Who doesn’t love a rainbow? The multi-colored symbolism and what it represents. Traditionally there seven colors — red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, blue and violet — of the rainbow and each one is representative of a life lesson.

As with any symbol the rainbow colors represent much more to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movement. It represents pride and has been used as an icon since the 1970s.

The rainbow flag was designed by San Francisco Artist Gilber Baker in 1978. It’s said he was inspired by Judy Garland’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Another suggestion for how the rainbow flag originated is that at college campuses during the 1960s, some people demonstrated for world peace by carrying a Flag of the Races with five horizontal stripes — red, black, brown, yellow and white.

Baker originally designed the flag with eight colors and  assigned specific meaning to each color — pink (sexuality,) red (life,) orange (healing,) yellow (sunlight,) green (nature,)  turquoise (magic/art,) indigo (serenity/harmony,) and violet (spirit.)

After the November 27, 1978 assassination of of openly gay San Francisco City Supervisor Harvey Milk, demand for the rainbow flag increased. As Baker ramped up production of his the flag, he dropped the hot pink stripe because of the unavailability of hot-pink fabric.

In 1979, the flag was once again modified. Due to some design problems when hanged from the lamp posts of San Fransisco’s Market Street the turquoise color was dropped to create a six stripe

In 1989, the rainbow flag got nationwide attention after a California man sued his landlords and won when they attempted to prohibit him from displaying the pennant from his apartment balcony.

June celebrates Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgenders across the nation.

President Barack Obama called upon each and every American to observe the month by “fighting prejudice and discrimination” and what better to start than showing your “colors” during PrideFest this weekend at Tower Grove Park in St. Louis.

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So I found this new Website called Polyvore that allows me to put together outfits. I think it’s kind of cool so I thought I would share with you.  As I get more familiar with it I know I will be using it more and more, but for know I just put together a little “fun & fashion” page of similar items I have at home that I thought would make a cool outfit. So now I have to try.

There is something about summer that I like. It’s not the heat or the clothes,  but rather the fact that on a bad hair day I can go “under cover.”

Yes, I can hide my hair under a hat if I want and I still look great, or at least I think so. I’ve always been the kind of gal that can wear a hat too and I don’t mean a ball cap either. I like the nice straw ones with wide brims or fedora style.

Recently I purchase a new white straw fedora with a colorful band. Although the band doesn’t quite go with everything I found a way to make it work with outfits that the color is different. How? Well I wrapped ribbon atop the old and fastened it with a floral pin. I have other ideas as well that will make it work and I can constantly change it up to match my outfits.

Although the girls in Sex and the City 2 have made many hat styles popular again, I’ve never really found them to be out of style.

The one thing I want to impress upon others is that it is acceptable for a woman to wear a hat indoors, but disrespectful for men. So why the difference? It goes back to early Christian times and women having to wear head coverings in a place of worship.

Also a woman many leave her hat on during the playing of the National Anthem so long as it’s not considered a unisex one like a baseball cap.

So for all you ladies out there if you walk in somewhere donning a hat and you’re asked to remove it, kindly let them know etiquette states you don’t need to and politely tell them they might not want to see what’s underneath. Remember it’s all about the “hattitude.”

This past weekend my mother and I hit yard sales again and I got a few good buys.

I picked up a Coach bag for $3 and Tommy Hilfiger coin purse for .25 cents.  I  sent my cousin a picture of the coin purse because during my recent visit to Kansas City I had pulled out a plastic bag that I had been keeping my change in and she responded, “You’re carrying a coach bag worth who knows how much and you’re carrying a plastic bag for change. That’s not right.”

Of course it looked tacky, but one day before going to yard sales I dumped all my change in a bag and just didn’t bother to take it out. So now I have something a little classier.

I spent around $10 total this weekend. I just love a good bargain. I don’t  what it is about taking to the streets and finding gently used stuff, but it’s better than going to any mall.

As a single parent I learned to be resourceful. I decided early on following my divorce that if I made good choices on where and how I purchased things I could make my dollars stretch. I still like to stretch my dollars and I guess that’s why I enjoy going to yard sales and thrift stores.

So far this season I’ve found four handbags – three of them designer.  One of the reasons I like purses/handbags because you can carry it for as long as you like and never have to worry about weight.  A purse really is one size fits all.

If you’ve got a story to share about finding great bargains let me know I would be happy to share it.

I attended my first Alton High School athletic banquet this week. Let me say that is was my first athletic banquet ever too. I want to say how impressed I was with the student athletes and how they conducted themselves as their teammates and members of other athletic teams were recognized.

Following the dinner and recognition ceremony each team, baseball, softball, girls soccer, girls track, boys track and boys tennis broke up into their individual teams so that the coaches could recognize them more individually on their achievement. My son ran track for the first time this year and because he was able to run several varisty meets he was able to earn a “letter.”

As most of you know my son has predominately taken part in band activities and this year was a whole new experiecnce for us. He is pretty proud of the letter he earned and as we drove home last night I asked him if he wanted to get a letterman’s jacket. He said he wasn’t sure.

I told him that when I was in school it was a pretty pooular thing. His response, “It’s not the eightes anymore and we’re not in The Breakfast Club.”

I understand his point, but I told him that in future years when he looks back on high school the one fashion statement that he will remember that sets  an athlete apart from others is the letter and jacket upon which it’s worn. I may be old school in this respect, but honoring tradition is something I don’t think many teens think about anymore. I hope I can convince him this is a good one.

It’s official — it’s hot outside and officially pool season. I’m not really one who likes to parade around in my swimsuit, however when I do I want to feel good doing it.

When I was younger I didn’t mind so much, but as I’ve aged, and of course gained a few pounds, I don’t really want to walk around in next to nothing. Although I’m happy with whom I am — both on the inside and out — I’m not as comfortable unless I’m around people I know.

I think the worst thing about being in a swimsuit is not necessarily the suit itself, but the preparation it takes to wear one. Of course most women know what this means.

It’s inevitable that if you wear a swimsuit of any kind you will be required to take care of the bikini line. The two most popular methods are shaving and waxing. A third is hair removal cream.

Whether you cut it off or rip it out the purpose is to have smooth skin and no matter what you do to get fuzz-free it looks better than doing nothing at all.

Just look how  great these swimsuits look with a fuzz-free bikini line.