Empty-Nest Chronicles: The $50 Corsage

My son, who is my youngest child, is a few months away from leaving the nest. For the last couple of weeks we've been preparing for the joyous event by celebrating his 18th birthday, suiting up for his cap and gown, selecting housing for his college dorm and breaking the bank for his senior prom.

Ah, the senior prom. Suit, tie, shoes, socks, haircut, prom tickets and portrait packages can all add up to a hefty bill. The last thing I wanted to do was spend $50 for a corsage. Yes, you read that correctly. I wrote $50 for a corsage. That's what I spent at a floral shop last year when my son went to the junior prom. I later learned that everyone ends up taking off their corsage after pictures and before they hit the dance floor.

This time around I skipped the local floral shop near my corporate job in the city and I found another way. 

Guest Post: 4 Tips to Launch & Preserve Your Personal Brand

(Created by TC's Views via Canva.com)

Depending on what career path you’ve taken, you’ve probably blended into the culture of personal branding. Artists, bloggers, business owners, entrepreneurs, journalist, musicians and writers are just a short list of people who focuses on their individual trademark in the digital world.

OK, so you may think that having a personal brand may be a bit narcissistic. You may be right but you should reconsider especially if you’re trying to increase your chances of making a career move or launching that great idea you’ve been dreaming about. 

In this guest article, Marsha Friedman, who is the author of Celebritize Yourself, shares four things you can do to get your personal brand up and running.  

Money Method: Focus on Your Credit

One last tip to protecting your financial identity

The first weekend of spring prompted me to get out of the house and into the movie theater to see Will Smith on the big screen as a classy, smooth talking, con artist in the romance/drama packed film Focus.

Smith’s character, Nicky, and his crew cleverly stole just about anything of value from their unsuspecting victims. They took credit cards, watches, camera lenses, jewelry, clothes and anything that could be sold online. The movie was a learning lesson and a reminder to
always be on guard with my valuables, but most importantly it reminded me to stay focused on my credit and protect my financial identity.

Art Tip Tuesday: Do You Have a Card?

Stemming off of last week's tip of the importance of having an online presence (see: Artists, Where Are Your Websites?) I thought it would now be ideal to stress how important it is to have your own personal business cards on hand.

You'd be surprised how many talented multicultural artists I've talked to who did not have a business card. I can understand when an artist run out of cards but it baffles my mind when they say they never had them. It shows me that they may not be ready to take their art career to that next level. The level of professionalism.

Art Tip Tuesday: Artists, Where Are Your Websites?

To change things up a bit, I’m stepping away from Rhonda Schaller’s tips for a brief moment. Don’t worry; I have at least seven more of the curator’s tips to share with you in upcoming posts.

As I stroll through art shows, street fairs and art galleries, the main question I hear from art aficionados is, ‘Do you have a website?’ Too many times I hear artists respond with, ‘Oh, I’m working on it. It’s coming.’ But nothing ever comes.

This week I wanted to emphasize the importance of your online presence. It’s one of the key things that will get you into the doors of exhibitions at a museum or an art gallery.