Top 3 Office Decorating Ideas and Tips

Your office is your kingdom, and a place where you handle many of the issues that will affect your career. It's a place where you spend lots of time, meet with peers and clients and build a reputation for yourself. So, your decor should match your style and be part of your professionalism.

Selecting office decor isn't particularly easy, but it doesn't have to be extremely difficult either. There are a few ground rules to follow. First be aware of your surroundings, making your office into something that doesn't fit the culture of your company isn't a great idea, but making it too dull and boring defeats the purpose of decorating altogether. A good office will be well outfitted with essential office supplies and desk accessories but tastefully done, each complementing the other.

Here's a few tips to decorating your office the right way.

1. Decorate your office to your level in the company. It won't make sense for a new executive to outfit thier office with fine El Casco desk accessories, if upper level management does not do the same. One or two nice desk accessories is OK, it gives the office appeal and you deserve a few luxury accessories to make it look professional. Upper level management, CEOs and Vice Presidents should consider nicer desk accessories finished in Gold or Silver. El Casco makes superior items that are imported and hand made in Spain. They are beautiful gifts and great accents on any desk.

2. Decorate your office in a consistent theme when possible. Even if that theme is simple stick to it. If you love golf, add some golf themed items like a golfer statue or pen stand. If you want to make your office look more luxurious, take a look at premium quality desk sets, with pads, pen stands and letter holders finished in leather.

3. Make your office functional first and decorative second. The office is still a place of work so be sure that you don't go overboard while decorating. Keep to simple office accessories like pen stands, paper weights and even statues with pen holders and business card holders. Each one should serve a task-specific purpose while adding a complementing decorative accent.

Top Retirement Gift for Corporate Executives

If you are in charge of finding a gift for a retiring corporate executive you are probably wondering where to start. There may be plenty of ideas floating around in your mind but none have really landed on their feet. Most people wait until the last minute to get something, and that's when they discover that many of their ideas are either out of budget or take too long to ship and personalize.

Here's a few ideas that are very distinctive, personal and perfectly suited for a retirement party or occasion.

El Casco desk accessories are a classic, well-known item respected around the business world. These items are handcrafted in the beautiful Basque Region of Spain. Each part is authentically serial numbered and imported to the US. After an extensive polishing process, these items have a shining luster that represents diligence, dedication and brilliance--all qualities your executive has demonstrated.

There are many to choose from so here is a quick list: eye glass holders, ink blotters and rocker blotters, pencil cups, pencil sharpeners (a classic first introduced in the 1930s and unchanged since then), paperweights and cell phone caddies, for the younger executives.

Whichever you choose these products serve as a token of gratitude for service, an example of how longevity is achieved only through attention to detail, hard work and diligence.

These items are priced from $100 to $300 or more, depending on the size and style of your item. They are available in real 23 KT Gold or chrome silver.

Other options include leather desk sets, desk clocks and fancy pen sets. Don't rule out wine boxes and wine tool sets as well. These are a wonderful choice for those who enjoy wine and are looking forward to a relaxing time in their retirement years.

Managing Office Romance on Valentines Day

So, it is Valentines Day and you want to woo your sweetheart, unfortunately for you she works just two cubicles over and you aren't certain if your bosses will approve of the two of you. That's why you haven't told anyone about the office romance yet. You obviously want to get her a gift for Valentine's Day, however. What do you do?

These problems are common place enough. Many office romances bloom each year and it's kind of easy to see why. You spend half of your waking hours in work, so assuming you aren't dating the girl in your dreams, who else are you likely to get hitched to?

Most companies either approve or disapprove of in the office romances, some think they are great for morale and maybe even feel they are a reason to stay at your present job, reducing turnover, others think they are unprofessional and a distraction. Either way, some estimates state that 40 percent of workers have dated someone in the office. That doesn't mean they have all been open about it with everyone.

So, when Valentine's Day rolls around, should you are your incognito sweetie share gifts in the office? It's always nice to get flowers or a teddy bear at work, it certainly makes the day go by faster. It could be viewed as a distraction however and would certainly blow your cover.

If you feel your boss is going to frown on the office romance, why take a chance, Decide to share gifts outside the office over dinner. It's a simple solution with no real downside, except if someone else sends you sweetheart a gift! This aside, playing it safe might be the best solution.

If you want to give gifts in the office and know your boss won't mind still send something practical, thoughtful and romantic. A crystal gift like a paperweight with a special message engraved on it is a great idea. This is both appropriate and special, because your words will be private enough and she'll appreciate them.

Another option is to buy something romance-neutral like a wine gift box or a fancy paperweight or desk accessories. It shows thought, and is fancy enough to be considered a romantic gift but it's not overly racy or too-cuddly like a teddy bear might be.

As is usually the case in work, keeping things on the low-key side always is in your best interest but you can't skip the Valentines Day gift all together. Make a few compromises in tune with your company's expectations and you'll make it through this holiday just fine.

Top Gifts for Stock Brokers

If you have a great stock broker who you want to reward for their hard work, it takes a great gift to do so. There are many different types of gifts for stock brokers and financial analysts but few carry the weight and momentum that these do. They are the 'creme de la creme' of the stock market gifts, and they are easy to find when you know where to look.

1. Wall Street Bull Statue. This is the penultimate gift for a stock broker. It's so ingrained in the culture of finance that it is hard to believe that anything else but this gift is the best. Since you can't unseat it as anything but the number one stock broker gift, it pays dividends to follow suit and give this to your broker. If they already have a couple of these, it makes sense to look elsewhere for some other intriguing ideas that might score big returns with your investment advisor. So, we'll give you a few more to consider.

2. Business Card Holders with Wall Street bull and bear symbols are another classic and something your broker might not have. Simple, elegant but useful, they'll earn a healthy return of thanks and appreciation. These items are easy to engrave as well. You can add your broker's name, or firm's name. Give this to your new stock brokers as gifts with your investment house name on them. It's a great promotional item as well.

3. Cigar Cutters, Ashtrays and Humidors. What broker doesn't appreciate a good cigar after a great day trading stocks? You'll find an array of cigar accessories that make excellent stock broker gifts. From Gold layered cigar cutters, to cedar lined humidors, this is a classic gift that is not Bull or Bear themed but is always appreciated. Just don't buy them a single cigar, this is a traditional gift given to brokers after companies let them go!

4. Wall Decor is another great idea for a stock broker gift. Since they are working so hard, they may not have time to decorate their office. Give them a unique historic map of Paris, from Authentic Models, or a world map trimmed in gold foil and hand painted. These are elegant gifts your broker will really appreciate.

There are gifts for stock brokers out there like airplane models, desk globes, plaques and other feature items. The above suit most any broker and client, or firm to broker gift giving situation. Take a look at all of our great gifts on our website today.

Remember, we are always available to complete corporate orders and large volume orders at a discounted price.