HAS SPRING SPRUNG WHERE YOU ARE??

Spring is trying to slowly come alive.
  

Postcard from Squish Design

Snowdrops 

The only sign in my state of Ohio is 
tiny snowdrops that are brave enough 

to bloom. I was never so glad to see 

them after this looong cooold winter!  

 Postcard from Breathing in Jesus

A Vintage Easter

Where Marie is things are moving 

along a little better but even in 

Mississippi the temps have been 

like a rollercoaster!

 Vintage Postcard from Vintage Fan Girl
Swan Lake and Lilacs

 The swans, Minnie & Henry, on 
Golden Pond are happy that their 
home is now a pond and not a 
skating rink! 

Postcard source Zazzle 
Vintage French Script Peacock Postcard


The peacocks at Peacock Paradise 
are starting to think about the 
gorgeous new feather display 
that will be coming in. 

Google Images
Vintage Spring Postcards

And we all hope that we'll be 
able to gather a bouquet of 
spring flowers in our bonnets
very soon! 

So Happy Spring 
with love, 

Marie Antoinette 
& 
Edie Marie 
xoxo

Post by Edie Marie
Hopes for Spring by Marie Antoinette 
and Edie Marie! 

We're joining: 

Angie @ 
Knick of Time Tuesday

Pattie & Paula @ 
Ivy & Elephants

Sherry @ 
Home Sweet Home 

Debbie @ 
Confessions of a Plate Addict 

HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY!

Follow us on Bloglovin'

Ah yes... let's talk a bit about the 

"Luck of the Irish".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
History of St Patrick
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It all starts here...

with St Patrick of course!

 Saint Patrick depicted in a stained glass window 

at Saint Benin's Church, Ireland.

Information from Wikipedia 

 Little is known of Patrick's early life, though 

it is known that he was born in Roman 

Britain in the 4th century, into a wealthy 

family. His father was a deacon and his 

grandfather was a priest in the Christian 

church. At the age of 16, he was kidnapped 

by Irish raiders and taken captive to 

Ireland as a slave. 

(my own note - My dear hubby's grandfather 

was living in Scotland as a boy. He was taken 

by Irish raiders also and was forced to work 

as a slave. A common occurrence even in 

the 17th century. )

It is believed he was held somewhere on the 

west coast of Ireland, possibly Mayo, 

but the exact location is unknown. According 

to his Confession, he was told by God in a 

dream to flee from captivity to the coast, 

where he would board a ship and return to 

Britain. Upon returning, he quickly joined 

the Church in Auxerre in Gaul and studied 

to be a priest.  

According to legend, Saint Patrick used 

the three-leaved shamrock to explain 

the Holy Trinity to Irish Pagans. 

In 432, he again said that he was called 

back to Ireland, though as a bishop to 

Christianise the Irish from their 

native polytsheism. It was then that 

he used the shamrock and it's 3 leaves 

to teach of the Trinity. 

After nearly 30 yrs of evangelism, he died 

on March 17, 461, and according to 

tradition, was buried at Downpatrick. 

Patrick endured as the principal champion 

of Irish Christianity and is held in esteem 

in the Irish church.

   

Originally, the color associated with Saint 
Patrick was blue. That's right... BLUE! 
Over the years the color green and its 
association with Saint Patrick's Day grew. 
Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in 
celebration of St Patrick's Day as early as 
the 17th century.  This was mainly because of 
Patrick's use of the shamrock in expaining 
the Holy Trinity. The phrase "The Wearing of the 
Green", meaning to wear a shamrock on 
one's clothing, derives from a song of the 
same name. 

Here's a great version of 
"The Wearing Of The Green" 
sung by Judy Garland from 1940. 

It's a sad song but historically correct. 
And nobody can sing it better than Judy!




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Vintage Postcards
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Erin go Bragh 
(Ireland Forever)

The Emerald Isle of Erin 
(Ireland - the term was first used by 
Dr. Drennan in the poem called Erin. 
it refers to the bright green verdure of 
 the island.)

The Harp of Erin 
  (The Central United Irish emblem was 
a harp with a forepillar of a winged woman. 
This emblem was generally referred to in 
the 1790s as the harp of Erin and later the 
Angel Harp. )

There's a dear little plant on Emerald's Isle
And I've culled a bunch that Fortune may smile. 
(Someone added "on you".) 
This one's for Marie... I know she'll love this postcard!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can celebrate St Patrick's Day 
by decorating with shamrocks!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
~ Door Decor ~

 Take a look at all the door 
decor designs on Pinterest @ 
Door Decor.

 ~ Banners ~
 

Stop by the 

Crazy Stamping Lady 

for a look at the blog 

post this was found on.

Here's another fabulous banner 

for St Patty's Day... 

I love the shamrock made with 
strips of paper! 
You can see this @ 

The Dating Divas.

~ Shamrocks ~

Here's a more complex shamrock 
made with paper strips.

This one is from Pinterest @
Celebrity Cafe. 


~ Pretty Party Items ~

How about some adorable 

Shamrocks for your beverage straws 

or for gift tags?!

You can find information on 

these little cuties @ 

Lia Griffith Handcraft Your Life.

Now that's how you decorate and 

celebrate on a budget! 

 With paper!!  


~ Our Wish for You ~

By the way,
here's a bit o' advise .
If you go to Ireland,
DON'T KISS THE BLARNEY STONE!! 
(We understand you may make an 
Irishman laugh if you do. Don't ask.)


Lots O' Love, 
Marie Antoinette & Edie Marie

More Irish Tradition Info: StPatricksDayHistory
Collaboration: Marie &amp: Edie
Written by: Edie Marie
History Info: Wikipedia
Vintage Postcards: Google
Other Images: Pinterest w links 
Never Ever Kissing the Blarney Stone: Marie & Edie!! 

We LOVE to hear from YOU!! 
  

MARDI GRAS! LAISSEZ LES BON TEMPS ROULEZ!

LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL!

 MARCH 4, 2014

is 
MARDI GRAS!! 

Who better than Marie Antoinette who 

grew up in New Orleans to give us some 

lessons on this famous flamboyant holiday!

 So join us for some fun, beauty and 

celebration of a holiday that dates 

back thousands of years! 

 MARIE REMEMBERS MARDI GRAS 
IN THE "OLD DAYS"
*******************

Mardi Gras was a LOT different when I 
was a kid growing up in New Orleans - 
it was a family event. 

Here's a photo of me, my Dad and one of 
my brothers dressed for Mardi Gras.

I'm dressed as a Lady in Waiting. My dad 
and my brother are dressed up as pirates. 
Arrrrrr matey!  
We had lots of Mardi Gras celebrations 
with family & friends back then. My 
brothers & I were always amazed and 
thrilled by the incredible floats and costumes 
in the parades. Gorgeous colors, incredible 
masks, dancing, singing, crowds of people - 
so many wonderful memories! 

 I grew up in New Orleans for years and 
loved being with my Dad for all 
the fun & festivities for years. 

Then after I married, my hubby and I 
would watch the parades from 
the balcony of Big Easy.

 Hubby took this photo from 
that balcony. "Hi y'all!"

This giant Frankenstein made 
me look like a little 
Thumbelina! 

Here's a picture of me and 
the LAW!! LOL
(Isn't Marie absolutely adorable in these pics??)

  MARDI GRAS HISTORY
***********************

 Mardi Gras is a Christian holiday 

and a popular cultural phenomenon. 

The holiday dates back thousands of years.
In French, "Mardi Gras" literally means 
"Fat Tuesday", so named because it falls 
on the day before Ash Wednesday, the last 
day prior to Lent... a 40-day season of prayer 
and fasting observed by the Roman Catholic 
Church and many other Christian 
denominations, which ends on Easter Sunday.

 Also known as "Carnival", Mardi Gras is 

celebrated in many countries around the 
world. Brazil, Venice and New Orleans 
play host to some of the holiday's most 
famous public festivities, drawing thousands 
of tourists and revelers every year.

 AMERICA'S FIRST MARDI GRAS

******************************

 (found on MardiGras.com, this is only an exerpt)

The explorers found the mouth 

of the Mississippi River on March 3, 1699, 

Mardi Gras of that year. 

They made camp a few miles upriver, named 

the spot Point d'Mardi Gras and partook in 

a spontaneous party. 

This is often referred to 

as North America's first Mardi Gras. 

A couple of decades later, Bienville founded 

New Orleans and soon Carnival Celebrations 

were an annual event highlighted by 

lavish balls and masked spectacles. 

Some were small, private parties with 

select guest lists, while other were raucous, 

public affairs. 

Parades officially began in 1838. 

On Ash Wednesday of that year, the 

Commercial Bulletin read: 

"The European custom of celebrating the last 

day of Carnival by a procession of 

masked figures through the streets was 

introduced here yesterday." 

MARDI GRAS COLORS

**********************

Mardi Gras in Louisiana has official colors. 

Purple, Green & Gold were established by Rex 

(the King of the Mardi Gras) in 1872. 

Twenty years later, the colors were assigned 

a symbolic meaning each one representing 

a different facet of Mardi Gras culture. 

Purple symbolizes justice, 

green stands for faith, 

and gold represents power. 

THROWS

  *********
 The tradition of throwing trinkets to the 
crowds during Mardi Gras parades was 
initiated in the early 1870s by the Twelfth 
Night Revelers and has become a 
time-honored expectation. In 1884, the 
Krewe of Rex threw the first medallions 
(silver-dollar-sized commemorative coins 
later called doubloons) instead of the 
customary trinkets. Todays doubloons 
are usually aluminum and anodized in a 
variety of colors, depicting the parade theme 
on one side and the emblem of the 
particular Krewe on the other. 

Other popular throws are long strings 
of pearlized beads and plastic cups 
bearing the emblems of the Krewes.

The traditional cry of parade-goers 
who are pleading for throws is: 
"Throw me something, Mister!"

 MARDI GRAS BALLS
*********************

While most people think of parades when 
they think of Mardi Gras, there are plenty 
of other traditions too. 
The Carnival ball is a formal party 
given by a krewe for its members and their 
guests.

 It consists of a royal court with king and queen,
 dukes and duchesses and the like,
 who are presented in lavish costumes
 to an audience of invited guests.
 The King and Queen of 
each krewe (a club or social organizaton) 
work all year long for the big spectacular ball. 

 

The theme of the ball is a closely 
guarded secret and part of the mystique until 
the night of the Ball. 

Some balls are Masquerade Balls! 

The more traditional balls present tableaux,
 which are staged pageants that depict stories
, usually from mythology or history. 
A queen's supper, which might be a dinner dance
 or informal party, often is held after the ball.

 Sometimes balls are also cotillions.
  Debutantes are introduced at the 
Ball Tableau as a formal introduction
 to society. 

The climbing social ladder starts for 
the children serving as pages to the court. Women 
dress in ballgowns and hope to be issued a 
"call-out" card. If the debutante is fortunate enough 
to receive one, she is seated in a select area and 
waits her turn to be "called out" for a dance

by the krewe member who sent the card. 
A night of dining and dancing with a prince 
in formal attire - what a dream! 

 Attendance at the older, more aristocratic 
balls is by invitation only. No one really feels 
left out if they don't receive an invitation, though.
Lots of folks aren't invited, including some 
governors who wanted to attend. Originally, 
ball invitations were die-cut and printed in 
Paris; they continue to be quite colorful 
and valuable works of art. 

Carnival Ball Invitation, 1888

These invitations are collector items,
often framed for their beauty, and are 
interesting conversation pieces. 

Invitation from krewe of Rex 1882

Some large parades produce an indoor 
extravaganza the night of their parade. 
This is a wonderful way to experience Mardi Gras. 
Everyone dresses formally and enjoys the parade, 
entertainment, and food all night long.

THE KING CAKE
****************
King Cakes are delicious cinnamon 
roll/coffee cake pastry with icing and colored 
sugar on top. 

Of course the sugar is tinted in 
Mardi Gras Colors, purple, green, and gold! 
The cake is an oval shaped ring. 

It has a tiny toy baby hidden in it. 
The baby symbolizes baby Jesus, 
a reference to the religious aspect 
of Mardi Gras.  In Marie's family 
the person who gets the baby in their 
piece of cake has to make the King 
Cake the following year!   

Marie gave me this King Cake Mix 
to take home for the next year. 

You can also use this clever method
using Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls in 
the tube and colored sugars. 
Click here for the directions.
 
It was great making it and 
remembering the good times we had. 

CRAWFISH
***********
Crawfish are in season during 
Mardi Gras! So a lot of them get 
eaten all through the festivities! 

When I went to visit Marie she introduced 
me to crawfish. Her hubby brought home 
a grocery sack full of crawfish! 
After they were boiled and drained 
the crawfish are spread out on 
newspaper and the fun begins.

So... you break the end of the tail off 
and suck the insides out of the 
crawfish. Yes that's right! 
It was really scary and kind of 
creepy at first but by the end of 
our crawfish feast I was a PRO!!

A good time was had by all!


LET'S MAKE A MARDI GRAS PARTY!
**********************************  

Here's a great site with lots of ideas 
to make some fun party items. 
 Mardi Gras Outlet
 (click here for directions) 

 Make a really cool wire crown. 

Attach it to a headband to make 
a "fascinator" to wear to a Mardi Gras 
festivity or if you just want to be 
a Princess!!

Or decorate a King Cake with a crown. 

Make a mask! 
Use one of these printables...
 

Free mask printables @ 

Activity Village 

Or one of these@
Mardi Gras Outlet
 

 You can use something as simple as 
a paper plate to make a great mask!

Or as easy as tracing handprints! 

How about a Paper Jester Hat?

Too cute huh??
 
Join us to celebrate Mardi Gras 
today! 
 
Laissez les bon temps roulez!
That's right... let the good times roll!

And then... on to observe Ash Wednesday 
and Lent in preparation for Resurrection Day.
Marie Antoinette & Edie Marie
XOXO 

Images courtesy of Google
Post by Edie Marie
Memoirs by Marie Antoinette
We sure do have fun together! 

We're joining: 

Ivy & Elephants 

Home Sweet Home

Craftberry Bush