Life in Transition....Cigar Anyone?

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2009-05-16T00:25:00.000-07:00

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more on the transition front!

2009-05-03T14:18:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited about this next project!

Spread your wings gurl....do what you love and love what you do is my mantra...well, that's one of my favorite things to say....along with "When given lemons make some lemonade"...

and to celebrate my uniqueness and my creative being......the talented Queen Diva self within........

presenting the WooforU.com

coming soon, and in the near future....this lady is breaking into love making - matchmaker extraordinaire....

A dating site done a little differently....special but not exclusive and featuring the Cigar Aficionado....

Incognito Inc. All rights reserved.

For the Renaissance Woman!

Shock leads to transition.....

2009-03-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

and amazing opportunities, if we acknowledge, welcome and use our creative thinking to explore the silver linings....

no one can foresee when life's boulders will hurdle across your path....the shift in cosmic energy is a force uncontrolled by anyone...so for today, I choose to make up my mind, gonna take this chance and...

"fulfill the amazing potential within"

and that my friends is the mantra for a Life in Transition...

Peace....

For the Renaissance Woman!

James in Cuba - a virtual experience...

2009-02-21T09:40:00.000-08:00

"If you love cigars, you need to know about Cuba. And no
magazine covers the island as well as CIGAR AFICIONADO."

hmmm....

Cuba is a way off distant land, and I agree with James when we says ....

"Doing business in Cuba can be a challenge for foreigners on just about every level. But think what sort of opportunities could be possible for American businessmen if the U.S. government drops the trade embargo? Vamos a ver."

Yes we shall see....

Opportunities in life change, and if one does not remain flexible to the change, and especially in these trying economic times - life becomes obsolete, without hope desperation sets in. Remember, for every cloud there is a silver lining, and the secret or challenge before us - is to dig through the cloud and reveal the silver lining....

It's all transitional....and my theory on the subject of Life - is simply this.... Remain open to change and remember flexibility and diversity is key to adjusting to the rapid swings forced upon our comfort zone, which disrupt, throw us that curve ball and can really mess us up!

So when faced by that employer and the adverbial "Pink Slip" - remember this...the corporate world, and all business must remain, and does remain - its the means of operation which is adjusted by the balance sheet. The wheel must turn, and your challenge is to find their new way of operation and adjust your strategies accordingly. Case in point, office support services have changed drastically. This is an area in which small business, and some larger businesses are able to cut costs and contract out virtual administrative support. The virtual assistant industry has grown substantially, and an out-the-box thinking, entrepreneurial executive assistant can take advantage of this new wave of professionalism.

Peace, just Damsel's thoughts....

For the Renaissance Woman!

Yet another Cigar Headline - wait....

2009-01-06T21:36:00.000-08:00

I was about to tell you all about the latest news in the cigar industry, when I stopped by my inbox and came across this article from UrbanDaddy....

What can I say, I'm a hopeless romantic!

Luck Be a Lady This Year
Starting the Year Off Right in Vegas

The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step—and the year of 365 days really begins with your first trip. So you'd better make it a good one.

We'd humbly suggest you go someplace warm, with great food, nightlife and gambling (always a plus), that you stay in superlative accomadations (not that you'd travel any other way)—and that you somehow do it all without breaking any resolutions about spending wisely this year. In short, we suggest Wynn Las Vegas. A person of your unquestionable taste is doubtless familiar with the Wynn's bona fides, but allow us a brief recap.

With fifteen restaurants, a golf course and the 12,000-square-foot nightclub Tryst, you'll be hard-pressed to run out of things to do (even before you hit the tables). For those rare contemplative moments, you can rest assured that your rest is assured. Wynn is the only casino resort to have garnered both the Mobil Five Star and AAA Five Diamond Awards for its suites. And you being you, we've arranged for you to start the New Year off with some classic VIP treatment (we know you deserve it).

Wow....Resolution No. 4 - Do more for yourself....

For the Renaissance Woman!

The Best of 2008.....

2009-01-03T11:31:00.000-08:00

January - we now look back at the previous year for all the Good, Bad, and Not so Good lists...

My favorite list so far:

The Huffington Post, January 3, 2008
YouTube's Best of 2008

It's been a great year for YouTube. It's officially a vital campaign tool, and there's still no shortage of goofy comedy videos. Below we've compiled the top 10 for 2008, arrived at by combining the number of times viewed, newsworthiness and hilarity to bring you the cream of the crop.

YouTube's Top 10

This my favorite....

Damsel....

For the Renaissance Woman!

2009 The New Year means.....

2008-12-26T21:23:00.000-08:00

Cigars4Women
Top Picks 2008

We're picking our Cigar Best for 2008...We're setting our goals for 2009, We're reflecting on the lessons learned, the lessons to be learned in 2009....and all is meant well....

Looking forward to the end of the year, and welcoming the opportunity to turn the page and begin again, or build on the foundation set in the previous years.

Set, track and achieve your goals. And to help you, help yourself - here's a link to the best resource for setting & achieving goals.

Goalforit.com make's it easy to:

Set up & track your goals
Create a network of friends & family
Find inspiration browsing a community of users
Create fun goal & chore charts for kids

Here's a few tips:

The following resources are available at http://www.goalforit.com/ for people looking to make changes in 2009.

Free tools to set, manage and achieve goals: Designed to offer a simple-to-use approach for setting and managing goals that span a range of categories and subcategories.

Results for goal-specific research: User generated content provides access to more organic information for goal-specific research through a community of members sharing their personal experiences and knowledge.

Collaboration: By establishing networks of family and/or friends to provide some essential ingredients in helping people achieve their goals: Support, motivation, the opportunity to work together.

Good Luck, Best Wishes, and don't forget to set those goals!

We're Screwed....another Smoking Ban Expansion!

2008-12-20T12:43:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles -- After months of heated hearings, the Dallas City Council voted 10-5 on December 10 to expand the city's smoking ban originally passed in 2003. The new rules, expected to go into affect on April 10, 2009, will end smoking in bars and billiard halls and within 15 feet of the public entrances to most buildings. Essentially, all workplaces in Dallas are now non-smoking.

The new rules exempt tobacco shops and cigar bars, but even those exemptions were limited. The expanded ordinance, as written, allows smoking in tobacco shops but allows smoking only in existing cigar bars (as of December 10, 2008), closing the opportunity for the opening of new facilities in the future. Moreover, the exemption will vanish if an existing cigar bar "is expanded, relocated, or changes majority ownership," meaning there will likely be no cigar bars in Dallas in 10-20 years.

The cigar-bar definition was also revised by an amendment, which defined a "cigar bar" as a facility which receives a minimum of 15% of its gross revenues (on a quarterly basis) from the sales of tobacco products and related items used for the consumption of tobacco on-site. The tobacco shop exemption is not limited to existing facilities, but is defined as an establishment which receives "90 percent or more of its gross revenue on a quarterly (three-month) basis from the sale of tobacco, tobacco products or smoking implements." Smoking is allowed in tobacco shops, but it must keep "all windows and doors closed at all times except as reasonably necessary for the expeditious entering and exiting of the tobacco shop" and "does not open into any other indoor or enclosed area in which smoking is prohibited under this section." A significant campaign against the smoking ban expansion was organized, notably by Jim Fox and his Up in Smoke stores in the Dallas area. The push-back against the ordinance during the hearings and Council discussions undoubtedly had an impact in narrowing the scope of the final language of the measure.

So, doors and windows must remain closed...."except as reasonably necessary for the expeditious entering and exiting of the tobacco shop" - to me, that appears slightly barbaric....because of our cultural preferences, we are regulated by language more familiar to imprisonment....

Please read the full article at Cigar Report Daily....

For the Renaissance Woman!

an Oasis in Winter.....ahhhh

2008-12-10T22:38:00.000-08:00

From Urban Daddy with Love....

Sea You LaterDining on the Water, Literally

Pete Wentz's graffiti art, Blagojevich's phone calls—for better or worse, secrets rarely stay that way.So now might be time to visit Geffen over on the Malibu shore.

Inside his hotel, the Carbon Beach Club Dining Room has quietly opened to the public.The hotel itself debuted last year, a quiet but polished hideaway on his patch of beach—but you had to pony up for a room even if you just wanted to enjoy a wine-soaked dinner on the patio. (Come high tide, the waves crash up directly underneath you.) But now that all the gears have been metaphorically greased (permits, new chef, new menus), you're free to come by for dinner that's literally on the water.

Only in Malibu is winter good timing for this.That new chef (formerly of Allegria, not far away) will now bring you Hawaiian Prawns with Champagne Dressing to start—though, really, you probably started with an Old-Fashioned or a blackberry-filled Black Margarita—before your salmon, steak or Barramundi filet. Of course, if you and your date do find yourself needing a room...We're sure that can be arranged.

Carbon Beach Club Dining Room, now open at the Malibu Beach Inn, 22878 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, 310-456-6444

And I would pair this evening with a fine cigar...may I suggest the Antano Robusto by the "Jewel of Nicaragua"....Joya de Nicaragua....

Urban Daddy, is an exclusive daily emag devoted to keeping us in the know. By invite only, contact me for yours!

Happy Holidays,

Longest Ashes Damsel....

For the Renaissance Woman!

Hey Damsel.....

2008-12-01T21:06:00.000-08:00

so how's the "Transition" thing going 4 you?

Let's see, I'm Damsel, the Cigar Woman.... I've gathered my sisters at Cigars4Women....I have 2 online shops now.... Incognito Cigars is on its way....

I guess its going real good....

I guess I should start dating again??

hmmmm...I decided You are the Him for Me?

Insider....

For the Renaissance Woman!

Urban Daddy has the Canadian Contingency Plan...

2008-11-03T09:20:00.000-08:00

The Toronto Rapture

Each and every American is endowed with certain unalienable rights: life, liberty...and the right to flee to Canada when things aren't going your way.

So just in case the wrong guy wins on Tuesday—whichever guy you think that is— Urban Daddy's set up a sweet contingency scenario for you up North. Consider it the ultimate bailout package.

Toronto—Ontario's cosmopolitan capital, right over the border. Just off swanky Bloor Street (the Fifth Avenue of Canada), you'll check into The Hazleton, Toronto's first five-star hotel, opened just last year. Each certifiably soundproofed room boasts over six hundred square feet of leather furnishings, private balconies, even LCD TVs built into the bathroom mirrors. Head downstairs for a few courses at the ONE restaurant (run by celeb chef Mark McEwan—Canada's answer to Bobby Flay).

After dark, you're headed to CiRCA—the palatial Entertainment District club created by erstwhile New York nightlife lord, Peter Gatien (Limelight, Palladium). His newest venture (in his native country) stretches over four stories of floating DJ platforms, thousand-capacity dance floors, private booths with glowing touch-sensitive tables, a 1920s-designed ballroom and all manner of nightlife mayhem.

Those dollars, of course, are the less-precious Canadian. It's about time you caught a break.

The Hazelton Hotel, 118 Yorkville Ave, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 416-963-6300; CiRCA, 126 John St, Toronto, 416-979-0044

Thanks, Urban Daddy - I still have 10 invites left for this exclusive email magazine. Leave me a note and I'd be happy to invite you!

For the Renaissance Woman!

Find out what your auto repair should cost!

2008-10-31T10:57:00.000-07:00

My Cigar Smoking sisters....have you ever been bit by the "Timing Belt" monster?

I HAVE!!!

Lesson number 1 - What is the timing belt?

Driven by the crankshaft, the keeps internal components in sync by causing valves to open and close at the proper time.

Lesson 2 - The importance of maintaining the timing belt.

The is made from rubber and reinforced with fiber cords, it naturally degrades over time. It should be replaced at scheduled intervals, which vary among car manufacturers, but are usually every 60,000 to 90,000 miles.

Now what happens if you do not maintain the timing belt of your vehicle?

In some engines, failure can have disastrous consequences. These belt-related problems can cause major engine damage, such as damaged pistons and bent valves. And as result - huge cost to the owner.

and this happened to me...many years ago, before I knew what the Timing Belt was - the engine needed to be rebuilt....$$$$$$$

So, I recommend - utilizing the services of a good mechanic - he can be your best friend...and to help you locate and build this relationship check out this link... RepairPal for everything you need to track the maintenance of your vehicle. RepairPal gives you independent and unbiased repair estimates, user ratings and reviews, plus advice you can't get anywhere else.

It's easy, accurate, and FREE! Our vehicles are a major purchase, and in these economic times, we need to pay attention to all preventative measures in our pocketbooks!

Besides, a penny saved could be an extra cigar in my humidor!

How to Pick a Realtor Part 2....

2008-10-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

10 Best Practices in Picking your REALTOR®....

Identify at least three licensed real estate professionals.

Interview the real estate professionals you have identified.

Compare interview notes.

Experience pays.

Find a REALTOR® who is savvy about technology.

Ask for references

Know the term "Disclosed Dual Agent".

Buyer agency agreements are common, but be careful.

Select a strong negotiator.

Talk money.

Commercial, retail and high-end residential real estate in Monmouth County. Professional & Medical Class A Office space, Retail, Shopping Centers, Oceanfront luxury condos, Waterfront Homes are listings you will find at BRUCE GERMINSKY JERSEY SHORE REAL ESTATE!

Located in the heart of Monmouth County. Bruce, together with the team of real estate professionals at Barry Associates focuses on individual customer service and client satisfaction where he personally specializes in the sale of high-end residential, commercial and retail properties in Monmouth County.

Now, I'm not moving to Jersey, nor am I leaving the left coast - but, a girl can dream can't she!

STUNNING OCEAN VIEWS!

$1,350,000

The Renaissance On the Ocean, Long Branch

This Post was sponsored in part by BRUCE GERMINSKY JERSEY SHORE REAL ESTATE!

How to Pick a Realtor?

2008-10-24T12:14:00.000-07:00

Good question...

The Dow is down...the world is in fear of a global recession...

But life must go on...and the only way out of this economic disaster is "Life must Go On"....

So, have faith...

Let's generate the economy....

Trade Shows!

2008-10-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

What really goes on behind the scenes for a Trade Show Display.....

Camelback Displays, Inc.™ is a one-stop shop for factory priced trade show displays, exhibits and tradeshow booths.

The remarkable talent of the cooridinator is showcased with help from the experts at Camelback. Literally all types of trade show displays from table top displays to island exhibits, Camelback Displays help thousands of customers each year with their event needs including many Fortune 100 companies.

Banner Stands and Trusses are an expected highlight for the consumer or retailer.

"I think it's going to look very nice all lit up with the lights I bought for it especially at our consumer shows which go into the night and are outdoors often. The guys that run our shows were very happy with the results."

Well, the next time I'm at a trade show, I'll have an insight on how the big day came to light!

From the IPCPR Annual Trade Show, Las Vegas 2008...

This Post was sponsored in part by Camelback Displays, Inc.™ .

"No one said keeping a house in order was an easy feat"

2008-10-20T19:09:00.000-07:00

And from the words of a very wise "shopping site "

"No one said keeping a house in order was an easy feat"

Shopwiki.com makes keeping house, and your busy life that much easier - Internet shopping made simple - You can find anything you could ever want, or need in a shopping site.

If only it was as convenient days ago as it is now. I did enjoy my life as a house wife, my identity as house marm - keeping the stable in a functioning and productive manner - Yes, I shopped, grocery list in hand, well mapped out plan - I was the "deal maker" and if I had a shopping site like Shopwiki.com - I would have been a very happy and satisfied woman....

Gardening, everything is covered at Home and Garden. Shopping for a dishwasher, maybe Housewares and Home Maintenance check this site for reviews and best ratings. Its so hard and time consuming to navigate through the endless choices on the internet, without actually seeing the product, so having someone put together the research for you in one central place is a user's dream - the precious commodity known as time, has been saved. Once you have found the item you're looking for, read a product review, a store review, customer reviews and link directly to the store for purchase. With 250,370,740 Products Listed, the internet shopping community's one stop shop!

and there's nothing wrong with changing gears in life....a direction that's meant for change will change whether you embrace its change or reject it....life just does.... In Transition...

So now when I shop I might be browsing for entertainment .... Mixology Anyone?

ask the Bartender

Life in Transition is Good...

Cigar Anyone?

A year of a Life in Transition...

2008-10-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

I smoked my first "alone time" Cigar...

I wrote my first Cigar blog ...

I found my first Cigar friend...

I found Me....

Congratulations Damsel....your first year of a Life in Transition....

Thank you all for watching me grow....

hmmm... long week.....?

2008-10-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

the thought of mediocrity scared the crap out of me .... letting go of unneccessary restrictions opens doors of oportunity and personal fulfillment...

think of it like this - life is a puzzle, each piece meant to join with the other to form the complete picture....and just as you think you've put it all together, reaching the hardest frame - the blue sky - a hundred different pieces all look the same - and there's always the one piece you can never find - u know the one - that little piece of the skyline that always goes missing - maybe that piece is the one you should never find....

and when it dawned on me the missing piece is meant to keep us from slipping into idle....it all fell into place....I think of it as the hole in the sky of no limits...not meant to fill or find....

it represents to me ....

there is no limit to what we can achieve....when we choose a ladder of passion to reach our dreams....

so when you're sitting around the table putting the puzzle together....slip that little sky blue piece in your pocket, and keep that for yourself...

its the hole in the sky of no limits...

food for thought....

Longest Ashes, Damsel...

For the Renaissance Woman!

Have a wonderful week....

2008-09-12T21:53:00.000-07:00

Cigars4Women is growing up ....spread it around!

Let us not forget....

2008-09-11T10:06:00.001-07:00

The Roof, the Roof, the Roof is on fire!!

2008-09-09T13:21:00.000-07:00

Life moves us in a certain direction if we allow it....

When staying firm on your beliefs and standing true to your vision - life has a way of drawing like minds to your center...

2 Girls, One Goal, No Boundaries...

Stay tuned!

For the Renaissance Woman!

Life in Transition - no one said this would be easy!

2008-08-24T21:40:00.000-07:00

"..... Don't worry about your previous plans, for they can be changed with a phone call to the right person. Instead, leap into the unknown, without anticipation of where you will land. A bit of uncertainty now is a good thing."

huh.... uncertainty now....a good thing....?.... I would challenge that prediction, Life in Transition means uncertainty is waiting right around each corner - so much so, uncertainty becomes the drink of choice. Without uncertainty and the unknown - a Life in Transition stalls, and the transition holds back, the life digresses back to the mediocrity. The vicious circle strengthens and there you are again forging through the same ole same ole, wanting and craving that Life in Transition....life passes you by....

No one said that change and life's obstacles would be easy....but, the climb to the mountain top can be exciting even through tribulations masquerading the gifts from the fate that awaits. Reaching for the gold ring has never been an easy operation.... and when mama said nothing comes to those who don't try... she meant it!

So when the train is late, and the bus is off schedule.... don't say "this is the last time" because you never know who waits with you on the next delay....fate comes in so many forms, and just when you don't expect it...boom... the gold ring falls from above, and the mountain top is there and YOU my friend are there...you made it...the gold ring is yours...and the late trains, off scheduled buses, all make perfect sense to you.... and you know...Life must remain Transition....

because once you've climbed one mountain.... the next one is that much easier....

Peace....

Damseln D'Stress

My favorite place to relax!

From Urban Daddy with love!

2008-08-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

Hollywood's New Loft Party
August 15, 2008

Where Babies Come From

Dinner went well. You two have really hit it off. Time to move things upstairs.

So after your candlelit meal at the Stork, no need to kill the momentum just yet—the curtain has been pulled back to reveal The Lounge at the Stork, now open up above.

You've had a couple weeks now to bring her over to the secluded new restaurant's hidden courtyard patio (beyond the bus lot around the corner from the Chinese Theatre, of course). But you've got a whole lot more incentive to visit now that, after your steak frites, you can charm your way past a discreet interior rope to keep the party going on the exclusive second floor.

....steer her toward your nook or cranny of choice for the signature sangria or a couple of Ross Calls (mint-infused vodka, cucumber, lime and a splash of soda).

Paired with a late night visit to the Cigar Bar....Now, that's sounds like a date!

The Lounge at the Stork, 1738 N. Orange Dr (between Hollywood and Franklin ), Hollywood, 323-462-3663

Thanks Urban Daddy, the emag devoted to keeping us in the know!

Come have a virtual drink on me!

it's not easy introducing a new cigar these days...

2008-08-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

It generally takes better than a year to bring a new product to market. In some cases, it can even take two years.

Research to determine consumer preferences is time consuming and tricky. Then, once a formula's been devised,there's the task of producing samples that will realistically reflect the finished product. These of course are followed by tastings, retailer introductions, more tastings, data analysis, and the dreaded critics' ratings. If all systems are "go," then mass production is planned, tobacco needs to be bought and factories commissioned. This is followed by promotions and marketing, pumping the sales force, getting back in touch with the retailers and distributors, and of course fighting for shelf space.

And then of course, you still don't know if you'll succeed.

In my mind, success is measured by a number of things...

Of course, the monetary value that's placed on your offering is first with the ultimate goal of a great profit margin - popularity and following, ranks a very close second, but the opportunity to make a difference and feed your passion, surely contributes to your success.

Perhaps that's what's been lacking in the cigar culture - innovation and change? Have we been saturated with the "Good Premium Cigar" promises. As new cigars are introduced, manufacturers assure us a methodical marketing and development process has been undertaken before any finished product hits the streets and shops. Consumer research has been done, and by all indicators, this new cigar is the best cigar ever known to MAN!

Hmmmmm, known to MAN - times are changing fellas, and there's a new gal on the block.

Women Cigar Smokers, we've been there all along, we've just been....

Incognito

The Alternative!

It is a Life in Transition.....

2008-07-30T21:43:00.000-07:00

Second stage - seems the last 2 years, I've developed into this Woman with a huge purpose - discovered by accident - a stumble more than anything. What began as a curiosity, a way to get close to someone... U remember "he crept into my life...introduced me to a Romeo y Julieta on Sunset, and crept back out" - he crept out but the doors swung wide open and without hesitation I've found the balls to bust right through... I mean, there is nothing timid about me. The way I look at it, nothing gained, nothing lost... and when passion fuels the fire, nothing can stop me!

So successfully, I think I've gathered the Women who Smoke Cigars - I've created my personality, which is pretty much just me smoking cigars... but I fell in love with this culture, the brothers, the sisters, the neuvo aficionado... One part old school and two parts new school...and give a good splash of the Woman Cigar Smoker, and voila.. the Neuvo Aficionado!

That was stage one - and now here I am Stage Two of a Life in Transition...

I wanna bust out and spill the beans soooo bad... but just wait!

Life in Transition...its all good...

for some good music come by and visit the CigarBar360's Blog...

a Work in Progress!