Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone!  Rejoice!

"He is not here: for he is risen, as he said." Matt 28:6

The Vernal Equinox

Spring is the time when worms begin to emerge from the earth, ladybugs land on screen doors, green buds appear, birds chirp, flowers begin to bloom and many species of animals are born. The vernal, or spring, equinox signals the beginning of nature’s renewal in the Northern Hemisphere.

Spring is one of my favorite seasons.  I think its because after the long, cold, dreary days of Winter, I appreciate the hopefulness that life begins again.  So I wanted to share with you some photographs that bring Spring to my mind and what is to transpire in the plant and animal kingdom during the next few weeks.

Happy First Day of Spring everyone!!!!!  I don't know about you but I am really glad to say goodbye to Winter and am so looking forward to warmth and newness that Spring brings.

Pinch Me, I'm Irish

Like many Americans, my ancestry is a mish mash, - a heinz 57 of ancestry, if you will.  I know I have Irish ancestry as well as English, German, and Native American and I'm sure there are others.  But today, St. Patrick's Day, I'm going to celebrate my Irish ancestry!  If you want to celebrate too, pin on a shamrock, grab a plate of corned beef and cabbage along with a pint of Guinness and watch out for Leprechauns while I share a little info on these traditions.

St. Patrick

In case you did not know, St. Patrick was not actually Irish. He was a nobleman born in about 400 A.D. in Britain and kidnapped by Irish pirates at the age of 16. He was born into a religious family, but was an atheist early in his life. However, he rediscovered his faith while enslaved in Ireland. After 17 years as a slave, he escaped Ireland and found his way home, but later returned to Ireland as a missionary saying he was ready to die in Ireland in order to make his mission successful. It's unclear if St. Patrick did in fact die in Ireland, but March 17 is widely believed to be the day of his death.

St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day began as a religious holiday in Ireland but became a celebration because of Irish Americans.  In the United States, St. Patrick's Day was first celebrated with banquets at elite clubs in Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Charleston, S.C., and Savannah, Ga. New York City hosted the first St. Patrick's Day parade in 1762, and by the mid-19th century parades were common.

Shamrocks

The shamrock is used to represent St. Paddy's day because according to St. Patrick's Day lore, Patrick used the three leaves of a shamrock to explain the Christian holy trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Traditions as early as the 17th century incorporated the plant, people wore shamrocks on their coats and closed the day by "drowning the shamrock" — placing it in a glass of whiskey before drinking.

Leprechauns

There's also the Irish fairy Cluricaune, a cunning spirit who haunts cellars, drinks, smokes and plays tricks, -or a leprechaun. Today's leprechauns are usually rosy-cheeked, boozy little men in green attire with their pot of gold buried beneath the end of the rainbow.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Although a classic St. Patrick's Day meal, corned beef and cabbage is more American than Irish. Irish Americans in the 19th century were mostly poor. The most affordable meat available was corned beef, and cabbage was a spring vegetable and it's cheap.

Guinness

Well, because it's an Irish stout making it the drink of choice on St. Patrick's Day.

Wearing Green and Getting Pinched

Today we associate the color green with this holiday, but that color has not always been the color used. Blue was the color originally associated with St Patrick's Day, but since Ireland’s nickname is “The Emerald Isle” and because of the green in the flag and the shamrock Patrick used in his teachings about Catholicism, these things played a big role in why green is the color used on this day. As far as the pinching goes, there is a legend that wearing green on this day makes you invisible and therefore leprechauns can’t pinch you because they can’t see you.

So, do you celebrate St. Paddy's Day?  Do follow these traditions or do something different?  Do you have Irish ancestry?

St. Paddy's Day

May your troubles be less

May your blessings be more

And nothing but happiness

Come through your door.

To keep you from getting pinched on the 17th, I have put together a look for St. Patrick's Day.

St. Paddy's Day

You can see all of the items in this set on my Polyvore page. The dress is from eShakti.  I haven't ordered from them as of yet, but they are definitely on my list to try soon.  Have you ordered from there?

My Oscar's Best/Worst Dressed Picks

I know, I am late with this post, but it's never too late to admire some great fashion!  This year the Oscars left me yearning for some Old Hollywood style but I did manage to find two dresses that totally caught my attention and I really can't decide which one I love more.

I know, everyone has already applauded Cate Blanchett for her dress but it is truly amazing.  I thought the cap sleeves and high neck really suited her statuesque frame as well as the nude color on her skin-tone. And just look at all that detailed beading, simply gorgeous.  Her hair, makeup, and minimal accessories I thought were perfect as well.

Cate is wearing a Giorgio Armani Prive illusion gown with Chopard earrings

My next pick for favorite was Bette Midler's dress that she walked the red carpet in.  I heard so many fashion "experts" go on about how you shouldn't wear red to walk the red carpet because you will just go unnoticed, but I don't see how this would be possible for Bette in this dress.  She is 68 years old and looks absolutely stunning. Seriously folks, I think she is just perfection and this dress looks Aah-May-Zing on her. Love, love, love it!

Bette is wearing a custom Reem Acra dress, Brian Atwood shoes, 

Lorraine Schwartz jewelry, and carrying a Rauwolf bag.

And finally, my worst dressed must go to Liza Minnelli.  I mean, I love Liza, don't get me wrong, and it was great to see her out and about, but come on, put on a bra for heaven's sake!  I did think the blue streak in her hair was great as well as her makeup and accessories.  And her Halston satin pant suit would have been a perfect choice for her had she just hoisted the girls up off of her belly.

So those are my best and worst dressed of the Oscars.  

Did you have any favorites?