Love Letters

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The other day, while my Mom was going through some things, she came across some love letters that my Dad had written to her while they were dating back in 1961. The tenderness and love these letters conveyed was heartwarming and now that he is gone, it makes them so much more special.

Nowadays, in this world of technology, hand written love letters are almost unheard of. Love letters can now be emailed, faxed, and even sent overnight to lovers separated by oceans and continents.

The problem with an email is that it's not tangible. You can't pick it up and feel the weight of the paper, or smell it, or trace the curve of the handwriting. You can tell so much about a person from their handwriting. An electronic font will never replicate that.

Throughout history, the love letter has allowed us to reveal our true feelings, keep close when far away from home and rekindle the flame when love is no longer new. It's the glue in the book of romance.

The love letter has been composed and treasured for centuries and the earliest may perhaps be the Bible’s Song of Solomon.  But, as a literary form, the love letter probably began in the early Renaissance. The Age of Chivalry produced a series of discreet correspondences that were based on chaste compliments and excessive self-deprecation of courtly love.

In the early eighteenth century, love letters became much more personal, showing tenderness, charm, and even humor.

The nineteenth century spawned the great private love letters of Beethovan to his “Immortal Beloved”, as well as the literary romance of poets Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett.

Clearly, the love letter has evolved through the ages, only to become more treasured and meaningful in the present day.

In this hurried, often thoughtless world, a love letter shows that someone cares enough to carve out time, to sit, be present with his or her thoughts and emotions, and then to commit those feelings to paper.

So, why don't you give it a try?  Put pen to paper and write your feelings down for your loved one.  I think it will be appreciated, and may even be reciprocated.  Then, in the years that follow, it will be a treasured remembrance of your great love.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

A few years back I had begun making my own laundry detergent but after months of making my own I ran out and didn't have the ingredients on hand to make another batch, so I just grabbed a bottle at the grocery store for convenience, and fell back into that old habit.  I am lazy by nature, have I mentioned that before?

So, anyway, we now have another of our sons and his family living with us temporarily.  That makes 8 people in our household which generates a never ending pile of laundry....and noise, in case you were wondering.

With the economy the way it is, I once again felt the need to try to tighten our household budget and cut back any way we could, and I was reminded of my homemade laundry detergent.  Last week I picked up all of the ingredients and whipped up a batch.  There are a couple different recipe's for making your own and you can make a powder version or a liquid version.  I always made the powder version, even though I prefer liquid detergent, I just didn't want to go through everything required to make my own.  The recipe I used to follow is very simple with just 3 ingredients: Borax, Super Washing Powder, and Fels-Naptha.  This time, though, I followed a different recipe.  Here's what you will need if you want to make your own:

Silly me forgot to take a picture, so I borrowed this one from The Happy Money Saver

Ingredients:

1 Box of Super Washing Soda 3 lb. 7 oz. ($3.24)
1 Box of Borax 4 lbs 12 oz. size ($3.38)
1 Box of Pure Baking Soda 4 lb. ($2.24)
3 bars of Fels-Naptha 5.5 oz. or you could also use Zote or Ivory soap ($0.97 x3)
1 container of Oxy-Clean 3 lb ($7.52)
*optional: Purex Crystals 28 oz. for scent  (or you could use Downy unstoppables ) ($4.76 ea. I used two bottles of the Purex)

{The prices are what I paid at my local Walmart and totals $28.81.  You can reduce this price by finding them on sale, using coupons, and also cutting back on some of the ingredients.  For instance, you may only want to use a 1.3lb tub of oxy-clean versus the 3lb that I used.}

The first thing you need to do is grab your cheese grater and grate the Fels-Naptha.  Since I am a lazy person, I skipped this and went straight for my food processor.  I chopped the soap up into squares and threw them into the food processor, then ground up the soap into a fine consistency. After I got the soap into the consistency I wanted, I then started adding a little of each ingredient into a 5 gallon bucket, mixing thoroughly as I went.  (Be aware that this is powdery stuff and it flies around.  I got it up my nose, several times.)

You will want a container with a lid so that you can store your laundry detergent and keep it air tight. After you get it all mixed up, you could use it straight from your bucket or find a smaller container to keep near your washer.  I filled up one of the empty Purex Crystals bottles with mine.  The lid on these bottles has some measuring lines so its great for measuring how much you are using.

Now, here's the best part:  It only takes 1-2 Tablespoons per load!!  This recipe makes enough for about 520 loads so that works out to about $.05 per load!!  How awesome is that!  I've used this on our laundry all week and it is working great, has a wonderful smell, and even works with my daughter-in-laws sensitive skin.

I have been thinking that this could be a great housewarming gift, or for a bridal shower, or even as a Christmas gift.  You could find some really cute containers, maybe something sweet like this:

I found this lovely container idea here.

**I don't have a High Efficiency washer, but I have read that this is safe to use with them because it is low-sudsing.  But, if you have one, please research before trying this out.**

Do you have any other frugal ideas that you are trying at home?

Jackie Kennedy's Jewelry

Jackie has been both touted and taunted in the media for her excessive clothing and meticulous attention to both jewelry and fashion. She was always, always a trendsetter, from the hats to the hand bags and most importantly the jewelry.

A lot of Jackie’s jewelry pieces were gifts given to her from JFK, Onassis, or gifts of state.  But some of the jewelry Jackie commissioned and designed herself.  She had an amazing style and her jewelry lives on in the replicas created by Camrose and Kross. From watches to rings to bracelets galore!  Their Jacqueline Kennedy Jewelry Collection is exact jewelry in every detail including the weight of the piece - reproduced in faux materials.  Let’s take a look at some of their pieces.

Jacqueline Kennedy had many sets of pearls, but this was the one she wore and enjoyed the most. It is believed that she inherited it from her mother. Jackie was a fan of designer Coco Chanel, who had designed this style of pearls where the three lengths are not uniformly set. The inner string has a larger space than between the two lower strings, so she could pull the lower string up and over the upper string for a more sophisticated look. Chanel also believed the clasp is an integral part of a necklace’s design and should be worn where it could be seen. On this versatile necklace, the three strands will strike off in different turns for a unique look.

A Mother's Day Gift from JFK for the Birth of John F. Kennedy Jr. (November 27, 1960). Along with her Wedding Bracelet, this pin is one of Jackie most prized possessions. The Berry Pin is kept at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston, behind bullet-proof glass. Though he was organizing his new Presidential Administration at the time of his son's birth, JFK found the time to go to New York to have this gift made to order for Jackie. The pin was presented to a pleasantly surprised Jackie on January 10, 1961, ten days before he took office. Jackie would sometimes wear the pin, which she now called "My Berry Pin", with the berries up and sometimes with the berries down (as you see above). She was so proud of the pin, and its special charm, that she wore the pin on her first trip abroad as First Lady, to Canada in May 1961. This pin, though on permanent exhibition at the JFK Library, is still owned by Caroline.

This ring was a stunning gift from JFK to Jackie to commemorate their 10th wedding anniversary in 1963.  John had the ring made to order by Van Cleef and Arpels in NYC. It has ten stones, one for each year of marriage, and emerald for the Emerald Isle, Ireland. The stones were set in a continuous circle as an "eternity ring". Jackie wore it next to her wedding band. The original ring was modified in 1972-73 when Jackie had two stones removed and made into two solitaire rings for Caroline and John Jr. John Jr. gave his ring to Carolyn Bessette on the night of his wedding. Caroline now owns all three rings.

In August of 1963, Jack and Jackie lost their child Patrick. By all accounts, the experience drew the couple much closer, spending much more private time with each other and with their children. As they healed from this great loss, John became optimistic about the future, particularly about his life spent with Jacqueline.  In October, John decided to order an extra special gift for Jackie for the upcoming Christmas holidays. He visited Van Cleef and Arpels in New York and had them make a large kunzite ring with twenty diamonds. He knew Jackie loved pink, and he felt that the stone's dynamic color captured his new optimistic spirit. The twenty diamonds symbolized the first ten Christmases they had celebrated together, and the next ten he was looking forward to sharing with her.  The ring was delivered to the White House in early November. John wrote Jackie a letter and gave it and the ring to his secretary for safe keeping. He would never get the chance to deliver it, as he was assassinated in Dallas only weeks later. After his death, Mrs. Lincoln delivered what Jackie knew would be the last gift from her beloved husband. Although Jackie was in mourning for a year and wore almost no jewelry, she kept this ring with her at all times.

This is just a very small sampling of the Jacqueline Kennedy Jewelry Collection by Camrose and Kross.  They have earrings, bracelets, necklaces, brooches, watches, handbags and scarves and even Jackie's iconic sunglasses.  You can purchase these pieces, which come with a certificate of authenticity, through their website or you can find them at such places as QVC or The Kennedy Center.  I, personally, do not own any of the collection but do have many pieces on my wish list.  It's all just so beautiful, it's hard to choose just one!

If you've missed any of my posts in the Jackie Kennedy series, click on the button in the side bar to catch up.

Gift Ideas For Dad

Father's Day is fast approaching so, if you haven't already gotten your gift, I thought I would share some unique ideas to help you out.

Here we have some whiskey stones that you would place in your glass to chill your drink without diluting it.  This is an awesome idea that doesn't have to be used only with alcohol, you can place them in your Coke Zero too.  Get a set of nine for $19.50, here.

For the fishing enthusiast we have a collectors set of playing cards displaying fishing lures from the 1800s to the 1940s.  It also includes a set of 5 dice.  It's currently on sale here for $11.97.

These are a pricey option but would be perfect for a Star Wars fan, each silver-plated, enamel R2-D2 cufflink is also a 2GB USB flash drive.  You can find them here for $199.95

Have you ever tried to work on something and needed an extra hand to hold the flashlight?  Well, this solves that problem.  Find it here for $29.95

For your sportsman, how about a Sigg travel water bottle.   These Swiss made bottles are ecologically sound, reusable and easily recycled.  They come in a wide array of colors and designs as well as sizes.  You can find them here and they run from around $15 to $32.

Hope these help to inspire you when picking out Dad's gift.  Happy shopping!

Valentine Cards

The rose is red, the violet's blue,

The honey's sweet, and so are you.

Thou art my love and I am thine;

I drew thee to my Valentine:

The lot was cast and then I drew,

And Fortune said it shou'd be you.

Gammer Gurton's Garland (1784)

Happy Valentine's Day!  I have read that the Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentine cards are sent world-wide each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas.  Wow!  That's a lot of love!

Looking through some vintage Valentine cards, it struck me that many of them would be considered inappropriate, sexist, racist, and downright creepy by today's standards.  Here are some examples of such cards.

Remember that the worm may turn -
You'd better treat me right..Tho' you're the apple of my eye -
There's others still in sight!

You ain't so mild little girl, but you certainly satisfy!

Hey Valentine!  Have you burned out your clutch?
You don't take hold like you used to.

Some likes light girls, some likes dark girls, but all I wants is a good cook.

Your coldness gave me the flew.

The point is will you be my Valentine or I'll nail you yet, my Valentine

Now or Never Will you be my Valentine

Be my Valentine little one - or I will have to use my gun.

I ain't kidding Valentine - I'd like to kidnap you!

It's "loaded" but only with love......for you, Valentine

Why the Frigid-Aire Valentine?  I'm ready to be de-frosted

I'm out hunting for a Valentine.  Are you game?

My Valentine, Can't I bring you to your knees too?  Love me

Baby, you sure play havoc with my heart.

You built a wall so fast and strong,
But with my magic ray, it won't last long!

Snow use - I love you Valentine!

Your "frigid air" is not so nice,
don't treat me like a cake of ice!

Let's come to the point - Be My Valentine

If you wanta be mine, fork over your heart

I won't let go until you say yes, kid.

Now will you be my valentine?

I'm bound to be yours if you'll be mine

I'd snap you up if you said be my valentine

You're sweet enough to eat, my Valentine

It "strikes me" that I love you.

Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, and the oldest known Valentine is one by Charles, Duke of Orleans which he wrote to his wife while imprisoned in the Tower of London after his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. The poem, written in 1415, is now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England. Several years later, it is believed King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to comprise a valentine for Catherine of Valois. 

The first commercial Valentine's Day greeting cards produced in the U.S. were created in the 1840s by Esther A. Howland. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap".

The Howland Family operated the largest book and stationery store in Worcester, Massachusetts. After graduating at the age of nineteen, Esther received an intricate English Valentine from one of her fathers' business acquaintances, and she was sure that she was capable of making similar or even better ones.  Persuading her father to order lace paper and other supplies from England and New York City, she made a dozen samples, which her brother added to his catalog for his next sales trip. Hoping for as much as $200 in orders, they were shocked when her brother returned with more than $5,000 in advance sales.
Designing and creating these unforgettable cards required creativity and inspiration. The finished products suggested fantasy and romance, and set trends for more than thirty years. While other companies competed for sales to the public, none could compete with the value, taste, and style of Esther Howland. She was not the first to create Valentines in America, but she is credited with having popularized the lace Valentine, turning it into a major industry. The honor, "The Mother of the American Valentine" first appeared in a newspaper article shortly after her death. 

I'm sure the beauty and suggested romance of her cards are a far cry from those shown here!  One has to wonder what type of relationship the recipients of these cards had with the givers.  Ahh, love is a many splendored thing!

{All images were found using Google Image.  If they belong to you, let me know and I will link them back to you.}

Busy Baker

Every Christmas I go into a baking frenzy.  I always try to make pies, cakes, cookies and an assortment of candies, but this year has been different.  I am just not feeling the Christmas spirit right now so I am way behind and have no motivation.  We even just got our tree up this past week and had it not been for my grandchildren, I probably would have just skipped it.  But, among the blah days, I have had moments of baking inspiration and popped out some delicacies this past week and weekend.

First I made a winter snowflake cake for our office Christmas luncheon.  It was a 3 layer white almond cake with a raspberry buttercream frosting.  This particular flavor is requested often in my family so I make this recipe a lot.

Then I wanted to try out a new recipe that I planned on using for my coworkers gifts, so I created a Mr. & Mrs. Snowman cake for the grandbabies as a test taste trial.  (Say that fast three times.)  I  made the snow people out of gumpaste and fondant.  The snowballs were mini marshmallows.

The test recipe was a hit so I then made cupcakes to give as gifts to my coworkers.  They are a dark chocolate cake dipped in a chocolate peppermint ganache and topped with a peppermint buttercream frosting.  I added a Hershey's Candy Cane Kiss for decoration.  

I found a neat way to package them on Pinterest.  You can see the post here.

All in all, it was a very productive weekend, but I think my burst of creativeness is over for the season.  Maybe the new year will be an inspiring one.

Antique Store Finds

On a recent short getaway with the Mister we had the opportunity to do a little antique shopping and I found a couple little goodies that I wanted to share with you.

I've been wanting a head vase for some time now, but just never found the right one for my budget.  Well I found a whole plethora of these beauties at one shop very reasonably priced, I'm talking like $15.  Even though I wanted to scoop them all up, I chose two of my favorites.  They have no markings on them except for a "Hand Wash Only" stamped on the bottom so I'm not positive that they are true vintage, but I don't care, I love them anyway.

I didn't notice that she was missing an eyebrow until I got her home and unwrapped her to show my daughter-in-law and she asked where her eyebrow was.  Oh well, maybe she had a tweezing mishap.

I have a very small collection of pink depression glass that was my grandmothers and when I ran across these salt and pepper shakers I knew that I wanted to add them to my collection.  In the photos they look almost amber colored but they are pink.

While I was perusing the s/p shakers I ran across these cuties.  I am pretty sure that they are a modern set but who cares!  They are just so cute!  Plus they're magnetic, how fun is that?

Well, those were my recent finds.  What have you found lately?