Won Me

Green building has taken on a new direction as several colleges and universities have started to employ various measures in applying eco-friendly ways in structuring their campuses.

Some examples include East Los Angeles College’s 5,952 solar panels and Santa Clara University’s yarn carpet tiles, glass solar chimney, and floors with 14-inch supports that allow air circulation.

Other colleges and universities have turned to using environmentally-friendly building products like perforated solar fins, recycled redwood, and geothermal walls.

The move to green building is an answer to social responsibility and a response to the growing concerns about the effects of global warming.

More than just being a fad, the green building initiative has managed to raise the environmental consciousness of students. Several student bodies have even agreed to suggest a raise in school fees to help pay for green building constructions.

It is important to note that when East Los Angeles College started constructing their solar panels, many were quite pessimistic while some commented on the amount of money the college was wasting. But since the East Los Angeles College community was determined to set an example and to show positive results, they never gave up.

Their efforts have clearly paid off as more and more colleges and universities are taking their side of the matter.

CEMEX air quality commitment is shown in the company’s Ohio plant.

CEMEX is committed to improving air quality.

Cemex California was recently recognized for land stewardship.

There are so many details that need to be considered to make your wedding day an absolutely incredible experience for you, your family, and your friends. You want to try and make every moment memorable for all of your loved ones that you have invited to share in your special day. I am going to discuss how you can make the table decorations really catch their eyes from the minute they walk in the door until they glance over their shoulders to get one last look before the day is done.

Since I have been making wedding days sparkle with Swarovski crystal centerpieces, I have come up with many of the ensembles through my own creativity. I have also gotten myriads of ideas from working with the brides themselves as I make their imaginations come to life. All of the arrangements and pieces that I will speak of in this article are only the beginning, please let your imagination run wild as you read this article and think of what is possible.

Lets start with the bouquets and floral arrangements on your tables at the reception. Swarovski crystal stems are very versatile, the stainless steel stems can be bent to work into arrangements that tower over the tables with calla lilies, the stems can be cut shorter to nestle in the center of roses, or even fall over the edges to mock ivy that dangles below the blooms.

Crystals can be incorporated in the ensemble by adding them to your décor with votive cups and candles that have Swarovski crystal “flat backs” glued to them in the shape of little hearts or wedding rings. I always thought it would be pretty to set a table with either bowls or tall, slender vases with floating candles in them. You could put loose crystals in the bottom of the water, and then set the decorated votives around them with tea lights. Doing this would make a very simple and elegant setting for a formal or informal wedding reception. One of the wonderful characteristics of Swarovski Crystals is that they are very brilliant, even in very low light.

Another way to have some sparkle on the table is to have crystals as your favors. The crystals will enhance the theme at everybody’s place setting and give them a memory of the day that they’ll have for years to come. You could put Swarovski Crystal Wine Glass Markers on everyone’s glass; just imagine how pretty it would look when they are all raised for the toasts. You could also use Swarovski Crystal Napkin Rings as a way to bring glamour to the table and have a light-on-the-wallet but heavy-on-the-glitz favor for all of your friends and family to take home.

As I said in the beginning, this is only a scratch to the surface of possibilities that can be created from crystals. It is very easy to create a very glamorous and whimsical setting using crystals that will last in your heart and mind forever.

Penny Olson is the owner and designer for Brilliant Wedding Jewelry, specializing in crystal wedding favors and gifts.

Ask anyone who has planned or hosted a wedding in the past several years, and you will most likely hear that the cost of weddings has gotten completely out of control.

Many weddings today can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and that does not even count the cost of the honeymoon!

== Shop Wisely And Never Giving Up Quality To Save A Buck ==

With wedding costs this high, many brides to be and their families are looking for practical advice on how to trim costs without sacrificing the quality of the celebration.

After all, no one wants a wedding that appears cheap or cheesy, so it is important to shop wisely, and to never give up quality to save a few bucks.

One place where you can combine low cost and high quality is in the choice of wedding favors. There are actually quite a number of cheap wedding favors that look quite beautiful and elegant. If you shop around carefully, you should be able to find some beautiful, elegant, and cheap wedding favors for your special day.

== Wedding Favors That Include Food ==

Among the least expensive, but most appreciated, wedding favors, are those that incorporate food.

Whether you choose a handsome tin filled with fresh baked cookies, an inexpensive basket full of fresh baked brownies, or a plastic champagne flute or wine glass filled with fine chocolates, your guests will appreciate your thoughtfulness, and you will appreciate the money you save.

== The Main Attraction Of Serving Food ==

One of the main attractions of food based wedding favors, aside from the culinary aspects, is that the ingredients for these cheap wedding favors can be purchased inexpensively from the grocery store and your local discount retailer.

For instance, you could purchase some inexpensive baskets and some cellophane from your local discount store, bake as many brownies as you need to fill the baskets, and create some elegant looking but very inexpensive wedding favors for your gifts.

Your guests will appreciate your thoughtfulness, enjoy the brownies, and have a lovely basket to use around the house.

As you can see, you need not give up quality, or look cheap, in order to save money on wedding favors. It is quite possible to create wonderful wedding favors that will be appreciated for years to come, even on the tightest of budgets.

Shaunta Pleasant is a professional writer and editor on wedding planning topics. Visit my site to learn more about planning the perfect wedding at http://www.best-wedding-plan.com/cheap_wedding_favors.html

Two heads are better than one, so sit down with your spouse and plan out your financial future together.
Prioritize your bills.

By determining which bills to pay in which order, you’ll get in the habit of making sure your essentials are always paid first.

Be careful using credit. Sometimes a financial crisis will come not because of a layoff, but because you’re overextended. Most people can afford to devote 10 percent of their net income (after taxes) to installment debt, not including mortgage or rent payments. If you pay out more than 15 percent, you need to cut back.

Establish an emergency fund. Open a savings account and start “paying yourself” 10 percent of each paycheck.

What happens if we run into an emergency and our emergency fund isn’t enough?

Don’t panic. When facing a financial crisis, stay calm. This will help you think logically and you’ll avoid unnecessary arguments with your spouse.

Quit spending money. When faced with a financial challenge, it’s easy to use your credit cards. But you may run up your balance to the credit limit and not be able to afford the payments, which will result in a poor credit ratingsomething you won’t want during a crisis time.

Prioritize your bills. Pay essential, or survival, bills first: food, mortgage or rent, utilities. Next, pay car insurance, medical needs, child support, and any loans such as automobiles and furniture that are secured as collateral.

Then pay the nonessential billsthose debts in which no immediate consequences occur if paid late: credit and charge cards, attorney, medical, and accounting bills, newspaper and magazine subscriptions, life insurance, childcare, gyms, or clothing.

Communicate with your creditors. If you can’t pay your bills or can only pay a partial amount, your creditors may be able to help you to establish a repayment plan.

Some lenders will allow you to defer one payment a year, meaning the payment for that particular month doesn’t have to be made. The deferred payment is added to the end of the contract.

Take notes of any conversations with creditors, listing the date and person with whom you spoke. Whatever arrangement you make, get it in writing from the creditor before you send in money.

Know your rights. Many collection agencies are in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. To get a copy of this legislation, visit www.ftc.gov. If you feel you’ve been violated, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at their website.

Find outside help. Many churches and Para church organizations run programs to help you navigate through financial troubles.

A debt management company may also be able to help you reduce your payments, lower your interest rates, and pay off your debt faster than trying to do it yourself.

Such companies can also negotiate with your creditors to bring your accounts current if they’re past due.
Avoid bankruptcy. Bankruptcies should be your last resort. A bankruptcy can remain on your credit report for up to 10 years.

Nathan Dawson writes for http://www.marriedfinances.com and http://www.successfulmarriageresource.com, great online sources for marriage and finance information.