Wonders of the World Shop and Wonders of the World Beadshop at the Flour Mill in Spokane, Washington

Beads from Wonders of the World Bead Shop

Wonders of the World dwells in the historic Flour Mill, situated on the Spokane River, in Spokane, WA.

There are two shopping areas just across the hall from each other. Wonders of the World offers jewelry, cards, toys, stones, crystal bowls, and other fine gift and home items.

Wonders of the World Bead Shop specializes in crystal, wood, and stone beads, but also supplies incense, candles, and other crafts.

Meander from one store to the next. Ask their knowledgable shopkeepers questions, and listen to their ideas. I was in the store to buy two necklaces as gifts. The Wonders of the World shopkeeper showed me how to use a pair of earrings for two necklaces, placing the earrings onto two necklace mountings. For a nice price, I got two matching necklaces, perfect for the occasion.

The Wonders of the World newsletter contains info about classes, as well as a coupon. The photos illustrate the beautiful items offered in these twin shops.

Anton Lesser, British Classical Actor, with a Valentine's Day Birthday

 When people think of actors, they often think of performers who are easily identified in real life, reel life, or stage life. Some of these performers include Brad Pitt, who keeps his personna throughout each of his characterizations.

Other actors are mecuricural, changing faces, mannerisms, speech patterns, and appearances with each characterization. Sir Laurence Olivier was one of these types of actors, who could look different in each role he played. Another actor is Anton Lesser.

This actor, born on Valentine's Day, 1952, celebrates his birthday, and can celebrate his thriving career. Known for work on stage, television, and screen, Lesser keeps busy with classical drama, popular movies, and recording literature such as Milton's Paradise Lost.

Many American viewers may be familiar with Lesser's work without being familiar with the actor. An example is the 1997 film Fairy Tale: A True Story. Starring Peter O'Toole and Harvey Keitel, with a brief appearance by Mel Gibson, the film follows the true story of two English girls during the First World War, and their claim that they could see fairies. The claim resonated with the war-weary British, and attracted attention of spiritualist Arthur Conan Doyle and empiricist magician Harry Houdini.

The film is appropriate for tweens, teens, and adults. Yet, with all the great talent, the film is almost upstaged by a wounded corporal, played by Anton Lesser. A soldier returning with a terrible face wound, one of the girls accepts his disfigurement as she plays a game on the train filled with wounded soldiers. Lesser shows the shock of a man whom war has changed forever, as he is transformed by the girls' belief in fairy creatures.

That same year, Lesser appeared in The Moonstone, a tv production of Wilkie Collin's thriller. This time Lesser portrays Ezra Jennings, the humble assistant to Dr. Candy, who sets the action in motion by secretly giving a draught of opium to a young man who doesn't believe in the power of medicine.

In 2001, Lesser creates the role of Counsellor Doone in the production of Lorna Doone, R.D. Blackmore's story of Exmoor. In an entirely different direction, Counsellor Doone as shown by Lesser is a complicated mix of pragmitism and legal corruption, a sort of Iago with a glimmer of a conscience. As noted on the "Anton Lesser Junkie Quick Fix Web Site," the site describes Lesser's performance: "Counsellor Doone, complete with GUNS again. Excellent!"

Audiences who viewed the 4th Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, may or may not recognize Lesser as Lord John Carteret. Next up is a long-awaited adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's The Scapegoat, with Lesser taking the part of Father McReady.

Whatever the role, watching Lesser inhabit a character is a fascinating theatrical experience.

For more information, visit
The Anton Lesser Junkie Quick Fix Web Site
"A safe haven for Lesserites of all ages."
http://www.burninggold.net/antonlesser/antonlesser/tv.html

Valentine's Day E-Cards by Jacquie Lawson

Valentine's Day offers a chance to send messages to friends and family, as well as to clients, business associates, or favorite acquaintances. An easy way to observe Valentine's Day is with e-cards. One of the favorite e-card designers is Jacquie Lawson. She first designed a Christmas e-card that featured her cottage and pets, and sent it to her friends. So many people enjoyed it that they asked her to design more, and her cottage industry was born.

The website gives samples of cards for all holidays and occasions. Valentine's Day e-cards include music and animation. Without purchasing, you can look through the cards to select some. For a general fee of $12 a year, you can send as many e-cards as you wish, or pay $18 for two years.

The website keeps track of who you send cards to, when they get them, and keeps an address book for easy reference. So, if you are wondering what to send for a last minute Valentine's greeting, try sending one of these e-cards.

Wines: Chadds Ford Winery in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, posted Sunday, February 05, 2012 by Ms. Dashwood

The Brandywine River Museum cafe offers refreshments.

Chadds Ford is a small town dating from before the American Revolution. The little village witnessed one of George Washington's greatest defeats, as the Continential Army lost to British and German troops, in the Battle of the Brandywine, fought September 11, 1777.

Nevertheless, the pastoral farms and beauty of Chadds Ford endured, and attracted artists who would develop their contributions to the Golden Age of Illustration amongst the rolling hills, forests, and streams of the Brandywine Valley. Today, the Brandywine River Museum holds paintings and artwork from Howard Pyle, N.C. Wyeth, his son Andrew, Andrew's son James, and assorted artistic family members and artists of merit.

This valley also hosts new, trendy wineries, including the one spelled Chaddsford Winery. Located near the historic battlefield and the museum, some of the wines appear at the museum restaurant. The cafe's glass walls overlook the Brandywine River, and the wines from the area bring their own contributions to enjoying the scenery. The Chaddsford Wintery Proprietors Reserve was a refreshing Pennsylvania white wine served at the cafe.

References

Brandywine River Museum, U.S. Route 1, P.O. Box 141
Chadds Ford, PA 19317 • Phone: 610-388-2700
Daily, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
(Extended hours until 6:00 p.m., Dec. 26-30)
Closed Christmas Day
Brandywine River Museum Restaurant.
"Open daily, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, and Mondays and Tuesdays from January 9 through March 19, 2012.

Chaddsford Winery
632 Baltimore Pike Chadds Ford, PA 19317-9305
(610) 388-6221

Ballet Pointe Shoes aka Toe Shoes

Ballet dancers invest time, money, and energy in finding the right shoes for their feet. For professional dancers, the shoes may be paid for by the dance company. Students, and their parents or guardians, often pay for the shoes themselves. Pointe shoes normally cost from $40 to $90 a pair, an expensive proposition given that advanced students may use up one pair a week or more.

A variety of dance stores and online dance outlets can help with the purchase of pointe shoes. New dancers benefit from the personal fitting provided at local dance stores. An example is the Empire Dance Shop, in Spokane, Washington. Owned and operated by professional dancers, Philip and Sally Broadbent, the store staff help fit dancers from local studios, as well as taking visiting trips to studios around the area.

For online purchases, ask other dancers and dance teachers, and research sites. Dancers who are familiar with pointe shoes and the individual needs of their feet are better able to navigate the many choices of pointe shoes available on these types of sites. It's easy to find the classically-known dance shoe companies such as Capezio and Freed, along with other popular companies such as Bloch, Grishko, and Sansha.

Many of the online dance sites provide videos of dancers on pointe. Pointe Shoes Online lists shoe companies. Click on "Sansha" for a selction of videos of dancers working on pointe, as well as the unusual combination of toe tap, pointe shoes with taps.

Thrift Shop Decorating with Cups, Plates, and Teapots

One way for economical table decorating is thrift shop finds.
These don't have to be original matches to make an attractive table setting.

The cup, plate, and teapot shown in the photo came from different sources. The cup and plate came from a local Goodwill store, purchased about a year apart. The Irish teapot was a gift from a friend. One day, while I was making tea, I happened to use the cup for tea, and noticed that the green edge trim matched the green edge trim of the teapot.

This accidental match happened in the middle of a busy day, when I was taking a break. Suddenly, the usual tea time gained a pretty design. The plate added a garden scene to the tea cup's farm and orchard scene.

Try this with your own table settings, whether informal or formal. At thrift shops, where plates, cups, and saucers are often only a dollar or less, choose a few that appeal to you, either for a planned match, or the accidental match made in the middle of a busy day.

Hermoine Granger Wand

If you want to know about what Hermoine Granger's wand looks, like, well here it is.

(The video may  not work. I've left it up to remind myself to fix it).

The wand turns on with a swish and flick motion. It takes some practice to get the wand to make the light come on and off. We found that we had to check the wand once we put it in its box, as it had a tendency to turn on from moving the box.

Some people have reported that their little kid can't get the wand to turn on as they can't wave it fast enough. Some solutions are to place a small piece of aluminum foil between the battery and connector.

All in all, it's a fun wand. If the price is too steep, consider home-made wands.
These are inexpensive projects for kids to make.