Blast from the Past: 70s Fashion

All photos from Google Images

Fashion cycles tend to repeat themselves every 2-3 decades. Many returning styles are fun and updated making for a fresh look. For instance, last summer I bought a really cute retro shirt at Elder Beerman. It was reminiscent of the 1960’s style, but with an updated twist and made from a crepe material. It was very pretty, but the first time I wore it, my boss asked me if I was going on tour with the Partridge Family.  I still liked the shirt, I just bought a tambourine to carry around when I wore it.

There are, however, some styles that I hope never come back in style….

The Leisure Suit was popular in the United States during the 70s and was most closely associated with the Disco Era due, in part, to the success of the movie Saturday Night Fever. For those of you who are too young to remember, not all men look as good as a young John Travolta in a leisure suit.

Conceptually, the leisure suit was a fashionable (a-hem), inexpensive (cheap), comfortable (I’ll give you that) alternative that could be worn at the office or out on the town. Typically, they were made from synthetic material, sometimes shiny. The jacket boasted a wide lapel and large collar. The always-colorful and often bold-patterned shirt was worn open with the collar over the jacket collar. The pants were bell-bottomed and worn over platform shoes.

If you were really a fashion-forward type of guy in the 70s, you could wear the Full Cleveland. The Full Cleveland is a leisure suit, typically powder blue, worn with a white patent leather, or plastic, belt and matching shoes. NICE!

I’m not just going to pick on male fashionistas. We women of the 70s also were afflicted with poor taste. Enter the Disco Era Jumpsuit. I confess I have owned a jumpsuit….or two. I know, I know…

How could anyone think these are a good idea? You have to disrobe just to answer nature’s call.

Jumpsuits were made from all sorts of fabrics, from polyester to leather. They may or may not have a belt and the legs may be cropped or bell-bottomed. We had endless options for looking hideous. Check it out!

What styles are you hoping never to see again?

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Memorial Day

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In remembrance of those who died serving this country.

Have a safe holiday.

 

Make it a great day!

Don't know why ...

...there's no sun up in the sky...

Stormy Weather.

This week the skies over Central Ohio were a bit ominous.  These are a few of the pictures I took Wednesday afternoon after a funnel cloud touched down in the county directly to our west.  

Although you can't make it out, the clouds were moving in different directions.  The atmosphere was definitely unstable.  I am relieved to say that no tornadoes touched down in our county and no one was injured in Hardin County.  Mother Nature certainly has been cranky this spring.

MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!   

I will be linking to Outdoor Wednesdays

Happy Birthday Pink Saturday

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

PINK SATURDAY! 

MAKE IT A GREAT DAY! 

Photo Feature Friday: Playing with Filters

Hello Friends.

I'm happy to be joining Tricia again this week for Photo Feature Friday and Lisa for Macro Monday.  Take a few moments to stop over and see some beautiful photography.  This week's assignment was flowers.

Spring is the prettiest time of the year.  The earth comes alive in beautifully vibrant colors.  Some are planted purposefully in well manicured gardens, while others grow randomly on the sides of the road.  These delicate purple flowers grow wildly by Ohio roadways.  I'm not sure what they are, but they are so pretty.

This week, I decided to play with some filters.  Typically, I am a minimalist when it comes to editing photos.  Let's experiment.  Below is the original picture using the Macro setting on my camera.

Original Photo

 Using PhotoScape, I experimented with different effects.  Which one is your favorite?

Color Engraved

Fish Eye 50%

Illusion (5)

Newsprint (5)

Radial Blur (5)

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Alphabe-Thursday: F is for Folklore

folk•lore
noun \fōk-lȯr\

1: traditional customs, tales, sayings, dances, or art forms preserved among a people
2: a branch of knowledge that deals with folklore
3: an often unsupported notion, story, or saying that is widely circulated

Once again the Greater Columbus Area, specifically Muirfield Village and Dublin, will be swarming with professional golfers, sportscasters, and fans. It is time for the 2011 Memorial Tournament, a golf invitational hosted by Jack Nicklaus.

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Each year, the Memorial Tournament honors a person, living or dead, who has contributed to the game of golf. Past honorees include such prolific golfers as Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Payne Stewart, and Babe Zaharias. The 2011 honoree is LPGA golfer, Nancy Lopez.

The tournament benefits many children’s charities in the Central Ohio area including Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation.

What, you may ask, does this have to do with Folklore?

Sure, the Memorial Tournament attracts celebrities and honors legendary professional golfers, but that is not what this post covers. No, my friends.

I am not writing to make any accusations about what a certain fallen golf hero may or may not be purported to have done during bygone tournament weeks… I’ll leave those reportings to Perez Hilton.

This post is about something more nefarious altogether….

The Curse of Chief Leatherlips.

(Insert evil laugh here)

Unless you are from the area, you may not be familiar with the folklore surrounding the tournament. Allow me to enlighten you.

Traditionally, the Memorial Tournament is plagued by Mother Nature’s wrath, whether it be torrential downpours, tornado warnings, or locust infiltration. Many rounds have been delayed or cancelled due to rain. In 1990, Greg Norman was declared the winner and the tournament was ended after just 54 holes of play.

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According to one version of the local folklore, the golf course was built on a sacred Indian burial ground and therefore cursed. Still others contend that the traffic and crowds from the tournament disturb Shateyoranyah, the Wyandot Indian Chief (Chief Leatherlips).

Chief Leatherlips Monument in Dublin, Ohio

An excerpt from an Associated Press story from 1997:

In 1993, when the Memorial was delayed by rain for the fourth straight years and 11 of 18 years overall, Barbara Nicklaus tried to do something about it. Arnold Palmer’s wife, Winnie, suggested that if Muirfield Village was built over an old cemetery that a glass of gin left at the burial site of Chief Leatherlips—it rests in the trees beyond the practice fairway—might mollify any angry spirits.

So, late Thursday night during the ’93 tournament and again during the Friday afternoon suspension, Barbara Nicklaus made trips to a nearby cemetery and monument to Chief Leatherlips. Both times she left a glass with gin in it. Jack even drove her Thursday night, albeit reluctantly. “I had nothing to do with it, absolutely nothing,” he said at the time in mock disbelief. “She just said, ‘Maybe I’ll give them a little gift this year, and maybe next year it’ll be something really nice.’” Not even that worked.

This year's tournament will run

 Monday, May 30 to Sunday, June 5. 

Have your umbrellas ready!

Be sure to stop by Jenny Matlock's blog for more F posts.

MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!

Blast from the Past: Elton John



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Do you remember when rock was young?

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Meet Lizzie

Hello Friends!

For me, the best part of blogging is meeting new friends.  In the past several months I have forged friendships with men and women from all around the world.  People who I would never meet in any other way.  

Today, I would like to introduce you to my friend Lizzie.  She writes The Pea Pod from her home in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom.  Lizzie was my first friend from the UK. 

She brings to The Pea Pod her fabulous sense of humor, which I find so endearing.  Lizzie is always gracious when she has to educate this ill informed American the meaning of such terms as Car Boot Sale.

Lizzie is also a talented artist.  Her work is whimsical, colorful, and fun.  Recently, she sent me some of her beautiful work.  For months, I have enjoyed her Clothespin People.  I was so excited to receive one of these sweet little gems.

     

How can you not smile when you look at something so sweet?  She also sent me an adorable hand stitched ornament and a brightly painted magnet.  

I hope you will pop over and say hello to Lizzie.  Tell her La sent you.  

I will be linking this to Mosaic Monday

MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!

Big Yellow Ball

There's been a big yellow ball in the sky the past two days.  Some say it is the sun, but I'm not sure since it has been so long since I've seen it.  It does emit heat and brightness.  Whatever it is, I sure hope it sticks around for awhile.  

I took this opportunity to finally plant my garden.  It looks so healthy and promising this morning.  I have great hopes it will produce a bountiful supply of healthy and delicious vegetables and fruits.

Historically, my gardens don't fair well.  It is always with great enthusiasm and hope that I plant a garden, but somehow they never flourish.  I am the Charlie Brown of gardening....I always end up with rocks.     

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Time will tell whether I end up with juicy home-grown delicacies or a withered heap of disappointment.  Stay tuned...

MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!    

 

Photo Feature Friday: Lily of the Valley

I will be sharing this photo, straight from the camera using macro setting, with Photo Feature Friday. 

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Alphabe-Thursday: E is for Elegant

Saturday was a very busy and emotional day. My nephew, Joel and my great-niece, Lauren attended their first Junior-Senior prom at different schools.

As has become the norm here in Ohio, the weather forecast called for showers all day. Both Joel and Lauren made plans for outdoor pictures; Joel was scheduled at 3:00 in the garden of his Dad’s girlfriend’s house and Lauren was scheduled at 5:00 at the historical home of President Harding.

Just before 2:30, the skies opened up and produced a downpour of epic proportion. Thankfully, the rain stopped by 3:00 and all the couples were able to get their pictures done without destroying their hair, formalwear, or makeup…you know how boys are about their makeup.

I snapped more than 300 photos of these two precious couples and their friends. Relax; I’m only going to show you 200 or so.

Joel is a junior this year. Typically, Joel is seen in ball uniforms and ball caps. Saturday, however, he brandished a black tux with a silver tie and vest. His girlfriend, Tracy was stunning in a floor length black gown with silver sequins.

Beautiful!

Little brothers, Austin and Haiden, help Joel get ready for his big date.

Lauren is a freshman, but her Aunt La still thinks of her as a little girl. 

In Aunt La's eyes.

Boy, was I floored when I saw that she has grown into a beautiful young woman.  Where does the time go?

Lauren is very modest and opted for classic elegance. She chose a sparkling tone on tone gray floor length gown. Her boyfriend, Lance, sported a black tux with a gray tie and vest.

Gorgeous!

Saturday was also Lauren and Lance's first anniversary and Lance gave her a beautiful green necklace, which she proudly wore.

Don't they look adorable?  I know I'm a bit biased...

Big sister with brothers Braden, Jace, and KC.

A special moment on Daddy's lap.

E is for Elegance.

 Please go here to enjoy more posts dedicated to the Letter E.  Thank you for indulging this very proud aunt.

MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!

Just for Fun: May 17

A Musing Potpourri

Public Service Announcement

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Today is National Cherry Cobbler Day!

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The Welcome Home Garden Club by Lori Wilde

Hello Friends.

Since the weather has kept me inside lately, I thought I’d try to catch up on some reading. Recently, I won a copy of The Welcome Home Garden Club by Lori Wilde, from Michael at Deigns by Gollum.

Disclaimer: I do not claim to be a literary critic. I am an occasional reader who reads simply for pleasure. For me, a book must move swiftly to keep me interested.

Synopsis: Caitlyn Marsh stopped believing in happily-ever-after when high-school sweetheart, Gideon Garza, left for Iraq. Now she raises her small son while her matchmaking gardening club members drive her crazy. Then Caitlyn's world turns upside-down when Gideon swaggers back to Twilight.

Gideon had left town in the middle of night with threats ringing in his ears. A lot of things have changed since then. This bad boy-turned-Green Beret bears scars from the war, the timid girl he loved is an independent mother, and the father who refused to recognize his son in life has, in death, left him a vast cattle ranch.

He still aches for Caitlyn, and now there's a dark-haired boy who looks exactly like Gideon did at that age. Could the child be his? And can this war-weary soldier overcome the scars of the past to claim the family he so richly deserves?

This book is a quick read and ideal for vacation reading…on a beach…sipping a cold beverage adorned with an umbrella and fresh fruit…while being fanned by a cabana boy….oh, I digressed. Sorry.

The story is about young lovers, from dissimilar backgrounds, who were separated by circumstances and meddlesome family members. Caitlyn thought her beloved Gideon was killed in the war leaving her to raise their young son; a son Gideon doesn’t know exists.

It is not until Gideon comes back to town for his father’s funeral, that Caitlyn learns the truth. The rest of the story follows their tentative journey back to one another as Gideon gains acceptance from the town that once scorned him.

MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!

For Earl

When Lynn at Happier Than a Pig in Mud announced this month’s celebrity chef, my first instinct was to quickly run to the store to buy some butter. Known for her recipes with buttery goodness, Paula Deen is one of the most popular chefs on the Foodnetwork and one of my favorites as well.

Who wouldn’t love to cook with Paula? She is gorgeous, kind-hearted, and humorous.
What should I cook? I spent quite a bit of time choosing the ideal recipe for this month’s assignment. Paula has so many delicious recipes from which to choose.

Finally, I stumbled across THE recipe.

Of course!

How could I NOT choose this recipe?

The name alone makes it the ideal choice.

My offering for this month’s Celebrity Cook-along with Paula Deen is Piggy Pudding!

I dedicate this recipe to one fine swine.
You know who I’m talk about…

He can be seen rooting around Lynn’s blog regularly…

He is a real party animal...

He is the mascot with whom I have a sweet spot…

I affectionately refer to him as Pork Chop, but you may know him as Earl.

Piggy Pudding
16 Link Pork Sausage
4-5 Tart Apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 7 ½-ounce Package Yellow Corn Bread Mix (Prepared using box directions)
1 Cup Maple Syrup

Preheat oven to 450*. Cook sausages until done, piercing with a fork to let out fat. Drain on paper towel and then arrange in a 9-inch square baking dish. Layer apples on top of sausage. Pour corn bread batter over the apples and sausage and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until corn bred is done. Serve with warm maple syrup.  OINK-OINK!

Earl!  Why are you hiding?  Oh...right.  Don't fret, my sweet.  This can be made with chicken or turkey sausage as well. 

Thanks for the Earl pics, Lynn!

 
MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!