DIANE'S CORNER ..
Celebrate Ugly Christmas Sweater Day
Lurking in the murky depths of many people’s wardrobes is a colorful, brash and (in most cases) highly embarrassing novelty Christmas sweater which, were it not for National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, would probably never see the light of day.
Who knew that something so ugly could also be so beloved? Ridiculous little dogs with smushed faces? Fine! Hideous, but oh-so-comfortable shoes? Dandy! But ugly Christmas sweaters…
The English language doesn’t have a special word for something that’s both ugly and cherished, but other languages do. In Japanese it’s known as busakawa. In French, it’s jolie laide. And the idea is that there are some things in life that are so ugly, they’re beautiful.
National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day is all about honoring those things that are so ugly that everyone loves them!
History of National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day
When the “Jingle Bell Sweater” trend began in the 1950s, it was one of the ways that the Christmas and winter holiday season started becoming commercialized in the US and other Western countries. Complete with fancy designs, the ugly sweater was often worn during these days by television personalities. Val Doonican and Andy Williams were some of the people who brought festively decorated sweater designs into popularity, but they quickly slipped away again.
It took a few decades until the sweaters made another surge and, in the 1980s, the ugly sweater became a bit of an iconic statement when worn by television and film fictional characters such as Bill Huxtable (from The Cosby Show) and Clark Griswold (from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation).
Fading back into obscurity again in the 1990s, it wasn’t until 2001 when Bridget Jones’ Diary was released that things got even more interesting for ugly sweaters. Mark Darcy, the character played by Colin Firth in the film, sported a ridiculous reindeer ugly sweater (called a “jumper” in this British flick) and that just may have been responsible for reviving the trend in the early 2000s.
Whatever the reason, ugly sweaters came back around and have been more popular than ever. Whether referring to vintage ugly sweaters that your grandma wore, or mass produced ugly sweaters that feature jokes from movies like A Christmas Story or Rudolph, or perhaps even something that has been custom decorated, Ugly Christmas Sweater Day is meant to celebrate them all!
Ugly Christmas Sweater Day was the brainchild of a couple of guys from Vancouver, Canada, who decided to use the idea of ugly sweaters as an opportunity to raise money for the cancer treatment that a friend needed. Since that time, the idea of ugly sweater parties and Ugly Christmas Sweater Day has been embraced in a variety of contexts and has created many donations for many different charitable causes.
Officially proclaimed in 2012 by the Mayor of Vancouver, Gregor Robertson, this annual celebration is not simply an excuse to parade humiliatingly-unfashionable seasonal knitwear featuring Rudolph and Frosty the Snowman; it can also be a light-hearted and enjoyable fundraising event.
thanks, Michele, Picture Coordinator
have you put up your tree yet?
WORD OF THE DAY
bibliophobe
MEANING:noun: A person with a strong aversion to books.
ETYMOLOGY:From Greek biblio- (book) + -phobe (one who fears).
USAGE:“While the US is governed by a tempestuous bibliophobe who expresses himself with all-caps and exclamation marks, David Johnston is avuncular and studious.”
Jonathan Kay; A True Canadian; Johnston Turned Out to Be the Governor General We Needed; National Post (Canada); Jul 22, 2017.
Jonathan Kay; A True Canadian; Johnston Turned Out to Be the Governor General We Needed; National Post (Canada); Jul 22, 2017.
watching us push the snow around....
was a Mexican-American artist. Among other works, he created collectible plates for the 1984 Summer Olympics, which became "The Official Gift of the 1984 Olympics". Escalera also created a collectible plate for the 1986 World cup hosted in Mexico. Escalera's primary medium was oils on canvas. The majority of his works are based in realism as he did not like abstract painting.
IDIOM OF THE DAYWhat does 'bounce off the walls' mean?
Meaning: If someone's bouncing off the walls, they are very excited about something.
stay safe as it gets colder
thanks, Patsy
thanks, Patsy
(Not So) TOTALLY USELESS FACTS OF THE DAY
Longer basketball shorts became popular after Michael Jordan asked Champion, the manufacturer of NBA uniforms, to make them longer so that he could hold on to them when he was out of breath.
A 'contronym' is a word that can mean one thing or the exact opposite. Ex: "Dust" can mean 'to remove dust' or 'to cover with dust'
Found in eastern and southern India, the Malabar giant squirrel is a bright and multicolored squirrel. Also known as an Indian giant squirrel, they can grow to be as long as three feet.
We never knew = it didn't show. RIP Stephen “tWitch” Boss
PATTERN BOOK FRIDAY
COFFEEthanks, Ella
COFFEE
PICTURES OF THE DAY
Beulah Ream Allen (January 26, 1897 – March 17, 1989) was an American nurse and physician. During World War II, she volunteered as a civilian surgeon for the United States Army and was stationed in Baguio, where she was responsible for the care of nearly 30 soldiers, while the rest of the Army retreated to the Bataan Peninsula. Taken prisoner in 1941, she was held in three internment camps before being liberated. Returning to the United States, she resumed her practice in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1960, she moved her practice to Provo, Utah, where she served as the dean of the Brigham Young University College of Nursing until 1964. Allen retired in 1979 and in that year married and relocated to Mesa, Arizona, where she lived until her death in 1989. This photograph shows Allen being awarded the Medal of Freedom in 1946 for her service. |
Akron, Ohio, USA
knit
thanks, Dawn
knit
crochet
crochet
crochet
CROCKPOT RECIPE
VEGAN/ VEGETARIAN RECIPE
Both vegetarian and vegan diets may provide health benefits, including reduced body weight, lower cholesterol levels, and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, it is important for vegetarians and vegans to ensure that they are meeting all of their nutritional requirements.
COPYCAT RECIPE
RETRO RECIPE
SWEETS RECIPE
CRAFTS
PUZZLE
WORD SEARCH
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SUDOKU .. very hard
solution:
all on the farm are ready for Santa
What Superpower Do You Think Can Save The Earth From Being Destroyed?
QUOTE
CLEVER
OPTICAL ILLUSION
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