Zazazu

Hello bloggie friends o’mine!

Just wanted to announce the HUGE SALE I’m having right now over at my Etsy store.

Here are the details:

20% off regularly priced items!
10% off items already on sale, listed in this section.
Sale excludes what is listed in the “NOT INCLUDED IN SALE” section.

All shipping charges still apply.
Wait for a revised invoice.
Sale will end on Sunday night, May 11, at 10 p.m. CST.

Any questions? Just let me know!

So what uber-awesome things might you be able to get in this uber-awesome sale? Check it out:

recy.etsy.com

:: Stay tuned for a BOOK GIVEAWAY here at Zazazu tomorrow! ::

My future SIL has joined in this fun meme called Ten on Tuesday and since I like memes and numerical lists and thinking about places I’d like to go, I thought I’d do it too. It is an every-Tuesday thing so we will see if I do it every Tuesday or not. I guess it depends on what the questions are.

For today…

Ten places that I’d love to travel to… places that I’ve not gone yet:

1. Australia
2. Bohemia
3. Côte d’Azur
4. English countryside… anywhere really…
5. Greece
6. Hawaii
7. Ireland
8. Morocco
9. Provence
10. Tuscany

I really like to travel anywhere and there are lots of places I’ve been that I’d LOVE to re-visit. For example, I’d go to New York City or Paris anyday I could! No problem! But, the ten listed above are all places I’d really love to see.

Speaking of travel, check out these beautiful travel photos from Etsy:

pAris by labokoff

Manhattan Skyline by Butcher

bridges of Prague by jacqphoto

Morrocan Bicycle by EmmaJane

Poppies, No. 1 (Umbria, Italy) by BarbaraCarter

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So, I know after all these beautiful photos and talk of wonderful destinations, you are getting
a hefty dose of wanderlust. Tell me… where do you want to go?

Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe. ~Anatole France

{ Stay tuned for a book giveaway here at Zazazu later in the week… }

I have a very fond love and affection for thrift stores. As Rebecca says, I have very good “thrifting mojo” and I would be inclined to agree. I seem to be able to go into a thrift store and walk right to the needle in the proverbial haystack. It is a gift, a talent, very similar to my ability (sometimes) to predict the future. Of course, I also like to think that I know what to DO with the amazing items that I find at thrift. I guess that is in the eye of the beholder.

I’ve seen other blogs that feature their thrift finds ever-so-often and I just love it - such FUN! - so I thought I would do the same since I just recently went a’thrifting. So, without further delay, here are a few of the goodies from my recent haul:

These are some uber-hot vintage 9 West boho heels - size 10. They sold very quickly on Etsy so sadly, they are no longer available.

Amazing vintage carpet bag…

One of the COOLEST bags I’ve ever found… this is honestly the PERFECT black bag…

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This is just a sampling of the things I found to list in my Etsy store. I really scored big with these three items though. They - like the other things I got - are SO fab! I wish I could translate their fab-ness in the listings but it is hard.

The things I found for moi? Well, actually I only found one thing that I’m keeping.

When I actually have a kitchen of my own, I don’t have a china set. I have and use mix-n-match vintage dishes. These are very carefully chosen dishes and have been collected over years. I know which patterns I like and which work best together for the look that I like. It is a very eclectic look that I absolutely LOVE. You can’t find it in a readymade store anywhere; it is one-of-a-kind “Zazazu“.

The main pattern in my dishware is Golden Meadow from Sheffield. I love this pattern. It is a cream background with delicate mustard yellow wildflower silhouettes on the front. Just gorgeous - so understated and elegant.

Well, I found a plate when I was thrifting the other day. It was a steal at 45-cents and in mint vintage condition! Yay!

I’m very geeked up… yes, over a 45-cent plate. It’s the little things that count, right?

A cultivated style would be like a mask. Everybody knows it’s a mask, and sooner or later you must show yourself—or at least, you show yourself as someone who could not afford to show himself, and so created something to hide behind…. You do not create a style. You work, and develop yourself; your style is an emanation from your own being. - Katherine Anne Porter

In other news, if you have time, please sign this petition to help save Mississippi’s Wetlands… and tell your friends too! This area is such an important ecological and wildlife area and we need to do what we can to save it. Please help!

And just to overwhelm you a bit more, here are some wonderful linkies for you to visit:

• Wishstudio Blogzine - exciting new blog
• The Photo Trade - art swap
  
• Anthro-collage-ogie - collage contest
  
• Beauty That Moves - Etsy giveaway

One thirty-some-odd-second Betty Crocker commercial whilst I sat watching HGTV led to this…

Weak… so very weak.

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Perhaps I worked it all off, however, by all the listing of uber-cool things I did over at my Etsy store. I’m specifically excited about this listing… check it out!

HAPPY EARTH DAY, EARTHLINGS!!

I’m an Earth-lover, a tree-hugger, I want to be green! I try to recycle and pay attention to where my waste goes, what goes into my body and onto my skin. I like to think that I’m eco-conscious but I don’t even scratch the surface. Nowhere near it.

But, even the smallest things count so I’m challenging all of you to one small thing and this is it:

Cut out plastic bags from your shopping trips.

What? Yes, you read correctly.

Taking your own bags to the store with you is so easy and really makes a big impact. And you look SO cool doing it! I was shopping just the other day and saw the chic-est girl toting her groceries out in the chic-est jumbo canvas totes. Oh la la. Loved it.

So, do you accept my challenge then? If you aren’t yet convinced, check out these wonderful eco-friendly market totes available on Etsy.

by Fuzzyandwarm - $5.00

By Jenhintz - $14.00 for two

By EveryLittleCounts - $15.00

By everythingok - $18.00
:: Bag reads practice mindful consumerism ::

By MelissaVest - $24.00
:: This seller has tons of designs for her totes, even customizable ones! She is also offering 15% off for Earth Day and makes donations from her proceeds to environmental charities. ::

By LazyTCrochet - $24.00

And for those bulk items that you normally get the flimsy plastic baggies for? You know… the rice, beans, fruit, nuts, etc.? No worries… the Kootsac is here! It’s nylon, totally washable and reusable!

By Kootsac - $4.00

So, I have a feeling that some of you are very eco-friendly - much moreso than me - and have your own eco-chic, reusable bags already, right? Well, for you or for those of you eager to take on more than one Earth Day challenge, here are some more things you can do to help make our planet healthier:

• Find out whatever you can about the recycling facilities in your area and use them to the maximum! Whatever you can recycle - whether at the facilities in your area or within your home - DO IT! (Remember, buying and wearing / using vintage is recycling too!)
• Shop at a farmer’s market or farm stand. For that matter, shop locally whenever you can. Support handmade, independent, local or nearby families and artisans.
• Plant something. Anything. Okay wait…not ANYTHING.
• Buy recycled and recyclable items - help make a market for it!
• Reuse water when you can to water your plants. Catch rainwater in containers outside or save the water that you boil vegetables in to water your plants with. It is far better than running water from the hose and probably has more nutrients for the plants too.
• Shop at home before you buy. Have a gift to buy for someone? Look around your house at what you might could MAKE for them instead. Not only does this help the environment but it fosters creativity and is fun too.
• For things you use often, buy in bulk. For other things, consider buying “investment pieces”. Quality over quantity is a good rule of thumb and helps you to buy fewer things.
• When possible, ride a bike or walk.
• Make the switch to compact florescent light bulbs. But seriously, remember to turn the lights off whenever you are out of a room.

There are TONS of good tips out there that you could put into practicing starting NOW. These are just a few. And always be thinking about what you will do next, what change you will tackle next to help the environment. A ban on plastic today, buying in bulk tomorrow, composting after that? Who knows? By next year, you might be driving an electric car!

Only when the last tree is cut

Only when the last river is polluted

Only when the last fish is caught

Only then will they realize that you cannot eat money.

~ Cree Indian Proverb

There was an earthquake in Illinois in the wee hours of the morning on Friday. I, snug in my bed in Mississippi, was awakened by a dream of an earthquake in the wee hours of the morning on Friday. Upon waking, I felt a shimmer of something, enough to make me grab the head-railing of my bed. It wasn’t anything enough to jolt me out of the bed but it was plenty to make me recall my dream and make me remark to myself that it was odd to get an earthquake in this part of the country.

Only on Friday evening did I learn that there actually HAD been an earthquake.

Dream Tree by BrowingtonForest

Dreams are powerful, there is no doubt. But, what about the dreams we have when we aren’t sleeping? Those things we long to fill our lives with, the things that keep our spirits up and our engines running?

I’ve come across many things lately that have caused me to ponder this and many things have happened in my life lately that have lead me to think about it as well.

Emily, at Remember Me, has recently had a wonderful post about Dreams. She so wisely says:

Funny thing, dreams…..they often get misplaced or abandoned due to the daily routine of our busy lives. Seems like there is always a chore to do, an errand to run, or a crisis to “handle” instead. We seem to have forgotten what it was we dreamed of doing when we were younger. So many of us take the first job that is offered to us or the job that makes the most money just to be able to “live”. Thus, our career path is set and we end up doing the thing we HATE the most! If you are unhappy, unfulfilled, even miserable ~ it’s time you dusted off your DREAMS!!!!!

She goes on to list a step-by-step guide for uncovering your long-lost dreams.

But, what for those of us who have never really settled on a dream in the first place and, if they did, they certainly don’t remember what it was? What about those of us who dream of some arbitrary creative life but, most specifically, know specifically what they DON’T want? And what for those of us who really have no idea how to live in the direction of our dreams, whatever those may be?

I have a feeling that I’m speaking for many here when I say that I have an interest in so many things but I really don’t know which of them to make my actual *dream*. I want to do it all! Choosing is hard! And, then of course, I know the theory that life is to be lived working a job, even if I hate it, for snippets of “life”, whenever those snippets may come, dreams come what may.

The Dreaming Tree by MyVeiledEgo

I can’t say that I’m comfortable with this last scenario. I may not know exactly what my dreams are but I know that I have them. I know myself too well to think that there are none in there somewhere! My heart tells me that life really is about discovering those dreams and then living to bring them to life and then, when you do, starting the cycle all over again.

But, are dreams in the future or should dreams be in the present? To clarify… should you do what you hate with the hopes of it being temporary and the hopes of it bringing your dreams to fruition in the future at some point? Or… should you always strive to find something in the present to fulfill you that will contribute toward the greater good of your spirit?

Dreams, as you can probably tell, are powerful and very confusing things to me. I’m a “Jane of all dreams… master of none.” But hopefully, with it at the forefront of my mind as much as it obviously is, I’m working on that.

If you are a dreamer, come in.
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer …
If you are a pretender, come sit by my fire,
For we have some flax golden tales to spin.
Come in!
Come in!

~Shel Silverstein

It is no secret that I have very generous friends. I get goodies all the time by way of email, mail, phone, warm fuzzy vibes, blogs, all different ways. Indeed I have been so very blessed by the people I have come into contact with both in real life and through the wonderful world wide web.

Not long ago, I was blessed with one of the most wonderful gifts I could imagine: a poem written especially for me by a very creative, thoughtful and talented writer and friend who has a way with words, a grasp on language and a feel for people that is uncanny. Despite having never met me, Leonie was able to capture so aptly in so many lines so much of what my spirit has been feeling. I’m not sure how she did it but I’m glad she did.

“Honey, it’s your poem, you can do what you like with it…” is what Leonie said so I’m taking that as permission to reprint it here. I hope you all love it as much as I do.

‘live your best life’
the page-title bids me,
but how do i know
what that is…

when i feel like i’ve
always been a shadow,
a finger-puppet,
a wallflower,
passed by unnoticed.

a jumbled facsimile creation -
an assortment of random
personality traits, borrowed
snatched, copied
from others along the way -

countless years spent
wandering around, not
living my life at all, instead
trying each borrowed
trait on like a garment,
testing for texture and size.

each time i dwell on what
someone else should be
doing (or not doing),
thinking (or not thinking),
feeling (or not feeling),
i lose another tiny piece of
my own precious cloth.

where do they go, all my
own discarded fabrics? do they drop
to the ground - like the crumbs
left by hansel and gretel -
to guide me home to
myself when i finally
realise i have lost my way?

[by Leonie - originally posted at chocolate covered musings]

A million thanks to you again and again, dear. xo…

Speaking of being a-live… it is bursting all around me here. As is somewhat customary, I’ve taken some pictures of the Spring-time wonder around here. I’ve spared you the pictures of the snake we found yesterday, the tick that was securely nestled on my thigh this morning and the smorgasbord of moles, voles, mice, moths, and other sundry headless things that the cats have drug to the back doorstep. I guess those really aren’t a-live but it is a sign of the Springtime all the same.

Those cats… my sweet little critters. Here are a couple of pictures of them:

Top: Bella frolicking in the grass.

Bottom: Bella and Cuddles playing, or I think they are just playing. Who knows.

[Just for clarity... I only have one cat, Delali Dipstick. The other cats you see in my blog are those of my Mother, Father and sister. I love them all dearly though and love to feature them here as they are so awfully cute and fetching. There has been some confusion about this in the past.]

And of course, as you guessed, the flowers, trees, berries and everything else is in full bud or bloom here. Not great for the allergies but really very beautiful… a sight to see.

I always post a picture of my blueberry plant and this year should be no exception. The flowers are just as pretty as the berries, don’t you think?

I love it when Etsy finds correlate with things that have recently inspired me in nature. I’m in love with this beautiful shot that I captured of a dandelion in my front yard and also in love with this amazing painting by EarthArt, one of my favorite artists on Etsy.

I love the lovely dogwood… vintage red dogwood tablecloth and napkin set by ModishVintage

Soon, there will be even more delightful things springing up around here. I have beautiful, tiny nettle seeds here that look like bits of dirt ready to be planted. Nettle soup, anyone? And my Dad ordered some wonderful ranunculus to set out - quite a passle of them, I think - just because they are my new favorite flower. So incredibly delicate and beautiful - I’m oh-so-very-excited! And my Aunt is starting a basil plant for me - hooray! Mine died over the winter and she, having quite the green thumb, brought hers through. So, she is getting one good and strong for me in the hopes that I won’t kill it. Fingers crossed.

Spring is in the air… the world is a-live all around me!

Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night. ~Rainer Maria Rilke

The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love and to be greater than our suffering. /Ben Okri/

Boy, how time does fly.

This past Friday - March 28 - my baby turned five years old. I can’t believe it.

Delali Dipstick, circa 2003

Mommy and her birthday girl - Delali Dipstick, age 5
Take six of about four hundred…

I was out of town so I wasn’t able to have her party then but we made up for the lost time and had it on Sunday. A good time was had by all.

To be clear, it didn’t go exactly as I had envisioned. I had visions of all attendees sitting pretty around the dining table, wearing their hats, waiting patiently for their slivers of dried mackerel treats, meowing “Happy Birthday” and being so fetching and good. But - alas - this isn’t how the party turned out. As it turns out, it is rather difficult to get felines to sit fetchingly and patiently around a table like that. Mother, Aunt Jane, Daddy and I were the only ones sitting pretty, wearing hats, waiting patiently, meowing - er - singing and being fetching, I’m afraid. We were not, however, eating slivers of dried mackerel.

But, I am safe in saying that the party was a success all the same and I think all attendees had a nice time. The details are as follows…

• Guests of honor - Delali Dipstick and Handsome (both turned five on the 28th)
• Feline attendants - Cuddles, Marbles and Bella
• Human attendants - Mom, Dad, Aunt Jane and moi
• Refreshments - Carrot cake and dried mackerel (not together)

Here are pictures from the festivities for your viewing pleasure…

Delali and Handsome’s birthday cake… the carrot variety…

Delali… important birthday party preparation…

Bella… “Gimme some cake!”

Handsome, the birthday boy… and Aunt Jane, his Mommy…

Marbles…

Cuddles…

Another Bella pic… Just too cute not to share…

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Happy birthday to my baby girl! xoxoxo…

Woe to me.

Woe to me that I do not have Showtime.

You see, Showtime is the only channel that will air Season Two of The Tudors, only my FAVORITE show on television. Yes, catch your breath here, it actually trumps Grey’s Anatomy and House. Truly shocking, I know.

The Tudors, the show and cast that holds my heart, is based on the reign of King Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) and his court. As you may all know or suspect, I just adore everything about this era in history. Yes, it was brutal and barbaric in many respects but still, tons of drama, romance, mystery, passion, darkness, everything you could want in a good show. Or so I think.

This show is disgustingly inaccurate, historically speaking.  There are so many discrepancies in it that it is just sighable.  But, the show is guilty pleasure all the same.  It is like Ben and Jerry’s ice cream or using up all the hot water or calling in an hour late to work.  It is just pure,  greedy, guilty goodness.   But, of course, you have to like this type of storyline - historic fiction - to really get into it.  It isn’t, I realize, for everyone.  But it is for me!

The hunky guys that abound it in, ladies, probably will be sure to please, whether you like the genre or not.  I’m sure that ALL of the men back in this era really looked like this.

(Yeah, right.)

For several weeks, Channel 101 was playing Season 1 here on my network. I loved it and watched it whenever I could.

I should have known that wouldn’t last. Sadly, it didn’t. It is over now and I’m reduced to watching Priscilla Presley degrade her de-throned-Queen-of-Pop-self on Dancing with the Stars. I mean… what is she thinking?

Le sigh…

How I long for The Tudors and my Henry… those eye, that brawn, the way he spits when he yells at peons, subordinates, mistresses and the way he say, “I AM THE KING OF ENGLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Ah yes.

What I REALLY love is the way that Anne keeps walking when he says that, like he couldn’t (and doesn’t) have her pretty little head in a heartbeat. Silly, silly girl.

Classic.

But, it will be a long while yet before I get to see Season Two. If you have Showtime, enjoy a bit of it for me.

Just don’t tell me what happens. Or how wonderfully regal and splendid my Henry looks.