who I would work for. My job was supervising the setup, servicing, and dismantling of all exhibits sent to Stewart Sauter from exhibit houses from throughout the country.
My tenure in San Francisco was short-lived, however, because while setting up exhibits at the Fall Joint Computer Conference at Brooks Hall, I met Mr. Del Kennedy, Advertising Manager at UNIVAC Division of Sperry Rand. He ended up offering me a job as their Corporate Trade Show Exhibits Coordinator in Bluebell, Pennsylvania.
Getting the opportunity to jump from the vendor side of the business to the client side was a dream I had developed as I watched the entire staff at Exhibit Craft organize and clean up the shop in preparation for one of its client's visits. One day I said to myself, "Someday I want to be the client."
UNIVAC built and sold computers. Their trade show exhibit philosophy was to use live theatrical presentations, developed by the highly talented Hardman and Associates from Pittsburgh, PA, to show just what computers could do. Karl Hardman and Marilyn Eastman, creators of the cult film "Night of the Living Dead," developed scripts, scenery, and AV materials, and hired and trained actors and a complete professional production crew to effectively present UNIVAC's computer presentations. We staged the presentations on an hourly schedule in a theater with seating for about 60 visitors. When the presentation ended, the doors would open and visitors would walk through a display area where salespeople, managers and technical support professionals made personal product presentations, answered questions, and filled out sales lead forms for additional information or sales calls.
UNIVAC's marketing experts understood early on that in reality a computer was just a machine and that it was the power of its various software applications that made the most sense to booth visitors. In the often cacophonous trade show exhibit environment, getting attention and making prospects and customers comfortable while sharing complicated and often esoteric information required total control of the exhibit environment.
A year later I accepted a job with Memorex (which stood for Memory and Excellence) in Santa Clara, California, as their Corporate Manager of Trade Shows and Exhibits. This included supporting their Video Tape, Computer Media, Office Products, and Computer Peripheral business units. Soon after arriving, Memorex decided to launch new audiotape products and I began working on their introduction at The Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago.
The marketing strategy for this important first trade show exhibit was to facilitate a dynamic live demonstration presenting the audible differences between new Memorex cassettes and what was then on the market. We needed to show prospects how Memorex cassettes would outperform recorded music when compared to reel-to-reel 3M and BASF audiotape, which at the time dominated the worldwide audiotape market.
We created the exhibit as a theater with seating for about 50 prospects. We equipped it with a state-of-the-art sound system, including high-quality cassette and reel-to-reel tape players and excellent full-range speakers with Dolby sound. The advertising campaign, "Is it Live or is it Memorex?" created by the Leo Burnett Advertising agency in Chicago, was prominently displayed along with supporting literature and sample cassettes. The presentation was very successful and Memorex went on to become a dominant force in the consumer electronics industry.
I was then offered a position as Vice President of Sales for Bill McCann's Exhibit Design, Inc. located in Palo Alto, California. I viewed the opportunity as a means to perhaps own a piece of my own business. We were successfully pioneering the exhibit leasing segment of the industry until Mr. McCann fell dangerously ill after only 6 months. The business had to be suspended until he fully recovered, years later.
I moved south to Irvine, California, and began selling exhibits for Design Enterprises, Inc., an excellent small exhibit house based in Anaheim that did most of the excellent display work on the new Queen Mary docked in Long Beach. I enjoyed selling and servicing clients, but when the opportunity arose for me to again wear the hat of a client; I jumped at the chance to apply for a Trade Show Manager's position at the corporate offices of Beckman Instruments in Fullerton, California.
Beckman Instruments, a world leader in the manufacturing of highly sophisticated analytical instruments for medical clinics, biomedical research, and industrial applications, was dedicated and committed to fully utilizing trade show exhibits to effectively further the sales and marketing of products.
Two major factors prevailed in Beckman's commitment to maximize their trade show exhibits investments. First, it was difficult to go deep into various highly secure medical research facilities to meet face to face with prospective customers. And by design, such customers remained somewhat aloof and averse to meeting sales people. These important people would attend major medical research conventions to give papers, attend seminars and workshops, and walk the exhibit floor aisles to see what was new from industry that might help them solve their research challenges.
The second factor pertained to the size, fragility, and complexity of Beckman's scientific, industrial, and biomedical instruments. They simply could not be easily transported, calibrated, set-up and utilized to make effective field sales calls.
The trade show exhibit environment provided Beckman's field service engineers with the ability to install and calibrate completely functional analytical instruments, which in turn gave the sales team on booth duty the ability to effectively demonstrate to prospects exactly how an instrument performed. This added credibility to the sales presentation and in many cases advanced the purchasing cycle farther down the road in a much shorter amount of time and at less expense.
Beckman's management team demanded accountability from every dollar invested in their trade show exhibits, and it was my charter to either earn their respect or watch the function lose support and eventually all but disappear from their marketing/sales budget - with me along with it.
Years later I found myself being offered a position as Vice President of Marketing and Sales with OrCAD Systems, a boot-strapped startup in the CAE software business in Hillsboro, Oregon. I took the job and used my years of trade show exhibiting experience to help the company succeed.
At OrCAD we used trade shows to initially do product feature and pricing research and to set up a network of distributors to stock and re-sell product both domestically and internationally. Trade show exhibits provided me with the opportunity to stand in our booth for three days and ask questions, float new marketing and sales ideas, and present and sell products to a wide range of prospects. Our field sales and support representatives were trained, supported, and motivated by watching our corporate experts work the booth and answer prospects' questions while solving customers' problems.
Peter LoCascio now works with worldwide exhibitors who are committed to maximizing their trade show effectiveness and bridging the gap between trade shows and sales.
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For all the ladies out there looking for a Halloween costume for 2009, you can't go wrong with a female pirate costume. Pirate costumes are an ever popular outfit along with the likes of witch and vampire costumes. They seem to be a safe costume but still have enough about them to let people let their hair down so to speak. And some look pretty good too.
There seem to be two categories of pirate costume for women. The first is the authentic looking outfits. The other category are sexy or titillating costumes that doff their cap to the general theme of pirates but not much else.
The first option can look really good. They generally include a bandanna, a peasant style white or mahogany colored shirt, corset or waistcoat, pants or skirt and some pirate boots. Anyone dressed in some of these costumes can still look sexy but she also can act as a real pirate. So she may want to get a big and sharp looking cutlass and even a flintlock pistol. Anne Bonny would be envious when you come dressed in the high seas pirate costume.
The second category seem to be skimpy outfits that have a few accessories that you might recognize as nautical by their general style or design. One prime example of these kind of female pirate costumes is the Playboy Scandalous pirate costume. This consists of a crimson and gold bra and gold lace skirt. It is matched with a crimson red cropped jacket with naval cuffs and a naval style red hat.
As I say, I don't think you would have seen too many female pirates wearing an outfit like this in 1784 but I'm pretty sure it will have a positive affect at any Halloween party in 2009.
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Last week I discussed an "orange" themed Halloween party and now I will share with you some Halloween party tips for Halloween table decorations. These tips are easy to do and inexpensive to produce.
With all of my events, no matter if they are serious fundraising galas or whimsical birthday parties; I still like to keep an element of style, hip and class to the table decor. Even when I use inexpensive props such as the Halloween items for this Halloween display, I still like to mix and match with more expensive-looking or natural Halloween items too.
There are so many choices when looking at decorations for Halloween. What I like to do is collect Halloween items during the season and then on November 1st, go back to the drug store or party supply store and pick-up whatever is left over and inexpensive. Nothing makes me feel better than garnering bargains on cheap Halloween decorations. I make sure to buy items that I will have a use for and that will store easily in my party planning design box, an item I discuss in Budget Bash - Simply Fabulous Events on a Budget.
To create the whimsical Halloween table decorations for this article I used the following:
Gold organza fabric for a table runner - You can buy any type of fabric and make a table runner, scrunch up unfinished fabric down the center of the table or use pinking sheers and cut a runner for a one- or two-time use (more uses are possible if you are careful with the fabric). For this table, I used a table runner from a previous event and scrunched it down the center of the table.
I picked up the following decorations for Halloween at the end of the season a few years ago and have kept these items in my party planning design box. These cheap Halloween decorations are candy corn twinkle lights, decorative candy dishes, orange votive candles and glass votive candle holders, mini-plastic pumpkin buckets and a witch's hat. I may have spent a total of for all of these Halloween items and have used them for the past three seasons.
While I was picking up dinner at the market, I grabbed a bunch of sunflowers, rust-colored mums, Halloween candy and mini-pumpkins. A fun idea is to carve the mini-pumpkin's center and sides (if you have the time) to create votive candle holder. If not, do what I did and just add them to the table as a décor item.
Decorating the table was fast and easy. I just scrunched up the table runner and intertwined the candy corn twinkle lights with the fabric runner. I placed the witch's hat in the center of the table (I stuffed the center of the hat with a paper bag to make it stand up straight), filled the candy dishes with Halloween candy, placed the votives and pumpkins on the table and then placed the sunflowers loosely on the table. To add a bit of color besides orange and yellow to the table, I pulled out two small blue vases and placed the mums in those.
To create the total look of the Halloween table decorations didn't take long at all and I coordinated my food shopping along with it. An added bonus to this table decoration is that it will last quite a few days. Just remember to unplug the lights when you are not around the table to prevent any type of electrical hazard from happening and if you have animals who like to leap onto your dining room table, you may want to remove the candy and loose flowers as well when you are not in the room.
I hope you found this Halloween party decoration tip useful.
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