Friday, December 11, 2009

R. O. Blechman has a website.



I was so excited when I found this website. Lots of you sent me notes about how much you enjoyed the CBS 1966 Video Christmas message featured earlier this week. Well, you'll be happy to know that the artist R. O. Blechman has a website full of his illustrations, magazine covers, animation, and book covers. I know you'll love exploring here. Have fun! I love finding these places for you. He looks like a really nice guy too, don't you think? Rosemary



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Thursday, December 10, 2009

Lessons I Learned From Santa


All I Need To Know I Learned From Santa

1. Encourage people to believe in you.

2. Always remember who's naughty and who's nice.

3. Don't pout.

4. It's as much fun to give as it is to receive.

5. Some days it's ok to feel a little chubby.

6. Make your presents known.

7. Always ask for a little bit more than what you really want.

8. Bright red can make anyone look good.

9. Wear a wide belt and no-one will notice how many pounds you've gained.

10. If you only show up once a year, everyone will think you're very important.

11. Whenever you're at a loss for words, say "HO, HO, HO!"

I copied this from a Christmas card I got one year. I always save the good ones. I also recycle the fronts of old ones as gift tags. For the past couple of years I haven't gotten as many cards as usual. Lots of my friends send them online which is fine too given the price of postage and the lines at the post office. I have a PO box and when I went to pick up my mail today the line was out the door.



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Antique Dog Painting of Mine

I've had this small 19th century oil on panel of an English Water Dog for somewhere between 30 and 40 years. It's one of my favorite things.

Dog Fact: People have been keeping dogs as pets for the past 12,000 years.



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Network TV Christmas Message circa 1966 [Video]



A nostalgic one minute holiday card from CBS (back in the day when a network would do such a thing without a second thought). Designed by R.O. Blechman, animated by Willis Pyle. Music arranged by Arnie Black. Air date: December 1966. It's very sweet.



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Wednesday, December 9, 2009

My Favorite Christmas Ornament | A Little Squirrel Holding an Acorn




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My Dog Thinks I'm Wonderful




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Alice in Wonderland Illustrated Quote by Lewis Carroll



Vintage illustrations from Life Magazine ©Time.



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Gourmet Magazine's 67 Best Cookie Recipes 1941-2008





Gourmet Magazine first appeared in 1941. To celebrate their 67th anniversary they are offering their favorite cookie recipe from each year 1941-2008. All 67 recipes..free and on-line. How great is that?

GOURMET'S FAVORITE COOKIES: 1941-2008
This is especially nice since Gourmet Magazine is folding.

The site takes a while to load but it's worth the wait (the first time) to see the cookies perform. After that it's not fun, so just click "skip intro" and search on the various tabs.

This will be a nostalgic trip down the cookieland trail. All kinds of cookies too....everyday cookies as well as holiday cookies.

I am calling this post a FREE DOWNLOAD. Aren't you glad I found it for you? You are very welcome!


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Tuesday, December 8, 2009

"Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted." John Lennon



I still miss him.
It's been 29 years since he was taken from us on December 8, 1980.



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Monday, December 7, 2009

Original Manuscript | Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

This manuscript - one of the British Library’s best - loved treasures - is the original version of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll, the pen-name of Charles Dodgson, an Oxford mathematician. Dodgson was fond of children and became friends with Lorina, Alice and Edith Liddell, the young daughters of the Dean of his college, Christ Church. One summer’s day in 1862 he entertained them on a boat trip with a story of Alice’s adventures in a magical world entered through a rabbit-hole. The ten-year-old Alice was so entranced that she begged him to write it down for her. It took him some time to write out the tale - in a tiny, neat hand - and complete the 37 illustrations. Alice finally received the 90-page book, dedicated to ‘a dear child, in memory of a summer day’, in November 1864. Urged by friends to publish the story, Dodgson re-wrote and enlarged it, removing some of the private family references and adding two new chapters. The published version was illustrated by the artist John Tenniel. Many years later, Alice was forced to sell her precious manuscript at auction. It was bought by an American collector, but returned to England in 1948 when a group of American benefactors presented it to the British Library in appreciation of the British people’s role in the Second World War. I started to hyperventilate when I found this site. Really! The complete 91-page manuscript from the British Library has been digitized and it's very easy to read if you enlarge the images. You can listen to the audio version as well. Isn't the Internet wonderful? Alice has never been more popular, has she? Enjoy this story and let me know how you like it. Rosemary

Shakespeare Holiday Card | Free Download

"Health, peace, and sweet content be yours."
Shakespeare

This is my Christmas wish for you!

I made this holiday card years ago and it is my all-time favorite. It would be a great New Year's card as well. Actually it is a perfect winter card for any occasion. All you need is one sheet of card stock. After printing, fold in half and write your own personal message inside. It helps to score the paper first for a nice crisp edge. You can also turn the page around and run it through the printer again. Cut in half (I use a paper cutter) and you will have two large postcards or gift tags. My design uses only black ink so it is very economical to print, yet it's simply stunning!

Click here for my free download. Scroll down to see design.



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Sunday, December 6, 2009

Alice in Wonderland (3D Movie) Opens 3/5/10

Can't wait, can't wait, for this very important date!






This is going to be amazing. Tim Burton is the Director, Johnny Depp is the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter is the Evil Red Queen, Anne Hathaway is the White Queen. The role of Alice is portrayed by Mia Wasikowska. Based on Lewis Carroll's novels Through the Looking Glass and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Besides being in 3D, the movie Alice in Wonderland is combining live action, motion capture technology, and stop motion. It promises to deliver a marvelous experience and I'm sure it will. Much more.

Tim Burton Exhibition at MOMA
November 22, 2009 - April 26, 2010



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Life's Little Instruction Book, page 146 + Nice House










I always try to put keys in the same place when I come in the door. The only thing that gets me in trouble is when I forget they are in a coat pocket and then switch jackets. I like this newer colonial home and the hearth with paneled wall in the keeping room. It's very hard to find a builder who can pull this off so nicely. Don't you love the blue door in the last photo? We had a surprise snow storm yesterday and I had to shovel the walk before turning in. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Have a nice Sunday. Rosemary



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