Month: April 2018

New York City is the center of arts and history. The city is a world unto itself- has the best of everything from culture, history, art, calligraphy, paintings and other forms of art. New York City has a cornucopia of various artists who are world famous for their unique calligraphic talents.
Some of the most renowned calligraphic artisans of New York City are mentioned below.
Anne Robin started creating calligraphic work since teenage. Anne is most popular in New York City for her expertise in streamlined lettering although she can replicate all the facets of traditional calligraphy. Her usual rates are $3 per envelope and $225 for an invitation template.
Visit Bernard Maisner at Bernard Maisner Calligraphy & Fine Stationery near Columbus Avenue in New York City. Enjoy him addressing your envelopes with calligraphy, design and engraving services. His average rate for engraved invitation sets start from $3,000.
Mary Anne is another promising calligraphic artist in New York City who previously held the prestigious position of President of the Society of Scribes. Her specialty lies in replicating typefaces. In her career she has worked with various experts and in various different calligraphic projects. Whatever she creates it is impeccable and flawless.
Have calligraphy done by Nan DeLuca and enjoy most elegant and stylish designs. Her rates are on average: $4.50per envelopes and $350 per set of customized invitations. This is one of those artists whose work is regularly featured in the magazines and wedding publications of New York City.
Deborah Delaney is famous in New York City for her exceptional expertise in creating stationery and invitations. Completion of an order takes on average two to four weeks. Another artist popular amongst couples is Elana Weinberg. To want best calligraphy on wedding invitations, no one else is better for the job in New York City!
You want fantastic designs done in just two weeks, then contact Cohen! In New York City if anyone can create beautiful creations in eleven different languages- it is only Cohen.Another all rounder artist of New York City is Harriet Rose, who can work on invitations, envelopes, menus, program covers and place cards.

Jeet Kune Do is the famous art of Bruce Lee, and many think that he showcased the art in his films such as Enter The Dragon which he in fact did not. In his many films Lee used more of his Tae Kwon Do kicking that he found suited films as they were flashy, yet impractical for the street defense system that he devised.

You will see many of these high flashy kicks in India from “instructors” claiming to teach the real Jeet Kune Do. Some of these little known instructors notably Ritesh Reddy,Deepak Rao and Seema Rao are all from jkdindia.com which is a not authorized by the Bruce Lee Foundation in any way, nor does the Foundation condone their activities and use of Bruce Lee images and logos. Just so you know jkdmumbai.tripod.com is the same group.
So now you know of what to look out for, how do you find the legitimate teachers located throughout India. This task has become harder in the past few years as more and more un authorized teachers and schools have popped up throughout India.

One good thing is that the Government of India is cracking down on all the false claims and fake schools.
For a school to teach Jeet Kune Do in India legally it has to be organized and or associated with a legitimate Jeet Kune Do group in the United States authorized to teach and recognized as legitimate such as the largest JKD group the World Jeet Kune Do Federation. The World Jeet Kune Do Federation website http://jeetkunedo.org lists instructors who are certified to teach real JKD and has a listing at the bottom of those to watch out for, a couple are from India.

At this time the Bruce Lee Foundation does not have an instructor list like the World Jeet Kune Do but apparently plans to in the future. The World Jeet Kune Do Federation according to sources is the only JKD group to have a formal agreement with the Bruce Lee Foundation.

Another good site to check out is http://jeetkunedoindia.com/ as they are recognized by the Unites States Associations.
One clear sign of an instructor who knows less than nothing is one who goes around talking trash about other teachers. Run far away when you encounter this trait. The philosophy behind these “bad behavior” tactics is to draw attention away from the instructors abilities by changing the focus to someone else. A good instructor does not need to say anything. High quality training and skills speak for themselves. Real JKD teachers don’t drag others down in an attempt to make themselves look competent or important. Still your best bet when checking out a school outside the United States, is to go to a United States based website as this is where all Jeet Kune Do began.

Enjoy your search for authentic Jeet Kune Do in India. Its supposed to be a fun and rewarding experience, just try to stay clear of all the politics and bickering and you will do just fine. If there are no instructors in your area there are some good Jeet Kune Do DVD’s out there you can train with as well.
Be like water my friend… I couldn’t resist.

A successful culinary arts student will require a dash of hard work and a pinch of talent to make a great recipe for a career in the wonderful world of cooking. A fast-paced cooking environment that will require culinary arts students to obtain knowledge quickly and study hard to retain a good amount of information in a very short period of time to accomplish their goals. A cooking profession that revolves around a kitchen environment, there are many colleges and universities around the world that offer degrees and certificate programs to prepare and solve a students career challenge. For the students culinary career, they will learn various skills and cooking techniques while studying the art of cooking. Students in culinary arts can choose from a variety of different cooking programs, also various specialties, and these different specialties have unique techniques and skills necessary for a students career.

Specific types of chefs and their specialties are the order of authority, and are typical in a restaurant kitchen environment. An executive chef has the highest position in the restaurant, and his/her responsibility is in the planning and preparation of the food and meals that are being served to their customers. A typical executive chefs duty is to create a menu, make sure the quality of the food is up to standard and deciding how much food is required for the service. Food preparation and managing a staff are some of the skills students will have to learn and acquire, if their goal is to become an executive chef.

In restaurants, directly supervised by an executive chef, most times, are sous-chefs and they will assist executive chefs with their daily restaurant duties, requesting food and kitchen supplies, planning the restaurant menu. Some of the responsibilities of the sous-chefs are to teach new skills and techniques to a kitchen staff. Supervision of other kitchen personnel such as specialty chefs and cooks are a sous-chefs responsibility. While students study at culinary colleges and universities to become the next future sous-chefs, they will have to learn different cooking techniques and also teaching skills.

Specialty chefs also work in kitchens, and they can specialize in many areas of food including all the meat classes like beef, veal, lamb, poultry and fish to other areas from appetizers to pastries. Specialty chefs will prepare total and complete meals, to decorative food trays, and food garnishes for presentations to customers of the restaurant. Specialty chefs will help supervise other cooks and various staff members in the restaurant kitchen. At culinary arts colleges and universities, students who would like to become specialty chefs will study and learn about all the various aspects and techniques in cooking where they can make a decision on their specific specialty while at college or university.

Part of the professional kitchen staff are normal cooks who do most of the grunt work in regards to the cooking in kitchen restaurants. Cooks will prepare complete meals and then supervise other staff and help in the kitchens. It is a team effort from all kitchen staff to make a restaurant successful. Executive chefs and sous-chefs will start their culinary career as a kitchen cook in restaurants or other cooking locations, and it is usually one of the first steps into a successful culinary career once a student graduates from a culinary arts college or university.

To become aspiring professional chefs in this competitive world, students will prepare and learn all about the various aspects of culinary cooking. The proper techniques in cooking different types of foods, learn what food ingredients compliment one another and more. One of the most important parts of cooking is food safety and food safe courses are taken to make the cooking process food safe. Learn how to prepare food safely, learn proper cooking temperatures for various types of foods and the nutritional benefits, health aspects of different types of foods. Students have to know while preparing food, what is in the foods and how it will affect certain types of people with different health risks.

While fine tuning their cooking skills that students already possess, students at culinary colleges and universities will learn all about these important aspects of the art of cooking.

Collecting Vintage Perfume Bottles: The History of Perfume Bottles

The History and Evolution of Perfume Bottles (courtesy of http://www.perfumes.com/eng/bottles.htm)

Perfume Bottles in Ancient Times

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The enticing scent of the perfect perfume and the eye-catching elegance of the bottle has been an important part of world culture since ancient times. The oldest known perfume bottles came from the Ancient Egyptians. They crafted containers made of stone and alabaster which kept the perfume cool, and prevented the liquid from leaking. The Ancient Egyptians also used clay pots that they sculpted into designs of people and animals.

Perfume was an important part of the Egyptians preparation of the dead. Many of these ancient perfume bottles have been found in tombs. Containers have been found made of wood with different compartments for each perfume.

Glass bottles were also a part of ancient perfume history. They date all the way back to the fifteenth century BC. Perfume bottles made of glass were lightweight, and also prevented the liquid from leaking. Eventually the glass bottles were created in a variety of colors.

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Perfume bottles discovered in Palestine were made of glass, and were designed to have a narrow long neck. These delicate bottles were primarily found in tombs. Larger perfume bottles were also found in tombs because it was believed to mask the smell of the dead bodies.

The Ancient Greeks also made beautiful containers to hold their perfume. They hand painted vases which were often shaped as animals. They used lidded bowls for holding less expensive perfumes.

The Roman’s cherished their perfumes. They used hollowed-out precious stones to carry their most valuable fragrances.

Early European Perfume Bottles

Europeans used many different materials to store their precious perfumes. The most common materials that were used were glass, gold, silver, porcelain, semi-precious stones and shells. Perfume was commonly used in the form of incense. Some incense burners consisted of a container held from chains that was swung like a pendulum during Mass in the Christian Church. Stationary incense burners were also commonly used in Churches.

Some European perfume containers were designed to be worn. Semi-precious stones held perfumes and were pinned to clothing. Silver earrings were worn that contained perfume soaked fabric inside of them. Many containers were designed to be hung around the neck, from a belt, or from a finger ring.

Perfume bottles were handcrafted and designed by artists, jewelers and goldsmiths. Each bottle was gently crafted and designed to be worn, or displayed on a table.

Small wooden boxes were created to hold a sponge soaked with perfume. These boxes would fit inside a pocket and could be taken out and inhaled at any time.

Porcelain was used in the Thirteenth Century. Many highly decorative bottles were created. Boxes were created that included perfume and other essentials. Some boxes contained several bottles of perfumes, a funnel and a mixing dish.

Most fragrances during this time were first sold in inexpensive, plain bottles. Then the perfume was transferred into a fancy bottle at home.

Perfume Bottles of the Early 1800s and 1900s

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The design of perfume bottles made a dramatic change in the late 1800’s. There was a great incline of the arts movement called Art Nouveau. Most Art Nouveau designs consisted of floral motifs, and were primarily used to design the perfume label and box, leaving the perfume bottles fairly traditional in styling.

Several famous pieces of this time were the Bouquet Nouveau, Royal Vaissier, and Cri du Coeur. The Bouquet Nouveau was a Roger & Gallet perfume. It had a square green-glass bottle with an unusual gilded brass casing. Royal Vaissier displayed magnificent Art Nouveau style paper motifs in the form of a fleur de lys designed by Baccarat. Cri du Coeur (Cry from the heart) was a Lorenzy-Palanca powder box. It had a woman-flower image which is a rare high-style Art Nouveau icon.

Belle Epoque was the preferred style for perfume presentations at this time. The style tended to be traditional, cluttered, very elegant and very French. Examples of perfume bottles of this style were Coronis by Monpelas and Roger & Gallet’s Gloire de Paris.

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A new trend in perfume bottles was to create a bottle that looked like a luxurious crystal with an elaborate brass cap. The bottles had classic designs, and the brass caps matched the ornate gold labels and boxes. A few examples of this style were Rose Ispahan and Prince Igor by Riguard, Rose de Chiraz by F. Wolff & Sohn, Stylis by Delettrez, Eros by Richard Hudnut, Le Lilas by Riguard, and Mavis by Vivaudou.

During the 1910’s, there was a noticeable shift in the design of the traditional perfume bottle. The emergence of psychology and new perfume creations led to much more complex perfume bottles and names. The power of suggestion and dreams was having a huge effect on cultures in general, and perfumes were also affected. Perfumes were being marketed for specific times of day, seasons, and people.

Guerlain introduced the perfume “Voila pourquoi j’aimais Rosine” (That is why I loved Rosine). The bottle resembled a vase, and the stopper was concealed under silk flowers. The bottle shape was again used in Guerlain’s “Muguet” (Lily of the Valley). It was later re-introduced in all white with a white ribbon replacing the silk flowers. This presentation was an immediate success. Guerlain later introduced “Le Mouchoir de Monsieur” (The Gentleman’s Handkerchief) which had an innovative bottle with the shape of a triangle and a spiral motif on each side.

Rene Lalique was approached in 1906 by the perfumer Francois Coty to design the bottles for his perfumes. Coty was well established in the perfume industry and desired both beautiful and affordable bottles to hold his perfumes. Lalique was successful in fulfilling Coty’s wishes, and continued to design bottles for his future creations. His most famous designs include Au Coeur des Calices, L’Entrainement and Ambre Antique. He also designed bottles for other perfumers. Some of his most famous creations were developed for Houbigant, Roger et Gallet, D’Orsay, Forvil, and Arys and Molinard.

Other creative perfume bottles of this time were “Rediviva” (Revived) by La Compagnie Francais du Lysogene. It was shaped like a porcelain coffeepot, and the perfume was dispensed through the end of the spout. Illusion was presented by Dralle in 1908. It had a silver case shaped like a lighthouse, and the perfume bottle was held inside of the case.

The Oriental Movement in Paris began in 1910 by Paul Poiret, a famous French fashion designer. Pioret introduced an Oriental style in clothing, furnishings and perfumes. Women, who longed to wear the gowns he designed, but could not afford them, could still wear his perfume. For women who did wear his collections, the perfume was the final touch. Poiret developed a new perfume “Chez Pioret” with beautiful and innovative packaging. The bottle was made of clear glass with a colored glass stopper. It was decorated with gold tassels, and had a new label with a classic “R”. Pioret used his boxes as a tool for expressing the style of the fragrance.

Bichara Malhame was a very successful perfumer in Paris. His famous label on his perfumes portrayed himself seizing a mythological figure of Fortune by the hair. He also appeared on a Baccarat stopper wearing a wig, and appearing as an English judge.

Perfume Bottles of the 1920s

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The 1920’s brought a new era to perfumes. After World War I, many American Soldiers brought perfumes back to the states from Paris. This greatly influenced the perfume market in the United States. The perfume industry expanded rapidly, and many new perfume companies emerged.

Many fashion designers expanded their merchandise by including perfume. Most of these designers knew very little about creating a good fragrance, but they did know about style. They understood the importance of the visual presentation, which became vital to the success of the perfume.

Mascarades were very popular at this time, and had a strong influence on perfume bottles. “Masque Rouge” was introduced in a very modern bottle, and the box had a red mask motif. “Mascarades” by Cherigan came in a black bottle with a golden face under a rain of gold dust. “Arlequinade” was a Rosine perfume which resembled a Harlequin costume. It had gilded and clear triangles on the bottle, and a dark-green Bakelite stopper in the form of Harlequin’s hat and an orange wood tassel.

“Bakanir” was introduced in 1927 by Honore Payan. The bottle was a simple geometric shape with a stopper resembling an exotic headdress. The box was covered with painted leather with a ceramic plaque. It was one of the most luxurious presentations for perfume.

Baccarat perfume bottles were designed using superior quality crystal. They designed bottles for most of the perfume companies during this time. Two of their famous perfume bottles were designed in 1927. “Silver Butterfly” by Delettrez was made of pink crystal with silver ornamentation. It was designed in the shape of a vertical hexagon with an abstract motif. “Astris” by L.T. Piver was shaped as a star, and featured a silver six-pointed motif.

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One of the most famous perfumes, Chanel No 5, was released by Chanel in 1921. The perfume was revolutionary in scent and presentation. The bottle was a very simple design. The perfume was intended to make the masculine world available to women.

Perfume Bottles of the 1930s

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With the stock market crash of 1929, and the depression that devastated the United States, the perfume market slowed down dramatically. There remained a more limited demand in Paris, and only the strongest companies such as Baccarat, Brosse and Lalique were able to continue. The bottles became less elaborate, tended to be conservative and were often machine made.

Perfume bottles during this time were less frequently inspired by nature, and more often reflected Hollywood movies and metropolitan cities. Lalique designed the presentation for “Je Reviens” by Worth. The bottle resembled New York skyscrapers. It was a tall ribbed bottle in dark-blue glass. The stopper was sky blue, and the box had a chrome surface. It was a very modern presentation.

Jean Patou released the perfume “Normandie” in 1935. It was inspired by the luxury ship the Normandie. All First Class Passengers on the ship’s maiden voyage were given a souvenir model of the Normandie. Inside the model of the ship was a crystal bottle of perfume.

Perfume Bottles of the 1940s

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World War II caused another decrease in new perfume creations, as well as a decline in the quality of perfume presentations. After the war, the perfume industry was re-established, and many new perfumers emerged.

Christian Dior and Nina Ricci both presented works of art that strongly influenced the perfume industry. “Miss Dior” by Christian Dior was offered in an elegant clear crystal Baccarat bottle. Dior used a classic look that was elegant and luxurious. Nina Ricci was known for feminine and romantic creations. L’Air du Temps was released in 1948 and sold in a sunburst shaped bottle. The stopper was decorated with a dove. The lid of the box was lined with white silk and depicted a woman and a flying dove. The 1951 box was in the shape of a birdcage covered in yellow silk, and was illuminated by a battery.

Perfume Bottles of the 1950s

http://www.zensoaps.com/perfumesale/C-danatabu.jpg Perfumes once again became inspired by romance in the 1950’s. Salvador Dali designed the bottle for “Monsieur Marquay” by Marquay. The bottle featured an elegant man with a top hat and bow tie. The box was simple white with Dali’s moustache and signature.

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Christian Dior introduced “Diorissimo” in 1956. The special edition bottle was designed by Baccarat. The crystal bottle was in the form of an amphora, and the stopper had a magnificent flower bouquet in gilded bronze designed by Chrystiane Charles.

“Magie” was released by Lancome in 1950. Every Christmas a special edition was released. It was presented in a Baccarat spherical bottle with stars, and a box covered in leather or satin.

Modern Day Perfume Bottles

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Pierre Dinand was the first perfume bottle designer to produce perfume bottles exclusively. Dinand designs bottles with a modern feel, and uses the bottle as an expression of the perfume. He has produced numerous bottles using state of the art plastics, and has transformed perfume bottles in the 1980’s and 1990’s.

Serge Mansau is another modern day perfume bottle designer. He prefers to focus his designs on nature’s beauty. His prize winning bottle for “Montana” was inspired by a maple seed. He has used flowers, stones and waterfalls as ideas for his bottle designs.

Jewelers have also entered the perfume business. Van Cleef & Arpels were the first jewelers to release a fragrance. Cartier followed An Cleef & Arpels with the bottle for Panthere in 1986. Tiffany, Bvlgari, Chopard and Boucheron have also launched fragrances.

Baccarat and Lalique continue to design the highest quality perfume bottles. Perfume bottle collecting has also become very popular. Most collectable perfume bottles come from French perfumes and date from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Modern day perfume bottles are expected to give the feel of the fragrance. The perfume bottle makes the first impression, and often helps the buyer decide if they want to add the fragrance to their personal collection.

Tips for Collecting Vintage Perfume Bottles

Always Keep an Eye out for opportunities to add to your collection! You never know where or when you could stumble upon the perfect bottle to add to your growing collection. Check out estate sales, garage sales, flea markets, antique stores, and specialty vintage perfume bottle websites online. You may even be able to find one or two in your own family, so ask around! What could be more special than a family heirloom perfume bottle in your collection? Decide how you want to collect your vintage perfume bottles. Do you want to only collect a certain brand? Or maybe you want to collect only perfume bottles manufactured during a certain time period? Creating a theme for your collection will make your collection as a whole more valuable and interesting. Do your research. It is good to know a little bit about what you are collecting before you start shopping! This way you will know if you happen to stumble upon a rare, unique find! Knowing a lot about your new hobby will also help you stay engaged. Books such as the Antique Trader Perfume Bottles Price Guide and The Wonderful World of Collecting Perfume Bottles, by Jane Flanagan are great resources for perfume bottle collectors. Don’t discard the mini bottles! When you are shopping for perfume bottles, snatch up the mini sizes of your favorite brands. Sometimes, these are rarer and are worth more than their larger counterparts! Check local events and conventions. You never know when a vintage perfume bottle convention could be coming to a town near you. These are great opportunities to learn more about perfume bottles and find some really great deals and unique bottles. Become a member of the IPBA. The International Perfume Bottle Association. Being a member of this association gives you access to exclusive newsletters and information about vintage perfume bottles. They also hold events each year, including a convention, conference, and perfume bottle auction.

If you aren’t selling equipment, supplies, and apparel at your martial arts school, you are definitely missing out on a significant source of revenue. As a practitioner of good martial arts management, a dojo master should always be looking for ways to further serve the students and sustain the school. The sale of services and products in addition to the core school lessons is an important aspect of any successful school. The dojo store can become a very active and profitable part of your school.

Additional Sources of Revenue

In most businesses, it is important to have a few different revenue streams. This way, if the sales of the main product or service falter in any way and for any reason, the other revenue sources can carry the business, at least for a while. Having a peripheral sales generator for your school is a good insurance policy.

It may seem to you as if setting up the dojo store is a big investment of time and money up front, and it can be if it is done too quickly or too expansively. But having the basic equipment on hand, in popular sizes, can be a quick sale to new or advancing students. You may want to display some of the most popular items, but most items for sale can simply be listed on an order form.

What You Should Stock From the Beginning

Here is some of the equipment you might want to have on hand to sell to your students:

Sparring Gear – depending on the particular martial art you are teaching, this can include head protection, mouth guards, hand and foot pads, and chest and groin protectors. Shin and arm protectors are common as well.

Uniforms – especially if you are teaching children, new uniforms will be in constant demand as they grow. Children can grow into a new uniform size every year.

Dojo Logo Equipment – offer a selection of t-shirts, sweatshirts, baseball hats, bandanas, and equipment bags, all displaying the name and logo of your school. Remember that anyone wearing your logo is advertising your school.

Training Gear – you can offer the basic training gear, such as paddles or even punching bags, along with printed training cards and educational information such as books or DVDs. You should use caution with the quantity of some of these as they can be expensive to stock up front.

Keep the Stream Flowing

You should remind your students regularly about the equipment and supplies you offer for sale. Remind them with a statement in class, post flyers at your school about the sale of equipment, send email notices once in a while to all of your students, and offer periodic sales and discounts. You could even offer coupons for a certain percentage off merchandise as a birthday present and encourage people to purchase gift certificates.

If you advertise your sale of martial arts equipment in the local media, such as the yellow pages, it may even result in an increase in enrollments by getting the name of your school in front of people.

Your students will need to purchase their martial arts equipment from someone; some company down the street or on the Internet. Why shouldn’t it be you? Your dojo store can provide the equipment and supplies that your students need, and provide you with a new and profitable source of revenue, an important part of your martial arts management plan.

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