BAUBLES, BAUBLES AND BAUBLES...
also known as frippery, gewgaw, gimcrack, bibelot, kickshaw and tchotchke

Necklace #1 Talbots $48.65

Necklace #2 Banana Republic $69.50

Necklace #3 Talbots $48.65



I honestly have never seen such amazing costume jewelry. Its like the new rule is "more is more" For a true minimalist I am a kid in a candy store for the very first time. Before I make a purchase I always stop and think... "now how many years will I wear this?"  Not so with these accessories. I have eight granddaughters. Even if the trend changes, any purchase I make will be well used for years. 

Happy shopping!

Necklace Ann Taylor $69.50
Earrings Ann Taylor $39.50

Necklace #1 Nordstrom $58.00

EXCITING NEWS!!!

Introducing "Look Fabulous Forever" make-up for older women

Join us tomorrow and I will provide you with a code to receive an online discount... see you tomorrow!!

Meet Laura Dekker ...

 a very young woman of  a certain age

  

Laura was literally born sailing.  Her mother gave birth to her while she and her husband were on a seven year trip around the world.  For Laura's first five years she lived on that same boat. Then, when her baby sister was born, her family moved to Holland, bought a house and tried to be land lovers.  It didn't work. Laura's parents divorced and she chose to live with her father because of their mutual love of the sea.

She learned to sail at six and at ten she owned her own dingy. By eleven she had earned enough money doing odd jobs that she purchased a small yacht. It was a wreak but she and her father worked on it every day for months, making it seaworthy.  She named it "GUPPY" because when she is out in the vast ocean that is how she feels.

Laura had a dream.  She wanted to be the youngest person to ever circumnavigate the globe solo. At 13 she thought she was ready but the Dutch government stepped in and stopped her.  She and her father fought a legal battle for a year.  At one point the government tried to make her a ward of the state and determined her father negligent for thinking of letting her go. After what she calls, a horrible year, the courts decided in her favor and she was free to make her own choices. She set sail on August 21, 2010

 THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

Her voyage started from Portugal westwards. These were her main ports...
Gilbralter (start)
Canary Islands
Cape Verde Islands
St. Marteens
Panama Canal
Crossed the equator
Galapagos
French Polynesia
Tahiti
Torress Strait
Darwin Australia
South Africa
St. Marteens  (finish)
In all she made 14 stops, riding out the hurricane season on land and doing her school work while on board. She rounded South Africa in a terrible storm, a feat most experienced sailors wouldn't attempt.

HER DOG SPOT

Spending that much time alone in the middle of the ocean allows for a lot of self reflection. Laura always knew she  loved the sea but after her voyage she knew it was her lifelong passion.
She had to come to terms with loneliness, boredom, frustration and fear.  She thought she would go insane when she lost the wind in the Indian Ocean. There was nothing she could do but wait.

She made friends in unexpected places and found strength in her inner self. When she finished her 5,600 nautical mile journey on January 21, 2012, she was 16 years and 162 days but her self-reliance, and determination rendered her much older. Pleased with her accomplishment she re-located to New Zealand where she "navigates" a whole new life on and off the ocean. Her next goal is to be a skipper of a large ship. 

Her advise to other women... "Follow your dreams"

Laura filmed her entire experience and it has been made into a documentary. It is captivating!   MAIDENTRIP available through Amazon.

SAYING GOOD-BYE TO WINTER...
and the "blues"

To say it was a hard winter would be an understatement. In mid December I had major surgery. It was unexpected and put me in bed for eight weeks on heavy pain medication.  For the first two weeks I wasn't able to go up or down the stairs. On week three when I descended to make myself a piece of toast my doctor's surgical nurse had a "fit" and ordered me back to bed.  Its been almost four months and I am back to work but my energy isn't 100% and probably won't be for a year.   Sigh....

The physical part was hard but so was the emotional. I have been nursing a case of the "blues" off and on for quite a while.  Yesterday I read this...

The 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock, with her hair done and makeup applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.

After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window. “I love it,” she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

“Mrs. Jones, you haven’t seen the room ...”

“That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” she replied. “Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged, it’s how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. 

 I realized my mind could probably use a little "re-arranging" 



The anecdote for sadness... GRATITUDE!

Good advise... I'm taking it.

THE PIANO GUYS...

and their favorite audience.

All those music lessons... these guys are amazing. 

This is my one of my granddaughters. Although she is only two she knows all about the Piano Guys and loves them.         

She watched a clip of them playing "upside down" and the next time she came to my house she went straight to my piano and said to her dad... "We play upside down like the piano guys!" The crazy part was my son figured out a little melody.

Happy Monday!

FEELIN' BLUE...

OPTION #1

DENIM JACKET Sundance Catalog $148.00

LUCKY HANDBAG Dillards  $218.00

SANDALS Nordstrom $78.95

SKIRT Northstyle $59.95

OPTION #2

FLORAL TANK Sundance Catalog $148.00

UNION JACKET Sundance Catalog $158.00

Nestled at the base of Mt. Timpanogos in the heart of Provo Canyon, Sundance Ski resort is a fun place to visit no matter what the season. There is a great gift shop with artisan jewelry and very unique clothing. Its worth a visit or browse their online catalog...

www.sundancecatalog.com

 CHERRY TREES...
and two persistent women

Thursday, March 20 through Sunday, April 13

In the Spring of 1885 Mrs. Eliza Scidmore returned to her home in Washington after visiting Japan. During her time there she had seen the cherry trees in full bloom and was smitten. She approached the U.S. Army Superintendent of the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds, with a proposal to plant cherry trees along the Potomac waterfront. Her request fell on deaf ears.

For the next twenty-four years she would petition every new superintendent but with no success.

What's better than one determined woman trying to make something good happen? Two women, one with a lot of clout!

Eliza finally decided to raise the money
herself, purchase the trees and gift them to the city.

Before doing so she outlined her plan and sent it to the new First Lady, Helen Taft.  Mrs. Taft who had lived in Japan and was familiar with the beauty of the cherry tree, immediately responded.

Dear Mrs. Scidmore,

"Thank you very much for your suggestion about the cheery trees. I have taken the matter up and am promised the trees, but I thought perhaps it would be best to make an avenue of them extending down to the turn in the road... the effect would be very lovely on the long avenue. 
                                               

Let me know what you think about this. "

Sincerely yours,

Helen Taft

The day after Mrs. Taft's letter the Japanese chemist, Dr.Jokitchi Takamine, who was visiting Washington, heard about the cherry trees. He asked if Mrs. Taft would accept a gift of an additional 2,000 trees and suggested they be given in the name of the city of Tokyo. Mrs. Taft graciously accepted.

There was great disappointment when the trees arrived and it was discovered that they were severely infested with bugs. To protect American growers it was determined that they should be burned.

Now the threat of a diplomatic disaster must be avoided. The Secretary of State personally expressed his deep regret to the Japanese Ambassador and there was great relief when the parties involved met the news with good will  Subsequently, the mayor of Tokyo offered a second donation.

3.020 cherry trees in 12 varieties arrived in the Spring of 1912 and the planting began. Years later there would be an additional gift of 3800 trees given in behalf of Lady Bird Johnson, First Lady to President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Each year Washington DC welcomes the arrival of spring with the National Cherry Blossom Festival, a three week event showcasing the magnificent blooming cherry trees along the Tidal Basin.

The Festival with its profusion of pink, its heady scent and the euphoric walk along the corridor would not be available except for the determination and persistence of  Helen Taft and Eliza Scidmore... two remarkable women in history!

SOMETIMES IT TAKES A WOMAN...
even if she's small!

There is something formidable about a women when her mind is set.  A woman on a "mission" can't be talked out of it or distracted or convinced to walk away.  The world is a better place because of women like this.

This is not Eva but the hair is similar

I've read the histories of such ladies and have known a few personally, but the other day in the library I saw one who was still very young, a "formidable woman" in the making.  I will call her Eva.

Eva is a "woman" with a purpose.  She is going to be a reader. Every morning she comes up to the library and hands me her finished book. She points out that not only has she finished her book but she's scored 100% on her comprehension quiz.  I smile and congratulate her. She gets a new book and literally skips out of the library, her long dark brown naturally curly hair bobbing up and down. She is adorable.

Her little face is full of light and the look in her eye says... "I know where I'm going and what I have to do to get there!"

Eva has this look in her eyes

The other day I saw a bigger piece of Eva's personality when her whole class was in the library.  We have two big doors, one east and one west.  For whatever reason the younger kids struggle with the doors.  Let me explain...

When a child asked me to use the bathroom I NEVER say no. I just point to one of the doors and say hurry back.  Nine times out of ten they can't open the door because they are pulling on it instead of pushing. I have given multiple mini lessons on push/pull but the struggle continues.

One day last week a boy in Eva's class was struggling with the door as Eva was standing in front of me at the circulation desk. I said to him. Push on it, don't pull.  That just made him pull all the harder.  Before I could stand up to go rescue him Eva let out a big sigh and headed for the door.

"Look" she said... "you're pulling not pushing" Then she took over, turned the handle, pushed the door open and stood there to let him walk through. Then she let out another sigh and rolled her eyes. I couldn't even laugh, I just starred with my mouth open. The thought went through my head... "Sometimes it just takes a women, even if she's small."

Little Eva... I suspect you will be a formidable woman one day.  You might even change the world!