Savvy interview

Keeping or changing your maiden name is such a sensitive topic that it's hard to know when the appropriate time is to inform everyone. Do you tell them all at one go, or would you tell each person separately? Here are a couple of polite ways you can share the news.

• Tread carefully with reception announcements. Getting announced when you're coming into your reception is a good way to let people know about changes to your last name. However, if you're planning on keeping your maiden name, Anna Post, the great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post, advises against being announced as Mr. and Mrs. Baker "just because you want to do the classic thing. People will be listening to how you want to be called as a married woman." If you are keeping your maiden name, just have yourself announced as your maiden name.
• Include it in the wedding announcement. The wedding announcement is another good place to inform people.
• Don't send out an email blast. Post advises against sending out an email blast to let people know whether you're keeping it. However, if people email you individually to ask, it's perfectly fine to respond via email.
• Add it to the thank-you notes. When you're sending out the requisite thank-you cards to people who have attended your wedding, include your new last name if you're changing it, or use your maiden name if you're keeping it.
• Prewedding chatter. It's probably inevitable that the maiden name question will come up when discussing wedding plans with friends, so that's another organic way of letting your pals know. Post says it's becoming somewhat of a standard discussion during prewedding conversations.

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Do a diamond's origins matter that much? We have come to a point in which scientists can create diamonds in the lab that are virtually indistinguishable from mined diamonds. If you're contemplating buying this lab-grown gem during your engagement ring hunt, here are a few things you should know:

It's not cubic zirconia. Everyone's familiar with cubic zirconia, which is known to imitate the look of a diamond but does not have the chemical makeup of one. Gems that mimic the look of diamonds are classified as a diamond simulant. Others that go under the simulant category include moissanite, quartz, and glass.

You won't be able to tell the difference between a lab-grown diamond and a mined diamond. If you go to the legitimate sources, you'll find that their gems are essentially the same as mined diamonds. The gems have the same physical and chemical properties as mined diamonds. The proper names for these diamonds are laboratory-created, lab-grown, or man-made diamonds.

It's cheaper. Although the price varies on different diamonds depending on the shape, cut, carat, clarity, and color, president and CEO Stephen Lux of Gemesis Diamond Company, a producer of lab-created diamonds, says "generally speaking, Gemesis lab-created diamonds retail for approximately 20 to 30 percent less than mined diamonds." Lux gave sample prices of what you can expect to see at Gemesis — a 0.50 carat can range from $500 to $2,500 while a 1.00 carat can go from $2,000 to $8,000.

The drawbacks. The main drawback seems to be the limits to the size of the diamonds, perhaps due to the technology and equipment of the producer. Gemesis sells colorless diamonds in sizes ranging from 0.50 to 1.50 carats, but they do have bigger sizes for colored diamonds. Another negative is the unromantic notion that the gem is created in a few days vs. taking millions of years to form.

Where to buy. Currently, the leader in the lab-grown diamond industry seems to be Gemesis. You can order diamond jewelry on its website, or you can also opt to order loose stones.

To all ring shoppers, here's a basic guide to buying an engagement ring if you have no clue where to start.

The engagement ring may be one of the biggest expenses of your wedding, and as with buying any big-ticket item, you need to do your homework. We tapped Jerry Ehrenwald, the president of the International Gemological Institute, for some quick guidelines on what couples need to do when they're buying an engagement ring.

• Learn about the four Cs. "Before purchasing a diamond, learn all about the four Cs — the color of the diamond, the clarity of the diamond, the quality of the cut of the diamond, and the carat weight of the diamond."
• Check out reputable stores. "Shop at reputable jewelry sources. Make purchases from a jeweler who has been in business for a number of years. If you are not familiar with the jeweler or online site, check their reputation and rating with the Better Business Bureau before you buy."
• Buy a certified diamond. "Certified means that a diamond rating report has been issued by an independent, unbiased gemological institute. This way, the consumer has the opportunity to compare one diamond’s quality to that of another, with regard to the value and quality of the diamond they’re looking at."
• Grading report. "Purchase diamond jewelry accompanied by a grading report. The grading report provides an unbiased assessment of a jewel’s four Cs. It informs you if a stone is synthetic — in other words, man-made or laboratory grown — or has undergone any treatments, which may dramatically affect the value. Be sure an accredited gemological institute, such as IGI, has graded the diamond jewelry to the one internationally accepted system for diamond grading."

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It might be overwhelming to just look at your clutter, but there are some very simple steps you can take to declutter your place in no time. All you need to do is just start. We talked to Peter Walsh, a celebrity organization expert, who gave two very simple tips to start tackling your mess:

• The trash bag technique: "The very first thing you should do if you're feeling overwhelmed in your space is to set aside 10 minutes a day." Walsh says. Give everyone in your household two trash bags and have them fill them up during that 10-minute window every day. Fill one up with things to trash and the other up with things to donate or sell. If you live with someone else and the two of you use this simple technique for one week, you'll end up with 14 bags of trash and 14 bags of stuff going to donation at the end of the week. "That's a really simple technique — 10 minutes a day that will make a massive change," he says.
• Back-to-front clothes: Walsh says we all wear "20 percent of [our] clothes 80 percent of the time." The best way to check what you don't need is to use the back-to-front method. Turn the clothes that are hanging in your closet so that the hangers are facing back to front. For the next six months, every time you wear a piece of clothing, hang it back up the correct way. "At the end of six months, whatever is still hanging back to front, chances are you are never going to wear. Send it off to Goodwill."

Whether you're job searching or trying to get a promotion, you want to stand out from the rest of the pack — which means you should stay away from buzzwords. LinkedIn recently released a list of overused words people use on their online résumés, which include words like "creative," "motivated," "organizational," and "effective."

It's simple to remove these buzzwords from your résumé, but there are also overused phrases people use at work that can be harder to correct. Nicole Williams, LinkedIn's career expert, says women tend to "rely on overused words in an effort to downplay their contribution." There is a certain safety in using buzzwords, which can stem back to a need to be liked and a fear of the perception of bragging.

"It's less threatening to say I'm 'creative' versus 'I envisioned and implemented a marketing strategy that increased sales by 70 percent,'" Williams says. Women need to carefully evaluate the overuse of certain words to see if it diminishes their achievements.

One word Williams notices women tend to overuse is "sorry." "Sorry" can make you seem less confrontational and more likeable, but it may make you look less assertive. Sound familiar to you?

If you want to go somewhere for the holidays but are hesitant because of the prices during this high-traffic travel season, there is still one option that may be affordable. We talked to travel expert Chris McGinnis, a spokesperson for Chase Sapphire Preferred, who shared this nugget of information about a bargain holiday travel destination:

"If you are looking for a fun and inexpensive way to spend the Christmas holiday, consider a trip to Las Vegas. The last two weeks of December are typically the slowest weeks of the year in Las Vegas, and prices drop dramatically for both flights and hotels. For example, rooms at the four-star Mirage or Mandalay Bay resorts are as low as $65 per night during Christmas week—but if you plan to go over the popular New Year’s weekend, rates soar to almost $300 per night."

It's easy to get a feel for what the wardrobe etiquette is in your office — just look at what everyone's wearing. However, fashion mishaps do happen, and to prevent yourself from committing an embarrassing clothing faux pas, we turned to an expert. Annie Ladino, a celebrity stylist who recently worked with Harper's Bazaar to give MBA women wardrobe makeovers, shared some some definite no's for any office:

• "As a rule of thumb, keep any beachwear or gym clothes at home."
• "In the hot Summer months, while sleeveless can be appropriate, strapless and spaghetti straps never are."
• "Finally, it should go without saying, but flip-flops never belong in the corporate corridor."

Dry cleaning can run up a hefty bill, especially when it's holiday season and you're attending parties galore. Annie Ladino, a celebrity stylist who recently worked with Harper's Bazaar to give MBA women wardrobe makeovers, shared with us how to extend time in between dry cleaning, which she says is really the key to saving money on professional laundering. Here is her advice:

• Keep it stain-free. "Keep portable stain removers such as Shout wipes or Tide to go pens in your purse. You can use them right away and prevent a stain from setting into the fabric."
• DIY. "Try at-home dry cleaning kits which are very easy to use. Each comes with a spot remover and a special bag that generates steam. You can clean up to four garments at a time and while they don't eliminate the need for the cleaner altogether, but they get rid of wrinkles and odors, allowing for extra use."

Need to save more? We have more suggestions on saving on dry cleaning here.

Sure, some of your faux pumpkins can be used as Thanksgiving decor, but what happens when the celebratory parties are over? You'll be left with a pile of holiday paraphernalia that you won't know what to do with. We turned to organization expert Peter Walsh who shared with us the smart way to deal with holiday leftovers:

"I’m always amazed at how much time and care people take putting up their holiday decorations every year, but come Jan. 2, there’s often a mad dash to take everything down, throw it all in a few boxes, and store it away in the basement or attic. The problem with that is that it leaves you with a hugely disorganized mess next season.

"My advice: take a little time when taking down the decorations and ask yourself whether you really need to hold onto each piece or whether it can be tossed. Part of the fun of the holiday season is reliving great memories with special holiday decorations. But if you’ve stored the cheap inexpensive holiday ornaments side by side with those that you cherish, you’re burying your own treasures. Also, don’t forget the stores will have more sales next year on holiday decorations — and if you’ve done a good job of purging the unimportant stuff, you’ll have more freedom to go out and buy a couple of new special pieces to add to your memories."

What do you usually do with your leftover holiday decorations?