Welcome, glad you came to visit. Check in periodically to find out about specials at Patricia Rose, to share some herbal information I have learned about and a recipe here and there. Let's just enjoy a nice chat together. Looking forward to seeing you frequently!


Thursday, October 30, 2008

Pink Friday -10/31/08- In the Basket

A Tisket, A Tasket, we're all making baskets! Make Mine Pink Pink Friday, shopping with a twist and themed event is "In The Basket". Don't miss out on this event. It's just in time to start shopping for those holiday gifts. If you would like shipping to be held off until closet to the holiday, just let me know - no problem. Patricia Rose will also be more than happy to gift wrap, put a signed personal card in and ship to the recipient if you would like. Just let me know by filling in the comment box on the order form.
Then, November 2 begins the Christmas Shop Hop. This is going to be a lot of fun. There will be daily drawing for prizes and, of course, the big prizes that will be drawn at the end of the Hop. The prize you will be eligible for depends on the number of Christmas trees you find in all the participating boutiques. Don't miss out on the fun and the fabulous shopping from the comfort of your own home!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Show and Tell Monday, 10/27/08

Here comes Monday, again. These weeks seem to fly by faster and faster all the time. We have run the gamut with the weather this week. It was down into the 20's a few nights, 30's during a few days, rainy yesterday, incredible thunderstorms last night and today we were back into the 60's and a beautiful sunshiny day. Mother Nature is just a tad confused, I think.
I have been really busy this week with trying to get ready for the 12 days of Christmas Shop Hop coming up November 2. Here's a sneak preview of what I've been working on. These are rayon and silk velvet stockings trimmed with vintage laces and medallions.


We also have Pink Friday this week, In the Basket. Lots to do, I think those of us participating in all these events at Make Mine Pink can really rival Santa's elves.
As predicted, this past Friday was truly incredible. Make Mine Pink's Pink Friday's theme of Coming Up Roses is definitely a favorite all the way around, customers to shop owners. There were more participating boutiques this past week than I've ever seen. I believe there were 40. Every one of the shop owners out did themselves. What fabulous products! This was a fun one.
So, my friends, that is it until next Thursday when we celebrate another Pink Friday.








Thursday, October 23, 2008

Pink Friday-10/24/08-Coming Up Roses



Tomorrow is the big day, Coming Up Roses. There has been such a buzz about this theme, so I don't think you will want to miss it. It is one of the MMP Boutique's favorites, as well as a favorite amongst our customers. There should be an amazing array to browse through. With the cold weather we've been having in the Northeast, it should warm us up a bit to look at everyone's favorite flower.


The venerable rose is an amazing thing. It speaks of romance and love, ahhh, don't you just feel all warm and fuzzy? But in addition to it's romantic history, the rose is an all around useful flower. What can be created with roses is truly awe inspiring.


The rose is edible and quite good. Rose jelly is a delicacy you have to try (I suggest on homemade scones), rose vinegar is just yummy, it can also be found in teas and sandwiches (now how elegant is that?).


A beautiful touch for your next gathering or shower is to place a rose petal in your ice cubes. Fill ice cube trays halfway with water and freeze. When frozen, place a single perfect rose petal -must be pesticide free-and fill the rest of the way with water. Freeze again. There you have it, the lowly ice cube has just hit new heights!


And who hasn't had perfumes or powders or cold creams or lotions or potions fragranced and enriched with rose oil? Even our grammies knew the value of this amazing rose. Glycerin and rose water was the standard hand treatment to keep hands soft and, supposedly, age spot free.


Where would Valentine Day be without the rose? Very few weddings are held where the venerable rose is not present. Any special occasion, bring roses, you simply can't go wrong!


And then, near and dear to my heart, what would potpourri be without roses? It is one of the mainstays of my craft. In colonial and Victorian times, every housewife worth her salt had a 'rose jar' in the parlor or best room. After the sweeping and cleaning were completed, the jar was opened and stirred to freshen up the air. Remember, this is when fresh air was thought to be harmful, the houses and rooms were not aired out as we do in modern day. This was quite an important item to have in the home. In addition, sachets and pomanders were used to help control odors in the household. I'm thinking I am so glad that deodorant has been invented-just saying. Love my potpourris and sachets, but that must have been some under note to the fragrance.


And then, last but not least, the rose is our national flower. So, it would be the patriotic thing to do to come visit us on Pink Friday! Keep smiling, see you tomorrow at Patricia Rose.


http://www.patriciarose-apotpourri.com/









Sunday, October 19, 2008

Show and Tell Monday, 10/20/08




Going to work a little in reverse today. Sunday, 10/19/08, was the JDRF Walk for the Cure. It was a record setter, 3500 walkers. It was so inspiring to see so many people out to support these children who have been diagnosed with Type I Diabetes (Juvenile Diabetes). Our team, Justin's Jungle Joggers, was 120 strong, all friends and family. How do you thank people enough for supporting Justin like this? It was a crystal clear Autumn morning with the bluest sky. It was a little cool and breezy, but nobody seemed to mind.
My grandchildren, once again, designed our team T-shirt. Black tie dye with neon yellow and pink lettering and a neon yellow Volkswagen type van on the front and on the back the sponsors in neon green. We were quite colorful and stood out in this sea of walkers. Think we may have a shot at the T-shirt award this year!
This walk was held at the Medco Corporations campus in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. This is so lovely, beautiful paths, lightly wooded in spots, a gorgeous pond where we always take a little detour to check on the swans (We're a little sad, there was only one swan this year. They are monogamous and we're afraid the one has lost its mate. It was the only sad note of the day.
There are gates that got locked at 10AM and the entrance was manned so the area is nice and safe. Plus, over the years we have gotten to know a lot of the families that participate and it is so much fun to see how the children grow from year to year. We won't see most of them until July 2009 at the awards dinner. At any rate, everyone is watching all the children.
There was pumpkin painting, face painting, spin painting, sandwiches and soda, those huge blow-up bouncy things for the kids. This is the only day of the year Justin is not unhappy to have diabetes. It was a wonderful day for all. Thank you to all who have supported us and pledged.
During the week, my youngest son (24) decided he needed a Halloween costume and came home Friday night for the weekend. Well, he was bound and determined he was going to be Beaker from the Muppets. This is the result,



We had an awful lot of fun with this. I think it came out pretty well! He's going to wear a white lab coat and he has a pair of Mickey Mouse white hands to wear. Wouldn't seeing this guy respond to your emergency instill a lot of confidence?
This is the NYC firefighter! He's planning on going out with his nieces and nephews for Halloween before the grown up stuff!
Make sure you check back soon. Lots of big news coming up. This week's Pink Friday is Coming Up Roses. I think this is just about everyone's favorite, both sellers and customers. And the next Shop Hop is just around the corner--it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas--is that a good enough hint? Everyone at Make Mine Pink is as busy as an elf. We are gearing up to get all the Christmas goodies ready so our customers can get a head start on things. It's awfully sparkly around here!
Have a wonderful Monday, come on back Wednesday or Thursday for the Pink Friday update. There just might be something about a new give away, as well!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

In The Hope Chest, Pink Friday, 10/17/08

This Friday, 10/17/08, the Make Mine Pink Pink Friday theme is "In The Hope Chest". That conjures up so many wonderful thoughts to me. There is something hopelessly romantic about a hope chest.
A young girl's hope chest is full of her dreams of the future. Putting away precious items for the day she has a place of her own. In days gone by, as girls were learning to sew and embroider, each project was tucked away in the hope chest to be used when she married. All the linens for a household were carefully hand made and took years to accumulate--no Target for them! Each hand towel and bed sheet were carefully stitched, a tiny bit of embroidery to make each item special.
Those of us who have reached the age when we have our households, the hope chest takes on the role of saving precious memories- The baby shoes, the christening dresses, the first lock of hair from each child, the prom pictures of our children, the diplomas, their wedding photos, the precious memories of our parents and grandparents.
No matter what role it is serving now, the hope chest is a wonderful tradition. Wouldn't it be fun to start hope chests for your own daughters, grandaughters, god children, nieces?
Please come visit at Make Mine Pink, www.makeminepink.com, to visit all the participating boutiques and share what we envision can be saved in the hope chest of today. Make the tradition of yesteryear relevant once again. We cannot have too much romance in our lives.

Monday, October 13, 2008

I showed you the beginnings of this last week, and here is the finished product. This is sachet/pincushion is made of silk dupioni with a hand embroidered initial, precious silk ribbon embroidered rose and buds and leaves and a little charm or vintage button will be included all surrounded with vintage lace. I am using the Victorian alphabet from Ribbonsmyth. I've stuffed this with fiberfill and Lavender and Lace potpourri, yum! I will have to have a 2 week lead time on this item. It will probably be available quicker than that, but don't want anyone to be disappointed if I get a little behind.
Christmas items will start going up this week, as well. Busy, busy! I've had an ad out for an official Christmas elf, no responses. Guess Santa has that market all tied up!
Hope everyone has had a wonderful Columbus Day weekend, drive safely going home if you're traveling.
Pat

Monday, October 6, 2008

JDRF Walk for the Cure - October 19, 2008

In my tiredness last night, I neglected to add the JDRF links, here you go:

URL: http://walk.jdrf.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=extranet.personalpage&confirmid=87017764

Remember, these kids have a life threatening disease. Here are just a few facts that make me want to work ever harder for this cause:

Do you realize that a child with Type 1 Diabetes will be stuck with a needle more than 4000 times a year? If they are fortunate enough to be able to get the new insulin pump (as my grandson is), the number drops to 'only' 1825 times a year (minimum).

Did you know why they encourage children to draw blood for testing their blood sugar from their arms? It's so they have feeling in their fingers in the event they go blind, a common complication with diabetes, so they will be able to read braille.

Did you know that Type 1 diabetes is thought to be an autoimmune disease? The pancreas is not making insulin which is why it is life threatening. They can start throwing ketones overnight and if not brought under immediate control will result in hospitalization. This is different from Type II in that, Type II diabetes is caused by worn out insulin receptors. The insulin is there but the body cannot use it effectively. It can be kept in control with diet and exercise, and usually an oral medication. It can progress to insulin dependence if sugars and carbohydrates are not kept under control.

Did you know that a stomach virus or the flu can be a life threatening disease to a Type 1 diabetic? More than 24 hours of vomiting and it's a hospitalization.

When you are looking at these precious kids being so responsible about what they eat and how they exercise, it breaks your heart (mine anyway) that this must always be on their minds. They will never get a day off, no drug free holidays for them.

So, once again, if you can find it in your heart to donate to the Walk for the Cure, follow the link above. My family and I and all the Justin's Jungle Joggers will be forever grateful.

Pat

Pink October Shop Hop, 10/6 -10/12/08

This week there is a Pink October Shop Hop at Make Mine Pink. Those of you who have participated in the other shop hops will remember. Step one is to go to Make Mine Pink and register. There you will find a list of the participating boutiques. Go to each of the boutiques and find the pink ribbon that is hidden, it will say 'You Found It'. Click on it and it will register that you found the ribbon at that boutique, then continue on. The more ribbons you find, the bigger prize you will be eligible to win. There will be a drawing at the end of the Hop to see who has won the gorgeous gifts! Please join us, it costs nothing to enter but will give you the opportunity to see all the special items the boutiques are offering, help an extremely good cause - the Susan G. Komen For The Cure Breast Cancer Research Fund - and have a chance to win some great gifts.
Then, I have started a few new projects that I am anxious to share with you on my website. I have been working on the most amazing Victorian letters from Ribbonsmyth. I just love them and hope you will enjoy them as well. Here's a sample of the small 2" letter. Wait until I unveil the 6" letters--just gorgeous! More information over the next week or so.


And then the last thing I wanted to mention is the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) Walk for the Cure in Bergen County, New Jersey. It is coming up really quickly--October 19 is the day. This is such an amazing event for the children who have to live with this disease. They are the stars that day and we are all out there walking with and for them. Scientists are so close to finding a cure, may no child ever have to face a life time of injections ever again. My grandson's team is Justin's Jungle Joggers, we are over 150 strong, all family and friends, and have already raised more than 20% of our goal this year of $20,000. My daughter and her husband work tirelessly to make this a rousing success for their son and I am so very proud of them. If you can find it in your heart and wallet to donate to this worthy cause, please go to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's website and make your donation under the Justin's Jungle Joggers team to sponsor his Nana, me, Pat Morello. Thanks so much. I will post a picture of our team after the event.