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Mood Music - Songza

Today, I needed that musical boost.

My begins when I get on to my computer and open my tab for Songza.  Each day I get a choice.  Songza is a musical concierge.  Not sure what you want to listen to?  Songza makes it easy.  Select from the various activities listed or use the search to find the perfect playlist.  This website also comes in the form of an app for both Apple and Android devices.  

Did I mention that its free!!??

Right now my top 3 favorite lists are: 
(in no particular order)

Throwback: Ultimate 2001 Hits
 '90s Crowd Pleasing Hits
Blogged 50

Happy music days!

Score

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 Well done, Mr. President. 

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My Valentine

My Valentine is someone who loves his facts and to honor him I have selected my favorite facts of the 61 lovely facts about Valentine's Day from Random History.com

5 - Groundhog Day was originally observed on February 14.^l

6 - The popular medieval folk belief that birds choose their mates on February 14 made doves a favorite symbol for Valentine cards. The dove was sacred to Venus and other love deities and was known for choosing a lifelong mate.^a

7 - Valentine’s Day was first introduced to Japan in 1936 and has become widely popular. However, because of a translation error made by a chocolate company, only women buy Valentine chocolates for their spouses, boyfriends, or friends. In fact, it is the only day of the year many single women will reveal their crush on a man by giving him chocolate. The men don’t return the favor until White Day, a type of “answer day” to Valentine’s Day, which is on March 14.^g

 ^{Image Source: Believe It or Not Blog}

14 - On Valentine’s Day 2010, 39,897 people in Mexico City broke the record for the world’s largest group kiss.^m

16 - The symbol of the ribbon, which often adorns modern-day Valentines, is rooted in the Middle Ages. When knights competed in tournaments, their sweethearts often gave them ribbons for good luck.^c

 Image Source

17 - Lace is often used on Valentine decorations. The word “lace” comes from the Latin laques, meaning “to snare or net,” as in to catch a person’s heart.^c

22 - Small pieces of mirror were sometimes used on the more expensive and elaborate Valentine cards produced during the golden ages of Valentines (1830s-1850s). “Mirror” comes from the same Latin verb as “admire”: mirari, “to wonder.”^c

24 - There is no one accepted explanation for the connection between St. Valentine and love. Etymologists report that the letters “v” and “g” were once interchangeable in common speech. The Norman word galantin, meaning a “lover of women,” was at one time both written and pronounced valanta or valentin, from which “Valentine” could have been derived.^c

29 - Famous people born on Valentine’s Day include John Barrymore (1882), Jimmy Hoffa (1913), Jack Benny (1894), Carl Bernstein (1944), Renée Fleming (1959), and Florence Henderson (1934).^e

30 - On Valentine’s Day, James Cook was kill by natives in Hawaii (1779), Oregon and Arizona were admitted to the Union (1859 and 1912, respectively), James Polk became the first president photographed while in office (1848), UPS (United Parcel Service) was formed (1919), the League of Women Voters was established (1920), Aretha Franklin recorded “Respect” (1967), Richard Nixon installed a secret taping system in the White House (1971), the U.S. performed a nuclear test at the Nevada Test Site (1976), and Voyager I took a picture of the entire solar system (1990).^e

34 - Richard Cadbury produced the first box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day in the late 1800s.^l 
35 - A kiss on Valentine’s Day is considered to bring good luck all year.^a

36 - Shakespeare mentions Valentine’s Day in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and in Hamlet.^a

40 - Both garters and gloves are traditionally popular Valentine tokens. The word “garter” comes from the Old French word garet, meaning “bend in the knee.” And “glove” is derived from the Old English word glof, meaning “palm of the hand.”^c

 ^{Image Source: Sunheal Blog}

50 - Each year 300,000 letters go through Loveland, Colorado, to get a special heart stamp cancellation for Valentine’s Day.^c 
57 - Over 100 years ago, the Chicago post office refused to deliver about 25,000 Valentine postcards because their messages were not nice. The caustic cards were called “vinegar Valentines.”^c

  
Maybe this isn't a typical Valentine, but anything that comes from the heart is the best gift. LOVE YOU BB!!!

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Year of the Snake

Emerald Snake

To celebrate this new year I have collect examples of Chinese paper cutting (Jianzhi) a practice developed early on since paper was invented by the Chinese.  The oldest surviving paper cut out is a symmetrical circle from the 6th century found in Xinjiang, China.  The basics of this art form is similar to the way in which I make paper snow flakes.  Using a single sheet of paper and folding it over to make cuts, each design is often created using an even number of cuts and results in a symmetrical overall design.

Chinese Zodiac - Year of the Snake

Paper cuts are used primarily for decorating, anything from walls to mirrors to gifts (they are also given as gift).  Cut outs are sometimes referred to as 'chuang hua', meaning window flower, as they are used to door and window decorations. 

Pandas are a MIXED favorite.

Here is the process (according to Wiki):
There are two methods of manufacture: one use scissors, the other use knives. In the scissor method, several pieces of paper — up to eight — are fastened together. The motif is then cut with sharp, pointed scissors.  Knife cuttings are fashioned by putting several layers of paper on a relatively soft foundation consisting of a mixture of tallow and ashes. Following a pattern, the artist cuts the motif into the paper with a sharp knife which is usually held vertically. Skilled crafters can even cut out different drawings freely without stopping.




Photo Credit: funalliance.com
Informational Credit: Wiki - Chinese Paper Cutting