Not all at one time, but I have owned all of these sunglasses. The ones in the middle are my current shades. 🙂

I absolutely love accessories, but I have three leading weaknesses:

* Sunglasses

* Hats

– & –

* Rings

(In that exact order.)

For all three of these things, the BIGGER the better!!!

Today I’m sharing some of my favorite sunglasses throughout the last few years. I am hard on my sunglasses. They go everywhere with me, and I feel naked without them. If they are not on my face, they are on the top of my head. It is 6:30 PM and dark outside, I am lying on the couch in a skull-&-crossbones sweatshirt and pajama sweatpants, but I still have my sunglasses on like a headband. Corey Hart, if you’re reading this… #REPRESENT! I only have 2 pairs at one time — my favorite pair and a backup pair — but because I live in them, they have about a 6 month lifespan. ::smirk:: That’s why I never spend more than about 10 bucks on them. I get a buzz when I find a new pair of shades that I like! Sometimes I L <3 V E them something silly, like these, for example:

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“Babbette Hines is a collector of vernacular photography. Her gallery Found: Photo is located in Los Angeles.”

I have been bewitched by photobooths since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. I am not entirely certain what spawned the fiendish fascination with them, but not only did I jump in jublilant glee when I came across one randomly, but I began to collect anything & all things that had to do with them. This pertained to getting all of my most beloved & dearest friends in one with me, mostly (and also making collages out of the strips), but anything I am able to scare up about photobooths is fair game. In a (picture) perfect world, I would have my very own photobooth in the foyer and make it a stipulation once you entered our digs that you MUST have a strip taken. Never underestimate how much I am not ever kidding! Consider yourself warned for when I make my first mill. (<– And I will probably make a plastic windmill before I ever make a mill-mill, so don’t go getting yourself all gussied up…… yet!)

One holiday, my mother got me the book Photobooth by Babbette Hines (how GREAT is the name Babbette, by the way?!). I absolutely adore it! What I learned from this book is that in 1925 a Siberian immigrant named Anatol Josepho had the brainchild of a bantam booth with a curtain where people could take portraits of themselves instantly. Because of him, the first photobooth was created. It took about twenty years before there were more than thirty thousand in the U.S. — this large number produced, mostly, due to WWII because the soldiers and their sweethearts exchanged photos through many written love letters home, and visa versa. They became a fixture in drugstores/stores all over, but in the 1960’s Polaroid pictures really threatened the automatic photo contraption. (I love Polaroids, too, but BOO!)

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It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that my first true love was Gregory Peck. He became my biggest heartthrob when I saw the 1953 romantic comedy Roman Holiday when I was just 7 years old, and it had been spliced up and made for TV. Of course I adored Audrey (even though she’s not my favorite Hepburn), but Gregory captured & raptured me — everything about him from his tall, lanky gait, his deep, riveting voice, his distinguished, angler jawline, and these handsome & lovesome eyes that looked wise no matter what mood Joe Bradley was in. Yet, at this time, even though what reeled me in was how debonair and sophisticated he was, he was mere eye candy. (I was a mildly peculiar elementary schooler with crushes like: Jimmy Stewart, Jeff Goldblum, Steve Martin, & David Bowie. I’m fairly certain my parents worried about me more than I realized. ::shrug::)

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It’s SPARKLETACULAR SATURDAY! I hope all of you Ravin’ Mavens are having a funtastic weekend and being as playful as peppy & prankish pussycats. We are definitely whoopin’ it up like whoa over here. My Mini Maven is having a sleepover with her fab friend, but a fever just broke out — a DISCO FEVER! We hung a disco ball in her room today. She is positively jazzed! It even blinks with the beat of the music. Those dancing divas have their own little club going on in there.

Therefore, tonight I have no plans of writing out a lengthy blog post about products or fashion. HOWEVER, today the splendiferous springy deities got together after hearing my grousing (in yesterday’s blog installment) and aligned stars for me and everything — it was 73 degrees outside this afternoon! I wore a spaghetti strap tank top & pedal pushers! #happyhappyjoyjoy

I CAN’T WAIT until that’s every day. I can hear my Grandma Jane whispering in my ear, “You’re wishing your life away, my dear.” So, I will luxuriate in these final days until spring, in my Not a Cloud in Sight coat & my bow party gloves (which serve absolutely no purpose in keeping my hands warm, but are cute as all get out!). But just this ooonce more…

Some suuuper-dee-duper springy scores I bought for a song:

***Ignore the photo quality. This was taken on my patio with my camera phone.

Cream & black polka dot cotton tank top with lace from Old Navy — $9.99

Vintage “Backspace” typewriter with wings necklace from Etsy — a gift from my DH. It is uncouth & not mannerly to ask how much a bestowal is, so look on Etsy!

Black-on-White bandana from Wal*Mart — .88 cents. I’d pretty much rather sprinkle razor blades on my Fruity Pebbles than go to Wally World willingly, but they rock for bandanas!

Heart-shaped fabric bobby pins from Mod Cloth — Whenever you purchase something for the first time with Mod Cloth, they send you a complimentary gift. I got these delightfully sweet flower-fabric-covered pins!

*** *** *** Alrighty-o (<—— I’ve always like “alrighty-oh” better (It was critical that you knew that)), back to the slumber party! I’m off to put on my ruffled, cerulean & brown, polka dotted, monogramed apron and bake these dainty darlings some red velvet cupcakes!

Night, night, sleep tight… Don’t let the dowdy bug bite!

~ Angelika Frangelico *Gros bisous*
*** This brand-new, squeaky clean time machine week of “What’s Ravin’, Maven?” has been all about introduction & silly-hearted fun. NEXT week we’re going to get down to business – independent & local businesses all over the U.S. WRM will be featuring photographers, salons, seamstresses, & possibly musical artists! It’s going to be a high time! So, if you have anything you’d like to promote, get ‘wit’ me & keep your talents, trades, & terrific-ness comin’ my way!