Lady Luck & Superstition
“Luck is a strong horse; it can carry a man to very distant places!” Mehmet Murat Ildan Is luck in the cards for you this year? In handkerchief’s heyday, a favorite Christmas stocking stuffer was a calendar hankie proffering best wishes and good luck. The Swiss German handkerchief above abounds with four leaf clovers and ladybugs. The comely miss needn’t fear having a black cat draped across her shoulders as the cards she’s holding are all Aces! Note how the months cleverly mimic playing cards. Note fashion hankies were still popular in 1968. Fanciful hankies were a go-to wingman for...
Read MoreRoad to Romance
So many flirtations, assignations, and secret trysts have commenced with the flutter of a handkerchief, it’s no surprise that hundreds of hankies carry images of amour. Naturally roses and romance go hand in hand, with many a suitor gifting everything from hand embroidered bouquets To dazzling displays of bonbons bursting from a bevy of blossoms. An elaborately draped blackamoor displays a stunning bouquet sent by a suitor with the card “see you tonight.” His boutonniere matches the bouquet, providing a subtle reminder throughout the evening of his adoration. Our...
Read MoreAnimal Magnetism
For the cynic who says love is for the birds – you’re absolutely right! In this hankie everyone from the cuckoo to the dodo, the parrot to the nighthawk have something to squawk about, while an ermine robed Queen Bee holds court center stage. I doubt this hankie will satiate an endlessly inquisitive child, but then, the birds and bees chestnut has always been mostly an escape hatch for flustered parents, leaving kids more baffled and befuddled than before. “Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it. Let’s do it; let’s fall in love.” Let’s Fall in Love, 1933 by Harold Arlen and...
Read MoreJewels
“Jewelry is the perfect spice. It always complements what’s already there.” Diane Von Furstenberg Beyond hats, gloves, shoes , perfume, and other accessories that make a woman feel feminine, jewelry is at the apex of desired adornments. Whether a gold hammered collar inlaid with lapis found in an Egyptian tomb, or a gold filigree necklace and pearls casually tossed on the dresser of a Park Avenue maven… Whether simple, understated and classic…or flashy, flamboyant and wild… From the timeless gold chain, to over the top baubles and pendants Jewels have...
Read MoreAntique Signs and Weathervanes
The short but succulent season of fall is upon us, and as we head to the country to sip sparkling cider pressed at the mill, we invariably pass a barn or village “shoppe” brimming with antiques. With a nip in the air and a skip in our step we’re ready for adventure and a little sly sleuthing. (I know someone who wears a fanny pack equipped with jeweler’s loupe, tiny flashlight, black light, bic lighter & needle for the hot pin test, thin plastic gloves, baby wipes, cotton balls and more.) Collecting seems to bring out that primitive instinct for the hunt in some of its devotees, who...
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