Boxes. Boxes.. Boxes...

Tried some Lilies of the Valley in Shabby Chic colors...
Elizabeth I finally finished your "E" and will post it soon...
I was attempting here a baby girl rattle for my sister-in-law who is having a girl.. but I don't think it quite turned out how I wanted... so it's cheap in...

ThE LoVE BoXEs SHoP

Pancake the Dog.. box...

Little c gave me permission and allowed me to purchase on a limited basis, the copyright to Pancake. She taught me how to draw him by providing a trace template.
This is Pancake posing by the Pancake box.

Pancake is presenting a birthday cupcake to the birthday kid!

Listed in ...

THe Love BoxES SHoP

Rain, Rain.. come and play!

The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the moldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.
My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the moldering Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast
And the days are dark and dreary.
Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.

I like this poem by Longfellow. My life is not dark and dreary.. but it's so humid and we ran the cooler all night last night.. so a book I left on the table now has warped paper boards. I really wish it would just rain and clear everything out a bit. What is the opposite chant of "rain, rain go away?" It's not cold either so maybe this poem just doesn't fit at all. :)

Sunlight and Stars...

I know I haven't posted for awhile.. but there are 2 new post over there if you like conservative rantings. :)

Good Manners Thursday...

When I was much younger I received some excellent advice from my Dad. "Be kind to everyone, everyone deserves your smiles and consideration. But, choose friends carefully, only choose those boys and girls to be your friends that are the kind of people you'd like to be." In other words people you can respect. I took that advice with only a few miss-steps here and there. Most of the friends I made are still my friends and still doing amazing things.

The word respect however, can become a little confusing especially for kids. So, I loved this article in the Washington Post by Miss Manners Judith Martin (who is pictured here after receiving the National Humanities Medal). Here is a link to the following article that appeared in The Washington Post.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008; Page C07
Dear Miss Manners:
A group of friends and I are having a discussion regarding good manners and respect. My view is that respect comes from understanding and having good manners, whereas it is being put to me that good manners and respect are two distinctly separate things that can be had one without the other. We would be very interested in learning your thoughts on the matter, and I would consider them to be the final word on the subject.

Promising Miss Manners that her word will be the final one, even before you have heard it -- now, that is respect. She thanks you.
Yet she admits that the term "respect" is rather loosely used in the manners business. This leads to the sort of argument in which a parent says, "You have to show more respect for Granny," and the child replies, "Why, since she just got out of jail for petty larceny?"
The sort of respect to which the parent is referring is a part of good manners. It means exhibiting consideration toward everyone and showing special deference to those who are older or in a position of authority.
But the child hears the word to mean the genuine admiration felt for someone who has proved himself to be worthy of it. That sort of respect is, indeed, a thing apart, which etiquette cannot mandate.
Manners require only that people show respect, although with the secret hope that the outward form will become internalized. What people feel as they size up individuals is up to them.

And, I think that sort of respect is awarded by children and by adults only when it is merited.

Spiegel...

Pretty dresses on sale at Spiegel. This one is $25.

Kit Kittredge...

I went to this little show with pretty low expectations since everything else I've seen in the theater this summer has been pretty dumb. This, however, is darling. Go. It's clean as a whistle too. The cast is quite a talented lot and it seems that no expense was spared when it comes to set and costume. Looking at all that stuff from the 30's was pretty fun. The plot and screen play were dramatic, but nothing most 6 year-olds couldn't handle and it has just enough drama for you to enjoy it too. I can't speak for the husbands.. mine had to work so I can't give his opinion.

Boden Sale...

Boden is having it's end-of-season sale. I love their clothing. This skirt is such a fun piece for $17.00. c looks so darling in it!

Whirly Twirly... Granny Chic...

Whimsiedots is a fun vintage Etsy shop that has quite a few items for those who love Granny Chic... including this lovely lime 1950 Prom Dress! Darling!

Giveaway Friday...

This Giveaway is for a box of Lily cards and a custom Lily monogram box.

Comment on this post just once and I will draw a name by Midnight EST Monday...

Good luck!!!

To see all the boxes.. please visit the:

LoVE BoXEs SHoP

Congratulations to Tatting bug...

You are the winner! Please let me know what letter you would like for your monogram and the background color also send snail mail info to: love.boxes@att.net

Good Manners Thursday...

There is nothing lovelier than a well-behaved child. Nothing. I recently attended a party with a friend who brought her two daughters with her. Their table manners were immaculate. Their behavior throughout the evening was simply a joy to watch. They did not run around, snoop through the hostesses home, speak out of turn or beg for attention. It was a joy to have them as part of the company.
I find this scenario to be very unusual. I went to a ballet recital some weeks ago, c was performing. The recital takes place in a university auditorium with a live orchestra.. it's a big deal to us. Behind me sat, a darling 4 year old boy. He was not invited. The tickets specifically said the concert was for 5 and over. The child spoke above a whisper throughout the evening. His mother did not reprimand him or TAKE HIM OUT. Rude.
I went to a movie recently. G rated and the audience was full of children as you would expect, but there were several mother's who seemed to feel that the audience payed $5.50 to listen to their infants scream. I don't care how advanced a kid is, the noise of a movie is going to scare them before they are 2 or 3... leave them home.
When I am in a theater, I will often have a child kicking the back of my chair throughout the film, even if I ask them politely not too.
People have lost the back-bone to discipline their children and so we often have a bunch of little ill-behaved monsters running around who have learned their manners from repeated viewings of SHREK, Sponge Bob and The Simpsons, which I actually feel should be R rated for children.
When children visit a home, it should be insisted that they use inside voices, touch things with permission only, sit .. not climb on furniture and treat everything inside the home with respect. No child is going to behave like that all the time, so the parent has to be willing to TAKE THEM OUT and home even if it is inconvenient.
We have a no shoes/ clean feet rule at our house. One time my sister brought my then 2 1/2 year old nephew to my home. He would not remove his shoes, so my sister never let him in. She took him home. This was not convenient for her. She did not spank or yell, she just took him home. He went screaming. But when he came the next time, he took his shoes off without being asked.
You teach the very young child manners, which are really about being kind and solicitous to others, and you teach them the manners that you yourself with have to put up with the rest of your life as the parent. You are not just teaching them how to treat others, but how to treat you. When you teach a child refined manners, you are determining whether they will be considered refined and educated, or common clods when they are older. I think our generation of parents is quite lazy with this. We need to put in a bit more effort. Let's say no to the examples of SHREK, Sponge Bob and Bart and find more elegant examples for our children.

Les Madeleines...

Yesterday my mom, c and I went to Les Madeleines lovely bakery in SLC. I was dreaming of a eating Kouing Aman, which is something that I have no idea how to pronounce, but is sure is delish! Les Madeleines isn't a very well kept secret anymore, it's been in so many magazines and television programs these days, but they did move in the past few months from their State St. location to something much better on 5th south at 216 East. It's a more spacious space where you can sit down and eat a fabulous turkey sandwich and read a paper before you begin to devour the divine treats in the case. I didn't have it, but next time I go, I'm ordering the limeade too. YUM!! See more about Les Madeleines at their site HERE.

Photos by Shelby...

Shelby is a talented photog with an ETSY Shop.. See HERE.

Posh Girl Vintage...

See this and other pretty vintage dresses here.

Lap Desk...

I think these are so cute. Especially if you were to find yourself working on a lovely beach somewhere... hmmmm.. :)
See them here.

Curious Cupcakes...

I LOVE these cupcakes... do you?

See them HERE!

The Killer Angels...

The Killer Angels tells the story of the Battle of Gettysburg through the thoughts of the generals who led the troops on both sides. The book kind of reads the thoughts and minds of many of the generals and officers, but concentrates mostly on James Longstreet of The Confederacy and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain of The Union, who was my favorite character.
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was a man who, like Lincoln, had an ability for sophisticated moral reasoning. It is amazing throughout the book to listen inside his head as he struggles with the moral questions of war and does his best to do right.
While beloved and respected and a brilliant man, Robert E. Lee does not have the same ability. And, his main confident and friend James Longstreet sees the weakness in the man that is so revered that his devastated troops take courage at the sight of him. Longstreet, who is a brilliant tactician has ideas about defensive warfare that are generations before his time. He is brilliant and wise, but not recognized as so. His heart-sickness over unnecessary slaughter of his troops and the deaths of his children are heart-breaking to read.
This book reads almost like a play and is very different in style from anything else that I have ever read. If you have any interest in the Civil War, read this one for sure.

Alexandra...

Alexandra's July newsletter is up..

Painting by Alexandra's favorite artist Roger Muhl.

New Pink Shoes...

I'm so excited to see my new pink shoes when they arrive... I hope they fit. :)

WALL.E... The Big Lie on the Big Screen...

The California environmental lobby (i.e Hollywood) hasn't noticed a few things... like: garbage containment, recycling efforts, water and air quality have improved A LOT in just the last 20 years. There have also been some technological advances that make it possible for us to grow enormous amounts of food with less land and less soil erosion. But, whatever.. sell the kiddos down the doom and gloom path and bore me to absolute madness on the way. Please don't throw rotten tomatoes at me, but it would be impossible for me to tell you how I loathed this film. Can I get my $5.50 back?

Flawless...

This is a really fun show about a diamond heist. Don't miss. :)

A Bit of Humbug...

Our town is really great in a bazillion ways. I love the fireworks on the 4th of July, for example. But, the parade... I stayed home this year in protest. C and c went. The jet fly-over was great.. The high school marching band is awesome... the floats were lovely... both of them... :( Our parade is usually a bunch of guys in their trucks with signs advertising their local businesses. I have less difficulty with the commercialism at Christmas (at least then, it may be helpful in that you need a gift for someone..) Where C was standing, the populace of our town could only make a weak applause for the truckload of Veterans, you know those people who've served our country in foreign lands and lost their friends and sometime their limbs defending OUR freedom. I'm so glad I wasn't there. I would have said something I think. It's not THAT hot people, you can stand up and cheer. C and c came home a bit disgusted.

I think reading the Paul Revere book was a great way to celebrate the approaching Independence Day, but it made me wonder how many people really know what we are celebrating.. me included. My guess is that my cousin Mike, who is on his way back to Iraq for a third time, who has seen the devastation of tyrant rule and the ensuing poverty and hopelessness has some idea what a gift liberty really is.

The Girl in the Cafe...

This film was fairly well written and acted. Bill Nighy plays a work worn and lonely man who is highly placed in the British government. His work involves trying to solve third-world poverty. He meets a girl in a cafe, Gina played by Kelly Macdonald who is also a lonely care-worn sort of person. They try to become friends and companions and a romance ensues which is stressed by her honest expression of HIS opinions to his bosses.

The political part is quite naive and very Hollywood. Just hand out tons of money and that will solve Africa. How many billions of dollars have just been stolen by the corrupt governments of that continent... will we ever know? It is a far more complicated problem than it's made to seem in the film. Still, the idea of being the generation that rises to the occasion and solves the problems of extreme poverty is inspiring to contemplate.

There is a love scene with nudity... so not for kids.

Hannah Anderson Sale...

Janice mentioned the Hannah Anderson sale... If you happen to have a 10-12 month old daughter.. this little dress is only available in that size. Isn't it sweet!

Carefree with Fred & Ginger...

A really fun show as far as dancing and costuming. But, poor Ginger gets a shiner in the end.. and that bugs. Still, these two are magic to watch.

Lessons of the past week...

This is a photo of the flowers that my darling nieces and nephews chose for their father's casket. Everything they did to honor their father was so appropriate and graceful. C gave a beautiful talk and sang beautifully with his other brothers. c sang with all the cousins and sounded lovely too. My nieces and nephews (the children of the deceased) all spoke and one niece sang. How did they do that? They were so brave.

I learned a lot this week. 1. It is so important for adult children to make arrangements to honor a beloved parent and even younger children can benefit a lot from feeling included. 2. There are some things in life, maybe many things that don't have a "do over" button. Do those things right and have no regrets. 3. People grieve in different ways. 4. We never know how long we have. Make sure the people you love know you love them. 5. When you speak with a person, you never know if it's going to be for the very last time.

We spoke with C's brother on a Sunday, the following Tuesday he was in a coma from which he never regained consciousness. Thursday he was gone. I'm so glad that conversation on Sunday will always be a pleasant memory.

Thank you so much for all your kind words. So many people told us that they would remember us in their prayers and that has given us a peace nothing else can. I hope you'll forgive me for sharing just those few thoughts... It will help me move on to happier subjects from now on. Wrap your arms around those you love.. and may they all be well.

Paul Revere's Ride...

Were Hollywood to make this book into a film, I'm afraid that the public would find it somewhat marvel comicesque. It is difficult to fathom the personal tragedy, the wisdom, the character, the honor, the efforts, the intelligence, the courage and the faith of this one man.

Captured in the middle of his midnight ride, Revere faced his captors with courage and defiance. Knowing the truth to be his best weapon, he informed the British Officers that he had alarmed the countryside, that the Minutemen were gathering and headed their way. Threatened and with a pistol to his head to tell the truth, Revere responded with spirit, "I call myself a man of truth, and you have stopped me on the highway, and made me a prisoner I knew not by what right. I will tell the truth, for I am not afraid." Eventually, the truth frightens the officers who take Revere's horse, but set him free. During the night, in addition to warning the countryside, he rescues John Hancock and Samuel Adams twice, saves the secret papers of the revolution and is witness to the first shots fired on Lexington Green.

Paul Revere was one of many midnight riders, although he may have been the most effective of them. However, it is interesting to me to learn of another patriot who using his own unique talents and abilities helped to found this nation and gifted to the world a new definition of liberty.

Where ever we are, may we remember the liberties that we enjoy and spread them throughout the world to those who are oppressed.

"Each year, that old memory is carefully renewed. On the 19th day of every April, at the same hour when the messenger of alarm arrived in 1775, the town's great bell is made to ring again in the night. The people of the town awaken suddenly in their beds, and listen, and remember. It is an ancient tradition in the town that the ringers should include the children, so that the rising generation will remember too. The bell itself was made by Paul Revere. Still it carries his message across the countryside."

I hope that one day tyrants will not be tolerated, and like Paul Revere, all the people of the world will carry a standard of Liberty, one that guarantees freedom for every living soul and thus ensures peace in every nation and heart.

Happy Independence Day!