Saturday, October 20, 2007

What happened in 1906?


Fun facts about 1906:
The "teddy bear craze" was moving into full-blown status by this time.
In October 1906 the term "teddy bear" rather than Teddy's Bear first appears in print in an issue of Playthings magazine. As you may recall Teddy's Bear had to do with President Theodore Roosevelt

In 1906 Gund Manufacturing Corporation makes its first teddy bears.

That's all for now.

Bear hugs
Patricia Twitchell
The Teddy Bear Lady of Myrtle Creek

Friday, October 12, 2007

Starting a Teddy Bear Collection

Bear collecting has become very popular in many cultures. Although a fun hobby, if you don’t know what you are doing, it can soon turn to something that is not what you had hoped for.

Many people start collecting based on the love of teddy bears they had as children. Fond memories surround our very first teddy bear. Upon receiving our first bear those who are destined to be collectors seem to evolve into a level of “looking” for the next bear and the next and the next.

It is one thing to be a hobbyist collector and one who is a serious collector. The hobbyist simply collects those bears that are cute and seem like a fun addition to their collection. The serious collectors understand the importance of researching, studying and analyzing their choices.

One thing both the hobbyist and the serious collector seem to have in common is the fact that they often got the “bug” from their first teddy bear. For many, the Teddy Bear is more than a toy; it is a friend and companion for life.It's never too late to start a collection.

If you've been eying a cute teddy thinking you might like to own it... get into the spirit of collecting and take the plunge. It doesn't have to be expensive, just loved.

Bear hugs,

Patricia Twitchell
The Teddy Bear Lady of Myrtle Creek
http://www.justbearsandstuff.com/


Wednesday, October 10, 2007

The Three Bears or Goldilocks history

The following posting comes from Wikepedia.

The Three Bears or Goldilocks and the Three Bears is a notable children's bedtime story. Often considered an anonymous folk story, even one of the stories collected by the Brothers Grimm, it actually first saw print in 1837 as a prose story composed by the poet Rober Southey and collected in his book The Doctor. Possibly based on an even older story, though this is by no means certain, the story became widely known after being published by Southey, and was so often retold, that it has lost connection to its author.

The story was very popular and retold by many others. George Nicol retold Southey's story in verse. Southey's story included the three bears, but the visitor to the bears' home was "an old woman"; later versions of the story replaced the old woman with a girl named Silver-hair. George MacDonald mentions the three bears of Silverhair in his 1867 story The Golden Key.

Joseph Jacobs included a fairy tale Scrapefoot in his More English Fairy Tales, identical in every respect to "The Three Bears" except that milk replaces the porridge, and the visiting character is a lame fox. This saw print later than Southey's version, but it may have predated it in the oral tradition; some have hypothesized that Southey heard a tale about a literal vixen and mistook it for a figurative vixen, a harridan. Charles Dickens' “Our Mutual Friend” contains a reference to a version of the story with three hobgoblins instead of bears.

Goldilocks first appeared in the 1904 printing of Old Nursery Stories and Rhymes. The story continues to grow and change. Recent versions include the story told from the point of view of the three bears. The story was humorously adapted into a popular song in 1946 by songwriter Bobby Troup. This song too is often erroneously credited as "anonymous".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldilocks

Bear hugs
Patricia Twitchell
The Teddy Bear Lady of Myrtle Creek
Owner - Just Bears and Stuff
www.justbearsandstuff.com

Monday, October 08, 2007

Crossroads Doll and Teddy Bear Show in Salt Lake City

I found some fun information on the Doll & Teddy Bear Shows. If you are in the great Northwest or in Salt Lake City, check this out. The following information comes from Teddy Bear and Friends website.

Dolls and bears fill the room at a Crossroads show, but promoter Dorothy Drake makes sure there's more for eager collectors to enjoy. At the April 2007 Crossroads Doll & Teddy Bear Show in Salt Lake City, the Olympus Doll Club hosted a Spring Fling Tea Party. The ladies chose a hat theme and sponsored a fun hat-making craft in addition to a hat contest. The hat centerpieces were in keeping with the fun theme, created by Judy, a very talented club member. The tea party was a hit with great food, a fun craft, a hat fashion show, and prizes galore. It was a wonderful way to chase the blues away and a reminder that the collecting hobby involves is so much more than just the dolls and teddy bears.

Crossroads Doll & Teddy Bear Shows was presented in Portland OR on September 15; Roseville CA on September 22. It will be in Puyallup WA on October 13-14; and back in Salt Lake City on October 27. For more information, visit www.dolls4all.com.

Have a beary special day.
Patricia Twitchell
The Teddy Bear Lady of Myrtle Creek
www.justbearsandstuff.com

Saturday, October 06, 2007

Who is Lorraine Chien?

As one of the most creative teddy bear designers ever, Lorraine Chien is recognized around the world as one of the most talented artists in the world. Her start as an artist began many years ago. As a child, Ms. Chien enjoyed story books and used her imagination to create toys from scraps of material.


She was so imaginative and creative that what would have been a fun past time for other children soon became the beginning of her love for toy making.


Thus began the journey of many years of award winning design work that is recognized by some of the most discrimnating collectors around the world.

To see a full collections of Lorraine Chien's work visit http://www.justbearsandstuff.com/LorraineChien.htm

Patricia Twitchell
The Teddy Bear Lady of Myrtle Creek
www.justbearsandstuff.com

Teddy Bear Run celebrates 25 years

I thought this was such a wonderful story I wanted to share it with my readers....

Richmond.comWednesday, October 03, 2007The 25th anniversary Blue Knights VA III Teddy Bear Run is coming to Chesterfield County Saturday, Nov. 3. The event begins at Chesterfield Towne Center at 1 p.m. and ends at the Children's Hospital at 2 p.m.

more
http://www.richmond.com/output.aspx?Article_ID=4852385&Vertical_ID=127&tier=10&position=1

Patricia Twitchell
The Teddy Bear Lady of Myrtle Creek
www.justbearsandstuff.com

8 Tips to an Easy Holiday Shopping Experience

The holidays can be one of the most exciting times of year and at the same time, one of the most stressful. To avoid unnecessary stress you can take a few simple steps to ease through the season with joy, ease and fun.

1. If you are going to shop – pace yourself. You don’t have to get everything done in one trip. Set aside a short period of time over several days rather than trying to accomplish everything in one trip. For some people, this type of shopping is favorable to doing everything in one trip.

2. There are some personality types who find it less stressful to get all their shopping done in one shopping spree. They do better to complete all shopping in one trip. It saves the need to make several trips to the stores. This is a great way to avoid the crowds often associated with the holiday season.

3. Shop in smaller stores. You will avoid crowds by visiting small shops in quaint towns. Often, you will receive more personalized service due to the owner being the one to serve you.

4. Get your gifts wrapped as soon as you purchase them. This one tip can save countless hours of frustration. There are still shops that will take care of the gift wrapping at no additional cost. Even if you have to pay, the convenience alone may be worth it.

5. Write a list of people you plan to shop for. To avoid unnecessary debt put a dollar amount you are able to comfortably afford. Stay within your budget. Although a couple dollars here and there doesn’t seem like much, it can quickly add up.

6. Be aware of misleading sale items. Often what may seem like a great deal really isn’t. If you are buying a large ticket item, do some research before you go shopping. You can save an incredible amount of money by doing so.

7. Enjoy the experience. Often people get so caught up in the pressures of the holiday season they forget to enjoy themselves. Relax in the experience.

8. Remember, the holidays are all about sharing with others. It isn’t about how big a gift you can give, In fact, your expression from the heart is the greatest gift you can give.

Patricia Twitchell is the proprietor of Just Bears and Stuff, a unique shop for gift collectors located in Myrtle Creek, Oregon. Enjoy one of the best selections of Boyd’s, Gund, Cottage Collectibles, Quarry Critters, Ganz and more. Get FREE gift wrapping with every purchase and receive “Beary Special Moments” a free online teddy bear facts and tips e-zine by visiting www.justbearsandstuff.com

Visit our ebay store where you will find a great collection of items for your shopping pleasure.

http://stores.ebay.com/bearwatch-aka-Just-Bears-and-Stuff

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Enjoy a stress free holiday season

The holiday season can be one of the most joyous and yet, oneof the most stressful times of year. To minimize your stressandkeep the season full of joy here are some tips designed tohelp.Plan ahead. Before heading out to the malls, write a list ofthose you plan to get gifts for. This will save time, moneyand effort.Shop during off times.

If you can, shop during the slow times of the day.Utilize online shopping where possible. This is one of the bestways to minimize stress. That is, if you know who you are buyingfrom.

Select reputable shops to do business with.Find stores that wrap your gifts for you. Imagine how mucheasier it will be if you have everything wrapped and ready to go under the tree the minute you leave a store or place an online order.Enjoy the process.

Most of all, think of what the giving seasonis really about. Love of family, friends and those who touch ourlives.Christmas is not about how big a gift you give, it is how bigyour heart is with the spirit of love.Happy Holidays to all my beary special friends all around theglobe.

May your holidays be filled with joy, love, health andabundance.

Patricia Twitchell
The Teddy Bear Lady of Myrtle Creek
www.justbearsandstuffl.commanager@justbearsandstuff.com

We always offer FREE gift wrapping with any purchase. We can ship anywhere in the world.


Beary Special Moments eBook

FREE eBook

Enjoy stories from around the globe. They will make you smile and just plain feel good.

Visit my website for a fun eBook - Beary Special Thoughtshttp://www.justbearsandstuff.com


Welcome to my eBay Store

I am very excited to let you know we now have an eBay store. You can access our store by visiting http://stores.ebay.com/bearwatch-aka-Just-Bears-and-Stuff We have thousands of items available for immediate purchase.

If you haven't already done so, be sure to download my free eBook called Beary Special Thoughts. It is a heart warming book with stories from authors around the globe. You can download by visiting my website at
www.justbearsandstuff.com

Happy days!

Bear Hugs,Patricia Twitchell
The Teddy Bear Lady of Myrtle Creekwww.justbearsandstuff.com