AUTUMN IS COMING: PUMPKINS!

One of our design team’s favorite times of the year is coming ... Autumn! 

Harvest season is a truly magical time. Nature’s amazing colors stimulate fashion changes and excitement abounds as we anticipate the beauty of multicolored leaves and the thrilling arrival of Halloween.

In designing our Autumn Harvest  and Halloween accessories, our research has gifted us with some surprising information about the elements that make up this fabulous season.

This week we share some fun facts and helpful tips about those mysterious, magical orbs…

“PUMPKINS!”

Indigenous to the western hemisphere and first discovered in Central America, pumpkins are now grown on six continents. French explorer, Jacques Cartier is responsible for the name “pumpkin”.

"Prize" by artist Greg Newbold

While he called them “gros melons,” the English translated this as “pompions” which later evolved to ‘pumpkins’.

Pumpkins are members of the gourd family, which make them a squash. A squash belongs to the fruit family, so a pumpkin is both a squash and a fruit. 

Low in fat and sodium, they are excellent source of Vitamins A, B, potassium, protein and fiber.

As of 2010, the biggest pumpkin grown weighed in at 1810 pounds, 8 ounces. 

In 2005 the largest pumpkin pie ever  baked weighed in at 2020 pounds.

Turnip Jack 'o lantern!

A common sight on Halloween, Jack o’ lanterns originated in Ireland for the holiday, Samhain and were initially carved out of turnips, beets and potatoes.

Samhain is the predecessor to the American holiday, Halloween and marks the passage from summer harvest to the dark of winter. 

During Samhain, huge bonfires were lit in the fields and it was believed that fairies lurked in the shadows.

To prevent the fairies from entering their homes, as fairies tend to be mischievous beings, one carved a face in a turnip.

A candle was put inside inside and lit. Then the Jack 'o lantern was placed in the area to be protected.

It wasn’t until the Irish arrived in America and discovered the pumpkin that a new Halloween tradition of "pumpkin carving" began.

Sculptor Ray Villafone is famous for his amazing pumpkin carvings! Click & see.

As pumpkin carving grew in popularity, American farmers started creating new breeds of the squash specifically for carving. Today there are now over fifty varieties of pumpkin.

In the 1960’s, John Howden developed the Howden pumpkin, which today is still considered the best pumpkin for carving.

Our Seaview Moon Petite Pumpkin!

Check out this link to learn how to choose a pumpkin and keep it fresh throughout the harvest season.

In design room one of the things we love about the pumpkin is it’s amazing color. Who doesn’t feel better wearing a bright bit of pumpkin orange come harvest season? Dusky, intense and cheery in equal measure the color improves the mood and is easy on the eyes.

But pumpkins come in a variety of colors: red, yellow, blue, tan, white, green, and yes pink! Some green pumpkins can be so dark, they are close to black. And the shades, shapes and textures are many.

Click here for more beautiful, Sparkly Pumpkin decor!

Before you complete your Harvest décor, check out our Colored Pumpkins page to see some of the more

compelling and colorful  pumpkin varieties and this coming Autumn…

“SPARKLE THE WORLD!”

CONGRATULATIONS 

  BONNIE SILVERCATE

 WINNER of our SEPTEMBER 2014 Drawing!

BONNIE, Please email us @236helenjane@gmail.com, 

so that we can get your beautiful THANKSGIVING DAY CHARM BRACELET to you.

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END OF SUMMER OR ENDLESS SUMMER

 Happy Labor Day!!
Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of summer, but also offers a great opportunity to celebrate the end of the season in style. 

Our design team compiled a small bucket list of some leisurely ways to spend the blissful end days of Summer 2014.  

Find the sea wherever it may be and stick your toe in it. The water is at its warmest, but still very refreshing.

Stroll along the water’s edge, sandals in hand and enjoy the sound of the waves and the cries of the gulls. Find a keepsake shell that marks this summer as special.

Treat yourself to an ice cream cone or a sundae. 

That’s right, ice cream in some form that requires you hold it or at least has some type of topping on it and maybe some whip cream.

The idea is to capture the feeling you had as a child treated to a favorite ice cream treat… before you fell asleep in the backseat. 

Or sink into the memory of being young, hip and adult. Get yourself one of those thick, creamy, fruity, fancy drinks on the outdoor patio of some cute sunny bistro. 

If possible get one of those colorful paper umbrellas in it. Dress the part, bohemian ladies and people watch.

Take a hike… 
to a grassy field and pluck some wildflowers. 

In lieu of this try your own garden, cut some flowers and arrange them in a vase, bring them inside along with the memory of the warm sun.

Got a patio and a chaise? 
Sunscreen up, grab that book you’ve been trying to finish and relax in the shade. Or enjoy your backyard/garden in the throes of summer's end.

If you’re a music lover pipe some choice tunes into your backyard and pretend you’re in a French film. 

If you’ve a tablet or e-reader, play the tunes on your music app.

Invite some friends over.  If the thought of a barbeque overwhelms … have an impromptu BYO (bring your own) picnic, or set out a salad &  fixings buffet style spread filled with good eats. 

Use some of those vegetables you worked so hard to grow and let everyone make their own salad.  

Catch up and review: What did you do this summer? 

Break out the cards and the old school games like Scrabble. 
Throw on a little retro summer music … Beach Boys, Sly and the family Stone, Joni Mitchell … and you may have a party on your hands.

Go shopping. Whether online or your favorite specialty shop, summer clothing sales are in there final markdown days. 

Labor Day Sales are everywhere. Now is the time to hunt down a duplicate of your favorite summer blouse, skirt or other. If you shop online, look for special coded savings on top of the advertised markdowns and free S/H. Some stores will offer early bird savings for their Fall/Winter collections as well.

Road trip and/or picnic.  Pack a picnic of your favorite no mess eats and take a day trip to the country or your favorite State park and have a picnic. 

Or forget about packing  food, take a road trip and end up at a country inn.  

If you ride a bicylce, pack a lunch, rack the bike and drive to a park with a bike path and have an adventure. 

If your boat is still in the water … take ’er out ... for a final sail or fish or even a row.

Capture the magic of these moments with your phone, tablet or digital camera … Selfies are an endless source of amusement, so if you haven’t quite figured out how to take one, this is a good time to try.

What’s on your end of summer bucket list?  

Check out our design teams Endless Summer Pin board and see if it flashes any memories for you. If so, share them with us.

What is your favorite childhood memory of summer?  

Plenty of room in our comment box, so share your joy and …

SPARKLE THE WORLD!
Have a wonderful Labor day!

Leave us a comment if you'd like a chance to win our September giveaway drawing.

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HUMMINGBIRDS, TRUE FAIRIES OF THE WESTERN WORLD

Gorgeted Woodstar Hummingbird 

This week we take a look at one of our favorite design inspirations: 

 HUMMINGBIRDS 

We know we aren’t alone in our fascination with this wonderfully colorful bird and share some of what we learned as we dug deeper into the bird’s history. 

Found only in the western hemisphere, hummingbirds received their name because their beating wings are heard as a hum by the human ear. 
The flapping rate of their wings ranges from 50 to 200 times per second, which allows them to fly at speeds exceeding 34 mph. As a result they can easily fly backwards or upside down and often are seen performing exquisite aerial dances.

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

The smallest of the species, the Bee Hummingbird weighs less than a penny, feeds on nectar and the occasional insect and beats its wings an amazing 80 times per second. 

Naturalists have catalogued over three hundred species, and it is believed that not all have been discovered yet.

Male Violet-crowned Wood Nymph

Called "flower kissers," by Brazilians the iridescent birds are considered gifts from the gods by the Native Americans. A multitude of legends appear in Native American culture regarding these effervescent, minuscule birds.

Male Tufted Coquette

A Pueblo legend tells of an enraged demon who after losing a bet with the sun, spewed lava and set the earth on fire.  

A hummingbird flew high into the clouds and brought back rain and saved all the living creatures and the earth itself. 

The bird dashed through a rainbow on its return to save Earth and the bright colorful arc became part of the hummingbird's feathers forever.

Mojave lore speaks of a time when people lived underground in darkness. The natives sent a hummingbird up to search for light. The hummer led them along a twisted path high above and into the sun lit world we reside in today. 

One Mayan legend says that the first two hummingbirds were created from the scraps of feathers leftover from the construction of all other birds. The god who made them was so pleased he had an elaborate wedding ceremony for them. 

Hummingbird Fairy by deviant Evelar

First butterflies marked out a room, then flower petals fell on the ground to make a carpet.  
Then spiders spun webs to make a bridal pathway.

And then the sun sent down brilliant rays of light, which caused the tiny groom to glow with dazzling reds and greens. 

Purple-Throsted Woodstar

When they hover, ever so briefly in the sunlight, hummingbirds do indeed, bring to the imagination images of rainbows, jewels and the realm of fairies. 

To attract hummingbird to a garden, plant one or more of these lovely blooms: Bee Balm, Butterfly Bush, Trumpet Vines, Fuchsia or Columbine. As hummingbirds feed from flowers, pollen falls on their beaks and heads and they carry it to the next flower they visit. A hungry hummer may pollinate between 1,000 to 3,000 flowers a day.

Late summer is the peak of the hummingbird season and is a magical time for watching the colorful birds. They visit feeders in swarms. They are preparing for the long journey to warmer climates. 

They must consume enormous amount of food, so keep those feeders stocked and…

Fairy and Hummingbirds by Jody Bergsma

“SPARKLE THE WORLD”

Happy Hummingbird Barrette by Kirks Folly 

Leave us a comment if you'd like a chance to win our July giveaway drawing.

 Click here for details. 

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CONGRATULATIONS 

LANIE ALEXANDRIA COSTEAS 

 WINNER of our JULY 2014 Drawing!

Lanie, Please email us @236helenjane@gmail.com, 

so that we can get your beautiful Rosalie Mermaid Follydust Amulet Necklace to you.