Monday, September 29, 2008

A BEACH THEME GIVEAWAY FOR YOU

Since I'm gone on a cruise and getting to enjoy the beautiful beaches in the Mexican Riviera I thought it would be fun if the giveaway I promised had a beach theme to it. I know it's Fall but you can always save these and put them out next year if you like.

Here is what you will get:

These darling little salt and pepper shakers that look like shells.

A lovely pale blue dish towel with shells on it.
This sweet little candle holder with a pretty blue Yankee Candle called Willow Breeze inside. Also a tiny little box with dainty blue flowers on top.
Your very own pencil starfish.


This wonderful little tray that you can use to put candles on it, cookies, jewelry or just about anything.

The only thing you have to do to be entered is leave me a message on this post while I'm gone. I'll draw the name of the winner the day after I get back, on Oct. 6th.

Also, if you post about this giveaway on your blog and let me know I will add your name a 2nd time.

Good luck to everyone.

Hugs,
Joanne

Sunday, September 28, 2008

ADIOS AMIGOS!!!

I'm off on my cruise to the Mexican Riviera!! I'm going to be gone until Sunday Oct 5th. But, I have some posts that will be coming up while I'm gone so don't stay away.

In fact, there is a giveaway sometime durning this week so you won't want to miss out on that.

While I'm gone think of me out on the waters seeing this pretty view of Cabo San Lucas.


Pray for me that my horse doesn't go crazy on my ride in Mazatlan.


Dream about laying out on the beautiful beaches in Puerto Vallarta with me.

I wish I could have all of you come along with me. Hey, maybe we should plan a big Blogland Cruise for next year. Would you be interested in that? If you would, I would be happy to plan all the details when I get back. I think that would be fun thing to do.

See you when I get back!

Hugs,
Joanne

Saturday, September 27, 2008

A TRIP DOWN MEMORIY LANE WITH MUSIC

Music has always been a part of our lives. It brought joy, sadness, laughter and tears. Imagine the excitement that took place when music could finally be played and listened to by whomever and whenever they wanted.

Music was so enjoyable and exciting that they would bring large pieces of furniture out with them when they went for picnics or on the road for any length of time.

They didn't have power like we do now so they would crank the player up and let the music play until it ran down. The music getting slower and slower until it finally came to a stop and they would crank it back up.

Thick heavy vinyl 78 rpm would play for hours. Often full of scratches but no one seemed to care. As long as the music played on and on.

Mono record players came along and it was much easier to carry around from room to room or over to your friends house so you play your music and dance the night away.

Remember the old 45's? You could buy your favorite songs and stack them up on your player so you could listen to song after song without having to get up to change the record.


Often we would lose the piece that goes on the record player for the 45's or it would break. So these great little yellow discs came along to solve that problem. Pop it into the center of your 45 rpm record and you were set.


Oh then stereo came along! Wow! So much nicer then the mono records from the past.

The stereos were big pieces of furniture that everyone would be proud to have taking up space in their living rooms.


Time went on and went on we no longer wanted the big heavy stereo cabinets so the compact stereo came out. You could buy pieces at a time rather then have to get a whole new stereo.


Albums...oh yes! We would save up our pennies and want to be the first on the block to get the newly released hits by our favorite bands.

You would take such great care of your albums. Putting them back in the jacket so they would stay nice and not scratched. Or at least you tried to do that. But no matter how gentle you were, somehow the dreaded scratch always showed up now and then.

So 8 Track tapes came out. Yeah! No more scratched records! I never could understand though, why right in the middle of a song it would stop, you would hear a loud clunk sound and then the song would pick up where it left off at. Yes, I know, it was changing the "track" but why did they have to do it in the middle of a song?

No one seemed to mind though. Because for the first time, you could bring your music into your car. You could listen to the songs and bands that you wanted and not just the radio any more.

Then there were the cases to hold your 8 Tracks in. Yes, they were bulky but we didn't know that. We were used to albums and you couldn't play those in your car. So being able to take your music with you as you drove along the highway was a thrill.


Finally though, someone figured out the clunk of the track changing and the large size of the 8 Track tapes were no longer a good thing and cassette players came along.

Now that was the good ol' days. You could not only buy your own music but now you could tape songs off the radio or even copy a friends tape so you too could enjoy it.

Oh yes, music has and always will be a big part of our life.

Now we have CD's but even those are starting to become a thing of the past since IPODS are around.

So many of our kids today have never heard music off of a 78 record, 45 rpm record, an album, an 8 Track or even a cassette. They just don't know what they missed.

I wonder what in the world will they think of next.

Hope you enjoyed this little trip down memory lane. I know I did.


Hugs,
Joanne

Friday, September 26, 2008

HOLD ONTO YOUR HAT

Have you ever had a chance to see some of the lovely and beautiful hat pins out there?


They come in a rainbow of colors. With beads, glass balls and jewels.


Many beaders still find enjoyment out of making them today.


Sadly, we ladies, don't wear the great hats like the women used to so we don't get a chance to enjoy these hat pins like in the past.


So, we collect them and add them to our hat pin holders and dream about days gone by.

It was such a romantic time back then. The women always dressed up and looked for ways to add more beauty to their outfits. Even if it was just the simple added touch of a hat pin.

I do have a hat pin holder that I've had for years. But, I've never bought any hat pins to go in it. I don't know why. I think I just thought of a new little collection I need to work on.

The hat pins in the pictures above are not mine. Just some pretty ones I found on the Internet that I wanted to share with you.

Hugs,
Joanne

Thursday, September 25, 2008

THE LANGUAGE OF ROSES

There are so many different colors and kinds of roses. The list seems endless. Each one as beautiful as the next.

Now days when we get a bunch of roses we just think they look and often smell wonderful. But, did you know roses, as well as all flowers, have a language of their own?

That's right they do. So I thought I would share with you a bit on the language of roses.


Rose (general)(Red) - Love ; I love you
Rose( white) - Eternal Love ; innocence; heavenly; secrecy and silence
Rose(pink) - Perfect happiness; please believe me
Rose(Yellow) - Friendship ; jealousy; try to care
Rose(Black) -Death
Rose(red and white) - Together; unity
Rose(thorn less) - Love at first sight
Rose( single, full bloom) - I love you; I still love you
Rose bud - Beauty and youth ; a heart innocent of love
Rose bud(red) - Pure and lovely
Rose bud(white) - Girlhood
Rosebud (moss) - Confessions of love
Roses(Bouquet of full bloom) - Gratitude
Roses( Garland or crown of) - Beware of virtue; reward of merit; crown ; symbol of superior merit
Roses ( musk cluster) - Charming
Rose(tea) - I'll always remember
Rose(cabbage) - Ambassador of love
Rose(Christmas) - Tranquilize my anxiety; anxiety
Rose(damask) - Brilliant complexion
Rose(dark crimson) - Mourning
Rose(hibiscus) - Delicate beauty
Rose leaf - You may hope


So ladies, the next time you receive a bouquet of roses read what they say to you. Also, be careful about the roses you give to others. You never know if they speak the language of roses and you could be saying something you never meant to say.

Oh roses.... to me, they are lovely and I love them all. No matter what they say.

Hugs,
Joanne

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

VICTORIAN DRESSES

Ever since I've joined the Victorian Tea Society I have been browsing the Internet looking at Victorian dress so I can get an idea of what kind of dress I want to get for our dress up teas.

I can't seem to pick on style I love the most as they are all so beautiful.


While I wouldn't pick a wedding dress to wear I just wanted to show you all how pretty they were.


I love that they even used brown material and made it look so classy.


Well I do know I won't be getting one of these type of dress. My butt is way to big as it is. But, maybe I can just say I have a bustle and that's why. LOL

I think this one is so feminine looking. Very sophisticated.

Look at the tassels on this one. Oh so pretty.

Now this one is great for a nice flat tummy look. Even though the women back then were all thin!


This one is so simple and lovely.


These Gone With the Wind type dresses are good for hiding that big butt.



This simple casual one looks the most comfy and I'm all about that.

Well, I still have no idea what type of dress I'm going to get but I am having fun looking at all the different type from the Victorian era.

Hope you enjoyed seeing them too. I did not take these pictures. I found them all the Internet but I don't know who did take them or I would give them credit.

Hugs,
Joanne

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

QUICK, EASY, CHEAP HOLIDAY DECOR

I'm sure lots of you already know this little idea. But, some may not have thought of it. I don't know what took me so long to.

A quick, easy and cheap way to add to your holiday decor is to just get a picture frame that you already have and add a postcard or picture you found on the Internet and put it inside.

This is what I have up right now for my Fall picture. I got the frame in the clearance section at TJ Maxx. Then I searched for a Fall theme vintage postcard on the Internet and printed it out, popped it in the frame and now I have a cute little picture to add to my Fall decorations.


This is what I will have for Halloween. It's a reproduction vintage Halloween postcard in another clearance frame from TJ Maxx.


I've already shown you this frame I got for my pink office. For Christmas it will have this sweet little Angel in it. Again, I printed off a copy from the Internet of a Vintage postcard.


I had this real vintage postcard in a frame for Summer.

I love searching out cute pictures now for all the holidays. As long as you are not printing out a picture off the Internet to sell or claiming it's a real vintage postcard you will be fine. No laws are broken.

I know lots of us collect vintage postcards so there should be some great ones you too can frame.

Hugs,

Joanne

Monday, September 22, 2008

IT'S HERE!!! IT'S HERE!!!


HAPPY AUTUMN!!!
It's finally here.

A NEW GIVEAWAY and A GIVEWAY WINNER

OK, now I want you all to know how much I love you because if I didn't then I wouldn't share about this great giveaway! Why? Because the more people who enter makes my chance of winning less.

Sherry over at http://ediemariesattic.blogspot.com/ is having a 100th post giveaway going on.

She is giving away not one, not two but 7 different vintage tea cups and saucers. So run, don't walk, over and sign up before it's to late. Tell her Joanne sent you.


Now on to the winner of my Fall/Autumn giveaway.

The winner is.... Glenda at Many Fond Memories. Congrats Glenda. Please email me your address so I can get this out to you.

Thanks for playing everyone. Keep an eye out because I'm going to have a giveaway while I'm gone on my cruise which is on Sept 28th. So be sure to come back and enter.


Hugs,
Joanne

Sunday, September 21, 2008

ALL SOULS DAY

Last year I learned of an important religious holiday they celebrate in Mexico. Perhaps many of you have already heard of this but in case some of you haven't I thought I would share it with you.

El Dia De los Muertos or All Souls Day takes place on November 2nd. I have also heard it called The Day of the Dead.

This is an occasion marked by festive celebrations to honor the dead. Cemeteries are cleaned and decorated, special food and candies are cooked.

Home altars are designed in homage to one's ancestors.


It is a day of joyous remembrance and not one of sadness.


There are special songs, poems, foods,and toys created for El Dia de los Muertos that reflect this outlook.



I think it's a wonderful holiday. It's a way to always remember those loved ones who have gone before us.

To some of us it may seem creepy or odd but when you think about it, it's really sweet and lovely.

All the photos in this post were taken when I was in San Diego Old Town with Pat and Cori.

I think this year I may celebrate this holiday and pay tribute to my own friends and family that have passed away.

How about you? Have you ever celebrated this holiday before? Did you even know about it before you read this post?

Hugs,
Joanne