Archive for December, 2009

Mardi Gras Decorations

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

Christmas is almost here and it will be gone in a flash. However, this does not mean that your beautiful tree has to be gone right away too. That’s right, get more out of your Christmas tree this year by using it twice. Celebrate Christmas twice you say. No, but read on for a great idea that many have been doing for years.

Fund decorations for Mardi Gras include Wreaths

Fund decorations for Mardi Gras include Wreaths

Once the family has gone home and the kids are outside playing with their new toys some of us sit back and wonder what is the best way to get rid of the tree this year. Well, how about do not get rid of it at all! All you have to do is take off all of the Christmas decorations and put on the Mardi Gras decorations.

Mardi Gras Tree Ornament

Mardi Gras Tree Ornament

You heard right, for years many people have been leaving their Christmas tree up through Mardi Gras. You can find all sorts of Mardi Gras Ornaments to hang from the tree. The ornaments range from the small Fleur de lis to the ornate Mardi Gras Tower ornaments. There are many Mardi Gras ornaments to fit anyone’s taste, from the simple to the sensational.
There is no reason to stop at decorating the tree. In addition to the Mardi Gras ornaments, there are many more Mardi Gras decorations to adorn the rest of your house with. You can start with the oversized, heavy weight jumbo garland to decorate both the inside and outside of your house. In addition to this there are even Mardi Gras Lights! There are so many different Mardi Gras Decorations the possibilities are endless, so don’t throw away that Christmas tree, use it to gear up for Mardi Gras!

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What do Soccer Moms wear? Soccer Beads!

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

Much of the average soccer mom’s time is spent in the car shuttling children from one event to another, allowing little extra time for outfit changes throughout the day. By keeping just a few items in the car, an office appropriate outfit can quickly be changed into something game ready in no time. The following are some tips that will allow you to you increase both comfort and team spirit when cheering from the sidelines.

http://www.toomeys-mardigras.com/soccer-beads/

soccer-beads
Always keep a spare set of flat shoes in the car. Ballet flats and chic walking shoes are great options that will keep you standing comfortably throughout the game. Many offer the support of a great pair of running shoes but still look great with a pair of tailored black pants. Options abound, with some of the most comfortable examples coming from the Cole Haan and Nike partnership as well as the perennial favorites, Life Stride.

A Down Coat is perfect for combating the morning chill. The often nylon exteriors make it simple to wipe away any spilled sports drink and are far more rain resistant than wool. No longer is the traditional “puffy coat” the only option. Retailers now offer a number of more streamlined shapes and styles at almost any price point. Major outdoor brands offer a great selection both online and in stores.

Show your support through fun, soccer specific accessories. Toomeys  offers soccer themed Mardi Gras beads online that are great to distribute among your fellow soccer moms, or to your child’s teammates. Soccer themed scarves are another fun why to adapt an outfit to the pitch.

Complete your soccer mom kit with sunscreen, bottled water, and some granola bars, and you will always be ready for game day.

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Toomey’s Seasonal Store in Baldwin county

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

It is December and the Christmas parades are in full swing. We see people coming and going everyday planning for these parades. Mixed in with the Christmas parade shoppers is the Mardi Gras crowd gearing up for the season. This year has flown by and Mardi Gras 2010 is staring us in the face. We service patrons all over the United States via our website, www.toomeys-mardigras.com. In addition to this, our surrounding area sees more and more people getting involved in the Mardi Gras tradition every year. The growth is so much so that every year we open a seasonal store in Baldwin County that services our customers on the Eastern Shore. We have even made some permanent expansions in our Mobile store.


Every year there are more and more people that get the Mardi Gras bug. Whether they have just come of age to show interest just moved to the area or just finally attended a parade the foot traffic in the store grows. In answer to this we have expanded our Mobile store to give our customers more room to shop and also to make room for all of the great new things that we have added this year. When you visit our store for Mardi Gras 2010 you will see that we have taken the mask wall and made into a mask store. We will even be adding a register this year to help everyone get in and out as quickly as possible. Even though to a lot of people, part of the fun is standing in line and “talking shop” with others in line.


Also, to help accommodate our customers we open a seasonal store in Baldwin county every year. This saves a lot of people a long drive and lets more people see all the great items we have who might not get a chance otherwise. There are a lot of factors that go into deciding where our seasonal store will be. Once we do find the ideal store for that year it is an exciting announcement as we are able to answer a lot of customers who have been eagerly waiting to see where Toomey’s will land on the Eastern Shore each year. This year you will find the Toomey’s Seasonal Store on HWY 98 in the old Rex/Appliance Direct building beside NFL Lumber in Daphne.

All in all we do as much as we can to help bring Mardi Gras to as many people as possible every year. If you have suggestions or requests just let us know. We are always happy to look at any way to improve our services.

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Take Your Lucky Beads to the Casino Next Time

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

Everybody who has spent a long night of gambling knows that one of the most difficult parts of having a successful night is keeping your head straight as you experience the inevitable winning and loosing streaks of the game. While the professionals know how to do this night after night, most of us need something by our side to remind us that we are there to win. With this in mind, you might consider picking up a set of lucky beads to carry around for your next big night out. Silly as it may seem, a little good luck charm just might give the extra edge you need. If the idea of wearing a set of brightly colored beads to the casino sounds a little bit tacky, try looking around yourself the next time you are in the average casino. Rest assured that your lucky beads will be right at home.

No matter what your favorite casino game may be, you can probably find a cool little set of beads that are perfect for you. I have seen sets of beads geared toward poker, blackjack, dice games or even slot machines. Other players choose truly cornball bling to the card table, such as a gold chain with an over sized dollar sign hanging down. Believe it or not, there are some set of lucky casino beads out there that are actually pretty tasteful as well.

Even the most seasoned professional gamblers are known to be a little superstitious now and then. While you may know perfectly well that your lucky beads don’t have anything to do with your luck at the table, having a trusted talisman or two at the table can really help you increase your self confidence from one hand to the next. Because part of staying in the right state of mind is so central to being a successful gambler, good luck charms such as a lucky set of gambling beads can only serve to help your luck on your next trip to Vegas.

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Jester – A Little History

Monday, December 7th, 2009

Jesters have been popular figures for centuries, but have you ever wondered where they originated? Also called a joker or fool, jesters were hired to tell jokes and provide entertainment to royalty. Their distinctive hats were floppy with jingle bells on each of three points. These points were to represent a donkey’s tail and ears, which were worn by the earliest jesters. With their bright clothes in motley patterns, jesters were early forms of clowns, and served the same purpose, to amuse the crowd.

While jesters were regarded as mascots, not to be taken seriously, they also served a little-known serious purpose. Although speaking in a light-hearted way, jesters were supposed to rebuke their royal masters on controversial subjects. Treading a fine line between being too lenient or too harsh, being a jester could have deadly serious consequences. They were often tasked with delivering bad news to the monarchy as well.

Jesters’ roles were obviously not entirely serious, as today we remember them as light comedians and entertainers. Most royal courts had jesters perform at celebrations. They were well paid well, as their skills included varied performance talents, such as playing lutes, dancing, acrobatics, yodeling, singing, or pantomime. The wider the range of skills, the more highly respected the jester, giving them access to the highest levels of royalty. Although their clothes were patchwork like many of today’s clowns, they often were made of the finest materials.

Today you can display your inner jester in many ways, including wearing jester head beads.

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Everything is more fun when its bigger

Monday, December 7th, 2009

Under the backdrop of the haunted streets of New Orleans or Mobile,  Mardi Gras brings the excitement out of anyone. Something about the rich character of the environment just inspires a carefree attitude. There are many thrilling traditions that accompany this exciting season.

It is up for great debate as to whether or not the Pan-like tradition associated with the transfer of Mardi Gras beads is authentic. The merriment of the physical world was a priority for this ancient Greek deity. The celebrations associated with his followers were very much like the spring break parties of today. The locals outside of the French Quarter seem to find the holiday to be more about extravagant balls. From the appearance of the French Quarter tourist onslaught, however, that could never be identified. Vacationers toss their cares over the rails along with rich, colorful beads. Merriment is experienced by all.

Mardi Gras can be a great time. It is said that if it must be done, let it be done right. By right, I mean let it be done with grand style. If you’re going to fling beads to eager recipients, let them be jumbo beads. Your choice of bead says a lot about you as a person. The bead tradition is a very integral part of the party experience.

When planning your party approach for a thrilling descent into the French Quarter, it is crucial to make a very careful choice about how you will be expressing yourself. The distributor of beads is the provider of the fun. Big beads will result in big fun. Different sized beads will sit in unique ways. A string of very big ones will sit comfortably amongst smaller ones. The multiple size beads approach will result in a very personalized presentation. Big beads are critical for such a setup. Make the fans happy and throw em something to remember!

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Mardi Gras Colors

Monday, December 7th, 2009

Purple, green and gold–are you ready for Mardi Gras? The annual celebration is just around the corner–February 16, 2010. Plan ahead a bit so you won’t have to scurry around to find worthy outfits and beads in those all-important Mardi Gras colors!

Not everyone who attends Mardi Gras, or Carnival, knows the story behind the festival, or the colors. Mardi Gras (meaning “Fat Tuesday”) began as a pagan festival in Europe. People partied to excess in anticipation of doing without during Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday. The Carnival season actually begins in early January, on the feast of the Epiphany, with Mardi Gras being the final, culminating event. In New Orleans, it has now been celebrated for over 300 years, and is actually observed in many other places, as well.

Initially, Mardi Gras consisted of small parades of townspeople dressed in simple costumes. In 1872, some of the wealthy businessmen decided to upgrade by appointing a king of the carnival season to lead the parade. The king became known as the Rex, and the first title was awarded to Grand Duke Alexis of Romanoff, who happened to be visiting from Russia that year.

The Grand Duke was known for throwing gold coins to the crowds of parade-watchers, and this rather expensive habit eventually evolved into the tossing of purple, green and gold beads. He actually chose these colors for Mardi Gras, probably because he liked their “royal” hues. There was no significance attached to the colors at the time, but we do know he later chose them for his own family crest.

If we fast forward 20 years to 1892, the significance of the colors was revealed in the theme of the parade that year—The Symbolism of Color. Purple stood for justice, green stood for faith, and gold represented power.

And so it continues today at Mardi Gras time in New Orleans. The beautiful colors of purple, green and gold come alive in the costumes of the revelers and fly through the air in the form of glitzy beads.

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Fireworks, fun and fashion on July the 4th

Monday, December 7th, 2009

When you are celebrating our country’s independence on July 4, you want to dress in your best festive attire. Whether you want to go overboard or subtle in your fashion choices, you can easily express your patriotism on July 4. Choices range from a simple t-shirt to an elaborate Uncle Sam costume, and literally anything in between.

You can easily find a wide selection of patriotic clothing for the entire family. Hats, t-shirts, jewelry, shorts, and even shoes are among your many choices. Just as easily, however, you can make or customize your own designs. Take a plain red, white, or blue t-shirt and iron on a patriotic applique. This can cover up a small existing design or even a stain if strategically placed, bringing new life to old clothes.

Another fun option is to decorate your own flip flops. Start with an inexpensive (but comfortable) pair of flip flops, and you can turn them into an expensive-looking custom design. Shop your local crafts store for fabric paint, beads, sequins, or any small items you can glue or sew onto your flip flops. You can make enough for the whole family, either in matching designs or unique looks to fit each personality.

Don’t forget to decorate your home and yard, wehther you’re having a party or just hanging out watching the fireworks. Easy decorating ideas include red, white, and blue streamers; star confetti; and patriotic throw beads. You can wear the beads, use them as tabletop decorations, or string them in your trees.

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If your team sucks make sure you look good with beads at the next game

Monday, December 7th, 2009

You should always take pride in your appearance. Looking good is half of the battle when it comes to feeling great. Especially if your are not good at something, looking great is one way to off-set the frustrations you may experience, such as losing a sporting event. If your team sucks, making sure you look good will take a bit of the pressure off of the horrid ability of your team. Even if the team is horrible, looking good can make everyone feel much better. Even the fans can help support the team by looking great at then games. When everyone looks great it gives the impression that everyone feels great and enjoys themselves, so even if your team sucks, you and your friends might as well look great to offset any negative pressure created from losing the game.

There are many ways to look great at a sporting event, and for years, colorful and decorative items that match team colors have been used by fans and coaches alike to make the environment happier and more energetic. Fans and supporters use many items to make themselves look better such as hats, beads, trinkets, gloves, and silly shoes. Items such as beads and necklaces can be easily adorned on the top of any clothes. These beads and trinkets come in all colors and make it easy to find some that match your team’s colors. Beads are a simple way to express your support for your team and looking flashy while doing so. They are cheap and simple to wear. Supporting your team in style is the best way to do it, because even if your team loses, at least you will look and feel great.

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