It's a Wonderful Life Facts! Christmas Art Skirt and a New Fur Angel!

It's a Wonderful Life is one of my very, very favorite movies and I just thought these two videos were so interesting on facts about the movie...  George Bailey reminds me of my husband.  My husband is a real estate broker (and musician!) and our real estate office is in an old convent where the nuns used to live very similar to the styles of homes or buildings you see in this movie.  Hubs has helped people his entire career, putting people before money.  You should see him with renters, he comes home and we confer, humanity wins every time let me tell you and God wins ultimately no matter what the cost or loss.  It's all about honoring God and living with no regrets. There have been lean times for us too, I remember collecting change around the house putting it all in a fruitcake tin to buy my girls ballet shoes.  Thus being said, we are on the side of mercy, we understand how things can be for people, and never want to be the oppressor.



You will learn about Jimmy Stewart after he served in WWII also, how he wasn't sure if he would be able to act anymore as he once did...And also that Frank Capra wanted George Bailey to be praying the Our Father at the end of the movie.



I love hearing about Frank Capra because he reminds me so very much of my Italian Grandpa.  My Grandpa Oddo was from the same village, Bisaquino, Sicily.  In one of the biographies on Capra, the Oddo family is mentioned.

This is a very early drawing I had done of my Grandpa, Vincent Oddo as a young single man, an opera singer in New York.  He was discovered singing as a young man, an immigrant hanging his laundry out to dry, a lady from the opera was walking by and heard his beautiful voice.  My Grandpa Oddo was one of the most precious, sweetest men alive.  He later moved to the south as his mother had arrived from Italy here and he met my grandma,from Naples, Italay, she was from New Orleans and had moved to Texas with her family.  They were sooo proud to become American citizens! 











 My grandpa and I shared birthdays many times, our birthdays were within a day of each other.  This is me and Grandpa one year when I was a very little girl.   My grandpa and grandma lived on the bay because Grandpa loved the water, he became a shrimper, he and grandma owned a fishing camp so he became much of what I would consider a Great Caruso on the Bay!  He was a quiet and sensitive man.  Meekness is valued in the Bible and I think people forget that many times. 

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One of my Favorite Art Skirts for Christmas!  It's hard to get a decent angle but this will have to do.



Cute 60s art dogs!   Dauchshounds and Poodles!!!!  Is this not reminiscent of some of our childhoods?



I love the print, it's a good cotton print.  How could I resist?  It's a maxi wrap skirt I made last year. (McCalls 5430 lengthened to maxi)  So fun to wear and I receive many compliments on it.  Looks good with black leggings, black boots or low heel black baby dolls.  I love black knit tops, and I love black turtlenecks for cool weather.  Most of mine are from Walmart.com, the old White Stag or Time and Tru brand.



Identifying Our Style Helps Simplify.   
It's not that I'm being a fashion guru trust me.  But anything that helps us have a carefree spirit and simplifies our life is a beautiful thing in my book.

   It's nice to somewhat identify and simplify our styles, I'm even going with the natural wave-loose curl in my hair these days, going with more of a Victorian look, pulling my hair back gently allowing waves to tossle down.  I'm avoiding the straightening iron these days.
It's kind of fun and it's easy, it helps me to simplify...and it's different.    Two bobby pins criss-crossed for crown, and two bobby pins crossed for next pull back down below ears and near nape of neck.
This day in particular it's a bit messy, but that's part of it!  *big smile* I know by looking here, it's certainly not perfect, but I dislike perfectionism and wanted to just throw it up and take a quick shot. 

The reason I post things like this is I just want to encourage others to have fun with what you wear, and enjoy yourself.  Be a first class version of yourself!  : )








A Funny Little Story I thought of.   (Isn't that what blogging should be?)
  I recall when I was younger I specialized in fashion illustration, my fashion designs were 40s and also Laura Ashley style before any of that was even in vogue.  In highschool my drawings would be in the school showcase, a big long glass display cabinet in the hall to display interesting art of the week or month.  One day one of my friends and I in art class were assigned to go hang the new drawings in the showcase so we unlocked the long lengthy glass cabinet and we stepped inside, closing the  glass doors.  We posed like mannequins to see if passerbys would notice.  Just innocent fun, I still smile and laugh even thinking about that day.  It was me and a girl names Marilyn.  I wonder what happened to Marilyn?

Do you ever think about random classmates?  What happened to them?  I do and it's usually a signal to pray for that person I have found.

Black and white photography above both by Robert Stock.
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A New Edition!

Speaking of cute little dogs, Dauchshounds in particular....

Our New Edition!   Is this not the cutest little fella?   He was cruelly dumped for some reason (how could there be any?!) in our area and he eluded folks for days and days.  I texted our daughters driving here at different times on Thanksgiving to keep their eyes open for the little fella.  Well, Joycie and Pete came to the door with a blanket holding the little fella!!!   The little dog had ran under a barbed wire fence and Pete grabbed him up quickly.  He is soooo thin bless his heart.  I just cannot imagine what he went through, it breaks my heart but he is in good hands now, and I pray God's healing hands upon this little fur baby. EDIT 12.10.19   Jem and I took him to the vet this morning and he just seems to have a bit of a cold and congestion, everything else tested free and clear!  PTL.   Our vet is one of those people who you can sense is a Christian by his actions.  I want to be like that always!!! 


The kicker?   I asked Joycie if they had received my text concerning this little dog to be watching out for it.   She said, No, we never received it!   The other girls who received the text didn't see the little dog, Joycie who never saw the text spied the little dog!   

So this precious little fella is our newest fur angel!

Our sweet vet will be taking a good look at him so we can take the utmost care of this little Gift.  : )

EDIT  12.13.19   Little fella is doing great, just a little cold from being out in the elements so long.

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I'll start to close with this favorite little poem: 

What Shall I Give Him by Christina Rossetti

What can I give Him,
   Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
   I would bring a lamb,
If I were a Wise Man
   I would do my part,—
Yet what I can I give Him,
   Give my heart

I see this poem under several names, I see it as a part of a longer poem also very beautiful by Christina Rossetti.  My little girls had this poem in their Bob Jones University homeschool curriculum and it was so sweet to see them recite this poem using their little hands to illustrate the meaning.

Good memories...There is nooooo money that can buy that!





I saw this quote and thought it was hilariously wonderful!  Sometimes in the Holy Christmas season or anytime it is a bit much when we see the out-there commercials for cars, jewelry and such or folks who just seem so plain wrapped up in all of that.  They have completely lost touch it seems. But we don't have to, do we.  *big smile* 





Good evening, Loves,  

Taken last year at my daughter's baby shower.

~Amelia in the Forest... She married a music man...(Tiny Dancer) and that guy who lassoed the moon  (It's a Wonderful Life)   ....both rolled into one great guy always morphing into an even greater guy as he is in his 60s now.
   





As God's chosen people...clothe yourselves with...kindness   Colossians 3:12

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Romans 12:10



Be kind.  Be so kind and thoughtful that others may ask or wonder...

"I wonder where he or she attends church?"    


I've seen some that I think...Oh dear me, I would not want to get near the church that person attends.
But many times I've asked people that very question as I've noticed their beautiful Holy Ghost smiles and loving, polite ways.


I want to be the latter!