Design Challenge - Teen Dream

You're a teenager, recently graduated from being a dumb pre teen who persuaded her parents to paint her bedroom walls purple, otherwise known as a super bowl design challenge, in some ways worse than a red brick fireplace.

On the plus side we already have an excellent quality medium blue rug and parents who say they will give you $100 to redecorate your room. You've saved $50 and two sets of Grandparents are each contributing $25 to the project.

First thing you need to decide, now that you are a teen, is what effect you want to create, modern with lots of black, white and gray, feminine with pink, white, and frills or in-between. What is appealing? Well, you say, help. How do I know? The answer is this. Cut the whole project down to size, human size.

Look around at the way your fellow teens dress and describe them. That should help. Some individuals, male female, any age, dress conservatively with colors blending well. Nothing screams out at you, neither jewelry, makeup, clothes design, hair color, hair style. It's all calm, restrained, selective, relaxed.

Do you like the effect?

Then there is just the opposite, 12 to 80. Everything screams: clothing, design and color, hair style and color, makeup, overly heavy and brash, jewelry in every place possible and impossible. Clearly, if they were prisoners, the ACLU would be screaming torture. But never mind, the effect is aggressive, vigorous, flamboyant, unrestrained.

So, how do you want your room, conservative or unrestrained, or maybe in the middle?

Most young people want somewhat flamboyant and if that describes you, keep purple walls. It will be a home run for achieving aggressive/flamboyant and also save money on paint. Find a bedspread you like, a solid color in any shade of blue to blend with the rug. So we have two colors, purple and blue. What we need is more purple. Find some curtains in a lighter shade than the walls. Now go to garage and yards sales and get a desk plus second hand tables for the bedside. We need flamboyant and here's where you get it. Paint the tables and desk fuchsia. Then get yourself three pillows for the bed, two in blue, one in orange or fuchsia. If you have money left over get, yourself a big white stuffed animal with an orange bow around its neck, to put on the bed. Please send me a picture.

If money is in short supply when it comes to the curtains, just buy white. Buy fuchsia or purple ribbon and make tiebacks. For wall decoration, look for posters with contemporary design using a combination of purple, orange, light green, fuchsia. If you buy prints with frames, stay with all the same wood color, or paint the frames either fuchsia or orange.

And remember, when you graduate from flamboyant /aggressive to calm and peaceful, you'll have a good start with your blue rug and blue bedspread. All you will need to do is repaint the walls, tables, and desk, and replace the curtains.

Want conservative? Paint the walls white tinged with yellow. Buy a white bedspread. Buy the second hand tables and paint them white. Buy three pillows for the bed, two in shades of blue, one in sunflower yellow. Curtains should be white. Your stuffed animal can be a tawny gold leopard with black spots or a white teddy bear with a blue bow. Your wall decorations can be posters with these colors. Essentially your room is blue and white with accents of sunflower yellow.

For something in the middle, do the walls in soft white with a hint of yellow. Now decide on what shade of the yellow family you like. Let's say it's sunflower yellow. Use that color for the bedspread and a lighter version of it for the curtains. Paint your bedside tables and your desk in a deeper yellow than the walls. Your room is essentially shades of yellow with a blue rug. Now you want to find some blue toss pillows for the bed and wall decorations with blue and yellow.

Oh, to be a teenager again, with purple walls, a blue rug, and an orange teddy bear!

You can find additional articles on Design Challenge on http://americanmadeyes.com/houseandhome/designchallenge.html Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ruth_Graham

The Best Laptop Desks - Xpad Laptop Desk

You could never use the laptop on your lap for prolonged periods of time. The intense heat released by the laptop over long periods of time can easily cause lap burns and soreness. As 'heatless' laptops have yet to hit the shelves, those of us who love to use our laptops on the couch or on the bed would have to make do with a laptop desk.

Xpad is undoubtedly one of the best laptop desks in the market, depending on what you are looking for. It weighs a little under a pound has a very 'course' and minimalist design. It is also kind of a little chunky and bulky. Some have called the Xpad the ugliest laptop desk ever to be mad!

On the other hand, the Xpad scores well in terms of functionality. The pad has very minimal contact with the laptop (a small 'x' area on the sides). Because of this, a big portion of the laptop's bottom surface is exposed to air, creating a great cooling effect for the laptop. Despite the small contact points, the pad has a great grip on the laptop, holding it well in place even at a tilt.

Test results have shown that the Xpad laptop desk is able to cool a laptop be nearly 4 degrees. This figure is, at the time of writing, unmatched by any other models. It even has a non-slip rubber padding beneath to provide extra grip and heat insulation.

For me the practicality and functionality of the Xpad more than compensate for its compromised looks. It is 13 inches wide, perfect for supporting small and medium sized laptops.

For more information and reviews of the Logitech's Lapdesk and other great laptop desks, visit: http://laptopdesk.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lucy_Thatcher

The Best Laptop Desks - Logitech Comfort Lapdesk

Despite its name, it is usually quite uncomfortable to use the laptop from your lap. Laptops produce an extraordinary amount of heat, slowing roasting your lap into a pair of friend drumsticks. To solve this problem many companies have come up with laptop desks that are designed to comfortably support your laptop while you sit on a chair, sofa, or bed.

Most of the laptop desks in the market right now are electrically powered. They are usually fitted with some small fans to cool the laptop and come in shades of black and white.

Among the many models available in the market, my favorite laptop desk would have to be Logitech's Comfort Lapdesk. The lap desk is actually a high tech piece of cushion that shields your legs from the laptop's heat. It has a cool, space-age design that is good enough of a reason for anyone to get one of these.

The Comfort Lapdesk does is not electrically powered and does not rely on any fans to cool the laptop. The lower layer of the pad is curved upwards, creating an air chamber that allows air to flow through. This process cools down the laptop. The curvature of the pad also creates minimum contact with your lap. This laptop desk is at contact with your lap at only four points, minimizing the transfer of heat from the laptop to your lap.

According to Logitech's research, nearly 60% of all laptop users use their laptop while they are on a couch. Because of this, the design of the laptop desk is of such that it naturally tilts 12 degrees upwards. Here, you can comfortably use your laptop without having to bend your kneed up.

For more information and reviews of the Logitech's Lapdesk and other great laptop desks, visit: http://laptopdesk.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lucy_Thatcher

Tanning Salons

We have been hearing for generations from our parents "get out there and get some sun"; while they may have felt that this is healthy it is by no means a tanning salon. If you are one of the countless thousands of people each year that have an obsession with the old tanning beds, then you may want to take some time and understand what you are actually getting yourself into. These slim sleek beds that are tucked away in private rooms, are all the rage today. They take very little time for you to become bronze in color, and you do not have to do any work other than show up. While this may seem like an ideal situation for those tan lovers, there are some very serious side effects that can crop up as a result.

A UV Ray Is A UV Ray

No matter how you slice it, a tanning salon is nothing more than a sever concentration of UV rays. The sun is something that emits high traces of UV rays, and the doctors today are warning against too much exposure to the sun. What makes someone think that a tanning bed is actually safer than laying in the sun for several hours? The fact that the tanning salon is a concentrated and confined area of UV rays should be enough of a scare to keep the shops empty. Unfortunately, this is not something that will keep the people away as people still worship those golden appearances. The usual cost for a half hour in a tanning salon is about 30 dollars. If this is cheap enough to cook your skin UV ray style, then there will always be a following.

Started With Tanning Lamps

This trend of the tanning salons is something that actually started in the 70's and 80's with the introduction of the tanning lamps. These lamps that people could utilize at home, were all the rage back then. This is something that has been going on for some time, and for whatever reason people are still not heading the warnings of the medical society. The fact is these tanning salons and tanning lamps are anything but healthy for your skin. They release what out skin is very susceptible too, and this is not something that should be practiced deliberately. When you take the time to think about this, you have to come to the conclusion that people are far more concerned about vanity than health.

Costly Mistakes

One of the most troublesome issues with tanning salons is what it can potentially do to your skin after prolonged use. Doctors and skin specialists urge people not to continue with salon use, as it can result in issues such as skin cancer or deepened sunspots. In some rare cases people have been known to actually receive burns from the tanning beds that they spent time on, and this is something that can be very serious. It does not hurt to do some research prior to deciding if a tanning salon is right for you, some people swear by them and others will not go near them.

Linda Farington writes weight loss, diet plan, health, beauty and general well-being articles for the Lose Weight Reviews website at http://www.loseweightreviews.com

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Five Sure Fire Ways to Experience Success

I talk with a lot of entrepreneurs every week, and I have discovered some common themes that make them successful. Combining these with my own experiences, I've uncovered five main ways to keep you on track for success.

Follow Your Passion

It is not enough to want your own business. You must find the business that you are passionate about! Your business must be in alignment with your personal goals, values and passion. When I was growing up, I was heavily involved in theatre and dancing. I toyed with the idea of obtaining a degree in musical theatre and moving to New York to pursue a career on Broadway. However, I was cautioned not to do this unless I was wildly passionate about it because the rejection was so incredible and the industry was so competitive. Do these obstacles sound familiar? They are very similar to those experienced by entrepreneurs. However, when you do something that you are truly passionate about, it's easy to get out of bed and feel excited and energized by your work! In addition, it is much easier to find ways to stand out in a competitive market and to do great work for your clients.

Have a Vision

In business, it is critical to pay attention to the right details. Planning is crucial to success. It's a well-known axiom that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail, and yet I regularly hear from entrepreneurs who do not plan! Without a plan in place, it is too easy to get distracted by whatever happens to come your way. If the opportunities (seminars, speaking engagements, networking opportunities, article requests, etc) are not in alignment with your vision, they will take you off course, and you may not meet your end goal and your vision will become, well... blurred! Think about this before you say "yes" to the next thing that comes your way. If it is not going to help support your goals for this year, month, or week, your decision should be very easy. Just say no.

Find a Way to Be Held Accountable

Many of us go into business to be able to flex our creative muscle. We like coming up with wonderful ideas, but implementing them is not as fun as the big-picture thinking! Our new idea sounds great, and the potential revenue is exciting, but the tasks we need to do to get there are overwhelming and we can't seem to make any headway on the project! So we procrastinate and find other things to occupy our time, until we eventually take the wonderful creative idea off our "to do" list because we don't want to or know how to do the work to get us there. This is a waste of your creative spirit! Successful entrepreneurs find ways to be held accountable, whether it's through membership in a round table or mastermind group, forming an advisory board, entering a formal partnership or hiring a coach to keep them on track.

Spend Your Time on High-Payoff Tasks

Everyone knows that in order to stay in business, we must continue to bring in revenue. However, many entrepreneurs spend too much of their time doing activities that don't generate income! So what is an entrepreneur to do? Delegate! By outsourcing all the tasks that don't include generating money or building relationships, you will be able to use your newly found time to make more money! Your time for high-payoff activities (planning, forecasting, developing your marketing funnel, training, and so forth) will increase and in turn, your productivity will increase. There are many virtual professionals who you can hire to do the work you need to outsource and could include anything from accounting to administration and beyond. Once you do this the first time, be prepared to be addicted to this concept!

Focus

How many projects do you have going on at any one time? Or worse, how many businesses are you running at one time? I recently met a woman who has three businesses, and she was complaining that none of them were doing well. Gee, I wonder why? Having too many projects at one time, particularly if you do not have a way of managing each of them properly, means that you're likely to become overwhelmed. Pick a project or two and focus on those. You will feel so great to knock something out and will be motivated to continue onto your next task. If you are spread too thin, I can guarantee you that you will sabotage your chances of meeting your goals.

After assessing where you are in these five lessons, you can start to see what you need to focus on. Whether you feel confused, struggle with self-confidence or lack tangible results, I suggest taking action to find out if you're following your passion and determine your measuring stick for success. If you are easily distracted or overwhelmed, I suggest finding a coach who can help you align your goals, priorities and values to create the life and business you desire. By paying attention to these key areas, you can start to shift to creating a business that fits your lifestyle, not one that dictates it, which is one of my personal measures of success.

Meredith Liepelt, President of Rich Life Marketing, publishes Smart Marketing, a free bi-weekly ezine featuring marketing tips, insider secrets and thought provoking articles designed to help the busy female entrepreneur become known as an expert in her field, build trust with clients and prospects and generate more income than ever before. Claim your free subscription today at http://www.richlifemarketing.com

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What Causes the White Spots From Tanning?

Many people find that if they use a tanning bed, they develop white spots. What exactly causes these white spots, and are they serious? Should you be worried about skin cancer?

Fortunately, for most people, these white spots are nothing serious. However, if they spread, you should go to see a dermatologist to confirm what they are.

Usually the spots are caused by pigment (or lack thereof), pressure points, fungus, or a reaction to your medication.

If you never developed these white spots previously and are taking a new or different medication, you should refrain from tanning and contact your doctor. Some medications do not react well to sunlight, especially UV rays from a tanning bed.

One of the primary causes of white spots are the tanning bed itself. Sometimes, the lights are spaced incorrectly, resulting in an uneven tan. If you own the bed, you may be stuck, if you are going to a tanning salon, you can change salons.

Another problem is pressure points. Most people will lie in a bed in one position for the 15 to 30 minutes they are tanning. As a result, they will develop pressure points where their body is in contact with the tanning bed. This results in reduced blood flow to these areas, causing the UV rays to be absorbed differently than the surrounding area. This causes a white spot.

Because they are lying still for long periods in a bed compared to being outdoors in the natural sunlight, more people tend to get white spots from tanning in a bed.

Again, for most people, this is not a serious condition. You can cut back on the amount of tanning, or rotate every few minutes when you use a bed, or apply a sunless stain over the spots to cover them.

To learn more about white spots from tanning, go to http://www.whitespot.cool-home-stuff.com now.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sydney_Heiden

Get Help Buying a Tanning Bed?

Wouldn't it be great to have your own tanning bed so you don't have to keep going to the salon week after week? Owning a tanning bed is not as simple as you might think. First of all, you must make sure to follow the instructions properly, or you could hurt yourself. Failing to heed the manufacturer's warnings can even be life threatening.

You must also consider the cost. Tanning beds are expensive. How many trips to the tanning salon do you normally make in a year? How many years will it take you to save that much money by tanning at home after taking account the energy costs to run the machine and the costs of any maintenance that may be needed? Is it worth it?

What are you gaining by not going to the salon? Why is it that you would rather tan at home? Is the convenience of tanning at home worth the added expense and risks? Do you know how to use a tanning bed, and how to maintain it so that it will continue to run properly?

If you are going to buy a tanning bed, make sure that you are prepared to learn how to use it correctly, keep it maintained and take heed of any warnings that you need to pay attention to.

Be sure to select a tanning bed that matches your lifestyle and budget. There are many types available. Owning your tanning bed can be a great experience if you take the time to consider the options and make sure you are making a choice that will fit well with your home and your life.

For more great info on tanning beds visit http://www.findtanningbeds.com a website offering tips, advice and resources on topics such as wholesale home tanning beds, commercial tanning beds and even choosing the correct tanning bed bulbs plus so much more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_H