Caribbean nights, blue skies, and calm seas

A Bajan Speaks

Welcome to my home, my island, my paradise
and share the sunshine, the flowers and the rain
walk with me along our glorious beaches
and your heart will say come again, come again.

Listen with me to the surf upon the shore
whispering stories of far distant lands
and see the flash of green at sunset
that tells you, you are safely in his hands.

Smell the myriad tiny blossoms of the frangipani tree
and hear the birds greet you as you go
feel the soft warm breeze surround you that makes the red blossoms wave a glad hello.

There is fruit in all abundance piled high upon our carts
and peace beyond understanding for the world weary heart
Join us in our worship, sing a joyous song
clasp our hands together and my world can not go wrong.

And when you leave, if leave you must, take with you my prayer
that your travels may be peaceful and free from worldly care,
and that one day you will come again to greet me as a friend
then my island will embrace you and hold you till the end.
H.Hargreaves

Thanks to: http://www.barbados.org/poetry/bajanspk.htm
Photos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/videoal/160357182/

Dreams of Barbados... http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28638746

Beaded necklace in boho style with a tropical twist, this super long piece will meet you at the bar for Caribbean Jerk Shrimp With Melon Salsa.

It’s square blue art glass beads have interesting mini dots in an assortment of earth colors sharing beading wire with super serine, ultra blue, cats eye glass beads mixed with an assortment of bead elements from the earth, red and blue ceramic, fired ceramic metal glazed, opalescent fired golden glass beads, and mellowed out with a thoughtful silver repeater.


82 inches long, wear single strand to your navel, wrap it once and equal for an opera length, wrap it once short at the neck for a choker/long look, wrap it three times for an impact choker, wrap wrap wrap it around your wrist, this is pure drama. This piece will satisfy for any look.

Caribbean Jerk Shrimp With Melon Salsa
http://www.recipezaar.com/caribbean-jerk-shrimp-with-melon-salsa-373620

Cards For Heroes Christmas Challenge. Yes you heard me right!!! Christmas challenge...

"I was raised with passive patriotism. Stand up for the national anthem. Say the Pledge of Allegiance every day in school. Barbecue on the Fourth of July. Put a troop-support bumper sticker on your car, and be grateful for heroes, at least from a distance."

So begins an article found in The Federal Way Mirror,a newspaper serving the residents of the city of Federal Way, Washington. http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/fwm/opinion/letters/51040622.html

This article was written by Sandy Allnock the founder of Cards for Heroes, and in the article she describes her journey, starting from one funky box sent to a deployed soldier, then finding that 2 short years later, she has started something that is turning into a major outreach type of link for Americans who are waking up to the fact that freedom comes with a price, and we want to thank those who are paying that price.

Click that link and read her story, she is just an awesome lady.


Cards for Heroes is just my cup of tea. I find myself in good company, I love to hang with an artsy crowd, and even though my cards are those of a rank amateur I was embraced and even applauded at our last blogathon. I garnerned 127 comments, I blush. but that just goes to show you what a great group of carders this is. I once again am blessed to participate with them again.


Which brings me to my point...shameful and long winded aren't I...

It's time to saddle up again...
saddle up those reindeer, get ready to ride!!!

Time to suit up...red suit that is, the one with the floppy hat and the white fluffy ball at the end.

The challenge has been issued and with it comes rewards...hmmmm...sounds suspiciously like the Christmas legend, the challenge: be good...the reward: presents under the tree from that fat jolly old elf.

Well our challenge is to make some Christmas cards and send them to Cards for Heroes. Here's the link: http://cardsforheroes.org/challenges/ We are also having a mini blog hop which makes me so excited, I can't wait to see everybody's cards that they have made. It is such a huge amount of creativity-so much fun. And let me not forget, there is a reward!! Submit some cards and your name will be entered into a drawing for a craft box loaded with carding stuff.

It's begining to look a lot like Christmas...

So I have posted my humble creations in this post and want to invite you to make a snow angel or two, and have a cup of virtual hot chocolate with me as you make your own blessings to be sent to a soldier. Merry Christmas everybody!!

Gypsies and Bohemianism

I found a wonderful blog with a gazillion beautious gypsy images, and a lot of lovely information. All the images in this post are from there. Of course I want to share, it's found:http://scrapologie.blogs.com/scrapologie_creating_art_/vintage-images---gypsies/


She says, "Gypsy "Roma" peoples have long had a history of persecution and misunderstanding, it's something I have always wanted to do - to celebrate Gypsy culture. My book celebrates the penchant Gypsies have for finding treasure old and new and creating art. It celebrates the adventurous Gypsy spirit."

You must take a quick trip over and check it out, It's a beautiful place.

Wikipedia says, "The term bohemian, of French origin, was first used in the English language in the nineteenth century[1] to describe the untraditional lifestyles of marginalised and impoverished artists, writers, musicians, and actors in major European cities.

Bohemians were associated with unorthodox or antiestablishment political or social viewpoints, which were often expressed through free love, frugality, and/or voluntary poverty. The term emerged in France in the early 19th century when artists and creators began to concentrate in the lower-rent, lower class gypsy neighbourhoods.



The term bohémien was a common term for the Romani people of France, who had reached Western Europe via Bohemia.




Literary Bohemians were associated in the French imagination with roving Gypsies (called bohemians because they were believed to have arrived from Bohemia), outsiders apart from conventional society and untroubled by its disapproval.

The term carries a connotation of arcane enlightenment ('let me tell your future'), but may also carry a pejorative connotation of carelessness about personal hygiene and marital fidelity.

The term 'Bohemian' has come to be very commonly accepted in our day as the description of a certain kind of literary gypsy, no matter in what language he speaks, or what city he inhabits .... A Bohemian is simply an artist or littérateur who, consciously or unconsciously, secedes from conventionality in life and in art.

The beautiful actual photos of gypsy families were found at the commons. http://www.flickr.com/commons?phpsessid=ea7b4da468f5935f24b65f41dbfc356f

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade MerrysMix.etsy.com