Happy Independence Day to Brazil!

Hola!

(pronounced 'o-la', Spanish for Hello)

Christ over the City of Rio de Janeiro

Today is National Independence Day for Brazil.

feliz día de la independencia

I hope I got that right!

I went to a web site that will translate words and phrases from English into Spanish,

and Spanish into English.

You know, you never feel quite confident since you really don't speak the language.

That would be a wicked hacker thing though...

Brazil travel map

www.tropicalnaturetravel.com

I thought we might learn just a little about Brazil today.

The country is famous for it's spectacular waterfalls,

the Amazon River (largest in the world)

The Rio De Janeiro Carnival

the Brazilian Soccer Team

and it's beaches.

Cococabana Beach, Brazil

Following three centuries of rule under Portugal,

Brazil became an independent nation in 1822

and a republic in 1889.

One thing I learned in just browsing about Brazil -

soccer is big.

I mean REALLY BIG!!

Being a non-sports person, I kinda' knew that, but not really?

Now I know!

Brazil will be hosting the World Cup in 2016.

I bet the beaches will be crowded!

Here's a photo of the beach at Rio de Janeiro

without all the soccer fans!

c.1916

The Iguazu Falls are truly impressive. I would like to see them someday.

www.bestourism.com

Here are some interesting facts,

by Claudio Da Silva, July/2011 found at:

http://www.sherwoodinstitute.org/introducing-the-brazil-series/

Brazil holds 53% of the source of fresh water available in South America.

Brazil holds 11.6% of the fresh water surface of the world,

placing it among one of the world giants in terms of internal water.

Brazil has one of the biggest lakes of the planet - Lagoa dos Patos.

92% of households have accessibility to drinking water.

Even with great availability, there is a shortage of drinking water in some places.

Only 37% of households are connected to sewer collection pipelines.

the Amazon river

The rivers of Brazil are responsible for 51% of the water consumption in Brazil.

30 Million inhabitants (out of 150 million) do not receive treated water.

Mr. Da Silva continues:

Sewage is Brazil's #1 threat to itself, and also to the world's oceans.

92% of the Brazil's sewage is launched into rivers and into the sea

without any treatment.

I found this next bit just horrifying:

DAILY Brazil launches 10 billion liters of sewage directly into rives and sea.

Brazil has made some strides -

there is about 10% of the cities adopting some kind of sewage treatment.

wow.

Chapada Diamantina National Park, Brazil

www.carpediemeducation.org

Now for a few 'more fun' facts!

Sao Paulo is the largest city of Brazil,

and is the capital of the state of Sao Paulo.

This city is the seventh largest metro area in the world!!!

Guaraja Beach, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Sao Paulo is quite famous for the tallest buildings in Brazil,

Fashion events, such as Sao Paulo Fashion Week,

and is the most populous city in the Americas!!!

Math quiz - work it out!

Sao Paulo has an area 1,523 square kilometers

and an estimated population of about

11,037,593 people living in the city.

So, how many people is that per square kilometer?

After you figure it out, let me know!

:0)

a woman in Salvador

I like the city's "Motto of Sao Paulo":

"I am not led, I lead"

Cool!

another photo of Iguazu Falls

So, Happy Independence Day, Brazil!

frog, the Amazon

inkspired

www.inkspired.etsy.com

www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com

dominoes@myinkspired.com

A Pink Pat of Flamingos

Shalom!

(Hebrew for Hello and Peace)

Those silly flamingos, they want to land in my blog again!

I told them no, I already had a blog on flamingos,

but they insist.

I resist.

They try to threaten me with flamingo poop all over my yard.

I tell them I have a GREAT DANE,

a big dog, with big....poop.

They can't scare me.

They threaten a huge honk-fest.

Oh, well......okay...

I make a new treasury on etsy:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTc2MTA5M3w2Nzg1NzY2Njc/flaming-pink-flamingos

So, are they happy already?

No.

They insist - only a BLOG will do.

sigh.

okay!

What can one do when trying to reason with a flamingo?

I did have a lot of fun putting together a Flaming Pink Flamingo treasury!

I found enough super items to make another one,

only a Peach Flamingo treasury.

I haven't come up with a clever title yet, so it is waiting to be finished.

Do you have a clever title for my treasury?

Let me know, and I will give you credit!

dominoes@myinkspired.com

http://www.chocolatebykim.etsy.com/

Yum Yum Yum for the Tum-Tum Tum!

Here's a plate to eat them on -

http://www.blythehousevintage.etsy.com/



Should we all wear hair nets whilst serving the treats?

I've found some for us - 

http://www.whimzythyme.etsy.com/

You know, with fancy cookies, you have to have a PARTY!!!

Whatever shall I wear to the Pink Flamingo Party?

http://www.queenoftheelephants.etsy.com/

No, perhaps that's too casual for this sugar cookie affair.

Perhaps this will do -

Only, I'm not blonde or skinny...

Perhaps if I wear these,  no one will notice

that I am not blonde or (that dirty word).

http://www.sssj.etsy.com/

or this pretty necklace?

http://www.sssj.etsy.com/

Nah, too fancy now. I'll save them for later.

Now THIS looks just perfect -

http://www.carolaudrey.etsy.com/

And maybe this for my hair!

http://www.isamaydesigns.etsy.com/

Alice is such a show-off. I wonder what she will be wearing?

http://www.illustrativetakeover.etsy.com/

I definitely think we should decorate for the party -

  

http://www.jollytimeone.etsy.com/

http://www.burgeestudio.etsy.com/ 

I love this sign for the door -

http://www.posterpop.etsy.com/

 Oh! I almost forgot to send invites!

http://www.glenillustrates.etsy.com/

Hmmmmm, Nancy is always soooo high-bred in her mind,

maybe I should send her this one instead:

http://www.poordogfarm.etsy.com/

Oh, that Nancy. She always has to bring something...

I better find a dish for these Jordan almonds -

okay, yeah, they are pretty!

http://www.alottocollect.etsy.com/

Well, yes, I do really like this dish, but perhaps the pastel almonds

will look better in this one -

http://www.clcort.etsy.com/

Here's a little activity while we wait for everyone to show up:

And a fun and yummy time was had by all....

To make the party ending perfect, I passed out one of these to each guest,

so they can remember that Flamingos

can be

very insistent.

http://www.celtictidecreations.etsy.com/

Now get your big pat of flamingos off my lawn!!!

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

dominoes@myinkspired.com

http://www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com/

Little Miss Muffet, Tuffets and fun Spiders!

Hey y'all!

Little Miss Muffet detail of painting

by Scott Gustafson

Little Miss Muffet

Little Miss Muffet

Sat on a tuffet,

Eating her curds and whey.

Along came a spider,

Who sat down beside her,

And frightened Miss Muffet away.

Poor little Miss Muffet!

Let's make some cute spiders,

so next time she won't be so frightened!

     

Spider Pretzels 

These arachnid treats are easy to make and they look positively lifelike
crawling across your child's snack plate.

For each:
2 round crackers (like Ritz)
2 teaspoons smooth peanut butter
8 small pretzel sticks
2 raisins

With the peanut butter, make a cracker sandwich.

Insert eight pretzel "legs" into the filling.

Place them 4 on one side, and 4 on the opposite side.

With a dab of peanut butter, set two raisin "eyes" on top, front.

Makes 1.

I do have a photo, but I can't figure out how to get it to the blog. Sorry.

Use your imagination, and I'm sure they will be cute!

So just what is a "tuffet"?

Well, it can be a little stool to sit on,

or it can be a patch of grass, like a tuft of grass.

In most of the pictures/illustrations/paintings that I have found,

Miss Muffet is sitting on a low stool.

A vintage Jessie Wilcox Smith postcard

Here is a great Spider Iris Folding pattern, courtesy of Chona:

If you can't quite remember how to do Iris Folding,

type into my search box "iris folding" and a nice tutorial should pop up,

along with several more patterns. These will be in different blogs.

1889 vintage illustration

There is a charming coloring page on Mary Engelbreit's web site:

http://www.maryengelbreit.com/

She has several super coloring pages!

I have a simple scherensnitte (papercutting) pattern for you next.

The pattern page has Little Miss Muffet on the top,

and Little Jack Horner on the bottom.

2 for 1!

vintage illustration, courtesy of http://www.mamalisa.com/

 

 

So what are curds and whey?

Sounds icky....

 

Whey is the watery part of milk that separates from the curds

when making cheese.

I kind of think of it as watery cottage cheese!

Miss Muffet embroidery pattern from TurkeyFeathers

 

Here is another fun 'Spider' to make!

 

Spider Pops

You will need:

black pipe cleaners (chenille stems)

Tootsie Pops (lollipops)

googly eyes

glue

1. Hold four pipe cleaners, center them at the base of the pop and

         wrap them around the stick once so there are 4 legs on each

         side of the round pop.

2. Bend the pipe cleaner ends of each leg to form eight feet. Just

         about 1/2" or so.

3. Glue on googly eyes to the bulb of the pop, in front.

4. Spiders can crawl around anywhere you want them to, on their 

          pipe cleaner legs!

Wouldn't these make cute Halloween party favors or hand-outs?

Note Miss Muffet's MUSHROOM tuffet!

note the slightly different verse on this one.

courtesy of http://www.andrewfinnie.blogspot.com/

He creates interesting digital photography art.

 

I have had fun with Little Miss Muffet today.

This is the blog that I had done in July,

only to have blogspot eat it.

Grrr....

But I'm not mad today, so we had some tuffet-fun!

 

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

dominoes@myinkspired.com

http://www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com/