Oh Baby, Oh Baby!
“There is really nothing quite so sweet as tiny little baby feet.” Author unknown This adorable teddy and his sidekick bunny towing love balloons gently rock “Welcome Home” to the new arrival. This child’s handkerchief was perhaps gifted to an older sibling in an effort to include them in celebrating the new addition to the family. Old fashioned and traditional, right down to the ABC blocks and a spinning top, it’s a far cry from the following sleek Welcome Home, which is as up-to-the-minute hip as any graphic of today. To enhance your viewing, please enjoy Brahm’s Lullaby...
Read MoreDog Days of Summer
The endless weeks of scorching heat experienced in July and August are known as the Dog Days of Summer, as noted in everything from The Old Farmer’s Almanac to The Book of Common Prayer, from Dickens’ A Christmas Carol to the movie Batman. Legend has it the days are regulated by Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, which governs flood tides, extreme heat, and the moods of man and beast. Best to lie low during this time when “the sea boils and wine turns sour.” Whew! Sure, dogs may get testy when it’s torrid, but imagine how you’d respond enveloped in fur in 110 degree heat? Yet...
Read MoreLife’s a Beach
Could there be a better hankie to declare “It’s Summer?” The clever use of crisp stripes, repeated in angles, curves and parallel ribbons on the sailboat, beach ball and chaise lounge feel fresh, flirty and fabulous. Check out the cat eye 1950’s shades (see 50 Shades) with their flirty fashion tassels, as well as the the oh-so-hip graphic employed to depict the wind behind the sails. Terrific. Even the starfish bends and dips to do a little dance. The candy pink border underscores the lighthearted impression that indeed, Life’s A Beach! Hot Days….Cool Drinks The first requirement for a...
Read More4th of July
“May we think of freedom not as the right to do as we please,But as the opportunity to do what is right. ”Peter Marshall The Fourth of July commemorates the birth of the United States as a free and independent nation. I can’t imagine a more important right than freedom – whether for an individual, or a country. We’re not a perfect people, and we still struggle with issues of equal rights for all; but thankfully we live in a country where freedom of speech is protected by law, without fear of reprisal or oppression. History of Freedom Virginia was the first colony established in the new...
Read MoreSummer Cherries
Summer’s here – time for swimming, napping in the hammock, catching lightening bugs in a jar, and yum! fresh, warm cherry pie. If you subscribe to the legend of George Washington chopping down the cherry tree as a boy, then this hankie is about as all-American as you can get. It practically says church picnic and patriotism all rolled into one. The beautiful embroidery combined with the formal white border render it elegant and timeless – equally appropriate for the wife of a President or the girl next door. . The kelly green border on this stunner makes those red cherries zing! It’s...
Read MoreBig Bad Wolf
A Cautionary Tale “Once upon a time there lived in a certain village a little country girl, the prettiest creature who was ever seen.” So began Charles Perrault’s tale. The story first appeared in 1697, and is still popular today. This very faded image appears so soft and gentle that unless we look closely, we’re apt to miss the warning signs. Sweet rosy cheeked Miss Red is all wide eyed innocence, even though the wolf has jaws like a great white shark, and could snap her head in one bite. Her round toed shoes contrast to his menacing razor sharp claws The butterflies and...
Read MoreBridal Lily
One of my absolute all-time favorite flowers is the Lily of the Valley. Resembling tiny bells or baby bonnets dangling from a slender stalk, the lilies arrive every spring to disperse their heavenly fragrance. According to the book The Language of Flowers, Lily of the Valley symbolizes a Return to Happiness. The author opines “It is the sweetest flower imaginable. With its dainty white bells and unmistakable green scent, it is said to lure the Nightingale from his nest and lead him to his mate.” Personally, I found it romantic that Kate Middleton chose Lily of the Valley interspersed...
Read MoreBridal Butterfly
It’s June again, and the wedding season is upon us. It’s a time for celebrations of love, hope and the start of a new life together. Many of us will attend ceremonies, galas and festivities honoring couples who have pledged to love, support and sustain one another through life, and, regardless of the statistics, we’re always cheering for love to triumph. One popular image you’ll find embroidered on wedding gowns, veils, and bridal handkerchiefs is the butterfly. You’ll also find it on christening gowns and bonnets, as the butterfly symbolizes transformation, new beginnings and rebirth....
Read MoreMemorial Day WWI WWII
“Where there is liberty, there is my country.” Benjamin Franklin Memorial Day provides a wonderful opportunity to honor those who have died in the service of our country. Originating at the time of the American Civil War, Memorial Day has been extended to encompass all Americans from all battles who have perished while serving in the military. There are so many attributions to the founding of this day, I’m not sure we’ll ever really know whom to thank. From the women who decorated soldier’s graves in Savannah, GA in 1862 to the burial of the martyrs of the Race Course in Charleston, S.C.,...
Read MoreSeventh Day Chauvinist
Spoiler Alert – if you consider yourself even remotely feminist or if you were born sometime in the last 50 years, continue reading only if you’re willing to have your hair burst into flames. With all apologies to Gloria Steinem, I had to share the following group of hankies. Oftentimes handkerchiefs came in sets of seven, one for each day of the week. Children’s handkerchiefs in particular often contained a lesson for the day, or inspirational reminders. On this cover (and on the hankies inside) the little girl is cooking, sewing, washing, sweeping, ironing and going to church. She’s...
Read MoreMother’s Day
Mother’s Day Two little words – Mother’s Day, evoke the deepest of emotions and strongest of memories in every child, of every age, in every part of the world. Whether your mother is still with you or has passed, whether she abides close by or across the seas, your mother is the one and only relationship you’ve had since before you were born, that will remain with you until your final day. “Motherhood – all love begins and ends there.” Robert Browning So many books, poems, and tributes have been dedicated to Mothers, it would be impossible to capture the range, breadth and depth of our love...
Read MoreKentucky Derby
httpa://www.youtube.com/ only, ?v=FZo9w0Avjnk ”To ride a horse is to fly without wings.” Author unknown Christened “the most exciting two minutes in sports,” the Kentucky Derby is a heart-stirring, dazzling competition of both power and beauty. A breathtaking show of man and animal working as one. Three-year-old thoroughbreds thunder at magnificent speed in this “Run for the Roses,” held every year since 1875. “At its finest, rider and horse are joined not by tack, but by trust. Each is totally reliant upon the other. Each is the selfless guardian of the other’s very well being.” Author...
Read MoreRoad Trip
Over 100 movies have a storyline based on the theme of “Road Trip” – from Easy Rider to Cannonball Run, from Y Tu Mamà Tambien to The Muppet Movie. Whether you’re laughing through Wild Hogs or National Lampoon’s Vacation, cringing with fear through Thelma & Louise or Duel, or wistfully relating to real moments in Little Miss Sunshine or Sideways, road trips provide the widest canvas for creating images of every shade and hue. Anything can happen once you hit the road. The lure of the highway represents man’s Call to Adventure. Joseph Campbell’s Hero With A Thousand Faces delineates...
Read MoreBon Voyage
Even as the magic of spring envelops us, there are many who secretly yearn for the languorous sun-drenched days of summer lurking just around the bend. These avatars of adventure, these rajahs of wanderlust gather backpacks and binoculars, suitcases and sandals, in anticipation of treks and voyages to new sites and civilizations. “Make voyages. Attempt them. There’s nothing else.” Tennessee Williams, Camino Real Some spend evenings basking in the glow of computer screens, surfing for an alternative glow to savor – whether glimpsing a sunrise from the North Pole, trekking the great wall of...
Read MoreKirking of the Tartan
Sometimes when you see a handkerchief, a certain individual immediately pops to mind. When I saw this silk souvenir from Scotland, I immediately thought of Jim Osborn, for two reasons: one – Kirking of the Tartans, and two – well, you’d have to know Jim. Jim Osborn is one-of-a-kind. Delightful, adventurous and fun, he had an impressive career in media that spanned decades. He was VP and General Manager of KGO-TV (ABC) in San Francisco, subsequent to serving as VP and GM of WXYZ-TV (ABC) in Detroit. He oversaw all facets of operations including sales, news, programming, promotion,...
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