Christmas cards from Katy Perry in 2008, wishing her fans a Perry Christmas

Perry Christmas to all and to all a good night! Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, better known to us as Katy Perry, has really blossomed over the years. How does one go from being a gospel singer to singing anything but gospel? Katy Perry’s Christmas cards from last holiday season had just as much flare as her personality. Wearing a red holiday dress featuring a candy cane top, Perry made any man wish there was mistletoe around.

Katy’s debut album, One of the Guys, features the hit single, “I Kissed a Girl,” which got a stunning run of seven weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She was born in Santa Barbara, California and was the daughter of two pastors. Talk about acting out against your parents! Perry cites her musical influences as Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, Freddie Mercury, and Alanis Morissette among others.

As you can see from Perry’s dress on her signature Christmas card, Perry is well known for her extravagant use of color in her clothing. She also likes to accentuate using fruit-shaped accessories. When Perry is not fighting with fellow singer Lilly Allen, she may or may not be seen with on and off again boyfriend Travis McCoy, lead singer of Gym Class Heroes. Any guy who receives Christmas cards from Katy Perry would have a “Perry” Christmas indeed!

The quite befitting Christmas cards Ivana Trump sent out in 2008

I love Ivana Trump’s 2008 Christmas cards! Has anyone seen this design? I thought it was an advertisement for Harry Winston or Cartier Jewelers! It’s an unusual Christmas card, to say the least, but it certainly fits Ivana.

I have liked her from the beginning, when we first started hearing about the Trump family in New York real estate. I loved “The Donald” then because he was American buying America and building up our country – New York in particular. And there was Ivana, in the center of it all. I had respect for Donal Trump then but didn’t care for him much when he divorced Ivana and married that silly little blond, Marla! What a mistake! I lost all respect for him then. I thought he lost his class when he divorced Ivana.

Anyway, getting back to her Christmas cards, Ivana is a beautiful woman who is making the best of herself with the brains and beauty she has in life. Her card design shows her good taste for the finer things in life (well the wealthier things anyway). Since it is a picture of diamonds and gold, I’m assuming it represents her line of jewelry she has on QVC or something along those lines. I wish Santa would put those things in my stocking next Christmas Eve!

I’m considering something sparkly for the design of my Christmas cards next year or even changing my Christmas wish list to include something with the name Harry Winston engraved on it, but I’m not sure “my Santa” can deliver those goods. Oh, by the way, did anyone see Donald and Melania’s (wife #3) latest Christmas card? It looks like the typical card we all send out every year…very nice and Christmasie. It’s very pretty, in fact, but certainly not the knock out card you would expect from Mr. Trump! Like your Christmas cards say Ivana – you rock!

2008 Paris-inspired Christmas cards painted AND sent by Tony Bennett

I just went online looking for some celebrity Christmas cards and came across Tony Bennett’s 2008 Christmas card. Wow! I forgot that he is an artist, not thinking he would have created his own card. I never used to like him as I was growing up, but now that I’m older and wiser, I appreciate the man so much more along with his music, and now, of course, his art. I have two or three CDs that I play all the time in the car and I just love his voice. The music behind him is also wonderful. But being an artist myself, now I appreciate his artwork too. Oh, did I mention that he comes from the glorious state of New Jersey (my homeland). So that makes him even more special to me. I have been to the see him perform in a local venue, and his recording studio is right across the street from the theater and who knows when you might see him there during the year. I can only imagine what his home must look like!!!!

Anyway, I came across his 2008 Christmas cards design in the paper and decided to look online to see some of his additional artwork. I was very impressed with all the work he has on his official website. I did find the art he used for the Christmas card and I also found a great many other pieces he did that were used for charitable Christmas cards for the American Cancer Society. Each one represented where he was for that particular Christmas. This line of charitable Christmas cards started in 1994. His technique is soft, at times, and muted, and then there are some pieces that are very powerful from the rich colors he used.

He also uses watercolor a lot. Sometimes I feel his work looks a little like Monet’s work. There is one beautiful piece that I would have to say is my favorite and that is the piece he did for his friend. It is called Homage to David Hockney. I think this piece is beautiful and powerful and I love any scene with water or a beach or the interior of a home and this one has both. As far as the 2008 Christmas card goes, I liked the design as well. It is a Parisian Street scene in the winter with a decorated Christmas tree in the foreground.

Tony always looks so comfortable in the photos on his site; He must love painting as much as he loves singing. Anyway, visit his site and check out his work. I can’t wait to see next year’s Christmas card!

Spoof holiday cards featuring Amy Winehouse

What is a nice Jewish girl like Amy Winehouse doing sending out Holiday cards?!!!! This Christmas card spoof of poor misguided Amy is as appropriate as it is amusing. The festive card design is a caricature of the head of Amy depicting her huge, signature beehive hairdo all decked out with holiday ornaments, a string of lights, and a star on top. The sentiment at the bottom of the Christmas card reads “I’m dreaming of a Wino Christmas,” a musical reference with a twist to an all time favorite Christmas carol. Amy is a singer/songwriter in the music industry and is also known to imbibe the holiday spirits, hence the “wino.” Actually the holiday cards sentiment could have remained “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas,” since Amy is also known to partake of the illegal “white stuff” as well. These bad habits have led to her downfall recently and a lot of negative publicity in the tabloids.

Amy grew up in England in a somewhat musical household. Her father was cab driver who loved to sing to her, and her mother was a pharmacist (hmmm). Her brother played guitar. She started her own rap band at the age of 10 and attended a private theatrical school until she was expelled at the age of 14. This was due to her getting her first body piercing. Since then, Amy has had many more piercings and lots of tattooing which seems to make her somewhat of an oddity in combination with her 60s style hairdo and Jewish upbringing.

Amy’s big break came in 2008 when she won five Grammys, but was unable to attend the ceremony due to visa issues coming into the United States. By then, this very talented woman was on a downward trip due to drugs, legal problems, marital troubles, and ill health. It is unfortunate that Amy Winehouse cannot get her act together. Her songs are deeply personal and brutally candid, sung with a soulful voice that supposedly gets better as she drinks. Perhaps next Christmas, Amy will be gifted with a brighter future without the wine, white stuff, and bad behavior.

2008 Christmas cards from the beautiful and wrinkle-free Joan Collins

I have been receiving photo Christmas cards of my friends’ and cousins’ children and their pets for many years. It is delightful to see how much they grow and change each year. Very rarely do I receive Christmas cards with the whole family and never have received any of only adults. Nor would I send one of myself! I don’t want anyone comparing my picture to last year’s to see how much I’ve changed! I can hear it now: “Is that a strand of gray hair?” “She has six more wrinkles on her face.” “How many pounds do you think she gained?” No thank you, I’ll save myself some humiliation!

Of course if you are a beautiful celebrity such as Joan Collins you would want to show off how fabulous you look. The Christmas cards Joan sent to her friends in 2008 featured an illustration of herself wearing a very sexy black gown lounging on a bright Christmas red sofa with a handwritten “Season’s Greetings” sentiment. Do you know Joan just celebrated her 75th birthday?! She looks as beautiful as ever. Her skin and hair are smooth and bright. Joan Collins is stunning!

In her native England, Joan Collins started acting at a very early age. She joined the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and played many theater roles by the age of 18. She continued acting in movies and made her way to Hollywood. Her most memorable role was that of Alexis Carrington on the popular 1980s television show Dallas. She is also a best selling author, producer and entrepreneur.