All posts by Caroline Yates

These new engagement ring trends will have your head spinning!

38, diamond, jewelry

Whether you are casually perusing engagement ring styles in hopes of someday perusal or actively looking for an engagement ring to slip onto the hand of someone you love, finding the right ring is both electrifying and terrifying! What if they don’t like it? What if it doesn’t fit? What if they say no altogether?! These are the questions that run through your head as you decide whether or not to buy a ring, and perhaps if you are looking longingly at one, you wonder how best to drop the hint that you like one style over another. Bottom line, the process of picking out this very special ring is one that may take you some time to figure out, but the good news is that there are some super stylish new engagement ring trends happening that will give you plenty of room for creativity so that you will be able to pick out the ring that will make your engagement unforgettable.

1. The Floral Detail Engagement Ring: This ring sports a large centered diamond with flowing florets swinging around the band with tiny diamonds sparkling as they fall around it. This ring looks as if the center diamond was a sun lighting up the world and giving rise to the tiny flowers around the band. This kind of engagement ring is for the ethereal girl who loves the earth and beautiful things, as this beautiful thing is sure to make her say yes!

2. East-West Setting Engagement Ring: This trend can be used in many different ring cuts http://www.aridiamonds.comand its goal is to accent that center diamond, making it look larger because of the horizontal setting. This makes a big difference in the way the ring looks and allows you really see that center stone. Perhaps the best part about this style is that it really can be used on many different styles to help give that center stone a larger look.

3. Colorful Diamond Engagement Ring: Colorful diamonds can be a rare find, depending on the diamond. While some people prefer the more traditional white diamond that shines and sparkles to reflect different colors, a colorful diamond engagement ring will bring a whole new look to the engagement ring world. For someone with an unconventional sparkle in her eye, going with a yellow or pink diamond, might be a great choice. Other gemstones, such as sapphires, or even emeralds and rubies can also be excellent colored stone options without purchasing a colored diamond.

Regardless of which kind of engagement ring style you decide is best for you and your special someone, picking out a diamond that reflects a certain personality is your best bet. Choosing a diamond because of its size or because of its color alone is not enough to make certain that you will be picking out a diamond that really speaks to the qualities of the person you are buying a diamond for. While the element of surprise is nice, make sure that they like it before you spend a lot of money on it!

What is a financial advisor and why do you need one?

38, financial advisor

When it comes to managing your money, most people know how to work out a basic budget. Most folks are well versed in spending and know what they can spend their money on and how they should go about doing it. However, some people just do not know how to manage their money well and some people need a financial advisor or planner to help them work out the best methods for saving their money as well as utilizing their money to the best of their ability. But what exactly is a financial advisor, and what do they do to make sure that your money is being utilized in the best way possible? And when you find a financial advisor, how do you know that they are helping you in the best way possible? How can you be certain that they are helping you to manage your money truly, not just pushing you to make investments that are not actually good for you? That is why you need to know the ins and outs of what a financial advisor can do for you and the ways in which you can be certain that your money is being invested in the best way possible and not just put away in a way that helps the financial advisor.

http://www.legacyfinancialservicesgroup.com/One way to know whether or not you have a financial advisor who is helping you maximize your monetary impact is by looking out for a financial services group that has a strong reputation and that you know will help you to make the very best decisions possible. For example, Legacy Financial Services Group is an excellent firm that truly does help people make the strongest financial decisions for themselves. At Legacy Financial Services, they know that everyone works hard for their money, and they want to be sure that you are able to create your own success. Therefore, they use time tested methods and the very latest in products to help you figure out solutions that fit your specific financial needs. They will not try to put some one size fits all model on you, but rather will take the time to work with you to create the solutions that work for you specifically. They are financial advisors whose goals are to look out for you, first and foremost. They want you to find success in what you do, and they will help you get to that place by helping you achieve your financial goals. Knowing that you have found a company or group that truly wants to make you successful is the first step in knowing that you have found a financial advisor that you can trust.

Second, you should check into the ways that a financial planner or advisor is compensated as well as their certification process. According to the United States Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, any number of professionals are certified to make the kinds of financial advise statements that a financial advisor makes, so be one hundred percent certain that you have found an advisor who not only truly knows about investing, but will also be there to help work for you!

The quest for the eco-friendly deck

38, Centennial Custom Decks, custom deck

http://www.centennialdecks.comWho doesn’t want a beautiful back-yard paradise on which to spend cool spring nights and warm summer evenings? For those with a penchant for the environment, this might not be as simple a question. How can I have both the benefits of a beautiful custom deck and be kind to Mother Earth? Fortunately, deck builders have considered this quandry, and there are a plethora of materials to solve the moral-ecological dilemma!

As a self-proclaimed environmental activist myself, I too wondered growing up if my family’s wooden deck was the best option. What will happen to the deck when it’s rotted away? How can we protect it from the wear and tear the weather imposes upon our summer retreat? And how can it possibly be good for the earth to tear down trees to create such a project?

Timber is clearly a controversial topic. Trees remove carbon dioxide from the air to keep the earth’s inhabitants breathing clean, fresh air. It is a critical component of a functioning ecosystem and forests clearly need to be protected. Pine and cedar have been the traditional woods of choice in the art of deck building, however the clear cutting of these woods have left many skeptical of the sustainability of such material usage. Some would suggest that after the deck is no longer usable that it be recycled or burned and used in some other fashion. However, pressure treated woods cannot be safely used in this manner. Pressure treatments, intended to increase durability against harsh weather conditions and environmental concerns such as termites, contain toxins. Some of these toxins are also used rat poisons, and burning such material releases toxins into the air. Such a reuse, then, is simply not possible. These chemicals are traditional fossil-fuel based, adding oil to the otherwise natural product. Moreover, many woods used to create decks are clearcut from tropical forests, adding another dimension to the problem.

So, what is to be done? There is a solution! Using wood alternatives, such as PVC and composite materials, make it possible not only to protect the environment but also create that backyard paradise we all so crave. Centennial Custom Decks knows this dilemma well and discusses the benefits of such materials across their website. Sweet victory! We can have our cake and eat it too when using such materials. Many companies producing composite wood materials and plastic decking use recycled plastic to create their products. Not only do these materials release us from the need to use our dearly depleted forests, but they actually reduce the waste materials circulating the planet! The downsides to this nearly-ideal substitute is that waste is not compostable. However, the natural wood used in traditional decks cannot fall in this category either following the treatment process.

Your best option, then, in creating both an outdoor paradise and also preserving the great outdoors is in using recycled products that minimize clear cutting and the use of dangerous chemicals. You can create custom desk that gives your children memories for years to come while as preserving the earth for them!

Centennial Custom Decks