Diana Vreeland was a legendary editor at Vogue Magazine for years.
People thought she would never pass away and if she did, they’d just prop her up in the corner in the office somewhere and they would get divine inspiration from her. She was an institution. She was editor-in-chief at Vogue from 1963 until 1971.
She was famous for having said this: ““Unshined shoes are the end of civilization.” I’m not sure about it being the end of civilization, but I do know that when she had her shoes shined, she insisted that the soles be shined as well. That kind of reminds me of the song, “Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes.” She was a bit, well, flashy and high maintenance. She was gloriously impractical for the normal person but she had imagination. And that’s why I’ve always found her interesting.
During a previous stint at Harper’s Bazaar, she had a weird little column titled, “Why Don’t You…” that I read about in her autobiography. It was essentially a bullet-point list of ideas that were wonderful to the extreme, but unless you are Kim Kardashian, these ideas were financially out of reach and some were downright impractical. And when I say they are impractical, I mean some of her ideas were outrageously extravagant. Some were just plain off the charts.
Here are some examples: “Have your bed made in China—the most beautiful bed imaginable, the head board and spread of yellow satin embroidered in butterflies, alighting and flying, in every size and in exquisite colors?”
“Tie black tulle bows on your wrists?”
“Bring back from Central Europe a huge white baroque porcelain stove to stand in your front hall?”
“Why don’t you wear violet velvet mittens with everything?”
Allrighty, Diana. We’ll all get right on that.
Diana Vreeland didn’t want people to actually do these things. She wanted them to think originally. Differently. To try and come up with original ideas. So she created these outrageous suggestions every month to shake things up.
The thing is, she actually had some great ideas that while impractical for most people not born in the upper crust, certainly added fuel to the imagination.
This gave me some ideas. And yes, it does apply to our birds. My thought was this:
Why don’t we put our heads together and come up with some outrageously wonderful ideas that we can do to either make our lives easier, our birds lives better or how to make things simpler? It could be one little thing that you do do that you don’t even think about that might help another person in the care of their birds. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Just a ridiculously simple but brilliant idea that works.
And you all know that I love what works.
If you have a simple, but beautiful idea that might help others, (and it doesn’t have to involve ordering a hand carved bed from China) please post it in the comments section and I’ll compile them into a post later on. Remember, the simpler and the more helpful, the better. I’m looking forward to your ideas!
September 11, 2016 at 9:13 am
I feed my birds on paper plates so I don’t have to wash bowls!!!!
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September 11, 2016 at 9:19 am
Great idea! Thanks So much, Winnie.
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September 11, 2016 at 9:37 am
I am lucky enough to have a TAG that does not nibble on ‘everything’. So, I use the MADE IN THE USA contact paper from the dollar store and put it down on the metal part of the bird stand and the wood bottom of the java tree stand. It wipes off easily every night. I change the contact paper weekly and it is cheap and keeps everything clean.
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September 11, 2016 at 9:42 am
Absolutely brilliant! I must try that!
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September 11, 2016 at 1:29 pm
Your post could not come at a better time, as if written for me at just the right moment. I am sadly a victim of severe RA that came on fast and with a vengeance. My life is now full of things I cannot do easily or without pain and fatigue. However your mention of both Diana Vreeland and Kim Kardashian made me smile as I have always loved women who are bold and dream outside of the normal realm. I also cannot afford to live their life styles but every now and again I have learned to treat myself to the closest substitute that my pocket book can afford lol. But I digress, I was actually thinking of putting together a section in my own blog for those who also may have disabilities or chronic pain with suggestions of things to help make things easier. So once you have your list comprised I would love to share it as well with full credit to you and your subscribers of course!
Welcome back again Patricia, I think you were needed here with us ❤
Oh one thing I have done is to set up all my bowls the night before with the dry foods, then in the mornings I can just add the fresh foods and birdie breakfast is served much quicker this way. Mornings are my most painful time so anything I can do the night before is a bonus for me and my birds.
I also cover all the grates in the cages with paper, less scrubbing this way and a simple change of papers nightly makes for a fresh looking cage daily without a lot of work. In cages where the grate can be removed and still not allow room for escape by the feathered ones I remove and just lay papers down. Again less scrubbing….grates are horrible! and a great deal of work to keep clean!
If you have birds that are little and poop on the side bars of the cages, you can cover the sides with newspaper and again just change daily. I use a bit of duct tape to keep them in place and it has worked great with my quakers.
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September 11, 2016 at 5:45 pm
Wonderful idea about setting things up the night before. Great ideas, Deborah!
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September 11, 2016 at 5:40 pm
Best portable vacuum on the market for $18.00! https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bissell-3-in-1-Stick-Vacuum/16481103 I have 3 of them in different places around the house for quick cleanups. Lightweight, powerful and a workhorse! I do wish it had a longer cord. (I don’t work for Bissell or Walmart.)
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September 11, 2016 at 5:46 pm
Marcia, I’ll have to check it out. Does it have any durability?
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September 11, 2016 at 6:06 pm
I’ve been using one in my kitchen every night for the last 3 years and it is still going strong. The head has a tendency to loosen and fall off but that’s a quick fix (with duct tape) if I choose. It really doesn’t bother me, because I often use it as a hand vac too. I vacuum everything except for wet food. I use my big vac to get the filter clean. Wash it occasionally with soap and water when it gets gross. I have also purchased replacement filters, but have not had to replace any yet. True confession – I have since bought 2 more as backup and parts (if needed)! For $18.00 they can’t be beat! I also see they are available on Amazon now for a little more $. https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=bissell+3+in+one+stick+vacuum&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=129002181616&hvpos=1t1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3336964167045735803&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9027261&hvtargid=kwd-53743962456&ref=pd_sl_bte2kiduv_e I’ve always wanted one of those Dyson cordless stick vac, but WAY TOO expensive! I’ll plug this one in and go! Leaves me with more $ to spoil the bird!
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September 13, 2016 at 5:40 pm
I always use a spray bottle with water to wet daily newspaper before removing. This keeps the dust down.
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September 16, 2016 at 11:24 am
Hi Patricia,
A couple of months ago my husband and I unofficially “adopted” a CAG who came to us underweight and malnourished. Needless to say, improving her diet was high on the to do list. She has been fairly good about trying new things, though getting veggies and pellets down her has been a bit of a challenge. It was discovered early on, however, that she enjoyed fruit juice (the 100% fruit, no sugar added, no colors, no preservatives kind) and was clearly interested in drinking out of whatever glasses were in her vicinity, so I had an ah-ha moment. I putt ½ cup of pellets in a small bowl and covered them in hot water and let them absorb it until they had the consistency of oatmeal, then tossed them in a blender. To that I added fruit, greens, other vegetables, and enough fruit juice to make it the consistency I figured she would like. I zapped it all up until it was liquefied then poured the “parrot smoothy” into ice cube trays to freeze. Once frozen I dumped them all in a freezer bag and stuck them back in the freezer. At night I pull out a couple blocks and put them in a tiny mason jar with a lid that lets me shake it once it is thawed in the morning. And she likes them! Though it certainly isn’t a replacement for other things in her diet, I do hope this will get her some added nutrition and perhaps give her a taste for the pellets. The possibilities for veggie/fruit/juice combinations are limited only by your bird’s tastes and your imagination. I’m also hoping that should oral medication ever be required, this will prove to be an adequate delivery system. God bless!
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