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Thursday, February 21, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
The Eton Suit - Classic and Timeless
The Eton suit originated in England. The style, became very popular in other parts of the European continent in time. The Eton began to appear in America in the early 19th century, becoming very popular by the late 19th century. Conventions for wearing the Eton collar varied somewhat from country to country. In some countries the Eton collar was worn with ordinary suits, not the short jacketed Eton suit. In other countries especially the United States, affluent boys might wear a full Eton suit. The Eton suit was worn with a variety of pants, including long pants, knickers, and knee-pants, the pattern varying from country to country. Variations were also noted in the sizes of the collars and how they were worn.
By the early 1840's. portraits began showing that the Eton collar and Eton suits had crossed the Atlantic. The boys wearing them were generally boys from affluent families. Around the 1920's, a distinctly American off shoot of the Eton suit was worn by younger American boys. The suit was worn with a short lapless jacket usually, and suspender short pants. Initially worn with an Eton collar, Peter Pan collars had become more common by the 1930's.
At Adorable Baby Clothing, you'll find many color options and fabrics that are perfect for the little guys. If you're looking for a classic suit for your Ring Bearer, then you've found the perfect solution at Adorable Baby Clothing. FREE SHIPPING sweetens the deal even more!
Posted first on AdorableBabyClothing.com Blog
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Tencel? Tencel Burnout? What???
Tencel, or Lyocell, is a natural, man made fiber made from with wood pulp from sustainable tree farms. Tencel textiles are created though the use of nanotechnology in an award-winning process that recovers or decomposes all solvents and emissions--that means sensitive skin isn't going to be bothered by harsh chemicals or surface texture, and there is virtually no impact on the environment!
Advantages
- Made from the natural cellulose found in wood pulp. The fiber is economical in its use of energy and natural resources, and is fully biodegradable.
- Because of the fibers' high absorbency, the fabrics can be dyed to high quality standards.
- It has natural breathability and 50% greater moisture absorption than cotton.
- Due to its moisture management, tencel is also anti-bacterial.
- Soft, breathable, lightweight and comfortable, it is similar to rayon in feel. Tencel has an extremely smooth, soft surface that drapes beautifully to flatter every figure.
- The fiber surface feels soft and supple against the skin and its incredible wicking abilities keep the skin dry, making tencel a great fabric for sensitive skin.
This super fiber can hold up to a beating when both we and dry, and is most conveniently resistant to wrinkles.
Tencel Burnout
Tencel Burnout is a process of printing which uses chemicals, rather than color, to "burn out" or dissolve away one fiber in a cloth. The purpose is to achieve a sheer lacy & intricate design. It is also used to obtain eyelets or other type patterns in a fabric. The results found in the Lito dresses is nothing short of exquisite! The resulting fabric as seen in the example on the right, is a soft, floral pattern that is a combination of color and sheer patterns. This fabric overlays a solid color that brings the combinations to life. Your little girl is definitely going to love this dress! I hope you'll take a minute to stop by and see these and so many others that are the dresses little girls dream of!
Posted first on AdorableBabyClothing.com Blog
#flowergirldress #Easterdress #babygirlspecialoccasionderss #toddlergirlspecialoccasiondress #girlsdress #partydress #girlsformalwear #adorablebabyclothing
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Valentines....What my Grandmother Taught Me
Each one sealed in factory cellophane.......each one chosen because I was absolutely sure she was going to love it. Over the years,as I got older and life started changing, that tradition died. I don't remember exactly when, but it just stopped. I'm not sure if my mother continued to send them or not either.
I got married, started my career, had children, and moved even farther away. That closeness to my grandmother I enjoyed as a child became but a distant memory. I did go to visit her when my first daughter was about one-year-old. I wanted her to see her great-granddaughter. It wasn't too many years after that that my grandmother passed away. I flew to Dallas, for her funeral.
After the funeral we all went back to my grandmother's house.......the house she'd lived in for over 50-years. It felt so strange to walk through the door again, knowing her sweet smiling face wouldn't be there to greet me. My best friend, Margo, was with me. After awhile we went to my grandmother's bedroom.......it was like walking into a time warp. The same furniture I remembered as a little girl.......eerily quiet now.......taking the resemblance of a shrine to my grandmother.
As we looked around the room, I saw her hair brush--the one with the silver plated back that I played with as a little girl. I used to pretend I was a princess, because only a princess would use a silver brush to brush her hair. Then for some reason I decided to look in my grandmother's closet.
I was absolutely dumbfounded.........there in one corner was a stack of heart shaped valentine candy boxes, each one still neatly sealed in their cellophane covers. There must have been at least 10-15 of them! My first thought was "why didn't she eat the chocolate?" And, then.........why would she save those boxes! No one could answer that............but as I've grown older, I think I know why.......it was a reminder of a sweet time in her life, when her little granddaughter spent time with her, and wanted to send something that made her happy. I've come to appreciate those times so much now.......especially being a grandmother myself now.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
On being a grandparent......
Having grandchildren is such an amazing experience. Like having a child, there is nothing that prepares you for the experiences and feelings that engulf your life once they're here. I am blessed to have three awesome grandchildren and every day they occupy my mind.I constantly marvel at how fast they're growing........how easily they learn new things.........at their enthusiasm to try new experiences.........and then I worry about all the things that could possibly happen to them. Not that I'm neurotic about it, I just worry.
One of biggest issues I struggle with is sharing them with everyone else in the world that loves them too! Now that they're old enough to begin understanding their own feelings, likes and dislikes, they often share things about the other grandparents. As I listen to them, sometimes I'm smiling inside.....sometimes I'm jealous.....and sometimes I'm angry. I am becoming the quintessential diplomat as they share those things, because I've realized, to color their thinking with my own preferences and bias would not be fair to them. These are intelligent little kids, who as they mature will make their own evaluations of people and experiences. It's just hard not to want to protect them from everything and everyone. Yet, just like I had to learn to "let go" of my own daughters, I have to tenderly hold my grandchildren realizing I'm just one of many who love and care for them.
To be honest......I have my selfish moments..........I have my egotistical moments........and probably on the full spectrum of feelings I'm a little narcissistic when it comes to my children and grandchildren wanting them to love me the most. What I'm learning to do is love the moments I have with each of them.......cherish the hugs and kisses.......knowing that God has a plan for their life, and I'm just one little cog in the wheel of life that propels them forward..........still........
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Finding Purpose
There are seasons of our lives that seemingly flow without effort, and as we become comfortable in those moments, inevitably the storm clouds begin to form on our horizon. Everything changes, and as we grasp to hold on to what was comfortable, we begin to realize we can't. And so, human nature being what it is, we sometimes begin to think that "if I'd done this", or "if I'd said that", things would have remained as we wanted...........we begin to think we are not worthy of everything that was good.
What I have learned through my years, is that everything has it's season. That when we go through trials, it is not necessarily a punishment for things we did or didn't do or say.........sometimes, it's just time to grow to the next level of maturity. To improve what is good within is, to become more of what God intended us to be.
It is difficult to lose........it is difficult to admit we were wrong........it is difficult to admit we said things we shouldn't......but in the end all that matters is that we become better......more compassionate to others, more understanding, more willing to accept the changes.......more willing to find good in the little things that truly matter. Perhaps the trials we all endure, are the shaping blocks that enable us to help someone else........take advantage of those trials......learn, grow, and be the rock for someone else who is suffering.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Fallen Angels.......
Like many of you, the tragic event this past Friday, has been upper most in my mind. Wondering how does any human being take the life of another.....wondering how do you look in the face of an innocent child and shoot them. I doubt that I will ever be able to reconcile these thoughts to any great degree......deferring to my God, who will someday reconcile my thoughts to His.
The news media, the politicians, the "experts" all seemed focused on "better & more comprehensive" gun control. Their reasoning is it will make our world safer. However, no matter how many guns they take away, there will always be the individual who finds one and kills someone else. There will always be the individual who finds a way, even without a gun, to harm others. What the news media and politicians have yet to address is the woefully inadequate mental health system that exists today.
In an article by Sue Abderholden, Executive Director of NAMI Minnesota, the truth was exposed about the current status of our mental health system.(http://www.crimeandjustice.org/councilinfo.cfm?pID=55)
The news media, the politicians, the "experts" all seemed focused on "better & more comprehensive" gun control. Their reasoning is it will make our world safer. However, no matter how many guns they take away, there will always be the individual who finds one and kills someone else. There will always be the individual who finds a way, even without a gun, to harm others. What the news media and politicians have yet to address is the woefully inadequate mental health system that exists today.
In an article by Sue Abderholden, Executive Director of NAMI Minnesota, the truth was exposed about the current status of our mental health system.(http://www.crimeandjustice.org/councilinfo.cfm?pID=55)
"In 1957 across the nation, there were about 565,000 people with
mental illnesses in psychiatric hospitals or institutions. It’s
important to acknowledge that institutions themselves are not a mental
health system. For the most part, institutions were closing at that time
because of lack of treatment and substandard conditions.
Today, the number of people with mental illnesses living in hospitals
or institutions is well under 40,000. This significant reduction
reflects the change in the way our society generally views mental
illnesses and other disabilities; that people belong in communities and
not institutions.
The community movement began in 1946 with the passage of the National
Mental Health Act which created the National Institute of Mental Health
(NIMH) and charged the organization with three broad functions:
- Provide funding to states in order to develop programs to address mental illness and thus reduce the need for institutional care;
- Develop and promote training for mental health professionals; and
- Promote and conduct mental health research
During the 1950’s antipsychotic medications were introduced which
also offered hope for recovery and a life in the community. This was
followed by passage of several pieces of legislation, including one in
1963 that created Community Mental Health Centers. President Kennedy
held out the promise for a life in the community in a 1963 speech
stating that “If we launch a broad new mental health program now, it
will be possible within a decade or two to reduce the number of patients
under custodial care…reliance on the cold mercy of custodial isolation
will be supplanted by the open warmth of community concern and
capability.”
Years ago, I was working on a degree in mental health. Although life took me in a much different direction in the end, I had the opportunity to learn things that have stayed with me. My practicum was spent in a psychiatric ward as an intern. My job while there, was taking histories from the patients, learning to diagnose, and then learning how to counsel these patients. The most startling aspect of this experience, was how many times each of the individuals had been admitted into the "system". Every few weeks, or months, these individuals were Baker Acted back into the psychiatric ward. Most stayed the mandatory 72-hours. Their current history was added to the volumes of notes already taken from previous stays, a team would put together a voluntary treatment plan; if there was a family involved they would be brought in and the plan explained to them; drugs were prescribed; and then at the end of those 3-days, they were released.
What dawned on me was that nearly everyone of these patients could be standing next to me in the grocery store line on any given day, and if I didn't know who they were, I'd have no idea they'd just done another stint in a psych ward. What was even more disconcerting was that some of these people had really violent thoughts, and as the laws are written today, until they do harm, there is nothing anyone can do. One such example was a gentleman I interviewed. He was the brother of a mass murder who at the time was on a death row. I don't remember the reason this man had been admitted, but I do remember the interview vividly. He had explained to me that he lived near a school, and that in the morning and afternoons, when the children were walking to and from school, their laughter and chatter was so upsetting to him that he wanted to hurt them to make them be quiet. His solution at the time was to shut himself in a closet so he couldn't hear them. I sat there expressionless taking my notes, all the while wanting to run out of the room and tell someone this man was a potential time bomb. I did go to my supervisor and informed them what I had learned and that's when I was told that until he did something, there was nothing anyone could do.
Now, I totally understand, you can't institutionalize everyone who has a crazy thought "just because"......but, where there is an individual who has a life history of mental illness, it seems there should be more that we as a society can do. Unfortunately, our government has set these very individuals in a position to do harm, and left the rest of us to clean up in the aftermath, all the while shaking our heads declaring we should have stricter whatever kind of laws to make sure this doesn't happen again.
There are no easy answers, but after witnessing the things I've seen I truly believe we have to step back as a society and re-evaluate how we treat mental health issues. We need a more comprehensive treatment system. We need to have the capacity to deal with these individuals before they do harm to others. We need a system that supports the families who have an individual in it with mental health issues. As it stands now, our government is a system of "reactions" versus "preventions". What the government calls prevention is in realty penalties for the majority for the actions of a few--instead of dealing with the issues that culminate in these horrific events.
My heart aches for everyone directly impacted by the tragedy in Sandy Hook. My heart aches for every parent that sends their child to school, and now worries it could happen again. My heart aches for the children who go to school in fear they might be next. They say life isn't fair........but this is one issue no one should have to grapple with.
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