Honoring One Who Served

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My dad, Praxedis S. Zuniga – posing on his plane. (1945-46)

Tomorrow is Veterans Day…a day set aside to honor the service of all US military veterans.  Today I was watching a DIY program and the man in the segment was talking about his father’s service and how when he died recently, he was buried at Arlington Cemetery.  He said just driving through the cemetery and seeing tombstone after tombstone that it really hit him…this is the price of freedom.  All these men and women who have served, and in many cases gave their lives in the field of combat.

I thought about the time I visited Arlington several years ago and remember having a similar feeling as I walked through and watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown soldier.  Reading some of the headstones was somber as well…so many young lives.  Their young ages made me think about my father.

My dad was 20 years old when he enlisted in the Army in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  His occupation at the time was listed as fountain clerk in his hometown of Carlsbad.  He had already been taking flying lessons and wanted to be a pilot prior to enlisting.  Eventually he became a pilot instructor for the Army.  My mother always had a picture of dad visibly stationed in our home.  It’s a picture of dad in his uniform…you know the old saying – “I love a man in uniform.”  Well, I always loved this photo of my father in his uniform.

Praxedis Sotelo Zuniga – 1945-46

As I got into researching our family tree and history, I was fortunate enough to accumulate some more great photos of dad in uniform and by his plane.  For his memorial service in 2001, I created a scrapbook of these photos along with newspaper clippings that my grandmother had saved all these years from dad when he was star quarterback for the Carlsbad Cavemen football team.  He was so young…and so handsome!  Most of our family had never seen these photos either so it was a great memory to watch everyone’s reaction to them at the service.

I can’t think of a better way to honor my dad on Veterans Day then to share these photos today.  Our family is so proud of his service and how it shaped his life.  Happy Veterans Day.

Dad’s dog tags and name from his uniform
Praxedis S. Zuniga 1945-46
Praxedis S. Zunigaa 1945-46

Tales from the Thrift – Part Two

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J Crew statement necklace for $1.99 – thrift store find!

As you read in Part 1 of Tales from the Thrift – I love a bargain!  I’ve been perfecting my thrifting “style” over the years and I believe I’ve turned a new leaf this year when it comes to the hunt.  This happened when I began photographing my finds and keeping track of these new-found treasures.  When I find something these days, I ask myself a few questions…(1) do I really like the item?  Sometimes it’s a name brand item but it’s not my style.  This could be clothing, dishes or glassware, jewelry or collectible items.   (2) Will I use it?  This could mean, does it go with any of my collections or is there a spot in my house that needs sprucing up and this would make the difference?  Will i wear it?  and finally (3) Is this something I can I’ll use while entertaining or for an event?  For instance, I host an annual cookie swap party, so is it something that I could use as a theme for that party or another?

This past year, I’ve lucked up on a lot of great jewelry at the thrift stores!  Last year, I wrote a post about all the vintage Christmas pins I found.  I have a collection so this fit right into my criteria and I do love using them during the holidays.  This year it’s been about silver jewelry and pearls with a dash of statement necklaces!  During one trip I found two very different pearl bracelets…one gray wrap bracelet ($2.99) and the other a white pearl and gold cuff ($3.99), still with the original tag on it, I might add!

Mexican silver cabochon bracelet for $9.99 at the thrift store. A great find!
Markings on the Mexican silver bracelet. I always look for these when shopping for thrift store jewelry.

On another trip, there were a multitude of silver jewelry to choose from and I walked away with another bracelet and 3 pairs of earrings.  The bracelet was really an exciting find for me.  It’s a Mexican Cabochon link bracelet with all the markings on it.  I paid $9.99 for it which was a steal when I’ve seen them for as much as $80 on Ebay and other online places!  I have two others already, one from my mother and one I found in an antique store.  I paired all three together for a beautiful look recently.  The earrings I found are all very vintage looking and very timeless.  One pair is a drop pearl, and you can’t go wrong with pearls!  The other two can be change based on your wardrobe – casual or dressy.  I like stuff like that!

Silver and pearl earrings – very vintage looking!
Long silver earrings…love the detail in these!
These silver earrings look a little Native American to me…great design!

Finally, I love a good statement necklace!  I have several I’ve collected over the years and I look for unique pieces that you don’t see coming and going.  This amber stone necklace has a Chico’s tag on it and if you’ve been shopping at that store, you know these are rather pricey!  When I saw this one I knew it would be a great fall piece because of the color.  It was $5.99!   The other statement necklace is from J.Crew and was $1.99.  I plan to wear this over the holidays because it has bling! (This photo is posted at the beginning of the blog post.)

Chicos statement necklace – great fall color!

Finding Mexican made items is also something I’m always on the lookout for, especially talavera pottery.  It turns up here and there and I’m always thrilled!  Recently I found this planter for $2.99.  I have several in various colors and designs and I love adding more to the mix.  I also walked into the thrift store a few days before Day of the Dead this year and found these punched tin lanterns.  They were perfect for my dining room altar and are marked Mexico.  Timing is everything plus when I find things like this I always have the belief that they were there just waiting for me to come and get them!

Talavera planter – $2.99
Back of Talavera planter showing the Mexico markings.
Mexican punched tin lanterns – I used these on my Day of the Dead altar this year.

Fiesta dishes are also a love of mine!  A few years ago I decided I wanted a set in every color I could find at the time and Kohl’s had a great sale and I took advantage of THAT sale!  I’ve been able to find various Fiesta vintage pieces while thrifting.  A few weeks ago I lucked up on bowls, mugs and plates in three colors.  Each were priced individually at $1.99.

Wow…I still have more to share so I guess there will be a Part 3 after all!  Stay tuned for more Tales from the Thrift tomorrow!

Tales from the Thrift – Part 1

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Vintage Coach handbag from the thrift store!

If you’ve followed by Instagram or Facebook page, you know I’m a big thrift store shopper.  I blame my sister Kanista!  She got me started many moons ago and I was always amazed at the incredible things she would find.  I wasn’t all that into it for a while because I never seemed to be able to find cool things like my sister did.  But once I started going with her and watched how she worked through a store, I started to catch on!

Now when I walk into my favorite stores, I have a system that I follow – much like my sister.  Some days it’s about clothes and other days it’s about the tchotchkes!!!  Some days it’s even about furniture…more on that later…

This year, I decided to do something different with my thrift store finds.  I started a photo album of everything with an explanation on how much I paid and other information, like how much I found it online for and so on.  So when I was preparing this post and downloading photos to use, I realized I was going to have to separate this into several posts or this one would be too long!  Mind you, this was even after selecting only my most favorite items this year so far!!!  So here goes Tales from the Thrift Part 1…

This has definitely been the “year of the bag” or “bag lady” year for me.  I’ve found several gently used or brand new purses.  The beige and black Franco Sarto was brand new and I have used it almost daily since I found it for $6.99.  Incidentally, most of the handbags seem to be priced at $6.99 at The Salvation Army.  I don’t know why that seems to be the magic number but I’ve bought several for that price this year.  I also found two Coach bags!  The first one – a very light beige bag was priced at $14.99 but it was Memorial Day Weekend and everything in the store was half off so I score big time on that purse!  (Incidentally…I gifted that purse to my sister Kanista because she loved  it so much when I sent her the picture!)  Then a few weeks later I found a brown Coach purse for $3.99!  I like this one because its small, goes easily over my shoulder and forces me to NOT load it up with unnecessary items!

Anothe Coach handbag from the thrift store!

My glass obsession took a huge turn this year when I found almost an entire set of Mikasa crystal!  When I walked into the store I saw the set and I think they must have just put them out!  This was one of those times when the store wasn’t real crowded and I didn’t grab a buggy or a basket…you wonder…should I run and get a buggy?…should I take a few with me and grab one?…what if someone sees I’m interested and comes over and grabs some from the set???!!!  Such a dilemma!  Ha!  I did a little research into these glasses and they are a discontinued line called Jamestown with a platinum trim.  You can still get some of them at Replacements, Ltd. so of course I went there to see the replacement costs.  Most were about $20-$25 while I paid 99 cents for each glass!

Mikasa Jamestown Platinum Trim crystal from the Salvation army thrift store!

My sister is also hooked on glassware and tends to go for mid-century modern designs.  She told me about Dorothy Thorpe glassware when I visited her last year in North Carolina.  Then in January I was in the Hoover Salvation Army and a bunch of boxes had been put out waiting to be placed on the shelves.  Usually people are swarming around these containers but that particular day there weren’t that many people in the store.  I spotted a glass that was part clear and part gray and silver.  Then I spotted another…there were six total!  I knew I had something special because of their “look.”  So I quickly googled and discovered that I had a set of Dorothy Thorpe vintage silver fade “ombre” highball glasses priced at $1.99 each!  When I googled this set I found it anywhere from $45-$75, the higher price included a caddy!  My sister Kanista “might” get these for Christmas…just thinking out loud!

Dorothy Thorpe vintage silver fade ombre highball glasses – found at the Hoover Salvation Army for $1.99 each!

I love finding pewter and talavera items too.  This year I found three pewter crosses in one visit.  Someone must have been redecorating and I benefited from it!  Bonus is that they are all “made in Mexico.”  Finding the small talavera cross was a nice addition to my downstairs hallway.  The colors are a perfect complement to my décor.

Sometimes after I post a great “find” I get comments and people who want to go thrifting with me.  I’m game anytime folks!  Some want to know the best time to go thrifting.  That’s harder to define because it’s really hit and miss!  I mean, when I’m looking for something specific, that’s when I’m not going to find a thing.  Other times, I stumble upon some unique and valuable items…like the Steuben glass vase I found a few years ago for $2.99 (on Ebay for $135) or the House of Black Diamonds Goldstein mink coat I found for $60 (on Ebay for $3K!!!)   I tend to find the best things when I have ten minutes and I just pop in to see what’s there.  My store strategy – the way I work the store – seems to be working for me!

I also think the key for me is to go into a thrift store with a creative mind-set.  When I do that, everything in the store takes on a unique quality.  Like the amber chandelier I found just a few weeks ago.  I picked it up, turned it over a few times and thought….hummm, how could I use this?  Then I remembered the gazebo tent on our deck.  Then I also remember thinking a few months back how fun it would be to have a chandelier hanging in the middle of the tent!  Eleven dollars later…and a hook from my husbands tool box, it was hanging in the gazebo tent and I was loving the look!

Amber chandelier – found for $11
The full look with the chandelier hanging in our gazebo tent!

Stay tuned to Part 2 of Tales from the Thrift tomorrow!

That Awkward Space Above Your Kitchen Cabinets

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That space between the top of the kitchen cabinets and the ceiling – my original display with vine wreaths and lights.

There’s that space between my kitchen ceiling and the kitchen cabinets that I’ve always wondered about.  I guess if I had known more about building a house when we built ours I would have asked for more storage in the form of cabinets all the way to the ceiling.  But that was a long time ago and I digress…

Instead, many years ago I was at a friend’s house and I noticed she had a similar situation and she did something very simple and creative…she unwound a grapevine wreath and added white Christmas lights and voila…problem solved!  I got home determined to so something similar.  I went to Michael’s and bought two wreaths and thought it would be a simple project for a Saturday afternoon – one hour max!  Wrong!  First of all, those dang wreaths would not unwind the way I wanted them too so I ended up separating them into sections and using brown pipe cleaners to put them together side by side by side.  Next I began wrapping the lights around the separated wreaths and was making headway.  I had several extra strands of lights from Christmas that I decided to use.  Of course, I tested the lights before I wound them.  I finished up and placed them on top of the cabinets, plugged them in and…a section right in the middle of the display wouldn’t light.  Really???!!!  Yep…I then remembered why these lights were in a bag and in the attic!  I should have introduced them to the trash can!  So after a quick trip to the store for another set of lights, unwinding the bad lights, rewrapping the new ones…it was now 3 hours later and I was finally finished! Yay!

Over the years, I started adding things to the top of the cabinets.  At first it was pretty sparse but over time I was loving the look!  It was a nice way to display things that I loved.  I didn’t turn the lights on all the time either.  Usually they were plugged in over the holidays and on special occasions.  With just the under the cabinet lights on, it gave the kitchen a really cozy hue.

Lucy helped by sitting in the middle of my project…
All items from the top of the cabinets are down and ready for a bath
Clean and shiny items waiting for their new spot above the cabinets!
LED lights I got at Michaels – they are battery operated and set on a timer.

Now…over time, as you can probably imagine, things get a little…well, dusty.  And not just a use a Swiffer and get rid of the dust dusty, but sticky dusty from cooking and all that goes on in the kitchen.  I’ve taken everything down on occasion to clean it all off but it’s been awhile.  These past two weeks, I’ve really noticed that everything had a cloudy and fuzzy look so I pulled up a bar stool and took a closer look.  UGH!  The wreath and lights looked like they were growing fur!  Not good…

The original vine wreaths with lights I used over the kitchen cabinets
Growing a little fur!
Cloudy margarita pitcher…
Clean margarita pitcher!
Furry little chicken about to get a bath!

So today I retired the wreaths – to the garbage – and bought some cute little LED lights, cleaned off the top of the cabinets – more UGH – and washed EVERYTHING from the top of the cabinets.  Some things had to be washed twice!  I got rid of some items, and added others from around the house.  It turned out to be a fun project and tonight I’m sitting in the kitchen really enjoying the finished look.  Now…on to the next project!

Finished project! I like the clean look of it all – and by clean I really mean CLEAN!

Whispers from the Past – A Native American Experience

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Whispers from the Past – October 2017

There is an event called Whispers from the Past that takes place each fall at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover.  I’ve always wanted to go but for some reason or another, I’ve never made it.  This year I was determined to go and I knew my mother would love it so we made plans to go.  The event is designed to provide attendees with an accurate portrayal of the lives – both past and present – of Native Americans in the Southeast.  There are approximately 530 different tribes in the US, each with its own customs and language.  That day we were just hitting upon a handful and the event  definitely lived up to its educational purpose.

We arrived just in time for the first dance demonstration – the Native American Pow Wow dancers.  As the dancers prepared their beautiful regalia, we listened to Alex Alvarez as he introduced each dance.  We learned that Pow Wows are the Native American people’s way of gathering in dance, song and friendship.  He went into great detail about the regalia, the significance of all the regalia, the reason for the dance and also a little information about each dancer who had traveled from all over the Southeast to participate in the event.

Alex Alvarez
Bustle on Alex Alvarez regalia
Traditional Choctaw dress
Ladies jingle dress
Jingle dress

One dancer in particular, a young woman, wore a dress with metal cones that jingled when she walked and danced.  Alex explained that this was a healing dance and that there were several versions of a story involving a dream where the dress to be worn along with the dance and song to be performed appeared to a person.  Instructions on how the dance and costume would be used were spelled out in the dream.

The dance with the men wearing the bustles was incredible!  I think the back of the clothing in this instance was more striking than the front.  The dance signified the retelling of stories of the hunt to their tribe.  The beaded moccasins were adorned with fur from Icelandic sheep.  Alex mentioned that when a Native American wears something from an animal they are asking for that trait to reflect upon them.  The bone bead breastplates were worn to keep arrows from piercing their chests and the head-piece was made from porcupine.

There were several other dances and I hate that I lost track of their significance.  Taking notes while photographing was a little difficult! That’s why I let my photos tell the stories at times.  This is one of those times!

This was a very kid-friendly event with activities galore!  One that mom and I found very beautiful was leaf pounding….and it’s just what it sounds like!  We walked around the back of the Aldridge Gardens house and there were people placing leaves between two strips of white cotton fabric and pounding the leafs with a rock to make the transfer.  Some of the designs were really beautiful too!  Mom and I picked up the instructions and decided to try this at home.

Leaf pounding instructions
Leaf pounding

Other families were making dream catchers together.  These are so iconic when you think of Native Americans.  We thought about making one ourselves but then mom spotted artist Jim “White Cloud” Hill doing a sage cleansing on someone and she was intrigued!  We walked around after watching a cleansing but she kept mentioning it so we went back so she could experience this.

Dream catchers
Families making dream catchers

The use of smoke is not uncommon in religion.  For Catholics, incense is used during mass and it is also used by Buddhist and others.  To many people it can symbolize spirituality.  For Native Americans,  the cleansing is done using a large feather to fan the smoke in order to rid the person from any negative energy and help with healing.  I could tell this ritual was having quite a positive effect on my  mother as I watched this play out.  She smiled sweetly as she followed Mr. Hill’s instructions during the process.  Afterward, he gave her a hug and maybe it was my imagination, but she appeared “lighter.”

Mom beginning her sage cleansing with Jim White Cloud Hill
A hug from Mr. Hill after the cleansing.

Mom and I learned a lot that day at Aldridge Gardens.  It left us wanting to know more and I hope we can find other ways to learn about Native American culture in Alabama.  I know there are opportunities…

Jim Sawgrass demonstrated tradiional hunting skills to the crowd.
Mom chats with two of the pow wow dancers
Selfie with mom at Whispers from the Past – we had a great time!

Honoring Volunteers in Birmingham through Ignite

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“Volunteers are not paid…not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.”

This quote has been around for some time and I’ve heard it spoken over the years.  I’ve even used it myself when thanking volunteers for the work they’ve done to help at an event, nonprofit or other special occasion I’ve headed up or lead.  When people step up to help, they may not think it at the time, but they are making a difference that can be felt and seen in our communities.

Inaugural Ignite Volunteer Awards Ceremony on April 25, 2017 at The Club in Birmingham, AL.

Last year, Hands on Birmingham, United Way’s volunteer arm, created an event they named Ignite, to recognize and celebrate outstanding volunteer service.  Because it was a brand new event, I hadn’t heard much about it until my sweet friend Vanessa Vargas mentioned she had been asked to be on the host committee by the executive director, Benga Harrison.  Now, Benga is a powerhouse in our community and a great friend to me.  She is someone with so much passion that when she speaks to you, your own passion is ignited!  I kid you not!  When I heard the name of the event I thought it was a perfect reflection of her!  So, when I found out she was the driving force behind this event, I knew it would be a hit!

What I didn’t know at the time was that Vanessa was going to nominate me in the corporate/company category for this awards ceremony.  There were quite a number of people nominated in this category.  I surely wasn’t expecting anything to come of the nomination but to my surprise, I was one of two finalists!  The two finalists in each category received a special medal to wear at the brunch so they could be recognized to attendees, which was really a nice touch.  The other categories included Hands on Birmingham volunteer, government/community volunteer, nonprofit volunteer, student volunteer, small business volunteer, and faith based volunteer.

List of nominees in each category
Host Committee for Ignite 2017
Finalist medals
Chicken and Waffles for brunch!

It was thrilling to be in a room filled with such wonderful community servants.  It was even more wonderful to actually know so many of these people who give so much.  Another reason for my excitement was due to the number of Hispanics nominees!  Hispanics were definitely represented at this event and of the six, three were finalists (me, Theresa Deleon, and Jairo Vargas) with one going on to win his category!  I was so pleased when Jairo Vargas, Publisher of Latino News, was announced as the winner in the small business category!  I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving and it was great being able to celebrate this honor with Jairo, his wife Lucero and of course, his daughter Vanessa!

Me and Theresa DeLeon with winner, Jairo Vargas of Latino news
Jairo Vargas with his wife, Lucero and daughter Vanessa
My nominator, Vanessa Vargas!

For a first time event, the turnout was tremendous and the number of nominees in each category was so diverse.  I know Benga and the organizers were thrilled and ready to jump into year two of Ignite!  And on that note, Benga recently asked me to serve as the Chair of the Host Committee this year and I said yes!  I can’t think of a better way to give back to our community than to help nominate those who do so much to make it a better place for us all.

Placing fingerprints on a set of trees
My fingerprint and Eddie’s fingerprint…
More fingerprints were added after the awards ceremony
With Tina Savas and Ellyn Grady
Me and my honey!
With Jestina Howard and Suzanne Martin
Selfie with Benga after the event – smiling because the event was such a huge success!

If you are in the Birmingham area and want to nominate a dedicated volunteer who has made a significant difference in Central Alabama, you have until November 30, 2017 to do so!  Click here for more information on how to submit your deserving community volunteer!  Then mark your calendar for the 2nd Annual Ignite Awards on April 17, 2018 at The Club Birmingham!

My Lolita Wine Glass Obsession

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Autumn Glory wine glass by Lolita – my newest in my collection!

It’s Saturday night…I had just finished decorating my dining room for Thanksgiving and decided it was wine time!  I grabbed a delish bottle of Sauvignon Blanc that I opened the night before and poured it into my new Autumn Glory Lolita Wine glass and all was good!  Amazing how much better wine tastes to me in any of my Lolita wine glasses!

Designer Lolita Healy was out with friends one night in 2001.  While ordering drinks from the martini menu it occurred to her that the glasses could be more decorative and reflective of the drink personalities being ordered.  Her hand painted glass collection was born from this night out and she continues to create unique glasses that appeal to so many people – especially me!

Most of my Lolita wine glass (and martini glass) collection. Since this photo a few weeks ago I’ve added several more from my thrift store visits!

I became familiar with Lolita wine glasses when my mother worked for Hallmark and the store she managed carried them.  I thought they were cute and quirky and they came in a round box – already packaged and ready for gift giving!  One unique thing about these hand painted glasses is that they come with a drink recipe on the bottom along with the “name” of the glass design.  These glasses were also a little pricey and not necessarily something you bought for yourself.  Instead you wanted to buy one for a friend or family member for a special occasion.  I remember buying these glasses for gifts over the years but never for myself.  It seemed like such a splurge to get one for myself.

My first Lolita glass – found at the thrift store for 99 cents!
Wine Tasting – the name of the glass and also the recipe on the bottom – there is a drink recipe on the botto of every Lolita glass!

Then one day I was at the thrift store and I spotted one…it was a design I was familiar with sitting on the shelf with the other glassware.  My mother’s store had this design and I always loved it.  I picked it up and turned it over and there it was…the recipe and the name!  I was thrilled!  And I was equally thrilled that the price was just 99 cents vs. the usual $25 retail!  SCORE!

That Witch if Back Lolita Wine glass – I did a little google search a few days ago and someone was selling this one for $299!!! What the heck? I got it for 99 cents!

Soon I was finding these glasses all the time when I would go thrifting.  I could spot one across the store and make a b-line for it!  The second one I found was a Halloween design – a witches green hand complete with black lace wrap around the stem.  The recipe on the bottom is called “That Witch is Back” and after googling it later I found out it is a retired Lolita design.   I love using this one the entire month of October!

Three of my Christmas Lolita glasses – Frosty’s Going Down, Silver Snowflake and Hot Mama Claus.
Recipes on the bottom of the Christmas glasses

After that I hit the mother-load of Christmas designs.  The first one was a snowman design and he’s melting on the bottom.  The next was more elegant…a frosted white glass with silver shimmery snowflakes.  The final one is a female santa suit with a red feathery boa wrapped around the stem called Hot Mama Claus.  I always place these glasses on my kitchen counter top where I keep my wine paraphernalia by season and alternate using them – depending on my mood.

I’ve managed to find a few in their original boxes which is always fun.  I found the Little Black Dress glass that I gave my daughter Emily for her 21st birthday.  She had an Audrey Hepburn Breakfast at Tiffany’s theme so it seemed perfect for that.  I also found a wedding wine glass that I gave to my daughter Anna Marie for her lingerie shower.

My first Lolita martini glass – this was is called New Year’s-Tini

Lolita also makes beer glasses and martini glasses.  I found a beer glass for my husband and he has used it a few times.  The martini glasses are also pretty elaborate.  The New Years themed glass has a disco ball hanging from it to resemble the ball dropping in NY on NYE.  I have several other martini glasses – all Christmas themed.  I like using them for mints and nuts on my table during the holidays.

Sugar Skulls Lolita wine glass
The Sugar Skulls glass has a female and male on the glass – both are perfect for my Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos celebration!

I’ll admit, my love for these quirky glasses was fueled by my ability to find them at the thrift stores.  But I’ve also paid retail for glasses in recent years.  When I spotted the Day of the Dead sugar skull wine glass at Von Maur several years ago, I knew I had to have it!  Then I found a gold and red poinsettia Christmas glass on Amazon and had to have that as well.  And in the spirit of Christmas giving, I bought this same glass for two of my friends last year.  They loved it and now have their own obsession with these glasses!

Poinsettia wine glass – this one I bought to use last year at Christmas.

My latest is the Autumn Glory glass, again from Amazon.  It reminded me of a tree in my neighborhood that I love to photograph each fall as the leaves turn to gold.  The glass reminded me of that tree and it has now become my November wine glass.

I don’t see this obsession slowing down any time soon.  As long as there are occasions for wine, I feel certain there will be a creative and quirky Lolita wine glass for me to use!  Cheers y’all!

Found the Bunco Lolita glass in time for my monthly bunco group last month. Yes! I took the glass with me!
Bunco Lolita design – thrift store find and it was half off the 99 cents on the glass! Score!
Bunco drink recipe
Coastal will go with me to the beach over Thanksgiving this year.
Love the detail in the shells on this glass.
Coastal recipe
Red Tape is cute! Another thrift store find at 99 cents.
Red Tape drink recipe

Alabama Dia de los Muertos Celebrates Quince Años!

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Dia de los Muertos celebrates Quince años!

Dia de los Muertos Alabama, presented by Bare Hands Gallery, celebrated 15 years this year!  I know I’ve said this before but I’ll say it again…after my beloved Fiesta, this is my second favorite festival of the year.  Fiesta board members have always felt a kinship with DOD Alabama going back to our fifth year in existence.  That was the year we “discovered” one another as each of our festivals grew and that was the year we decided to support one another.

This festival has been looking for a forever home since it lost its original location last year due to the changes in the Birmingham landscape.  The Rotary Trail was completed and it just wasn’t possible to use the same area for a festival this big.  Last year, the festival temporarily moved to Cahaba Brewery and it was packed.  After the crowd that showed up, they knew they needed more space so this year they secured Pepper Place for the event.

Papel Picado lines 2nd Avenue South between the main altar area and the main stage at DOD 2017

The entrance was at 3rd Avenue South with sponsors lining the left hand side.  A portion of 2nd Avenue South was closed off to house the main stage on one side and the food court on the other.  The main altar site was in the middle between the two in a large parking area.  It was so beautiful and reminiscent of the original location.  Two large brick walls surrounded the space and were used to hang murals and other décor.  Chairs were set up around the site with fire pits as was done in the old location.  I can remember years when it was so cold that those fire pits were a God-send!  Lights were strung between the walls and papel picado was everywhere!  The Mercado was in the parking lot of Pepper Place and there were so many vendors with beautiful hand crafted items for sale!  I wanted one of everything!

Masks created by artists on sale at the Mercado
I really liked this Wonder Woman mask!
Little girl in sugar skull makeup helped her mama set up in the mercado before the event opened
Little girl admires her face painted in the mercado area.
Sugar skull painting in the Mercado

This year, the set up allowed for more space and a better flow to all the event components.  The event was crowded but there was more space to walk around and not feel like you were being walked on or constantly running into someone.

I arrived at 3 p.m. to photograph some of the set up yesterday.  I always like to get there early to do this and then I stay until after sunset to take photos by candlelight and enjoy catching up with friends.  This year I had a meeting to attend from 4 to 7 so  when I got back to the site, the line to enter was down the block!  Luckily, I had pre-purchased my ticket so walked directly up to the entrance and was given my wrist band!  (Lesson to you folks who didn’t plan ahead!)

Spider Martin altar
Florals being used to set up this altar.
Altar set up in progress
Gillermo Castro altar area
A view of one of the walls in the altar area
Altar to victims of crime
Real sugar skulls made to be placed at altars around the event
Altar to the victims of natural disasters this year

People watching at DOD is always entertaining and I love the way more and more are painting their faces as sugar skulls and dressing up.  They embrace this event and seem to take the time to understand the reason behind it…why it is important and why it exists.  It’s not just a costume party, it’s a remembrance of loved ones who have passed on and a way to keep their memories alive for ourselves and a way to tell others about them.

There is also such artistic talent in our city and so much of this talent is displayed at this event in the costumes, the unique vendor items and of course, the altar creations.  I am always inspired when I see what is created and moved to tears by at least one thing I see.  This year, there was an altar created to honor the people who have perished in the many natural disasters experienced in 2017.  It was both haunting and moving…

Here are some of my photos from last night…sometimes it’s just easier to tell the story with photographs.  Meanwhile, happy Quince to DOD Alabama…it was a fabulous event! Viva la Vida!

Memorial altar – names of loved ones who have passed on scroll on a powerpoint
Pan de muertos!
Fun with friends! – Amy Miller, Vanessa Vargas, Julia Sayers, me and Audrey Panell at the Latino News booth
Flaco Jimenez performs!
Tracy Martin during Flaco Jimenez’s performance!
Flaco Jimenez

My Day of the Dead Altars 2017

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I’ve been creating Day of the Dead altars for many years now.  Every year I add more items to my DOD collection and swap thing up as I work through the set up each year.  It’s a very personal and sentimental process and not something that I want to get “routine” by any means.  Of course, there will be papel picado, monarch butterflies and votive candles.  But other things will change depending on photos I’ve discovered or stories I’ve heard of family members.

This year, I created a nicho retablo for my altar from a photo of my dad and his brothers and sister.  They are all sitting on a couch at my grandmother’s house – all smiles.  I love this photo!  It’s makes me smile and get misty-eyed all at the same time.  These siblings are clearly happy to be together and someone thought enough to capture this moment in black and white and I’m forever grateful for that.  This is my first time to create a retablo and it won’t be my last!  I wrote a blog post last week about how I created my retablo.  I have plenty of DIY arts and craft supplies on hand to make a few more so I can see my altars really taking on a new “look” next year.

The nicho retablo I created for my Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos altar this year!

One change I made this year was to create altars in just the dining room.  In past years, I’ve used the coffee table in the living room to honor my mother’s family.  This year I used half of the dining room table for the Stone/Weaver clan.  The other half shows my extended Zuniga family.  Then I incorporated the tea cart into the décor and placed the Odom/Wilson family there.  My husband’s parents wedding photo hangs in the corner where the tea cart is so this seemed like the perfect place for this particular altar.

Tea cart in my dining room with the Odom/Wilson family
Dining room table altar with extended Zuniga Family
Other half of my dining room table with Stone/Weaver family
My sister-in-law with my mother-in-law…I love this photo of them!
The centerpiece of the dining room is this Day of the Dead activity book – a gift from a friend…along with two sugar skull dolls I found at Target this year. They are so adorable. In the foreground…a punched tin Mexican lantern. I found 3 at the thrift store just a few days before Dia de los Muertos…a sign, perhaps?!

My buffet has always been the Zuniga family altar for my dad, his parents and siblings.  This year I changed up the photo of my dad.  Usually I have the photo of him in his beloved T-Bird car but this year I found an old photo of him from his early professional days.  It’s larger and makes him seem larger than life even in his younger years.  I’ve tended to lay photos around the tables and altars too but this year I added a few more framed photos.  I think this will be a goal for next year – add more frames and also a few more retablos.

Buffer altar of my Zuniga Family
My father, Praxedis Sotelo Zuniga – an early professional photo of him replaces the photo of dad in his beloved T-bird car this year.
Center of the buffer altar with my cousins Chila and Lala featured.
The original Zunigas…a photo of my dad, his siblings and his parents.

Every year it’s a labor of love to create these altars.  I started earlier this year so I could have them around a little longer.  I tend to want to leave them up for a few weeks after Day of the Dead if over too but they will need to come down this weekend.  When I take the altars down, I also take my time and reflect on everyone no longer with us.

Votives candles are lit for my family altars…
Sun setting on my dining room altar – this is a photo of my great-great-grandfather Weaver and his family from Wilsonville, AL

Tonight I flipped the switches on all the votive candles on the altars and took some photographs of the beautiful setting.  Then I raised my Day of the Dead wine glass in a toast to those who are gone from our earthly presence but are clearly not forgotten.

Blog Like Crazy…Round Three!

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If it’s November…it’s Blog Like Crazy month!!!  This is a month-long writing event created by Javacia Bowser, founder of the See Jane Write network, to encourage bloggers to exercise their writing muscles!  I’ve participated in this challenge for the past two years and loved it, but I wasn’t sure about doing it again this year…until yesterday.

I was taking my pup Lucy on her morning walk and thinking about my week.  I had just checked my emails before heading out the door with Lucy and saw one from Javacia with the subject line – “how to make the most of #bloglikecrazy.”  A few months ago I didn’t think I would do this again but the closer it was getting to November, the more I found myself thinking about the challenge.  I also found myself debating the pros and cons of participating and even talking about it out loud on my walk!   Yes, Lucy looked at me like I was nuts but sometimes it helps to hear my thoughts out loud!  Things like…what would I write about?  What if ideas don’t come through for me this year like they have in the past?  What am I afraid of, anyway???

One question kept popping up as I mulled all these questions over… did I have time to plan and write a blog post every single day in November?  Seriously, we have a weekend get-together with friends in two weeks, Thanksgiving planning is underway and we are also planning a trip to the beach…not to mention the Christmas decorating that has to happen at the end of the month before my December cookie swap party.  But the more I rolled that question around in my head the more laughable it became!  I mean, I’m recently RETIRED!  I have all sorts of time now, right?!  Well…

This writing challenge was quickly becoming a personal challenge since I no longer have an 8-5 job and structure has pretty much gone out the window these past four month!  Actually, I began to think that this would be a good way to introduce some sort of structure back into my life while doing something I love…writing and sharing my photography.  So…here I go again…about to blog like crazy for the third time.  You know what they say…third time is the charm!  Here we go…!!!