Virtual Parranda

The easiest way to explain the Puerto Rican tradition of a parranda de aguinaldos involves a parade of local neighbors, family and friends singing traditional and folk christmas songs while playing instruments and traveling house to house serenading for food and beverages, spreading celebration and good cheer.  This originally began as a religious celebration of the coming birth of Christ beginning with masses held before Christmas day.  

In remembering such a wonderful tradition, and my family's wonderful neighbors (Hola Gonzalez family!) in Co-Op city who kept this tradition alive, please enjoy this medley of songs traditionally sung during this parade.  Share this story on your page or blog and help create the first (for what I know at least) virtual Parranda!

You might also like reading : Coquito For Dummies

Christmas Time Is Heeeeere!

SNL Christmas Song | Movies & TV | SPIKE.com

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

-Lainey

SVPPLY.COM

Its always fun to find how people find my Etsy shop.

Check out this compilation of members bookmarks and listings of their favorite retail items. Thanks to typeis4lovers for marking my Long Isis Berries Necklace :)

SVPPLY

≈December≈ Piruli Jewelry

≈ Cyber Monday Sale!

Receive 15% off your total purchase
between 12am-11:59 pm EST
on Monday 11/30/2009.
(15% of your purchase will be refunded after payment is finalized through PayPal)

≈ New Items will be added all week long!

≈ The Etsy Jewelry Artist Guild is hosting a St. Jude's Charity Fundraiser sale, visit the eJAG blog for more information at http://www.etsyjewelryartistguild.blogspot.com/ or visit the eJAG shop.

≈Type 'Spanglish Team' in Etsy's front page search bar to discover wonderful team-wide weekend sales.

Wine Lovin Misters

Pixies @ Hammerstein Ballroom 11/25

Fantastic show at one of my favorite venues. Waiting for those pre-sale tix were completely worth it. As they did all week long, they began with Doolittle b-sides, but I think this encore was the best (see setlist here). Seeing the kids amp'ed and ready for show # 2 starting at 1am made me feel extremely old, well, that and I had to wake up at 5am to watch a 20lb. turkey battle a slightly confused 40 year old Caloric oven.

They ended the first show with VAMOS

The Etsy Spanglish Team Anniversary Giveaway!

You could win a piñata full of wonderful Etsy Spanglish team gifts starting today (including a bracelet by Piruli Jewelry). The contest ends November 15th. For entry rules and a special look at all of the prizes in the piñata, please visit our Etsy Spanglish Team Blog.

Camaraderie = #27

...Can't buy or sell it. Its the magical essence of a successful team, whether on the field, in an office, or at home. Sure I haven't agreed with certain decisions made by the team or organization, but it sure was a fun year for watching Yankee baseball, and I will always enjoy watching the Yankees play when they play with this kind of charisma and camaraderie. Congratulations to the NY Yankees for #27. Its nice to see all of the smiles in my hometown (Boogie Down Bronx forevah!) and on the faces of Yankee fans all around the world. I LOVE BASEBALL!

Procession of the Ghouls 2009

Thank You Roy

I once wrote that Roy DeCarava was an artist with a timeless vision for beauty and a wonderful teacher with a sensibility for teaching artistic freedom. Today he left us, yet he leaves us with many lessons and memories to treasure. I am forever changed by his beauty and remain astounded by paths and circumstances that lead me to experience his grace and love for life.

I thank him for many things, but tonight I will specify one. I find myself on an eternal quest to discover music, and Roy used to play Sarah Vaughn, Coltrane, and other legends of jazz in the classroom when I studied photography with him at Hunter College . He gave me a list he prepared for his students who show interest in the music he played, a list of his personal favorite jazz albums to enjoy, almost like an introductory course in Jazz, Jazz 101. From that list I discovered a song, which I can easily say, is and will remain my favorite song of all time. There are over 50 recorded versions of this song titled For All We Know, written in 1934 by J. Fred Coots and Sam M. Lewis, but no one invokes the deep emotion of these lyrics like Aretha Franklin,

and tonight I dedicate this song to Roy.


DarkJive's blog post on The Sweet Flypaper of Life
New York Times Parting Glance: Roy DeCarava

Featured On Etsy's Front Page

I am very happy, extremely fortunate and grateful to announce that Piruli Jewelry was featured on the Etsy Front page yesterday!! This time, as a part of a rustic collection selected by the Etsy team. Continuous thanks to the Etsy team, family, friends and fans for your support and love.

Soupy

We all knew him as Soupy Sales, and I knew him through my father's stories of watching the Soupy Sales Show as a kid. I still laugh thinking of my father's imitations of Fang. Then one day I heard Soupy Sales impression of Fang in person.

I worked for Sam Goody on 60th and 3rd ave. in New York City for almost three years, starting in 1998. During that time a gaggle of celebrities shopped our store. I didn't recognize Soupy Sales on the day he first entered the store, one of my managers made a case that it was him and we asked. A sweet and gentle being, he responded, and I called my father excited. "You would never guess who was in the store today... no... guess!.... (impression of Fang)...YEAH! REALLY!"

He returned a few times to the store, I imagined it was part of his morning/afternoon stroll around the neighborhood. I had my cellphone ready to call my father waiting for him to return again, after I purchased Soupy Sales biography as a Christmas gift for him that year. Sure enough he did, and yes, he mumbled like Fang for my father by phone. He was delightful company and I hope he enjoyed visiting and speaking with us as well. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends as he has left us all with wonderful memories.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month Is Almost Over But...

Many of us unemployed folk do not have access, do not qualify for or can afford health insurance. This does not mean that we cannot be screened and tested for life threatening diseases. In many states, residents have access to programs and organizations hosting free screenings for a myriad of diseases, especially cancer. I came across a few websites, not only listing information free screening services for Breast Cancer, but also includes information on events raising money to continue such services.

National Breast Cancer Foundation
Healthy NY Cancer Services Program for NY State
Cancer Vixen Fund
Avon's Breast Health Resource Guide

Etsy Spanglish Team members are curating Pink themed treasuries throughout the month of October, here are a few currently running (treasuries are only active 2-3 days at a time) A few of the items included in these treasuries are donating profits to cancer organizations and research.

BululuStudio's Treasury



GarageInc's Treasury



MissButler's Treasury

To Be Featured...

It is incredibly exciting to see a prized creation hit the front page of Etsy. Thanks to Aromael Armoury's fabulous treasury below, I experienced the excitement many Etsy shop owners crave. It is a tremendous opportunity to have items so prominently displayed to hundreds of Etsy fans. I am forever grateful to the curator for including my item in this fabulous treasury.

Regina Spektor @t Radio City Music Hall

So yes, that one single she had drove me to the brink of insanity, (complete utter nuttylicious insanity) but her voice was fierce last night, I fell in love with many of her songs after seeing her live. A many thanks to those who made it possible for me to attend this show.

Craft Day: Dia De Los Muertos

I wanted to find interesting crafts for kids celebrating El Dia De Los Muertos or Day of the Dead, also known as All Souls Day.

>Dia De Los Muertos Magnet by MissButler.Etsy.Com

I received a message from a Spanglish Team member (hi Marilo!) about crafts for children and I have found a few listed below. Please note, adults can easily have a blast with these fun projects!


La Catrina Cigar Box Shrine by CraftyChica.com
-You will find tons of wonderful craft ideas and goodies on this website.
Pasta Skeleton Craft
Crayola Sugar Skulls Project

Have a craft idea in celebration of El Dia De Los Muertos? Know of other craft ideas available online? Share with a comment below!

Piruli Jewelry Featured in Etsy Twitter Gift Guide

A new gift guide appeared featuring selections from twitter posts (@pirulijewelry), including the Lexi Flower Bracelet below. Thanks Etsy!

Piruli Jewelry ≈ October Updates ≈ Tiny Buoy Necklace Winner!

The fall season is upon us, and here are a few things going on at Piruli Jewelry for the month of October!

≈ Free worldwide shipping for the entire month of October
≈ I have added a new collection

: Hermosa Collection :

A collection of gold and gold-fill pieces featuring special
gemstones and touches of sterling silver. New items will be added
all October long. Hermosa is Spanish for beautiful.

≈ New Lexi collection, Roquera collection, and Isis collection items added
≈ New twitter name! @PiruliJewelry

And now for the winner of the Tiny Buoy Necklace Giveaway!

First, I would like to thank all that have participated for supporting the Etsy Spanglish Team, and I would like to thank the Etsy Spanglish Team for all of their support for Piruli Jewelry.

And the winner is...(super fast drumroll please!!)

The winner with the 11th post is Aestraea! Congratulations and thank you for your entry. I will be notifying you shortly by email.

≈Have a wonderful Autumn everyone and thanks again for your support.≈

Wicked Sunrise

Catching the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean in Long Beach Island, NJ. October 2009.

Piruli Jewelry Tiny Buoy Necklace Giveaway!

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and the Etsy Spanglish Team, I will be hosting my first LaineyLizzard blog giveaway for Piruli Jewelry. I am very proud to be apart of the Etsy Spanglish team, getting to know about other art forms and the many variations of latin culture.

That said I will be giving away one Tiny Buoy Necklace featuring green aventurine and faceted orange swirl agate with sterling silver wire on dark brown cotton cord. Contains golden strand rutilated quartz rondelle beads acting as a button closure. Necklace measures 16"-17" in length and the pendant measures 5/8 inches(Retails for $15.00). The rules to enter are pretty simple;

• Check out various Etsy Spanglish Team members' shops and items using the following links. Spanglish Team on Etsy, Etsy Spanglish Team Blog, Spanglish Team on Flickr . Its always fun browsing and I'd love you to experience what I love about my fellow team members' shops.
  
• Return to this post and write a brief comment about your favorite team member shop and your favorite items. One comment per person please. Only comments left in response to this post will count towards the giveaway.
  
• One winner will be chosen with a random generator according to the number of your post and will be notified by email or through Etsy on October 9th, 2009. Winner will receive the necklace pictured above! If you wish to be notified through Etsy, please provide your profile name in your comment.
  

Good luck everyone! Thank you for your continued support of the Etsy Spanglish Team and Piruli Jewelry :)