The French Factrice

Spikey Porcupine Vintage Postcard

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The porcupine is the third largest rodent after the capybara and beaver. King Solomon kept 300 of them as pets!

This antique postcard is especially spikey when enlarged. I am a sucker for old zoo cards. Don't touch! You might prick your finger:)

I found a video of a baby porcupine eating a banana. The little critter has the hiccups too!

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Catty Vintage Postcard

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In the 5th century BC the Greek scholar Herodotus observed that the owners of a cat shaved their eyebrows in mourning when it died.

My rabbit Matschpampe (that means muddy mess in German..... he was brown) died recently. Where's my razor?

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Peas on Earth Vintage Postcard

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French aristocratic ladies in 1695 were passionate for peas. It was a typical midnight snack!

(I'll stick to cookies myself) From the court of French King Louis XIV, Madame de Maintenoy wrote to Cardinal de Noailles: ". . . There are some ladies who, having supped, and supped well, take peas at home before going to bed. It's a fashion, a craze!"

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Dental Floss Factoids

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Ming at Spok-Spok headquarters asked about the history of dental floss.

Levi Spear Parmly (what a name) sang the virtues of silk floss in 1815. He was a dentist from New Orleans and is credited with the invention. He must have always had crayfish or red beans and rice stuck in his chompers:)

Yikes! According to the American Dental Association only about 12 percent of Americans floss daily, 39 percent floss less than daily, and 49 percent do not floss at all.
Confession: I neeeever floss. Don't tell my Mom!

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Vintage Postcard Perfect

These caps would be vintage postcard perfect!

I think that these should be made the Olympic swimming cap standard for men and women. i'm sure that swimmers would happily give up their speedy records in the name of fashion.

I wouldn't feel goofy wearing one. Now where did I put my cat-eye glasses?.....

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Leather Vintage Postcard Fun

My jaw dropped when MK (that groovy wonderful girl) posted this on her blog...

This is for my friend, Marie, our resident antique postcard expert! This is a leather postcard, copyrighted 1907 and sent from Chicago with a penny stamp. It belonged to Adam's great-grandmother.

Novelty leather postcards were printed between 1904 - 1908. The leather was branded and then tinted. Yee-haw cowboy! The US postal service banned them in 1909 because they kept on jamming newly designed sorting machines:)

That cowhide sure is flexible! Thank you so much MK! You're the cow's moo!

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Vintage Postcards heart Grammar

Help!!! Where are the grammar police when I need them!

I made a nifty new blog for my Mom. lizzylindquist.blogspot.com
All of these html courses are finally starting to pay off! I might even start a side business designing blogs:)

But.... is it Elisabeth with an 'S' or Elisabeth with a 'S'. You would think that since 'S' is not a vowel you wouldn't say an. But say it out loud, 'Elisabeth with a S.' Something sounds off kilter! What is the grammar rule?

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Vintage Postcard Boar

Boar bristle toothbrushes were used until around 1938.

Nylon bristles were first introduced by Dupont de Nemours (He's French. Yeah for the frogs!)

The first nylon toothbrush was called Doctor West's Miracle ! That is a nifty fancypants name:)

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Camel Vintage Postcard

Holy Vintage Postcards Batman! Camels have three eyelids. (That's a lot of eyeshadow:)

3 pairs ensures that not a speck of sand flies into those pretty peepers. The first eyelid is lashless and clear but still blinkable.

This active camel looks likes he is ready to give you a big smooch!
tcards

Vintage Postcard Pinup hearts Roomba

This vintage postcard pinup needs a pair of converse and a Roomba pronto.

Who here doesn't have a Roomba (robot vacuum cleaner) yet? They are the cat's meow. My Roomba even speaks French. It's little electronic voice tells you when to empty its bin or clean its brushes!

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Cafe au Lait Vintage Postcard

It's true. French people drink their morning coffee from bowls.

I understand Francois' bowl usage rationale. They hold more coffee and it's much easier to dip your croissant into a bowl as opposed to a mug. But... after two years of experiencing this daily habit of his I still crack up. It's a bowl for goodness sakes!

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Soapy Titanic Vintage Postcards

Vinolia Otto was the ambassador soap of the White Star line.

Every first class passenger of the Titanic was issued a cake of this lemon scented luxury. Bathtubs on steamers of this era were armed with fresh and saltwater spigots. It was very in vogue to bathe in invigorating salty waters.

You can actually still buy this nostalgic soap here! You might want to wear your life preserver in the tub though;)

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Tea - ser Vintage Postcard

I am sick sick sick today. I have the head cold from heck!

I am going to go make a cup of tea and go back to bed!

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Vintage Postcard Cycling

The phrase "la petite reine" (the little queen) has passed into the French language as a term for a bicycle

The origins are from 1891, when the editor of the first sporting newspaper of France, Pierre Giffard, wrote a history of bicycle development. The expression was made emblematic by the picture on the cover of a young woman wearing a bicycle as a crown!

My first bike looked a lot like this. Don't you just love those streamers! What did your first bike look like?

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Me Want More Vintage Cookie Postcards

Marie Reading Biscuits ... Now why would I have this framed and hanging in my kitchen?

Reading is a wee town in England. It's actually prononced 'Redding' for us silly Americans. I try to forget this though. My hobby is eating cookies while I read. I think that this postcard gives me liscense to do just that!

Me want more cookies!

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Vintage Postcard Altered Art

I have a crush on David. He takes vintage postcard images and gives them a dose of razzmatazz.

My eyes are drawn to her heart shaped lips in this first image. They are beautiful yet thin and harsh.

She is soft and rosy now. He gives the image such an ethereal touch. The focal point changes dramatically too My eyes now wander to her delicate hands and their position. This is eye ambrosia ladies and gentlemen. I salute you David!

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Seedy Vintage Postcards

An ancient contraception method involved popping a few Siphium seeds.

The large fennel like plant produced distinctively heart shaped pods. This may be how the traditional heart symbol became linked to love.

This is a potato. I think that the hearty and cheesy dish potatoes au gratin is pretty darn romantic myself!

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