The Interior Designers Guide to Pricing Estimating and Budgeting

Book Description

Provided here are practical guidelines on how to value the cost of designing commercial or residential interiors. From the designer's creative input to the pricing of decorating products and procedures, this guide allows interior designers to establish prices and budgets that satisfy their clients and make their business profitable. Interviews with experienced interior designers, case studies, and sidebars of projects highlight professional pitfalls and how to master them.

Customer Reviews:

Great book for pricing - not just for interior decorators..........2006-05-12

This is a phenominal book for pricing and structure in any business. As an independent consultant one of the most difficult things when starting out is finding the right pricing structure. This book covers that as well as many suggestions on how to effectively organize and run a business. I have already recommended this book to my husband who is in Home Improvement and a friend who has a curtain business. I think it is so well written that it could be of value to many types of businesses small and large.

Good Advice from Someone who's Been There Before.......2005-08-08

One of the hardest things to learn about interior design, or any other service industry is that the only thing you have to sell is your time. To do this in a profitable manner, you need two sets of skills.

The first is the one you know about. You've got to find customers, you've got to do the job they want done and you've go to make them happy. This is probably the job you've trained yourself to do through experience, through training, and through the basic aptitude that you had to get into that business in the first place.

The second job is harder. You've got to realize that you are a business manager. You need accounting (to keep your business partner the IRS happy). You need to develop a busines plan, budgeting, etc. You need to know how to prepare and send out bills and how to handle the money when it comes in. And the most critical of all, telling the customer what your effort is going to cost him.

In this book Mr. Williams gives an excellent introduction on how to do these critical things. He also includes enough war stories from his past to give you the understanding of how he learned these things.

I really enjoyed his page one story of starting his own company: sold his car so as to eliminate the payments, crammed his office into his bedroom, paid off all credit cards, in general reduced his expenses to a minimum. When I started I did almost exactly the same: I had a very tiny kind of dumpy house in not too good a neighborhood - but no payments. I had an ancient vehicle - but no payments. Like with him, I was profitable the first month, but you had best not bet on it.

Mr. Williams has been there, done that, walked the walk. His book makes excellent sense.

Customer Reviews:

Fashion Artist (Fashion Design Series).......2007-09-26

I just started learning drawing fashion by following books. Fashion Artist is one of the books I use. I really liked it. It gives detailed instruction and I can see that I will be able to draw cool fashion figures in a few months.

Fashion Artist.......2007-09-25

Given to my granddaughter...perhaps to spark an interest in fashion design. She was pleased...as was I. It seemed to be fairly comprehensive yet easy to understand as I skimmed it before giving it as a gift.

Amazing Bang for the Buck.......2007-07-05

For years, I've sketched fashion/outfits, automobiles, and architecture simply as a hobby. Because of schedule conflicts, proper classes to develop skills have never been possible. Naturally, I began looking for a "text book" that would help me to improve my proportion and shading skills as I've had the most difficulty with "human subjects".

After numerous purchases of everything from how-to books to actual text books, I can confidently say that Fashion Artist by Sandra Burke is exactly what I needed it to be. With clear examples, step by step instructions and lists of required materials, this book takes what can seem to be an overwhelming situation (figuring out proper limb placement and size plus contouring) and breaks it down into engaging, easy to retain information.

As someone who appreciates all styles of illustration, I also enjoyed the variety of artwork used to showcase the amazing potential offered to a budding artist.

Some of the "problem areas" that this book covers are hands and feet, facial features, and fabric rendering.

Whether you're a fashion illustrator looking for a refresher, an artist wanting to expand, or simply someone who enjoys all things fashion, this book fits the bill. I highly recommend this book.

Excellent book especially for fashion students!.......2007-05-04

The fashion drawing techniques and illustrations in this book are excellent, plus it gets you up to speed quickly by focusing on key points. It is well laid out and can be followed step by step or dipped into wherever you feel you need some help with particular aspects of your fashion drawing or designing. The illustration styles are varied and inspiring - it covers fashion templates, flats and presentations for womenswear, menswear, childrenswear and even costume design!

The chapters on figure drawing techniques have some excellent advice and examples of poses, and those tricky things like faces, hands and feet. The chapters on layouts, presentions, mood & design boards, and getting a design portfolio together concentrate on the main points with examples of artwork from designers and illustrators in the fashion industry.

It is an excellent resource for those studying fashion or want to enter the fashion industry.

Terrific book.......2007-03-26

I bought this book for a teenager intent on becoming a fashion designer when she finishes school. The content, drawings, etc. are perfect for her. They not only teach her about the fashion industry, but also teach her how to draw and how to design. A must have for the would be fashion designer whatever the age.

Book Description

This book represents probably the most detailed study published in the English language of the camouflage and markings of the fighter aircraft of the Soviet Air Force during World War II. Erik Pilawskii is a scholar of the Soviet Air Force in World War II and has undertaken several years of research to produce this ground-breaking book. With information drawn from previously inaccessible Soviet archives, the author first presents a detailed analysis of the developments, trends, patterns and irregularities of the color systems seen on Russian fighters and offers a fascinating insight into the workings of the Soviet manufacturing system responsible for this task. He then brings readers a technical study of each of the main fighter aircraft and variants, and each description is followed by coverage of camouflage and markings, factory-applied, field variations and seasonal. The text is supported by hundreds of rare and previously unpublished photographs and more than 40 commissioned full color artworks. Furthermore, hundreds of color illustrations portray the immense variety of patterns related to this fascinating subject. This book will be a must-have for all students of Soviet air power and Russian aircraft modelers.

Customer Reviews:

An Amazing Reference for the Modeler.......2007-07-04

Information on Soviet paint schemes has, for the most part, been contradictory and sparse. Eric Pilawskii's book goes a long way toward clearing things up. Based on years of exhaustive research in previously unavailable Soviet archives, Soviet Air force Fighter Colors 1941-1945 is not only a good overview of standard specifications and practices but also a type-by-type manual on Russian camoflage, both factory and field applied. Excellent line drawings differentiate the sub-types of each fighter design, and color three views and profiles give the layout of various patterns and styles of paintwork. Additional profiles document individual aircraft. There is also a good selection of archival photography, some in color, with many of these quite new to me. I highly recommend this work to anyone with an interest in this area, it is very readable and informative, and beautifully illustrated.

Excellent.......2007-01-05

This book has the best description of russian camouflage that I've already seen. Very good.

The new Holy Grail of VVS books.......2005-02-14

Printed as a hard cover book that measures in at 9 ¼ by 12 ¼ and is 224 pages filled with rare photographs and color profiles of all the main Soviet fighters used during this time period. Chris Banyai-Riepl expertly completes the profile and ling drawings while Eric himself did the schematics in the book. This is really three books in one. An expertly researched book on the histories of each of these aircraft, a perfect line drawing reference book, and a beautifully rendered profile paintings of the major players during this four year period of time.

Printed on very nice paper stick the photographs are reproduced very well. Take into mind that many of these photographs are very old and the negatives have long since been lost to time. There photos of museum aircraft pointing out errors or accuracies of the plane in question.

I really liked the color profiles. They are very well done and shows Chris Banyai-Riepl's work off as the master that he is. Eric Pilawskii did a wonderful job of breaking down a daunting amount of information and giving it to us in digestible portions to make it easier to understand. Grouped into aircraft type and chronological order for ease of information make sense to me.

The coverage of this informative title is presented as follows:.

A Treatise on VVS Colour Systems
An Introduction to Soviet Aircraft of the Great Patriotic War
Lavochkin LaGG-3
Lavochkin La-5, La-5FN, La-7
Mikoyan & Gurevich I-200, MiG-1, MiG-3
Polikarpov I-15, I-152, I-153
Polikarpov I-16
Yakovlev Yak-1
Yakovlev Yak-7, UTI-26
Yakovlev Yak-9
Yakovlev Yak-3
Appendix I - Notable Prototypes and Developmental Aircraft
Appendix II - NKAP Painting Template
Appendix III - VVS National Markings
Appendix IV - Pilots
Appendix V - Performance Tables (Imperial)
I would say that this book is the new holy grail of VVS aircraft colors and schemes. I would have like to see a color chit system like the famous Monogram Color Guide of Luftwaffe Aircraft or a FS color equivalent chart but that is my wish only. I highly recommend this book to all interested in this subject and for those whom build the occasional Soviet aircraft, this book would still be one of the main source books on your shelf.

Groundbreaking and very specific........2004-09-02

This book shows a new twist on Soviet WWII camo. It does away with Cold War misconceptions about the colors used on Polikarpovs, YaKs, MiGs, LaGGs and Las. Pilawkii has researched minute variations on things like how different factories, or different factory workers, for that matter, painted the camouflage patterns on the planes. It has color 3 views for EVERY different pattern or each plane, which will be helpful for modellers or artists.

Different series of aircraft are noted, and the evoultion of the patterns on these is explained. For example, the LaGG-3 includes info for:

LaGG-3 Zavod 23
LaGG-3 1941 early
LaGG-3 1941 mid
LaGG-3 Zavod 153
LaGG-3-37 1941
LaGG-3 1942
LaGG-3 1942 Lightened
LaGG-3 1942 Boosted
LaGG-3 1942 Boosted & Lightened
LaGG-3 1942
LaGG-3-37 Improved & Lightened
LaGG-3 Type 105

Get the picture? Like that on all main plane desigantions. Plus the author includes specifications (with speed at sea level and at altitude) for each variant!! In imperial and metric measurements. Very well thought.

Also, every plane type includes 4 to 8 nicer, detailed side view profiles, as is the standard. None of the same stuff: actual, fresh-made profiles by web artist and model kit reviewer Banyai-Riepl.

4 and not 5 stars for not inlucing P-39s, P-47s, Spitfires, and other Lend-Lease planes in the camouflage descriptions. Maybe because they weren't MADE in the USSR, but they were still "Soviet Air Force Fighters." And also because there was only a little info on tactical number styles. Although there was a page or two about the colors used, and the places where they were painted, I feel more details could have been printed, the same as for the camo patterns.

Good book, mostly recommended for more hardcore Soviet plane geeks, or Soviet plane modellers.

Book Description

An adventure set in the Midnight campaign setting for the d20 System, a world where evil rules and darkness has fallen across the land, where heroes are condemned and the elder races are hunted to the brink of extinction. In this scenario, the heroes must face off against the creatures of shadow, striving to bring light to a world dominated by the forces of evil.

Customer Reviews:

SUPERB CAMPAIGN FOR GROUND-BREAKING WORLD.......2006-11-04

CROWN OF SHADOW is a campaign for low-level characters that is set in the world of MIDNIGHT. MIDNIGHT is a dark world where the forces of evil have won and the heroes are the hunted. Both the use of magic and reading are capital crimes, as is the possession of weapons or armor. Even food is scarce. Orcs are the elite fighting forces of this world and the only clerics left pray to a dark god enthroned in his dark tower. Humanity is being ground into the dust, halflings are universally enslaved, the dwarves are losing a war of attrition and even the elves are being driven back. In short, it is a world in need of heroes.

The world of MIDNIGHT differs from standard high fantasy sufficiently that players would benefit from a campaign that would take them across the entire world, to see how each group under the Shadow is resisting and what price they pay for doing so. They should meet all of the surprises that MIDNIGHT has in store and get a sense for the corruption of their world, the better to motivate their struggle against it. CROWN OF SHADOW is that campaign, a story arc that takes the PCs through the lands of the dying dwarves, crushed humans, subversive river gnomes, and the vanguard of the elves. The PCs will experience almost all of the twists of MIDNIGHT and see all the major locations; in that sense, it serves almost as a gazetteer for the players. I'll admit that the "crown of shadow" is quite the macguffin, but the campaign is about the journey not the destination.

CROWN OF SHADOW is designed for 1st level characters and can run them as high as 5th level. This campaign is designed for the 1st edition of MIDNIGHT and uses 3.0 rules, but I didn't find any problems using this with MIDNIGHT 2nd edition or 3.5 rules. There are 7 chapters of action, plus an epilogue which follows the conclusion fo the story. The booklet itself is very readable - I particularly appreciated the synopsis at the beginning of each chapter to keep track of what should be happening. Each chapter also has subsections to keep all the information organized.

I thought CROWN OF SHADOW was a well presented campaign. In fact, it should be indispensable as a resource for any MIDNIGHT campaign even if the material isn't directly used. The challenges seem well designed, with some good combats, some puzzles, and social interaction. I would highly recommend it.

Book Description

Addressing the often-overlooked spiritual needs of mothers, this book discusses Buddhist teachings as applied to the everyday challenges and stresses of raising children. Offered are ways for mothers to reconnect with their inner selves and become calmer and happier-with the recognition that a happier mother will be a better parent. This realistic look at motherhood acknowledges the sorrows as well as the joys of mothering and offers real and achievable coping strategies for mothers to renew their lives on a deep level.

Customer Reviews:

Self Help/Parenting with a Buddhist flavour.......2007-08-29

This is not a bad book but it is fairly simplistic. It is a good book for mothers (Buddhist or not) of young children who won't mind the populist feel of the book. It is not an especially deep work though, so if you like your Buddhist books to be fairly weighty and insightful this is going to disappoint. If, on the other hand, you don't mind a book that reads like a series of really long magazine articles then you will probably like it.

Amazing Book. A Must Read!.......2007-08-13

I absoultely loved this book. I read it a few months after my third child was born and what a welcome read it was. The approach is fresh and accepting, the writing is superb. Sarah Napthali says the most potent of things in short, concise sentences. It's amazing really. I am reading it for the third time right now and my child is only 14 months old (so it's my third read in less than a year). I reread it to remind myself of her inspirations and advice. Of course this book is not for the close-minded, although I think it will help open those types up. In my hectic life, I find myself mentally tuning into her advice on a daily basis. I love this book.

Buddhism for Mothers.......2007-08-07

Sarah has excelled herself, I loved reading this book of wisdom. Nothing has impressed me like this book and I am a wide and avid reader, I didn't want it to finish. As a mother of 2 a young one aged 7 I now find myself frequently practising mindfulness. I love and have read many of Thich Nhat Than's books and other books on Buddhism. However this is so applicable to mothering and relationships. Thankyou Sarah will be looking forward to any other books you may publish.

Read only if new to Buddhism.......2007-08-02

I found this a boring read. I was hoping for some fresh insight but came out empty handed. I couldn't even finish the book.

However, if you are new to Buddhism, I think this is a perfect philosophy to learn and raise your children by. The author explains loving kindness and meditation very well. In this society, we tend to preach and punish our children rather than let them grow into complete beings. Raising children without attachment allows them to develop into their own identity.

I'm glad I own this book!.......2007-07-13

I loved this book. I had been learning about insight meditation and had begun thinking, "I need to see how these people who live at meditation centers would apply this to dealing with my two kids every day." Then I found this book. I felt like the author knew exactly what I was going through, and she was very honest about her own mistakes as a parent. She showed how to use the Buddhist principles in your every day parenting. I normally try to get books from the library, but I ended up buying this one, and I am so glad that I did. I plan to re-read it, and go to it when I feel like I've lost how to become mindful when I'm with my children.

Average customer rating:

Calm Mother, Calm Child
Paul Wilson , and Tania Wilson
Manufacturer: Perigee Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Child Care | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Accessories:

Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers

ASIN: 0399528253

Book Description

Paul Wilson, dubbed "the guru of calm" by the London Times, spent three years doing research and interviews with mothers of young children. He learned that high-strung mothers have high-strung children. But mothers who take it easy are not only healthier and happier; they're also more likely to have calm children. From his research and observations he developed this handy guide to relaxation and calming techniques, showing moms how to:

Â€ Settle a newborn for a calm night's sleep
Â€ Ease the back-to-work transition
Â€ Spend more time relaxing
Â€ Deal effectively with toddler tantrums
Â€ Bring calm to the household

Average customer rating:

CALM MOTHER, CALM CHILD
Wilson Paul
Manufacturer: Penguin Books Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJG1FA

Customer Reviews:

SOE in France by M.D.R. Foot.......2007-08-09

I am delighted with this book, not only with its contents but with the seller. I am in Florida and the book arrived well ahead of advertised number of days in excellent condition. Thank you 5 stars.

SOE's Secret War.......2001-05-29

If you only buy one book on the history of SOE in france then this should be the one. The job was to set Europe ablaze in the words of Churchill and they were a thorn in Germany's side. The operations and agents who carried them out are described in great detail including the nightmare of capture by the Gestapo and death in the camps or by firing squad. I have had a copy for years and value it greatly.

Book Description

This real-life detective story follows two men determined to retrieve rare dinosaur footprint fossils that were stolen from an isolated beach in Australia. As they travel around the world in search of the fossils, they discover a world of illegal trade in dinosaur fossils, full of intrigue and wheeling and dealing. Providing an insider's view into the secretive realm of international fossil trade and fossil trade shows, where dinosaur dealers offer priceless scientific treasures for thousands of dollars, this book exposes a ring of dangerous poachers and smugglers.

Customer Reviews:

A fine scientist gets bedazzeled by a cop and a camera crew.......2006-08-30

I admire the work of paleontologist, John A Long, and gave a very enthusiastic review of his fine book, The Rise of The Fishes. Unfortunately, Long, like a few other academic paleontologists, has dropped the requirement of scientific accuracy, in favor of a biased polemic when it comes to the subject of fossil ownership. For the record, I have no problem with private ownership of fossils legally collected on both private and public lands. Regardless of where you stand on this controversial issue, readers of this book will be disappointed to discover Long's gullibility as he follows "America's self appointed, "top fossil cop" on an around the globe boondoggle to construct a documentary film. That officer, Steve Rogers, has Dr. Long hoodwinked into imagining shady characters at every location. At one point, he's even advised to glance at customers shoes in a fossil shop, because, according to Officer Rogers, high-roller fossil thieves are particularly keen on expensive footware. Trust me, the paranoid "cloak and dagger" scenarios become laughable in short order.
The whole mess of a book winds up at the Tucson Fossil Show where Long enjoys the company of friends he asserts are "legit dealers"- who, nonetheless, market fossils to the general public. At the show, he expresses childish delight in securing a fine fossil fish for his museum collection - an option I assume he would deny others without academic credentials. Reader's should remind themselves that fossils kept in private collections are not usually lost, and that most of the world museums are filled with specimens donated by private collectors. The record of major museums in documenting and maintaining collections has been spotty, at best. There are fewer and fewer displays of fossils available to the general public. More specimens are stored in basement boxes than can ever be displayed. Dr. Long never mentions the fact that many of the illegal or stolen specimens he describes (most notably from Russia and China were removed from institutions by those scientists and curators in charge of protecting them) While on the subject of protecting fossils, we should consider that our own Smithsonian Natural History Museum has a loathsome policy that states, if a fossil is no longer needed, it must be destroyed rather than sold. (Note: Unless the original donor can be located or another recognized public institution will accept the specimen as a donation - a time consuming task that is not likely to occur unless the specimen is a major find worth a great deal of money)
In the end, Long suggests that academics, governments, commercial fossil dealers and collectors open new lines of communication to work together and find a common ground where all can benefit. The inaccuracies and tone of the Dinosaur Dealers is hardly a step in the right direction.

An Attack On Selfishness.......2004-08-24

The book is really rather interesting, although there is still the feeling that they are fighting an uphill battle, and attitudes such as the previous reviewer's rather narrow political rant are exactly the reason for that.

Why someone should have an inherent right to own a peice of history is beyond me.

The fact that John Long is an Australian has little effect on it; neither Australia nor America fail to recognise property rights, and neither Australia nor America allow the insanely unrestrained greed-based capitalism (as opposed to rights-based) that some Americans seem to promote.

Perhaps what we need, in addition to this book, is a philosophical tome outlining the reason why a right to an education, and a right to access the fruits of scientific endeavours, sometimes override the rather obscure "right to take anything thats in the ground and abritrarily claim to have a property right to it". I wonder why they left that out of the UN DHR?

Silly Socialists Chase Dragons.......2003-08-14

This book needs to be taken with a huge grain of salt. Long, an Australian paleontologist, has a very different view of private property than most Americans and this socialist outlook tends to color an otherwise potentially interesting book. While most of us would be horrified at the idea of allowing the government to arbitrarily seize private property, Long continually espouses the view that "science" should take greater precedence than property rights in regards to fossils without ever actually making a convincing case for why this slippery slope should even be considered. He seems to think it is self-evident that citizens have no right to private property if a paternalistic government thinks your property has significance to an elite few who study an otherwise highly esoteric subject that contributes little real value to society. Over and over he argues that the United States should adopt laws like South Africa (the originators of apartheid -- good choice Mr. Long) where the government has the right to seize what private citizens find on their land so that people like Long can study it. Clearly, we don't allow the government to uproot yew trees from our yard just because the taxol in them can make cancer drugs, so exactly why does the interest of a group of people who study dead animals override the long history of private property in the United States? We are never told. I suppose if you ARE a member of that elite it's just obvious.

Because of this paternalistic socialist attitude, he takes the claims of opponents to the private ownership of fossils at face value without checking his facts on such a regular basis that the book attains a silly, preachy tone well before getting half way through it. In one bizarre example that should be an insult to American veterans, he cites well a known blowhard Wyoming policeman who claims to have been awarded the US military's Purple Heart medal for participating in a fossil "sting" operation in Wyoming that didn't involve the military at all! The same policeman claims to have netted over [money amount]in illegal fossils in a single day, yet a quick internet check of the Congressional Record shows the sting in question netted only about [money amount]worth of fossils in ALL OF 1995. Long also fails to mention that this same sting operation fell apart at one point when it was discovered that a fossil assumed to be stolen had actually been legally purchased from a private quarry. Still more obfuscation comes when Long fails to mention that of the various potheads and rednecks this backwoods investigation successfully prosecuted, virtually every one was for things unrelated to fossil theft! In fact, the Congressional Record indicates that Long's figures regarding how many people were prosecuted at all is wildly inflated. Long claims over 100 people were prosectued -- the Congressional Record for 1995 says 2. Hmmm....someone seems to have pumped up the number a bit.

Obviously, if Long can't even check his most basic facts there can be little doubt that while his book reads like an adventure, it's really little more than propaganda disguised as a detective story. I have no doubt this book will be used as a rallying cry for all sorts of draconian government regulations attempting to criminalize a perfectly legal trade, but then again it wouldn't be the first time a bunch of hogwash has been used to justify the use of stormtroopers.

Silly Socialists Chase Dragons.......2003-08-14

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