From ABBA To Zoom

David's Toyland Tribute

2012-02-26T08:34:00.000-08:00

"I'm such a sentimental sap. I know they're just "things" but I hope the toys that I am selling know how much I appreciated having them in my collection, and by selling them they're now providing me the finanical means to pursue a life dream. ♥"

~ Me (David Mansour), February 22 status post on facebook

"I don't think you're a sentimental 'sap.' Those things you have collected over the years and taken such great care of sort of represent who you are and they are a lot of memories of who you have been throughout your life. The wonderful thing is that you are able to share all that great part of you with others and the story continues through those toys and all the lives you have in some way affected. Now you are building on to it with a new exciting and unknown chapter of your life. I hope You continue to share that beautiful, talented, & fun person that you are in the same fashion of creativity. I look forward to seeing your new chapters unfold as I know you will do great as usual."

~ Kristi Tuley Henson, response post on facebook

My Toy Collection, as of February 26, 2012.

This is my photo tribute to some of the toys I've sold from my collection on ebay in the past months of January and February 2012. As you can tell, my toys are really getting around (and internationally too)!

Petitie Princess Doll House, off to New Jersey!

(Thank you Alexis.)

Marx Tin Doll House, off to Switzerland!

Jaws 2 Coloring Book, off to Georgia!; Moby Dick Coloring Book, off to Florida!

Honey Hill Bunch Coloring Book, off to Wisconsin!

Girls and Boys Paper Doll Book, off to Minnesota!; Tippy Teen Coloring Book, off to Texas!

Secret Sue Coloring Book, off to Illinois!; Valerie Growin' Pretty Hair Paper Doll Book, off to Pennsylvania!; Sketchy Coloring Book, off to Virginia!

Jem Magic Slate & Jem "Secret Star" Book, off to Las Vegas!

Jem, Alice in Wonderland, and Superstar Barbie Paper Doll Books, off to France!

Finian's Rainbow Paper Doll Book, off to California!; Lost Horizon Paper Doll Book off to Utah!

Madeline Paper Doll Book, off to Oregon!; Nancy Paper Doll Book, off to Washington, D.C.; Strawberry Shortcake Paper Doll Book, off to Michigan!

Disney Dozen - 12 Walt Disney Paperback Books, off to Ohio!

Amy Carter at the White House Play Set, off to Texas!

The Dukes of Hazzard Presto Magix, off to Louisiana!; The Dukes of Hazzard Coloring Books, off to Minnesota!

It's About Time Coloring Book, off to New York City!

Babes In Toyland View-Master, off to Denmark!

Fantastic Voyage View-Master, off to New York!; Superman The Movie View-Master, off to New Mexico!

Noah's Ark View-Master, off to South Carolina!

Bullwinkle View-Master, off to Illinois!; Scooby Doo View-Master, off to California!

The Devil Wears Prada Boss Toss Game, off to Oklahoma!

Hansel and Gretel Pop-Up Book, off to Iowa!

Disney's The Haunted Mansion Pop-Up Book & Coloring Book, off to Alabama!

Zoo Animals Press-Out Books, off to Massachusetts!

The Munsters Koach, off to Minnesota!; Lost In Space Robot B-9, off to Ohio!

Kenner Give-A-Show Projector, off to Australia!

Route 66 Souvenirs Book, off to California!; David Mansour, off to California!

Dear Toy Collection. I am grateful to have had you in my life. You've brought me much fun and happiness for 25 years and inspired me to write my book, From ABBA To Zoom. Now by selling you to others, you will help me achieve my life-long dream of living in California. Cheers to you!

©David Mansour

San Diego, CA

2012-02-23T07:33:00.000-08:00

2012

Happy Valentine's 2012!

2012-02-14T13:10:00.000-08:00

©David Mansour

My Funny Valentine

2012-02-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

My Funny Valentine

~ By Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart

My funny Valentine

Sweet comic Valentine

You make me smile with my heart

Your looks are laughable, unphotographable

Yet you're my favorite work of art

Is your figure less than Greek?

Is your mouth a little weak?

When you open it to speak, are you smart?

But don't change a hair for me

Not if you care for me

Stay little Valentine, stay

Each day is Valentine's Day

Is your figure less than Greek?

Is your mouth a little weak?

When you open it to speak, are you smart?

But don't change a hair for me

Not if you care for me

Stay little Valentine, stay

Each day is Valentine's Day

The song intimately associated with handsome jazz trumpeter Chet Baker is the eternally haunting “My Funny Valentine” (recorded in 1952), which is essential to all Valentine’s Day playlists.

This blog is dedicated to John Bode - "My Funny Valentine"

Happy Valentine's Day Sweetie!

©David Mansour

Meow Marilyn!

2012-02-12T09:18:00.000-08:00

MEOW! (MiMi the Manx is Mad for Marilyn!)

©David Mansour

Happy Birthday Farrah Fawcett ...

2012-02-02T06:07:00.000-08:00

... I Miss You. ♥

©david mansour

Follow Your Heart (Advice from Steve Jobs)

2012-01-28T05:54:00.000-08:00

©David Mansour

MOD Go-Go Gals!

2012-01-23T18:51:00.000-08:00

My new find!!

(I know I am downsizing my things but I'd just kick myself if I didn't get this framed print that I came across at an antique mall!!)

©david mansour

Paper Doll

2012-01-21T17:26:00.000-08:00

"I'm gonna buy a Paper Doll that I can call my own..."

- The Mills Brothers

I am selling off my vast toy and pop culture collection in preparation for an upcoming move to San Diego, California. I have just listed 40 uncut Paper Doll Books on ebay. I want to share these beautiful dolls and fashions with you. If you're interested in acquiring a paper doll, all you have to do is click on the title of each and that will take you to the actual ebay listing. Happy Bidding!

Barbie Fabulous Fashions and Lil' Bratz Funky Fashion

Great Fashion Designs of The Sixties and MODS Matchin'

Twister Ridge Trailer Park and California Girls

Gilda Radner and Betty Boop

Curious George and Madeline

Annie and Raggedy Ann and Andy

New York World's Fair and Alice in Wonderland

Jem and Maxie

Honey Hill Bunch and The Heart Family

Henrietta Hippo and Miss Piggy

Lazy Dazy and Thumbelina

Cathy Quick Curl and Peachy & Her Puppets

Strawberry Shortcake and Rainbow Brite

Cheerleader and Girls and Boys

Betsy McCall and Valerie

Timey Tell and Sketchy

Finian's Rainbow and Lost Horizon

Daisy and Donald and Woody Woodpecker

Nancy and Sluggo and Nancy

Baby Brother Tender Love and Superstar Barbie

Dear Toy Collection. I am grateful to have had you in my life. You've brought me much fun and happiness for 26 years and inspired me to write my book, From ABBA To Zoom. Now by selling you to others, you will help me achieve my life-long dream of living in California. Cheers to you!

©David Mansour

From ABBA To Zoom and the Smithsonian

2012-01-21T06:41:00.000-08:00

"It was fun to see your book in the 80's pop culture gift shop in the Smithsonian on our visit to Washington DC!!"

(My friend John Sergent sent this photo and message to me yesterday on facebook. It is always sooo cool when people share photos of From ABBA To Zoom when they find it in other places, especially the Smithsonian Institute! If you come across From ABBA To Zoom where you visit, will you send me a photo and message? Love.)

©David Mansour

California, won't you save a place for me?

2012-01-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

"California, California

Know I love you, California

When I leave, I know you wait for me

Cause in the sun and in the weather

No one else has loved me better

California you're the place for me."

June 2012 - California will have a place for me!

(Above pictures were photographed in San Diego's beautiful Balboa Park on September 23, 2011).

©David Mansour

Balboa, the Endless Summer Hibiscus

2012-01-19T19:36:00.000-08:00

It might be winter outside ...

but inside it's an endless summer as Balboa the Hibiscus blooms a splendid flower!!

©david mansour

Martin Luther King, Jr.

2012-01-16T14:34:00.000-08:00

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.'"

~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

(MLK graffiti photographed by Matt Kesler in Buenos Aires, Argentina.)

“Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.”

― Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968

©David Mansour

(Greetings From) California ...

2012-01-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

"I don't know where to begin. You all are lovely... SO HAPPY that there is a California Dreamin' Plan!"

~ Jennifer Breck

On this day a year ago, I, along with my partner John Bode, made the decision to move back to San Diego, California. I'd like to share with you photographs from a "California" photo album my friend Jennifer Breck gave me for my 50th Birthday this past September. (I filled it up with favorite pictures snapped in California.) By viewing these 21 photos you can tell how much I do LOVE California, and accompanying each is the meaning behind them. And, if you're wondering when I am heading off to fulfill my California Dream, let's just say it has something to do with the number 66!

"Something about being out here just feels so right"
~ David Mansour

1. Laguna Beach (October 27, 2007). Laguna Beach, a seaside community nestled along the Pacific Ocean in South Orange County, has been one of my favorite places to visit in Southern California since I first discovered it in 1993. I hadn't been here since 2004, so I decided this is where I would spend my time while John Bode and Misty Fridkin were attending an all-day Arbonne convention in Anaheim. As always, the moment I came upon this view [in the picture] my heart said, "Ahh, I need to live in California." (A kind stranger took this photograph for me.)

2. Laguna Beach (October 27, 2007). One of the things I did in Laguna Beach this day was go for a Pacific Coast Highway run. I ran from north Dana Point to the main beach in Laguna Beach (about Broadway and Hwy 1) and back. Afterwards I did a peaceful post-run stroll along the beach near the Old Coast Inn in Laguna Beach where this photo was snapped.

3. Seal Beach (October 29, 2007). John Bode and I took a Pacific Coast Highway drive starting from Huntington Beach to Santa Monica Beach. It was a gorgeous California Sunday, and we made many pitstops to enjoy the breathtaking coastal views we encountered along the way. John took this photo of me on the Seal Beach Pier.

4. Santa Monica (October 29, 2007). After having a fun dinner at the El Choro, one of the very first Mexican restaurants in the Los Angeles area (est. 1923), John Bode and I decided to play on the Santa Monica Pier before heading back to our hotel in Anaheim. I had a full belly and nice margarita buzz going on when John took this last photo of me on our wonderful Pacific Coast Highway day!

5. San Francisco (September 20, 2008). For my birthday, John Bode and I came out to visit Raymond Lopez in San Francisco. This was my first time visit to the beautiful city on the bay. Raymond had a Saturday morning haircut appointment at a salon in downtown SF, and while he was getting his hair cut I took his puppy Rocco for a walk. This was the pivotal moment when I realized that unlike the Mid-West - as a homosexual man dressed in blue work-out clothing with short-shorts- no one in this gay-friendly city gave me a second glace (while cute Rocco on the other hand received many happy smiles)!

6. Los Angeles (October 2, 2009). Knowing how much I longed to live in California, my best friend Tina Hillhouse took me out to L.A. to visit a friend (Tylo Braga) whom she believed would be a key connection to help me move here. We rented a Ford Mustang, and while she had a nutritionist appointment in North Hollywood, I took the Mustang for an afternoon spin (lucky me). I zoomed along the winding hills of Mulholland Drive, where I stopped to take in the sky-high views of Los Angeles and snapped this favorite self-portrait. Yes, I Am in California Heaven.

7. Los Angeles (October 3, 2009). For a Saturday morning work-out, I accompanied Tylo Braga for a brisk hike on the Runyon Canyon trail in the Santa Monica Mountains of Los Angeles (the southern entrance is at Fuller Street in Hollywood; northern entrance is at Mulholland Drive). The sites of this elevated hike (at 1,320 feet) is amazing; not only will see spectacular views of downtown L.A. (like in the photo) and the HOLLYWOOD Sign but celebrity sightings are common. In fact, I saw a shirtless and sweaty Daniel Craig (yum) coming off the trail as I was coming on.

8. San Diego (November 14, 2009). I did it! I moved to California. San Diego to be exact via Los Angeles! Some people might question, how and why I achieved this California Dream but all I have to say is, I needed to do it. No regrets. Here I am reflecting on the beach at Torrey Pines. It was the first time I saw the Pacific Ocean since leaving Kansas City on November 2.

9. San Diego (November 16). Living in California wasn't all beach runs and canyon hikes. After easily finding a cute little apartment in the Hillcrest neighborhood (just off Balboa Park), I had to find a job. Reality set in as I worried about John Bode back in Kansas City and I humbly experienced rejection when the salons I wanted to work at weren't interested in hiring me. This self-portrait is of me in my empty apartment on my first day of job hunting. (I eventually found work at Bellagio Salon & Spa in Mission Valley, and I thank Emil Tuniyants for giving me a chance.)

10. San Diego (November 22, 2009). My Rock! I discovered this huge boulder in the Cactus Garden in Balboa Park. It overlooked Florida Canyon, which became my favorite running path in San Diego and I loved watching the jetliners descending overhead to the San Diego Airport. This is also where I would sit and talk to GOD with questions and concerns.

11. San Diego (December 25, 2009). With my sweet sister cats Lucy and Misty on Christmas morning in front of our Hillcrest apartment (1402 Pennsylvania, #6). John Bode came out the week of Thanksgiving and brought me them. I was blessed to have the girls with me as they kept me company during the lonely moments in the apartment.

12. San Diego (December 25, 2009). On Christmas Day I ventured alone to Silver Strand State Beach south or Coronado. Here I went for a run along the beach but most importantly this was the day I made the decision to go home to Kansas City. On January 4, 2010, the cats and I headed east to KC with much uncertainty. (The night before leaving I sat alone on my apartment patio and looked up a California full moon and cried, "I love you San Diego. But I can't stay." I knew in my heart though that I would be back.)

13. San Diego (January 14, 2011). I'm back! It's been over a year and I am "home." Gosh, how I yearned to be back in the warmth of San Diego. Here I am strolling along Black's Beach in La Jolla with John Bode.

14. San Diego (January 14). At the Torrey Pines Gliderport in La Jolla. For me life doesn't get any better than this: Southern California sunshine and a red Mustang convertible. (I didn't want to give this sweet ride back to the rental. Do you blame me?!)

15. San Diego (January 16, 2011). Very happy and ready for a hike/run through Balboa Park with John Bode. I am very happy because the day before in Laguna Beach, John mentioned to Tiena Nazzaro and her son Taylor for the first time about moving me back to San Diego!

16. San Diego (January 16, 2011). I shout, "I LOVE ALL THIS!" as I hike through Balboa Park." I feel alive in San Diego, and Joseph Anthony, my dear San Diego friend, sums it up best with his post in facebook regarding this photo, "i wonder if you see how amazing you are. i do. love, your friend."

17. San Diego (September 18, 2011). I'm back again! And I'm back again at the Torrey Pines Gliderport in La Jolla ready to hike down to Black's Beach for a run. I came back to San Diego for my 50th Birthday (as well as get a feel for the SoCal city that I've been putting so much energy into moving to ... and it feels pretty fucking good.)

18. San Diego (September 21, 2011). The morning of my 50th Birthday. Happy California Birthday to Me! As I sit atop the Park Manor Suites near beautiful Balboa park, I can't think of a better place to be, sunny San Diego. Life is great.

19. San Diego (September 21, 2011). HAPPY 50TH TO ME!! Art Serrano said I should "be naked in San Diego in front of the Pacific Ocean for your 50th!!" Of course, I had to oblige... (Located in La Jolla, secluded Black's Beach is the largest nudist beach in America.)

20. San Diego (September 23, 2011). I found it Art! Throughout the year Art Serrano has been sending me photographs he takes in San Diego by text. These photos make me happy and keep me focused on moving westward. Back in late-January, he sent me one of 'San Diego, The Beautiful,' a plaque located in the Japanese Gardens of Balboa Park. When visiting the park this day, I came upon it as if the Universe had simply directed me to it!

21. San Diego (September 23, 2011). Here I am peacefully reflecting along the kol fish pond in the Japanese Gardens of Balboa Park. I talk to the "Universe" everyday about moving to California and say a daily affirmation of "I Am living in San Diego."

Below: Along with Jennifer Breck, I dedicate this post to Tina Hillhouse, Joseph Anthony, Art Serrano, Tiena Nazzaro, Taylor Rivera, and John Bode for their unconditional love and inspiration on my journey home to California.

(From left to right: With Jennifer Breck in Missouri; Tina Hillhouse in Malibu; and Joseph Anthony in Santee.)

(From left to right: With Art Serrano in San Diego; and Tina Nazzaro in Laguna Beach.)

(From left to right: With Taylor Rivera in San Diego; and John Bode in San Diego.)

Southwest 737 Landing in San Diego!

©david mansour

Inspiration for 2012

2012-01-14T17:56:00.000-08:00

©david mansour

The Top 10 Posts of 2011!

2012-01-12T06:43:00.000-08:00

Although I claimed my final blog post on December 28, 2011 as "The Last Post," I have quickly missed the creative outlet blogging gives me. And with that, I will occassionally revisit the From ABBA To Zoom blogspot and create a fun post for you to enjoy. Today, I'd like to share the top 10 most popular viewed pages from last year (out of 312!). By the look of it my readers obviously like Bad Girls, Flaky California Me, and Marilyn Monroe! If you click on the title of each it will take you to the actual blog post!

1. The Bad Girls Club

(May 15, 2011)

2. Daisy-A-Day

(July 23, 2011)

3. Nutty, Fruity, Flaky California Me

(September 3, 2011)

4. I'm Like Totally ... Lost In Space

(May 17, 2011)

5. 13 Extra Fun Things You Should Know About Me!

(May 5, 2011)

6. Happy Birthday USA!

(July 4, 2011)

7. Burt Reynolds

(September 10, 2011)

8. My Idol is Marilyn Monroe

(May 2, 2011)

9. Warhol's Marilyn

(June 1, 2011)

10. But I am a Cheerleader

(April 20, 2011)

©David Mansour

The Last Post

2011-12-28T11:37:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's true ... this is the last post. No more pop culture. No more toy photography. No more Barbies. No more Hollywood trivia. No more lists. No more inspirational quotes. No more California musings. As of today's post I've decided the From ABBA To Zoom blogspot should take its final bow. For the new year I want to take my life in a different direction. I want to spend 2012 working on other ventures, like seriously getting my butt to San Diego. Thank you for supporting this creative endeavor. It's been a great ride, and I feel your support has helped me grow creatively as well as personally and spiritually. ♥

©David Mansour

Inspirational Bliss

2011-12-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

"...a single step."

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step ..." Since making the heartfelt decision to move to San Diego, California nearly a year ago my head has swirled with a million thoughts: Good thoughts, bad thoughts, happy thoughts, sad thoughts, right thoughts, wrong thoughts, yes thoughts, no thoughts, maybe thoughts, blah blah blah thoughts. At times I just want to scream, GET OUT OF MY HEAD! Despite that, I know what I must do because although my head isn't always clear, my heart continually whispers, 'Go West. Your dream is calling you.'

"Just Be"

As I travel this journey of a 'thousand miles,' I realize I am not alone. You see, I've found comradery in others who have traveled a similar path. In periods of self-doubt, or for that matter in periods of self-confidence, I cling to their words discovered in books, spotted on landmarks, or gifted to me by a kinship of fellow travelers (many of these passages are now adopted into my daily musings). I believe by sharing this inspirational post with you (a collection of 100 quotes), you might find a word or two to keep inspiration alive on your dream journey in 2012 and beyond. And I'd like to end this by giving you a personal mantra that I am learning to adopt: "Just Be."

♥

"Believe that you can do it, under any circumstances. Because if you believe you can, then you really will. That belief just keeps you searching for the answers, then pretty soon you get it."

~ Wally "Famous" Amos

"Think you can or think you can't, either way you'll be right."

~ Anonymous

"I'd rather have a life of 'oh wells' than 'what ifs.'"

~ Anonymous

"If you love the life you live, you will live a life of love."

~ Anonymous

"The heart, hasty or not, has the power to discern truth if only one will let it."

~ Anonymous

"The purity of a person's heart can be quickly measured by how they regard animals"

~ Anonymous

"Come to the edge, life said. They said.. We are afraid. Come to the edge, life said. They came.. It pushed them.. And they flew."

~ Guillaume Apollinaire

"It has been my philosophy of life that difficulties vanish when faced boldly."

~ Isaac Asimov

“There is always music amongst the trees in the garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it.”

~ Minnie Aumonier

"When one door closes another door opens..."

~ Alexander Graham Bell

"Pursuing a dream can seem like a great, big mountain that takes forever to climb. Appreciate the beauty that surrounds you as you go on your way. You don't have to wait until you reach the top of a mountain to enjoy the view."

~ Eleanor Brownn

"What we call the search for happiness is no more of a secret than our willingness to choose life."

~ Leo Buscaglia

"Ask yourself this question:' Will this matter a year from now?'"

~ Richard Carlson

"Remember that your dreams want you just as much as you want them. They're chasing you day and night."

~ Michael J. Chase

"The voice within will always get you to your destination. But you have to trust it ... and yourself."

~ Michael J. Chase

"Achieving your heart's desire will be a wonderful feeling, but the story of how you got there is even more profound. The truth is that when all is said and done, your experiences, personal reslience, and growth will give you the greatest sense of accomplishment. After all, as the saying goes, life is a journey, not a destination."

~ Michael J. Chase

"Only share your intentions with people who are big dreamers. Close-minded friends and family members will often give you reasons why something is impossible and unrealistic."

~ Michael J. Chase

"If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere."

~ Frank A. Clark

“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”

~ The Dalai Lama

"Character--the willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life--is the source from which self-respect springs."

~ Joan Didion

"All dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them."

~ Walt Disney

"The way to get started is to quit talking and began doing."

~ Walt Disney

"Success isn't permanent, and failure isn't fatal."

~ Mike Ditka

"The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become."

~ Charles DuBois

"If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough."

~ Meister Eckhart

“Learn to be quiet enough to hear the genuine within yourself so that you can hear it in others.”

~ Marian Wright Edelman

"Your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions."

~ Albert Einstein

"You never know where life will take you if you stay open to it!"

~ Nils Ekstrom

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."

~ George Eliot

"What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from."

~ T.S. Eliot

"Be not the slave of your own past--plunge deep into the sublime seas, dive deep, and swim far, so you shall come back with self-respect, with new power, with an advanced experience, that shall explain and overlook the old."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"No great thing is created suddenly."

~ Epictetus

"Happiness is a function of accepting what is."

~ Werner Erhard

"To be ourselves causes us to be exiled by many others, and yet to comply with what others want causes us to be exiled from ourselves."

~ Clarissa Pinkola Estes

"When seeking guidance, don't ever listen to the tiny hearted."

~ Clarissa Pinkola Estes

"I Am that I Am"

~ Exodus

"The moment you realize that you create it all, you will realize that you can change it all."

~ Howard Falco

"Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn't stop to enjoy it."

~ William Feather

"There can be no freedom without the freedom to fail."

~ Erich Fromm

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."

~ Mahatma Gandhi

"Somewhere over the rainbow - way up high."

~ Judy Garland

"Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart."

~ Kahlil Gibran

"Never settle in life ... Life is too short."

~ Jacqueline Greunke

"Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you."

~ Nathaniel Hawthorn

"The things that one most wants to do are the things that are probably most worth doing."

~ Winifred Holtby

"The love we give away is the only love we keep."

~ Elbert Hubbard

"There is nothing like a dream to create the future."

~ Victor Hugo

"How simple it is to see that we can only be happy now, and there will never be a time when it is not now."

~ Gerald Jampolsky

"To travel hopefully is better than to arrive."

~ Sir James Jeans

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. ... Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become."

~ Steve Jobs

"I have accepted fear as a part of life, specifically the fear of change, the fear of the unknown. I have gone ahead despite the pounding in the heart that says: Turn back, turn back; you'll die if you venture too far."

~ Erica Jong

"The worst loss you’ve ever experienced is the greatest gift you can have."

~ Byron Katie

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."

~ Helen Keller

‎"The heart knows. The heart knows. There's nothing to choose. Just something to set loose."

~Tama J. Kieves

"Above all else, do your dream."

~ Tama J. Kieves

"Do not seek to convince others. Be invincible."

~ Tama J. Kieves

"The path of inspiration defies navigation. We arrive by way of revelation."

~ Tama J. Kieves

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

~ Abraham Lincoln

"There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living."

~ Nelson Mandela

"A reminder to self: breathe ... believe... breathe ... believe ... breathe ... believe ... breathe ... believe ... breathe ... believe ... breathe ... believe ..."

~ David Mansour

“Only in quiet waters do things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world.”

~ Hans Margolius

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

~ Matthew 7:7

"With GOD, all things are possible."

~ Matthew 19:26

"If you do not listen to your own original ideas, if you do not listen to your own being, you will have betrayed yourself. Also, you will have betrayed our community in failing to make your contribution to the whole."

~ Rollo May

‎"The great man is he who does not lose his childlike heart."

~ Mencius

"Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries."

~ James Michener

"Running is my meditation, mind flush, cosmic telephone, mood elevator, and spiritual communion."

~ Lorraine Moller

"We should all start to live before we get too old. Fear is stupid. So are regrets."

~ Marilyn Monroe

"Life is simple really. we have 2 choices; LOVE or FEAR. When you follow your heart, even when those around you are reacting from fear; fear of change, fear of unrealized dreams, fear of losing you, that takes COURAGE! Always come from love, my brave friend!"

~ Tiena Nazzaro

"Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us."

~ Thomas Paine

‎"If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another one."

~ Dolly Parton

"Inspiration is that strange voice that takes man out of himself to be everything he is, everything he desires: another body, another being. Beyond outside of me, in the green and gold thicket, among the tremulous branches, sings the unknown. It calls to me.

~ Octavio Paz

“Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'"

~ Mary Anne Radmacher

"Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change."

~ Jim Rohn

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

"Each of us must make his own true way, and when we do, that way will express the universal way."

~ Suzuki Roshi

"No matter what kind of challenge lies before you, if somebody believes in you, and you believe in your dream, it can happen."

~ Tiffany Loren Rowe

"As you start to walk out on the way, the way appears."

~ Rumi

"Nothing happens unless first we dream."

~ Carl Sandburg

“Follow your heart, but be quiet for a while first. Ask questions, then feel the answer. Learn to trust your heart.”

~ Art Serrano

"The great loss hidden in wanting others to like you:

You cannot suffer the pain of wanting to be all things to all people without having first forgotten what it means to be true to yourself."

~ Art Serrano

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.”

~ Dr. Seuss

"To thine own self be true."

~ William Shakespeare

"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you."

~ Lewis B. Smedes

"What you dislike in another take care to correct in yourself."

~ Thomas Sprat

There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do."

~ Freya Stark

"Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake."

~ Henry David Thoreau

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."

~ Henry David Thoreau

"If you want to be happy, be."

~ Leo Tolstoy

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

~ Howard Thurman

"20 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

~ Mark Twain

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

~ Lao Tzu

"To be a personal success, you must love what you do."

~ Unknown

"Thinking that you have a whole lot of time before you is an illusion. Have the fortitude and will not to pass on without living that dream you have inside. To find, achieve, and live your dreams is the real purpose of life."

~ Unknown

"They can because they think they can."

~ Virgil

"Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."

~ John Wooden

"The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen."

~ Frank Loyd Wright

"Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure nor this thing nor that but simply growth. We are happy when we are growing."

~ William Butler Yeats

"I have spread my dreams beneath your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams."

~ William Butler Yeats

Four books that have inspired me the most in 2011 (clockwise from top to bottom): believe by Dan Zadra & Kobi Yamada; I Am by Howard Falco; am I being kind by Michael J. Chase; and This Time I Dance! by Tama J. Kieves. (Thank you Art Serrano for sharing these with me.)

©David Mansour

Christmas in ToyLand

2011-12-25T10:59:00.000-08:00

My Toyroom on Christmas Morning 2011

On this Christmas Day, I'd like to share with you the various Christmas related toys that can be found in my toy collection.

Christmas Barbie

Santa Hot Wheels

Rudolph and Little Drummer Boy View-Masters

Santa Mouse and Santa Claus Push Puppets;

Snowman and Christmas Angel Wind-Ups

Santa Liddle Kiddle;

Grinch, Santa, Rudolph, and Frosty Plush Dolls

Rudolph Bobbleheads

Bumbles, Hermey and Rudolph Bobbleheads;

Heat Miser, Snow Miser, and Ralphie (A Christmas Story) Bobbleheads

A Night Before Christmas and Jesus Christ Bobbleheads;

Frosty the Snowman and the Grinch Bobbleheads

The Grinch and Betty Boop Bobbleheads

Rudolph Musical Cup and Star Wars Bobblehead;

Santa Troll

A Charlie Brown Christmas Figures

Ralph and Rudolph Action Figures

Bumbles the Abominable Snowman

Sam the Snowman and Frosty the Snowman Figures

Merry Christmas Magic Slate

Christmas Pez

A Charlie Brown Christmas Lunch Box

Bratz Christmas Queen

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Action Figures

Marilyn Monroe Ornaments

Christmas Little Golden Books

Christmas Story Books;

Christmas Board Games

Disneyland Christmas Frame-Tray Puzzle;

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Frame-Tray Puzzle

The Island of Misfit Toys Frame-Tray Puzzles

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Snowglobe;

How the Grinch Stole Christmas Snowglobe

Rudolph with your nose so bright,

won't you guide my toyroom tonight?

©David Mansour

Retro Hollywood Christmas

2011-12-24T08:06:00.000-08:00

Merry Retro Christmas and Happy Hollywood Holidays! For your holiday entertainment, here is a collection of photos from the yuletide yesterday of Hollywood pop culture.

Samantha Stephens and Santa Claus

Liz Montgomery,

serving as Santa's Helper

An I Love Lucy Christmas

Lucy and Desi Arnaz

Shirley Temple

Jeannie telling Santa Major Nelson what she wants for Christmas!

Barbara Eden,

playing with Christmas elves

Elizabeth Taylor

The Brady Bunch

The Partridge Family

The Jackson 5

Elvis Presley,

will have a "Blue Christmas" without you

Lil' Lisa Marie Presley meets Santa Claus

Ann-Margret,

a Christmas kitten with a whip

Dean Martin

Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra,

with daughters Gail Martin and Nancy Sinatra

The Carpenters

Donny & Marie,

attending the Ugly Christmas Sweater Party

Doris Day and Betty Grable,

delivering Christmas presents

Joan Crawford, delivering Christmas cigarettes

Joan Crawford,

celebrating Christmas cheer with her children

Merry Christmas from Disneyland!

Esther Rolle and Sammy Davis, Jr

Marilyn Monroe and Sharon Tate

Jayne Mansfield and Kim Novak,

decorating the Christmas trees

Audrey Hepburn,

she's been a "nice girl" this year Santa!

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Archie and Barbie

frederick's of Hollywood

Bettie Page

Tiki and Monsters, Hollywood Holiday Style!

Christmas Pin-Up Girls

Loretta Young and Susan Hayward

Natalie Wood and Annette Funicello

Marilyn Monroe and Diana Dors,

Xmas Pin-Ups!

Rob and Laura Petrie and The Beverly Hillbillies

White Christmas

Debbie Reynolds and Rosemary and Priscilla Lane,

making like living Christmas dolls

Jayne Mansfield,

wishing you a Happy New Year's too!

©David Mansour

Merry Christmas Darling

2011-12-23T05:26:00.000-08:00

(Elvis Presley)

Greeting cards have all been sent

The Christmas rush is through

But I still have one wish to make

A special one for you

(Farrah Fawcett)

Merry Christmas darling

We're apart that's true

But I can dream and in my dreams

I'm Christmas-ing with you

(Marilyn Monroe)

Holidays are joyful

There's always something new

But every day's a holiday

When I'm near to you

The lights on my tree

I wish you could see

I wish it every day

Logs on the fire

Fill me with desire

To see you and to say

(Sharon Tate)

That I wish you Merry Christmas

Happy New Year, too

I've just one wish

On this Christmas Eve

I wish I were with you

(Elizabeth Taylor)

Logs on the fire

Fill me with desire

To see you and to say

That I wish you Merry Christmas

Happy New Year, too

I've just one wish

On this Christmas Eve

I wish I were with you

(Karen Carpenter)

Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas - Darling

©David Mansour

California State of Mind

2011-12-20T06:27:00.000-08:00

At the grocery store the other night in Kansas, I realized I was wearing a "UCLA" shirt, my UGG boots, and carrying a Ralph's "CALIFORNIA SHOPPIN'" recycle grocery sack. Obiviously, I am in a Southern California state of mind ...

(My Martha Corgi and Misty Manx think so too - LOL!)

©David Mansour

The 12 Days of Christmas - From ABBA To Zoom Style

2011-12-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Merry Happy Kwanzaa! And for you non-believers out there, Bah Humbug! As we are in the middle of the 12 Days of Christmas, I'd like to reshare with you a cheery blog series I posted in December of 2010 ("On the 12th Day Before Christmas..."). As you can see each "12 Days" features the classic Christmas icons of our childhood, and if you click on the post title beneath each picture, it will take you directly to that blog post! Enjoy and Happy Holidays from From ABBA To Zoom!

On the 1st day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ... 1 naked santa.

Naked Santas!

("Here's a new meaning to Santa's 'Ho,ho, ho!'")

On the 2nd day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ... 2 retro Christmas decorations.

Retro Christmas Decorations

("'Tis the season of pink flamingos and aluminum trees!")

On the 3rd day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ... 3 Christmas wish books.

Christmas Wish Book

("My childhood experience of wishing over the Sears "Wish Book" probably echoes yours.")

On the 4th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ... 4 Christmas songs.

Christmas Songs

("Ho, ho, ho! It's Christmas time. Deck the halls and hang the mistletoe. Here's my playlist of Essential Christmas Songs (66 to be exact)!")

On the 5th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ... 5 Rankin/Bass Christmas specials.

The Enchanted World of Rankin/Bass

("It's hard to imagine Christmas without the whimsical charms of the Rankin/Bass holiday TV specials!")

On the 6th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ... 6 reindeers with red noses.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

("Folksinger Burl Ives gives voice to congenial Sam the Snowman, narrator of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the endearing Christmas TV special based on Gene Autry's holiday tune about the brave little buck with the shiny red nose.")

On the 7th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ... 7 Christmases without Santa.

The Year Without a Santa Claus

("This extraordinary 1974 TV special about "the Christmas that almost wasn't" is remembered by many children of the 1970s as the one starring the weather-controlling brothers, Heat Miser and the Snow Miser.")

On the 8th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ... 8 little drummers a-drumming.

The Little Drummer Boy

("The most solemn of all the holiday TV specials to come out of the 1960s (when my brother Robbie and I watched it as kids we cried like babies when the little lamb was struck down by a chariot).")

On the 9th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ... 9 frosty snowmen.

Frosty the Snowman

(Following in the footsteps of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and The Little Drummer Boy, Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass brought another classic Christmas song to life in 1969 with the perennial favorite, Frosty the Snowman.")

On the 10th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ... 10 Christmas-stealing Grinches.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

("Dr. Seuss' deliciously delightful Yuletide tale became popular first as a 1957 storybook, written in rhymed verse with illustrations by the author, and later as a 1966 TV special, directed and animated by Chuck Jones (most memorable for his Bugs Bunny cartoons).")

On the 11th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ... 11 Christmas stories.

A Christmas Story

("Released in 1983, A Christmas Story--a nostalgic look at the Christmas holiday in the 1940s--has grown into the best-loved and most-watched holiday classics of recent times.")

On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ... 12 Charlie Brown Christmases.

A Charlie Brown Christmas
("First airing on December 9, 1965, this heartwarming TV special taught Charles Schulz's Peanuts gang (making their animation debut) and child viewers the true meaning of the Yuletide holiday.")

©David Mansour

If You're Waiting For a Sign ... This Is It.

2011-12-15T05:45:00.001-08:00

Pictures of inspiration and encouragement I've come across and photographed this past year (and yes as the sign says, "play with your weiner")!

Personal photo by David Mansour