Tuesday, April 20, 2010

The value of money

With the increase in the U.S. deficit and national recession it is no wonder people know whether to place value on money anymore at all. Both sides of the coin has it's up-sides and down sides. For example, a lower dollar value would increase our exporting business by making our products easier to purchase by nations around the globe. Increased business would then further increase the demand for our exports as they have not in the past been attainable to the high labor costs associated with products and services provided by this country. This would expand the market of consumers that would not have previously known about U.S. brands and companies and create a larger demand.

Their expansion is extremely useful and one example of this is the United States with most of our products deriving from China which has expanded its markets by keeping production costs down. China has cut the costs of exported goods such as tariffs, duties and labor so that they remain the best option for international businesses. Not only has China cut costs as low as possible, but they have been scrutinized for keeping the value of the Yuan as low as twenty percent less than those of the global market. This was done in order to guarantee their place as the world‘s largest exporter.

If the value were to be increased after the demand has risen, it could help to pay for a lot of the debt that has accumulated over the past decade due to our economic fall of recession, low turnout on exports, and the wars being fought around the world. This bounce back would help the U.S. economy to bounce back from the sky high deficit and keep it known as one of the world’s leading economic countries and economic force.

Good and bad shopping experiences, cont'd.

One of the worst shopping experiences that I have ever had was when I was shopping with my guy for a pair of jeans. The two of us had a long conversation about how jeans should look fit and feel. He has the figure of a male model but insisted on wearing jeans that were too big, too high, and made him look as if he had a really saggy butt. So after finally talking him out of his previous pairs, we looked at several stores until we finally found one that he felt comfortable and liked the merchandise. The sales people that helped us were very courteous and helped him to choose a few pairs of jeans to try on for size. They were having a buy 1, get 1 half off sale at the time. We found two pairs that he liked and fit well. He went home pretty happy and I was happy for him.

After one wash we quickly realized that the jeans were not pre-shrunk and that he needed a larger size. This particular brand that we found had about six other locations around the city. Upon returning the item with receipt-in-hand the jeans were exchanged regardless of the condition to ensure that he left with the right size. The style was a little different but they were the same denim color and wash. Happy again, we headed home. I had him try on the new style which did not fit him at all even though they were his size. Another exchange had to be made. This time though a sales associate said that they were unable to do another exchange because it was from an exchange receipt. The jeans stayed in a bag, in the car for about two months.

The bad turned to good when, luckily, one night out on the town, my guy happened to meet a manager of one of these stores. He told the manager the story who said to bring the jeans into his store and there would be no problems exchanging them. When he finally did the store manager he had met got on the intercom calling everyone to the counter letting them know that exchanges such as these are to be made with out question. By this time the weather had changed and it was already warm. They helped him find a pair of shorts for the same price, which he loves!

Good and bad shopping experiences

One of the best shopping experiences I ever had was when I went to buy some underwear at the Fashion Show Mall. It took me forever to find pairs in my sizes and two to three sales girls helped me out with fining them. Not only did I have trouble finding the styles that I liked, but finding them in my size was another adventure. They probably spent a good portion of an hour looking through bins, the back room and racks for me. We went back and forth with variations in color, fit, and combinations to get the better sales prices.They were extremely helpful. I kept telling them not to worry about it but they were determined to by look through every last pair! After all that time went by I was so very grateful to all the ladies that helped me. Upon arriving home I was going through them, looked at one of the tags, and noticed that we had accidentally grabbed the wrong size in one of the pairs. I did not get a chance to stop by the store for almost a week.

When I finally did, it was right before closing time and they still let me come into the store. I had gotten off of work a little early and wanted to see if they had received anymore underwear in a similar style and color in my size. They didn’t have it, but helped me to find another pair that I liked and would fit me. At the register I was asked if I wanted to get the matching bra as part of a promotion they were having that week. The promotion was to buy two bras for $48 dollars, one cost $49.99. So I walked out with two bras for $1.99 less and they gave me coupons for each of the following three months to come.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Hello and welcome everyone!

Hey everyone! I’m Nina Baker. Born in San Francisco, but raised here in fabulous Las Vegas. After graduating from Durango High, I joined the military for five years and came back home to regroup with loved ones, attend college, and share my experiences. Currently, I am working as a beauty advisor at Bare Escentuals on the Las Vegas Strip. I will be there for two years in July of this year. At the Art Institute of Las Vegas, I am working on my bachelor’s degree in business and majoring in fashion management. I will also be finishing my associate’s degree in Science with a design major. Going to an Art college has been fun and definitely been interesting experience, but I really enjoy my time traveling and shopping while on my way around the Las Vegas Valley, going to other states and visiting abroad. Traveling the world during my time in the United States Navy, I found my love for fashion from seeking out different styles worn around the world.

I am available for your make-up and/or styling needs throughout the U.S. Southwest area. I am also available for any make-up or personal styling for which I can be of assistance for your everyday life or special event. If your make-over or special event calls for further assistance, I can also recommend local hair stylists and photographers in which I have worked closely to ensure a complete look or package. Please feel free to contact me for any questions that you may have and to post any fashion from your lives that move you. I would love for everyone to share fashion that they like or have found interesting and be a part of my journey for great fashion, places, and experiences. Thanks for joining me on my blog! :)