In Your Easter Bonnet

I’ve been checking my blog stats and have noticed a really strong uptick in the number of people visiting the blog that are looking at a previous blog post about Easter Hats.  In New York City, every Easter Sunday the Easter Parade takes place on Fifth Avenue and hundreds and hundreds of people come out to walk (parade) along the Avenue.

It is a day of colorful, creative, beautiful, outrageous, big, small, funny and fabulous hats. chapeaus, bonnets, derbies, top hats and straw hats!  I make my own creations, sometimes re-cycle them with new flowers and ribbons.  You have no ideas how difficult it is to store these broad-brimmed hats in an apartment!!

As Easter is literally around the corner and if you’re going to make your own Easter bonnet, the time would be NOW!  So here are some inspirational creations for you look at and if you’re successful, you’ll be all set for a Kentucky Derby Day party.

Lavender Lady

Red Roses

Sun Flower Sue

Black & Cream Dream

Pink on Pink on…

Dramatic Plume

Aren’t these stunning? Hats can be so flattering. For more Easter Hat photos click on the link below.

http://pbenjay.wordpress.com/2011/04/24/crazycreativec…ky-easter-hats

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Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, Happy Valentine’s Day To You!

I love Valentine’s Day! Everybody (mostly) is happy and smiley and if you’re a kid in Grammar (lol) erh I mean Elementary school, this is a fun day.  Don’t you remember how carefully and thoughtfully you looked for just the right package of Valentine’s cards to buy at Woolworth‘s or W.T. Grant‘s?  Teacher said you really have to give a card to everyone in the class.  And there was always one card in the package just for the teacher.  I LOVED THOSE 50′S VALENTINE CARDS! To my delight I found several other Vintage Valentine fanatics on Pinterest.  What a great fun trip down the nostalgia road looking at all of those clever and colorful little cards.  I  have a bunch myself  but you’re not surprised about that I’m sure.  You know it’s just another collection!

As much fun as those cute clever cards are, I really like and collect much older Valentine greetings.  Over the years, my husband has given me some and each year I love putting them out.  I started collecting them because I loved the old Victorian frilly 3-dimensional cards.  I learned along the way that Valentine cards like any other collectible have value based on the creator.  In the case of old Valentines, cards produced by Raphael Tuck & Sons of Germany are more valuable than others.  Often Tuck cards were hinged and opened up to reveal a character with moving arms and legs.  I own a couple; a big brown dancing bear and a funny-looking character whose face is a grimace of all things!

So today is a day of red roses, pink carnations, red velvet candy boxes, diamond rings, pearls and pendants, lobster and steak dinners, mushy romantic cards, candle light and cocktails…but for me I’m hoping for just another old Valentine.

Vintage Valentine in my collection

Detailed 3-D Vintage Valentine.

Tuck Valentine Card

And here are some of those cute ’50′s cards.

Amorphing objects into Valentine Cards was very popular

‘Round the World

Love the pink rollers

Happy Valentine’s Day to All! Hope your day is a sweet as a Candy Heart.

Candy Hearts

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INDIAN EARTH – Magic Make-up in a jar!

IT”s BAaaack! The miracle magic make-up of the 80′s.  I actually thought it came out in the 70′s but I can’t seem to find the correct answer.  Indian Earth and I go way back, I mean waaaaay back.  As I said I don’t really remember the exact year, but when it did hit the market, all my friends and I bought it and were using it.

The premise of Indian Earth is that it is a natural product, I don’t know if that means it’s ground up dirt or clay although the company claims it is made up of minerals.  And the other amazing attribute is that this ONE color works on all complexions!  It may be true, however, you do have to be prudent in using it.  I remember some fair-skinned friends who looked a little ruddy bordering on orange some days!!

About a month ago, I was leafing through some magazine and there it was…An ad for Indian Earth claiming it was the original.  I couldn’t believe it.  I mean really???  It looked just like it did, decades ago;  A small clay bottle with a wide mouth and its stopper is a big fat round cork.  The original Indian Earth came with a puff that looked like lambskin.  I know because I had it AND yes I still have it!! Oh yeah, well not the puff, at some point I must have thrown it out.  But I never threw out the cute little clay pot.  I don’t know why, I just kept it.

I ‘m SO GLAD I still have my very own original Indian Earth.  Ever since I saw the ad, I’ve been using it every day.  I rarely wear foundation make-up, usually just a tinted moisturizer and now I finish off  using a large make-up brush on the bottom of the cork.  Of course you need to shake up your clay pot first.

So not only can everyone use it to get the look of a sun-kissed face, there’s more!  Indian Earth can be mixed with a little water to make eyeshadow, lip liner, lipstick, even nail color.  This is getting a tan without the harmful UV rays.  Sounds like a miracle magical make-up doesn’t it?

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“Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one”.

English: Brad Paisley at the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This great quote is from Brad Paisley, country song-writer and singer. AND I should have posted this yesterday and the title should probably read “Today” instead of tomorrow.  Well, hopefully the rest of the year won’t be filled with overlooked tasks and posts!

Since this is A NEW BOOK, no point in rehashing the 2012 version.  I’m looking forward to a better year;  A year marked by several changes…As per some sage advice given on ABC NEWS this evening, I’m not posting or announcing my resolutions.  I’m keeping them to myself and that way although I won’t be able to boast or brag or take undue pride in some accomplishment, I also won’t have to weep with shame at some predictable failures

That being said, of course I would love to hear from some readers as to what their New Year’s Resolutions are.

Out with old, in with new! How many times did you hear that today?  So out with all the old bills-I empty out the folders, staple those monthly invoices/bills and put them aside for IRS preparation.  Cleaning up the top of the desk too, clutter, clutter, clutter.  Re-arranged the hundreds (only kidding) of wires and plugs in the two power strips under the desk because I have to have an outlet to re-charge my phone.

I got an addition to my Alice in Wonderland  book collection which necessitated a major shelf switch.  AND that was a good thing because  now we have some books we need to relocate (out of the apartment I hope).

Not going to listen or watch any more ASPCA ads because they are too heart-breaking and disturbing.  I wonder how much money the ASPCA raises with this ad?  Everyone I know tunes it out.

Not hung over and only a little tired, but I think this post should end right here.  

Wishing all my readers from all over the world a wondrous, healthy, happy New Year.  I think the number 13 is going to be a lucky number after all!

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Ho Ho Ho Santa’s On His Way!

Christmas postcard, 1911

T’was the day before Christmas and all through the morning

No one was talking but I could hear all the groaning.

Tsk, tsk, tsk, not a good day to be mad,

‘Cause Santa knows who’s good and who’s bad!

No breakfast to eat, no paper to read,

Please go get me the Starbucks, I so desperately need.

Oh my how the years have come and gone by

No turkey to roast, no baking of pies.

The tree is much smaller and actually pink

Because we’re in the cottage, what did you think?

One or two gifts litter the floor

Hardly like Christmases years before.

It’s quiet around here, no sirens or noise

And of course no grandkids and noisy toys.

The cats hung their stockings in hopes that St. Nick

Will show up tonight and bring them  cat nip.

A different Christmas eve’s about to begin

Left-over pastas and martinis with gin.

Not trusting the programmers of commercial TV

We stocked  the house with Christmas DVDs.

First on the list is The Bishop’s Wife and 

Soon to follow, It’s A Wonderful Life.

Only the classics for us old folks you know

We like what like from years ago.

Last year was a gala ugly-sweater event

Tonight  a few friends but there’s no lament.

Although there’s no sitting by the fiery log

Or getting tipsy on killer egg nog,

None-the-less, we’ll enjoy the leftover food

And glasses of wine put all in a good mood.

As we clink our glasses filled with good cheer,

We wish all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I’ll put out the cookies and milk with a wish

That tomorrow morning I’ll find an empty dish.

Then I’ll know that dear Santa Clause stopped by to see

How clean the house was and how pink the tree!

I sent him my letter early on in the season

I wanted him to know I had a good reason.

It would take him some time and certainly some doing

Some planning, some cutting and lots of gluing.

I hope, I hope,  he thinks I’m not  too absurd

For wanting a “55 pink Thunderbird!

Oh YES!!!

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December 17, 1971 I Got An Early Christmas Present!

Happy Birthday to You!

Could it really be forty-one years ago that I drove myself from my home in Avon CT to Hartford for a doctor’s appointment and then to St. Francis Hospital?  Apparently yes, because today is my son Joel’s birthday!  When my parents and grandparents would tell me how quickly the years go by  and at this point they’re flying, I, like every other young person ,didn’t really get it.  Well I get it now.  Joel is 41 and Chiara is 35 and now I’m a grandmother myself.

Last year I wrote what I thought was akin to a mother-son love letter so I’m not going to repeat it again. All of it is true and I hope he reads it again because it is full of love and appreciation for who he is.  Posted last December 17th, Happy Birthday Dear Son!

3000 miles and 3 hours earlier often gets in the way of communication although as any mother knows, if there’s a will, there’s a way.  This Christmas, like last year,  my daughter and her family are headed west to spend the holidays with Joel and we will be here on the East Coast. I think it would be wonderful if we could all be together, however, my feeling is that the kids like it the way it is.  I have a Norman Rockwell Christmas in mind and they are thinking along the lines of what I heard referred to as Westivus.  Apparently, some friends from Boston are also flying out to celebrate with them.

I hope today has been joyful for Joel.  I wrote a Happy Birthday greeting on his Facebook wall – aren’t I just the 21st Century Mom and called him this evening.  I hope to see him in the near future to give him the real hug I sent virtually.

So Happy happy birthday Joel, I love you very much and wish I could spend more time with you.

Love,

Mom

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BLACK FRIDAY – Where Did You Shop?

Shopper Mania

Personally I’m not a mall shopper, never have been and certainly never for Christmas!  I like unique, personalized, customized presents or in my case PRESSents which is my own custom-created gift business.  More about that soon.  So when my friend  Gail sent me this video, I thought it would be great to share with my readers in case they had not seen it.

I love IMPROV EVERYWHERE and have a secret (well not so secret) desire to perform in one of their events.  Come to think of it I could have been in this one!  Check it out, you’ll be smiling in no time.

Black Friday Prank at a Dollar Store

 

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The ITALIAN – GERMAN Thanksgiving Dinners

Thanksgiving Turkey (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Most people think of Thanksgiving dinner as the ultimate American meal.  After all, wasn’t it first celebrated with Native Americans and the Pilgrims?  Well that’s what I was told in grammar (age-related term) school.

However, this country is a melting pot, a diverse population made up of so many different ethnicities, I wouldn’t begin to try to number them.  I grew up in an Italian family (more about the German side later).  My first husband was also from an Italian family so for the first half of my life, Thanksgiving was tweaked to keep all the paisans happy.  When we celebrated Thanksgiving with my grandparents, the cry at the table was, “When do we eat the turkey”?   I wonder how many of you had to eat your way through several courses BEFORE the turkey made it to the table?  When you walk into most homes on Thanksgiving Day, the savory odor of roasting turkey greets you, or the sweet aroma of an apple pie baking in the oven.  When you entered my grandmother’s apartment, it was the rich simmering smell of tomato sauce that assaulted your nose.  The meal started with Baccala, a dried codfish served with greens.  I think it was served like a salad.  Then we had ravioli; big fat pasta puffs filled with cheese and a bowl of meatballs and sausages on the side.  I guess at some point the turkey came out but I really don’t remember it much.  

Once I was married, the Italian Thanksgiving took on another level of ethnicity.  Now there were side dishes that only would appear on an Italian table.  The stuffing was heavily flavored with grated Parmesan cheese, parsley and garlic.  We had stuffed mushrooms and stuffed artichokes right along with candied sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and salad with Italian dressing!  

Then came the period in my life where I spent Thanksgiving with my Aunt Marian and my cousins in New Jersey.  Aunt Marian was married to Uncle Henny who was German and so Red Cabbage was always a side dish on Thanksgiving.  The creamed onions, turnips and candied sweets were there and because my cousins and myself were all adults, we made culinary contributions.  Peter insisted on a green vegetable and in those days, the only green vegetable he acknowledged was broccoli so I always steamed or sautéed some.  My cousin Marian liked to bring a lentil salad, cousin Janet baked pies.  I have five girl cousins, all with spouses and some with children.  Thanksgiving dinner was a BIG deal at Aunt Marian’s with about 20 people!

I’m actually half Italian and half German so I fit in wherever we went!  As for my own Thanksgiving meals, I often went for something different, whether it be various stuffings or the  year I tried brining the bird.  I’ve made seasonal soups and  lots of sides.  Earlier today I posted one of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes and decided that for the count down to turkey day, I’d post a recipe a day.  I hope you enjoy them and would love it if my readers would send in comments about their favorite Thanksgiving side dish or dessert or ethnic accompaniment.  

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AIWYFI-The Art of the Jersey Shore

If you are a follower of this blog, then you know we spend time on the Jersey Shore  and I have a category known as Art is Where You Find It.  Art is everywhere IF you have the eye to seek it out, the time to look for it and it helps if you have the ability to capture the sight on film or in this case, digitally.  Murray spent some of Columbus Day weekend with us and he disappeared for hours at at time, camera in hand.  Oh yes, and it really helps if you have an artistic eye for form, color and perspective.

This is the art that surrounds us;  It’s not hanging in a gallery in SoHo, we don’t have   the name of the artist but we do have the ART!

SAND CASTLE

Sunset at Sea-The Golden Hour

Sea Gull and Street Lamp

Boogie Board Art

Art Deco Craftsmanship-Casino Asbury Park

Solitary Man

Following the Leader

All photos courtesy of Murray Head

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Happy Birthday Gail!

Today is Gail’s birthday and although this is pretty late in the day, as long as I post this before midnight, I figure it counts.

My friend, Gail, who I have referred to in so many blogs has been a terrific supporter of Pbenjay as well as a consistent commenter.  I’ve asked her a couple of times to actually contribute a blog post, however, so far she has declined.  Maybe if you all write in and yell Gail, Gail…, she will!!

Besides dispensing invaluable advice and guidance in this venture as well as my other endeavor, PRESSents (more about that later), Gail sends me a variety of articles and ideas for blog posts, gift ideas and more.  I have a personal clipping service – and that’s pretty neat.

She is always encouraging me to stretch, go forward and take this to the next step-although we’re not quite sure what that next step would be, but we’re working on it, especially over a glass of wine.

I received some of the best and cleverest birthday cards from her and since I haven’t been in a decent card shop in ages, clearly she did not receive the same.  So Gail, when you read this, please know this is my very special birthday card to you

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GAIL

Happy Birthday Gail

 

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