The theme for “Smile on Saturday” for the 10th of May is “Blue for You – ME 2025” which is in honour of ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia International Awareness Day which happens to fall on May 12th. May the 12th was chosen as it coincided with the birth date of Florence Nightingale, the celebrated English social reformer and statistician, and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale became chronically ill in her mid-thirties after returning from the Crimean War; the M.E.-like illness often left her bedridden during the last 50 years of her life. I have friends who suffer with ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia, so this theme has a personal connection for me, even if I do not have it myself.
As the subject for “Smile on Saturday” this week was open to personal choice but required a lot of blue, although I usually create a blue themed Playmobil tableau, I have broken with tradition this year, as I recently was given a rather lovely blue hand painted resin Nostalgia Shoe which I felt was perfect to feature in a photograph. I have paired my slipper which features red and gold accents with a blue Art Deco “Charme Caressant” Rachel powder box from my powder box collection which features stylised red and pink flowers on it. I have photographed them on a piece of hand made and printed paper featuring a William Morris pattern in blue. I hope that you like my choice for this week’s theme, and that it makes you smile!
"Charme Caressant" is the name of a vintage Dalon face powder, produced in both Paris and Sydney from 1924 into the 1930s. It was a popular French beauty product known for its Art Deco style and various colour shades.
