A weekly song challenge-3 themes, 3 songs created by Jingle, Jangle Jungle and it is so much fun. I always try to go by the first song that pops into my blonde, greyish head so here are the 3 themes:
A PROTEST SONG
A LOVE SONG
A SPORT
1. WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE-PETE SEEGER 1955- SUNG BY JOAN BAEZ
Pete Seeger was a great troubadour as I like to refer to him. A folk singer and social activist who stood for what he believed in no matter what the cost. Peter, Paul and Mary made this song quite famous but I love the way Joan Baez sang this at the Kennedy Centre Honours and this song still stands up today as it did way back when. It is one of many protest songs that became famous during the Vietnam War.
2. THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT SUNG BY FRED ASTAIRE-1936
This song was written by Jerome Kern and lyrics were done by Dorothy Fields for the musical "Swing Time" starring Astaire and Rogers and which won an Oscar. I was a kid when I watched this film the first time and daydreamed I would have a man sing this to me (without soap in my hair). Many famous composers of this time loved Astaire to sing their songs and, although he is a better dancer, you can tell that he wasn't bad as a singer either. There are sooooooo many love songs out there and many popped into this head of mine but this was seriously the first one. Who wouldn't want a man to sing this to them...well, my hubby wouldn't care for it but he doesn't count.
3. TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME-JACK NORWORTH & ALBERT VON TILZER-1908
This version is one of the more famous versions sung and danced by Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra from the movie of the same name. I like to think they still play this song at all ball games but I have no clue unless I watch baseball so my brother has to let me know. This was actually a Tin Pan Alley song written by these 2 men(beside the title) who, apparently, never saw the game when they wrote this song. It was written on a napkin and I saw a picture of it which made me laugh with the doodles. I bet my brother could tell me more about this song.
So what comes to your mind? What love song would you croon to your gal? Is there a sport song for curling?
I love Christmas(really? No kidding) and I love actually stamping the image and I love colouring. I bought this new tool where you can place the white card on the platform and hold it in place with these magnets. You place the stamp where you want it to go and the see-through platform, that you made sure is open(like a book) you fold onto that card to stamp the image. It picks up the stamp, which you can ink up, and then fold it back onto the card. It places the image right onto the card but here is the great thing, if you missed an area and the colour is weak there, you just open it up, re-ink the stamp and fold it back onto the white card. It will make another image exactly on top! You can also take a smaller stamp and create a wreath like I did here...I love this new tool. Once I inked everything the way I wanted, I took my tombow markers and coloured in the image...I always find colouring relaxing. I mounted this on brown cardstock and added the sticker garland which I also coloured the leaves and red berries. To add some sparkle, since you know I do this, I took some red Stickles and placed them wherever the berries were. I added the bow to finish it off.
I sent Shady a card because, I just wanted to and he was, thankfully, over the moon with it which made my day! Well, he sent me a note of thanks along with washcloths and an Easter egg that his wife, Kathy made and I am deeply humbled that they went to that effort. I had to show what she created and it made me feel so good because my mom in law used to make these washcloths and i loved them. It brought back fond memories so, again, thank you!!
Wandering Through The Shelves picked a great one this week because there are so many to choose from so I had to go with the first 3 that popped into my head and that I memorized and sometimes sing(badly) with my best friend. Here are my 3...
1. GILLIGAN'S ISLAND-1964-1967
After being on the school bus for an hour, I would run inside, drop my books and turn on the TV to watch Gilligan's Island and then, Lost in Space. My mom, ever so patient, finally asked if there was anything else I could watch since I had seen the repeats, repeatedly. I told her no way! These castaways were on a 3 hour cruise when they got into a terrible storm and landed on an uncharted, deserted island. The first year, poor Mary Ann and the Professor were just "All the Rest" because Tina Louise-AKA Ginger- AKA Ego Maniac, had it written in her contract that she wanted no name to come after her. When many wrote in asking why the other 2 were not named, it was changed. The show is dumb and they all brought enough clothes, except for the Professor, The Skipper and Gilligan, to last until they were 105, but it is fun to watch. Nope, you see no belly button just short shorts.
2. GREEN ACRES-1965-1971
Green Acres is the place to be...Who doesn't love Oliver, who can't grow an aloe vera plant (after my own heart) never mind being a farmer who lives with his elegant, outstandingly dressed Lisa, his wife, in a true dump of a place. They must deal with a whole bunch of very weird people and Arnold the pig, the smartest of the whole bunch.
3. THE BRADY BUNCH-1969-1974
My Nose! Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! A lady meets a man and they get hitched(the very first show) with each having 3 kids. She has 3 girls and he has 3 boys and they must all get along. The patriarch is an architect but the 3 girls must all share a room and the same for the 3 boys. All 6 must share a bathroom. Alice has her own room and bathroom plus that orange kitchen. Nowadays a kid gets upset if they don't have their own spa. Anyway, so many shows are classic and, later on, they even became singing sensations(we will not mention the horrible variety show that came after..well, I just did).
Can you sing a long to any of these? Who is your favourite, Ginger or Mary-Ann? They are so catchy! Which tv theme songs would you pick?
March is almost done and we have not had any ice, fog or screwed up weather which is just weird. Anyhoo, This is week 11 created by Jingle, Jangle, Jungle and here are the 3 themes. I hope she continues this for the rest of the year. Here are the 3:
A TOY
A MONTH
A BOAT OR BOATING
1. OLD TOY TRAINS SUNG BY NANA MOUSKOURI-1967
Ok, I know, it's a Christmas song but this is the first thing that popped into my head and one that is on my Andre Rieu Christmas CD. I decided to go with Nana because she does have such a lovely voice and my mom loved her.
2. THE GIRL WITH APRIL IN HER EYES BY CHRIS DE BURGH-1979
I had not heard of Chris De Burgh until a friend in high school opened my ears and eyes to this great story teller/folk singer from Ireland. I have quite a few of his albums and they are all pretty damn good if you ask me. His most famous is the song "Lady In Red" which is not one of my favourites.
3. COME SAIL AWAY BY STYX-1977
I love this song that has almost all real instruments rather than the fake stuff used nowadays. Anyhoo, I first heard this song when I was at Crystal Beach. This was a great amusement park that opened back in 1889, I believe and had the famous Comet roller coaster which was right beside Lake Erie. I never rode it but my brother did many times and still considers it one of the best roller coasters as do many other who rode the thing. I am too scared of heights so I never went on it but I loved the twirly rides (still do) and would ride this Blitzer or something like that. It always had the look of being in the snow and you sat in cars that were all connected. You would ride in a circle that went higher up in the back and lower at the front as it sped faster and faster with this song usually blaring. It was a lot of fun.
Which songs can you think up and would you still go on coasters or twirly rides because I would...I am a kid at heart.
I have to come up with better titles, but I always sucked at that when I took creative writing. I had bits and pieces lying around so I took my stamp of these birdies, stamped them in silver and heat embossed them with a blue and silver embossing powder. I had this frame lying around for ages which I just sponged with various colours in distress ink. I took my yellow cardstock and ran it through the cuddlebug sandwiched between the embossing folder that has flowers all over it. I stuck them all in place with using various cardstock as you can see. I added the "Best Wishes" in gold sticker with some gems on each side. I have 2 different sized flower punches which I glued in place and placed 2 gems into the centre. Happy Spring!!
I have been on a green kick lately, maybe because of St. Patrick's Day but I had this image in my mind when I saw the colour combo over at Color Throwdown. I took my star and ornament die cuts and placed them on the sizzex machine on top of dark green paper, cutting side down, rolled it through the machine and...voila! I glued it down(not so voila) on gold sparkly paper and cut around the image. Now comes the cuddlebug machine where I rolled the lighter green paper through, sandwiched between the snowflake folder. I layered it between white pearl paper and dark green and adhered them all together. I decided to actual make bows, at which I suck at, and glued them on top of the ornaments..oh and the ornaments look 3D because I used pop up dots on them. I took my letter stickers to make the French Christmas saying and there she is.
CHNC-Inspired by a Christmas song/Carol...I thought of "O Tannenbaum"
I had cut out a green, shiny tree over a year ago with this shiny paper and it was lounging around like a deadbeat in my craft room so I finally kicked its ass to be of some use. I glued a dark green backing to it and added a gold border sticker to the edge (to hide a mishap I did). I used the same tree diecut to cut it out of the red cardstock using my sizzex and adhered it on top using pop-up dots. I had some sparkly gold cardstock lying around so I cut it out to make it look like some glittering ground. I added the sticker saying, star border and star stickers to complete the look. Finally, I took out my stickles and added the tiny dots on the trees.
Have you ever thought of just leaving your present life and creating a whole new identity? I have to admit, in my younger years, I felt like escaping but this was when times were quite tough. I longed for something fresh but I would have told my immediate family so I guess that is not the same thing plus I love my name too much. Others have actually done this like William Desmond Taylor-Silent film director, lothario, and still unsolved murder victim and Olivia Newton John's one-time a-hole fiance. Who do you think killed Mr. Taylor, Joel? This would make a great film (unless one was already done and not in ABC TV movie style starring Charlene Tilton). There are plenty of films that have used this ploy and I will be interested what Wandering Through The Stars will choose, plus her other followers, so, without further adieu, here are my 3...
1. BEGGARS OF LIFE-1928
I would love to see this late silent film version again(came out the year of my mom's birth) starring the beguiling Louise Brooks (she had led quite the life and anyone who loves a good biography should read Barry Paris's book on her plus her own book called "Lulu in Hollywood". She was very intelligent, rebellious and an accomplished writer). She plays a hapless girl who accidentally, kills her abusive step dad before a vagabond, played by Richard Arlen, happens upon the scene. To help her out, she dresses as a boy and they go off together hopping freight trains. They meet one of the kings of the vagabonds, Wallace Beery and become friends. All hell breaks loose when her fake identity is uncovered and some baddies want more from her plus the police have not given up on the chase. This is one of her best films certainly from Hollywood and the train scene is excellent.
2. THE LADY EVE-1941
Henry Fonda plays a young man who was studying snakes in the Amazon for a year who also happens to be the heir of a brewery company. He is on a ship and so is Eve with her father and his partner. They are con artists who bilk many men out of their millions before taking off for their next mark. What she doesn't expect is to fall in love with the hapless oaf only to be spurned when he realizes the truth. Now she is pissed...er bothered...no, pissed is better, that he left her so she decides to get even and shows up at the oaf's family home as someone completely different although she wears no disguise. At first he is appalled that no one believes him but he finally just thinks it is a strange coincidence. Oh how I love a screwball comedy and Fonda never looked more handsome and Stanwyck never more stunning. A great Preston Sturges comedy.
3. THE MAJOR & THE MINOR-1942
I used this film before, I know, but, considering all the hoopla over what is right and not right, I thought this would be a perfect film that was even considered a bit ewwwww even in its day. I enjoy this Billy Wilder film( he loved to bend the rules) and find it very funny even with the underlying ickiness. Ginger Rogers is a full bodied woman who needs to get back home but when the train fare is too expensive, she devises a way to get on the train.... play a 12 yr old and get on for half fare. She does just this but when the conductor catches her smoking she dashing into a booth of one good looking teacher/soldier, Ray Milland. He thinks she is only 12 and she ends up at his dad's military academy where she is the toast of the town with all the horned up boys. The only one she can't fool is Milland's fiance's sister who is also 12 and knows she is not a youngin'. Of course it is a farce and we know that he will end up with Ginger but how will it all work. This film is very funny and Ginger Rogers plays it to the hilt as the kid. It's an excellent farce. Her mother in the film is also Ginger Roger's mother in real life and the 2 were inseparable.
Another week for songs and I always try to go by my first thought so it is, often eclectic, as I like to say. Jingle, Jangle, Jungle thought this weekly series up and she has the first half of the year figured out. The other half, she would like anybody's input so, if you wish to give your 2 cents worth, hop over to her blog and give your input and even join in:). Here is her list for this week:
1. A Parody
2. A song written for a girl
3. A Planet
1. WHITE & NERDY BY WEIRD AL YANKOVIC-2006
I find Weird Al weird and one I am not sure I want to know but man, is he intelligent the way he can create a parody from some famous songs. This one is a parody from "Ridin'" by Chamillionaire & Krayzie Bone(really? I bet their names are something like John and James). When I saw this video, I laughed so hard because it is truly nerdy and when Donnie Osmond shows up..I lost it. Too funny.
2. SWEET CAROLINE BY NEIL DIAMOND-1969
I always liked this song and then I heard who Caroline was....Caroline Kennedy who was something like 12 when he wrote this....ewwwwwwwwwww. Now, since then he mentioned he wrote the lyrics with his then-wife, Marcia in mind(no not Marcia Brady..ewwwwwww) but he needed 3 syllables for the girl's name and Marcia didn't work. He recalled a sweet picture of Caroline Kennedy on a horse with her Parents standing next to the horse and thought it was sweet so...there you have it. I will think that is what he truly does mean..but still...ewwwww. I still like the song though.
3. JUPITER SYMPHONY BY MOZART-1788
Yeah, ok, it's not a song but it's the first thing that popped into my weird head so if you want to feel some culture and have time to kill, have a listen because it is a great piece of music and one of the best known. Actually it is Symphony # 41 and became known as the Jupiter symphony later...not much later but still, came after his death. Apparently, the use of the first chords reminded either Johann Cramer or Johann Salomon of Jupiter's thunderbolts. Jupiter is the Roman God (Zeus the Greek). I am a lover of classical music so this is why this popped into my head before any other, more recent, song.
Hope you enjoy today's song choices and would like to know which ones you would choose?
