This book provides a comprehensive history, complete descriptions, and current value guide for objects that are romantic reflections of the past and present: ladies' compacts, vintage and vogue. The diversity of materials, styles, shapes, decorative techniques, and workmanship is described and shown for more than 2,000 specimens in over 1,000 full color photographs. Included are gadgetry compacts, cosmetic cases in combination with watches, compasses, music boxes, hatpins, canes, cameras, bracelets, pendants, and more. In addiiton, there are commemorative, premium, and souvenir compacts, important patent applications, original compact advertisements, dating by patent number, and a comprehensive list of American and foreign manufacturers. Included too are a glossary, bibliography, and an index. Vintage Ladies' Compacts 2nd Edition is an excellently researched picture reference guide for collectors, dealers, museums, jewelers, libraries, and students ofcostume. 2001 values. AUTHORBIO: Roselyn Gerson, known as "The Compact Lady" is the founder of the Compact Collectors Culb and editor and publisher of the newsletter, Powder Puff. She is the author of the first book written on ladies' compacts, Ladies' Compacts of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, and Vintage Vanity Bags & Purses, Vintage Ladies' Compacts, Vintage & Contemporary Purse Accessories, Vintage & Vogue Ladies' Compacts, Second Edition, and The Este Lauder Solid Perfume Compact Collection, 1967 to 2001. REVIEW: This book showcases manymore beautiful examples of ladies' compacts not shown in the author's previous edition. Updated values have been included, as well as new information not available at the time of the first edition's printing.

Today; Starbucks ‘brewing’ a new strategy. Why? Because they have finally figured out that the $100.00 a cup coffee boat is stinking and it’s sinking. In early March they are starting a new marketing strategy, they will now be selling instant coffee for under a $1.00.
Now this is a company that has consistently racked us the consumer over the beans with high prices for way too long. CEO Howard, you rode us like a mule plowing the crop for the last time. With your high priced fancy named cups of JOE.

Then McDonald’s slipped in while you were golfing at the Country Club on our hard earned dollars... and socked it to you...with their own fancy coffee line for a lot less.

I’m not a McDonald’s fan, but I’ve always liked their low cost good coffee.
Why am I talking about Starbucks? Because their over priced product is out reach for someone in debt.

The problem with having eyes is that you can see all of the commercials flashing before you telling you buy, buy, buy.

Here are my suggestions, this is primarily going out to someone that wrote me this morning with the subject marked urgent.

Dear Urgent,
I felt the panic in your letter, and I thank you for trusting me with your personal information. But after reviewing your letter I thought about all of the people that could be helped by reading my story. So my reply is made public to reach out to everyone that can and will possibly benefit from my failure.

My personal story started 30 years ago with me in college and living off of my one and only credit card. My parents had given me the card for emergencies only, while out of state.

I was born and raised in Denver, Co.

Anyway, I was young and I didn't know how to manage money, like most kids.

That is why students can get sucked into the credit card debt across the globe.

I don’t really remember how I got behind in my living expenses’ but I was using the card for everything gas, clothes, food, books, rent...

Until one day my mom called me and said that the card was over the limit… to my surprise... I didn’t even know it had a limit. :)

She told me she had closed the account and she ordered me to cut up the card immediately.

And she said "if you can't afford to live out of state, pack your car and bring your a** home."

I needed to figure out what I was going to do. Fast. I really enjoyed living far away from my parent’s strict rules and regulations, and I wanted to prove to myself that I could make it on my own.

So I finished school living on smoothies, cereal, bread and water, literally!

I had a job as a waitress, making just enough to pay my bills, with very little left over.

I was living in a one room compartment; I wouldn’t call it an apartment because you could sit on the bed and cook dinner on the hot plate. Nope it didn't come with a kitchen.

But because I was determined to make it, I stuck it out.

I started working my new job as a surgical tech, with hours from 3:00 am to 12:00 pm.

Now, I was looking for a new job. I just couldn't keep getting up at 1:30am to go to work.

I would read my neighbors’ paper every morning then put it back in front of their door.

Finally a breakthrough, there were lots of jobs for Flight Attendants. My though was what an awful job… but the pay wasn’t bad and I could see the world. I love adventure. So I applied...

And the rest is history. I have been with the same company for 29 years and I love my job. I have been a Purser for the last 6 years. This means my primary destination is out of the USA. When I leave for work, I'm going to Aisa or Europe.

however that doesn’t mean it can’t come crashing down any day.

I am a realist. Nothing is a sure thing except death and taxes.

I believe in continued education in something you enjoy.

If you can’t afford to go to college turn a hobby into a business.

Be creative. But here is how you can start on the road to clearing up debt one bill at a time. But you must make some important changes, right away.

1)Cut up all credit cards, use a debit card.

2)Remember that we only wear 20% of the clothes in our closet, no new clothes.

3)All extravagant spending has to stop; spa or club memberships must be cancelled.

4)Dining takes place in the home with your family, no restaurants.

5)This is a good time to diet also, no high priced packaged foods; vegetables are about the cheapest thing in the supermarket.

6)No high priced sodas, liquor beer or wine, yep water with some lemon, tea or coffee. A big can of Folgers is about $8.00 and that’s about 30-40 cups of coffee.

7)I don’t have a home phone, I use Skype on the computer and my cell and that’s it. Skype.com Skype to Skype is free on the pc.

8)For exercise take your camera out to the local park and walk the park looking for things to photograph, the more you shoot the better you’ll get.

9)My photography teacher in High School would give us an assignment every Friday, He would write on the board 10 different place that we had to take a photo.

my migraine has not gone away. i woke up in utter pain, partially in surprise that it hadn't gotten any better in the least. i've been swallowing ibuprofen like candy (no more than 6 a day you say? HA), and nothing's happening. even now as i'm typing at 22:00, my head still hurts.

i didn't go to work again today, but i know if i call in again tomorrow i'll just get in trouble. they are only compassionate until they start to wonder if you're faking, and then there's no way to convince them unless they're in your home watching you curled up in fetal position because it's the least painful way to lie.

i think i was supposed to return my rental car today. i'm not sure. i guess i'll find out when i return it tomorrow if i walk away a little broker than before.

i also finally got a quote in a 2010 mazda, and in digging around the interwebs have discovered the MSRP isn't much above the invoice price. how am i supposed to haggle with such tight restrictions?

8/6/09 17:04