Rabbit, Rabbit DAY!

Do you remember this from your childhood? My daughter reminded me today... it seems now that she has her own child, little bits of her childhood are coming back to haunt her.

I never knew why we did this, we just did. The first day of every month... before you utter any other words... you need to say "rabbit, rabbit" to ensure you have good luck that month. We, also, for some reason had to hop on one foot while saying it...
After researching it a bit I've found that it seems that you are supposed to say "rabbit, rabbit, rabbit" (or even "rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit) Perhaps that's where I've gone wrong... do you think the extra "rabbit" makes a difference?

According to Wikipedia, the origins go back as far as 1420 ! Possibly even the 1200's! I'm not going to mess with that history.

Tomorrow morning I will definitely say "rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit" and hop on one foot... we'll see if this makes a difference.

Oh... one more thing... if you forget to do this first thing in the morning...all is not lost! You can walk backwards down a flight of stairs or say "tibbar, tibbar" as the very last thing you say before you fall asleep that night. Wishing you much good luck this coming month! I know I could use it!

and the latest place to be...

A fabulous little coffee shop and boutique in Olmsted Falls is now carrying kimberlymonacodesigns! It's called Simple Expressions and it's just wonderful! The owner - a really nice person by-the-way - has a terrific eye for finding interesting and unique items.
You can relax on a comfortable leather sofa, sip lattes and browse through handcrafted items that include baskets, bath and body products, glassware, original artwork, pottery and, of course, jewelry!
Located just beyond the historic Grand Pacific Junction, it's a great place to spend a lazy afternoon browsing through all of the quaint little shops!

Now Showing...!

The latest edition to "where monaco designs can be found" is a chic little place on Cleveland's westside near the Detroit-Shoreway area. It's called Room Service. They have a fabulous mix of vintage and new... everything from housewares to boutique furniture, unique stationary and, of course, cool, handcrafted jewelry! Stop in! The owner, Danielle, has a knack for finding super cool, unique things and also for displaying them with flair. You'll love this place!

Penguin Awareness Day!

Are you aware of penguins? Did you know that Sunday, January 20th is Penquin Awareness Day? On this day spend a little time learning about them.... a pictorial book or internet site is fun. You can also watch a documentary of these cute and popular, grounded birds. There have been a bunch of great movies about them in the past year or so....
This day would also a time to wear black and white---penguin colors. However, wearing a tuxedo in their honor is optional.

Need a necklace to go with your black and white???? How about this? (of course it can be found in my little shop! (monaco.etsy.com)

It is also popular today to tell a penguin joke or two. Here's a couple to get you started....

A man drives to a gas station and has his tank filled up. While doing this the clerk spots two penguins sitting on the back seat of the car. He asks the driver, "What's up with the penguins in the back seat?"
The man in the car says, "I found them. I asked myself what to do with them but, I haven't a clue."

The clerk ponders a bit then says, "You should take them to the zoo."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," says the man in the car and drives away.

The next day the man with the car is back at the same gas station. The clerk sees the penguins are still in the back seat of the car.

"Hey, they're still here! I thought you were going to take them to the zoo!"

"Oh, I did," says the driver, "and we had a great time. Today I'm taking them to the beach."

or...

Q: How do Penguins drink their cola? A: On the rocks.
Q: What´s black and white and goes round and around? A: A Penguin in a revolving door.

Happy Penguin Awareness Day!!

for more unique 'holidays' you can go to http://www.holidayinsights.com/

Who Am I and What Do I Want?

With the new year now in full swing, many people are looking to start the next twelve months off with a positive change in their lives. What do I want to do this year and how am I going to accomplish this? For many, the answer is "I don't know what I want" or "I don't know how to get where I want".The issue is that people tend to focus on trying to find answers but they tend to neglect asking themselves the right questions.
How do you know what it is that you are looking for if you don't even know what you want? How are you supposed to find something that you will find fulfilling in your life if you don't know what it is that you are passionate about? The key is to begin searching for the answers from within.
Stop looking for answers from the outside because you'll only be living the life that others want you to live and you will not be creating your own true identity!
Begin to reflect on what it is that truly makes you tick and what it is that you are passionate about. Once you figure these things out it'll become easier for you to begin searching for ways to realize your true potential.
Here's an exercise that can help you in finding yourself. Find a place where you can really relax and have some undisturbed time to yourself. Give yourself some time and reflect back on your life with all of the experiences that have led you to the point that you are at today. Begin from where you are now and then begin to look back to the events that led you to this moment and continue to work your way backwards year by year. Focus on the paths that you chose and how they made you feel. Think about the people that you met and how they impacted your life (both positively and negatively). Reflect on the positive influences and think about what it was that they did which left a footprint in your life. Also, remember those who may have guided you in an unfavourable direction and learn from those experiences so that you may avoid similar occurrences from happening in the future.
The longer you spend on finding yourself, the stronger and more confident you will become in knowing who you are and what it is that you would like to accomplish with your life.

Thank you to whoever emailed me the link to this original post...a friend of mine sent me this text knowing I was going through a difficult time... the original post can be found here: http://ursuccess.blogspot.com/2006/01/who-am-i-and-what-do-i-want.html

Make Your Dream Come True day.....

January 13th is "Make Your Dream Come True Day!" This day gives you the opportunity to do something to realize your goals and dreams. Whatever your dreams are, they usually don't come true without some effort on your part. So, today is the perfect opportunity to do something about it. On this day do something, anything, to move in the direction of achieving your dreams. Sure, sometimes it takes several steps to accomplish them. So view today as a time to get started on them. With a little effort, they will come true! So in honor of this day..... this necklace (and others!) are available (as always) on monaco.etsy.com.

Did you ever wonder...?

• If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland called Holes?
• Why do we say something is out of whack? What's a whack?
• If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?
• If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
• When someone asks you, A penny for your thoughts, and you put your two cents in, what happens to the other penny? Or do you get change?
• Why is the man (or woman) who invests all your money called a broker?
• Why do croutons come in airtight packages? It's just stale bread to begin with.
• Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person drives a race car not called a racist?
• Why are a wise man and a wise guy opposites?
• Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things?
• Why isn't 11 pronounced onety one?

It's a sign from....???

Ok... so those of you who have read my blog before know how I love to find useless information and generally just ODD things. (odd instructions on household items, odd facts, etc...) Well here is a collection of odd (or simply humorous!) signs. I think they're fun and thought you might enjoy them too!

Happy New Year!

Wow it's really been a long time...but I was finally able to finish and list a new item today. The past few weeks I've been painting, caulking, sanding, cleaning... helping my daughter and my grandbug move in to a new home (very close to me!!). It's been terrific but very time-consuming and exhausting!

Anyway.... I found this fabulous jade cube and I think it makes a fabulous necklace! Jade is amazing.... it is an ancient stone that has historically been used to attract love. Jade can be used to bring money into your life and it strengthens your mental faculties and assists in clear reasoning. Jade is also a protective stone, guarding against accidents and misfortune.


The soothing green color of jade makes it a wonderful healing stone. It helps the body in self-healing while working through underlying, non-physical reasons for a precipitation for disease. It is particularly helpful for kidney, heart and stomach complaints.