The Campus Queen

When I was a little girl I had the most fabulous lunchbox. It was metal and came with little magnetic game pieces. It even had a game board on the back. It was surely the dream of every little girl in the 1960s - Campus Queen! I loved that lunchbox so much I even had my picture taken with it! Yes, goofy!

Little sis, Little Kiddles lunchbox, Puddles (our dog), me, Campus Queen lunchbox

The other thing I just loved was my groovy big sister! She was so much fun, so pretty, so nice and so cool. She had groovy clothes and wore liquid eye-liner, frosted lipstick and teased and flipped her hair! She also had some great albums that she'd bring over on the weekends she stayed with us. She was also a great story teller, telling us the scary story of The Golden Arm or The Green Ribbon by candlelight, scaring my little sister and I every time! Yes, we begged for these stories whenever we saw her. I did not grow up in the same house as my big sis as we had different moms, but, she would come stay with us and my little sis and I always looked so forward to her visits.

She would also take us out for "girls" day where we'd go to A&W and sit in her cool car to have lunch. She was also a great gift giver! She gave us stuffed poodles with transistor radios in them! The radios were only AM, but man they were cool!

Little sis, Big sis, me (smog of Rialto, CA in the background)

Having said that, you can only imagine my "near death" excitement experience when my big sister went to her Winter Formal and we got a picture! I couldn't believe my eyes! She was the Campus Queen! She was the girl on my lunchbox!

Campus Queen lunchbox

My sister, the Campus Queen

After getting home from work today, I did manage to get some pictures of bracelets in natural daylight outside! I now just need to improve them and get them listed in my Etsy shop. I also am about ready to (finally) list another print and am working on a new mixed media painting.

As I wrote this post, I suddenly became inspired to create a treasury in "honor" of the scary stories The Green Ribbon and The Golden Arm. I'm hoping the featured artists don't find that concept too creepy!  Here's my Scary Stories treasury...

Wordless Wednesday, a Blog Feature, a Fabulous Find, and Song of the Week

For Wordless Wednesday, I'm sharing two old family pictures from our family collection. I cherish these like you wouldn't believe. All these pictures were stored in a huge box at my parents' house, and after my dad passed away, I brought them all to my house for safe keeping (didn't want any of them to accidentally find their way to thrift stores)!

My grandfather Red (holding my big sister), Esther (my dad's second wife), my dad

My dad, unknown man in uniform, my dad's buddy Gerry McGowan

I was very excited and very honored today to be featured on the Etsian Artists blog!! The ultra hip Rebecca from Libromancer (one of my fav shops) won last week's team treasury challenge (she is really too good at these) and this was her second win. I was runner up, and she graciously offered the interview space on the blog to me as she was interviewed a few weeks ago. You can read the interview here!

Rebecca is a book junkie like me! I also think she is a teacher of sorts, as she puts together some of the best treasuries I've ever seen that are dedicated to authors! They are so unique and so interesting and wonderful. Now, I'm not saying that other treasuries are not beautiful (they are and they do take time and effort to create), but I just love her take on them! Here's one of my favorites - a tribute to Erle Stanley Gardner, the author responsible for one of my life long obsessions, Perry Mason!

 A former California girl, Rebecca and her boyfriend moved to Pennsylvania and are going to open a bookstore! You can read more of her interesting story here. She also has a great Etsy shop where she rescues classic books that cannot be resold and turns them into art pieces!

You can find her shop here. She is also on Facebook and you can follow her and keep up with her FABULOUS author treasuries! I tell you, if you want to impress people at your next cocktail party, you need to check these out! No more excuses for being dull at the party!

And since I'm on vintage trip here, I thought it would be perfect to end this post with a "Song of the Week". As you may have read in my interview, I was a kid that wanted to be a go-go dancer when I grew up! I grew up in the 60s, a time that was rather turbulent, but a time full of some amazing music. I feel so lucky to have been a kid when I was and really think that I'd not want to be a kid now based on modern music.

I was also lucky enough to have a fun mom that didn't find anything wrong with her kids playing with Tarot cards, obsessing over astrology, or playing with the Ouija Board (and she made sure we never dabbled into the dark side of anything)! She was a follower of the "new thought movement". So, in honor of my mom, the 60s, the new thought movement, groovy music and the Age of Aquarius, please put on your go-go boots and enjoy The Fifth Dimension!

Where Did the Weekend Go and Fabulous Finds

The weekends just go by so fast. I always have my plans and then reality seems to step in and snap me back to reality. So, Saturday I took my mom to her chiropractor and massage appointments and after that she wanted to go shopping for music. She was in the market for old western music and we were heading to Target. When I say "old" western music, I mean vintage, and nothing that Target sold. Had I known what she was after before we got there, I wouldn't have made the trip. My mom was looking for Marty Robbins and Eddy Arnold and you'd be hard pressed to find them at Target. You will find the modern "western" artists though. So I told her we'd check Amazon or a cool store in Pasadena called Canterbury's. But we did pick up (on sale) the DVD Bell, Book and Candle starring James Stewart and Kim Novak! I've never seen  that movie and have always wanted to. Lord only knows when I'll watch it.

Then while doing laundry Saturday evening, one of the cats decided to use my blanket that was on floor waiting to be laundered as a cat box. I came a bit unglued and called the Animal Hospital to make an appointment. This is a 24 hour place so I was able to schedule his appointment for this morning. As "luck" would have it, some guy "decided" to have a solo spin out in the carpool lane and we got caught in hideous gridlock. We were sitting on the freeway/parking lot and our appointment was in five minutes. I decided to call the Pet Hospital and tell them and they rescheduled me. I sighed big time. I called at 10:10 am and our appointment was at 10:20.

We were rescheduled for 11:40. There was no way I was going to turn around and go home just to head back out, so we got through the gridlock and made it to the hospital by 10:35. Well, they couldn't squeeze us in and so we sat until 11:42 when we finally got called in. Such a waste of time really (not being able to get in earlier but taking the cat was important). Tests were run and results will be in tomorrow and Wednesday. Hopefully his problem is behavior driven and not medical (note, he is my newest rescue cat and not one of my long-time house cats).

So by the time we got home after 1pm, had make mom lunch and then finish errands. Got back home and we started watching a local PBS station and they were just playing so many great show! I love PBS. We watched a show on Folk Music (my mom actually pledged to get the CDs), Malt Shop Memories, Comedians on Ed Sullivan, and the 60s Music on Ed Sullivan! We were just singing and dancing around the house all afternoon and evening! It was great! So many memories that really transported me back to a time when life was carefree and fun. Now, I'm not a religious person by any means but I am spiritual and this was one of the songs featured on the Ed Sullivan 60s music show, and I song I just love. The great Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions - People Get Ready.



I am still in the process of working on some projects and now also in the process of creating two tutorials, but I began to focus on how I wanted to do some stencils of all the great cat pictures I have and the great old family portraits. The stencils are still in the infancy stage, but, funny how things happen when you put them "out there" - I became aware of a great artist that paints with acrylics and does some amazing stencil paintings!

He's Juan Tobaru. He has an Esty shop with some amazing art! He has stencil paintings and acrylic paintings. His work is so awesome. I just love simplicity that speaks volume in art, and his stencil paintings do just that!

 I also love color and power in art, and that is completely evident in his paintings.

You can also find Juan Tobaru on Facebook where you can keep up with his art. He is really so talented that I believe he must out there even more than I have shared! He's probably in galleries and other places beyond what I have shared. I should also mention that he is owned by cats and I've seen them appear in his work! Enjoy.

Handbags and Gladrags and Song of the Week

My rather new and most recent favorite purse seems to have died an early death! I don't like that. This morning I was rushing out the door to head to the office and as I do every morning I threw an energy bar and a bottle of water in my purse. I got to work and walked into the building with both my purse and my laptop bag on my shoulder. I said "good morning" to the security guard and all of sudden I felt something weird on my shoulder. I said, "what the..." and noticed my purse dangerously dangling towards the ground! I grabbed it and realized that where the strap is attached to the bag had completely been severed. It had completely torn. I'm sad to think I may not be able to salvage it.

When I left work I had to rush to the store to buy a new one. I wasn't "in love" with the options but had to get something. I can't believe how expensive handbags are these days (and I'm not shopping at a high-end boutique or department store). I am one of those people that buys one purse and carries it until it is dusted and then I replace it, so I had no emergency "back-up" to hold me over until I could find one I really LOVED. Oh the lessons we learn.

So in memoriam of my purse, I thought I take this opportunity to post a "Song of the Week"! I'm a long time fan of Rod Stewart and the Faces and had this idea after reading Steve's hysterical blog post about going to see Queen in concert in 1978. It came to mind because I never did see Queen (which I really regret) but I saw Rod and The Faces EVERY SINGLE TIME they came to town!

There really are so many great Rod Stewart songs and I have so many favorites, but this one truly fits with the post and has always been able to not only make me smile, but for some strange reason, bring a tear to my eye!

Wordless Wednesday and Fabulous Finds

For Wordless Wednesday (wordless, yeah right) I am sharing a photo that I really love of my mom, her sister Sadie and their cousins (Alec, Sandy and Anslem). This picture was taken in Orillia, Canada where my mom grew up. I think her cousin Sandy looks like a Robert DeNiro type!!

Mom, Sadie, Alec, unknown, Sandy, Anslem, cute dog

This week's Fabulous Finds features an artist and blogger who is oh so entertaining! Steve manages to create collages and ACEOs (something that escapes me as I can't even write that small let alone paint that small)! Steve is a corporate guy that goes home and paints and takes awesome photographs, collects vintage items and writes a most entertaining blog.

He recently did a series that I am fascinated with on guilt! Hmm, I wonder why that topic has grasped me. I am just obsessed with this one and might even have to purchase it!  You can find Steve's artwork here on Etsy.

He also has some fabulous black and white photos of old headstones at cemeteries. Now, as a genealogist, I do have an obsession with headstones and cemeteries and can hardly drive by a cemetery without wanting to stop and pay a visit!

Steve truly has an eye for art that is evident in his collages and paintings, as well as his photography. But, I must add, that his other talent and gift is in his writing! I am completely hooked on the (mis)Adventures of ArtySandp, a blog worth checking out and following! You can catch up here and, trust me, will not regret it as you laugh your head off! I have been "begging" Steve to write a book, which is a goal of his, and I think we should all encourage this! I was so happy to learn today, that his challenge for August is to focus on writing that book! Someone even suggested he do the illustrations and he's planning to include old photos.  I think that is super cool and look forward to it!  You can also keep up with the adventures via his Facebook page.

As a former teen journalist/feature writer for my school paper, I was always interested in human interest stories and what people did (and I still am). It's really funny how something that might seem so "silly" such as a recap of an old vacation with family or friends, can be so entertaining to someone that wasn't there at the time! I hope you'll head over and check out his pages and be a cheerleader to encourage his August challenge in getting that book written, while still creating his art and hanging out in the corporate world doing the 9-5. You might even be inspired to pick up some cool art while you're at it.

The Hardest Job in the World and a Great New Blog

Having not been a parent, I really had no idea what was in store for me once I officially became a caregiver. I can tell you that it isn't easy and I really don't know how parents do it and I have nothing but respect for them. How does one take care of others, while taking care of themselves and their homes and their lives and participate in their jobs? My hat's off to you!

So, the old broken record here, I didn't finish my Catupulets, nor did I finish my tutorial. Hell, I am no farther than I was yesterday or the day before, to be honest. I'm either lazy, old or just not able to handle emotionally, all things I could have handled in my 20s or 30s, and that bothers me.  I really don't relish the thought of doing nothing besides the mundane in what is left of my life and am struggling to get a grip on the time management thing (yet again, or always). But, the night is still young and I should be able to accomplish something!

I tried to be somewhat creative yesterday by participating in a team treasury challenge.  I really don't think my treasury lives up to the others, but I did find some really fabulous items to include! There really are so many good ones compared to mine and you can see them all here. But, I'll get there. I am always amazed at what people can put together and they are so cool and hip and visually appealing! I do suggest you head over to the Etsian Artists blog and participate in the challenge. This weeks' challenge entry is closed, but you can vote on Sunday! The treasuries with the highest views, clicks and comments will be entered into the vote. The winner of the vote will then be featured on the blog and interviewed!



On a happy note, my cousin Wendy started a blog! I'm so excited about that and hope you'll show her some support. She is a long time genealogist and a fabulous photographer. She has spent that past year and a half dealing with the horrible Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia diagnosis of her 22 year old son, which to date. they have overcome! You can find Wendy's blog here. I must now convince her to open an on-line shop to sell her amazing photos!  Wendy and I share great uncle Bill Meents!

Mystery Monday and a Future Tutorial

I had this idea that I wanted to work on over the weekend, photographing the steps so that I could make a tutorial. I got the supplies I needed (including a small, portable sewing machine) and was determined to work on it. Other things came up and the tutorial (nor did finishing The Dionne Catuplets) didn't happen and last night I was feeling like I was going to lose it. So I thought I'd give it a try tonight but I just didn't get it done.  I began to write the tutorial, sans doing it and therefore no pictures, so that will have to be tomorrow, I hope. If not the tutorial, at least finish the Catuplets already!

And now for a little genealogy. Today is Monday and over at Geneabloggers the blogging beat prompt I'm going with is Mystery Monday. Lola had a sister Bessie. Bessie was the daughter of George and Effie (like Lola) and much about her still evades me. I know that she was born 1 July 1893, about 7 months after George and Effie married and that she married a man named Benjamin Trump.

I found them living together on the 1920 census in Greenville, Illinois. Come the 1930 census, much to my shock, Bessie was an "inmate" at Alton State Hospital! Interesting indeed.  Two sisters just about a year apart in age, find themselves in "mental" hospitals in the same year (Lola's first admittance to my knowledge was in 1930 for depression at Norwalk State Hospital in California).

After much research on both Ancestry.com and my fave Newspaperarchive.com, I found Bessie's obituary. She died in a nursing home in Peoria, Illinois that is now under new ownership. My sister and I also found living relatives of the Trump family and did reach out to them. They responded earlier this year, but, probably didn't find our requests for information and pictures their top priorities, so, I think it's time to reconnect.

From what I can tell, Bessie and Ben did not have children, but again, that's from what I can tell. You really never know. Bessie's obituary listed among her survivors, two nieces and they are now deceased. It was their descendants we reached out to. Basically, the descendants didn't really remember Aunt Bessie but promised to contact others that might have the pictures or either remember her or know of her! Then silence. Now, I know pictures exist as one doesn't spend say 50 years as a member of family without someone having pictures!

Bessie died in that Peoria nursing home on 7 Feb 1976. So while I still try looking for any information on her that I can find, I am also trying to find information on her husband, Ben. I am not sure what became of their marriage but he was listed as spouse on her death certificate and even mentioned in her obituary, yet I cannot find a death record for him. I know that there is no way in hell he is still alive as he was born in 1889. The mysteries of Bessie and Ben do haunt me and I need to refocus on finding them.

I do have a copy of Ben's WWI draft registration from 5 June 1917 where he indicates he's married, and a copy of his WWII draft registration from 27 April 1942.  The WWII draft registration did not ask marital status so none is indicated. It did ask for "the name and address of a person who will always know your address" and Ben listed a friend who is also now deceased. He was also living in Donnellson, Illinois at that time. Did Ben basically leave her after she was admitted to Alton? Did she ever get released?  Why was she admitted? Why did his nieces seem to be connected to her at the time of her death? What happened to Ben and when did he die?

I belong to the Illinois State Genealogy Society and they have recently added a message board to their site for members. Oh, happy day! I can tell you now, I'll be posting there! My many posts regarding Ben and Bessie at Rootsweb/Ancestry have mostly gone unanswered, but I did have someone contact me and she was awesome and very helpful. She even went to the hospital where Bessie died but wasn't able to get much information! I tell you, the genealogy community is like no other! The help is unbelievable!

Of course, if I don't find anything on Bessie or Ben, there's always the 1940 census which may hold some answers. Although I anxiously await that, it won't be released to the public until April of 2012. I really hope to find answers prior to that.