Although it’s been five years since I left the hallowed hallways of Berkeley, the fall always reminds me of the promise of new knowledge.  For the fall issue of UPPERCASE magazine (which you can still enjoy through a subscription), I was inspired by the quintessential symbol of  timeless wisdom: library card catalogs.  Of course, in the spirit of Poetic Home, my article is filled with ideas on how to repurpose these wonderful biblio-antiquities.

Here is a closer look at the current rendition of my most recent library card catalog cabinet find.  It’s a cabinet of vintage curiosities for now, but I’m in the process of repurposing it for the baby’s nursery.

Does the fall remind you of back-to-school nostalgia too? It may be time for me to take a trip to the library this afternoon….

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“Ah!” our fairy godmother exclaimed.  “How could I forget the magic slippers?”

However, we would not see any of that glass slipper nonsense.  Our fairy godmother, who has been fashionable through the centuries, knew that only stilettos would suit a modern goddaughter.  And being an intelligent godmother, she fashioned from the House of Nature a pair of slippers – with cute ankle ties, nonetheless – that would not fall of any respectable lady’s feet.  Indeed, not walking barefoot was more important than leaving behind a “clue” about the transformed princess.  After all, with the population boom the fairy godmother has seen in the last century, it would be impossible for a modern prince to find his princess with just one shoe.  “That’s what Facebook is for,” she thought to herself.

And so our lovely fairy godmother waits in her fall fairytale, ready to come to the aid of any goddaughter looking for a modern “happily ever after!”

And on that note, I wish you a happy, happy Halloween friends!

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With the pumpkins ready for an instant carriage transformation, our fairy godmother started gathering baubles and regalia to adorn a needy goddaughter.  While she had no diamonds, emeralds, or rubies, she knew that with love and a wave of her magic wand, the rhinestones, pearls, and brass would transform into glittering beauty.

“Oh!  I must be getting old and forgetful!” the fairy godmother cried.  At the last minute, she pulled out her trusty antique alarm clock and set the bells for midnight.  “An ounce of preparation is worth a pound of magic dust,” she proclaimed.

However, our fairy godmother knew she was missing something else in her planning.  What could it be?  Chime in to help her remember what she’s missing, and tune in tomorrow for the final chapter of this fall fairytale.

(P.S.  If you don’t have time to carve your pumpkins for Halloween, why not adorn them with a few of your choice costume jewelry pieces?   Your dark sapphire and onyx pieces would look spooktacular!)

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Once upon a time, orange pumpkins were touched by a magical godmother, who transformed the gourds into pale, whimsical pumpkins with a natural vintage patina.  While the fairy godmother had already completed her duty for her famed goddaughter, Cindy, she still had plenty of magic to share.

Just in case another poverty-stricken goddaughter needed to be transformed into a princess for just one night (we are, after all, in a recession), the godmother readied her collection of pumpkins.  To expedite the transformation from pumpkin to carriage, she repurposed her Victorian-inspired orchid magnifier into a ready frame for a royal carriage.

But the fairy godmother’s work is not done!  After all, she is all about preemptive planning.  What’s next for this fall fairytale?  Tune in tomorrow, as this story is to be continued….

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