Dinner Time!

Today November 5th is National Men Make Dinner Day.
That's right girls you heard me, take off the apron and hand over the whisk. Get yourself a nice glass of wine and put your feet up!

It's Men Make Dinner Day.
The thought of some men making dinner can be a scary proposition. Perhaps you man's idea of dinner is a frozen pizza and a two-liter of soda. Let him know that there are loads of recipes on the web that can help him out. One of my favorite is recipezaar they have a recipe for everything. If you are one of the lucky ones and your man is well acquainted with your kitchen and can whip up a fabulous gourmet meal in no time, have him pour you a glass of wine and provide an amuse bouche. My man is more of a breakfast chef(that's one of his creations above), you know my solution...Breakfast for Dinner!

In case your man needs a bit more convincing below is a list for why your guy should participate in this fun National Day.

TOP TEN REASONS TO PARTICIPATE IN ‘NATIONAL MEN MAKE DINNER DAY’

10. While cooking, you can still wear your tool belt, simply replace the hammer with a whisk.
9. Several recipes include beer as a legitimate ingredient.
8. The blender, the electric mixer and the food processor are loud enough to drown out anyone in the house who is learning a musical instrument.
7. Whoever is cooking always gets the most attention from the dog.
6. Whatever recipe you choose, you can name it after yourself. Example: tonight’s dinner is called ‘Doug’s Surprise’.
5. Discovering that ‘250 ml’ is the same as ‘8 ounces’ AND ‘1 cup’ is half the fun.
4. Since YOU choose the recipe, it can be a turnip-free night.
3. Some desserts, such as crème brulee, require the use of a propane torch. How much fun is that?!
2. Since other husbands in your neighborhood are also cooking dinner, ironically this could be the ultimate male bonding experience
1. Participating in ‘National Men Make Dinner Day’ gives you optimum points with your wife. Use those points wisely!

If your man is still wary about this and just thinks you are trying to put one over on him, Have him google it (or click on the link above)...it's the real deal.

Turkey and the Television

Today in 1953 Swanson began selling it's first TV dinner. What has grown into a huge portion of the American way of life all started out as a quick solution to a pressing problem. Gerald Thomas, a Swanson executive was faced with 10 railroad cars full of unsold turkeys. So....Thomas thought, why not package the turkey with the usual side dishes, put them in segmented trays and sell them as a complete meal for the busy family. What a stroke of genius. The best part however was to tie it into the current rage in households across America...television. The perfect meal to have and not miss a show. The meal was hot, complete and could be easily eaten in it's segmented container right in the livingroom in front of the "tube". Swanson came out with 5,000 TV Dinners featuring turkey, cornbread dressing, gravy, peas ans sweet potatoes. The selling price was 98 cents and the box was cleverly designed to resemble a television. The original 5,000 dinners was no where near enough. Swanson sold 10,000,000 TV Dinners that first year....who knew! Check out the 1953 commercial for Swanson, the dinners are "all that" and more. Nowadays my tastes run a bit more on the expensive "foodie" side . Although, I have been know to eat a frozen dinner and even fondly remember the "treat" it was to get one as a kid complete with the little chocolate cake in the upper right hand corner..yum, yum. I also tend to spend less time in front of the TV and more time in front of the computer. I'm thinking though that the hot meal in the segmented tray may come in handy in front of the computer too. I may need these great napkins from marywibis etsy shop

As well as these felt coasters/trivets from moufelt on etsy

And what meal would not be complete, yes even a frozen dinner, without a nice glass of wine. Bon Appetit !

School Days, School Days

Ahh, the crisp cool air, the sound of bus brakes squealing, the rise of children's voices in laughter. All signs that school has again begun. In the spirit of shopping for school supplies for the kids I have developed my own list of necessary school supplies. These items come from the shops of those talented artists on etsy. These are the items that I would want if I were going back to school.

If you or someone you know is going back think about outfitting them with great supplies from the etsy community of artists. If you have special memories you wish to capture

look at my shop for this great photo journal.

Love Conquers All

Today is National Kiss-and-Make Up Day. Usually when we have an argument with someone and then go to make amends we call that "kiss & make-up".  That means we have forgiven each other and have made peace with each other.  Of course we don't really need to actually kiss someone to make up with them.  We can often times hug, shake hands or even just give a pat on the back.  It's not the actual physical action that creates the peace between us but the heart action. The forgiveness comes out of our love for the other person and our desire to keep that love whole and undamaged. That kind of love was the inspiration for this card from my shop.  The words are latin but the feeling is the same no matter the language.  If you are quarelling with someone kiss and make-up, if not just give those you love a reminder today, after all that's what today is for.

Sneaky Art of the Spitball

On this day in 1982 Gaylord Perry of the Seattle Mariners was ejected from a game for throwing an illegal spitball. A spitball is an illegal pitch in baseball. The idea is to coat the ball with some kind of substance that will then alter the aerodynamics of the ball and thus alter it's path and make it more difficult to hit. The invention of the spitball has been credited to a number of individuals, however it was Elmer Stricklett who introduced it to the majors. The pitch was widely popular in the 1900's but was banned from use by the 1920's. The league however allowed an exception for up to two pitchers on each team, who would be allowed to throw spitballs but no other kind of defaced ball pitch. While the exemption was originally intended to last for just one season, the leagues backed off slightly after the season. They identified 17 "bona fide" spitball pitchers who were allowed to continue throwing the spitball for the remainder of their careers. The art of the spitball lied greatly in it's decption. The pitcher had to be sneaky in his actions so that the batter would never know it was coming. The most popular methods were to hide petrolleum jelly behind the knee or under the brim of the hat. Once the pitch was banned the players had to be even more creative in there methods of secrecy because if caought they would be ejected from the game. Gaylord Perry, who went so far as to title his autobiography Me and the Spitter, would put vaseline on his zipper because umpires would never check there.

If you have a baseball fan in your life impress them with your knowledge of the spitball and it's sorted history. If you are looking for a baseball themed card check out my etsy shop for one like this.

You could even add a special gift like these awesome cufflinks from qacreates shop to the card for any special occasion, even for finally mastering the sneaky art of the spitball...just don't tell the umpire.

Signed, Sealed, and Delivered.

Although now a familiar sight at busy intersections in every city, mailboxes were not used until the 1850s, after the introduction of postage stamps. Before 1847, everyone had to take his or her letters to the post office, pay the postage, and have the postmaster mark each item “paid.” After the introduction of stamps, people wanted a more convenient place to drop-off their mail than the post office. In the 1850s, the Post Office Department began installing collection mailboxes outside of post offices and on street corners in large cities. People can drop their letters in these mailboxes throughout the day, and the postal service collects the accumulated mail at specific times, usually marked on the box.
On March 9, 1858, the first U.S. patent for a street mailbox was patented by Albert Potts of Philadelphia (No.19578). It comprised a simple metal box designed to attach to a lamppost. By August, these boxes were found along the streets of Boston, Mass., and New York City, N.Y. His patent described the "object of this improvement is to afford greater facilities to the inhabitants of large cities for the depositing of letters, and to enable the carriers to collect, or the citizens to deposit therein, at any period of time." The boxes had a central hole for the shaft of a lamp post, lids covering the drop hole to exclude weather, a sight hole so a carrier could see if any letters had been deposited, and a small door secured with a lock for the carrier to empty the box.

Even though e-mail has become the first method by which most of us now "mail", there is nothing like the thrill of pulling out a real, honest to goodness card or letter from your mailbox. It almost makes all that junk mail bearable!

In honor of Albert Potts and the ease with which his invention made "depositing a letter", send a real letter to someone today. There are loads of great note cards out there. Etsypaper has many talented artists that design cards and stationary. Etsygreetings even has a blog dedicated to the beauty of the handmade card that often includes giveaways. Of course you can always stop by my etsy shop and pick up a few things to have handy to "drop in the mailbox". When you do, think of Albert and smile.

Inspired to Sing Out Loud!!

Today in 1931 Congress adopted the song "The Star Spangled Banner" as the National Anthem. It was in 1814, that 35 year old Francis Scott Key penned the song that now is sung thousands of times a year. In fact "The Star Spangled Banner" is one of the most well known national anthems, and has been translated into numerous languages. During the war of 1812, Key and a friend were sailing down the Chesapeake Bay when the British began their attack on the city of Baltimore. Key and others watched the British bombarded Fort McHenry for two days. During all those blasts of canon fire, and the haze of gunpowder, the group was able to occasionally catch glimpses of the HUGE American flag that flew above the Fort. The Flag was 42 feet long and was made to be big enough that the British couldn't miss seeing it. As the last of the shelling stopped Key peered out into the early morning fog and smoke to see if the flag was still flying....it was. He was so inspired that he began to write a poem on the back of an envelope which he called "The defense of Fort M'Henry" Key was quoted as saying, "Then, in that hour of deliverance, my heart spoke: 'Does not such a country, and defenders of their country, deserve a song?'" The flag that inspired Key (pictured above) and a nation is in the care of the Smithsonian Institute. On their website, you can find out interesting facts not only about the song Key wrote, but the woman who sewed the flag, Mary Pickersgill, how it came to be a National Treasure, and why it is so much smaller than it started out. Not the reason you would think!

If you are feeling patriotic please visit the shop for a selection of patriotic cards suitable to send for any occasion that inspires your inner Francis Scott Key.

Rock Legends.

On this day in 1964 The Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. Approximately 74 million viewers — about half of the American population — watched the group perform on the show. I think most of them were screaming girls when you look at the video!!
The next morning, many newspapers wrote that The Beatles were nothing more than a 'fad', and 'could not carry a tune across the Atlantic'.

Funny how history works isn't it.

Just recently 45 years later they have opened a theme hotel in Liverpool based on The Beatles called "A Hard Day's Night Hotel".
You have to love the imagination behind this. Check it out for yourself.

After you watch this video of their first performance tell someone you know what a "rockstar" they are. Head over to my etsy shop and check out this mini-album


If a card is more what you are looking for I can create a custom card for you similar to this one for a "rock star" on his 50th birthday. Or even one for your "rocking" mom, seen below.

Here's to The Beatles...you guys ROCK!

7 days and counting...

Just a reminder for all those holiday challenged types. Valentine's day is only 7 days away. If you head over to my etsy shop right now I can get you your order just in time for the big day.
Everyone deserves a valentine, the paper boy, your neighbor who takes in your trash cans for you when you are away, the UPS guy who walks you package up the hill when his truck can't make it through the snow. Stop by the shop look around in the valentine's goodies section and pick out a card or two. If you mention you saw this post on my blog I'll even give you an extra 10% off. Just let me know when you order.

Are you my TYPE?

On this day in 1957 Smith-Corona Manufacturing of New York, began selling portable electric typewriters. The first one weighed 19 pounds. It's unbeleiveable how far we have come in 52 short years. It's amazing that now even a laptop doesn't weigh 19 pounds. If typewriter history is your TYPE of thing then you want to check out this site by Will Davis, who apparently is all about the typewriter. Smith-Corona also has a history timeline for their products here.

If you're not really into that but know

someone who is...look for this Valentine card in my shop and send it out the old- fashioned way...snail mail.

Birthday Madness

WOW... July has hit me with birthday madness. In the last week I have known and/or celebrated about 6 different birthdays, including my own. It's funny how things like that hit you in packs, birthdays, new babies, weddings. It seems as soon as you go to one you are going to several. One of the birthdays we helped celebrate was a milestone...60 years. A good friend of the studios turned 60 and we had a surprise party to go to. Of course such a monumental occasion called for an awesome card and I hit the boards to create one. I came up with this, a bit nostalgic, but fun as well. Inside is a pocket that can hold a gift card or even cash if you wish to give it. A a great quote about growing old..or not growing old I should say.

Since it turned out so well I thought I would offer it in my etsy shop. It's a great card that can be personalized for the birthday boy by YOU. You can take out the replica photo and replace it with one of your own, or send us you photo here at the studio and we'll include it for you. While you're at the shop checking out this card take a look at some of the others we offer for birthdays too. If you are having or had a birthday this month...to you I say..HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

For the love of FONTS

While checking out some other blogs I randomly look at I found this link. This site has a simple quiz that you can take to see if you were a font what you would be. I love this. I currently have over 450 fonts on my computer. many of those I have searched out and added. I know it's bad when I see advertisements and can say "That's good dog cool " I also feel very limited by my blog page with the very slim selection of fonts they give you to choose from. None of my favorites are here! One awesome site that I check out frequently is http://www.dafont.com/ here you can find loads of fonts most of them are FREE and are available for mac or windows. So I am American Typewriter, not a bad font but I think of myself more as "Desyrel" with some "calvin & hobbes" thrown in.

If you need a place to write down those cool fonts that you see while driving down the highway or looking through the web. Try this handy notepad. It's available in my etsy shop and is refillable. The font by the way is "Fabulous Fifties" and is available at Fonttrader.

All this talk about fonts has me itching...I need to head over to Dafont myself and see what's new, maybe I'll see you there!

Those daring young women in their flying machines.

On May 21, 1932, Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic ocean.

It was five years to the day after Lindbergh's famous flight, when she took off in a Lockheed Vega, in an attempt to become the second person after Lindbergh (and first woman) to fly solo across the Atlantic. Starting from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, her flight lasted almost 15 hours, when she touched down in a pasture near Londonderry, Northern Ireland. With this flight she had broken several records ...the first woman to fly the Atlantic solo and only person to fly it twice...the longest non-stop distance flown by a woman...and a record for crossing in the shortest time. (The distance from Newfoundland to Ireland being considerably shorter than Lindbergh's route from Long Island to Paris, her flight time was correspondingly shorter than his 33 hours.)

Amelia Earhart was born on July 24, 1897 in Atchison, Kansas. Her grandparents raised her during her early childhood. From the age of ten, she lived with her mother and father. She was a tomboy - climbing trees, sledding in the snow, and hunting She saw her first airplane in 1908, at the Iowa State Fair, but her interest in aviation lay dormant for another ten years. She served as a nurse in World War One, and took her first ride in an airplane in 1920. After her flight with barnstormer Frank Hawks, she said:

"As soon as we left the ground, I knew I myself had to fly."

Indeed, within a few days, she took her first flying lesson, in a Curtiss JN-4 Jenny. Six months later, she bought her own airplane.

This birthday card from the studio reminds me of Amelia. Perhaps you know someone who has a great spirit of adventure as she did. Look for this card in our etsy shop and celebrate the daring and adventuresome spirit of great women like Amelia.

I leave you with a quote from Amelia made before her attempt at flying around the world, what has become know as her last flight. This quote sums up much of how I think she lived her life.

"Please know I am quite aware of the hazards...I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail their failure must be but a challenge to others."
Bravo Amelia!

The Sultan of Swat...begins.

Today in 1915, Babe Ruth hit his first homerun while with the Boston Red Sox. May 6, 1915

In the third inning at the Polo Grounds, 20-year-old pitcher Babe Ruth slammed the first pitch off Yankee right-hander Jack Warhop into the second tier of the right field grandstand for a home run. It was the first home run for the youngster in his 18th time at bat in the major leagues. As Ruth trotted around the bases running out the home run he had blasted, the 8,000 in attendance, cheered him on.

Ruth's impact on American culture still commands attention today. Top performers in other sports are often referred to as "The Babe Ruth of ____." He is considered one of the greatest baseball players in history, in fact many polls place him as the number one player of all time. His name comes up anytime home runs are discussed, including Barry Bond's passing Ruth's career number in 2006. You can find his baseball stats here.

In honor of america's favorite pasttime and the huge number of baseball fans out there, we have created this card in the studio.

It features a replica T-206 baseball card, often times called tobacco series cards since they came in the package of tobacco (not chewing gum !)

It has been a popular seller from our studio and can be personalized for any occasion. We may even have your favorite old time players replica card to put on the front. Look for it in our etsy shop.

In the meantime ...get out there and knock one outta the park...The Babe is cheering you on.

Happy Birthday...Dear Leo.

Today in 1452 Leonardo Da Vinci was born.

He was the illegitimate son of a notary and a peasant girl, born just outside Florence Italy. He was a painter, draftsman, sculptor, architect, scientist and inventor. He learned from observing things and constantly asking questions. There is a great site from the Museum of Science that showcases the "Leonardo at the Museum" exhibit. I especially like the way his eyes move in his portrait on the first page...but hey that's just me.

I also found this quote from Da Vinci that I think is great and still applies to our lives today.

Life is pretty simple: You do some stuff. Most fails. Some works. You do more of what works. If it works big, others quickly copy it. Then you do something else. The trick is the doing something else.

In honor of Leonardo's birthday I would like to present him with this card, to encourage him to celebrate his birth and life accomplishments. If there is someone whose birth you wish to celebrate you can find this card at my etsy shop.

So, get out there today and do some stuff, if it works...then do some more. That's what Leo would have done.

Remember this GUY?

Twenty-six years ago....

On an April 10, 1982 installment of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, the Not-Ready-for-Prime-Time Players threatened to boil a real lobster named "Larry the Lobster" live on-the-air.
As Eddie Murphy informed the audience: [speaks fast] "You want to save Larry the Lobster dial 1-900-720-1808. [speaks slowly]. If you want to kill him dial 1-900-720-1809. Now unless you call in to save him, we're going to boil Larry's little butt right here on national television. Now you call in. The phone company is going to charge you fifty cents, but isn't it worth fifty cents to save Larry's life? Or look at it this way: Isn't it worth half a buck to see us boil Larry on TV?" Nearly 500,000 viewers dialed into the program with in the span of 30 minutes.

The final tally? KILL LARRY: 227, 452; SAVE LARRY: 239,096.

Larry is cited to this day in discussions of cruelty to animals and in rosters of famous animals.

I'm hoping that no one is having as bad a day as Larry did 26 years ago today, but if you do know someone who needs a little encouragement. This card is available in my shop in a set of three cards meant to encourage those going through a bumpy patch.

Enjoy the day!

Reach for the Sky!

Today in 1930 the first steel columns for the Empire State Building were set. As an Architect this has real interest to me. This was a time when the reach for the highest building was a passion for those who wanted to leave a mark in the world. To many it is still a passion, to lay claim to the tallest building in the City, State or World. Besides the sheer brilliance of the design what amazes me is the courage and daring of the workers who erected the building. There were no "safety " regulations like we have today. This picture is an awesome look into the workers daily task. It was taken by Lewis Wickes Hines, more of his images can be seen online here. Below are some basic facts on the Empire State Building...maybe you knew them maybe not. You can also take a virtual tour of the building online by clicking here.

Empire State Building
Architect: Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Associates

Facts & Description:

- The Empire State Building is one of the most famous skyscrapers in the world, built in just 18 months during the Great Depression, it was the world's tallest building from 1931-1972. It was surpassed by the World Trade Center, since 9/11/2001 it has regained that title.

-It is 1,453 feet to the top of the lightning rod. There are 102 floors in the building.

-There are 57,000 tons of steel in the structure of the building.

- The shape of the Empire State Building was inspired by its developer, John Jacob Raskob, who is said to have pulled a pencil from his drawer, held it up to his architect (William Lamb), and asked "Bill, how tall can you make it so that it won't fall down?"

- The observation tower at the top of the Empire State Building was originally intended to be a dock for mooring airships. However, after several futile attempts at mooring a zeppelin in the strong winds present at 1250 feet, the idea was scrapped.

- The top of the Empire State Building is lit up at night in different colors to celebrate various holidays.

- The 86th floor observatory is visited by 3.5 million people every year.

In honor of the desire, perseverance and gifts of those who dreamed and created this outstanding building I present this card. I wish you were all around to receive it. WELL DONE! You can find this card in my etsy shop, if you have someone who you wish to honor for their perseverance.

ROAD TRIP !

Today is National Reading a Roadmap Day.

Where would we be without maps. Especially today, with the internet and mapquest, it's easy to find your way from here to there. Once a futuristic idea, a car that tells you where to go has become the standard for many people. National Geographic has a great site called Map Machine that will give you maps for places all over the world, even maps of Mars from the sattelite.

Sometimes though it's nice to just wander, without having a place to be and a time to be there. I made this card in honor of that wandering spirit. It is available in my etsy shop.

This weekend...get the vehicle gassed up...call shotgun, and hit the road to see where it takes you. Remember "All who wander are not lost".

Apology NECESSARY

Our Border Collie is a terrific pet. Faithful and obedient (mostly). She doesn't chew on anything..including our shoes which are always lying about. She knows the boundaries of her yard without an invisible fence. She has a great sideways walk and always has something to tell you with her "growly" kind of talking. She does have one issue that we can't seem to break though. For some strange reason she thinks that some members of our family are dying to eat her dog food. This is the nasty dry kind of food, not the gravy soaked wet stuff. No matter how we try she can't seem to understand that we really, REALLY, are NOT interested in her food and if we were we have thumbs and can open the container and get as much as we like at any point and time.


















In her honor, I created a card, that if she were able to sign it, she could give to all those members of our family that she "has food issues" with. Perhaps you too know a dog that needs to send this to some family members. Maybe you yourself are the "dog" and need a card to express your remorse. You can find this card at my etsy shop.

The doghouse on the front is hand colored with prismacolor markers. The font used is even called"good dog cool". This card is a nice forest green but can be custom made in any color...just ask. In the mean time try to stay out of the "doghouse" and be good.

A Birthday Gift

My sister-in-law's birthday was last month. I knew I was going to see her in March so I looked around etsy at some of my favorite artists and found these great earrings for her. They are amethyset and were made by contrariwise. She has some really nice things, if you check her out & buy something let her know you saw her here on my blog. Since I had the earrings I needed a card to go with them. This is what I came up with. They go well together I think, I hope my sister-in-law likes them, if not I'm gonna ask for them back & I can wear them! If you are interested in the card you can see more about it at my etsy shop.