tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34625841035751635862024-03-18T15:57:33.151-04:00~Que Bella~Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-29991065860130388002018-05-01T17:54:00.003-04:002018-05-01T17:54:57.386-04:00Little Golden Book: CinderellaA couple of weeks ago, I popped over to Half-Price Books to pick up some magazines, for collaging in my art journal. As I walked by the children's section, I spied a shelf full of Little Golden Books. Of course, I had to stop and have a look.<br />
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Now that I'm an adult, the one thing that I love most about the Little Golden Books is the artwork. They hired some super-talented artists to bring the characters and events to life in their stories. In fact, I'm acquiring quite a collection of these books!<br />
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One of the first books I pulled down from the shelf was Cinderella.<br />
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This story, of Walt Disney's Cinderella by Little Golden Book, is a reprint of the one originally issued in 1950. When I was a child, I had this book in a large sized format and I loved it. As soon as I saw the cover, childhood memories of reading this came washing over me.<br />
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In this post, I thought I'd share some of the artwork.<br />
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The story was adapted by Jane Werner and the illustrations are by Retta Scott Worcester. It's my absolute favorite illustrated Cinderella story!<br />
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Cinderella's stepmother makes her do chores all day long, from cleaning out the fireplaces, to scrubbing the floor, to churning butter, making the meals and waiting hand-and-foot on her spoiled, rotten stepsisters. At least in the Grimm Brothers' version of Cinderella, the stepsisters get their comeuppance!<br />
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These pictures (right above and below) are two of my favorites from the book. Cinderella was a great seamstress. She made clothes for all her little friends and made herself a ballgown from random scraps of material.<br />
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Spoiler Alert: Cinderella gets her man in the end! She and the Prince live happily ever after, though I'm thinking that castle might be a little drafy in the winter. </div>
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Thanks for stopping by and joining me on this trip down memory lane!<br />
Michelle<br />
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Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-28808405898632134182018-04-14T14:54:00.001-04:002018-04-14T14:55:30.914-04:00Bijoux Parisiens: A French Jewelry ExhibitionBijoux Parisiens is an exhibition of French jewelry from the 17th to the 20th centuries. The jewelry is from the Petit Palais, an art museum located in Paris, in the 8th arrondissement.<br />
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My sister and I are both jewelry lovers so we decided to attend the exhibition when it came to town. The display included rings, brooches, necklaces, bracelets, diadems, purses, hair combs and fashion illustrations. I could have literally spent hours just staring at each piece, soaking in not only the beauty, but the incredible craftsmanship as well. Here are some of my favorite pieces.<br />
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This is a Victory Brooch to celebrate the end of World War II, by Van Cleef and Arpels, from about 1945. It's made from sapphires, diamonds, rubies, gold and platinum. It's absolutely gorgeous! This piece was commissioned by Joseph Becker, a French Resistance fighter, for his wife. The colors are those of the French flag, with the Cross of Lorraine in the middle of the brooch.</div>
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Georges Fouquet created this beautiful diadem, circa 1910. It's made from diamonds, aquamarines, gold and enamel. This headband was designed to be worn either around the forehead or on top of the head.<br />
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This piece is called <i>Dandelion Brooch with Hairpin</i>, made by Debut and Coulon, from the 1880s. The hairpin is made from a tortoise shell, while the brooch is made from gold, silver, platinum, diamonds and swan feathers. The design of this brooch is amazing.<i> All the stamens of the flower are flexible and the downy feathers of a swan are set alongside the diamonds. (page 94)</i><br />
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Husson designed this Brooch, from the 1880s. It's made from gold, diamonds, emeralds and enamel, measuring 1 5/8 and 1 1/4 inches. Check out the detail that went into the crafting of this piece. <i>A cherub, again carrying a torch, opens the procession, followed by a tambourine player and flautists. Two floral motifs surround the tableau and enclose it in a Renaissance style frame enhanced with gemstone florets. Floral covered chalices emerge from garlands of diamonds and teardrop emeralds add the finishing touches to this fin de siecle jewel. (page 73)</i><br />
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An unusual piece with a ram's head, by the Maison Mellerio (1875-1880), was probably commissioned for someone privately. <i>In Ram Brooch with Chain- whether apparition from beyond the world we know or the figment of a tormented imagination- the artist captured an otherworldly effect in the carving of the head and the animal's dilated eyes. The more restrained chain is made from alternating gilded pearls with other pearls covered with iridescent beetle wings. The unusual materials, the evanescent color, and the nonconformity of the design all suggest that this extraordinary work was designed to appeal to an eccentric elite with a taste for excess. (page 80)</i><br />
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In 1880, Lucien Falize created this bracelet in the Gothic style. The bracelet was made with diamonds, gold and turquoise. The colors are so vibrant in person, especially the turquoise.<br />
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Rene Lalique created this exquisite brooch around 1900. It measures 1 1/4 by 2 inches. Are you ready for this? It's made from an oyster shell! Lalique inlaid the shell with gold, then engraved these two fierce-looking birds, whose beaks meet perfectly over a pearl.<br />
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This <i>Nasturtium Comb</i> was also created by Rene Lalique. He designed this comb to reflect the seasons. It's made from an animal horn, silver and enamel. It measures 5 1/2 by 3 5/8 inches.<br />
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Of course, I had to buy the exhibition book! It's filled with all the items and illustrations that were on display. It's a total treasure trove! All italicized descriptions are direct quotes from the book.<br />
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Thanks for joining me today!<br />
Michelle</div>
Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-56288314728354654502016-09-12T13:50:00.000-04:002016-09-12T13:53:24.738-04:00The Girl on the TrainIf you're looking for a psychological thriller that you won't want to put down, then <i>The Girl on the Train </i>is the book for you. This is the first fictional book published under the author's real name, Paula Hawkins. She also writes under the pseudonym of Amy Silver.<br />
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<i>The Girl on the Train</i> is told from the perspective of three different women: Rachel, Megan and Anna. Rachel is the main protagonist and the girl on the train. She's a lonely, divorced woman with a serious drinking problem. She suffers from black-outs and does things like call her ex-husband or show up on his doorstep while intoxicated.<br />
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Every morning and evening, she rides the train into London for her job. The train stops briefly each morning behind Rachel's old neighborhood, where she and her husband Tom lived before the divorce. Now Tom lives there with his new wife Anna (the third narrator of the story), and their new child, while Rachel rents a room from a former college friend, Cathy. The few months she expected to reside there has turned into two long years.<br />
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Four houses away from her old home, a "perfect, golden couple" live, whom Rachel has named Jess and Jason. Jess, who's really Megan, is the second female narrator of the novel. Rachel's become obsessed with this beautiful couple, always looking for them when the train stops on the tracks. From her seat, Rachel imagines how Jess and Jason live their lives, what their hobbies might be along with their occupations. Then one day, Jess disappears. Rachel's pulled into the investigation and the plot begins its suspenseful twists and turns.<br />
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I thought that <i>The Girl on the Train </i>was a very, good read. It has a Hitchcockian feel to it a la <i>Rear Window</i> with its voyeuristic tendencies; instead of a photojournalist laid up with a broken leg in a wheelchair, we have a depressed drunk seated on a train. Quite a few times, I wanted to reach into the book and shake Rachel. Everyone lies in this book and the reader doesn't know who to trust. For me, this book was an addictive page turner, engrossing and well-paced. I couldn't wait to find out what happened on the next page and how the story ended.<br />
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The author, Paula Hawkins, revealed in an interview her premise for writing this book: <i>I’ve done lots of train journeys, and I’ve always thought how interesting it would be if you actually got to witness something. Because you never really do – I’ve never seen anything interesting! You look at these houses, and most of the time you never see people; you see things that maybe bring images to mind – for example, toys in the back garden that have been abandoned – and that starts you thinking about something.</i><br />
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In addition to being a bestseller, <i>The Girl on the Train </i>has also been made into a movie, premiering October 7th, with Emily Blunt in the lead as Rachel. More info on the movie can be found <span style="color: orange;"><span style="color: orange;"><a href="http://www.thegirlonthetrainmovie.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span> </span><br />
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Thanks for stopping by,<br />
Michelle<br />
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-91929772061899323412016-09-03T14:28:00.002-04:002016-09-03T14:28:53.464-04:00Back on Weight WatchersToday, my blog post is about re-starting Weight Watchers. Recently, I noticed that my eating habits were getting out of control, I mean waaaayyy out of control, so I decided to start using the Weight Watchers Points System again. Many, many years ago, I successfully used the WW Points System and lost 25 pounds in 4 months. A couple of years later, I re-joined WW to lose a few more pounds. But I really wasn't in the right mind-set to stick with the program and basically wasted my money. This time around, instead of rejoining, I decided to do it on my own and dug out my old Weight Watchers paraphernalia.<br />
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The points system is a really great system because no food is off limit. You can eat anything you want as long as you stay within your point range. The point range is based on how much an individual weighs. Since I was a member all those years ago, WW has changed its system a bit and they now use a new method of calculating food points and daily point intake. Instead of using WW's current points system, I decided to stick with what I know, so I'm using the old method of calculating points.<br />
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I haven't paid attention to what I've been eating in years and I knew limiting my food intake would be really hard. I thought the best thing would be to ease myself back into the program with 30 points per day the first week and then reduce that amount by 2 points each week until I attain my goal of eating only 22 points per day. There was no way I could just cold-turkey start at 22 points per day.<br />
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Here's how my week panned out:<br />
Day 1 -- Tuesday, 8/23 -- 29 points<br />
Day 2 -- Wednesday -- 26 points<br />
Day 3 -- Thursday -- 23 points<br />
Day 4 -- Friday -- 26 points<br />
Day 5 -- Saturday -- 29 points<br />
Day 6 -- Sunday -- 21 points<br />
Day 7 -- Monday -- 21 points<br />
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My goal is to lose 15 pounds by Thanksgiving. When I weighed myself this past Tuesday, my weight was down 7.5 pounds in only 7 days! I am already at my halfway point. I expected to lose only 2 to 3 pounds during Week 1 because this time around I won't be able to exercise due to some health problems. Apparently, there are 1,000 year old skeletons with better bone density than myself. My knees, back and neck are shot, which means no more hitting the treadmill for an hour or running up/down steps and a whole lot of other restrictions I won't go into right now.<br />
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When I originally did the points, I exercised Monday through Friday with a routine of an hour on the treadmill, followed by (every other day) crunches, leg and arm work. So losing weight for me this time around will be even more challenging than if I could exercise.<br />
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I'm feeling pretty confident that I can achieve my 15 pound goal by Thanksgiving by keeping to my daily points. My philosophy is simply to take it one day at a time.<br />
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For anyone interested in the points system, there's a website with a calculator to help determine the points according to the <a href="http://www.calculator.net/weight-watchers-points-calculator.html?calories=370&energyunit=1&fat=22&fatunit=1&fiber=2&fiberunit=1&caltype=3&x=51&y=11" target="_blank"><span style="color: orange;">WW points system</span></a>. Also, here's a link to the <a href="https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/" target="_blank"><span style="color: orange;">Weight Watchers</span></a> official site.<br />
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-24911843053471780672014-12-23T10:51:00.004-05:002014-12-23T11:02:38.501-05:00White Christmas ~ Tea Cup Style<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I can scarcely believe that tomorrow is Christmas Eve and then Christmas the day after. Just like Bing Crosby sings, I wish we could have a White Christmas... well, as long as the snow is on the grass and the roads are clear, I hope we have the whitest one ever!</div>
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<em>I'm dreaming of a white Christmas<br />Just like the ones I used to know<br />Where the tree tops glisten<br />And children listen<br />To hear sleigh bells in the snow</em></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wENUY-xwGuI/VJkTYHs6WSI/AAAAAAAACpE/99ikeL8ffik/s1600/051%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wENUY-xwGuI/VJkTYHs6WSI/AAAAAAAACpE/99ikeL8ffik/s1600/051%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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This week I'm sharing a white tea cup and saucer set made by Duchess China. I believe I've shared this cup before, but couldn't help sharing again as it's my only white cup. It's also my only solid color tea cup. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GKlq5mQ9owg/VJkTNYXVULI/AAAAAAAACoc/Kl_qa8fiUb0/s1600/050%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GKlq5mQ9owg/VJkTNYXVULI/AAAAAAAACoc/Kl_qa8fiUb0/s1600/050%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Silver is one of my favorite colors and all of my white Christmas-y items are trimmed in silver, which I know clashes just the tiniest bit with my gold-trimmed tea cup. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uouWJ_SSckc/VJkTYN7c3VI/AAAAAAAACpI/_s_lyBl_My0/s1600/059%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uouWJ_SSckc/VJkTYN7c3VI/AAAAAAAACpI/_s_lyBl_My0/s1600/059%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<em>In the meadow we can build a snowman<br />And pretend that he is Parson Brown<br />He'll say are you married<br />We'll say No Man<br />But you can do the job<br />When you're in town</em></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2GXv7VDJNUc/VJkTQlcL_sI/AAAAAAAACos/sPj4A_nzMU0/s1600/047%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2GXv7VDJNUc/VJkTQlcL_sI/AAAAAAAACos/sPj4A_nzMU0/s1600/047%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" height="640" width="499" /></a></div>
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I love collecting snowmen. This guy is so cute with his little bucket of snowballs for sale. I found him at Hallmark a few years ago... the day after Christmas, when he was half off... which is of course the best time to buy stuff!</div>
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The bottom of the cup and saucer both bear the Duchess name and stamp. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p1uwZSXRe4c/VJkTTjkqHgI/AAAAAAAACo0/dNj7kzSJxxY/s1600/056%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p1uwZSXRe4c/VJkTTjkqHgI/AAAAAAAACo0/dNj7kzSJxxY/s1600/056%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" height="500" width="640" /></a></div>
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In addition to Snowmen, I have a Santa Claus collection. I finally stopped buying Santas about five years ago as there's not enough room to display all of the ones I currently have. So I only pull out a few each year. I can't remember where I bought this guy, but he's quite rotund and jolly. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WoxGr05oDcE/VJkTd0FNMDI/AAAAAAAACpU/Ag8T08Qpycg/s1600/066%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WoxGr05oDcE/VJkTd0FNMDI/AAAAAAAACpU/Ag8T08Qpycg/s1600/066%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Merry Christmas to you and your family! <br />
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I'm linking up to:
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<a href="http://www.marthasfavorites.com/2014/12/for-unto-us-child-is-born.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Tea Cup Tuesday at Martha's Favorites</span></a> <br />
<a href="http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com/2014/12/christmas-roses-for-tea-time.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.antiquesandteacups.info/2014/12/tuesday-cuppa-tea-merry-christmas.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Tuesday Cuppa Tea at Aniques and Teacups</span></a><br />
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Thanks so much for stopping by!<br />
MichelleMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-27538955941593286262014-12-16T13:38:00.002-05:002014-12-16T15:37:07.818-05:00Christmas Tea Cup and Saucer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm so excited... there are only nine days left until Christmas Day! I have two more people to buy gifts for and then I'm done. How are you doing on your shopping?</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X0jHRlWDpHo/VJBwImc2LbI/AAAAAAAACnU/MHHYDv7Hr7w/s1600/080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X0jHRlWDpHo/VJBwImc2LbI/AAAAAAAACnU/MHHYDv7Hr7w/s1600/080.JPG" height="400" width="282" /></a></div>
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Today I'm sharing my second Christmas tea cup and saucer set. I shared the first one two weeks ago. This one is also by Royal Albert. It's part of their "Flower of the Month" series. It's called "Holly" and comes in at #12 in the series. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IOyB6DNfIyw/VJBwbdELwWI/AAAAAAAACoM/RPf5o3YverQ/s1600/117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IOyB6DNfIyw/VJBwbdELwWI/AAAAAAAACoM/RPf5o3YverQ/s1600/117.JPG" height="317" width="400" /></a></div>
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The front and back of the cup feature the same design and the gold trim is still in excellent condition after all these years. The holly berries and leaves are handpainted. The cool thing about this design is that the red berries are raised, so you feel them when touching the china.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SdGUa7XuuZ4/VJBwSfeu7FI/AAAAAAAACn0/TRkG3SFSX20/s1600/109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SdGUa7XuuZ4/VJBwSfeu7FI/AAAAAAAACn0/TRkG3SFSX20/s1600/109.JPG" height="376" width="400" /></a></div>
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<em>Here comes Santa Claus, </em></div>
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<em>Here come Santa Claus, </em></div>
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<em>Right down Santa Claus lane.</em> </div>
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I love collecting Santas, especially the ones with an old-fashioned look to them. I found this guy at Home Goods a few years ago. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qGdnqKyvhiM/VJBwabnWw2I/AAAAAAAACoE/y8i0I3seQjQ/s1600/110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qGdnqKyvhiM/VJBwabnWw2I/AAAAAAAACoE/y8i0I3seQjQ/s1600/110.JPG" height="400" width="322" /></a></div>
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And I made some delicious homemade, chocolate chip cookies! I never shape the cookie balls before baking. I just plop the dough onto the baking sheet so that I can have the homemade look to my cookies. Here's my recipe for my <a href="http://afineruffling.blogspot.com/2012/11/chocolate-chip-cookies.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">chocolate chip cookies</span></a><span style="color: #b45f06;">. </span><span style="color: black;">The recipe makes about three to four dozen, depending on how big/small you want your cookies to be. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l7viz0PdYNA/VJBwYuEo0aI/AAAAAAAACn8/YD3kp7Sc7pM/s1600/114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l7viz0PdYNA/VJBwYuEo0aI/AAAAAAAACn8/YD3kp7Sc7pM/s1600/114.JPG" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-usXQoGkZUh4/VJBwFtLDujI/AAAAAAAACnE/hGdeq8lqjfw/s1600/084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-usXQoGkZUh4/VJBwFtLDujI/AAAAAAAACnE/hGdeq8lqjfw/s1600/084.JPG" height="287" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm linking up to: </div>
<a href="http://www.marthasfavorites.com/2014/12/baby-its-cold-outside-lets-have-cup-of.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Tea Cup Tuesday at Martha's Favorites</span></a> <br />
<a href="http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com/2014/12/an-old-fashioned-christmas-tea.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz
Cottage</span></a><br />
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Thanks for stopping
by today,</div>
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Michelle </div>
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-54392623897136621912014-12-02T01:15:00.000-05:002014-12-02T02:16:33.183-05:00Royal Albert Christmas Tea Cup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
December, at last! Thanksgiving to New Year's Day is my favorite time of the year and Christmas is my favorite holiday, hands down. I love all the food, the extra family time, getting the house and the yard decorated, listening to all the great Christmas songs out there and celebrating the birth of Jesus. </div>
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This week I'm sharing a lovely Royal Albert tea cup and saucer set. I found this set at a yard sale for only $1.00! I couldn't believe it. I'm never lucky like that with tea cups, so I immediately snatched it right up.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2W6zI9BCgDQ/VH1K2Ot3aSI/AAAAAAAACl8/UKHF9m9TWB4/s1600/023b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2W6zI9BCgDQ/VH1K2Ot3aSI/AAAAAAAACl8/UKHF9m9TWB4/s1600/023b.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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The name of this pattern is South Pacific. I'm not sure why a Poinsettia pattern is called South Pacific, so I decided to google the flower to see if that's where it's from. I discovered that the Poinsettia is native to Mexico and was once used by the Aztecs to make colored dye. It was brought to the United States by Joel Roberts Poinsett and named after him. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-heOl-BuwUGc/VH1K6FPFaCI/AAAAAAAACmE/qf7d-tuqbHc/s1600/026%2B-%2BCopyb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-heOl-BuwUGc/VH1K6FPFaCI/AAAAAAAACmE/qf7d-tuqbHc/s1600/026%2B-%2BCopyb.jpg" height="378" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm crazy for handles and I love this tea cup's handle with its gold design. Below's a picture of the interior of the cup. I love when china makers add floral designs inside the cups. The coloring on this set is really vivid in person, especially the red.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JaIDnlgm9ww/VH1K-2xPa8I/AAAAAAAACmQ/NuhtUvkmSOc/s1600/028%2B-%2BCopyb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JaIDnlgm9ww/VH1K-2xPa8I/AAAAAAAACmQ/NuhtUvkmSOc/s1600/028%2B-%2BCopyb.jpg" height="316" width="400" /></a></div>
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A little angel that I just love! <br />
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This adorable couple that we all know as Mr. and Mrs. Claus was a ceramic project that my mom did about 10-15 years ago. </div>
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The marking on the bottom of the saucer reads: Royal Albert, Bone China, England, South Pacific.<br />
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I'd never heard the story of why the poinsettia's so closely associated with Christmas and came across this legend of the flower, from <a href="http://www.whychristmas.com/customs/poinsettia.shtml" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">WhyChristmas</span></a><span style="color: #b45f06;">:</span></div>
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<em>"There was once a poor Mexican girl called Pepita who had no present to give the the baby Jesus at the Christmas Eve Services. As Pepita walked to the chapel, sadly, her cousin Pedro tried to cheer her up. 'Pepita', he said "I'm sure that even the smallest gift, given by someone who loves him will make Jesus Happy."</em><br />
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<em>Pepita didn't know what she could give, so she picked a small handful of weeds from the roadside and made them into a a small bouquet. She felt embarrassed because she could only give this small present to Jesus. As she walked through the chapel to the altar, she remembered what Pedro had said. She began to feel better, knelt down and put the bouquet at the bottom of the nativity scene. </em><br />
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<em>Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into bright red flowers, and everyone who saw them were sure they had seen a miracle. From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the 'Flores de Noche Buena', or 'Flowers of the Holy Night'. </em><br />
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<em>The shape of the poinsettia flower and leaves are sometimes thought as a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem which led the Wise Men to Jesus. The red colored leaves symbolize the blood of Christ. The white leaves represent his purity."</em><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l42I054UPFQ/VH1LJ5eaJsI/AAAAAAAACm0/3HtZDo__-uM/s1600/058b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l42I054UPFQ/VH1LJ5eaJsI/AAAAAAAACm0/3HtZDo__-uM/s1600/058b.jpg" height="400" width="378" /></a></div>
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I'm linking up to: <br />
<a href="http://www.marthasfavorites.com/2014/12/decembers-first-tea-cup-tuesday.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Tea Cup Tuesday at Martha's Favorites</span></a> <br />
<a href="http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com/2014/12/first-christmas-tea-in-december.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.antiquesandteacups.info/2014/11/tuesday-cuppa-tea-pinecones-everywhere.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Tuesday Cuppa Tea</span></a><br />
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Thanks for stopping by today,</div>
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Michelle</div>
<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-18544486032361604602014-11-29T00:41:00.002-05:002015-01-24T15:09:26.258-05:00The Disappeared by Kristina OhlssonI always love when I find a book that's so good, I don't want to stop reading. Kristina Ohlsson has written such a book in <em>The Disappeared</em>. A college student named Rebecca goes missing on her way to a party and now, two years later, her body's been found buried and dismembered in the woods. The police keep digging and discover that Rebecca isn't the only body in the grave.<br />
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There's a quite a few suspects in the murder of Rebecca that the police need to narrow down. And what about that second body in the grave? Forensics date this body's death at least thirty years ago. Is this the work of a serial killer? Are there more bodies buried here? As the police work on the suspect list, several of the characters' lives become intertwined with each other in unsuspecting ways. <br />
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Our heroine is Fredrika Bergman, an investigative analyst, who's just returned from maternity leave early because her live-in boyfriend's been suspended from his job as a college professor. As Fredrika delves into Rebecca's past, she discovers that at the time of her disappearance, Rebecca had been doing research for her thesis paper on a children's writer named Thea Aldrin. Aldrin had spent time in prison for murder and was suspected in the disappearance of her own son. Now out of prison and residing in an assisted-living complex, the police can't question her as she's chosen to be mute and refuses to speak. <br />
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There are two male protagonists. The first is Fredrika's boss, Alex Recht; recently widowed and still mourning the loss of his wife. Alex originally worked Rebecca's missing person case and still keeps in touch with the young woman's mother. Then there's Peder Rydh, a colleague of Fredrika's and on the investigative team searching for Rebecca's murderer.<br />
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Ohlsson has skillfully woven together a complex tale of suspense. There are so many layers created by the author that the reader finds herself swept up into the lives of all the characters; each layer providing more detail to the story.<br />
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I really enjoyed reading <em>The Disappeared</em>. It's one of the best murder mysteries I've read in awhile. Not only that, but it's part of a series. So far, this is the only one I've read (and it works out fine as a stand-alone book), but I'm excited to go back and read the other ones by Ohlsson. <br />
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Thanks for stopping by today,<br />
Michelle<br />
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-83968436818206280172014-11-28T19:37:00.002-05:002014-11-30T12:46:57.145-05:00Mini Spinach Bread Bowls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
These little Spinach Bread Bowls are super easy to make and great for the holidays as an appetizer. I've made these several times now, not just for the holidays, but for events like birthday parties and random get-togethers with friends and family. </div>
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
<ul>
<li>Bread dough to fit a 12 count muffin pan or 1 roll of refrigerated french bread loaf, Pillsbury's Simply Perfect</li>
<li>2 tablespoons olive oil</li>
<li>2 cups chopped spinach</li>
<li>1 clove garlic, minced</li>
<li>4 ounces cream cheese, garden vegetable flavor</li>
<li>1/2 cup sour cream</li>
<li>2 tablespoons parmesan cheese</li>
<li>1/8 teaspoon garlic salt</li>
<li>1/8 table salt</li>
<li>1/8 black pepper</li>
<li>1/3 to 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese</li>
<li>Flour for the refrigerated bread loaf</li>
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<u>Directions </u><br />
<ol>
<li>Preheat oven to 350 degrees.</li>
<li>Butter/grease or use a spray like Pam on the muffin pan.</li>
<li>Remove bread from packaging and slice into 12 equal parts (flour the cutting board and knife). Press each slice flat, then press into the bottom and sides of each muffin space. </li>
<li>Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add spinach and cook until wilted, 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the garlic; cook about one more minute.</li>
<li>In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, sour cream, cooked spinach, salts and pepper until well blended.</li>
<li>Scoop mixture into the center of each bread bowl.</li>
<li>Top with the mozzarella cheese.</li>
<li>Bake 15-17 minutes until the cheese is melted and browning occurs at the edges.</li>
<li>Remove from the oven and let cool about 3-5 minutes before removing from the muffin pan.</li>
<li>Serve warm.</li>
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<u>Tips</u><br />
<ul>
<li>Prepare the spinach in advance. Wash and dry the spinach the day before. I used fresh spinach for this recipe and it took me about an hour to finely chop 2 cups. In my defense, I was watching TV while chopping! </li>
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<ul>
<li>If you're not a fan of the garden vegetable cream cheese, then use regular cream cheese.</li>
<li>If you want to save on calories, then substitute the regular sour cream, mozzarella cheese and cream cheese for their reduced fat or fat-free versions.</li>
<li>Serve the mini spinach bread bowls warm. </li>
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This recipe's my modified version of one found at <a href="http://picky-palate.com/2011/01/31/baked-spinach-dip-mini-bread-bowls/" target="_blank">The Picky Palate</a>, where the original version can still be viewed.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by,<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Michelle<br />
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I'm linking up to <a href="http://www.flamingotoes.com/2014/11/think-pink-sunday-no-193/" target="_blank">Think Pink Sunday.</a> </div>
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Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-34291761198275225862014-08-01T12:41:00.001-04:002014-08-01T22:33:11.678-04:00That Old Black MagicI finished reading <em>That Old Black Magic</em> by Mary Jane Clark yesterday. This is the first book by Clark that I've read. <em>That Old Black Magic</em> is part of a murder mystery series with Piper Donovan, a cake decorator and aspiring actress, as the heroine.<br />
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Opening lines: <em>Piper was sipping a cocktail, but she couldn't taste it. Her sights were set on the tattered cloth doll. It was dancing frantically, tangled in yellow police tape. The more the doll jerked, the more snarled up it became until finally, the strangled doll collapsed motionless on the floor.</em> <br />
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Piper Donovan is twenty-seven and works at her parents' bakery in New Jersey. Piper travels down to New Orleans right before St Patrick's Day as she's won a contest to "apprentice," for a couple of weeks at Boulangerie Bertrand, a famous bakery located on Royal Street, in the French Quarter. After Piper's arrival, a local merchant is found murdered, strangled and whipped, with signs pointing to voodoo. A local radio host dubs the killer as the Hoodoo Killer. In the midst of all this, Piper gets a two day acting job, which leads to flashbacks of an incident the month before (from the previous book). The Hoodoo Killer doesn't stop at one death, but continues on with more deaths related to voodoo. <br />
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I enjoyed reading <em>That Old Black Magic</em>. Though this book is part of a series, it stands alone as a read. It's well written, the plot makes sense, but most of the characters reach only two-dimensional status, which is of course, better than one-dimensional. <br />
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The one thing I liked the most about the book is how there are no swear words. It's actually refreshing to read something where the author doesn't constantly take GOD's name in vain, which is the one thing I find the most offensive when reading books. <br />
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My only nits is that there were a few pages that the book didn't need. One example: Piper's boyfriend thinks she had PTSD. So he calls a friend and then there's a discussion on PTSD. This is completely unneccesary to the story. <br />
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Be prepared! Food is discussed throughout the book, especially bakery items. I craved sweets like there was no tomorrow while reading <em>That Old Black Magic</em>. <br />
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I'm linking up to:<br />
<a href="http://www.rosecityreader.com/2014/07/book-beginning-therefore-choose-life.html" target="_blank">Book Beginnings at Rose City Reader</a><br />
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-60549111224853538092014-07-25T19:14:00.000-04:002014-07-29T08:31:10.832-04:00The Necromancer's HouseThis week I read <em>The Necromancer's House</em> by Christopher Buehlman. I picked this book up because of the title. I love books about the supernatural and after reading the description inside the jacket, I was hooked.<br />
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From the jacket: <em>Andrew Ranulf Blankenship is a handsome, stylish nonconformist with wry wit, a classic Mustang and a massive library. He is also a recovering alcoholic and a practicing warlock, able to speak with the dead through film.</em><br />
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Opening lines from the Prologue: <em>The old man walks from the cabin to the porch behind, palming his whiskey glass from the bottom and swirling the ice in it.</em> <br />
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Our protagonist is Andrew Blankenship, a male witch who prefers the term magus to witch. He lives in Dog Neck Harbor in a house hidden by magic from most people. The house is also protected with charms, booby traps, against people who would seek to harm him. We don't find out Andrew's full story and history at once. It's fed to us throughout the novel like special treats. Eventually, we find out why his house is hidden and filled with traps. <br />
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Andrew is a recovering alcoholic and regularly attends AA meetings. Andrew's friend Anneke also attends AA meetings. She is luminous, a term used to describe those who have magic within them. Andrew is trying to teach her how to tap into her luminosity. Things start to go bad for Andrew when his rusalka (a mermaid) drowns one of his neighbors, an old Russian man, with connections to the past Andrew doesn't want to remember, (hint: Baba Yaga is involved).<br />
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<em>The Necromancer's House</em> is a well-written novel with fully fleshed-out characters. Buehlman has even brought to life minor characters that another author would have left one-dimensional. His writing style leans toward the flowery, which isn't a real criticism, though I did have to re-read a few sentences a second time to pick up the meaning. All-in-all, an excellent read. <br />
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I'm linking up to:<br />
<a href="http://ricki-treleaven.blogspot.com/2014/07/literary-friday-house-at-end-of-hope.html" target="_blank">Literary Friday at Art @ Home</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.rosecityreader.com/2014/07/book-beginning-queen-of-katwe-by-tim.html" target="_blank">Book Beginnings at Rose City Reader</a><br />
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Thanks so much for your visit!<br />
~Michelle<br />
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-10172823104118412112014-07-18T11:51:00.000-04:002014-07-19T00:29:19.663-04:00Homicide in HardcoverI just finished reading <em>Homicide in Hardcover</em> by Kate Carlisle with the tagline of <em>A Bibliophile Mystery.</em> <br />
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Opening lines: <em>My teacher always told me that in order to save a patient you'd have to kill him first. Not the most child-friendly way of explaining his theory of book restoration to his eight year old apprentice, but it worked. I grew up determined to save them all.</em><br />
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One of the reasons I was attracted to this book was the fact that the heroine is a rare book expert, who restores and conserves old books; two other reasons are: I love murder mysteries and it's set in San Francisco.<br />
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Brooklyn Wainwright is the main character who finds Abraham, "her mentor lying in a pool of his own blood." With his last breath, he whispers "Remember the devil" and gives her Goethe's <em>Faust.</em> Abraham had been working on The Winslow Collection of books for an upcoming exhibit. One of the books in the collection is Goethe's <em>Faust</em>, which, legend has it, is cursed. All who've owned the book have died. Brooklyn is asked to take over the restoration project and finish Abraham's work with the <em>Faust.</em><br />
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We are introduced to several characters who may or may not have a motive for killing Abraham including: Minka, Brooklyn's nemesis from college; the Winslows; Abraham's rival Enrico; and Brooklyn's own mother. Then there's the British Derek Stone, a former military operative, who now runs his own security company and is in charge of The Winslow Collection. Derek also gets to have a romantic moment or two with Brooklyn.<br />
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My only nit with this book is that there's not a lot of actual mystery-solving or investigating happening with the main characters. It's focus is more on Brooklyn's life (who grew up on a commune), her family, (who still live on the commune) and people trying to harm or kill Brooklyn.<br />
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Overall, I enjoyed reading <em>Homicide in Hardcover</em>. The book is a fun read and the first in a series of books. It's well-written with definitive characters and plot. I'll definitely be reading others in the series. <br />
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I'm linking up to the following blogs:<br />
<a href="http://ricki-treleaven.blogspot.com/2014/07/literary-friday-love-letters-to-dead.html" target="_blank">Literary Friday at Art @ Home</a><br />
<a href="http://www.rosecityreader.com/2014/07/book-beginning-night-and-rain-and-river.html" target="_blank"> Book Beginnings at Rose City Reader</a><br />
<a href="http://www.semicolonblog.com/?p=22616" target="_blank">Saturday Review at Semicolon</a> <br />
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Thanks so much for stopping by :)<br />
<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-1126867651137696562014-02-28T19:46:00.002-05:002014-02-28T19:49:00.203-05:00ElementaryIn fall of 2012, I watched the series premiere of "Elementary," an updated version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's detective, Sherlock Holmes. <br />
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I didn't like it. Nope. Not at all. Not one bit. Then last summer, I watched one of the season's repeats, then another and another, until I found myself completely addicted. <br />
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In this updated version, Sherlock Holmes (a recovering addict) lives in New York and consults for the NY police department. Holmes is brilliantly played by Jonny Lee Miller (ex-husband of Angelina Jolie). Doctor John Watson has morphed into a woman in the form of Lucy Liu and is now known as Dr. Joan Watson. <br />
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In the above picture, Holmes and Watson discuss a case in their brownstone's kitchen. Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu have great on-screen chemistry and are very believable as a crime fighting duo. The show is filmed in New York and has some great street scenes.<br />
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I think part of my original resistance to "Elementary," was due in part to how much I love the BBC version called "Sherlock". That show (airing on PBS) stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Doyle's anti-hero and Watson has not had his sex-change operation yet.<br />
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I love Lucy Liu's clothing in this series. She looks effortlessly chic while radiating a casual vibe. <br />
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The show airs on Thursday nights, 10pm EST on CBS. <br />
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Thanks for dropping by :)<br />
MichelleMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-52447995337534855072013-11-05T18:57:00.002-05:002014-06-07T16:04:04.490-04:00Vivien Leigh turns 100Today marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Vivien Leigh. To celebrate her birthday, I decided to share some of my favorite photos of her.<br />
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Vivien preferred performing before an audience, on stage, as opposed to making movies. Therefore, she only made nineteen films, in her 32 year career as an actress.<br />
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Here she is as Titania, from Shakespeare's <em>A Midsummer Night's Dream, </em>in a 1937 theater production.<br />
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In the movie, <em>Dark Journey</em>, she plays the very fashionable spy, Madeleine Goddard.<br />
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Vivien also posed for many fashion magazines and famous photographers. Angus McBean, Cecil Beaton, Lazslo Willinger, Vivienne and Bassano are just a few of the photographers who attempted to capture her beauty.<br />
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I first saw Vivien Leigh in <em>Gone With The Wind</em> when the movie debuted on television. My mom was so excited about this movie, that my sisters and I caught her enthusiasm for <em>GWTW</em> before we ever saw it. It aired over two nights and we were allowed to stay up past our bedtime, which was a really big deal, to finish watching it each night.<br />
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No matter how many times I watch this movie, I still love it. The barbecue scene is one of my favorites. Below, Scarlett and Rhett embrace. This image is from a lobby card.<br />
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While filming <em>Gone With The Wind</em>, Vivien was involved (& had been for a couple of years) in a real-life, love affair with Laurence Olivier. Since both were still married to other people, the studio kept it hush-hush. This photo is one of my absolute favorites of the two of them. <br />
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This candid of Vivien was snapped in a parking lot, near Lux Radio Theater, circa 1940, in Los Angeles. </div>
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Here, Vivien tries her hand as the Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra. This movie was based on George Bernard Shaw's play, <em>Caesar</em> <em>and Cleopatra.</em> A few years later, Olivier and her would bring the play to the stage.<br />
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Simply a lovely portrait.<br />
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Laurence Olivier in make-up for his stage role in <em>Titus Andronicus</em>, along with a bewigged Vivien Leigh. This pic was taken in Paris, opening night, 1957. In the 1950s, it was fashionable for "older" women to wear their hair short. This was a trend that Vivien followed. When I see her in wigs, such as this one, I can't help but think that longer hair made her look years younger.<br />
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As the beautiful Karen Stone in <em>The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone</em>, costarring Warren Beatty. Vivien played an aging actress preyed upon by a young gigolo.</div>
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In the garden of her home, Tickerage Mills, with her friend Godfrey Winn.<br />
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I hope you've enjoyed this photographic journey in the life of Vivien Leigh.<br />
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Thanks for your visit today!</div>
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~Michelle</div>
<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-1481403280560029982013-11-05T11:35:00.000-05:002013-11-05T11:35:52.251-05:00Aynsley Tea Cup and Saucer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This week I'm sharing an Aynsley tea cup and saucer set.</div>
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I love the birds on the cup and saucer, unfortunately I don't know the name of this design.</div>
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All the colors are really vibrant in person.</div>
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There's a lot of gold trim going on!</div>
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Thanks for your visit today!</div>
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~Michelle</div>
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I'm linking up to:<br />
Terri at <a href="http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/2013/11/tea-cup-tuesday-virtual-antique.html" target="_blank">Artful Affirmations</a><br />
Martha at <a href="http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com/2013/11/pretty-in-pink-for-tea-time-tuesday.html" target="_blank">Martha's Favorites</a><br />
Sandi at <a href="http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com/2013/11/pretty-in-pink-for-tea-time-tuesday.html" target="_blank">Rose Chintz Cottage</a><br />
Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-81800899487693828122013-11-03T13:01:00.000-05:002013-11-03T13:04:16.132-05:00Versace BarbieI haven't posted in awhile, so I thought I'd start things off with a return to one of my favorite things: Barbie. I love collecting vintage Barbies, but I also love when Mattel creates special dolls.<br />
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This is the Versace Barbie doll, created by Donatella Versace. Versace Barbie was released in 2004. She wears a floor length taupe colored gown with matching heels.<br />
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There is so much detail on this gown. Her form fitting bodice laces up in the front and extends to her hips. <br />
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The bottom half of her taupe gown falls to the floor in a cascade of ruffles and has a thigh high split.<br />
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Underneath the box's lid, the doll is protected with a second, plastic lid. The plastic covering acts like a mirror, so I had to remove it to photograph the doll. Otherwise, all you'd see is me!<br />
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Lifetime recently debuted a movie, "House of Versace", based on Donatella Versace's life, before and after her brother's death. The movie stars Gina Gershon as Donatella and Enrico Colantoni as her brother, Gianni. It's not the best movie, but it should be watched simply for Gina Gershon's performance. She's completely amazing as Donatella.<br />
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Thanks for your visit today!</div>
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~Michelle</div>
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-42088392405345828612013-10-14T01:50:00.000-04:002013-10-14T01:51:16.708-04:00A Supernatural TV SeasonI love the supernatural and this TV season seems to have a plethora of shows dedicated to the genre. The following are my returning favorites and a couple of new ones that I'll be watching.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester</td></tr>
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One of my all-time favorite shows is <em>Supernatural</em>. This show is about the Winchester brothers who hunt down, fight and kill things like demons, shapeshifters, bad witches and ghosts. <br />
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Season 9 premiered last Tuesday night on The CW. Sam Winchester is played by Jared Padelecki (on the hospital bed) and Dean Winchester is played by Jensen Ackles. These brothers fight, argue, namecall and play jokes on each other. Their great on-screen chemistry is what's kept the show on for all these years. <br />
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Another show returning this fall is<em> Grimm</em>, October 25 on NBC. Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) is a homicide detective in Portland, Oregon, who discovers that he's a descendant in a long line of Grimms.<br />
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A Grimm is a hunter of mythological creatures known as Wesen. Nick only hunts down the Wesen who do bad things to humans. Wesen look like humans until they morph into their supernatural being. However, since Nick is a Grimm, he can see the Wesen even when they are in their human form. Nick is helped out by Monroe, a Wesen blutbad, kind of like a werewolf, played by Silas Weir Mitchell. <br />
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Nick's girlfriend, Juliette, is played by Bitsie Tulloch and Nick's partner is Hank (Russell Hornsby). Other cast include: Captain Sean Renard (Sasha Roiz) also a Wesen; Sgt Wu (Reggie Lee); and Bree Turner plays Rosalee, Monroe's love interest. Season One focused mostly on Nick, whereas Season Two became more of an ensemble drama. There were a few times in S2, where I wished the focus would be more on Nick as there were too many little storylines running through the main story. Hopefully, this'll be corrected in Season Three. <br />
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<em>American Horror Story: Coven</em> is the third season for this great show. Each season is a different story . Season 1 concerned homeowners in a haunted house in California and Season 2 took place inside an asylum. <br />
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In Coven, Jessica Lange plays a Supreme, which is a very powerful witch and Sarah Paulson is her daughter, running a school for young witches in New Orleans. Joining the cast this season are Kathy Bates, Emma Roberts, and Angela Bassett.<br />
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<em>The Witches of East End</em> premiered last Sunday night on Lifetime. Joanna, a witch, has raised her two daughters, Ingrid and Freya as normal humans, instead of witches. Her sister comes to town to warn her about an evil doer posing as Joanna. Of course, her daughters then find out that they are indeed witches.<br />
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The main characters are all likeable and each set of sisters are believabe as such. Joanna is played by Julia Ormond and her sister, Wendy, is played by Madchen Amick. Joanna's daughters are Ingrid (Rachel Boston) and Freya (Jenna Dewan Tatum (wife of Channing Tatum)). <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aIUCkakV2Yc/UleOJlSaV4I/AAAAAAAACVU/b_DzC6iCczI/s1600/witches+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aIUCkakV2Yc/UleOJlSaV4I/AAAAAAAACVU/b_DzC6iCczI/s400/witches+001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Another new show is <em>Sleepy Hollow</em> on Fox. At first, I didn't want to watch this show because I love the Johnny Depp movie so much. How could anyone play Ichabod as good as Johnny, right? <br />
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Well, so far, British actor Tom Mison is doing a great job. Ichabod Crane is fighting the Headless Horseman and the next thing he knows, he wakes up in 2013 Sleepy Hollow. Unfortunately, the Hessian also arrives in 2013. In this updated version, he's now one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I'm not really fond of this idea, but hey, it's good TV and I find that I'm willing to suspend my disbelief for this weekly show.<br />
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Ichabod's sidekick is Abbie, a deptuy sheriff played by Nicole Beharie. Beharie and Mison play off each other perfectly. Katia Winter is Katrina (Ichabod's wife) and Orlando Jones is Captain Frank Irving, Abbie's boss.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PPax5wwtAkE/UltyVgqDP4I/AAAAAAAACWc/WJeioUYtvLE/s1600/sleepy+hollow+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PPax5wwtAkE/UltyVgqDP4I/AAAAAAAACWc/WJeioUYtvLE/s400/sleepy+hollow+005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katia Winter, Tom Mison, Nicole Beharie and Orlando Jones</td></tr>
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<em>Dracula</em> will premiere next Friday night on NBC with Jonathan Rhys Meyers taking up the cape. I'm torn on this show-- to watch or not to watch? The advertisements look really good, but vampires <em>really, really</em> scare me. Silly me, right? I know they don't exist, but sometimes my mind likes to play the "what if" game when I'm outside at night. <br />
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By the time I was twelve, I'd watched every vampire movie, make that <em>every horror movie</em>, ever made. When I was around ten, I'd take my pencils, rubberband them together into crosses and strategically place them around my bedroom each night. This way, if a vampire crawled up the side of my house, he wouldn't be able to get me. Luckily, that only lasted a year or two. However, not sleeping with a window open, or even allowing a window open after dark, lasted into my mid-twenties. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XpHDoRE1Nps/Ult0G1AcBmI/AAAAAAAACWs/uiHqA4QBCFU/s1600/dracula.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XpHDoRE1Nps/Ult0G1AcBmI/AAAAAAAACWs/uiHqA4QBCFU/s400/dracula.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<em>Synopsis from NBC:</em> Golden Globe winner Jonathan Rhys Meyers ("The Tudors") stars in this provocative new drama as one of the world's most iconic characters. It's the late 19th century, and the mysterious Dracula has arrived in London, posing as an American entrepreneur , who wants to bring modern science to Victorian society. He's especially interested in the new technology of electricity, which promises to brighten the night - useful for someone who avoids the sun. But he has another reason for his travels: he hopes to take revenge on those who cursed him with immortality centuries earlier. Everything seems to be going according to plan... until he becomes infatuated with a woman who appears to be a reincarnation of his dead wife. From the producers of the critically acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning hit "Downton Abbey" comes "Dracula," a twisted, sophisticated and sexy take on Bram Stoker's classic novel, proving that some stories never die. <br />
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Thanks for your visit today!<br />
~Michelle<br />
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-90786460672782738322013-10-01T13:11:00.001-04:002013-10-01T13:11:56.277-04:00Duchess China<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Is anyone else excited that Fall is here? The tree in my front yard has almost completely changed color. I don't know what kind of tree it is, but it's always the first one to change color in the Fall.</div>
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<em>Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a </em></div>
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<em>bird I would
fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.</em> </div>
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~George Eliot</div>
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This week I'm showing off this white tea cup and saucer by Duchess China. I believe I shared this one last year, though instead of carnations, I filled it with snowball flowers.<br />
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I was playing around with material contrasts in my journal and decided to apply that thinking to this cup and saucer. I like the softness of the flowers in delicate china against the roughness of brick and wood. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VxI5LKECKZw/UkEau2xnWbI/AAAAAAAACUU/DdCx7PCKfIM/s1600/085+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="357" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VxI5LKECKZw/UkEau2xnWbI/AAAAAAAACUU/DdCx7PCKfIM/s400/085+-+Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The saucer, cup and handle are trimmed in gold. <br />
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Both the saucer and the tea cup are marked Duchess Bone China.<br />
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Thanks for your visit today!<br />
~Michelle<br />
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Linking to:<br />
Sandi at <a href="http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com/2013/09/tea-time-tuesday_30.html" target="_blank">Rose Chintz Cottage</a> for Teatime Tuesday<br />
Terri at <a href="http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/2013/09/tea-cup-tuesday-giveaway-winners.html" target="_blank">Artful Affirmations</a> for Tea Cup Tuesday<br />
Martha at <a href="http://www.marthasfavorites.com/2013/09/the-tea-party-must-go-on.html" target="_blank">Martha's Favorites</a> for Tea Cup TuesdayMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-40475427407159576292013-08-18T13:15:00.001-04:002013-08-18T13:15:20.783-04:00Black Barbie 1980 Reissue~ Barbie SaturdayBarbie Saturday on a Sunday! Honestly, I don't know what happened to yesterday. Saturday flew by so fast and I'm absolutely positive that had nothing to do with the time I spent playing Candy Crush on Facebook! <br />
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Today, I'm showing off a reissue Barbie doll. She's Black Barbie from 1980.<br />
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She's wearing a belted red, sparkly dress with a gold collar. Red heels and red earrings complete her outfit. Isn't her hair amazing? I love the style! <br />
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I found her on clearance at Target for only $11. I couldn't pass up a deal like that.<br />
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Barbie comes with an additional outfit: a white suit with matching heels, a gold collar, belt and purse. Two things come to mind everytime I look at this white outfit: John Travolta, wearing his white suit, in Saturday Night Fever and the song <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1qN6gLbUMw" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees</span></a>. <br />
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The doll also comes with a reissue of Barbie's World of Fashion from 1979 (bottom right).<br />
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Thanks so much for your visit today! </div>
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~Michelle</div>
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<span id="goog_104963658"></span><span id="goog_104963659"></span><br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-86028681359855371252013-08-16T21:58:00.000-04:002013-08-16T23:14:33.765-04:00The Marseille CaperA few days ago, I finished reading "The Marseille Caper" by Peter Mayle. The book is set in the south of France and stars Sam Levitt in his second Mayle outing. The first Sam Levitt outing is "The Vintage Caper", about a Bordeaux wine heist.
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Sam and his girlfriend Elena travel to France at the request of Reboul, a "friend" of Sam's. There is a seaside area that the town of Marseille wants to develop. They're down to choosing among three development projects. Two projects are high rise apartments geared more toward the wealthy and tourists. One is represented by Lord Wapping, a British fellow and the other is represented by a Parisienne, Gabrielle. <br />
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Reboul's project is the third one, a low-key apartment complex, which would blend in better with the environment. Sam's hired by Reboul to present his land development deal to the town's committee, headed by Patrimonio, an enemy of Reboul's over a woman. Mayle tosses in lots of Marseille facts and delights in the restaurants' menus. Of course, there's a bad guy or two, mixed up in all of this, who causes mayhem (or attempts to anyway) for Sam and his project.
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At first, I found Peter Mayle's writing style to be choppy, which made it
difficult for me to stay interested in the plot. It took a few chapters for me
to want to continue reading. The plot's light and definitely on the frothy side,
while the characters need to have additional depth. In other words, more flesh on the characters and less whipped cream in the plot, please!
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Once I overcame Mayle's style, the story moved pretty fast, though at times it read more like a travelogue than a novel. This book is definitely an easy read. <br />
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Thanks for your visit today!<br />
~Michelle<br />
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Linking up to <a href="http://ricki-treleaven.blogspot.com/2013/08/literary-friday-fin-lady.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Literary Friday</span></a>, hosted by Ricki Jill<br />
<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-2086771713313209572013-08-13T12:15:00.000-04:002013-08-13T12:15:07.350-04:00Royal Chelsea Tea Cup and Saucer<div style="text-align: left;">
This week, I'm showing off one of my favorite tea cup and saucer sets.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-792HKbCnlNI/Ugm_cUF4dGI/AAAAAAAACQ4/CBQ8ajk6v40/s1600/002+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="367" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-792HKbCnlNI/Ugm_cUF4dGI/AAAAAAAACQ4/CBQ8ajk6v40/s400/002+-+Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love people scenes! The cup and saucer feature a trio of folk, in a black and white design. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LoWR8AIJQWk/Ugm_Tb9GSEI/AAAAAAAACQg/Y71ZGBbTsmk/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LoWR8AIJQWk/Ugm_Tb9GSEI/AAAAAAAACQg/Y71ZGBbTsmk/s400/004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Two ladies are being assisted by a gentleman in trying on buckets as hats. Nearby, a cow and dog show no interest in what these silly humans are doing. </div>
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The gold trim is in excellent condition. There are two bands of gold around the foot of the cup. Each side of the handle is trimmed out in gold as well.<br />
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Both the cup and saucer are marked Royal Chelsea/Made in England/Fine Bone China on the bottom.<br />
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Thanks for your visit today!<br />
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I'm linking up to:<br />
Sandi at <a href="http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com/2013/08/creamy-dreamy-whites-for-tea-time.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Rose Chintz Cottage</span></a> for Tea Time Tuesday<br />
Martha at <a href="http://www.marthasfavorites.com/2013/08/tea-cups-ladies-perfect-grandchildren.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Martha's Favorites</span></a> for Tea Cup Tuesday<br />
Bernideen at <a href="http://blog.bernideens.com/2013/08/grandma-barkers-vase-for-tea-in-garden.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04;">Bernideen's Tea Time Blog</span></a> for Tea in the Garden<br />
<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-19927593631758629742013-08-08T15:25:00.000-04:002013-08-12T16:15:00.620-04:00Highway 127 FindsThis past weekend, I went out to hunt for treasures on the <a href="http://www.127sale.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">World's Longest Yard Sale</span></a>. This year the sale ran from Michigan all the way down to Alabama. <br />
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First up, is this little piano, music box. I scooped this up for only $3! </div>
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This is made in Japan. As you can see from the photos, it's covered in gold trim. Some of the gold is fading, but that doesn't distract from the beauty of this box. <br />
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On top of the piano, lovers are resting in a pastoral setting. Inside, the music box is lined in yellow with space to store a trinket or two or even a little love note.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y7dduvIseN0/UgPn5hc4WHI/AAAAAAAACPI/Eo_IlZ8hAnM/s1600/007b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y7dduvIseN0/UgPn5hc4WHI/AAAAAAAACPI/Eo_IlZ8hAnM/s400/007b.jpg" width="365" /></a></div>
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Then I was lucky enough to find two planters. The first one is this little donkey wearing a blue hat.</div>
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I really couldn't believe my luck when I found this elephant planter. I love elephants. Wherever I travel, I try to pick up one as a souvenir keepsake, so I have quite a large collection of elephants.<br />
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Here is my little cow creamer. She's stamped Japan on the bottom. I think she's adorable. I've been wanting one of these for awhile, but each time I've found one, something's been wrong with it such as a chip or crack. I was really excited to find one in perfect condition. <br />
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I love to take pictures of the 127 sale. This year, I accidentally left my camera at home, but here are a couple of pictures from last year's sale.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zx_sTFJcjdY/UgPstyP9PMI/AAAAAAAACP8/vEiUvHnBEIg/s1600/036+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zx_sTFJcjdY/UgPstyP9PMI/AAAAAAAACP8/vEiUvHnBEIg/s400/036+-+Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Below is my favorite kind of vendor. You never know what treasures await when the tables are loaded down with so much stuff.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cn8KS5CpSiU/UgPs3PluDyI/AAAAAAAACQM/plAXvsHZP2A/s1600/034+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cn8KS5CpSiU/UgPs3PluDyI/AAAAAAAACQM/plAXvsHZP2A/s400/034+-+Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The vendor below didn't sell this three-wheeled bike last year. I know because he had it out again this year. I know I've been to this sale too many times, when I start to recognize the sellers. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rhtyVJ4KdYQ/UgPs2Nu6ZhI/AAAAAAAACQE/A0zYx6fzUGI/s1600/033+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rhtyVJ4KdYQ/UgPs2Nu6ZhI/AAAAAAAACQE/A0zYx6fzUGI/s400/033+-+Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Thanks so much for your visit today!<br />
~Michelle<br />
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I'm linking up to <a href="http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/2013/08/vintage-thingie-thursday-vintage-bee.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Colorado Lady</span></a> for Vintage Thingie Thursday.<br />
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Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-84577425772477174422013-08-06T14:47:00.000-04:002013-08-08T14:43:29.017-04:00Tea with Carnations and JaneConsidering it's August, we enjoyed a nice break from the heat this past weekend. I'm so happy we did, because I was out looking for stuff I absolutely didn't need on the Highway 127 sale (aka the <a href="http://www.127sale.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">World's Longest Yard Sale</span></a>). <br />
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One of my finds, from this past weekend, is this Lusterware tea cup and saucer set for $2.00. I really like the mixed floral design and the pink coloring. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zsOOsOH4zME/UgExfqZ8XVI/AAAAAAAACMg/LhRBQ6MjAgg/s1600/064+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zsOOsOH4zME/UgExfqZ8XVI/AAAAAAAACMg/LhRBQ6MjAgg/s400/064+-+Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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It's simply marked 1201 on the bottom with no maker's name or mark.<br />
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Here's the saucer. Both the cup and the saucer are very shiney-looking, especially out in the sunshine. <br />
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One of my favorite things to do is to use a glass jar for flowers, especially in the summertime. The carnations seem to match the floral color on the tea cup. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tqsIIzdK2fo/UgEx9HeZWZI/AAAAAAAACNY/u6qzzY4lJTE/s1600/101+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tqsIIzdK2fo/UgEx9HeZWZI/AAAAAAAACNY/u6qzzY4lJTE/s400/101+-+Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm currently rereading this delighful book called "My Dear Cassandra" by Jane Austen. These are letters written by Jane to her sister, Cassandra and to a few others. I picked this book up on a trip I took to England way back in 2000. Below is a peek inside the book.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CuRObSCzu-o/UgExl-5bPLI/AAAAAAAACMw/RhKoYvAYTqA/s1600/079+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CuRObSCzu-o/UgExl-5bPLI/AAAAAAAACMw/RhKoYvAYTqA/s400/079+-+Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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A few weeks ago, I participated in the Mad Tea Party blog event hosted by <a href="http://afancifultwist.typepad.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">A Fanciful Twist</span></a>. Then, last week, Dena at <a href="http://theenchantingworldofmiladyleela.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">The Enchanting World of Milady Leela</span></a>, notified me that I was the lucky winner of her giveaway, which turned out to be this sweet, little book called "Tea Party".<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xqyMvpWZz5g/UgEyT6X_oHI/AAAAAAAACN4/sLTShn_DHe8/s1600/img318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xqyMvpWZz5g/UgEyT6X_oHI/AAAAAAAACN4/sLTShn_DHe8/s400/img318.jpg" width="347" /></a></div>
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All the pages are pink, which is so crazy as I've been <em><span style="color: magenta;">craving pink</span></em> for the last couple of weeks. The book is full of tips on how to have a tea party. I really like this idea of creating small sachets of tea bags for guests to take home with them. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RXleQHWLdxs/UgEyW09pDvI/AAAAAAAACOA/2u1ywV9u2t8/s1600/img319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RXleQHWLdxs/UgEyW09pDvI/AAAAAAAACOA/2u1ywV9u2t8/s400/img319.jpg" width="343" /></a></div>
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I'm linking up to:<br />
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Martha at <a href="http://www.marthasfavorites.com/2013/08/tea-cups-and-mother-lode-of-estate-sales.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Martha's Favorites</span></a> for Tea Cup Tuesday<br />
Bernideen at <a href="http://blog.bernideens.com/2013/08/celebrating-hummingbirds-for-tea-in.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Bernideen's Tea Time Blog</span></a> for Tea in the Garden<br />
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-20343837958654496102013-08-03T23:00:00.002-04:002013-08-03T23:03:56.405-04:00Yard Sale Finds ~ Barbie SaturdayI love yard sales. You never know what kind of treasure you'll find. Recently, at one of these sales, I discovered tons of Barbies and lots of furniture. Most of the dolls were newer (1990 to 2010). I arrived there in the afternoon, so I'm not sure if older dolls were part of the sale or not. <br />
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First, I picked up this Integrity doll. She's the same size as Barbie. I bought her for her dress, which is original to the doll. The doll stand is making the dress bubble a little in front, but the dress hangs straight down with no wrinkles or bubbles.<br />
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Then I bought, Xenia, the Warrior Princess. She's missing her round thingey that she likes to throw at the bad guys. I snapped her up just for the fun of it.<br />
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The third doll is a regular Teresa doll. I bought her because she's wearing Mexican Barbie's outfit from Barbie's Dolls of the World collection, which I believe, came out in the late 90s. Mattel is currently reissuing, with different outfits, the Dolls of the World. <br />
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There were about 4 rubbermaind containers full of Barbie sized furniture. I plopped right down on the ground and went through all the boxes. I bought: two Suzy Goose French Hutches, a Sindy dining room table with 3 Sindy chairs, a Barbie dining room table, Sindy candles and two Barbie fireplaces. The sun was shining through the window when I snapped these pictures, so the Sindy chairs below look as if the seats are different colors, but they are the same. <br />
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This fireplace is really hard to find, so I was happy to find two at one time. I found one on Ebay a few years ago. It was being sold with lots of other Barbie pieces that I didn't need, but I bought it all anyway, just to have this fireplace--- yeah, I'm definitely obsessed!<br />
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Here's one of the Suzy Goose French Hutches. The bottom drawer opens for extra storage and we all know, Barbie needs all the storage space she can get!<br />
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I also purchased a 1970s Barbie house, which I'll share in the next week or two, as it needs a desperate cleaning job.<br />
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Thanks for your visit today! <br />
Michelle<br />
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462584103575163586.post-31016870416778411602013-08-01T02:44:00.000-04:002013-08-01T02:48:08.815-04:00Vintage PrintsI found these lovely prints sometime ago at a flea market. They've been stored away in the basement and I just recently rediscovered them.<br />
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I've dropped this one a few times and the print is now crooked inside the frame. I'll have to figure out a way to remove the back, to straighten the picture, so that I don't damage the backing.<br />
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I like to think this fellow below is asking his love to dance. He even has a little bird on his shoulder. Next to her, someone is playing a flute or similar musical instrument. <br />
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This scene reminds me of Marie-Antoinette during her "cottage years" at Versailles. <br />
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I think these scenes are prints from larger paintings. They're quite fun and offer a glimpse into another world. <br />
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The framed art pieces measure roughly 6.25"H x 5"W. The frames are made from a molded resin and created to look like wooden frames. The back is also resin (or maybe plastic). <br />
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Thanks for dropping in today!<br />
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I'm linking up to Coloradolady for <a href="http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/2013/07/vintage-thingie-thursday-colorado-ghost.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #bf9000;">Vintage Thingie Thursday</span></a>.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16187105559174249729noreply@blogger.com3