Mother Earth

It’s not just because it’s Mothers’ Day in the UK, but ever since the human tribe has existed on this planet, we’ve revered mother figures – and most tribes, cultures and religions have worshipped their own mother ‘goddesses’. There are many symbols and artistic representations of Mother Earth, as well as personifications throughout history.

Isis was considered by the Egyptians to be the mother of the world and Gaia was a Greek goddess personifying the earth. To Christians, Eve is considered to be the ‘mother of all the living’ and for Hindus, Parvati is considered the supreme Divine Mother and the embodiment of the total energy in the universe. Above is an African symbol for Mother Earth and the Navajo, a Native American version, traditionally painted in turquoise is shown left. The marks on her body symbolize corn, pumpkin, tobacco and beans – all thought to be life-giving elements to the Navajo.

At ShopCurious, we’ve our own tribute to earth mothers in the form of hand painted ethnic-inspired clothing, unique tribal accessories, traditional artefacts and kitsch retro memorabilia depicting fertility icons and mother and child images. However, these are nothing compared to the extraordinary display in celebration of Mother Nature by the Surma nd Mursi tribes of East Africa’s Omo Valley.

Pictures by Hans Silvester, (from the book Natural Fashion: Tribal Decoration from Africa), show authentic and exotic tribal fashion at its best.

Unusual and distinctive headdresses and eco-friendly jewellery are made from natural materials like flowers, fruits, skins, shells and local vegetation from the borderlands of Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan.

The handmade, raw and recycled outfits are breathtakingly beautiful in their design, colour and stylish simplicity.

We’re not suggesting that you go out and paint your face with clay, or wear snail shells around your neck, but this could give you all the inspiration you need to create a truly original tribal look for yourself.

Or perhaps you already have your own special way of showing your appreciation of Mother Earth?

Do you?

Byte-counting our first year

A week ago we celebrated our first anniversary at the blog-face. I haven’t had much time for blogging lately, so this is a bit belated, but here are a few stats about The Hand Mirror’s first year:Posts: 959 published (quite a few still sitting in draft!)Comments: Way too many to count, since we started, but adding up the monthly byte-counts I’ve been doing recently gives 2737 comments from

TonicGifts as Featured in LetsShop.com

flower boy

my gardinias leafs are turning yellow from the top of the bush, whats happening and can i correct the probablem. tks.

Calla Lilies

By Mary: I planted about a dozen calla lilies in my flower garden in June. The leaves are very healthy but not one has flowered. Can you give me any hints as to what I might have done wrong?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Dear Mary,

I think, if the soil temperature is too cold, the callas will set back and cause problems with flowering.

Anyways, as the plant is growing healthyly, try this one.

When they are actively growing, fertilize the callas once a month with any houseplant fertilizer such as 20-20-20.

Just £44.95 for Newcastle United Personalised Football Book – Novelty Gifts

Only £4.84 for Lovers Candy Bra – Novelty Gifts

Only £4.84 for Lovers Candy Bra – Novelty Gifts

Ellembee Giveaway

Customized Girl Review & Giveaway

If you were to open my closet right now, you would see that my main article of clothing is t-shirts. I have them in all colours, designs and fabric and am always on the lookout for a cool looking t-shirt to add to my wardrobe. I’m very excited to introduce my readers to Customized Girl because I have found my favourite t-shirt!!

But first, let me tell you a bit about Customized Girl and what they have to offer. Customized Girl is an interactive website focused on personalized fashion. They believe in encouraging creative expression and know that fashion is more exciting when you can be your own personal designer.

It’s well laid out and simple to use. You can browse through the countless designs already listed or you can create your own unique signature t-shirt, hoodie, pants, and even underwear! They have clothes for women, men, and kids as well as accessories.

I went browsing through the designs already there for women and came across the Vampires & Rhinestones category. Seeing I am obsessed with Twilight (which btw is out today!!) I wanted to share this cute little t-shirt that was inspired by the series. They have many more in there too so you can check them out. Or why not design your own Twilight t-shirt?

My Review

Customized Girl asked me to design my own t-shirt for my review. The process was straightforward- I selected the style of shirt I wanted which was the Bella® Sheer Longer Crew Neck Tee. I prefer longer shirts since they are usually more flattering on me. I went with the colour black and I wanted to keep it simple so I choose to put a triquetra on the front. The t-shirt is a snug fit and is 98% Cotton and 2% Spandex.

When I first tried on the t-shirt, I was amazed at the softness of the material. Even after being washed many times, it still retains the softness. Another great thing is that it fits so well. I often found in the past when I bought shirts that were tight fitting that they would stretch out after I wore them a few times. This shirt maintains the shape and was not stretched out in the slightest! I want to get more of this style but in other colours and with other designs on the front. This literally is the best t-shirt I have ever owned. I recommend this company 110%. Even the design on the front didn’t peel off or fade at all.

Customized Girl only carries the best brands like Bella, American Apparel and Gildan in order to ensure the highest quality for their customers. As for price, the shirt I received was $24.97 which is definitely affordable and on par with what you would pay in other stores. Love Love Love this company!!!

Discount

Customized Girl has offered my readers a 15% discount on your order by using the promo code SAS15.

Giveaway

Customized Girl would like to give one of my readers a $25 gift card.

To Enter:

This contest is set up differently than how I normally do my giveaways.

To enter the contest, please visit Customized Girl and create an account. Once you are logged into your account, please follow these simple instructions:

1. Choose an Item.
2. Select Item Colour.
3. Add Custom Text (change font, colour, size as desired).
4. Add a Clipart or Upload a Photo.
5. Adjust design as desired.
6. Save design (click on floppy disk image).
a. Name Design
b. Add a description.
c. Use tag StacieVaughan
d. Choose option ‘Share’ under ‘Share Option’.

Open to anyone 13 years of age or older with a valid email address. Click here for complete rules as set out by Customized Girl.

Giveaway will end on April 3, 2009 at 12:00 pm EST. Winner will be selected by representative of Simply Stacie (that’s me) from all designs tagged with the tag StacieVaughan that were submitted between the contest start and end dates. I will then notify the winner by email and they will have 48 hours to reply back before a new winner is selected.

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