Decorate

time is ripe clock
The ‘time is ripe’ clock. I painted white frame black, then used fruit erasers for decoration.

‘Decorate’ is what I say to people when they ask me what I like to do.

The next logical question people ask is ‘what specifically do you like to decorate’? To that I respond, ‘anything that doesn’t move faster than I do’.

That’s the joke our neighbor made up when he feared that his washing machine might be next. But seriously . . . .

 


According to Google the definition of decorate is:
dec·o·rate
/ˈdekəˌrāt/
verb 1.make (something) look more attractive by adding extra items or images to it.

 

 

How To Decorate Furniture and Furnishings

telephone table
A telephone table with a green spray base, a floor cloth upholstery, a matching floor cloth, lamp shade, and accessories.
Stencils When I first started to decorate, I briefly did so on furniture using stencil designs with acrylic paint.

Freehand Designs I rapidly was able to develop my own freehand styles of painting without the need or desire for stencils. But I did continue to use acrylic paint.

Surface Materials and Primers Wood and metal are the materials I like to decorate most. These surfaces work best when primed with spray paint or a gesso base.

 

Color Surface Next I use Liquitex or Golden acrylic paint that comes in a jar or bottle. Do not use paint from a tube because it is too thick. This paint would be the next layer when an additional color coat is necessary. As an alternative, spray paint can be sufficient as the color surface on large and intricate pieces like the telephone table above.

The Ultimate Furniture Decoration Technique

foot-stool
A small table that I have been able to decorate with oil cloth, pants, and sock ‘n shoes. Photo by Phil Jacobs.
For this most unusual technique(s) to decorate furniture and matching furnishings, I decorate with a variety of materials like this foot stool table:

• oil cloth
• fabric
• ribbon
• socks ‘n shoes

Note that the integrity of the pristine maple wood finish is underneath and has not been compromised by any adhesive or other sticking material.

 

 

How To Decorate Accessories

OK
Oka b sandals in so many colors to decorate.
Along my my decorating project journey, I have come to notice all kinds of other objects besides furniture and furnishings that want to be included. Small objects call out for unique identities.

In fact, this happens to include my collection of personal accessories like shoes and handbags as well as household items. Since I have so many of these items as well as things to decorate them with, their desire to mate is magnetic.

Materials to Use for Decoration To decorate handbags and shoes, I use a variety of materials:

• buttons
• earrings
• bracelets
• necklaces
• ribbon
• pins and pendants
• silk flowers
• plastic trinkets

pink button dots
Pink Oka b sandals with dotted button decor.
Shoes Summer sandals are the easiest and most fun way to decorate one’s shoes. Decoration can take these Oka b hot pink sandals at least one step further in becoming more adorable summer shoes wear. That’s thanks to my decorative techniques.

 

 

 

 

 

button handbag
Handbag with button decor.
Handbags I apply the same guideline to handbags that I do to furniture. If a new or vintage item is more valuable in its original condition, then do not try to enhance it with decoration. Leave it in its original condition.

 

 

 

 

 

dish
A small freehand acrylic painted dish with a spray paint base
Small (Non-Porous) Surfaces These items are fairly straightforward to work with. Just follow my ‘5-P process’:
Prep-clean or smooth surface if necessary
Prime– with spray paint or gesso
Paint-add a base color layer if one is necessary
Prettify– add a decorative layer
Protect– with a layer specifically designed for this purpose

 

 

 

matte and gloss finish
Liquitex brand Acrylic Matte Medium and Gloss Medium and Varnish.
Protective Coatings A final step when anti-scratch protection is necessary is Liquitex Matte Medium or Liquitex Gloss Medium & Varnish.

There is another kind of protective coating for wood that is a commercial rather than an art brand.

It is very durable but after many years it can start to yellow if it is used on a metal surface. So bear that in mind.

When you need to protect a wood surface it is preferable to use Zip-guard. It is a water-based Urethane wood finish.

 

tape or glue
Use double sided tape or strong glue to decorate.

Adhesives to Use for Decoration

There are primarily two optional methods to decorate handbags and shoes. Double sided heavy duty tape is a viable but temporary solution. But for permanent ways to decorate these items, use B-6000 glue.

It dries fast and stays on. So be sure that is the final design you want to use to decorate something.

If you’re not sure, go with the double stick tape. It provides a temporary way to decorate. Either way is fun and whatever you do, it enhances the original item.

And More Ways to Decorate . . . I am sure there are more kinds of knick knacks that can be used to decorate a surface. Let me know what you come up with. In fact, send us a photo of your ideas and creations.

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Memphis Design

Memphis Design
By Mariano Pascual via Behance

“Memphis Design is a 1980s design aesthetic characterized by scattered, brightly colored shapes and lines.

“It typically combines circles and triangles with black-and-white graphic patterns such as polka dots and squiggly lines.(1)”

 

 

MEMPHIS MILANO

“It was on the evening of 11 December 1980. In the living room of his home in Milan, Ettore Sottsass welcomed colleagues, designers, and architects to talk about new forms of expression.(2)”

Carlton Wooden bookcase
Example of Memphis Inspiration: Carlton Wooden bookcase designed by Ettore Sottsass

Elvis
Elvis Presley ’68 Comeback Special photo from Wikipedia
“The name Memphis was chosen because it is the city in Tennessee where Elvis Presley lived, but also the capital of Ancient Egypt.”(7)

“Ettore’s friends on hand that evening were Martine Bedin, Aldo Cibic, Michele De Lucchi, Nathalie Du Pasquier, Matteo Thun, and George J. Sowden. Memphis was later also joined by Andrea Branzi, Shiro Kuramata, Marco Zanini, Peter Shire, Gerard Taylor, Masanori Umeda, Arquitectonica, Michael Graves, Hans Hollein, Arata Isozaki, Javier Mariscal.

Image via Wikimedia commons

“On 19 September 1981, at the gallery Arc ’74 during the Salone del Mobile in Milan 55 pieces were shown, including furniture, lamps and ceramic objects. Three months later, over 400 periodicals, on a worldwide scale, paid tribute to the success of Memphis.”(2)

MEMPHIS DESIGN GROUP

The designers that made up the Memphis Design Group, founded by Ettore Sottsass. Image via Memphis Milano.

Members included:(4)
Martine Bedin
Andrea Branzi
Aldo Cibic
Michele De Lucchi
Nathalie du Pasquier
Massimo Iosa Ghini
Michael Graves
Shiro Kuramata
Javier Mariscal
Alessandro Mendini
Barbara Radice
Peter Shire
Ettore Sottsass
George Sowden
Matteo Thun
Marco Zanini
Marco Zanuso

MEMPHIS GROUP INSPIRATION

Dylan
Bob Dylan Studio Album Cover
“The inspiration behind naming themselves “Memphis” came about during their first meeting when Bob Dylan’s record “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again” had been playing repeatedly in the background.

“Memphis” is the name of a city in Tennessee, which was named after a capital city of ancient Egypt. The group of designers used the ambiguity behind the name to represent and symbolise their ambiguous design philosophies of furniture, objects and textiles. Sottsass showed great interest in the middle-class taste, the traditions of the Third World and the East, and unspoiled nature.(6)”

ETTORE SOTTSASS, GROUP FOUNDER

Ettore Sottsass
“He was one of the founders of the design group Memphis. Via Finnish Design Shop.
“Ettore Sottsass (1917-2007) was an influential Italian designer and architect, who became famous for his colourful, modernist designs and experimental, radical attitude.

“He (Sottsass) was one of the founders of the design group Memphis, and in 1980 he founded his own agency Sottsass Associati, which today has offices in London and Milan. Sottsass designed many products for the Italian design brand Alessi, and his works are included in the Alessi 100 Values Collection which was launched to celebrate Alessi’s centennial.”(3)

SOTTSASS ASSSOCIATI

“Sottsass Associati is a design studio that continues the operating philosophy of Ettore Sottsass (1917-2007), a leading figure in the world of internationally known architecture and design project culture, with an activity of over 50 years and a long series of awards conferred on him by cultural and professional institutions around the world. The firm is now structured as a network of European professionals, with an administrative office in the UK and an operational office in Milan.”
segis-flores
https://www.segis-usa.com/product/lounge-seating-us/sofas-and-modular-seating-us/flores-rectangular-bench/

ALESSI

“Alessi 100 Alessi is an Italian design company that can be considered more of a design laboratory than just a manufacturer – this distinctive Italian brand has always been a true trendsetter. Founded in 1921, Alessi has collaborated with talented designers for over a hundred years. Today, Alessi is regarded as one of the leading manufacturers of tableware, kitchen utensils and home decor in the design world.”

“The Alessi 100 Values Collection celebrates the centennial of the Italian design house Alessi, founded in 1921. Between April 2021 and March 2022, Alessi presents 12 different projects, each of them referring to the most essential values of the legendary brand. The objects of the collection come from the Alessi Museum’s archives and include previously unpublished designs and new editions of iconic products by Ettore Sottsass and other famous designers.”

 

MICHAEL GRAVES FOR ALESSI

“Timeless charm and appeal Shown in countless magazine features and movie sets, the little kettle has continued to charm the public ever since it was first launched and can be found in the permanent collections of museums and international institutions all over the world including the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Australian National Gallery and the MuDe: Museum of Design and Fashion in Lisbon.”(8)

teakettle
 

MEMPHIS JEWELRY

The Memphis Design aesthetic even extended itself to costume jewelry. In fact, it is available on Etsy.com.
Memphis Jewelry Memphis Design Jewelry available on Etsy.

 

SEARCH & RESEARCH

(1)Design History Movement: 99Designs.com
(2)https://memphis.it/en/history/
(3)Finnish Design Shop
(4)(5)Memphis Group – Wikipedia
(6)Bob Dylan Studio Album from Wikipedia.com
(7)Elvis Presley photo from Wikipedia
Memphis Milano Website
Memphis Design Group
Memphis Design | Dezen.com
Instagram
Facebook
LinkedIn
Ettore Sottsass
Segis-Flores
Alessi
(8)Michael Graves for Alessi
Spoonflower
Memphis Jewelry

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The Three Most Powerful Foods

TAZA Chocolate
Dark chocolate made and photographed by TAZA.

The following are three of the most powerful foods we can eat, according to the late ‘ultimate foodie’ Anthony Bordain(1). The three foods are dark chocolate, caviar, and marrow bones. At different times in my life, I have eaten them. To this day, I love and crave them.

Continuing the Anthony Bordain List I am now 76 years young exposing myself to the most nourishing traditions and super healthy foods I can find. The purpose of this is to fill my body with the most vibrant, healthy, nourishing, and delicious food. So let’s return to my food hero and his other two super foods, caviar, and marrow bones.
Sevruga Caviar
Photo from and available at OLMAfood.com
I Love Caviar But the good stuff, the real stuff is very expensive. That is unless you have an amazing find like I had once. Years ago, I found a dozen tiny jars of Romanoff black caviar during a regular food shopping trip. There were about a dozen jars on a shelf in a local supermarket mislabeled $5.99 each. They were supposed to be $59.99 each. Neither the price labeling clerk nor the cashier had any idea of the error. But I knew they were wrong. What a find I had come across. That was my singular ‘real caviar’ bargain experience. Some like their caviar on crackers. For me, caviar tastes best on lightly toasted, buttered rye bread.
Marrow Bones
Prepare and Serve Marrow Bones
Photo and recipe from honestcooking.com/prepare and serve marrow bones

I do roast marrow bones on occasion. Their core becomes succulent and so tasty. Adding garlic, salt and some spontaneous spices creates another heavenly treat.
 

A SAVIOR FROM TODAY’S WORLD OF PROCESSED FOOD

It is increasingly difficult to get truly healthy food. Sally Fallon Morell(2) is another food hero of mine. She is the founders of the Weston A. Price Foundation(3) as well as the author of the Nourishing Traditions books(4).
Her list of powerful foods includes eating raw meat. It has to be prepared very hygienically these days. In fact, I actually made a traditional Middle Eastern festivity raw lamb dish, kibbeh nayyeh.
kibbeh nayyeh
A celebratory raw lamb dish made with bulgur wheat and spices. Info from Wikipedia.

RAW SEA FOOD AND MEAT DISHES

Eating fish raw has an abundant history, not only Japanese style but world wide.(5) Other types of meat also have long historical traditions as well.(6) Unfortunately in today’s world wide mass commercial production and distribution, raw foods can be unsafe.

Meat and sea food need to be raised organically, not artificially farmed, as well as prepared hygienically to be safe.(7) Times have changes so much when it comes to what is healthy and what is not healthy to eat due to commercialization. So keep in mind. Enjoy, but beware. Consume with care.

Palta at Lima's cevicherias and Saveur
This universally adored combo of salmon and avocado is called palta and is available in Lima’s cevicherías. Photo from Saveur.com.

SEARCH & RESEARCH

(1) Anthony Bordain CIA Alumn
(2) Sally Fallon Morell
(3) Weston A Price Foundation
(4) Nourishing Traditions
(5) Secrets of Lima, Peru Cutting Edge Ceviche
(6) 15 Raw Meat Dishes from Around the World
(7) 7 Amazing Raw Beef Dishes

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The Hello Kitty World

THE HELLO KITTY WORLD: How It Began

Intro
Legends of Hello Kitty from 2014. Above is what the original transparent Hello Kitty Coin purse looked like.
fabric
Founded in 1960 by Shintaro Tsuji as the Yamanashi Silk Company, Sanrio has evolved significantly since its conception. Shown here is Hello Kitty images on fabric.

Introduction of Hello Kitty

‘Tsuji began hiring cartoonists to develop an original range of character-based merchandise. One such cartoonist was Yuko Shimizu, who created Hello Kitty, a little girl who looks like a white cat with two eyes and a yellow nose.

sanrio

Famously, Hello Kitty has no mouth because she “speaks directly from the heart”. Released in 1974, the first Hello Kitty product was a transparent coin purse featuring her image, a glass bottle of milk, and a fishbowl.

The Next Step

row of latest clogs
Row of latest Hello Kitty clog designs

Two years later, Hello Kitty was launched in the United States. Quickly, the simple character became a global phenomenon. To this day, Hello Kitty continues to be the brand’s most popular and profitable character. Today, there are more than 100 Sanrio boutiques throughout Japan, and Sanrio goods are sold in over 15,000 U.S. retail locations.’

The Latest Branding

https://blog.janm.org/2014/10/08/legends-of-hello-kitty/
Fresh From the Farmer’s Market:
Look ahead to seasonal produce with Hello Kitty, dressed here as a Tomato, Bell Pepper, and Eggplant!

Coming in May to Flushing NY

festival

SOURCES & RESOURCES

History of Sanrio Meet Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, My Melody and More
Legends of Hello Kitty
Sanrio
Hello Kitty
Flushing Festival on May 3, 2025
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Alison’s Apothecary


Intro
Alison's Apothecary ©2025 Published by Alison D. Gilbert.

It all started with the sensitivities I developed from eating the Standard American Diet. This included my adverse reactions as well as sensitivities to prescription medication. These issues therefore lead me on a search for more natural foods, a green planet consciousness, an interest in traditional medicines like Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Ayurveda (Indian) and Five Elements (Chinese), as well as other out of the mainstream, holistic products and traditional services with very long histories for healing.

1991
Alison's South Shore Guide to Health ©1991 Alison D. Gilbert

My interests have become even more focused on these types of products and services. In addition, what is available in this realm continues to increase. As a result, the type of information in the 1991 South Shore Directory is even more relevant and needed to be expanded.

Since the 1991 directory is out of print, a new directory is necessary. Besides that a paper document is limited. Thanks to digital communication, the new directory Alison's Apothecary, can be online. Fortunately an up-to-date version is now on my website and available for everyone to use. There is no limit to how much information can be available. Updates are also very simple and always necessary as the body of knowledge continues to grow.

1987 Pink Flyer
The first EAT FREE hand drawn flyer by Alison D. Gilbert ©1987.
Over the last 50 years, I have taken an interest and explored natural/healthy products and services as a way of life.
Alison's Apothecary is the resurrection, update, and expansion of the guide I published in 1991, Alison's South Shore Guide to Health.

If you do not see a topic, product or service that you are interested in, please contact the publisher. A suggestion search for a solution will be made for you if possible.

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FOOD: My Cultural Heritage


a menorah
A menorah is the symbol of Hannukah and was found on Google
The writing of this blog post about food: my cultural heritage coincides with and is in honor of Hannukah which happens to be this week December 25, 2024-January 1, 2025. This is where potato latke and donuts come into the picture. But more to come later about the former food cooked in oil as part of the symbolism of this holiday.

 

soup
Mushroom barley soup made with beef short ribs and blue oyster mushrooms ©2024 Alison D. Gilbert
Over the last 50 years until now, a return to my cultural heritage has not been how I would choose to eat.

HOW I ATE
This is in spite of the fact that ever since I was in my 20s, I have had an interest in my diet for nutritional purposes. In fact, I continue to make changes in my diet more times than I can remember. And now I am feeling a need to change how I eat once again.

In fact, during the five decades between my twenties and now, my eating habits have done this:
• embraced the season
• adopted the latest ideas for health
• eaten a rotation diet
• included a boiled grain at every meal
• applied the yin and yang tenets of macrobiotics
• juggled the three doshas of Ayurveda
• practiced vegetarianism
• eaten according to my blood type
• and tried many other options.

TOO MANY CHOICES
Unfortunately, I am one of the people who always has too many choices living in an industrialized country. Often they are not healthy and I suffer the consequences. Or there are just too many choices and I did not know what to do.

barley
Arrowhead Mills Organic pearled barley, Photo ©2024 ADG
Growing up in the United States, I got far away from the food of my culture, my cultural heritage of Eastern Europe. Then again, I rarely had the opportunity to eat that way any way or even knew what that was.

ASHKENAZI FOOD
It was only on occasion at home or on a trip to my grandparents in Boston that I even would have exposure to Ashkenazi food. How I wish now that I had learned to cook from my Ashkenazi grandmother, Rose Rudnick Gilbert.

Potato Latke She made the best potato latkes in the world. Mine are tolerable. (For all my fellow Jews, Trader Joes comes in at a far second when all else fails). But I am not even sure of the names or ingredients of the other traditional foods she would make.

TJ potato latke
Trader Joes Potato Pancakes

And now that I am at the other end of those fifty years that I mentioned, I am needing and wanting to once again introduce a new diet into my eating regimen. For no other reason than it popped into my head after binging on endless, streaming episodes of the Anthony Bordain series, 'No Reservations', I have decided to give tradition and a return to my cultural heritage a try.

Anthony Bordain
Anthony Bordain in a clip from Wikipedia about 'No Reservations' my non-stop, Prime channel streaming inspiration as of late

TRADITION
What is that tradition? Of course, a deeper introduction to my Ashkenazi roots is necessary. For example, I have vague memories of eating foods that were cooked in one pot with lots of water to bring dried grain to life. Also, these are foods that needed lots of time so the meat will fall off the bone or fall apart demonstrating it is ready to eat.

Bones Yes, bones are indeed preferable if not mandatory. These include chicken bones, turkey bones, beef short ribs, and especially marrow bones. In addition, I am reintroducing meats that I partner with hardy vegetables and a delicious, healthy grain.

Barley Strangely enough my grain of choice is one that I never cared about but love to eat now. That happens to be barley. Made with broth, it is especially delicious with just the right amount of chewiness. Besides barley, I go for the occasional soba noodles or even semolina noodles. But here is one exception. That is, when I make chicken soup, it must have matzoh balls. At first I was shy about what I though would take major effort. But I quickly found out that they are not difficult to make and well worth the effort.

My Heritage, My Food
I know that I am doing something right. Because my stomach has a history of reminding me it exists by being painfully awake now at times experiences sleep, quietly filled with satisfaction. Therefore my return to tradition or the introduction of Ashkenazi food into my almost daily life is proving to be the right thing to do.

corned beef and cabbage
Home made corned beef and cabbage served in broth with barley, Photo ©2024 ADG

SOURCES & RESOURCES
Anthony Bordain: No Reservations
Trader Joes Potato Pancake Review
Rose Rudnick Gilbert
Eating According to Your Blood Type
Macrobiotics
The Five Elements Diet
The Ayurvedic Diet
Bulk Pearl Barley
Ashkenazi Food Unrecognized Diversity
Source of short ribs as a source-not necessarily a recommendation
Golds horseradish
Ashkenazi Cholent: Shabbat Overnight Stew
Floater Matzoh Balls


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The Vintage Flower Pins Identification System



The Vintage Costume Flower Pins Identification System is composed of five components:
A. pin(s) to be identified
B. official identification chart (or table),
C. flower pin glossaries (one for Division One and another for Division Two pins)
D. blank pin identification tags
E. boxes or containers for sales and personal inventory tags

THIS ORIGINAL SYSTEM
This original system was designed by me to identify and categorize vintage 'flower power pins' and 'flower pins'. It is intended for use by anyone to identify and categorize these types of pins, specifically. Actually as vintage jewelry, they were all manufactured in approximately the second half of the 20th century.

chart 12:29:24
The Vintage Costume Flower Pin Chart ©2024 designed by Alison D. Gilbert and Illustrated by Phil Jacobs

B. The pin identification system chart sets up the structure for the system providing a visual description. This blog post also includes definitions, descriptions, explanations, and photos (when available).

C1. GLOSSARY OF FLOWER POWER PINS ©2024
1. ORIGINAL/CLASSIC
2. DERIVATIVE
3. EMBELLISHED
4. POP ART
5. 3D/GLOBAL
6. MULTI-FLOWER

IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM: DIVISION ONE

1L classic-colors
Early #1 original one daisy petal layer flower pins

Two examples of #2 Derivative pins
THE PURPOSE OF THE CHART AND GLOSSARY
This chart and glossary clearly provide a universal language for anyone interested in identifying and categorizing 'flower power pins' and 'flower pins'.

This includes pins designed in roughly the second half of the 20th century. One simply needs to look at the above chart and glossary to identify a flower power pin. This is indeed extraordinary and long over due.

4L-6-display
A collection of six #3 embellished flower power pins
NO PREVIOUS DOCUMENTATION
Previously there was no existing, consistent written documentation until now for the entire genre of these wonderful collectibles (flower power pins).

As a result for the first time in history, this system can at long last provide a universal language for just about every (vintage costume jewelry) 'flower pin' ever made. I hope that this is a great relief and huge help to those who love these pins as much as I do.

CONSISTENT FORM OF IDENTIFICATION
In providing this system for admirers, collectors, and sellers alike, a consistent form of identifying flower pins for the entire genre of vintage costume flower pins is now available.

In other words, the results of my extensive research has resulted in a system to identify and classify (just about any) vintage costume flower pin made around the second half of the 20th century. This is how my system works.

 

#5-3D daisies
A #5 3D pin from Southwest Picks from ebay

HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS
First of all, the structure of this system consists of two divisions. Then there are Subdivisions A through Z under the DIVISION TWO pins. Then there are also six categories in DIVISION TWO.

To summarize in verbal terms, there are two divisions of vintage costume flower pins created primarily around the second half of the 20th century, i.e. DIVISION ONE (anonymous) and DIVISION TWO (identified). Within the Division One subdivision, there are six categories. Refer to the chart at the top of this post for clarification.

#6 multi-flower
A #6 lavender multi flower pin available on etsy

MOVING ON
The two divisions provide a contextual umbrella for the entire genre of 'flower power pins' and 'flower pins' that were manufactured during approximately the second half of the 20th century. Although no one has yet been able to identify where Division One pins came from or who made the, there is much more information about the Division Two Pins.
So after a brief introduction, we will now delve into Division Two Pins.

 

DIVISION TWO FLOWER PINS
Within the Division Two categories, there are so many possibilities. In fact, they actually fit into a total of 26 subdivisions of A through Z, each one for the possible name of a designer and/or company).

C2.GLOSSARY OF FLOWER PINS ©2024
1. OTHER MATERIAL
2. DERIVATIVE
3. EMBELLISHED
4. POP ART
5. 3D/GLOBAL
6. MULTI-FLOWER

CATEGORIES
After alphabetizing, similar categories to DIVISION ONE can then be applied that further identify the DIVISION TWO pins as well. The only exception is Category #1. That is because it differs in each division.

Specifically, in DIVISION ONE, #1 represents the original basic single layer daisy petal pin. In DIVISION TWO, #1 represents other material besides metal as the flower base like the Hattie Carnegie Dynel pins.

Dynel is a synthetic material that had a brief life used for a number of items some wearable and some not. But for some reason, Hattie decided to use this material in her pin designs. They must have been very popular because the ones that survive today command a fortune for costume jewelry.

 

Liz Palacios-best
Magnificent identified Lis Palacios embellished flower pin.

DIVISION TWO EXAMPLE
Keep in mind that any pin that can be identified by a brand, symbol, initials, or other means of signature belongs in DIVISION TWO. Here is an example of such a pin and the coding that identifies it. D2/Palacios/#1, #3-Gold/brown

In other words, it is a D2 or Division Two, the designer is Liz Palacios, the categories from the Division Two glossary are #1 other material(s), and #3 embellished. Lastly the pin is gold and brown.

JEWELRY IDENTIFICATION MARKS
Finally here are some marks that actually identify the pins right on the back of them. Therefore they are all Division Two.

Liz Palacios Mark
A Liz Palacios of San Francisco mark that might appear on a brooch like the one above.

Hattie Carnegie Marks
A variety of Hattie Carnegie marks which identify her as the manufacturer and may also date the jewelry

 

 

 

 

 

tag
The pin identification tag for all your pin information ©2024
D. THE PIN IDENTIFICATION TAG Here is something special to help keep track of all your pin inventory.

It is a pin identification tag that I am including as part of this system to add extra help in the organizational process.

In fact, the pin identification tag provides a handy way to keep track of all the necessary information either for sale purposes or your own collection inventory. You can 'screen grab' it, download, and print it out.

 

 

recipe box
a suggested pin tag box available on Amazon
E. A PIN IDENTIFICATION BOX For keeping track of sales and inventory, I would organize pin identification tags like cards in a recipe box. This idea comes from my days as a cook.

Actually, it was a great way to organize and keep track of recipes. In this case, I would use separate boxes for each purpose.

Specifically for you own inventory, I would have UP TO 26 dividers (one for each letter of the alphabet). For keeping track of sales, I hope you can be more creative than I can think of to organize the tags how they work best for you.

Either way, this is an integral part of the system. Wishing you the best with this novel system. Let me know if you have any questions or comments. Happy collecting!

CREDIT FOR MATERIALSMaterials that I have created are available for use by everyone. Please include the copyright information when printing, i.e. ©2024 designed by Alison D. Gilbert and Illustrated by Phil Jacobs

SOURCES & RESOURCES
Liz Palacios Vintage Costume Jewelry
Vintage Costume Jewelry Designer Marks Examples
Collecting Hattie Carnegie and examples of signature
A box to store and organize pin identification tags
The Use of Dynel
Dynel flower pins


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Hattie Carnegie Dynel Flower Pins



Red Dynel jewelry sets photo courtesy of the owner Marian Stolar Patin member of the Vintage Enamel Flower Pins/Brooches Facebook Group
Hattie Carnegie Dynel flower pins and earring sets rank amongst the most unique and expensive 'flower pin' costume jewelry in existence.

Although the vast majority of Hattie Carnegie jewelry is made from metal and even semi-precious stones, the limited Dynel pieces are particularly fascinating and desirable to me.

Therefore this blog post focuses on the Dynel pieces exclusively. Blog posts featuring her metal and stone jewelry are a separate topic and will be written at another time.

Why Hattie Used Dynel So far, I have not found any documentation explaining why her company introduced this particular material. No other jewelry company did to my knowledge. In addition, there is no other accessories company that used Dynel in their jewelry designs. But it was used for other purposes explained below.

Yellow Dynel jewelry photo courtesy of the owner Marian Stolar Patin member of the Vintage Enamel Flower Pins/Brooches Facebook Group
WHAT IS DYNEL?
"Dynel is a trademarked synthetic fiber made from vinyl chloride and acrylonitrile.

Properties: "Dynel is known for being resistant to burning, abrasion, and chemicals. It's also strong, dries quickly, and is easily dyed.
Uses: "Dynel was used in many applications, which are listed below.
Textiles: "Dynel was used to make knitted and woven fabrics for clothing and home furnishings.
Wigs and fake fur: "Dynel was used to make wigs, doll hair, and fake fur.
Marine applications: "Dynel was used in fiber reinforced plastic composite materials, especially for marine applications.

HISTORY OF DYNEL
"Dynel was first introduced in 1951 by the Union Carbide corporation. Its production has since been discontinued." Google

Red Dynel jewelry sets photo courtesy of the owner Marian Stolar Patin member of the Vintage Enamel Flower Pins/Brooches Facebook Group
Hattie Carnegie's history is fascinating. First of all, she was born Henrietta Kanengeiser in Austria. After she arrived in the United States, she went into business in her 20s. She consequently adopted the name Carnegie to be associated with the wealthiest man in the US at that time, Andrew Carnegie.

The name 'Hattie' stuck as her nickname from when she worked in the hat department at Macy's. Eventually the young Henrietta Kanengeiser who emigrated to the United States around 1900 became the very successful women's fashion icon, Hattie Carnegie some decades later.

 

1960s HATTIE CARNEGIE Dynel Blue Green Enamel Flower Brooch &
Clip On Earrings
1960s HATTIE CARNEGIE Dynel Blue Green Enamel Flower Brooch, Courtesy of "Caressa's Vintage Treasures", eBay ID "vintagetreasures"

SOURCES AND RESOURCES
This link, Hattie Carnegie History, connects to Exquisite Vintage Jewels. Her biography can be found there. The foundation of this post can be found on this Google link. More about Dynel can be found on this Wikipedia link.

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An Elvis Presley Psychological Profile

Return of the King
Return of the King, The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley, a Netflix documentary.

Why would anyone be curious about an Elvis Presley psychological profile? He was without a doubt one of the most talented singers of our time (with a voice compared to Mario Lanza) as well as a phenomenal performer both on screen and in person. Also, let's not forget his 'god-like' appearance as one fan remembers.

Elvis's cadillac
Elvis Presley's PINK CADILLAC Parked in front of GRACELAND Photo from studio 784 on etsy

In addition, he earned more money than the greatest movie stars of our time including actors like Steve McQueen, Gregory Peck and even Cary Grant.

On the surface, he seemed to have everything. His posthumous wealth was staggering, said to be in the hundreds of millions.

Elvis in costume
Elvis in light blue costume with a gold lined cape, photo on Pinterest

 

But scratch the glittering surfaces of those pink and purple Cadillacs just the slightest bit to reveal a very different persona. In fact this other part of Elvis comes bursting out at times like a volcano. Besides that, even he admitted to being two entities. One was the public/performer and the other was the real life private person.

For this reason, an Elvis Presley psychological profile begs to be drawn even if informally after watching the following films and documentaries:

Return of the King, The Fall and Rise of Elvis (a documentary) 2024
Loving Elvis (a documentary) 2023
The Evils Surrounding Elvis (2023) FULL DOCUMENTARY
Elvis Presley (a movie starring Austin Butler as Elvis and Tom Hanks as Colonel Parker) 2022

Loving Elvis
Loving Elvis, a Prime video 2023

A Lay Person's Diagnosis My unofficial diagnosis leads to shocking profile results. In fact, he appears to have exhibited classic bipolar (or manic depressive) behavior with following components:
• extreme sexual and hyper physical activity
• excessive spending
• drugs and alcohol abuse
• bouts of depression and loneliness
• sudden bursts of anger, even fits of violence

What should have been or could have been a dream life, becomes a nightmare. It included so many issues, both mental and physical as detailed in this documentary.

These included his need to control the women in his life as well as having more than one woman at a time in his life. He could not be monogamous with any woman, not even his wife, he admitted.

Also in later years, he could not be left alone. Someone always was supposed to be awake to watch over him when he was supposed to be asleep. Ultimately the schedule of everyone who worked for him revolved around his. This meant sleeping when he slept, awake when he was awake and ready to work any time day or night that he chose.

Those closest to him had to deal with his overdoses and numerous serious increasing health problems. All in all, his story's conclusion was not a happy one. As one historian said, if only his life could have ended on a happy note like how Elvis felt at the end of the 1968 TV Comeback Special. His performance was magnificent. In addition, he was truly himself and he really felt free.

But unfortunately, this euphoria did not last. He continued to suffer under the manipulative thumb of Colonel Parker. Specifically Parker demanding Elvis perform live endlessly for five years in Las Vegas. Some of his close friends known as the Memphis Mafia believed he could over come negative affects from the demanding schedule imposed by his manager.

But some knew that this was killing him. Actually, Elvis did die on August 16, 1977 at only 42 years old. In spite of what some wished, his physicality was not immortal. But his memory truly does live on.

ADDITIONAL SOURCES AND RESOURCES
Elvis Presley's Granddaughter, Riley Keough Confirms The Shocking Truth

Elvis’ Last Love Ginger Alden Shares Memories Of The King Of Rock ‘n’ Roll | Loose Women

Never Seen Before Footage Of Elvis Presley! (On his last days alive)

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Miriam Haskell Jewellery


Miriam Haskell photo from Morning Glory
Miriam Haskell photo from Morning Glory

"Miriam Haskell jewellery is some of the most prized and beautiful costume jewellery from the 20th century.

"The intricate designs coupled with their novel colours and materials have made Haskell jewellery hugely coveted by collectors, with the most elaborate pieces fetching many hundreds of pounds".

This would be dollars on the US market where her jewelry did and does sell today.

 

Geometry This very unique multi color glass geometric shaped brooch below is one of my favorites. So much of Miriam Hess jewelry was floral in nature.

It is refreshing to see a geometric shaped piece for a change. This multi color glass brooch is very hard to find.

Multi color glass flowers/leaves brooch
Multi color glass flowers/leaves brooch

HISTORY
"Miriam began her fashion career in New York city working as a milliner but pivoted to jewellery in 1926 when she opened her first shop, named Le Bijou de l'Heure.

"Haskell was a very private lady and not a lot of information is known about her personal life, however she was recognized as an elegantly dressed lady with style and a keen business sense.

"Her eponymous jewellery line swiftly gained recognition for its handmade, top-quality pieces. The scrupulous attention to detail and beauty of the jewellery quickly won fans among Hollywood stars and the most stylish ladies of the era."

MIRIAM HASKELL'S ROLE IN THE COMPANY
"It isn’t known if Miriam herself ever designed any of the pieces sold by the Haskell company. Although she was very involved in the day to day operations of her business, one of her most crucial decisions was to have hired a jewellery designer, former Macy’s window dresser, Frank Hess. Frank was with the company for decades and helped to develop the Haskell signature style.

Miriam Haskell glass flower beads and leaves brooch
Miriam Haskell glass flower beads/leaves brooch
"Over the 1930s the Haskell business was expanded until it occupied multiple shops and had headquarters on the famed Fifth Avenue. Haskell jewellery was also sold in the most exclusive department stores in America with pieces available in Europe at top end shops like Harvey Nichols in London, UK.

"Sadly, Miriam became ill in the 1940s and eventually sold her company to her brother in 1951, although Frank Hess stayed on and held a central role for many years. Miriam eventually passed away in 1981."[1]

 

Longevity Miriam Haskell Jewellery preceded, coexisted with, and continued after flower power brooches were all the rage. Although in a higher price range, they are equal to the glamorous flower power pins and flower pins.

MH-wooden acorn pin
MIRIAM HASKELL Hess natural & dyed wooden acorn beads pin
MIRIAM HASKELL Hess natural and dyed wooden beads and florets pin in red, green and blue, 3".

It has wood grained acorns topped by woven multi-colored bead caps and stars on the pin top, wonderful workmanship and a great combination for this brooch.

A Frank Hess for Miriam Haskell piece of jewelry, it is unsigned as was typical for this era, circa 1940, and in excellent condition.

Miriam Haskell Designers[2]
Frank Hess (1926 - 1960):
When collectors think of Miriam Haskell they immediately think of Frank Hess. He was with Haskell virtually from the beginning and stayed until 1960. He was responsible for the Signature Look which involved heavily beaded, intricate designs. He loved to layer pieces and didn’t leave any visible metal structure. His pieces were often asymmetric.

Robert Clark (1958-1968):
Robert was an artist prior to being employed by Frank Hess and worked as his assistant until becoming head designer when Frank left the company. Robert favoured three-dimension structured pieces which tended toward symmetry. He liked using large bold beads and would bend wires and filigrees to add height. He often employed solder rather than the sole use of wires as had been done previously. Robert left Miriam Haskell in the late 1960s to form the de Lillo company with William de Lillo.

Peter Raines (1968 - 1970):
Peter Raines was head designer between Robert Clark and Lawrence Vrba. He preferred a simpler, less intricate style.

Larry Vrba (1970 – 1978):
Larry Vrba became head designer in 1970 and stayed until 1978. Vrba greatly admired the Haskell pieces of the past and used them for inspiration in his new designs, but he also had to keep up with changing times. He is therefore responsible for the introduction of designs which wouldn’t readily be identified as Haskell, such as all metal pieces. His most famous line and some of Haskell’s most collectible pieces, come from his Egyptian line which is packed with highly stylized jewellery in blues, reds and golds.

Camille Petronzio (1980 -):
Petronzio was head designer for about twenty years. She kept an eye on the past and liked to remake archival Haskell pieces with a modern twist.

Necklace & Earrings Set
Vintage Miriam Haskell Necklace & Earrings Set~ Wood/Glass Beads/Gold Tone

This necklace and earring set made of Wood/Glass Beads/Gold Tone is available for sale today on the ebay store Timeless Treasures Vintage Jewelry for $3,500.

 

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION The Miriam Haskell Book
Miriam Haskell book

SOURCES AND RESOURCES
[1][2]Miriam Haskell, the jewelry company and the woman
Morning Glory article about Miriam Haskell 1930s-40s
Miriam Haskell Vintage Jewelry
Miriam Haskell Jewelry by Cathy Gordon, etc. on Amazon
Miriam Haskell Jewelry by Cathy Gordon, Sheila Pamfiloff on Google Books
Miriam Haskell Jewelry on Pinterest
Miriam Haskell on commonsearches

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