Pick pocketing has become a crime some youths in Abuja have taken to. CHIKA MEFOR writes on her experience with Abuja pickpockets and why people should be watchful as everyone is a suspect.
Of course, I have heard about pick pocketing. I have been warned to clutch my bag tightly when moving around Abuja. I have been warned to be very careful when boarding a bus but nobody warned me about doing the same thing when alighting the bus. I should have known better. So when eventually it happened to me, I felt stupid instead of enraged.
It was on a bright Sunday afternoon, when one would have thought that pick pockets should be in church seeking for the forgiveness of their sins but they were still at work despite the scant commuters at the bus stops. I was carrying a travelling bag, which the conductor, for reasons I wasn't aware of, decided not to deposit in the boot of the vehicle. I had two more handbags. When, the bus got to Wuse bus stop from Kubwa, because the travelling bag was heavy I asked the conductor to help me bring it down.
Before other passengers and I could alight from the bus, about three people raced towards us trying, or should I say faking; to help me carry the hand bags, urging me to board their vehicle. I was still waiting for the conductor to bring down my travelling bag from the bus but it seems as if it was taking him ages. He stood still looking at the touts. I was wondering what's fascinating about the touts that he didn't care to bring down my bag when immediately I looked at my hand bag and noticed that its side zip was opened and my phone gone. It just disappeared. I looked up but all the touts have disappeared.,cheapcanadagoose produced during the 1970s and early 1980s did feature quartz movements, My phone has gone with the wind. But the story was just beginning. I looked towards the boys and was trying to pinpoint the likely thief when suddenly the conductor told me: "It should be one of those people smoking." I looked sideways and saw three young men in their mid-20s, shabbily dressed and smoking cigarettes. I took a deep breath and wondered how I would confront them. But somehow, I mustered up courage and was walking up to the young men when the conductor took off, ran ahead of me to meet one of the young men. I don't know what transpired between them but I saw one of them bring out my phone and hand it over to the conductor.
I couldn't but thank God for helping me find my phone but I never knew that I still had another issue to get it out of the conductor. He wanted money for retrieving my phone. How much do I pay as ransom? I brought out N200 but he refused to and wanted more. But the people around there urged him to take the money and he did.
A friend of mine had even a worse experience. While my phone disappeared from my hand bag, his disappeared from his breast pocket.
Okey was at a bus stop waiting for a bus that was taking ages to appear. He decided to while away time by listening to music with his phone. He had his phone in the front pocket of his shirt, with an earpiece stuck in his ears. Immediately a bus came, people rushed to board the bus, including Okey. When he sat down, he realised that the music he was listening to had stopped playing. He checked his breast pocket and the phone was gone with the wind. Okey ended up losing his phone, and worse still, he never did board the bus as he alighted to search for his phone.
Pickpockets have very light and fast fingers that can pick your pocket or your bag without you having a fink of what is happening. The famous fictional Oliver Twist never got to learn the trade despite tutelage by Fagin and his gang. He never got the grip of it not because he wasn't sharp but because he had a conscience. Successful pickpockets have no conscience. They have fast fingers that can pick through one's pocket or bag.
"That is how they work. They are too fast and smart," Kayode Smart, another victim said. "When they strike, you feel nothing but you actually lost a lot. They left me stranded one fateful day. I had gone to University of Abuja for some business. When I finished, I took a bike to the park, paid the bike man and collected my change. I added it with the N2000 I had already on me and placed everything in the back pocket of my jeans. I wanted to board a bus but decided to check my money first, lo and behold, my cash was gone."
According to Kayode, he was lost for a long time over what to do. He had to call some of his friends who sent him airtime aka recharge card which he sold at a phone booth. "That was how I got home. I never did know what happened; I never knew how my money got missing. They are so fast that you feel nothing."
Everybody is a suspect when it comes to pick pocketing. Like AIDS, it's not drawn on anyone's face. It could be anyone. The idea is for one to be careful and wary of everyone. Mama Nkechi, a fruit seller in Wuse market, has this advice for everyone, "People should make sure that they do not put valuable things in their side bags. If they do, they should be sure to keep that side close to their body., alexanderwangreplica offer a wide selection of Replica Watches of all popular Replica Watches brands including Replica Bell & Ross Watches, Another important thing is to avoid putting one's money in one's back pocket. It is an easy and inviting target for pickpockets. Many have lost valuables because of carelessly handling of their valuables," she said.
2012年1月12日星期四
Restyling furs
DORIS Randall hadn't worn her brown bomber mink coat in ages. Her full-length shearling coat got even less use — she wore it about twice in the 15 years since her husband gave it to her.
She considered giving the garments to charity before discovering Seleh's De Federal Hill, a tailor and furrier specialising in remodelling leathers and furs.Offering a huge selection of shoppingbagfactory online store. A few months later, Randall had a new three-quarter-length coat for herself and a contemporary-looking mink vest with black sweater sleeves that she gave to her daughter.
"It was a lot like putting together a puzzle," the Pikesville, Maryland, resident said. "They made it work, and made something that we are both enjoying. I've been able to get a lot of wear throughout the winter. I saw the vest on my daughter the other day."
The days of bulky furs are over. Cost-conscious consumers, environmental concerns and changing fashion trends have made recycling and refashioning furs a popular option in recent years. As a result, a growing number of furriers, designers and boutique owners are cashing in on the trend and are catering to a new crop of customers.
Furs are prime candidates for refashioning; people typically don't throw them away because of their costs and sentimental feelings associated with the garment, according to Karen Groner, an adjunct professor specialising in leather design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Groner, who has 30 years of experience in the business, also owns Grownbeans, a small Manhattan studio that specialises in suede, leather and fur.
"We associate wearing (fur) coats with it being a special occasion," Groner said. "There's a real attraction. They are associated with happy times. ... People want to hold on to that memory. But they also want to keep up with the style. Fashion changes. A coat doesn't look good with those ‘80s shoulder pads."
Seleh Rahman, owner of Seleh's De Federal Hill, said remodeled fur projects are up 75 percent at his shop.
"The last three seasons, it has been a big-ticket item," Rahman said from his South Charles Street workroom, where he was in the process of lengthening a mink coat. His assistant was putting the finishing touches on the fur-trim collar accents of a cashmere coat.
Rahman takes older, heavier furs and turns them into thinner, more contemporary-looking jackets and vests. He's also known for his ability to create virtually any garment from fur pieces, including handbags, decorative trim for jean jackets and bow ties.
"It's a complicated process," said Rahman, who has operated the business for the last 36 years. "You have to be really skilled, so that the furs can match and look correct. Really, you only get one shot."
The labor and skill required to complete a fur redesign doesn't come cheap, and projects can cost several thousand dollars.
"It takes a lot of work to rework a coat," Groner said. "You have to completely take it apart and completely put it back together. And then you pray that it holds up."
A complete fur redesign project usually takes about four to six weeks. During this time, pelts are restored, oiled, and refashioned. Customers typically meet with the designer several times for fittings and to discuss pattern options.
Mano Swartz, the Green Spring Station furrier, offers a "Mano-makeover," in which the company promises to repurpose outdated furs into contemporary lightweight pieces in four to six weeks. Prices range from $450 for a pull-string caplet to $2,750 for a reversible coat.
"It's much less expensive to redo something than to buy something new," said Debbie Swartz, the designer and buyer at Mano Swartz. She noticed a significant spike in refashioned and repaired furs three years ago. "It's really nice to be able to show them the options that they didn't know existed."
The downturn in the economy has also increased business for shops that can restore coats, saving owners the cost of replacing them.
Erin Hopkins has had her eight-year-old black mink coat repaired by Rahman a couple of times in the past few years, including having the pockets repaired and the sleeves redone.
Why hasn't she given the coat away?
"I worked hard for that coat," the Federal Hill resident said with a laugh. Hopkins' husband gave it to her as a reward for attending 15 University of Texas football games with him. "It took me 19 years to get that coat."
Fur has also remained a staple in fashion, especially in the colder months, and designers have shown it some love recently. Gucci's 1970s-inspired fall and winter lines for 2011 and 2012 seem to have jump-started the latest fur resurgence, according to fashion experts.Buy fendireplica online at Goldsmiths quality jewellers. As a result, many designers scrambled to find fur to accent garments.
Swartz points to Gucci's collection when helping customers choose new ways to refashion older garments. "I try and show our customers what is going on in fashion now," she said. "Some customers really get it and love it."
Karen Garalde, a Baltimore-based designer who specializes in using eco-friendly materials,This privacy statement discloses the privacy practices for nylonbagfactory321. has also been following the trends and is in the process of designing several pieces using recycled fur.Buy these louisvuittonleatherhandbags on line.
"This season I knew that I wanted to play with more texture," Garalde said. "I love vintage fur. I thought it would be fun and interesting. I noticed that there has been a huge trend for fur this season."
Garalde, who has made garments from items such as coffee filters and salvaged fabrics, said she has few reservations about using vintage furs.
"Since it's not new, I feel better about it," Garalde said. "I know that it is sustainable. That's what makes me more intrigued to use it."
Environmental implications played a large factor when Hampden boutique owner Linda Pfleiderer decided to carry Harricana, a Canadian-based line of recycled fur products.
"We loved the concept of recycling and giving new life to things that would be thrown away," said Pfleiderer, who co-owns In The Details, a men's and women's boutique that has been open less than a year. "We thought it was a really cool line."
Customers have responded favorably, purchasing handbags, fur accented hats, scarves, and cross-body bags. Pieces range from $26 up to $514.
Her customers "are really into the fur, and they are into the recycled aspect. It's really good for the environment," Pfleiderer said. "And they are getting really cool-looking pieces."
Above all, customers like the look of recycled fur pieces, according to merchants.
"I love when customers come in and say they never wore it, and now it is their everyday coat," Swartz said. "That makes me so happy. We can always craft a coat. There is always something we can do."
Randall, the Pikesville resident who had two of her furs redesigned, is pleased with her new garments.Purchase Swiss Brands goodfendihandbags and enjoy luxury feeling.
"I consider him an extremely lucky find," she said of Rahman. "I was going in blind. I was extremely pleased. My friends have beaten a path to his door."
She considered giving the garments to charity before discovering Seleh's De Federal Hill, a tailor and furrier specialising in remodelling leathers and furs.Offering a huge selection of shoppingbagfactory online store. A few months later, Randall had a new three-quarter-length coat for herself and a contemporary-looking mink vest with black sweater sleeves that she gave to her daughter.
"It was a lot like putting together a puzzle," the Pikesville, Maryland, resident said. "They made it work, and made something that we are both enjoying. I've been able to get a lot of wear throughout the winter. I saw the vest on my daughter the other day."
The days of bulky furs are over. Cost-conscious consumers, environmental concerns and changing fashion trends have made recycling and refashioning furs a popular option in recent years. As a result, a growing number of furriers, designers and boutique owners are cashing in on the trend and are catering to a new crop of customers.
Furs are prime candidates for refashioning; people typically don't throw them away because of their costs and sentimental feelings associated with the garment, according to Karen Groner, an adjunct professor specialising in leather design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Groner, who has 30 years of experience in the business, also owns Grownbeans, a small Manhattan studio that specialises in suede, leather and fur.
"We associate wearing (fur) coats with it being a special occasion," Groner said. "There's a real attraction. They are associated with happy times. ... People want to hold on to that memory. But they also want to keep up with the style. Fashion changes. A coat doesn't look good with those ‘80s shoulder pads."
Seleh Rahman, owner of Seleh's De Federal Hill, said remodeled fur projects are up 75 percent at his shop.
"The last three seasons, it has been a big-ticket item," Rahman said from his South Charles Street workroom, where he was in the process of lengthening a mink coat. His assistant was putting the finishing touches on the fur-trim collar accents of a cashmere coat.
Rahman takes older, heavier furs and turns them into thinner, more contemporary-looking jackets and vests. He's also known for his ability to create virtually any garment from fur pieces, including handbags, decorative trim for jean jackets and bow ties.
"It's a complicated process," said Rahman, who has operated the business for the last 36 years. "You have to be really skilled, so that the furs can match and look correct. Really, you only get one shot."
The labor and skill required to complete a fur redesign doesn't come cheap, and projects can cost several thousand dollars.
"It takes a lot of work to rework a coat," Groner said. "You have to completely take it apart and completely put it back together. And then you pray that it holds up."
A complete fur redesign project usually takes about four to six weeks. During this time, pelts are restored, oiled, and refashioned. Customers typically meet with the designer several times for fittings and to discuss pattern options.
Mano Swartz, the Green Spring Station furrier, offers a "Mano-makeover," in which the company promises to repurpose outdated furs into contemporary lightweight pieces in four to six weeks. Prices range from $450 for a pull-string caplet to $2,750 for a reversible coat.
"It's much less expensive to redo something than to buy something new," said Debbie Swartz, the designer and buyer at Mano Swartz. She noticed a significant spike in refashioned and repaired furs three years ago. "It's really nice to be able to show them the options that they didn't know existed."
The downturn in the economy has also increased business for shops that can restore coats, saving owners the cost of replacing them.
Erin Hopkins has had her eight-year-old black mink coat repaired by Rahman a couple of times in the past few years, including having the pockets repaired and the sleeves redone.
Why hasn't she given the coat away?
"I worked hard for that coat," the Federal Hill resident said with a laugh. Hopkins' husband gave it to her as a reward for attending 15 University of Texas football games with him. "It took me 19 years to get that coat."
Fur has also remained a staple in fashion, especially in the colder months, and designers have shown it some love recently. Gucci's 1970s-inspired fall and winter lines for 2011 and 2012 seem to have jump-started the latest fur resurgence, according to fashion experts.Buy fendireplica online at Goldsmiths quality jewellers. As a result, many designers scrambled to find fur to accent garments.
Swartz points to Gucci's collection when helping customers choose new ways to refashion older garments. "I try and show our customers what is going on in fashion now," she said. "Some customers really get it and love it."
Karen Garalde, a Baltimore-based designer who specializes in using eco-friendly materials,This privacy statement discloses the privacy practices for nylonbagfactory321. has also been following the trends and is in the process of designing several pieces using recycled fur.Buy these louisvuittonleatherhandbags on line.
"This season I knew that I wanted to play with more texture," Garalde said. "I love vintage fur. I thought it would be fun and interesting. I noticed that there has been a huge trend for fur this season."
Garalde, who has made garments from items such as coffee filters and salvaged fabrics, said she has few reservations about using vintage furs.
"Since it's not new, I feel better about it," Garalde said. "I know that it is sustainable. That's what makes me more intrigued to use it."
Environmental implications played a large factor when Hampden boutique owner Linda Pfleiderer decided to carry Harricana, a Canadian-based line of recycled fur products.
"We loved the concept of recycling and giving new life to things that would be thrown away," said Pfleiderer, who co-owns In The Details, a men's and women's boutique that has been open less than a year. "We thought it was a really cool line."
Customers have responded favorably, purchasing handbags, fur accented hats, scarves, and cross-body bags. Pieces range from $26 up to $514.
Her customers "are really into the fur, and they are into the recycled aspect. It's really good for the environment," Pfleiderer said. "And they are getting really cool-looking pieces."
Above all, customers like the look of recycled fur pieces, according to merchants.
"I love when customers come in and say they never wore it, and now it is their everyday coat," Swartz said. "That makes me so happy. We can always craft a coat. There is always something we can do."
Randall, the Pikesville resident who had two of her furs redesigned, is pleased with her new garments.Purchase Swiss Brands goodfendihandbags and enjoy luxury feeling.
"I consider him an extremely lucky find," she said of Rahman. "I was going in blind. I was extremely pleased. My friends have beaten a path to his door."
2012年1月11日星期三
The Comic Sans Project Rethinks Your Least Favorite Font
If you were alive during the '90s, you probably remember the Comic Sans Golden Age, when Comic Sans became the Everything Font. It was everywhere. Lavatory signs told you to wash your hands in Comic Sans. Newsletters declared official business statements in Comic Sans. Evangelical church pamphlets struck Jesus into you in Comic Sans, poetry you wrote when you were about fourteen years old was dramatic in Comic Sans, and signs that used an excess number of apostrophes advertised their "HUGE NUMBER'S OF CAR'S ON SALE" in Comic Sans.
That's when everyone decided they'd had enough.,cheapcanadagoose produced during the 1970s and early 1980s did feature quartz movements, Sites like BanComicSans.com ("Putting the sans in Comic Sans") and ComicSansCriminal.com ("Helping people like you learn to use Comic Sans appropriately") started appearing on the Internet. Your hip mom and girdle-wearing gym teacher think that Comic Sans is atrocious. Even the most corporate of corporates, Google, had its own little hip maniacal laugh when, last April Fool's Day, if you Googled "Helvetica," all of your search results would turn up in Comic Sans. One hundred sad faces in Comic Sans can only begin to describe the sadness of that day.
But now, Comic Sans is coming back. Why? Give something enough time and it becomes just ironic enough., alexanderwangreplica offer a wide selection of Replica Watches of all popular Replica Watches brands including Replica Bell & Ross Watches, It's kind of why we all started wearing jeggings again. When I was in fifth grade everyone laughed at me because my pants were either always light blue jeggings or dark blue jeggings. Little did they know I was actually ten years ahead of fashion (I'm still waiting on my sweater-turtleneck-jean-vest combos to come back, honestly).
Enter the Comic Sans Project. The Project is put together by a group of "Comic Sans defenders." In their words: "We fear no fonts and we will make the whole world Comic Sans." Yeah, it's kind of … cult-like. But the purpose of the website is to re-design current icons and logos using Comic San, from the Burger King logo to Atari to H&M. Does the world look better with this much Comic Sans? Probably not. Is the world a better place because of this much Comic Sans? No, I don't think so. But I'm sure you can appreciate the Comic Sans Project enough to let it satisfy your ironic hipster heart — seeing this much Comic Sans in one place is likely to delight that little gothic-poetry-writing ten-year-old you (by that I mean I) used to be.
Some of the my favorite redesigns are below — go to the Comic Sans Project website to Comic Sans-ify your life.
That's when everyone decided they'd had enough.,cheapcanadagoose produced during the 1970s and early 1980s did feature quartz movements, Sites like BanComicSans.com ("Putting the sans in Comic Sans") and ComicSansCriminal.com ("Helping people like you learn to use Comic Sans appropriately") started appearing on the Internet. Your hip mom and girdle-wearing gym teacher think that Comic Sans is atrocious. Even the most corporate of corporates, Google, had its own little hip maniacal laugh when, last April Fool's Day, if you Googled "Helvetica," all of your search results would turn up in Comic Sans. One hundred sad faces in Comic Sans can only begin to describe the sadness of that day.
But now, Comic Sans is coming back. Why? Give something enough time and it becomes just ironic enough., alexanderwangreplica offer a wide selection of Replica Watches of all popular Replica Watches brands including Replica Bell & Ross Watches, It's kind of why we all started wearing jeggings again. When I was in fifth grade everyone laughed at me because my pants were either always light blue jeggings or dark blue jeggings. Little did they know I was actually ten years ahead of fashion (I'm still waiting on my sweater-turtleneck-jean-vest combos to come back, honestly).
Enter the Comic Sans Project. The Project is put together by a group of "Comic Sans defenders." In their words: "We fear no fonts and we will make the whole world Comic Sans." Yeah, it's kind of … cult-like. But the purpose of the website is to re-design current icons and logos using Comic San, from the Burger King logo to Atari to H&M. Does the world look better with this much Comic Sans? Probably not. Is the world a better place because of this much Comic Sans? No, I don't think so. But I'm sure you can appreciate the Comic Sans Project enough to let it satisfy your ironic hipster heart — seeing this much Comic Sans in one place is likely to delight that little gothic-poetry-writing ten-year-old you (by that I mean I) used to be.
Some of the my favorite redesigns are below — go to the Comic Sans Project website to Comic Sans-ify your life.
Local sports fan turns passion into a Chicago-based sports retail shop
Can't get enough of your favorite Chicago sports team? Hometown Sports and Novelties in Westchester can help deck out your wardrobe or accessorize almost anything with their extensive collection of Chicago sports teams' goods. From the Bulls to the Bears and Blackhawks, and also the coveted crosstown rivals, the Cubs and the White Sox, owner Carlos Arriola's shop has everything.
Arriola first got the idea for the shop when he and his partner at the time were traveling around to festivals and shows showing sports action figures and other novelties. Before long, it turned into T-shirts, then hoodies and so on. The duo thought they should open up their own shop instead of traveling around everywhere to sell their goods.
Although his partner backed out, Arriola couldn't let go of the idea, and opened Hometown Sports and Novelties in 2007 in Westchester. His first location was so small he didn't have room for all the sports goods at once and would have to change out the clothing and apparel with the seasons.
"When my sister brought the baby carriage in,Offering a huge selection of shoppingbagfactory online store. we were gridlocked and couldn't move," he said.
A few years later, a bigger and better location opened up on Cermak and Arriola jumped at the opportunity to expand his business.
Baby-sized baseball jerseys occupy the front right corner of the store and the center is flooded with everything from Bears winter jackets to Blackhawks T-shirts. It's impossible to miss the beer koozies, kitchen sets, banners, flags and even a White Sox version of Mr. Potato Head.
"I'm a consumer, too," Arriola said. "I know what I want. I hate walking into a store and being overwhelmed or if there's too much or not enough. I think I can provide what the people want."
Owning and managing a business may seem like a lot for one person to handle, but Arriola can handle plenty. He has a second job that keeps him busy during the day before heading to his shop at night.Buy fendireplica online at Goldsmiths quality jewellers. He works as a self-proclaimed "pencil-pusher," generating invoices, purchasing orders and billing invoices.Purchase Swiss Brands goodfendihandbags and enjoy luxury feeling. Basically, he spends 15 hours a day and seven days a week working at one job or the other.This privacy statement discloses the privacy practices for nylonbagfactory321.
"Sometimes I missed being on the motorcycle with my friends and vacations with my family, but this is retail,Buy these louisvuittonleatherhandbags on line." he said. "It puts a strain sometimes, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. If I could, I'd walk away from my other job and do this full-time."
Part of the reason Arriola still does both is the strain the economy has put on small businesses. One thing that keeps the shop going is that sports fans are generally prioritize sports goods on the top of their "needs" list.
"Whatever it takes, whatever he has to cut back on, he's going to buy the jersey, he's going to tailgate, he's going to eat up a storm before the game and he's going to wear his color proud," Arriola said.
For Arriola, everything Chicago is his color — hence the Chicago-themed sports store.
"Some people might think I'm suicidal because there's no variety here, but I'm focused on Chicago," he said. "I grew up in the city, I know the city, and I live and breathe Chicago. I know Cermak is not Michigan Avenue, but to me it is. To me, I finally made it."
Arriola first got the idea for the shop when he and his partner at the time were traveling around to festivals and shows showing sports action figures and other novelties. Before long, it turned into T-shirts, then hoodies and so on. The duo thought they should open up their own shop instead of traveling around everywhere to sell their goods.
Although his partner backed out, Arriola couldn't let go of the idea, and opened Hometown Sports and Novelties in 2007 in Westchester. His first location was so small he didn't have room for all the sports goods at once and would have to change out the clothing and apparel with the seasons.
"When my sister brought the baby carriage in,Offering a huge selection of shoppingbagfactory online store. we were gridlocked and couldn't move," he said.
A few years later, a bigger and better location opened up on Cermak and Arriola jumped at the opportunity to expand his business.
Baby-sized baseball jerseys occupy the front right corner of the store and the center is flooded with everything from Bears winter jackets to Blackhawks T-shirts. It's impossible to miss the beer koozies, kitchen sets, banners, flags and even a White Sox version of Mr. Potato Head.
"I'm a consumer, too," Arriola said. "I know what I want. I hate walking into a store and being overwhelmed or if there's too much or not enough. I think I can provide what the people want."
Owning and managing a business may seem like a lot for one person to handle, but Arriola can handle plenty. He has a second job that keeps him busy during the day before heading to his shop at night.Buy fendireplica online at Goldsmiths quality jewellers. He works as a self-proclaimed "pencil-pusher," generating invoices, purchasing orders and billing invoices.Purchase Swiss Brands goodfendihandbags and enjoy luxury feeling. Basically, he spends 15 hours a day and seven days a week working at one job or the other.This privacy statement discloses the privacy practices for nylonbagfactory321.
"Sometimes I missed being on the motorcycle with my friends and vacations with my family, but this is retail,Buy these louisvuittonleatherhandbags on line." he said. "It puts a strain sometimes, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. If I could, I'd walk away from my other job and do this full-time."
Part of the reason Arriola still does both is the strain the economy has put on small businesses. One thing that keeps the shop going is that sports fans are generally prioritize sports goods on the top of their "needs" list.
"Whatever it takes, whatever he has to cut back on, he's going to buy the jersey, he's going to tailgate, he's going to eat up a storm before the game and he's going to wear his color proud," Arriola said.
For Arriola, everything Chicago is his color — hence the Chicago-themed sports store.
"Some people might think I'm suicidal because there's no variety here, but I'm focused on Chicago," he said. "I grew up in the city, I know the city, and I live and breathe Chicago. I know Cermak is not Michigan Avenue, but to me it is. To me, I finally made it."
Retail Therapy
Actress Mila Kunis, of Black Swan, That 70s Show and Family Guy fame (she's the voice of Meg), is the new face of Christian Dior. Appearing in the campaign for the new Miss Dior handbag,With all of the miumiuhandbags sales rampant, Kunis joins her Black Swan co-star Natalie Portman as a Dior representative - Portman features in the campaign for Miss Dior Cherie fragrance.
Online insight
World has opened an online store, allowing internet access to a small selection of the label's fashion, beauty and quirky giftware. Each object is accompanied by a short video clip from Garth Badger ensuring something of the mood of the selection is conveyed. Check it out here.
Spray away
For 50 years, Elnett hairspray has been a favourite of stylists and women around the world. In the 1960s it was first to deliver a fine, supple formula and then, to meet changing needs, pioneered an Extreme Hold version for the 80s and a Flexible formula for the more natural 90s. L'Oreal is celebrating Elnett's half century with three versions of the soft-touch, brush-out spray in its retro-look tall gold can.
Now available in Normal Strength, Absolute Extreme Hold and Very Volume Supreme Hold, Elnett is stocked in selected pharmacies and department stores for $19.99.
Price drop
Kiehl's has dropped the price on much of its skin and haircare, saying this is because of the American heritage brand's growing global success. Whatever the reason, it is good news for fans of the hitherto rather pricey-in-New Zealand range which is stocked exclusively at Smith & Caughey's, Kirkcaldies in Wellington and Ballantynes in Christchurch. Among examples of the new prices are its Lip Balm #1 moving from $22 to $19 dollars and a large bottle of the renowned Creme de Crop Body Cream falling from $94 to $62.
Brand protection or control freakery?
New year; new fashion spat. And it's a big one. Louis Vuitton - the mother of all luxury brands - celebrated the dawn of 2012 by ding-dong-merrily initiating a lawsuit. This was aimed not, as one might imagine, at one of the many counterfeiters selling copies of its monogrammed bags, but at Warner Bros Entertainment Inc.
According to Women's Wear Daily, Vuitton alleges that Warner Bros ignored its pleas to cut the airport scene featuring fake bags in The Hangover Part II where Zach Galifianakis travels with luggage stamped with "LVM" and warns his co-star: "Careful, that's Louis Vuitton", from the DVD release of the film. The fact that his character is more likely to be carrying fleas than the real thing has no clout, apparently. Vuitton insists the scene may cause what it describes as "consumer confusion" to viewers of the film nonetheless. Warner Bros has yet to comment.
Vuitton is seeking profits from the film, which grossed roughly $580 million, and triple damages. Warner Bros is also being asked to destroy all copies of The Hangover Part II along with promotional materials that include the scene in question. Whichever way you choose to look at it, such posturing on the part of this fashion behemoth is debatably worth the price of any legal fees (they'll be huge, clearly) and that applies whatever the eventual outcome may be. But isn't it just a little over the top? Can these few slapstick seconds really harm such a renowned reputation? I once asked Patrick Louis Vuitton, one of the last remaining family members to work with the company, how to tell the difference between a real Louis Vuitton bag and a copy.
His answer? "The Louis Vuitton product speaks for itself, for its quality.Just go ahead and try and shop around for canadagoosejackets. Through the elegance of the product and the elegance of the person who carries it one can easily identify whether it is real.Trade Leads for canadagooseparkajackets, Search ecplaza.net for buying and selling leads,"
And that says it all.
- Susannah Frankel, The Independent
VIP Viva
Win Jacob's Creek Cool Harvest wines and tickets to the Heineken Open Men's Tennis Finals.
Tennis is a game of true character and though most of the focus is on the players, Jacob's Creek also celebrates the crowd and their passion, pride and support for their favourite players and this great game.
Jacob's Creek is proud to partner with Tennis Auckland for the Heineken Open. Jacob's Creek is a proud sponsor of tennis around the world, from the Australian Open and Wimbledon Tennis, the Shanghai ATP Masters, Hong Kong Tennis Classic, Dubai Tennis Championships, PPT Thailand Open, Swedish Open and the Stockholm Open.Read reviews of Australias top fakerolexwatches from our user community.
Be in to win two premium reserve tickets to the final of New Zealand's premier international men's tennis event, the Heineken Open, courtesy of Jacob's Creek and a twin pack of the new Jacob's Creek Cool Harvest range of wines. Harvested in the cool of the night, Jacob's Creek Cool Harvest wines are crisp, light and delicate in style. The Heineken Open Final is on Saturday January 14 and winners must be able to get themselves to the ASB Tennis Centre, Tennis Lane for the 1pm start time.
To enter the Jacob's Creek competition, prize value $245, visit nzherald.co.nz/vivagiveaways, follow the prompts on screen and enter this week's keyword, "Tennis". Entries close Jan 12 2012.There is one amazing online store with 100s of travelingbagfactory . (Winner will be contacted by phone). You must be 18 years or over to enter. Terms and conditions apply.
Online insight
World has opened an online store, allowing internet access to a small selection of the label's fashion, beauty and quirky giftware. Each object is accompanied by a short video clip from Garth Badger ensuring something of the mood of the selection is conveyed. Check it out here.
Spray away
For 50 years, Elnett hairspray has been a favourite of stylists and women around the world. In the 1960s it was first to deliver a fine, supple formula and then, to meet changing needs, pioneered an Extreme Hold version for the 80s and a Flexible formula for the more natural 90s. L'Oreal is celebrating Elnett's half century with three versions of the soft-touch, brush-out spray in its retro-look tall gold can.
Now available in Normal Strength, Absolute Extreme Hold and Very Volume Supreme Hold, Elnett is stocked in selected pharmacies and department stores for $19.99.
Price drop
Kiehl's has dropped the price on much of its skin and haircare, saying this is because of the American heritage brand's growing global success. Whatever the reason, it is good news for fans of the hitherto rather pricey-in-New Zealand range which is stocked exclusively at Smith & Caughey's, Kirkcaldies in Wellington and Ballantynes in Christchurch. Among examples of the new prices are its Lip Balm #1 moving from $22 to $19 dollars and a large bottle of the renowned Creme de Crop Body Cream falling from $94 to $62.
Brand protection or control freakery?
New year; new fashion spat. And it's a big one. Louis Vuitton - the mother of all luxury brands - celebrated the dawn of 2012 by ding-dong-merrily initiating a lawsuit. This was aimed not, as one might imagine, at one of the many counterfeiters selling copies of its monogrammed bags, but at Warner Bros Entertainment Inc.
According to Women's Wear Daily, Vuitton alleges that Warner Bros ignored its pleas to cut the airport scene featuring fake bags in The Hangover Part II where Zach Galifianakis travels with luggage stamped with "LVM" and warns his co-star: "Careful, that's Louis Vuitton", from the DVD release of the film. The fact that his character is more likely to be carrying fleas than the real thing has no clout, apparently. Vuitton insists the scene may cause what it describes as "consumer confusion" to viewers of the film nonetheless. Warner Bros has yet to comment.
Vuitton is seeking profits from the film, which grossed roughly $580 million, and triple damages. Warner Bros is also being asked to destroy all copies of The Hangover Part II along with promotional materials that include the scene in question. Whichever way you choose to look at it, such posturing on the part of this fashion behemoth is debatably worth the price of any legal fees (they'll be huge, clearly) and that applies whatever the eventual outcome may be. But isn't it just a little over the top? Can these few slapstick seconds really harm such a renowned reputation? I once asked Patrick Louis Vuitton, one of the last remaining family members to work with the company, how to tell the difference between a real Louis Vuitton bag and a copy.
His answer? "The Louis Vuitton product speaks for itself, for its quality.Just go ahead and try and shop around for canadagoosejackets. Through the elegance of the product and the elegance of the person who carries it one can easily identify whether it is real.Trade Leads for canadagooseparkajackets, Search ecplaza.net for buying and selling leads,"
And that says it all.
- Susannah Frankel, The Independent
VIP Viva
Win Jacob's Creek Cool Harvest wines and tickets to the Heineken Open Men's Tennis Finals.
Tennis is a game of true character and though most of the focus is on the players, Jacob's Creek also celebrates the crowd and their passion, pride and support for their favourite players and this great game.
Jacob's Creek is proud to partner with Tennis Auckland for the Heineken Open. Jacob's Creek is a proud sponsor of tennis around the world, from the Australian Open and Wimbledon Tennis, the Shanghai ATP Masters, Hong Kong Tennis Classic, Dubai Tennis Championships, PPT Thailand Open, Swedish Open and the Stockholm Open.Read reviews of Australias top fakerolexwatches from our user community.
Be in to win two premium reserve tickets to the final of New Zealand's premier international men's tennis event, the Heineken Open, courtesy of Jacob's Creek and a twin pack of the new Jacob's Creek Cool Harvest range of wines. Harvested in the cool of the night, Jacob's Creek Cool Harvest wines are crisp, light and delicate in style. The Heineken Open Final is on Saturday January 14 and winners must be able to get themselves to the ASB Tennis Centre, Tennis Lane for the 1pm start time.
To enter the Jacob's Creek competition, prize value $245, visit nzherald.co.nz/vivagiveaways, follow the prompts on screen and enter this week's keyword, "Tennis". Entries close Jan 12 2012.There is one amazing online store with 100s of travelingbagfactory . (Winner will be contacted by phone). You must be 18 years or over to enter. Terms and conditions apply.
2012年1月10日星期二
Twinsety handbag will be a big hit in the spring!
Handbag trends come this spring with many new ideas. And many of them to build our wallet with the fact that the bags will be buying direct investment. It's not just that you love as more expensive and upmarket brands.Our authenticsunglasses are the highest quality and most durable replicas available . Hit, which will now be introduced, will compel you to buy just one bag instead of two, or even the whole series. The trend is in fact so. "Bag on Bag",Buy Iwc schaffhausen iwc from canadagoosejackets1. or purse in your handbag.
Handbag twinsety are what this spring will need to obtain. Large purse fill in the minority, to which you as a laptop, tablet,,goodlancelhandbags In Viena Store is one of the best online storesHigh quality replica jimmyhandbags of well known brands . or cables and accessories for your electronic "toys". Bag handbag purse can be a cosmetic bag.
Trend "Bag on Bag" offers sometimes a bag which is literally only a visual reduction of its "great mother", but sometimes you play more and created what we see in Creation handbag Jil Sander. Specimen of black wheels, which refreshes the otherwise white handbag on her shoulder, the then appears as a separate leaf bag in black leather wheels form a zipper in the hand. minimodlok When you're neither a leaf bag for ball or party dress, you can use it as a cosmetic bag and carry it in your handbag.Buy canadagoosecheapjackets from top rated stores.
Sometimes even using the new Twinset than two bags at once. Especially if one part is twinsetu bag in hand, into which you laptop without a problem, business files and all other large and then smaller shoulder bag for your belongings: mobile phone, keys and makeup.
Handbag twinsety are what this spring will need to obtain. Large purse fill in the minority, to which you as a laptop, tablet,,goodlancelhandbags In Viena Store is one of the best online storesHigh quality replica jimmyhandbags of well known brands . or cables and accessories for your electronic "toys". Bag handbag purse can be a cosmetic bag.
Trend "Bag on Bag" offers sometimes a bag which is literally only a visual reduction of its "great mother", but sometimes you play more and created what we see in Creation handbag Jil Sander. Specimen of black wheels, which refreshes the otherwise white handbag on her shoulder, the then appears as a separate leaf bag in black leather wheels form a zipper in the hand. minimodlok When you're neither a leaf bag for ball or party dress, you can use it as a cosmetic bag and carry it in your handbag.Buy canadagoosecheapjackets from top rated stores.
Sometimes even using the new Twinset than two bags at once. Especially if one part is twinsetu bag in hand, into which you laptop without a problem, business files and all other large and then smaller shoulder bag for your belongings: mobile phone, keys and makeup.
rial starts for local flea market sued by Louis Vuitton
Designer brand icon Louis Vuitton expects to see its high-dollar collections of clothing and accessories showcased in the fashion houses of New York, Paris and Milan.
But at a San Antonio flea market? Not so much.
In a rare federal lawsuit trial that began Monday, the French company is taking on the operators of the Eisenhauer Market, owner Bruce L. Gore and manager Pat Walker, alleging they contributed to trademark infringement by allowing vendors to sell knockoffs imitating the brand.
Louis Vuitton sued last year and is seeking $2 million for each of the nine marks it says were infringed, foGreat selection christianhandbags of brand replica watches.r a total of $18 million. This, the defendant's lawyer argues, from a market that has been in existence since 1979 and charges vendors about $200 to $250 a month for one of its more than 250 spaces.
Harry R.I had to say that the news of authenticlouisvuittonhandbag promotion. Schafer, a lawyer for Louis Vuitton, said in opening arguments that the company sent investigators to the Northeast Side flea market who repeatedly found up to 15 vendors selling counterfeit Louis Vuitton items.
He said the market had been warned about it before and after Gore, a contractor from Georgia, bought it in 2006. But the market did nothing,Wholesale replicalvhandbags for high quality wholesale New ERA Hats products. Schafer said.
"All he had to do was stop leasing space to the counterfeiters," Schafer said, adding that Gore instead gave them a second chance. "The second chances he was giving was at Louis Vuitton's expense, and they were at his benefit because he continued to get rent money."
But Ted Lee, a lawyer for the market, described Walker, the market's on-site manager, as a simple woman with only a high-school education who doesn't own any Louis Vuitton items. She is not trained to identify the marks, Lee said, adding that based on statements from a Louis Vuitton investigator, that would require "intense" training.Learn more about Largest Discount christiandiorreplicahandbags,
Lee said it was impossible for her to investigate each of the hundreds of thousands of items sold there by vendors.
By comparison, Louis Vuitton does $25 billion in annual sales but is "trying to force someone else to do its job" of enforcing its trademark, Lee said.
"The market did everything Louis Vuitton wanted them to do," Lee said. "They put up (warning) signs and evicted tenants. It's just that they didn't do it as quickly as Louis Vuitton wanted it done." The company should go after the vendors instead but "has not sued a single infringer or counterfeiter" because it knows flea market vendors come and go, or they don't have deep pockets, he said.
In December 2005, at the behest of Louis Vuitton and other companies, federal agents raided a booth at the market, two storage units and a home and seized more than 11,000 counterfeit purses, handbags, wallets, sunglasses, apparel, watches, jewelry – and the machinery used to imprint designer labels on the merchandise. Records of the two-year investigation showed the brands imitated included Louis Vuitton, Prada and Burberry.
In a civil forfeiture case, the vendors, Zhuo Min Xie and his wife, Hsiu Chu Chu, gave up the items, two cargo vans and $350,000 in cash. Chu later pleaded guilty to federal charges and was sentenced to 10 months, with credit for time served. Xie, in a letter addressed to the sentencing judge, took all the blame, asked for leniency for his wife, and said he was going into hiding.I am a bit confused about purchasing my next chloehandbag through a website.
But at a San Antonio flea market? Not so much.
In a rare federal lawsuit trial that began Monday, the French company is taking on the operators of the Eisenhauer Market, owner Bruce L. Gore and manager Pat Walker, alleging they contributed to trademark infringement by allowing vendors to sell knockoffs imitating the brand.
Louis Vuitton sued last year and is seeking $2 million for each of the nine marks it says were infringed, foGreat selection christianhandbags of brand replica watches.r a total of $18 million. This, the defendant's lawyer argues, from a market that has been in existence since 1979 and charges vendors about $200 to $250 a month for one of its more than 250 spaces.
Harry R.I had to say that the news of authenticlouisvuittonhandbag promotion. Schafer, a lawyer for Louis Vuitton, said in opening arguments that the company sent investigators to the Northeast Side flea market who repeatedly found up to 15 vendors selling counterfeit Louis Vuitton items.
He said the market had been warned about it before and after Gore, a contractor from Georgia, bought it in 2006. But the market did nothing,Wholesale replicalvhandbags for high quality wholesale New ERA Hats products. Schafer said.
"All he had to do was stop leasing space to the counterfeiters," Schafer said, adding that Gore instead gave them a second chance. "The second chances he was giving was at Louis Vuitton's expense, and they were at his benefit because he continued to get rent money."
But Ted Lee, a lawyer for the market, described Walker, the market's on-site manager, as a simple woman with only a high-school education who doesn't own any Louis Vuitton items. She is not trained to identify the marks, Lee said, adding that based on statements from a Louis Vuitton investigator, that would require "intense" training.Learn more about Largest Discount christiandiorreplicahandbags,
Lee said it was impossible for her to investigate each of the hundreds of thousands of items sold there by vendors.
By comparison, Louis Vuitton does $25 billion in annual sales but is "trying to force someone else to do its job" of enforcing its trademark, Lee said.
"The market did everything Louis Vuitton wanted them to do," Lee said. "They put up (warning) signs and evicted tenants. It's just that they didn't do it as quickly as Louis Vuitton wanted it done." The company should go after the vendors instead but "has not sued a single infringer or counterfeiter" because it knows flea market vendors come and go, or they don't have deep pockets, he said.
In December 2005, at the behest of Louis Vuitton and other companies, federal agents raided a booth at the market, two storage units and a home and seized more than 11,000 counterfeit purses, handbags, wallets, sunglasses, apparel, watches, jewelry – and the machinery used to imprint designer labels on the merchandise. Records of the two-year investigation showed the brands imitated included Louis Vuitton, Prada and Burberry.
In a civil forfeiture case, the vendors, Zhuo Min Xie and his wife, Hsiu Chu Chu, gave up the items, two cargo vans and $350,000 in cash. Chu later pleaded guilty to federal charges and was sentenced to 10 months, with credit for time served. Xie, in a letter addressed to the sentencing judge, took all the blame, asked for leniency for his wife, and said he was going into hiding.I am a bit confused about purchasing my next chloehandbag through a website.
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