Spicy Sauzarita

• 1 part frozen limeade
• 1 part water
• 2 parts beer
• 1 part Sauza Blue Reposado 100% Agave Tequila
• A few dashes of your favorite hot sauce Sugar, salt, cayenne pepper (to rim glasses)

Directions: In a pitcher, combine 1 can frozen limeade concentrate, 1 can water, 2 beers, 1 cup tequila and a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce. Chill and serve in glasses rimmed with sugar, salt and red pepper. Garnish with the cutest chili you can find. Enjoy!

Banana Margarita

Serves 8

• 1 can of frozen Pineapple-Orange-Banana Juice
• 1 Can Sauza Gold Tequila
• 3 Frozen Bananas
• The juice of 3 limes
• 2 cans of light beer

Directions: Combine the first 4 ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into a pitcher, add beer and stir with a wooden spoon. Serve over ice.

Cucumber Margarita

Serves 4

• 3/4 cup Sauza Blue 100% Agave Tequila
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced
• 6 ounces fresh lime juice
• 2 ounces DeKuyper Triple Sec
• 2 ounces simple syrup

Directions: In a pint glass, muddle together sliced cucumber (except for and Sauza Blue Tequila. Let sit in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Strain the cucumber tequila and combine with all ingredients in a pitcher. Stir and serve over ice. Garnish with reserved cucumber slices

Blackberry Margarita

Serves 6

• 2 cups fresh blackberries
• 3/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup simple syrup
• 1 1/2 cups Sauza Silver Tequila Ice
• 4 cups sparkling blackberry soda Sugar

Directions: In a blender, puree 1 cup fresh blackberries with 3/4 cup lime juice and 1/4 simple syrup. Strain into a cocktail shaker, add the tequila and ice and shake to chill. Rim Champagne flutes with sugar. Place 2-3 whole blackberries (fresh or frozen) in each glass. Pour each glass 1/3 full with the Blackberry-Lime-Tequila mixture. Top with chilled Blackberry soda. Salud!

And hey if an actual margarita isn’t your thing, you can always bake some margarita cupcakes. Check out all the Margarita Cupcake Recipes on pinterest.

Looking for more margarita recipes or more information on National Margarita Day visit www.nationalmargaritaday.com.
photo credit Lee Coursey

1. Gorilla-pod
   All photographers will have a tripod but only a very few will have gorilla-pod, so it will be a best choice for gift. This gorilla pod comes in lot of shapes and sizes. Since it is flexible we can use this to shot in some difficult places, where tripod is a tough one to use. Price ranges from 20$ to 100$.
2. 8GB mobile wi-fi memory card
   This is one of the most common gift ideas for a photographer. This wi-fi memory card allows you to transfer the photos or videos directly from the camera to PC, tablet or mobile without any connection. Price ranges from 60$ to 80$.
3. Camera lens shoot glasses
   For the photographer who likes to knock back a shot on a cold winter night, this is the perfect gift. This makes the photos more attractive. Price is also less than 20$.
4. Pelican photography case
   This is the best case for travelling as it is dust proof, waterproof and crush proof. It has a lot of space for your camera, lens and other accessories. Price at 160$, this will be a best gift for a travel photographer.
5. Photography book
   Lots of learning books are available on photography, so you can present a book if he is a beginner. You can also present a collection books for a pro photographer.
6. iPhone telephoto lens
   It is one of the best sellers in the market. It comes with a case and tripod. This will be an apt for a person with iPhone. Price of this kit is $35.
7. Rock Scene: A history of rock n roll through photos
   This book showcases the rock n roll photos of well known rock n roll photographer Bob Gruen. He is considered as one of the best rock n roll photographers. This book captures the photos of greats in concert for 40 years. This book is also voted as a best photography book of the year. Best present if the person loves concert photography.
8. Nik software complete collection for lightroom 7 aperture
   This is the best plugin source for lightroom and aperture. This is an award winning and highly rated software package at a price of $240. This is best package for doing post processing works, so you can present it to any type of photographer.
9. Cool photographer T-shirts
   You can also present some funny or cute T-shirts to a photographer. T-shirts with single color is most preferred for a photographer and also with few words.
10. Gift certificates
    You can also present some gift certificates for your photographer. Using that they post their collections in some best rated websites, they can get popular and also they can sell their photos to earn money. They can also create an album.

Margaret is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on environment and technology. Beside this she is fond of books. She recently bought a bluetooth keyboard. These days she is busy in writing an article on amazon cloud drive.

Female Entrepreneur: Irina Kuzmina
Company: POMPIDOO is a brand for stylish and functional camera bags
Website: www.pompidoo.com and www.irinakuzmina.com
Follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pompidoo.camera.bags
Follow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/pompidoobags

Tell us about your business
I am a big fan of fashion and style. But just an aesthetically nice thing is not enough – it should be also a well-thought functional product to enjoy it fully for a long time. With this approach in mind we developed POMPIDOO – a brand for stylish camera bags. These modern and functional bags are made from natural leather and can become a key accessory in the wardrobe of any stylish photographer!

What inspired you to start your business?
At one point of time I clearly felt I want something my own – think myself, do myself, create myself. Especially the moment of creation inspired me! Only a person with unlimited imagination can call banking and finance a creative field. So I’ve changed my career to 180 degrees to be able to create. Moreover, create something original and unconventional.

How long have you been in business?
Officially this business has been founded in June 2010. A POMPIDOO Team has been formed – young and energetic as its founder! And the work began – preparations for production, marketing and sales, thinking through the growth strategy and future plans. The time flies so quickly! It feels like we’ve founded the company only yesterday, however, so much has been already done!

What did you do in your past work life?
As I briefly mentioned, my background is banking and finance. Relationship building and management used to be an exciting part of my previous occupation – now I successfully translate this experience into POMPIDOO related activities: communication with various partners and suppliers.
Photography has also become an integral part of my life since 2005. Without this serious passion I probably wouldn’t come to an idea of camera bags’ production!

Describe your ideal workday
An ideal day comes together with the satisfaction: when the tasks I aimed to complete are fulfilled, it means the day was perfect! Normally I wake up at 8am and check my diary – meetings with suppliers, strategic planning, calls with the Team, definitely some time for design and inspiration, visiting production, I am used to this high tempo and always delighted to watch how it gives its fruits: new bag colours on the Shop, new articles about POMPIDOO, new leather delivered, new designs approved. I’d wish more days were ideal!

What have been some of your major successes?
It’s not a surprise that I do not separate myself from POMPIDOO. I jump of joy whenever we get the next praise from our happy customer or see how our shipping map expands.

The fact that POMPIDOO bags already live in 14 different countries I perceive as a major success!

What have been some of your major challenges?
Challenges do not simply happen, in fact we set the challenges ourselves! Since we have deliberately positioned POMPIDOO as a “stylish functionality”, we have raised the bar very high. My Team and myself, we are constantly in a search of new approaches, modern technologies, latest materials – sometimes it feels like “find something you are not sure exists” and that’s a real challenge, which also gives an additional energy and motivation!

On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going?
Internal belief that we will succeed, burning motivation to create and a POMPIDOO Team, which supports each other and constantly reminds that we will succeed!

Do you have a motivational quote?
One day I was driving a car and listening to a radio. When the morning show was about to end, a radio DJ said: “There will be a new day tomorrow!”. That’s my motivational quote for many years already – regardless of what challenges we face, we will find the way out tomorrow. Definitely!

If there was one piece of advice you could give to your children about running a successful business, what would it be?
The most important thing I will teach my children is that they CAN! We used to think that to create something new is not possible, everything has already been invented or that our business ideas are not creative or even more, doom! Well, that’s wrong. I will always be supporting them in anything they do, will believe in their ideas!

What is your balancing secret in managing a business and family?
If someone could just develop a perfect recipe for this balance, I’d be one of the first to try it out!  Surely, it’s a good talent and a desired skill – to find the golden mean between the business you are passionate about and the family you love! In order to reach this kind of balance I personally try to engage my family so that they are curious about what I do. Their support also largely means their understanding and respect.

Do you have a favorite business tool and/or resource?
Favorite business tool? Google! Show me a person who doesn’t use it!

But if serious there is no just one particular resource to refer to, nowadays our digital environment contains so much valuable information that it can takes days and weeks to consume all you wish to read. I personally like this business resource: www.12manage.com – it helps me a lot to develop the business.

What is next for your business?
It’s only full speed ahead! New countries, new models, new categories, new colours, new leather, new decorations, new campaigns and new contests, new blog publications and new photo shoots! We have really exciting plans for the future!

Your two cents sales pitch?
I personally have a strong believe that one can succeed if only he or she does what s/he can do best and what really loves! This is why we believe in POMPIDOO – we see the results because we put our hearts into this idea and company.

Check out our review of one of the bags, Pompidoo – A Stylish Purse-Like Camera Bag.

You can drain the bank account fast with those adorable stylish backdrops and floors, fancy wood crate props and adorable chairs. But since ours was pretty depleted anyway I needed to find a way to create my own stylish backdrops and props.

Before you go all, “But I’m not the crafty,” let me tell you I’m far from being a CRAFTY mom – in fact I’m not even close. But what I can do is conduct a Google search, search Goodwill and consignment stores and hangout on Pinterest.

The first thing I wanted was some cool looking chairs, for the past several years I would have my husband screeching to halt at every garage sale that had what looked like an old wooden chair. The problem was most of the chairs were not only old they were broken or loose. Too unstable to sit those precious little children I wanted to photograph.

So out of frustration I decided to stop by Goodwill and after about 30 minutes and two locations later I scored two sturdy wooden chairs. Of course they were totally the opposite of stylish and cute. So I swung by Home Depot and picked up black spray paint, a pint of blue/teal and a pint of barn wood red. I choose the least expensive paint that was available.

I spray painted both chairs with black paint before applying the color. Once dry I started to paint them, the smaller chair I painted blue and used a cloth to wipe some of the paint off to get a textured or old paint look.

I’m not so happy about how the red chair came out – but the good thing is I can always try again without the guilt of spending a ton of money on the project.

Then there were the wood crates, I searched on craigslist, ebay, etsy and all kinds of other stores but I just couldn’t find anything that I wanted and could afford at the same time. Until I found some wood crates on Home Depot for only $12, they didn’t sell them in the stores so I had to cover the shipping – but even with that they were still fairly inexpensive. I couldn’t stand the “new” wood color so I got online again to search for a way to make the new wood look old.

You’ll never guess how easy and inexpensive it is to transform a new wood box to look old. With just three ingredients and some overnight patience I had my “new” crates looking aged. All you need is some steel wool, a couple bags of tea and a paint brush. If you stop by your local $1 store you can probably find all the items you need for less than $5.

Aside from basic “everyday” props I decided to offer a Valentine’s Day Mini Session this year and needed some props for that. I had a “lemonade stand” kind of thing in my head so I bought a wood frame from Michaels and spray painted it with chalkboard paint so I can write on it at free will. Then I bought of bunch of different ribbons colored ribbons and some Valentine’s Day candy to help decorate.

I already have a white muslin cloth so I just tapped the different streamers to the backdrop. Oh I did buy this really adorable banner from etsy to top off the look.

Here are some great links to other DIY Photo back drops and props for photographers on a budget.

• DIY – Back Up Stand
• DIY – Shabby Chic Baby Bench
• DIY – Photo Booth
• DIY – 49 Awesome Photography Projects

International Networking Week is an initiative of BNI (International business Week) to recognize the key role that networking plays in the development and success of businesses across the world.

Why some of us may not need to focus on networking around the globe these are some great tips you can use at any networking event.
According to Ford R. Myers, career coach, speaker and author (Get The Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring), “”Networking is not about ‘schmoozing,’ or selling someone on the idea of hiring you. Rather, it’s about purposefully and gracefully asking peers for help, advice, input and contacts – and offering real value in return. Networking boosts job seekers’ self-esteem and helps them connect people with opportunities – especially when those opportunities are hard to come by,” says Myers.

Myers suggests the following 10 ways job seekers can maximize career networking in a today’s market:

1. Schedule face-to-face meetings with your top tier contact list – “centers of influence” who believe in you, understand your value, and are in the best position to help you.
2. Schedule phone meetings with other people who might lead you to key industry influencers.
3. Get at least 3-5 names from each person with whom you speak.
4. Be confident and purposeful.
5. Bring a prepared list of questions and ask if it’s okay to jot down notes during the meeting.
6. Establish good rapport by getting the other person to talk about himself/herself.
7. Don’t use the word “fired.” Keep the conversation positive and focus on the future, not the past.
8. Don’t make excuses or sound apologetic for your current career situation.
9. Come from generosity – look for opportunities to offer something of value in return for the other person’s help and support.
10. Always send a “thank you” note immediately after your networking meeting.

Myers also suggests, “When done properly, at the end of every networking meeting, the other person should feel genuinely glad you contacted them, and feel enriched by the experience. Networking always pays big dividends in the long run,” adds Myers.

For more information and other useful tips for achieving career success, visit http://www.getthejobbook.com .

Copyright (C) 2012, Career Potential, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it includes the following attribution: Reprinted by permission of Ford R. Myers, a nationally-known Career Coach and author of “Get The Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring.” Download your free bonuses now at http://www.careerbookbonuses.com.

On Thursday Macy’s will celebrate Black History Month by honoring the legacy of Romare Bearden. They will help The Romare Bearden Foundation celebrate the artists 100th birthday.

About Romare Bearden
Recognized as one of the most creative and original visual artists of the 20th century, Romare Bearden had a prolific and distinguished career. His life and art are marked by exceptional talent in a broad range of intellectual and scholarly interests, including music, performing arts, history, and literature and world art.

If you are interested in attending the opening reception and exhibit please visit Macys.com for a location near you. There are two locations in California – Macy’s Baldwin Hills and Macy’s Union Square.

If you are local to Los Angeles.
When: Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 6:30 PM
Where: Macy’s Baldwin Hills–3rd floor, Museum of African American Art
Who/What: Macy’s celebration of Romare Bearden’s 100th birthday!

For more information visit: http://bit.ly/MacysRomareBearden

But we all know how often a well-orchestrated plan plays out right? So here we are with two cars, one that needs to be replaced in 2 years and one that WAS supposed to be replaced 5 years ago!

So we are way over due for a new car!

We’ve been debating on what kind of car we should get – should it be a larger SUV (bigger than my Santa Fe) or a hybrid gas saving sedan.
Right now we are leaning towards a 4-door sedan like the Toyota Camry – Hybrid. I had the opportunity to test drive one during the Car Show at the LA Convention Center was presently surprised by how much power the car has as a hybrid.

Our other option is the Toyota Highlander which is much larger than my SUV and it’s available as a hybrid and best of all you can still maintain the third row seats if you need them.

So many decisions come to play when choosing a new car besides aesthetics like color and leather and cloth seats.

I want our new car to be “geeked out”, I would love to see a way to integrate my iPad into the dashboard. I would love to see screen in back seats that can be easily hidden from possible thieves, I need a GPS system that works and great safety features that will keep my babies safe and comfortable for every ride. But with all the safety features it still needs to have a lot of power because I like to get going whenever ever there is some free space on the highway which is rare here in LA especially on the 405.

What things do you look for when buy a new car?

Disclosure: I was selected for participation in the TWIN community through a program withClever Girls Collective. I did not receive any compensation for writing this post, or payment in exchange for participating. The opinions expressed herein are mine, and do not reflect the
views of the Toyota.

You will have the option to download a zip file of the images or you can simply transfer them over to Google+. If you were a Premium member of Picnik you will be receiving a refund for the entire annual fee – even if you are on the last day of your year.

And for those that never experienced the premium services you can use them from now until April 19 for FREE. So feel free to play around while you can. From now until the last day of service you can touch up, add textures and so much more.

So what do you go when Picnik finally does close down?

You can now use some of the same features from Picnik on Google+ with Creative Kit. Creative Kit allows you to edit, add textures and more to your pictures all online and all with Google+. Be sure to check out the Creative Kit on Google+.