Wandering Wednesday - Jalama Beach California

Jalama Beach California is one of those places that not many people know about, even those that live in California.  It is one of those spots that you just google and say "that looks nice" but once you get there it is amazing!  It is one of the prettiest beaches that I have been to and it has many attributes that will make it a great place to take your family.

The only unfortunate part is that you have to travel a bit to get there and it may seem that you are lost but your not.  It is locate approximately 20 miles Southwest of Lompoc California in Santa Barbara County.  You must be willing to drive a long stretch through some rolling hills and farmland.  You will also want to note that as you get closer to your destination the roads will get a little more narrow and you will loose cellular services.  The neat thing about the journey is just when you are starting to think "there is no way there is a beach here," you will crest the last hill and get a panoramic view of the ocean.

There are many activities available such as whale and bird watching, surfing, fishing, and hiking.  The main attraction for me was the hiking and a leisurely stroll along the beach.  I simply liked Jalama for its beautiful shore line and ocean view.  I had so much fun looking at the little shrimp and other creatures that would get trapped in the pools that formed as the waves retreated back to the ocean over the soft rocks. 

At Jalama you have the best of two landscapes. On the right side of the beach it is rocking and great for exploring and hiking; the rocks almost look like they've been painted.  Unfortunately my camera did not capture how bright the deep bands of red, tan and beige were that ripple through the rocks.  The other side of the beach has the traditional sandy shore wonderful for the kids to play in and for you to enjoy beachcombing.

Jalama has a great campsite for those that love to rough it; most people have rated the camping as very good and report that they really enjoyed the site.  They have cabins if you don't want to bring a tent and there is a small store called Jalama Beach Store & Grill that reportedly has great burgers and has everything you'll need.  This website, http://www.santabarbara.com/activities/camping/jalama_beach/,  is very helpful for planning a trip to Jalama.  They do charge for parking which after traveling that far is good to know ahead of time.  I haven't been there for a couple of years so I am not exactly sure how much it is now.

I hope that you get a chance to enjoy one of California's hidden treasures; I am sure you will be glad that you made the trip.

Totally Postcard Tuesday - Street Scenes

Street scenes are one of the many reasons why I love to collect postcards. In the early 20th century more people lived in rural areas than in the hustle and bustle of the city. But the cities and towns were the life support of those that lived outside of it. It was the center for all of modern innovations and machinery; they were the epitome of the American Industrial Dream.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/69660367/postcard-shopping-district-buffalo-ny?ga_search_query=new%2Byork&ga_search_type=user_shop_ttt_id_6244670

The pictures printed these cities touched with color to proudly display modern travel and modern life in the big cities and towns. I can't imagine how many children would look at these cards and dream of living or at least visiting San Francisco or New York. The amazing public transportation line, power lines that lit up the streets, people everywhere chatting and it seemed that everyone was busy doing something in these cards.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/69660976/postcard-main-street-buffalo-ny-antique?ref=v1_other_1

Without television everything was an event and most often it could not be done in the privacy of your own home. People actually had to dress up, leave their house and go see the circus or the parade. They were happy to leave the monotony of the daily life. The interaction between people may not have always been perfect but at least they interacted. They had to; there’d been no other way to convey a message or to see something. People would congregate around interesting things such as newspaper stands to talk about the daily events, crowds would form if a stranger rolled in with something new and amazing on his cart.

In present times these postcards are very collectible and sometimes a challenge to find. Their charm and appeal comes from a little touch of nostalgia many of us feel as we see the interactions beautifully illustrated. Most important is that the people are busy doing and seeing new things for themselves not virtually. The personal connection of people in the early 20th century is something that we have unfortunately lost over time and our wonderful nation has certainly changed.

When these beautiful cards were first sold people often longed to visit distant places joining in the activity of a modern city. Now many of us look at these beautiful cards and long for a distant time and to join in the activity of a society before cell phones.

Monday Meet and Greet the Members of the Pacific Postcards Team - The Old Barn Door

Good Monday Morning, it is time for our second Meet and Greet.  As mentioned before the shops that are featured on Mondays are shops that participate in the Pacific Postcards Team on Etsy.  Today's featured teammate is Patricia owner of The Old Barn Door.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheOldBarnDoor#

Patricia has been a very active member of our team and also has been with the team since its beginning.  She has been very supportive of myself and other teammates which is greatly appreciated.  Patricia's works from her rural home in Canada and has over 500 postcards, along with other ephemera, for your browsing delight.

The Old Barn Door, at http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheOldBarnDoor,
primarily features vintage and antique postcards from a variety of subjects.  The shop offers a range of pretty holiday cards, linens, street scenes, early Canadian and US souvenir cards, scenic country sides, and many many others:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/90919002/st-patricks-day-souvenir-vintage

http://www.etsy.com/listing/93747209/chateau-frontenac-from-lower-town-quebec

The Old Barn Door has also started to design their own handmade note cards:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/93940337/black-lamb-on-photo-note-card-licorice

Patricia is quite the busy woman, as you can see from her profile, she not only manages a large shop but she also works full time plus as a farmer.  Her hard work is notable and I am proud to know her as an online friend.

From Patricia's Profile:
"I am a full-time organic farmer so my day starts early and ends late. My time is spent with my animals and large market garden of heirloom vegetables. Hard, but rewarding work and I wouldn't have it any differently. I do however find time to collect goodies and divest myself of extra items from my collection. I have a large collection of vintage postcards, Victorian Trade cards, stamps, covers and postal stationary as well as books and from time to time craft related material. I hope you will enjoy my offerings."  ~Patricia

Please take a minute to stop by The Old Barn Door and browse through the wonderful collection of ephemera that her shop has to offer.

Spiritual and Inspirational Sunday - February 26, 2012

I apologize ahead of time for not feeling very inspirational today.  I couldn't find anything that really struck me this week (I think that the gas prices overshadowed most news.)  So I decided to post a few pictures of things that make me feel positive when World events try to overshadow God's glory.  People may be able to have enough power to make my car run out of gas but can they do this?

Here are the treasuries for the week that featured my little shop, PostcardsInTheAttic.  Have a very very Blessed Day!

Saturday's Gem - Rose Quartz

Since the color pink is my absolute favorite color, Rose Quartz is also on the list of one of my favorite semiprecious gem stones.  This mineral is commonly found in the US and all of the world since it is volcanic glass but there are only a few areas that have larger noted deposits of this stone.  What makes Rose Quartz different from other quartz is the pink color which comes from trace elements of titanium or manganese that was available at the time of formation.  California is one area that has a notable deposit and is reputed to have some very good quality and deep pink colored stones.  The stones that we typically see for sale at gem and mineral shows are from areas such as Madagascar, Brazil and there is also some that come from Germany. 


This raw Rose Quartz is from ETSY Shop Autumn Star Moon at http://www.etsy.com/shop/AutumnStarMoon?ref=seller_info

Rose Quartz is usually in a massive form which is unlike other quartz that form variable sizes of pointed crystals.  It is very rare to find a piece of Rose Quartz as a well formed crystal.   Because of this feature Rose Quartz is  more often used as beads and cabochons in jewelry making.  The most common specimens have a little bit of a milky or opaque quality to them so Rose Quartz is usually not faceted but some pieces do have that gem quality and can be used for fine jewelry. 

Rose Quartz is very brittle so when working with it you must keep this in mind.  Some times quartz will have inclusions (minerals that are not part of the main stone) that often will make the specimen perfect for a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry. 

Rose Quartz is also used for spiritual purposes; the stone is said to bring positive energy and to help heal the body and mind.  When purchasing Rose Quartz as a spiritual tool you should "cleanse" the stone first prior to using.  To cleanse the stone you use one of the four elements - fire, water, earth, or wind.  The easiest method that I find is to use sea salt in a deep container and I place the rocks into the salt and seal it for at least 24 hours.  You can also use dirt (messier), water (may damage some stones but not the quartz) or pass it through the smoke from a lit candle.  There are many sites that will provide significant more detailed information on how to cleanse your stone this is just a snippet. 

You also need to "charge" your stone, which can be as simple as leaving it on the window sill in the sunlight for at least 24 hours.  Again googling this will provide much more detailed information that this.  But you also will have to cleanse and recharge your stones often for them to be affective.  I even do this with my jewelry that is made out of real stone.  Especially after I first purchase it, who would want another person's energy or Karma?  My methods are just suggestions there are many other ways to cleanse and charge your crystals.  This site will get you a great start if you are interested in the energy from crystals: http://www.millenniumminerals.com/resources/clean.html.
Here are some examples of beautiful Rose Quartz specimens and jewelry: