Vivienne Diane Neal's Blog, page 56

Tips for Planning a Frugal Wedding - An Encore by Miss Know It All

Miss Know It AllYes, that’s right. I said a frugal wedding.  Don’t stand on ceremonies when it comes to saving money. Why spend humongous amounts of cash, refinance a home or use credit cards on a wedding that might not last for more than a second.  
Today, the average American wedding can cost anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000, and that’s just in New York City. If you have disposable income, then go ahead and plan that extravagant event. But if you are in a financial hole, and who isn’t in this economy, you can still have a fabulous wedding without going into debt. Following are some ideas to help you plan that extraordinary, penny-pinching wedding. The extra cash you’ll save can go towards putting a down-payment on a house, investing in stock market or buying a certificate of deposit, even if it only provides .01% interest. At least you’ll have some money for that rainy day.
Rather than have fancy and expensive invitations printed by a vendor, print the invitations yourself on plain 20 lb. paper, and don’t include a self-addressed stamped envelope for your guests to RSVP. Chances are they will remove the postage stamp, never reply and still show up at your wedding.
You can save bundles of money, avoid drama brought on by family, friends and future in-laws by going to City Hall.
If you must have that designer wedding dress, go to a thrift shop, rent or ask to borrow a friend’s or relative’s dress.
Instead of having an elaborate reception at some exclusive catering hall, celebrate your union at McDonald’s, Burger King, Popeyes or Kentucky Fried Chicken, and let your guests pay at cost.
Use fake foliage instead of fresh flowers.
Forget the eight tiered wedding cake. Serve cupcakes, brownies or cookies.
If you want to save money on food and drinks, have guests bring their own dish and/or liquor.
Instead of hiring a stretch limousine, use public transportation, roller skate, bike, walk or jog to your destinations.
Formusic, bring a radio and tune into a station that plays non-stop melodies.
Ask your guests to take photos and videos of your wedding ceremony. You will save a fortune. And chances are the photographer and/or videographer will end up taking lousy images, go out of business or disappear with all of your money.
For your honeymoon, rent a travel video of the place you would like to visit, and pretend you and your mate are there.
In lieu of gifts, ask for cash.
Well, that’s it. These tips may sound tacky, but think about it; your unforgettable wedding will be the chatter of your guests for years to come.

So You’re Thinking About Tying the Knot: An Encore by Vivienne Diane Neal

Most people dream of getting married one day. Having a magnificent wedding is usually the bride and groom’s vision. When scheduling a wedding, so much preparation, time and effort are placed into having the ideal wedding ceremony and a memorable reception. But sometimes less thought goes into the kind of marriage one is seeking. Unfortunately, the affirmations made during the wedding ceremony, namely for the rest of our lives, in sickness and in health, until death do us part are sometimes brief. With over half of all marriages ending in divorce, a person should pose the following questions: What makes a marriage work, and how can one strive to achieve a good lasting relationship with his or her mate?
Marriage is not for everyone. Regrettably, many couples don’t realize this until it’s too late. It’s a good idea to search into your heart and soul and really think about how you see yourself as an individual, and whether you’re ready to share and commit yourself to another human being.
Before going into any type of relationship, it is vital to know who you are first, because you usually attract what you are. If you have a low self-esteem, then you will attract someone who has a low-opinion of him or herself and will never value you as a person. Denigrating or ridiculing you will always be their main objective, before and after the marriage.
Love at first sight and thinking it’s the right reason to get married so quickly may be a short-term sensation. Getting to know someone is imperative and should be a long-term endeavor. Be observant. How does the person treat his or her parents, other family members, friends and strangers?  Does the individual you’re attracted to treat others fairly and with respect; is he or she courteous, caring and compassionate? How does the person behave in private and in public? Is the person appalling behind locked doors and a sweet thing in public? The way a person behaves toward others is the same way he or she will deal with you.
The kinds of people an individual connects with will tell you plenty about that person. As the saying goes, show me your friends, and I’ll tell you what type of person you are. If your future spouse loves to party all night and stay up all day with his or her friends, then this may be a sign that you will be spending lots of nights alone.
Never make the assumption that a person will change for the better, or that you have the power to transform someone’s negative ways. If a person is an obnoxious jerk when you meet him or her, then he or she will continue to be an unbearable jerk during the marriage, unless there is some divine intervention.
Looks, money and status alone will not tell you who a person really is, but how one handles unforeseen challenges in his or her life will. Beauty wilts, money can disappear and a person’s position can change, for better or for worse, during the marriage.
The questions you should ask yourself are what is important to me, and what do I expect to get out of a marriage. Are you looking for love, money or security? If these are the only components that you are seeking in a marriage, then you should already possess these elements before committing yourself into a marriage. If having children is important to you, it should also be important to your future spouse. If you are knee high in debt and you’re living from paycheck to paycheck, then perhaps you need to evaluate your financial situation before taking that big step.
Before taking that big step, take a long look at yourself and your future spouse. Examine the qualities you both take pleasure in, and see if those characteristics make for a good sense of balance in both of your lives. Discuss your likes and dislikes. Marriage is not an institution to be taken frivolously. If there are existing problems, unnecessary drama or turmoil during the courtship and engagement phase, then the both of you should take time out, evaluate your state of affairs or go your separate ways.

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Something to Say About Being with a Man Who Does Not Value You by Vivienne Diane Neal

There’s a saying, “When a man shows you who he really is, believe him.” This reminds me of a court case I recently saw on TV. The woman was engaged to her significant other, and they had been together for nine years, but he made it very clear that being faithful to her was not in the cards, even though he professed his love for her, and she in turn loved him.

For one reason or another, many women get involved and become engaged to men knowing what their true intentions are: making every woman happy and one woman miserable, and that discontented woman will end up being you. For some men, being faithful to one woman is not one of their strong suits, but women will still marry them because they love these guys, unconditionally, and don’t want to end up being alone.
But in reality, you are alone. To think that being engaged to a man and loving him while he is attempting to bed every women on earth, says he will never respect you, because in his mind, you are nothing more than a vessel for him to use at will. And as long you continue to remain with this man, you are allowing him to disrespect you and put your health at risk. And don’t think for one second that after the marriage he will change. This is not likely to happen unless there is some divine intervention.
Loving yourself plays a great role when it comes to loving someone else. If you have a low-opinion of yourself, you will most likely attract a man who does not value himself. So, it stands to reason, if he does not revere himself, he will never show admiration for you or any of the women he meets throughout his life.
This does not mean that you will feel good about yourself every single day. Heck, there are days when most of us don’t like ourselves. But this does not mean that you should allow someone else to come into your life and disregard your feelings on a daily basis. Remember, you can do well all by yourself. 

Taken by a Trillionaire Blitz

Taken By a Trillionaireby Melody Anne, Ruth Cardello and J.S. ScottGenre: Billionaire Romance

For a chance to win an e-copy of Home to Me from Ruth Cardello, share this blog post and comment where you shared it! Make sure you leave your email!




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One wild journey written by three New York Times Bestselling authors. Meet the next level of alpha hero.

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Important Announcement Regarding One World Singles Dating Site

The company, which hosted our dating site, abruptly, closed its site without notifying us.
We discovered there was a problem when trying to log on to the site. At first, the site indicated that is was down for maintenance, but when we tried a couple of days later, the site was still not up.
On May 7, 2015 we sent an email inquiring about this and the email came back as undeliverable.
Fortunately, we found another dating platform for our dating site, which offers more benefits such as traditional, niche and international networks with members from around the world.
Our address is the same: http://www.oneworldsingles.comand our number one priority is to continue to bring you a great experience whether your wishes are to meet someone for dating, romance, networking, activities or marriage.
Please accept our apologies for any inconveniences that have resulted from this unfortunate situation.
The site should be up in 24-48 hours.
One Word Singles Staff

Steps to Take When Your Single Adult Child Moves Back Home

Today’s economic environment has made some singles questioning whether they can continue to live on their own. With mounting credit card debt, swelling student loans, soaring rental fees, and the prospects of not finding a decent paying job, many singles are opting to move back home with their parents or move in with other family members. In many cases, three generations may be living in the same household.
You are a parent who has finally gotten over the empty nest syndrome and is accustomed to your way of living. All of a sudden, your son or daughter wants to move back home because of financial difficulties. If you agree to have your adult child move in with you, it is extremely important to establish some non-negotiable ground rules.
If it means drawing up a written contract and having the individual sign that document, then do it. In the end, this will save you a lot of heartaches and misunderstandings. Remember this is your home, and you have every right to establish rules as to how an individual should respect you and your home. If they cannot abide by those policies, then they can find somewhere else to live.
Unless you have made long-range plans with your son or daughter, make it clear that the person is a guest in your home, and that his or her stay is short-term. Give him or her a specific date when they will have to leave. If you want them to pay rent, or room and board, but their funds will not allow it, have the person contribute in other ways.
He or she can do their own laundry, prepare the meals, or do the housework. If the person has their own bedroom, then that individual should keep his or her room neat and clean and make up their own bed, and not you, the owner of the premises. If a person has certain home improvement skills, he or she can apply those tasks to help perk up your home.
If you do not allow smoking or drinking in your home, enforce those policies. If partying on the weekends, engaging in recreational drugs, inviting strangers for an overnight stay or coming in all hours of the night are unacceptable, say so.
If you do not allow dogs or cats in your home, do not assume the person will not have other species from the animal kingdom as pets.  You may end up with a bird, lizard or hamster occupying your space.
Be consistent in the management of your home. If a person breaks any of the rules you have set forth, there should be no second chances. This may sound harsh, but remember, this is your home; you pay the mortgage or the primary rent; so, enforce those principles. If a person has a problem following the guidelines you set forth, then it is time for him or her to find some place else to live. 

Virtual Book Tour - INHUMAN INTEREST by Eric Turowski

Eric will award one randomly drawn commenter a signed copy of the book, plus a $25 Amazon gift card (US/Canada only) and a second randomly drawn commenter a signed copy of the book (US/Canada only).
Enter to win a signed book and a $25 Amazon GC –  a Rafflecopter giveaway

* * *
BLURB:
Thirteen words in a want-ad turn Tess Cooper’s world upside down after she signs on as a paranormal research assistant to the mysterious Davin Egypt. He reveals a world of grave robbing, clockworks artifacts in blue amber, antique revolvers that fire strange ammo, and powerful forces beyond human comprehension.
As ancient occult energies threaten to destroy her city, Tess must use her journalistic instincts to stay one step ahead of the public works director, Drew Dawson, whose agenda seems bent on destruction rather than maintenance. And possibly murder, but will anyone believe her?
Yeah, right. When garbage trucks fly.
If Tess teams up with the hunky police lieutenant, Kirk Gunther, and the pale, oddball Mr. Egypt, they might be able to save the city in time. That is, if Egypt even wants to. And if Tess overcomes her phobias long enough to do battle in Granddad’s 1983 Subaru Brat.
Things are about to get icky.
* * *
Excerpt
I watched Angie wobble away and marched myself toward the stonewalling the cops would give me when I felt the soles of my flats slide. Pinwheeling arms didn’t help me get my footing, and with a tiny cry, I went down.
And down, and down, and down.
Snow slid up my shirt, up my pants, and something less cold but more wet. I thrashed around, succeeding only in getting more snow inside my clothes. Not falling, but sinking. I sank into a deep hole. And then I realized it wasn’t a hole but a grave.
Angie came rushing back, as much as she could rush on her stumpy, little legs. “Tess, what the hell happened? I heard you screaming and—oh, my God.”
I expected her to kneel down and help me out of the loose soil and slush, but instead, she whipped out her camera. The little motor whined as she took about six hundred shots. “I think I got the image for my Christmas cards this year.”
“Ange, help me out of here!” I pushed against the soil with one foot, and felt it sink deeper. I tried with the other one. Then I plunged in up to my neck. My arms found no grip, either. It was like quicksand, even though quicksand doesn’t really exist. I knew that. Worse, a horrible, horrible smell drifted up from below. Decomp, rot, death.
Ick.
* * *
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Eric Turowski, AuthorNewspaper founder, bookstore owner, artist, musician, and man-about-town, Eric Turowski writes lots of mixed-genre books when he’s not too busy playing laser tag with Tiger the Cat and his fiancée Mimi deep in the Central Valley of California.
You can learn more about Eric at http://www.ericturowski.com.

Connect with Eric online at Twitter and Facebook

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