StumbleUpon = the Crack of the Internet

Blogging is never ending work. Whether it's taking photographs, editing those photographs, researching future posts, writing the actual blog post, promoting, networking, picking products for wishlists, etc., etc., it seems like I'm never running out of things to do. Which is why my discovery of Stumble Upon couldn't have come at a worse time. I found it originally because the Independent Fashion Bloggers site, the place that is guiding me through the initial steps of all this blogging business, suggested submitting my very best blog entries to Stumble Upon to get more blog traffic. Well that indeed worked, but my productivity has also gone out the window. It's seriously addictive. Between that and Etsy (oh God, Etsy) I'm getting absolutely nothing done.

I decided however that maybe I could post some of the links where I learned stuff and start incorporating them into Factoid Friday. In between some of the silly pointless stuff, Stumble Upon is a wealth of knowledge (depending of course on what you choose as your interests.) I've linked some of my favourite articles at the bottom of the post for you to check out!

The book I'm pulling my facts from this week is called "Let's Bring Back" by Lesley M.M. Blume. It's a book recalling things that have gone out of style that never should have gone out of style - because they are totally rad! They talk about historical trends that were popular from Roman times, through the Renaissance, to Victorian, 1950s through the 1980s. Basically if it's gone out of fashion but practical or nostalgic people would still be into it, it's listed in this book.

A Cocktail Edition is also available from PlasticLand as well as a Language Edition being available from Modcloth. If you are interested in learning more about the series, visit Lesley M.M. Blume's official site.

Things I Learned From This Book

In the first half of the 19th century, something called a "courting candle" was used. When a man came to visit a lady he was attempting to woo, the parents would leave a candle burning in the room with them. When it burned low, it was time for him to run along.
Greta Garbo was as low-maintenance as they come in the beauty department. Her bathroom toiletries consisted of a toothbrush, a comb missing several teeth and half a bar of Lux soap, according to biographer Diana McLellan. If I could wake up looking like that, that's all I'd need too!

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I mentioned in an earlier blog post that fans held many secret meanings but so did flowers! What kind of flower and where it was worn said volumes in Victorian times. If you received a flower from a fellow and placed it by your heart, it meant true love; by the waist indicated interest but not commitment; in the hair signaled a rejection. But men could communicate by what flowers they gave as well. Red roses indicated love, white roses indicated not looking for love and yellow roses indicated jealousy. There are also some that just make me laugh such as carnations (disdain), violets ("modest worth") and scarlet geranium (stupidity.) Who knew flowers could be so fun?

Pssst, I don't think she's into it.

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Victorians loved to play parlour games, some which resembled the modern day "20 Questions," Brainteasers, charades and musical chairs. Other games included having one person smile and then having them try to get others to smile by any means possible. That sounds pretty tame, but one game involved bobbing for raisins. That were on fire. With your mouth. Let's not bring that game back, okay?

In a speakeasy, if the lights flashed on and off 3 times, the cops had arrived and it was time to skeedaddle.

In the 1960s, color themed menus were all the rage. What might you be served? A sample menu from the time listed "a smoked salmon starter, a cold rose-tinted cherry soup, roast beef with a hot puree of beets, sliced tomato salad, a centerpiece of radishes and raspberry sherbet topped with ripe strawberries."

Half doors are called Dutch doors (hey, that's news to me!)

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It Happened Today in History

In 1938, an Archbishop from Iowa, Francis J. L. Beckman warned that swing music is "a degenerated musical system... turned loose to gnaw away at the moral fiber of young people." Luckily people ignore him, swing perseveres and music continues to evolve, much to the dismay of religious leaders.

On this day in 1962, Nelson Mandela is sentenced to life imprisonment for sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government.

In 1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, author of the Canterbury Tales is believed to have died. His cause of death is unknown and the date is not verified either - his tombstone wasn't erected until 100 years after his death!

Katy Perry blows out her birthday candles today. She's a 1984 baby - just like me!

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 Vincent Price died this day in 1993. So Wikipedia says. Thanks to The Simpsons, I still don't know if he's dead or alive.

And my last "it happened today" piece of news is that it's the birthday of 7 year old conjoined twins, Krista and Tatiana Hogan. Read their amazing story here.

Some of my favourite links from Stumble Upon (aka, internet crack) this week are:

65 Amazing Facts That Will Blow Your Mind - Mental Floss
7 Movies That Put Insane Detail Into Stuff You Never Notice - Cracked
All 120 Crayon Names, Color Codes and Fun Facts - ColourLovers  - loving this one with my new need to experiment with HTML
The Least Popular American Baby Names According to Early Records - Mental Floss (Some of these names are ridiculous! Our Apple and Nevaeh today were the Lemon and Golden of yesteryear.)
And this last one. Because it offers really, really good advice (click to zoom) 100 Wisest Words

That's all for me! Be careful opening the Pandora's box that is Stumble Upon! Until next time!