Happy Halloween

Today is a double whammy! Not only is it Happy Monday, but it is Happy Halloween as well!

I hope you all are having a great pumpkin day!

I celebrated by going ghost hunting this past weekend! I can't wait to share my stories with you all!

Now I am off to hand out candy to all the kiddos is the neighborhood!

Straight Off the Runway...

And just in time to be a perfect gift idea for your holiday stockings!

Recently Glamour sent their Glambassadors, such as yours truly, this chic cocktail ring. First seen on the runway during Oscar de la Renta's spring show at New York Fashion week, this accessory has more to it than meets the eye.

By sliding open the top of the ring the lovely smell of Esprit d'Oscar solid Eau de Parfum is revealed.

Beginning in early November the solid perfume ring will be available exclusively on Facebook at:

http://www.facebook.com/oscardelarenta

Please Help

Nothing makes me more upset than innocent creatures being injured due to the irresponsibility of others. So as you can imagine I, like most others viewing the events in Zanesville, Ohio on Tuesday, was devastated. Unfortunately I do not believe that the law enforcement who responded had any choice but to tragically end the lives of the animals that were roaming the area. What this event did do was show the lax laws that are enforced on people who purchase exotic animals...and as we all see the results can be tragic!

The average person can not financially support the needs of an exotic animal such as a tiger. Eating up to 20 pounds of food a day and having an average lifespan of 25 years can quickly make the large cat a costly pet. That added to the fact that the cuddly cub quickly turns into a roaring creature that can take down a buffalo would make most people come to the conclusion to instead get a tabby cat or perhaps a puppy instead.

For those lacking in common sense let's help make their decision for them by showing the government that the laws for exotic animals in captivity need to be better regulated! Please follow the link to the World Wildlife Fund and sign the petition for this much needed cause!

Happy Monday

Happy Monday and this is your friendly reminder that you only have two short weeks to figure out your Halloween costume! And I only have two short weeks to get a Halloween play list together. For five years the hubs and I have had the same set of songs that we play outside while waiting for the next batch of vampires, goblins and fairy princesses to come along. The list as it stands consists of Michael Jackson "Thriller", Marilyn Manson "Sweet Dreams", "The Addams Family Theme" and "Monster Mash". Those same four songs play roughly 1,000 times each during the night...perhaps I am exaggerating a tad, but you get my need to find more songs! Any suggestions?

So who already has their costume? I was actually early for once in picking out mine, which actually was my second choice. Turns out I have too much junk to go into the trunk of the black swan costume I had originally ordered!

Here's a hint as to what I decided on instead:

Hope this week is great for all of you!

Happy Birthday and Thank You!

This month marks the fourth birthday of Joy De Vivre!

I can not thank all of you enough for giving me an audience to write for these past few years. I started a blog to advertise for my Etsy shop and then quickly remembered that writing was my favorite creative outlet.

I truly appreciate anyone who takes the time to stop by, read, leave comments and be a part of Joy De Vivre. I have made some really amazing online friends and even some real life ones as well through my blog and I thank you all.

Photo courtesy of D Sharon Pruitt via flickr

It's Friday!

Am I the only one that immediately thinks of that awful "Its Friday, Friday..." song now when exclaiming joy that the weekend is here at last?

Things have been so hectic lately, but there is nothing like spending time with friends....and being goofy!

Last weekend I spent Saturday at Dave and Buster's celebrating my friend's birthday. AND I won and Angry Bird...lol. Yes I spent $25 in tokens when I could have bought it at Target for $5, but I would not have had nearly as much fun!
Here's to enjoying the weekend!

And since this mess is stuck in my head I shall leave you with...

Happy Monday

Wishing you all the start of a lovely week!

America the Beautiful

I stole the title of this post from the patriotic song, originally written by Katharine Lee Bates about Pike's Peak. After seeing the majestic beauty it is clear what she was speaking of. Last week I had the opportunity to visit Colorado for the first time and it was amazing to see history first hand.

Since I have never been, nor plan to ever be, a hiker I choose other ways to see Pike's Peak from the top...

Pike's Peak Cog Railway did the trick! Much easier that schlepping a backpack full of equipment up to the top of the mountain!

In Texas there is not much of an opportunity to throw snowballs in September! At the top of Pike's Peak the train stops for everyone to play in the snow..and they have cleverly built a souvineer shop up there as well. Would we expect anything else?!

According to the tour guide the leaves had just began to change a few days earlier and it was a sight to behold.

Another stop was at Garden of the Gods. The sandstone formations make up one of the National Natural Landmarks and make a great location for photographers, hikers and they even offer guided tours by horseback as well.

How amazing would it be to have deer in your back yard? Well something tells me Barkley would not be fond of sharing his habitat. I personally would find joy in having the peaceful creatures right outside my door. This Bambi was in a yard in residential Manitou Springs.

The Manitou Cliff Dwellings give visitors an insight as to how the Anasazi Indians lived 800 to 1000 years ago. The dwellings which now sit in Manitou, Colorado were actually originally built in another area of the state then moved to their current spot in 1904. They are now part of a museum and preserve that also has architecture from the Pueblo Indians.

Gabe didn't capture my death defying climb in the picture above...ok it was only about five feet, but it was still pretty cool! LOL!

Above is an example of the Pueblo Indians architecture. I've always loved the Native American culture. My great grandmother was a Cherokee Indian,(too bad her tan wasn't passed on), so I've always loved learning about the different tribes.

Apparently the Anasazi's were of a smaller variety. Well I guess heels wouldn't have been appropriate for cliff living anyway!


Our last stop was to see the Broadmoor Hotel. We did not stay at this stunning resort, but if I once again find myself in Colorado Springs I would like to.

The property has lush landscaping, great shopping and I'm sure as a guest the ammenities are even better.

I never knew that a Hummingbird Moth existed until we saw one in the gardens at the Broadmoor. Apparently they are pretty rare, but we spotted a few that day.

Well enough boring you all with vacation pics! I hope you are all having a great weekend!