The Blu Print: November 2017

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Rumor Has It

Since no one can actually pin down what inspired it, there are two popular beliefs around this song’s beginning. After three years of Christmas carol origins, we are now moving into more recent writings, and this is one of them.

In 1951, Meredith Wilson wrote this song, and the rumor is that it was written while staying in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in the Yarmouth Grand Hotel. The line … tree in the Grand Hotel, one in the park as well … is believed to reference Frost Park, which is right across the street from the hotel.

The other school of thought is that the Grand Hotel mentioned is the Historic Park Inn Hotel in Mason City, IA, which is Wilson’s hometown. It is the last remaining hotel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and overlooks Mason City’s central park.

This song was later added to a pre-Broadway version of Here’s Love and can be heard on the cast recording. Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song in 1961 and Big Bird sang it in 1975.

Everyone loves this song, and if you spend any time walking through the malls during the holiday season, you may find yourself humming right along, if not bursting out into song. It also might be the first thing you think when you see the first snowfall of the season.

While we may never know the real inspiration for this song, we do know what this song means to us.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Everywhere you go
Take a look in the Five and Ten
Glistening once again
With candy canes and silver lanes aglow

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Toys in every store
But the prettiest sight to see
Is the holly that will be
On your own front door

A pair of Hop-a-long boots and a pistol that shoots
Is the wish of Bonny and Ben
Dolls that will talk and go for a walk
Is the hope of Janice and Jenn
And mom and dad can hardly wait
For school to start again

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Everywhere you go
There's a tree in the Grand Hotel
One in the park as well
The sturdy kind that doesn't mind the snow

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Soon the bells will start
And the thing that will make them ring
Is the Carol that you sing
Right within your heart

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Soon the bells will start
And the thing that will make them ring
Is the Carol that you sing
Right within your heart, right within your heart

I know you youngsters Winking smile won’t get this, but it’s just not Christmas until Uncle Bing sings.

You have to admit, in some places, it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Here to help you with your Christmas shopping are our own handmade helpers. Shop now and shop soon or miss out on some amazing handmade gifts.

Don’t see what you are looking for? Maybe you will find it in some of the following showcases or ask one of our talented artists to design something special for you.
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11

Here are more shopping opportunities for you:
O Holy Night
The First Noel
Silver Bells
Jingle Bells
O’ Come all Ye Faithful
Angels from the Realms of Glory
While the Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
O Come O Come Emanuel
Angels We have Heard on High

Hurry because handmade sells out fast, and when they are gone, they are gone! Buy now.
Enjoy!
Julie

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Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Floods and Water Birds

Volume 14 Issue 12, December 2017

What's New in December?

We got past some of the most recent rains with only another foot of water in our yard. We have had too much rain this fall, and many of our trees are in distress. This might be the downside to living in the tropics in the winter, but the mild 60 and 70 degree days may make up for the soggy grass.

The birds have been enjoying the sunflower seeds and the egrets and ibis are now a fixture in my flooded back yard. I suppose this is the upside; we have a whole new environment to feed the birds in. I know it’s winter; I heard the call of the sandhill cranes the other day as they flew over the house.

I am very thankful for this year and happy that I can see the birds and flowers outside the window as I work. May you and yours enjoy your holiday season.

Bracelets: I have gone charm bracelet crazy and have introduced bangle bracelets to the mix because they are fun. I am also working on designing new charms for sale.

Keyrings: 6 new key chains are now available!

Thimbles: Out of stock for the moment as I await my next shipment of blanks.

You will find all of my beads, canes and finished jewelry on my website. www.bluemorningexpressions.com

Until next month,

Julie & Blu

Things to Look Forward To:

New Products:

Hotrod magnets: I am finishing up the hotrod magnets, and I have a couple dozen done, but not featured in the shop.

Necklaces: Since I have gotten some techniques under control, my designing has taken a new direction. I am working on new necklace designs featuring my new charms.

Print Pieces: I am working on canvases and posters. I have been working on putting together the Scenes from a Car Show series into print.

Friday, November 24, 2017

Countdown to Christmas 2017 Week 11

Ring the bells!
Join the countdown and add your handmade goodies to the wish lists.

An InLinkz Link-up

get the InLinkz code

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Stolen Angelic Voices

They called it a derivative in 1862. Today, it might be called plagiarism. None the less, the copyright laws declare this carol a derivative work that is wholly owned by James Chadwick, Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle.

This carol is almost the exact same as it was in the 1800s. The words were written to the music of a French song titled Les Anges Dans Nos Campagnes. The music is not only the same, the lyrics are a rather loose interpretation of the French to English. That is why this is considered a derivative work – there are too many similarities to let it stand on its own.

Chadwick made some changes to the work and gave it a new title, but that still does not make it totally a new, original work. A Scottish Gaelic has been made of a translation of the English translation of the French. Whee!

The carol is based around the Gospel of Luke’s telling of the Christmas story. It specifically speaks of the meeting between shepherds and angels.

It did not take long for this carol to become a favorite among the West Country faithful.

Today, the song is most commonly sung to the hymn tune Gloria arranged by Edward Shippen Barnes.

Here is our English version of

Angels We Have Heard on High

Angels we have heard on high

Sweetly singing o’er the plain

And the mountains in reply

Echoing their joyous strains

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Shepherds, why this jubilee?

Why your joyous strains prolong?

What the gladsome tidings be?

Which inspire your heavenly songs?

Gloria

Come to Bethlehem and see

Christ Whose birth the angels sing;

Come, adore on bended knee,

Christ, the Lord, the newborn King.

Gloria

See Him in a manger laid,

Jesus, Lord of heaven and earth;

Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,

With us sing our Savior's birth.

Gloria

Let me tell you why I chose REO Speedwagon Smile

Growing up, I lived in a town where Dan Folgelberg’s dad was our band director. Ruth of RSS Designs in Fiber didn’t live too far from where I grew up, and she had a chance to watch Dan perform quite often. I digress.

My little town also had a recording studio called Golden Voice Recording Studio where our neighborhood kids took their bands to cut records, and EVERYONE had a garage band back then.

REO Speedwagon, Styx and John Prine were all standards at our 4-H fairs and such because they were local and we were cheap.

This rendition of Angels We Have Heard on High is the first thing I have heard from REO Speedwagon that has not been driven into the ground in my memory, so it’s good to share something from a group that figured prominently in my formative years. We just lost Gary Richwrath, REO founder, two years ago. It’s been a long time since the days of 4-H fairs. I think they did a great job with this carol, and I hope you enjoy it.

Now, let’s shop! We only have a couple more weeks and the Countdown to Christmas 2017 comes to an end. Time flies.