SWAROVKSI ELEMENTS dedicates a vast amount of time, effort and investment to groundbreaking research and innovation. Obviously, it seeks to protect these innovations from copycat attempts at plagiarism – otherwise known as “counterfeit goods“ – through design protection legislation. The XILION design is an example of a product protected in this way.

An infringement recently occurred in China: the company namely Yiwu Yongyang Ornaments Co., Ltd. stood accused of producing and distributing flat-back stones imitating SWAROVSKI’s patented XILION cut design. A civil litigation was filed by SWAROVSKI and lead to a settlement in which the defendant admitted engaging in an act of plagiarism that constituted infringement of SWAROVSKI’s registered design patent. The perpetrator was obliged to destroy the goods in question in the witness of the plaintiff; pay a substantial monetary compensation; and issue a public apology that included a statement of intent never again to infringe SWAROVSKI’s design rights.SWAROVSKI’s pursuit of justice was wholly based on the unfairness of plagiarism. SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS take years of costly research and development to produce innovations. Protecting SWAROVSKI’s business partners worldwide from the knock-on effect of such acts of theft is a key motivator for prosecution.

Anyone who encounters cases of suspected plagiarism should refer them to their local Swarovski distribution company. This not only brings IP (Intellectual Property) design infringement to the attention of the authorities, it also maintains the value of items made with genuine SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS.

Especially when it comes to body crystals, as seen in this post Vajazzler Warning.

If you’d like genuine Swarovski apparel, custom logo-wear, bracelets or tattoos, be sure to visit Sparkle Plenty Designs, a Swarovski authorized branding partner.

Why would something so popular and appealing be discontinued, especially after Jennifer Love Hewitt, current Ghost Whisperer and long time actress, unwittingly created the ultimate marketing campaign for Swarovski’s body bling?

The Vajazzling craze that she started 2 years ago with her appearance on the George Lopez show has morphed into a global phenomenon, adding to the bottom line of businesses from medical and luxury spas, to laser hair removal centers and waxing studios. The vajazzling services these businesses offer are by no means going away anytime soon, especially since demand has grown, as word of the vajazzle continues to make its way around the globe.

Blinging your thing, it appears, is here to stay.

So why then would Swarovski stop selling body crystals? The answer is simple: they wouldn’t and they aren’t. It’s just a vicious rumor.

So if you haven’t already given them a try, check out what’s available at Sparkle Plenty Crystal Tattoos and get some for vajazzles for V-Day!

That’s exactly what Lee Romano Sequeira, co-owner of Sparkle Plenty Designs, a local rhinestone and crystal logo-wear and apparel business did. Sequeira’s “time machine” began the day she paid a visit to Pin-Up photographer Celeste Giuliano’s Philadelphia studio.

“My half day studio session was such a blast! From the retro hair and make-up to Celeste’s camera coaching magic – and a bit of BLING -she produced such a professional finished image. I plan to return again for a completely different look!” states Sequeira.

The photography, costumes and set ups are so good, in fact, that Guiliano was awarded Best of the Main Line and Western Philadelphia Suburbs by Main Line Today Magazine, and has extended her offerings with packages for couples and parties for group pin ups. Sequeira added, “it’s really an exciting little escape, if just for an afternoon, and the photos made a unique gift for my husband.”

To learn more, please visit Guiliano’s site at Celeste Guiliano. Sparkle Plenty Designs can be found online at Sparkle Plenty Designs. Sparkle’s sister site, GoodtoBeYou (featuring gifts for women of all ages) can be found at GoodtoBeYou.com.

London, U.K.– Swarovski and Harrods held a champagne reception at the first ever Swarovski jewelery Pop-up Shop within the luxury department store’s famed windows. The reception was followed by an intimate dinner hosted by Nadja Swarovski at One Hyde Park in celebration of the creative partnership and the official unveiling of “A Crystal Christmas inspired by Swarovski at Harrods”, which is set to dazzle and delight shoppers from across the globe this holiday season.

Joining the celebrations and wearing pieces from Atelier Swarovski by Christopher Kane were Leah Weller, Tallulah Harlech and Portia Freeman.

Other guests in attendance included: Nick Candy, Holly Valance, Zaha Hadid, Jasmine Guinness, Tara Ferry, Sunday Girl, Camilla Rutherford, Olivia Grant, Tom Cullen, Yasmin Mills and Theresa Maccapani Missoni

Desiring a bit of sparkle to call your very own this holiday season?
Be sure to have a look at the dazzling array of gifts from Sparkle Plenty Designs. Sparkle Plenty carries gorgeous Swarovski stretch bracelets, anklets, crystal body tattoos, tanks and tees — plus they specialize in creating custom crystal apparel, home decor and so much more!

Happy Holidays to All!

Getting motivated is difficult for many people and staying motivated is even a bigger challenge. Motivation is the edge successful people have and what gives them the ability to keep striving and moving forward. How do successful people stay motivated? Motivation is internal; we can all control the level of motivation we experience, based on our thoughts, influences, emotions, negativity, and more. To get motivated, you have to start with positive thoughts and neutralize negative ones, focus on the end result and keep a momentum going.

With 2012 around the corner, it’s easy to get motivated. I think the whole planet is motivated on January first, but maintaining this motivation past the first week of January is the key.
Here are three important strategies to help you stay motivated and reach a higher level of success:

1. Stay Focused
2. Boost Your Confidence
3. Ask for Direction

1. Stay Focused

In a previous InSPAration Moments issue, I had an article about how Persistence Paralyzes Resistance and I recommended a book called The Power of Focus. If you have not bought it yet, you should run out and get it or put it on your Santa list. It’s a must have in your Success Library!

Staying focused is easy, if you have solid goals. Make it a habit to have your goals in writing and in front of you at all times, this makes staying focused easier. What we notice, as a business firm, is that most people don’t have clear, defined, specific and measureable goals in writing, and this is a big mistake. If you want to stay focused, keep your goals alive, think of the end result, and that will help you to stay on track!

2. Boost your Confidence
Lack of confidence is a major obstacle. In order to boost your confidence, you can’t dwell on past failures or why things did not work in the past; this thought pattern is a confidence killer. Instead, think of all the positive things you have achieved in the past. Don’t make excuses as to why something is not going to work, focus on all of the reasons why it would. Make a list of all of your strengths and base your confidence on those. The mind is very powerful, if you think you can, you will and if you think you can’t, you won’t; either way you are right. Be careful of your thoughts, replace fear and lack of confidence with strong “I CAN DO” thoughts and you will keep your confidence and accomplish great things.

3. Ask for Direction
The main reason people lose motivation is because they are not succeeding and the reason they don’t succeed is because they don’t ask for direction. Not asking for direction kills motivation.

We all have good intentions. We could be motivated and focused, but if we don’t have a map or a blueprint as to where we want to go, we’ll end up getting lost, frustrated, depressed, get into a slump, and then lose motivation, which leads to failure. This is a terrible cycle to get into. You can avoid this by asking for direction. No need for you to reinvent the wheel, as there are maps to help you run and operate a successful business. You can start the year off with a motivational boost, by attending the Leap Ahead Seminar and GAIN a Successful Blueprint that you will need to help you reach your goals. We all need direction at one time or another and all we need to do is ask for help. It’s not that complicated; the fact is the more we accomplish, the more motivated we are.

Yes, sometimes you may hit a speed bump, but it’s only a bump, don’t turn it into a wall and let it kill your motivation. I encourage you to ask for direction, so that you will stay motivated and succeed!

My advice to you, if you want to stay motivated and focused, is to do the following:

a. Set your goals in writing
b. Know your strengths
c. Hire a coach to help you with direction
d. Keep learning

Special thanks to Dori Soukup for this article. Dori manages a program exclusively for spas & salons called InSPAration Management.

If you own or manage a Spa, or wish to find out more information about coaching services to ignite your operation for dynamic spa performance please visit InSPAration Management.

InSPAration management specializes in delivering a full spectrum of proven-effective spa consulting solutions to ensure your spa’s success. Whether you have an existing spa or are opening a new spa, InSPAration offers professional spa consluting from pre-opening to grand opening…and beyond.

BONUS TIP for spas & salons: We all have special clients that spend a lot of money. You want to show your appreciation to them with some sort of gift. Let them know they are special to you! One way to give a beautiful gift AND advertise your brand is with a rhinestone shirt from Sparkle Plenty Designs can create tees with your logo and/or name in attention-getting crystal or rhinestone — a gift your customers will enjoy wearing (and they can chat up your spa when people notice their sparkle-wear).