For brides who are torn between having a traditional white wedding and a festive colorful wedding, there is a great option: have both! One trend that is on the freshwater pearl necklace rise is to have a very classic white wedding ceremony followed by a reception with a vibrant and vivid color scheme. For tips on how to pull off this dual style wedding, read on.

More and more brides are deciding that they really want to have it all for their weddings. This is why it has become so popular to have a traditional bridal gown for the ceremony and a sexier dress and fabulously trendy crystal jewelry for the reception. Brides feel like they can find a way to express both sides of their personality, the traditional and the contemporary, instead of having to decide between the two. The white wedding ceremony followed by a brightly hued reception follows the same idea.

The trick to having a successful wedding with two distinctive halves is to akoya pearl jewelry choose a few elements that you can carry throughout the entire event to give it some continuity. You want your guests to be pleasantly surprised when they make the transition from ceremony to reception; you don't want them to think that they are at the wrong party. So although the ceremony and reception will have different color schemes and different atmospheres, they should still retain some similar characteristics.

An easy and subtle way to link the ceremony and reception is with the flowers. You can select a few favorite blossoms to highlight, and feature them in white for the ceremony and a bright color for your reception. There are any number of flowers that would lend themselves to this beautifully. The bride can carry a bouquet of white peonies, hydrangeas, and roses for a classic and demure spring wedding. Punch up the reception by creating arrangements from hot pink peonies and roses accented by fresh green hydrangeas. This is a fantastic way to have two distinctive décor schemes that still feel cohesive.

As for the rest of the design scheme, just try to pearl strand establish some sort of common thread between the wedding and reception. For instance, if your ceremony was very formal, perhaps you could decorate your reception in rich shades of plum and navy. An all-white wedding ceremony in a garden could be followed by an informal reception decorated in pinks, yellows, and lilacs. Unique touches like displaying your flowers in garden urns is a nice way to make the reception echo the ceremony, while still having a totally different color palette.

It would be really fun for the bride to find a way to add some of her bright colors to her attire for the reception. It can be as simple as swapping out one set of accessories for another. For the classic demure bridal look during the ceremony, the timeless beauty of pearl jewelry is ideal. To transition to freshwater pearl strands the party after the service, the bride can exchange her pearls for a set of crystal bridal jewelry that has been custom ordered in her bright colors. It will only take a moment to make the switch, but the impact will be dramatic, and definitely signals that the bride has gone into "party mode".

Choosing two separate color palettes for your ceremony and reception might be a little more work, but it also means that you do not have to choose between your serious side and your fun side. Indulge both sides of your personality to create one truly unique and memorable wedding. It will truly be a one-of-a-kind event.

Brides have been wearing veils for thousands of years. It is an ancient tradition, but one that is still very popular with brides today. Just like wedding gowns, veils also follow fashion trends. Here is a look at some of the most current ideas in veils.

There is something about a veil that just says, "Here comes the twisted pearl necklace bride!". That is why even the most modern of brides will still usually choose to wear one, at least for the wedding ceremony. Of course, you can never go wrong with the classic plain tulle veil, but designers today are also offering veils with some very special and unique details.

A simple gathered piece of tulle can be dramatically transformed with a trim or ornament. Adding a decorative border to the outer edge is one of the most popular and versatile ways to finish a veil. Ribbon borders are one of the most classic veil edges, but there are some additional new and interesting options. Some designers are using three narrow pieces of ribbon to create a more dynamic ribbon edge. Others are using ribbon in a pale color, like blush pink or baby blue.

A border on a veil does not have to multi-strands pearl necklace be a piece of ribbon, either. For today's romantic and ethereal gowns, veils with ruffled or pleated edges are a beautiful choice. A soft sheer ruffle or pleat on a veil will also soften a more architectural style of wedding dress. It is one of the prettiest trends in bridal veils.

Other bridal veil trends are in keeping with some ideas that are popular throughout weddings. Just as monogrammed everything is one of the hottest things at weddings, you can carry this concept into your veil. You can order a veil that is customized with your monogram on the back in rope pearl necklace an elegant script and scroll design. This veil would make a very special wedding keepsake.

Swarovski crystals are another big wedding trend. Brides love crystal bridal jewelry, crystals in their bouquets, even crystals in the vases of the centerpieces. Many brides simply cannot get enough sparkle! If this sounds like you, you will be happy to hear that you can even get crystals on your bridal veil. A dazzling veil is the perfect complement to sparkling Swarovksi crystal bridal jewelry. Tiny crystals can be applied to the body of the veil, or they can be used along the edges to create a beautiful border. One really stunning effect is to have large crystal briolettes stitched to the veil. The way they catch the light as the bride walks down the aisle is incredible.

On the other hand, if you prefer a more old fashioned look, you can also find that in a veil. Very traditional laces, such as Belgian lace, are coming back in style for the bride. You can choose a veil made entirely of akoya pearl necklace a fine Belgian lace (which has a lot of open net areas, so it will not look like you are wearing a tablecloth!) or one with a lace applique just at the edges. If this vintage look appeals to you, be sure to check your attic; some lucky brides may be able to wear the same lace veil as their mother or grandmother.

Tradition and custom play a very strong part in weddings. This is certainly true of the bridal ensemble. The wonderful thing for today's brides is that you can enjoy following some of the wedding traditions while still adding a modern and personal twist to them.

Looking for fun inspiration in your wedding planning? A great idea is to freshwater pearl plan a wedding based on your astrological sign. For the bride born under the sign of Aries, this means full speed ahead!

As the first sign of the Zodiac, Aries is a natural leader. You can be headstrong at times, as well as impulsive. In the hurry to get things moving, sometimes the Aries can forget to make a plan first. This is balanced out, however, by your natural enthusiasm and contagious sense of adventure.

An Aries bride will not be a wallflower. She will be happiest with a wedding that is wholesale pearl jewelry bold and exciting. It should express her personality and zest for life. If you are the sporty type, a unique adventure type of wedding might be just your style. When you see a bride who is getting married while scuba diving or hang gliding, she is probably an Aries!

Assuming that you decide to have your wedding in a more conventional venue, look for ways to make the room sparkle and come alive. Bold and interesting elements will make the reception feel like you. Consider things like: an Asian theme with red and black lacquer decorations, an evening reception bedecked with rented crystal chandeliers to match your crystal bridal jewelry, or a sports themed wedding highlighting your favorite activities.

Aries likes it hot! For the menu, ask the caterer to button pearl create a menu of spicy foods, like Mexican, Southwestern, Indian, or pan-Asian. An around-the-world themed reception would suit the adventurous side of an Aries bride. It would be like traveling the globe without leaving the room.

Since an Aries loves to be in motion, great dance music will be a must for the reception. Pick a band or d.j. that will keep the party jumping all night long. A fun idea is to start off with more classic wedding music and then bring out a d.j. to play dance hits into the wee hours of the morning.

Because she likes to move, an Aries bride will not want a wedding gown that is restrictive or cumbersome. Forget about dresses with skirts so straight that you can barely walk, or skirts so full that it practically requires a team of horses to drag you around the room. Look for a gown that is easy to move in, and you will feel great. To add some drama, spice up your ensemble with flashy crystal bridal jewelry.

The toughest thing for an Aries is going to be staying on Keishi pearl track and planning the wedding in a methodical fashion. An Aries will have a tendency to jump from point A to point D, while skipping over points B and C entirely. This sense of adventure will serve an Aries well in many parts of her life, but when it comes to putting together a wedding, sometimes you need to do things in a certain order to ensure that no detail is overlooked. The headstrong Aries may also find herself clashing with her mother over matters of taste and decorum. If you encounter these issues, it could be a great idea to hire a wedding coordinator, both to keep you on task and to keep the peace in the family!

You want to plan your wedding in a way that will really reflect who you are. That is what makes the affair memorable for the guests, and enjoyable for the bride. For the Aries bride, be sure to use your wedding to highlight your great sense of fun, adventure, and love of life.

Above deck! Dead ahead is the wedding ceremony of the akoya pearl jewelry decade. Are you a sailor? Absolutely love the water? This may be the wedding theme you've been searching for. Read on for how one bride created the nautical wedding of her dreams.

Start off by sending save the freshwater pearl jewelry date and invitations that have a nautical look and feel. Sailboats, shells, lighthouse - whatever evokes the feeling of being at the ocean.

You can hold your nautical wedding in a country club, dockside, or around a crystal blue lake. A beautiful red, white, and blue color scheme makes it easy for you to start off the planning of your wedding. No frilly white dress for you - you're a practical sort of woman. One who wants to be able to move and enjoy her wedding day. A classic empire waist wedding gown sets the tone for your elegant nautical wedding. Your beautiful A-Line cut dress with pearls and Swarovski crystals spread across the bustline accents your athletic curves. After all, you're in fantastic shape from sailing and spending long days on the water. Your light summer tan provides you with a beautiful base and you glow throughout the day naturally.

Accent your wedding dress with an elegant, yet simple classic pearl and Swarovski Crystal bridal jewelry set. Your bridesmaids look positively radiant in the shimmering dresses you've selected - the exact blue of the cultured akoya pearl sea that you love so well. To finish off your bridal party's gorgeous look, select jewelry for bridesmaids in blue crystal These bridesmaid necklace sets make a great thank you gift for the support and help they've provided you in getting your day pulled together.

Your guests are having the time of their life drinking Blue Hawaiian Cocktails and nibbling on crab cakes with fruit and cheese appetizers while waiting to enter the cultured freshwater pearl ballroom. Your carefully selected music sets the mood for relaxing and having a good time. Think Beach Boys, Jimmy Buffet, and throw in some Bob Marley for a reggae beat your guests are sure to move to.

Your red, white and blue theme looks absolutely stunning to your guests as they enter the room designated for dinner. Each table has red, white, and blue tablecloths with alternating red, white, and blue napkins on top. Your guests are treated to a great nautical candle wedding favor at each place setting.

Your gift table also carries the red, white, and blue nautical look with your white wedding card holder sitting majestically in the center. Your stunning wedding cake has red roses cascading from the top down to the bottom layer.

The food you serve should remind guests of a trip to the beach. A great shrimp pasta dish is the perfect main course but be sure to offer a chicken pasta dish for your guests that don't eat seafood. If you prefer a buffet, the meal will be even easier. Think carving roasts and turkey breasts with various cold salads. Sprinkle seashells throughout the buffet table.

After dinner, kick off your heels and head to the dance floor. Your guests are sure to quickly follow since the music you selected makes you want to get up and dance. If you're holding your reception outdoors, this is the perfect time to launch red, white, and blue balloons to get the party rolling.

Now head off to that tropical beach for your honeymoon in delicious lingerie sure to bring a smile to your husband's face. Enjoy your honeymoon because you've certainly earned it!

BETWEEN them, Argentina’s president, Cristina Fernández, and her husband and predecessor, Néstor Kirchner, have nationalised their country’s post office, its airline and the private pension system. Now, it seems, it is loose akoya pearl the turn of football to come under the state’s aegis. This week the Argentine Football Association was poised to accept an offer of $154m from the state television channel for the rights to transmit this season’s matches. The association’s president, Julio Grondona, unilaterally ripped up a contract lasting until 2014 under which Torneos y Competencias (TyC), a private broadcaster and partner of loose freshwater pearl the Clarín media group, paid $70m a year for the lion’s share of the broadcasting rights.

Nobody disputes that Argentine football is a mess. Many of the brightest Argentine stars play for much bigger salaries in Europe, so many clubs field teams made up of youths and veterans. Despite this transfer income, mismanagement and corruption mean that many of the clubs are shouldering big debts, including $8m in unpaid wages to loose pearls players and $80m in taxes. That prompted Mr Grondona, who has ruled Argentine football with an iron hand for 30 years, to threaten to suspend indefinitely the new season’s kick-off, scheduled for August 14th.

The Kirchners fared poorly in a legislative election in June. Ms Fernández’s government lost its majority in the lower house of Congress, while Mr Kirchner was humiliated by coming second in the election for deputies in Buenos Aires province. Opponents claim that the new television deal was crafted personally by Mr Kirchner to loose pearl restore his political fortunes.

First, he would be seen as the saviour of the season, as well as the man who put football on free-to-air television (though cable, on which TyC is available, is widespread in Argentina). Second he would strike a blow against the Clarín group, whose newspaper has been critical of him. TyC’s president claims that Mr Kirchner persuaded Mr Grondona to switch the contract at a late-night meeting, and says he will sue the association. Officials later denied that the meeting took place.

Football and politics have rarely been far apart in Argentina. When the World Cup was held there in 1978, the country’s then military junta is alleged to have arranged to bribe an opposing team to ensure Argentina’s progress and eventual victory. To curry public favour, the junta also stooped to abolishing relegation when popular teams were threatened with demotion to akoya pearl beads a lower league.

Mauricio Macri, the mayor of Buenos Aires, built his reputation by successfully running Boca Juniors, one of the capital’s two big clubs. Such jobs are hotly contested, despite the clubs’ poor financial state. Buenos Aires is plastered with posters for rival candidates in an election for the presidency of River Plate, Boca’s big rival. Whoever wins may now command a bigger pot of television money—courtesy of the taxpayer.

But the anti-Americanism comes from some aides more than from the president himself. He has promoted ultranationalists within Itamaraty. He gave responsibility for pearl necklace South America to Marco Aurélio Garcia, the foreign-relations guru of his Workers’ Party. This was one of Lula’s many balancing acts, compensating his left-wing base for its disappointment that he ignored them on economic policy.

Brazil has successfully led the UN mission to pearl jewelry wholesale stabilise Haiti. But in Lula’s first term his advisers seemed to think they could integrate South America, against the United States and from the left. Several South American countries do not share their anti-Americanism. (One former Lula adviser derides them as “boy scouts” and as the equivalent of wholesale pearl jewlery the collaborationist Vichy regime in wartime France.)

Brazil embraced Hugo Chávez’s Venezuela, inviting it to join the Mercosur trade block. The naivety of this approach became apparent when Bolivia, at Mr Chávez’s urging, nationalised the local operations of Petrobras, Brazil’s state-controlled oil company. In what has been called the “diplomacy of generosity” towards left-wing governments in its smaller neighbours, Brazil agreed to gemstone jewelry pay more for Bolivian gas. Last month it similarly agreed to pay Paraguay more for electricity from Itaipu, the hydroelectric dam they share.

By common consent, policy towards South America has become more pragmatic in Lula’s second term. In particular, Brazil’s relations with Colombia have improved. Brazilian diplomats say privately that their aim is to contain and moderate Mr Chávez. But Lula has often seemed to endorse him. Would Brazil ever criticise Mr Chávez for endangering democracy? “It’s not the way we work,” says Mr Amorim. “It’s not by being a loudspeaker that you change things.” Yet Brazilian officials were not shy about criticising Colombia’s military agreement with the United States.

Their critics argue that Brazil should seek to pearl jewelry integrate South America on the basis of rules, rather than political sympathy, and that by proclaiming regional leadership it risks becoming the target of regional grievance. They also question the utility of UNASUL and its first project, a South American Defence Council. “To defend against what?” asks Mr Cardoso. Brazil’s armed forces did not propose the defence council, nor do they see the American presence in Colombia as a threat. “The United States isn’t attacking Latin America. Chávez threatens, he’s not being threatened,” says Mr Cardoso.

WHEN the leaders of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUL in Portuguese), a 12-country group inspired by Brazil, met in Ecuador’s capital, Quito, on August 10th, there was little spirit of pearl earrings union. Their meeting followed a row between Venezuela and Colombia, whose president, Álvaro Uribe, did not attend, in part because Ecuador broke off freshwater pearl jewelry diplomatic relations with his country last year.

Hugo Chávez, Venezuela’s president, backed by his allies, Bolivia and Ecuador, wanted to condemn Colombia for granting facilities at pearl jewelry wholesale seven military bases to the United States, which is helping it battle guerrillas and drug-traffickers. “Winds of war are blowing,” he thundered. Four countries, including Chile and Peru, backed Colombia. Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, tried to damp down the dispute, suggesting that the group meet both Barack Obama and Mr Uribe to seek reassurances about the use of the bases. But then Mr Chávez launched a diatribe against Colombia and Mr Obama. Lula cut short his visit to Ecuador and headed home, giving warning that UNASUL could “cease to be an integration process, becoming just a group of cultured pearl friends.” If only.

This fiasco provides fuel for both sides in a long-running debate in Brazil about the foreign policy of the Lula government. The critics, who include several senior former diplomats, accuse the government of placing ideology above Brazil’s national interest—especially in policy towards South America.

Lula’s predecessor, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, sought to boost trade and other ties with the United States and Europe. On taking office in 2003, Lula placed new stress on south-south ties. Brazil has doubled the number of its embassies in Africa, to 30, and joined or set up a clutch of new clubs. These include IBSA, with India and South Africa, of freshwater pearl which Itamaraty, the foreign ministry, is especially proud.

As evidence that this policy has borne fruit, Celso Amorim, the foreign minister, points out that most of Brazil’s trade is now with developing countries, thus anticipating Mr Obama’s advice that the world should not rely on the United States as consumer of last resort. He concedes that Brazil does not agree with the other big emerging powers on everything, but they do share an interest in trying to change the way that international institutions and the world economy are run.

The critics see in some aspects of the government’s diplomacy an implicit anti-Americanism. Lula got on well with George Bush even while disagreeing with many of his policies. Brazil’s relations with the United States are correct, but oddly distant. Lula retains a soft spot for Cuba, perhaps because Fidel Castro helped him and his party when they were struggling against a military regime which, at its outset at least, had American backing.

Dizzy economic growth has not, alas, brought political maturity. Voting rights are limited to adult “belongers”—broadly, the locally born—of pearl jewelry wholesale whom fewer than 7,000 are registered. The assembly’s 15 seats have electorates as small as 190. Politicians have built tight support networks with favours given and received. Mr Misick’s now ex-wife, LisaRaye McCoy-Misick, told the inquiry he had handed out $100 bills to pearl jewelry voters before winning a landslide majority in the February 2007 election. Privileged belongers have been sold crown land for as little as 25% of its market value, sometimes flipping it onwards to commercial developers. For those who lost favour, though, life could be difficult. A British parliamentary committee visited the islands in 2008 and found a “palpable climate of fear”.

Mr Misick has called on islanders to “resist” British rule. Galmo Williams, who briefly succeeded him as premier, said the islands had been “invaded and recolonised” with a “dictatorship” like “the old Red China”. The suspended opposition leader, Floyd Seymour, has “mixed feelings”. But some locals are angry that Britain did not step in sooner. In July the Caribbean Community said meekly that a new election would be better than direct rule. The islands have been through all this before. The constitution was suspended in freshwater pearl jewelry 1986 after an inquiry into arson and alleged corruption. Sir Robin’s report noted how little had changed since then.

There has long been a debate on whether the Turks and Caicos and other micro-states in the region are viable as self-governing entities. For most of the imperial period the islands were run from Jamaica or the Bahamas. As Britain’s Caribbean colonies were heading towards independence in the 1950s, there was a short-lived attempt to unite them all in a West Indies Federation, to be run from Trinidad (which has recently talked to some neighbours about a possible union). There have also been various suggestions down the years to unite the Turks and Caicos with distant Canada. Returning them to freshwater pearl the mercies of chaotic Jamaica would offer few benefits. But the Bahamas, having made great strides in overcoming its own corruption and drugs problems of the 1980s, would seem a good candidate to take the islands back under its wing one day.

THE self-rule that the Turks and Caicos islands have enjoyed for pearl jewelry 33 years was taken away on August 14th, when Britain removed their elected premier, cabinet and assembly, and suspended most of their constitution. For the next two years or so the islands, whose population is around 38,000, will be run by pearl pendant their governor—the representative of Queen Elizabeth.

Britain felt it had few choices, following the publication last month of a report by an inquiry, headed by Sir Robin Auld, a former British judge, which found a “high probability of pearl necklace systemic corruption” in the tiny country’s government, with ministers apparently bribed by foreign property developers. Sir Robin described the situation as a “national emergency”. He recommended a police investigation of Michael Misick, who resigned as premier in pearl earrings March but denies wrongdoing, and other government figures. The report noted Mr Misick’s reputation for enjoying a “Hollywood lifestyle” and said his spending habits “far exceeded his salary and allowances”.

Thirty years ago the islanders scratched a living from infertile soil, salt pans and fishing. White sands and clear waters have since spurred a tourist boom, with an added fillip from offshore finance. A steady flow of wholesale pearl jewelry rich white expats and impoverished Haitians has swollen the population.

LOS ANGELES -- As a financial adviser focusing on nontraditional asset classes, Greg Pierce reviews a lot of private movie investments brought to playground equipment him by wealthy clients itching to dabble as Hollywood dealmakers. For 17 years, he rejected every single one. "Most of the deals were so complicated, I can never tell where the money is going and what would have to happen for me to get my money back.," says Pierce, a portfolio manager for Reinhart Partners in suburban Milwaukee.

Earlier this year, Pierce, whose firm counts $2.3 billion in assets under management, read yet another prospectus, this time for an investment in St. John of Las Vegas, a buddy comedy starring Steve Buscemi as a down-on-his-luck former blackjack player.

Pierce was surprised to find that the 150-page document included detailed projections for how nearly every dollar of investors' cash would be spent. He was downright shocked to read in the deal memo a promise that Tinseltown moneymen rarely offer outsiders: Investors would get all their money back, plus a 15% preference payment, before the flick's producers, a new studio dubbed IndieVest, ever collected pocket a dime of the box office revenue. Pierce quickly added the deal to the private investments his firm recommends to clients.

Since the birth of the indie film art form, wealthy individuals desperate for a taste of Hollywood moguldom have financed projects ranging from ill-conceived to Oscar-winning. Yet with bank accounts depleted by the inflatable bouncers global recession, finding capital has never been tougher for auteurs and producers.

Amid the chaos, year-old IndieVest thinks it can win over reluctant investors by offering movie investments with transparent financial structures and new mechanisms for managing risks. Founded by Wade H. Bradley, a former venture capitalist, and Mark Burton, a veteran producer who has worked with boldfaced names like Hilary Swank, the naughty castles insurgent studio hopes release six to eight films by the end of 2010, all backed by wealthy investors who sold shares in meticulously documented partnerships.

"There are plenty of people who wanted to try out this business who suddenly lost all their money," Bradley says. "There is a market here that isn't being served."

The risks for individual film investors are huge: Films might not be professionally produced. Theater owners might refuse to pick them up. And for movies that do get a theatrical run, individuals have to reckon with Hollywood's notoriously tricky accounting practices, where producers, distributors, talent and myriad other parties often get paid before the equity holders.

So far, a handful of registered investment advisers like as Pierce's Reinhart Partners have agreed to pitch the movie deals to game machines their clients. IndieVest has enlisted Fidelity Investments clearing service to make it easy for money managers to peddle the deals.

Understanding the marketing value of celebrity cache, Burton and Wade have signed Liev Schreiber and Don Cheadle as creative advisers, as well as a former Creative Artists Agency rep and a Paramount Pictures executive to counsel on business matters.

Their official pitch goes like this: IndieVest solicits members who pay fees of either $2,950 or $4,950 annually. (Lower-paying folks get invitations to events like regional film festivals; their big-spending counterparts get to attend the glitzier bashes like Independent Spirit Awards.) IndieVest also collects a 10% syndication fee, which it occasionally splits with third-party investment advisers who peddle their investments.
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Members receive a stream of movie deal prospectuses outlining script elements, attached acting and directing talent, budgets and financial performance of similar films. IndieVest sets the minimum investment at $50,000 and allows investors to build portfolios of individual flicks. Once enough members have signed on to provide a project's entire production (cameras, crew, fees for talent--which are typically reduced--and the promotional budget for both prints and advertising), IndieVest will start prepping to shoot.

Burton explains that the biggest risk for independent films is that theater owners refuse to put them on the screen. Indeed, more than 9,000 movies are produced annually, some 95% of which never get distribution. IndieVest thinks they can avoid that fate by setting aside a cash reserve, between 1.5 to two times the production budget, to leisure chairs promote their films through TV, print and Web ads. (Most big Hollywood films allocate, say, ad campaigns half the size of their production budgets.)

"It only stands to reason that a film with substantial advertising commitment is going to have a better chance of getting theatrical distribution," says Patrick A. Russo, principal at the Salter Group, a media-focused financial adviser in Los Angeles.

St. John of Las Vegas, IndieVest's first project, was shot for around $3.8 million and has a promotional budget of $5.2 million, which, along with the 10% syndication fee, represents a total investor commitment of about $10 million. For the first four or five weeks of release, IndieVest will screen the film in just 150 theaters and spend about $1.2 million on advertising.

If the initial run in successful, IndieVest will expand the release to 400 to 500 cinemas and spend the rest of the promotional reserve. If audiences aren't showing up, IndieVest promises to return the remaining $4.2 million ad budget, or 42% of the total commitment, to investors. Indie movie deals typically offer no such downside protection.

For films that do find a sizable audience, IndieVest will return all return all of its cut of the box office sales--IndieVest gets 40%, theaters take 60% for indie films--to investors until they have recouped their entire investment plus a 15% profit participation. If the movie is still raking in revenue after that, either from a long theatrical run or pay television and DVD sales, investors get 50% of the remaining revenue, talent gets 40% and IndieVest takes 10%.

While the hit rate for low-budget projects is tiny, there can be huge upside for small movies that break through. Last year's winner of the Best Picture Oscar, Slumdog Millionaire, was shot for just $15 million and grossed $377 million in worldwide box office sales for its distributor, News Corp's Fox Searchlight.

IndieVest's Burton and Bradley acknowledge that many movie investors bet on indie films to get a glimpse of what it is like to be a Hollywood player.

Pierce, the financial adviser, says he understands the fun factor of backing IndieVest but that he only approved their products because he believes in the possibility of big profits, not mere capital preservation.

"Because of the illiquidity and risk, I'm not going to put anyone into movies if I didn't think there is a possibility for significant returns," Pierce says.

This summer's "Cash for Clunkers" instant rebate program was such a rousing victory for automakers that it is now spawning spin-off programs. Call this latest program "Rebates for Refrigerators," with the clear difference being consumers won't have to lug in their old Maytags to score a discount on a sleek new energy-efficient model.

"Cash for Clunkers was a huge success. It cleared inventories; it got people working; it monetized the $3 billion taxpayer bill by having individuals take money from their savings to inflatable buy a car," says Jeff Rubin, the head of research at Birinyi Associates. "My view on appliances' Cash for Clunkers: I think it is a great idea."

While it might be a great idea, the new appliance rebate program is not proving to be made of the same clunker material. The main difference between the rebate programs is that the clunkers program was federal, while the appliances rebate is not. Instead, the government earmarked $300 million for states to give out as rebates for energy-efficient household appliances.

The clunkers program had a large advertising element, as automakers aired identical ads across the country. Since the appliance rebate program will vary state by state, it could lack a similar cohesive marketing strategy from companies like General Electric ( GE - news - people ), Whirlpool ( WHR - news - people ) and LG Electronics, says Whitney Stanco, energy policy analyst for Concept Capital's ( CTCY.OB - news - people ) Washington Research Group.

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Rubin is so short sighted, it is scary this guy is actually paid attention to inflatable bouncer . He says that cash for clunkers worked because it caused people to use their savings (i.e. go further into debt) thereby....

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The initial Cash for Clunkers program not only got people to drive new autos--it also helped drive automaker share prices. Ford Motor ( F - news - people ) is up 227.2% year-to-date, while Honda Motor ( HMC - news - people ) is up 46.9% and inflatable castles Toyota ( TM - news - people ) is up 26.9%. The Standard & Poor's 500 rose 14.4% in that time. August car sales were the highest they'd been in all of 2009, a success generally credited to the program.

By contrast, the lack of nationwide coordination may make it harder for appliance makers to get the word out, says Stanco. "It makes a difference in the level of awareness. If the program is going to be different across all 50 states, it will be harder for companies to have an ad campaign," he says. "There's a difference here, and it will make it harder for companies to market." With the possibility of more than 50 different rebate programs, the complexity of bureaucratic red tape is inevitable, along with a lag time for the funding in consumer hands.

States wanting to participate had to send letters to the  inflatable funland Department of Energy by Aug. 15. From there, the federal government began the task of allotting money to states, which is estimated at $1 per person, per state (with a minimum of $100,000 awarded to small states and territories).

Rebates for consumers will also ring up to a significantly lower amount than the Cash for Clunker's flat rate of $4,500. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers estimate that customers will receive between $50 to $200 for purchasing eligible energy-efficient appliances like freezers, washers and central air conditioners. In general, the funds for the program will start hitting the economy in late 2009 to early 2010.

Investors should take note, though, that it won't be just appliance companies standing to benefit from embracing the government's green energy-star program. Companies like Honeywell ( HON - news - people ) and Johnson Controls ( JCI - news - people ) will be able to inflatable tunnels benefit from stimulus programs that have been promised, but not begun, says Stanco. Those programs include $5 billion for the weatherization of low- to mid-income homes and $2.4 billion in funding to support battery manufacturers and next generation electric vehicles.

Still, what good are energy-efficient appliances if consumers have no place to put them? Raymond James financial adviser Randy Carver said that new incentives should be directed toward a loan program for people with good credit scores to buy foreclosed properties. Instead of giving money away, the government could earn interest from the loans. Perhaps the new home buyers would even consider remodeling the kitchen.

Cash for Toasters?

Forbes: What are the implications for the upcoming $300 million Cash for inflatable sports Clunkers-type federal program to boost sales of energy efficient appliance?

Jeff Rubin: The first-time home-buyers credit has also been a success, but should be extended for investment properties, this would help unclog much of the inventory being created by foreclosures.

I think what we learned from the Cash for Clunkers cars program is that it will run out of money quickly, and it will have to be expanded. That despite the naysayers there is pent-up demand and the new "normal" perhaps will not happen.

The Cash for Clunkers type of stimulus plans are the type that should have been used all along, instead of sending everyone $500, which most just saved, these types of programs force people to spend, that is the entire point of a stimulus plan.

Forbes: Jeff, can you explain to inflatable tent me a little more how the investment properties aspect of this can/should work?

Rubin: I am not thinking of anything complicated, just extending the tax credit of $8,000, which is now available to first-time home-buyers to houses that are not used for a primary residence regardless of whether that person has bought a house previously.

Randy Carver: Instead of focusing on people who are facing foreclosure due to non-payment, the government should create a loan program for credit-worthy people to buy these properties, people who cannot afford to own could then rent. Low interest loans would go to very credit-worthy people (for example, 800 score or above) who want to buy properties that are being foreclosed on. The government would earn interest (and presumably actually get paid), and the real estate markets could get a boost. Loaning money to anyone who cannot repay it will not fix the current problems and, in the long run, will ultimately make the problem worse.

Forbes: To interject a question, then how do both of you feel about other types of "Cash for Clunkers" programs, such as for furniture and household goods, appliances, etc. Also, do you, generally speaking, think that the Cash for Clunkers program made a big enough difference that it’s worth trying to replicate the program elsewhere?

Rubin: Cash for Clunkers was a HUGE success. It cleared inventories, it got people working, it monetized the $3 billion tax-payer bill, by having individuals take money from their savings to buy a car. I think I have already stated my view on appliances' Cash for Clunkers: I think it is a great idea. One of the inflatable arches best interest of the public.

I do not feel it would hamper a company approaching the FRB for help, as a company would only come in the most desperate of situations when it is either a do-or-die situation. They have already exhausted other means of financing.