Panapa died last Sunday

privacy of their children.Lola sleeveless flower girl dresses , a Latin American woman, met Eric, a world-famous billionaire, when she was only 17 and he was 32.When the separation occurred, Lola didn’t take it lying down.She decided to challenge Quebec’s law and ask for everything a married woman would have been entitled to.Her lawyers claimed that the provincial law discriminates against unmarried couples.The first provincial court to hear the case saw it otherwise.million as a lump sum.per year as child-support payments for their three kids.Lola appealed that court’s decision, and in 2010, the appeals court of the province sided with her.That decision suggested that every other person in a de facto couple had the same rights as her, or the same obligations as Eric.In other words, it invalidated the province’s law that one de facto spouse never has to support another when they split up.Groups that defend single mothers and children’s rights applauded the ruling.The Quebec government, however, was astounded.The provincial justice minister, Jean-Marc Fournier, declared that the appeal court decision would harm individuals’ right to choose what kind of matrimonial state they want for themselves.The Quebec government has appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada, which will rule on it by July.The sums of money involved make Eric and Lola’s case somewhat absurd to the average Canadian.But it could shape the lives of the 1.million Quebecois in de facto couples, making them as good as married, even though neither of them exchanged rings or asked the other person’s permission to spend their lives together.Ever practical, Quebec’s lovebirds are taking precautions.Linda, a 43-year-old woman in Longueuil, moved in with her boyfriend a couple of months ago.turns out in favour of Lola.Linda wasn’t shocked and she wasn’t insulted.Being a de facto spouse is normal a-line flower girl dresses , the modern way to go.His legal paper, he can bring it on!If he wouldn’t have suggested it, maybe I would have.She is happy not to be married, and happy not to be obliged to provide for him.com: Search for the dress led to online nicheAsk any early-stage startup who its competitors are and it should have several names at hand, with at least one well-known brand among them.It s common for the media, investors, and even users to compare startups to these household names, leading to the it s this for that elevator pitch.There are countless examples: BranchOut is LinkedIn for Facebook users; Zappos is Amazon for shoes; and the list goes on.Being compared to an industry leader isn t a bad thing if it gives people context for what a business does.as long as it s a positive association.Take the Craigslist for weddings, Toronto-based company SmartBrideBoutique.Andrea Lown realized after planning her own wedding just how expensive they could be.She was only engaged for five months, which made it difficult to find a wedding dress, which often need to be ordered up to a year in advance to allow for custom orders, shipping and alterations.RelatedThe new kid on the block: family appsFashioned after U.model Shops were literally turning away my money as I tried to jam it in their hands in return for a dress off the rack, Lown said in an interview.Eventually I turned to eBay and Craigslist.and didn t have to worry about short time lines.It was after searching Craigslist that she realized the limitations to finding a used dress online.There was often information missing in postings, pictures weren t always available, or when they were they weren t high quality.That s when she decided to build a destination for brides buying and selling used wedding gowns.She launched the company in 2008, right when brides affected by the recession were looking for walletfriendly alternatives.Lown said describing SmartBride as Craigslist for weddings was her short and snappy elevator pitch right out of the gate.It told people exactly what we did in under three seconds, leaving us time to explain how we were different and better, she said.She said it helped people understand the concept immediately, with allowed them to answer their other questions.One of those questions is whether people actually buy and sell wedding dresses online hot sale flower girl dresses , and the company found that 75% of Canadian women surveyed were interested in buying a once-worn wedding dress for various reasons.While comparisons offer immediate recognition, sometimes they carry negative connotations associated with the larger brand.Lown said that when people associated SmartBride with Craigslist, they often associated buying a used wedding dress with the typical experience of Craigslist (which she calls poor ), which is exactly what they set out to improve.With over 60,000 brides visiting the SmartBride every month, Lown is increasingly looking to serve both private sellers and boutiques who sell discounted and sample items.The company might be immediately recognizable as the Craigslist for weddings, but it s creating a brand that s uniquely its own.Erin Bury is managing editor at BetaKit, an emerging tech publication launched by Sprouter.David Beckham is the first man to pose solo for the cover of Elle UK.The second photo is more impressive, though.And by impressive, I mean topless.Congrats to Cynthia Nixon, who wed her longtime girlfriend on the weekend.Thankfully, there were no reports of either bride wearing a bird on her head.not to mention some awkward PDA).Lance Bass says there s no question he ll be invited to Justin Timberlake s wedding (well, la di da!and is willing to spill all the details.Jennifer Lawrence and Kristen Stewart both want to play Peyton in the adapation of Lie Down in the Darkness which, considering the subject matter, is pretty messed up.a new Lizzie Bennet Diaries video on YouTube always makes Mondays slightly less of a suckfest.It s that time of year again, when stars break out the bikinis and make the rest of us feel like gross cows.Speaking of feeling like cows, Beyonce says she s already lost 60 lbs.We need more de.arriages hot sale flower girl dresses , but the government struck down those laws after the Supreme Court decision.Officials also now allow gay couples to adopt children.In recent days, Gov.Alejandro Garcia Padilla also signed two executive orders that allow transgender and transsexual people to change their gender on their driver's license and protect their rights when seeking medical services.Los Angeles Charlotte Morran never shops at Forever 21.So when the 33-year-old accidentally took an escalator that lands in the Forever 21 store at the Beverly Center shopping mall here on Monday afternoon, she made a beeline for the exit.This website requires Javascript to run correctly.Click here for help enabling it The New Zealand Herald6:41pm Sat 22 AugustNetwork 0 / 0 Loading Help Support The New Zealand HeraldBay of Plenty TimesHawke s Bay TodayThe Rotorua Daily PostThe Northern AdvocateWairarapa Times-AgeWanganui ChronicleHamilton NewsThe AucklanderThe Northland AgeStratford PressHerald RugbyVivaDream TeamBiteTrue CommercialNewspixDriven nzherald.EmailPrintNew ZealandSmall BusinessSmall business editor Caitlin Sykes this week interviews a handful of small business owners about how they manage family succession.Anita Turner-Williams, owner and designer at Vinka Design.Photo / Katie Wilson Anita Turner-Williams is the owner and designer at wedding dress design firm Vinka Design, which she took over from her mother Vinka Lucas.Did you grow up knowing you were going to take over the family business?Right from when I was a little girl of three or four I was imitating mum in the workroom.My parents bought me a little sewing machine and I would be alongside her making my dolls dresses.I never imagined doing anything else and my parents encouraged that.I learnt how to do everything in the workroom, from the smallest jobs right through.When I was older I'd work there in the school holidays; I was always pretty keen to get into it.How did you transition to owning the business?The decision was literally made for me when my mother collapsed with a stroke on her way to work.So really there was no transition; I had to step up and do the job because she was no longer capable of doing it, but the business was still ticking on.That was about six years ago.It was one of those 'now or never' moments.So Vinka had been fully running the business up to that point?I was quite involved with it anyway, and we'd talk through business ideas and discuss things, but she was still the boss and I was working for her.When it happened I'd just come back from my honeymoon.It was a terrible shock fishtail wedding dresses with long train , but I wanted to continue her legacy, and to keep the business focused on the clients and delivering for them.I just had to step up and get on with it.Given that was the way the business transitioned, what helped you through?We didn't want our clients to worry about our crisis, so we had to keep focusing on what we had to do.I had to be the front of house, as well as make sure everything was ticking along nicely in the workroom, so the challenge was finding the time to make that commitment.I had to talk to my family and tell them that me taking on the business was going to be a massive commitment.I could have easily turned away and said it's all too hard.But I said to myself I'd never know if I was good enough if I didn't try, and I'd rather do that than wonder what might have been.It's so easy to design behind someone else's label, but when it's your money on the line it tends to matter a bit more.What advice would you have for someone else taking on a family business?Respect the past and what's been achieved to that point in the business because it matters.It's something to be proud of.When I took over, the salon and collection had to reflect me as a designer but it also had to be true to Vinka's design aesthetic and standards.That meant from the outside it didn't look like there had been a big change; perhaps I have a different design perspective fishtail wedding dresses , but the business still has Vinka's design DNA.I'd also advise listening to the staff because you don't know everything.They want the business to succeed as well, and you have to respect other points of view and listen to wise heads.You don't have to do everything your way and put your stamp on everything to feel like the business is yours.Don't change just for the sake of it.How about the future of the business in terms of succession?We're still young here but it would be lovely if there was another young talent who shared our vision and would come along at some point and design for the label.I'd like to think it was a brand that someone else could design for, which is why I didn't make the label all about me because what happens when you're gone?Coming up in Small Business: What do small business owners do when they have a baby?NZ HeraldRead more by Caitlin Sykes Email Caitlin SykesEmailPrintView moreSmall Business: Family succession Small Business: Family succession - James Fisher, PJF Services Small Business: Family succession - John Eady, Lewis Eady Small Business: Family succession - Deb Shepherd LoadingCurrencyCompare and convert world currencies.Discover more LoadingLoadingHerald ServicesBook your adDrivenPhotos for saleTrue CommercialDeath NoticesPublic Notices Our Regional News StoriesThe Northern AdvocateSport: Whittaker feels weight of US expectationAsk New Zealand powerlifting champion Joseph Whittaker what his least favorite food is Hawke's Bay TodayObituary: Stuart Tuari John James (Hemi) Panapa Hastings man Stuart "Hemi" Panapa died last Sunday, without receiving the Queen's Service Bay of Plenty TimesAnnemarie Quill: Rugby makes me fit for citizenship It has been 12 years since I moved to New Zealand but it was only this week that I became Our Features Top StoriesDrivenTesting BMW’s xDrive 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