Adventures On Creative Lane

1 Hat, 2 Tries, and 3 Lessons Learned

2012-01-07T15:08:00.000-05:00

You know the saying,

You learn something new everday.

Well, I agree with that wholeheartedly. Only, some days, I learn a lot more than one thing. Like last Tuesday, I learned two lessons. The first:

Wearing a hat can really make a big difference in your warmth when it's 5 degrees outside. In fact, it can really make a difference even when it's not that cold.

Second,

Wearing a hat with a pompom on top is just.....weird. Not only did I feel like the kid from Home Alone, but it also wiggled whenever I moved my head......and that was weird.

Those two wonderful lessons prompted me to make my own hat. I had lots of wool yarn left over from making my shawl, and no plans for it. Since I also had some extra time on my hands, I decided to go for it. I found the pattern for a hat here (http://lilustudios.blogspot.com/2010/12/arrow-hat-crochet-pattern.html). I certainly wouldn't recommend this pattern for beginners. However, if you have a good grasp of crocheting and reading patterns, then it's pretty easy to follow once you get into the swing of things.

Well, Friday night I went to work, and four hours later my hat was almost completely finished. I tried it on and....it was too small. Gggaahhhh......frustration. Well, after looking at some of the comments posted on the pattern, I found one lady who had a similar problem and gave tips on how to fix it.

So out it came. All 19 rows and 987 double crochet stitches of work.......gone. I hate having to do that. But, I knew it was worth it because in the end, the hat would actually fit well.

So, I went for my second try, and that time, it worked!!! It fits perfectly, and I'm so glad I redid it. I know it's hard to see the detail in this picture, but it gives you an idea:

I am quite pleased with how it turned out, and now my head will be very warm and not have to suffer through another pompom! =)

Now, I'm sure you're all thinking....."Wait! This post can't end yet! I've seen the one hat, I've seen the two tries, but you've only mentioned two lessons! What about the third lesson learned?"

Well, the last lesson I've learned this week is totally unrelated to hats; it is:

Never become too attached to the characters in the book you're reading.

Yeah...I WOULD do that. I've been reading the Anne of Green Gables series recently. I've seen her go from a scared, skinny little 11-year-old to a mature and lovely adult, enjoyed all her adventures and mishaps, learned with her along the way, and really just had a grand old time. Well, in the book I just started Anne got married; and I feel like a really close friend has left me behind. Up until now I could relate with most of what she experienced; but now, she's gone on ahead, and I'm still left here. It sounds silly, I know, and I'm not really all that devastated. I simply couldn't believe just how attached I've become to Anne Shirley.

And, on that note, I would highly recommend the series. You just can't help but be happy and encouraged my Anne's wonderful joy and zeal for life, and there are also many things to learn from her experiences.........like never paint a town hall blue!

Stitching My Way To Christmas

2011-12-30T19:23:00.001-05:00

So, as I mentioned in my last post, one of the big things that I was busy with during November and December was sewing projects and Christmas presents.

The first part of that was my own 1860's wardrobe. The #1 item on my list of projects was to re-trim my old blue dress. The old trim was in horrid shape after the summer and honestly rather boring; just straight black lines. So, I turned that:

Into this:

And also put new trim on the bodice:

Now, you'll notice from those pictures that the bodice is separate from the skirt; that was also a project - separate the two halves and tailor them to fit me perfectly. The reason for doing that was the second project.

Back in September, I got some amazing blue plaid flannel at a reenactment. After much searching and thinking and planning, I finally decided to make a Zouave jacket out of it, and a blouse to go under the jacket. However, I obviously couldn't just wear a blouse and jacket, and I didn't want to make a new skirt. Then it struck me...separate my old dress so that I can mix and match!! So, I made the jacket:

And the Garibaldi blouse, which is covered with intricate embroidery:

One other thing I forgot to mention: I sewed it all by hand. Every seam on the jacket and blouse, every stitch, every inch of embroidery was done by hand. A machine never touched them. And it was awesome!!! So cool to know that I was doing it all authentically!

And thus, my new outfit was born:

Continuing in the world of hand-sewing, for Christmas I made my wonderful man two 1860's shirts and an 1860's vest. That was interesting, trying to make clothes without being able to try them on the actual wearer. I definitely have to thank my brother for being so willing to try everything on, but, unfortunately, my brother is not quite the same size as Stephen. However, all three garments ended up fitting PERFECTLY!

I embroidered his initials on all three pieces:

Again, all three were done entirely by hand. As one of his family members said, "You're either a glutton for work, or you're in love!" Maybe a little bit of both.... =)

And that leads us to Christmas. It truly is a most wonderful time of the year!! Christmas day itself was the best Christmas I have ever had. Stephen and I got to spend the day both with my family and with his. At my house, one (rather new) tradition is to make chocolate covered Oreos:

Does that vest look familiar? Yup, he loved it so much that he wore it most of the morning....even at the cost of having a clash of plaid on plaid! =)

My mom and brother.....pretending to cross-cut saw? Tug of war? Who knows!

My beautiful sister and her husband:

Some target practice at the Schmidt house!

The whole family together.....it was an amazing Christmas!!

Catching Up

2011-12-28T19:09:00.001-05:00

I know, I know...I haven't written in forever. This week is Christmas break, and it's the first time I've had in a long time to actually sit down and do this. During December, I felt like I hardly had enough time to breath, let alone blog! But, because I've been gone so long, I thought I'd catch you all up on some of the wonderful things I've been doing.

One awesome thing is that I have had the opportunity to spend a day once a week down in Attica helping my wonderful man work on pianos, cars, and a dozen other projects. One we big project we finished was restoring a reed organ:

I've also been really busy working on sewing projects and Christmas presents, but that will be saved for a later post.

Of course, what has kept me the busiest was Yuletide at Genesee Country Village. It was pretty similar to last year's Yuletide, although not nearly as much snow. To anyone who was able to come, I hope you enjoyed it! And for those who weren't, here are just a few pictures.

My scene, the Town Hall:

Thompson's Tavern:

MacKay Homestead:

Brooks Grove Church:

Reenactors:

The village drummer:

One of the days we made a snowman, Teddy, who was the mini version of Theodore, because there just wasn't enough snow:

Here a few other random pictures - a lovely friend:

The entire group watching eagerly as I tried a real, live fig:

Waltzing:

And of course, there were the obligatory photo shoots. I love my man with his camera. Really. Only he can make pictures of me look so good!

A new dress!!!

Check back soon for a few more posts!

Too Much Mud?

2011-10-18T14:05:00.000-04:00

An off-road rally needs mud. If there's no mud, it's no fun. Participants want to see how well vehicles survive the mud, and they want to go home covered in it. At past rallies, there has even been the concern that there wouldn't be enough mud. But, the burning question is,

"Can there be too much mud at an off-road rally???"

Well, I am here today to answer that, "Yes, there CAN!"

The 2011 Spring Rally was so warm that people were getting sun burns, and even last fall's rally, though a tad chilly, was beautiful. But this past weekend was disgusting. It rained all day Friday and Saturday, resulting in more mud than we knew what to do with. Cars were dropping like flies; several of them didn't even make it through the first trail. And by the end of the day, five vehicles were stuck in one mud pit. Even the invincible Sally was stuck beyond help. So, I guess we all learned that yes, it IS possible to have TOO MUCH mud!

The morning began with the shootout. But, it was just Stephen and I, and because it was raining, we shot from the inside of the van.

Our targets were an old tv, sewing machine, grill, and some pumpkins. And it was fun to destroy them, especially the tv!!

Then, the rally started:

There were even two lawnmowers, and surprisingly, they did just as well as all the cars!

Then came the pond in which our van got really muddy:

And our expert driver:

And then, after all that rain and mud, and three hours trying to get vehicles unstuck, we cleaned up, ate pizza, and made bacon-shakes!

Now, I know a milkshake with bacon in it sounds REALLY disgusting, but actually, it's not. You get the cold sweetness from the ice cream (especially if it's chocolate) first and the salty/crunchiness from the bacon second. If you like combining food opposites (like sweet and sour), and if you like bacon, you would love this!!

Although there was a ton of mud and rain, and it was cold and dreary, it was still an awesome rally!

The Last Civil War

2011-09-27T19:45:00.000-04:00

Well.....it is a sad day folks. The civil war reenacting season has officially ended for me this year. But, boy, did it go out with a bang!!!

This past Saturday, Stephen and I went down to the Angelica reenactment. It was my first time going to this one, and it has definitely already become one of my favorites! It was such a different atmosphere, having the reenactment right in town instead of spread out over a park or field.

After the slightly long drive there, we spent the morning roaming around antique shops. There are at least ten antique shops right on Main Street, and they all have an awesome variety of things.

Then we had lunch:

And let me tell you, that hot dog was incredible!!! Maybe it was just because I was so hungry, maybe it was because it was the first time I had ever put relish and onions on it, but gosh..........it was GOOD!

Then we went to a lovely little place called The Sweet Shop and got ice cream:

Next came the battle. It was so awesome to have the battle right on the streets! We were literally only a few feet from the battle instead of all the way on the other side of the field. The rebels were taking over the town that day.

After that we did some people watching, which turned into a mini photo-shoot:

Then it was more antiquing, and then off to dinner at an awesome little cafe called Black Eyed Susan. I would definitely have to recommend this place to anyone who might happen to be in that area. Great food, decent prices, great service, and lovely atmosphere.

For dinnr, we had baby back ribs, horseradish mashed potatoes, rolls, and salad:

And peanut butter cheesecake for dessert:

And then, it was time for the dance! I loved the fact that the dance was held inside and on a nice wood floor instead of on grass, but it was rather crowded. However, we had the perfect combination of band (City Fiddle) and caller (Bob Nicholson) which meant great music, great calling, and LONG waltzes!!

And so ended the day, and the reentacting season!

Photoshoots

2011-09-21T10:12:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you, but I always used to hate having my picture taken. I mean, if someone REALLY wanted to take my picture, I'd let them....but I always felt awkward and silly, and even kind of ugly.

However, my wonderful Stephen is a photographer at heart, and he LOVES taking pictures.......especially of me! And that doesn't match well with being camera-shy. So, I've gotten used to having my picture taken, and thanks to him, I even have started to feel decently good about them!

But, with that in mind, when my brother-in-law Tim decided that he might want to get into the photography business and needed some people to practice on, I readily volunteered my services. So we set a date, and decided that first we would take pictures of Tim and Cati by the Grape St. sign, and then let Tim take pictures of me. Stephen was a trooper and graciously agreed to come along and take pictures for Tim and Cati, and be part of my pictures!

So, all that to say, here are some of the favorites!

NY State Fair

2011-09-18T15:00:00.001-04:00

So, I realize that I am have been terribly remiss about posting on my blog lately; I just haven't been in a blogging mood at all. But, I figure it's better late than never, so here we go.

On Tuesday, August 30th, I went to the great New York State Fair for the first time. It was CRAZY! So much to hear, see, smell, taste.........it was overwhelming. But it was tons of fun! I went with Stephen and his parents, who have gone every year for a long time, so I had good guides!

We first headed to the dairy bulding, where we got some yummy chocolate milk and saw the butter statue:

After some random wandering, we headed over to the State Trooper area to watch their dog show:

And there's Roseanne, State Trooper style:

A handsome man enjoying the day:

We indulged in some deep fried ice cream, which was very delicious, but not quite as epic as I was expecting it to be:

My favorite building, of course, was the arts building; quilts, artwork, photography, music.......does it get any better?

Some of my favorite quilts:

Maple Leaves

Storm At Sea

Sunbursts

Log Cabin - Barn Raising

Baltimore Album

Roosters!!!

The making of a quilt:

Underground Railroad

A beautiful pump organ:

Stephen serenading his eager audience:

For anybody who has never seen a player piano in action:

The model train and circus room:

Some favorite artwork and photographs:

Very unique perspective:

Yes....that's a painting.........so realistic that we just wanted to take a big bite out of it!

Those hills look like a blanket!

This can't be good for the guitar....

Dinner was Dinosaur BBQ:

And to end the day, deep fried pineapple...........so AMAZING!

I definitely had a ton of fun, and I'm looking forward to next year!

Deeply Southern

2011-08-25T21:04:00.002-04:00

This past weekend was the annual Hamlin Beach Civil War reenactment, and it definitely was a fun one. I love having the reenactment by the beach....it really makes for some fun times. This year, my parents and some friends from church joined Stephen and I for the day as well; it's always enjoyable to introduce people to the world of reenacting!

Well, anyways, the day started with drive to the beach, and on the way there Stephen and I got ourselves ready by listening to some "southern" songs. Of course there was the traditional "Dixie's Land", played by the 2nd South Carolina String Band. But he also played another song for me which I had never heard; all I can say about it is that it is deeply Southern. It's a good song, though, and it really set the tone for the day. So, enjoy:

We spent the morning shopping around the sutlers, looking for good bargains, like this beautiful dish set (8 bowls, 8 plates, 8 mugs and saucers, and salt and pepper shakers) for only $7:

And of course, visiting with friends. Then he had to go off to join his regiment, and get ready for the battle. Then I joined my parents and friends to watch the battle.

Just like last year, this reenactment had more Southern units than Northern, which meant that the South won the battle again.

The Yankees retreating:

Stephen's regiment:

The Southern Artillery:

And Stephen's down....again!

And here's little Miss I'm-Too-Cute-For-My-Own-Good:

The battle's over, the Confederates won the day, and he's alive again!

Here are both armies marching away after the battle:

After the battle we cleaned his gun, and then went for a walk barefoot on the beach; of course I had to at least wade in the water, so the bottom of my skirt was a little wet and sandy. He also took the opportunity for a photo shoot, including a picture with his old 1914 camera:

Then we had dinner:

and met up with his brother and friends, took some more pictures:

and then it was time to dance! I don't have any pictures from that, but basically, it looked just like it always does: lots of people in costume under a white tent with white christmas lights. We did all the normal dances, and a few odd ones; ate some ice cream; got really tired; and had an incredibly long waltz at the end. It was indeed a cool beans days!

To Make A Book

2011-08-23T11:23:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you, but I like things; I like things that remind of adventures I had and places I've gone. Thus, I have managed to accumulate a good size pile of memorabilia. It has everything from the script for my scene in Yueltide last year, to dozens of postcards from places I've been, to an awesome card a friend gave me last year on my birthday. The only problem is, it's all sitting in a box in my closet. That's great and all, but it would be nice if I actually had some place to put it.

So, with that in mind, my most recent projects has been to make a scrapbook with it all. At first, I was planning on just going to the store, buying some sort of scrapbook/journal/notebook to put them in. But, after tons of searching, I only found one book I liked, and it was WAY too expensive.

However, that could not deter me. I decided instead to actually make the scrapbook itself. It couldn't be THAT hard, right? I did a little research on Google about making books, and found that there were some pretty easy ways to do it. So, I grabbed my supplies, which included:

carboard
fabric
cardstock
unlined white paper
thread
scissors
and glue......lot's of glue.

And here's how I did it.

First, I measured and cut my covers out of carboard. Then, I cut out enough fabric to cover the inside and outside of both covers. I chose to put a yellow on the inside, and a red on the outside, as well as appilque a bird on the front cover. Then, I glued the inside fabric on, then the outside:

Next, I took my cardstock, and made them into signatures (a signature is a section of pages joined together). The easiest way to make a signature is to take two (or more) pieces of paper, lay them on top of each other, and fold in half length-wise; you then have a signature with four pages in it.

Since I couldn't fold my cardstock and still have it be big enough, I instead took two pieces of cardstock and two 1 1/4 inch strips of paper

And used the strips to connect the two piece of cardstock by gluing one on each side of the seam:

Then, that one large piece can be folded to create a signature:

I did that with my whole stack:

Then I measured, poked holes along the folds, and folded all the signatures:

And then I punched holes in my covers:

Then, using the coptic stitch method of binding, I stitched the covers and signatures together. Hole by hole, signature by signature:

Until finally, I had stitched everything together:

And that was the last step. So now I have a lovely, homemade, inexpensive scrapbook:

Now it sits on my table, just waiting to be filled with all my little paper memories!

Technology 101

2011-08-18T19:12:00.000-04:00

As some of you may have seen on Facebook last Tuesday, I broke my laptop's screen. I was just innocently carrying it from my room to the basement when BANG, the corner of the lid bumped into the wall. And....that was the end of the screen. So, for the past 9 days, I have been working with half a screen:

Yeah.....that was challenging. All my windows had to be reduced to half-size, and if the words or pictures went farther than that, I had to scroll back and forth across the screen. I couldn't see the date, or time, or whether my internet was connected; nothing on the right side of my screen. It was pretty lame.

Anyways, we ordered a new screen, which arrived Monday, and finally tonight, my dad and I had time to fix it. This fall, my dad is going to be teaching me everything I need to know about taking care of my own laptop, and this was my first lesson.

Did you know that all this stuff was between the screen and the lid?

Here's the old screen (ew...really dusty):

Well, it's fixed now, and now I can see my WHOLE screen again!!! It's a miracle!

And what have I learned from this? Well, two things:

#1 - ALWAYS carry your laptop with the lid CLOSED.

#2 - Fixing a computer's screen is almost like working on a snowmobile engine. Kind of...... =)

In This House

2011-08-14T18:59:00.000-04:00

Well, moving day was yesterday, so my parents and I are now apartment-dwellers. Thanks to lots of help from friends and family, we were able to get everything moved and all but four small boxes unpacked in just about twelve hours.

I can't really believe I'm saying this, but the actual process of moving was somewhat enjoyable. I kind of liked the whole packing things into cars, moving it into the apartment, and making it feel more homey. But, as I unpacked, I almost couldn't comprehend the fact that this was my new home. I felt like at the end of the day we were going to get in our cars, drive to the house, and everything would still be there. Of course, that wasn't the case, but I think that even just one night of sleeping here has made it feel a little bit more like home.

So, for your viewing pleasure, here are pictures of my new room:

Probably the only thing I really don't like about my room, the view from my window:

A big shout out to Stephen for helping me decorate these various areas of my room; he's got a very artistic eye, and his brain was still working even after mine shut down!

Overall, I really do like my new room. I have a little more floor space, and a huge closet!! (Is it weird that the thing I'm most excited about is my closet??) And I'm sure after a few weeks, this will really start to feel like home.

Just The Thought Of It

2011-08-12T09:35:00.000-04:00

I thought you all would enjoy a little interesting something that happened to me at work yesterday; just to preface it, Stephen always brings me a dish filled with some of the different foods that the cooks have been making that day, and since I started working there, he's gotten me to try a ton of things. With that in mind:

Stephen, handing me my bowl and stabbing a piece of meat on the fork: "You've got to try this boiled meat! It's really good."

Me: "Okay." Chew, chew...munch, munch. "Okay. It tastes like beef."

Stephen: "No, it's not beef."

Me: "Well, then, what is it?"

Stephen: "Actually, it's.......cow tongue."

**Gulp**

Yeah.....honestly, it really was just like beef. Same taste, same texture. But just the thought of eating COW TONGUE made it rather difficult for me to eat the second piece!

And So It Begins

2011-08-01T18:43:00.001-04:00

In case some of you don't know this yet, my parents have been trying to sell our house since last summer, and it finally sold this June. We'll be moving into the Windsor Garden apartments near Roberts Weslyan College. I can't say I'm really thrilled about the idea of moving and living in an apartment, but change is just part of life, and I probably won't be with my parents for many more years.
My parents have been packing for the last week or two, but I, being the procrastinator that I am, have just kept putting it off. But, moving day is August 13th, and that means only 12 more days.With that in mind, I decided I should probably start packing some of my things today. And lets just say, it was not my favorite job ever! But, I got four boxes packed today, and I can probably pack the rest into another four boxes. I also threw out three big bags of garbage!

And now, my room is starting to look rather empty, and my shelf is full of things awaiting to be packed.

And that is just the beginning!!

Idle Hands and Audio Books

2011-07-19T13:22:00.000-04:00

I'm sure you've all heard the saying,

Idle hands are the Devil's tools.

Well, it's true, and I don't ever like to have idle hands. I always like to be working, or reading, or cooking, or cleaning, or working on projects. In fact, I usually have several projects going at once, just so I can keep busy....so that I don't just sit around all day wasting time and doing stupid things.

That being the case, I just recently finished two projects. The first is a crocheted shawl for reenacting:

And the second is a crocheted rag rug to use up all my fabric scraps:

And, I still have some extra scrap fabric that just didn't seem to fit on this rug, so I've begun another rug, a rectangle this time.

Well, not only are idle hands a problem, but so is an idle mind. While I'm working on projects, I can never just sit and work in silence. Sometimes I'll put on music, and sometimes I'll put on a movie. But more often than not, I'll listen to an audio book.

There is this awesome website I found called Librivox which has thousands of free audio books in mp3 and ogg files. Since the beginning of the year, all while working on projects, I have listened to:

Pride and Prejudice
Emma
Sense and Sensibility
Mansfield Park
Persuasion
Northanger Abbey
Jane Eyre
The Pilgrim's Progress

If you like audio books, I would highly recommend checking out Librivox. If you've never listened to an audio book, I would still highly recommend checking it out. They're a great way to "read" and get your work done all at the same time.

So, all that to say, go find a useful and productive way to keep your hands busy today, and while you're at it, find something to do with your mind, too!

Mumford Civil War

2011-07-11T15:22:00.000-04:00

Two weekends ago at Genesee Country museum it was 1812....this past weekend, we moved up into the 1860's. This past Friday-Sunday was the annual Mumford Civil War reenactment, and let me tell you, it was awesome! So, sit back and get ready, because this could be a large post!

I was able to camp out again this year, so I arrived Friday evening with all the other reenactors to get set up. I have never seen that museum crazier....there were cars and trailers EVERYWHERE. But, Stephen and I did manage to get to my campsite, and set my tent up.

After that, the rest of the evening was a bunch of random things. We went for a hike through the woods, and found a creek where I learned how to skip stones. We met up with a friend, and went out for dinner. We sat in the middle of the baseball field looking at all the beautiful stars. And then, I attempted to go to bed...........which was easier said than done. Reenactors are a noisy bunch, and I think I got all of about 3 1/2 hours of sleep Friday night.

But, still, Saturday morning Stephen and I got up at 5am to watch the sunrise. Now, I will be very honest here and sound like a city girl, but this was the first time I could remember that I had actually seen the sun itself rise. I've always seen the effects of it before, but this time I actually saw the bright shining ball itself rise over the distant hills. And it was beautiful!

And, there's Stephen. Yes, he is mine. The most handsome man in the entire world!

After that, we got some breakfast, and got ready for the day. By then, it was around 9am, and the village was bustling with reenactors. We went out to the village square where games were set up, and played a game of Graces, and I attemtped to walk on silts in a hoop skirt.......challenging, but possible! While we were there, the soldiers came back from drills on the Great Meadow.

It was at this point when finally realized that this was going to be a crazy weekend. It was only 10am, and I had already been up for 5 hours. It was still morning, but I felt like I had already lived a full day!

But, anways, we then did some shopping at the sutlers, and played a little piano in the Opera House. Then, it was time to watch the first battle.

After the battle, we went back to the Opera House for some more piano playing. Gosh, I love getting my own personal concerts!

This is my favorite song, The Entertainer's Rag, by Jay Roberts. Last year at the Mumford reenactment was the first time Stephen played the piano for me, and this was one of the songs he played. He described it as a "civil war between the hands", because at one point the right hand plays Dixie Land while the left hand plays Yankee Doodle. And ever since that first time, this has been my favorite; so enjoy!

After that, we got some lunch, and then finished our shopping. Then, we went out to a field and had some target practice with his guns. Next, it was time to get ready for the ball!

I didn't manage to get any pictures from the ball itself, but here are the people beginning to arrive.

It was late to bed again Saturday night, but I managed to get about 5 hours of sleep. I ended up waking up again in time to see the sunrise Sunday morning. Stephen was reenacting the battle on Sunday, so he had to meet his regiment early in the morning for roll call and drills. So, my morning was spent with a little more shopping, and following his regiment around watching drills and weapon inspection. Then we had a little time before the battle to relax and get his weapons ready. Then off he went to "fall in" for battle, and I found myself a good place to watch the battle.

There's my soldier; the third my from the right, with the black pack on his back.

And, here he has died; that blackish bundle lying on the ground next to the white pillar.

And, thank the Lord, here he is coming back to life after the battle ended.

After the first battle he stayed with his regiment to get ready for the second. I was utterly worn out, so I napped during the second battle. After the second battle, he had a little work to do, so I started packing up my things. Then we cleaned his guns, and then packed up all the tent, and all our belongs. Finally, we were finished around 8, so then, went to Famous Dave's for a ate dinner.

And a funny thing happened while we were there. We went in costume, so our waitress upon seeing us asked, "You two wouldn't happen to be reenactors at Mumford today, would you?" We were of course, and come to find out that she was a reenactor too, and that she had been at Mumford that afternoon as well! Dinner was delicous, a BBQ chicken, and french fries, and lots of BBQ sauce, and corn-on-the-cob, and corn muffins, and cinnamon-ammaretto apples, and for dessert, a HUGE brownie sundae.

Then we came home, and that was the end of our weekend. It was crazy, it was exhausting, it was epic, it was so much fun. And now getting back to normal life is rather odd.

War of 1812

2011-07-06T13:57:00.000-04:00

I know that this is dreadfully overdue, but as they say,

Better late than never!

So, taking that to heart, I am finally posting about the War of 1812 weekend, a week and a half later!

Anyways, the War of 1812 weekend is a semi-large event at Genesee Country Museum full of soldiers and pretty dresses. My mom and I went to it for the first time two years ago with our English dance group, and it was one of the main things that started getting me into reenacting and Victorian dance. This is event is also especially dear to my heart, because it was at the 1812 ball two years ago that I first met my wonderful handsome man, Stephen. It's always fun to remeber that first night, the first time seeing each other, our first waltz. And it's really awesome to be able to look back and see what God has done since then! So, all that being said, 1812 is a good year for me!!

This year, my day started off with a delicious (and period-correct) lunch at Hosmer's Inn. Mutton stew, pickled eggs, salad, bread, fresh cheese, pickled beets (not my favorite), strawberries, 1-2-3-4 cake, gingerbread, and strawberry rhubarb pie, plus more that I was just too full to eat!!!

Then there was a local militia group recruiting, or attempting to recruit, soldiers.

They actually managed to get quite a few volunteers!

Then we watched a fashion show:

This was one of my favorite dresses:

Then there was a military tatics demonstration:

Next, my mom anbd I joined our English dance group to put on a dance demonstration. We even got a lot of people from the crowd to join in!

Then we had dinner, and after dinner, Stephen and I went to the lovely Livingston-Backus gardens to take pictures.

And last of all, the ball in the evening. It started out pretty small, but we managed to get a pretty good group of reenactors to join later on.The room was much prettier in the evening after the sun went down, and the room was lit by candles; but, it's rather difficult to take pictures in such low light!

And thus, yet another successful War of 1812 went down in history!

Finally Time To Sit

2011-06-19T15:11:00.000-04:00

I love Sundays. It's always nice to take one day a week and just sit. And relax. And spend time with family. And know that I don't HAVE to get anything done.

And boy, do I need it! This week has been crazy............rather, these past two weeks have been crazy. Actually, the whole month of June has been crazy!!!!! Let me just tell you what this past week has been like, and you'll get the picture:

Sunday - A break day....hanging around the house with family, working on craft projects, reading.
Monday - cleaning the bathroom, and washing/ironing work clothes in the morning; in the afternoon, hanging out with my sister and cousins to celebrate a birthday, then a bonfire with the whole family in the evening.
Tuesday - Work at Genesee Country Museum with 765 children, from 8:30-4:00; Open the swimming pool; bake cookies; crochet.
Wednesday - Work again, with 1000 children, from 9:15-4:00; Go to Bible study.
Thursday - Work, with 900 children, from 8:30-6:30; Go to contra dance from 8pm-11pm.
Friday - Work, 1200 children, 9:15-4:00; Go to Worship JAM.
Saturday - Bake cookies in the morning; go to family reunion from 12:30-6:00; Go to barn dance at the museum from 6:30-9:30.
Today - hanging out with family again, and going to English Country dance this evening.

Yeah....it's been busy. But I LOVE it! I couldn't ask for a better job; I get paid to teach people about history, to make them smile, to dress up in awesome clothes, to eat delicious food, to be outside in the beautiful (and sometimes not so beautiful) weather, and to hang out with awesome people!

But, since it has been so busy, this is the first chance I've had to sit down and weed through pictures and catch up on blogs.

So, first, pictures from Monday. To celebrate my cousin's 18th birthday, we did a scavenger hunt around town. There were 18 tasks, and it was a race to see which team could get the most done in the 3 hours we had. So, we had to do things like:

Take pictures of 18 street names:

Take pictures of 18 random signs:

Do a photo shoot and take 18 pictures of each team member:

Have somebody give you 18 random words, and then take pictures of items that correspond with the pictures:

Do 18 jumping jacks. Go to Starbucks, order something to drink, and talk for 18 minutes. Send 18 texts. Set foot in 18 locations. And many more.......It was an epic day!

Yesterday was a family reunion on my Mom's side. And, honestly, I'm still really not sure exactly how they're all related to me; so, I'm just going to call them all cousins. But, it was a fun afternoon of hearing family stories, looking at pictures, and eating. Lots, of eating! This is a picture of my mom and her first cousins (who she grew up with), and I was sitting in for my aunt, since she couldn't be there.

Next, my to-do-list. Remember that one from way back in April? Yeah, well, I'm getting REALLY close to being done! I just have half of one novel to finish, and the shawl to finish crocheting. But, I have another two projects to add to the list. One, I need to fix the neckline of one of my re-enacting dresses, and I need to finish that by this Saturday. And two, I need to make a scrap book to put all of my many random pictures and other special papers into.

And lastly, just to brag a little - flowers from Stephen Schmidt, the sweetest man and boyfriend in the entire world! =)

What Is In A Name?

2011-06-03T20:46:00.000-04:00

Well, I've finished three more projects from my list: two more books, and the quilt. Here are pictures of the quilt, as well as two other I have finished this year. While I was at it, I thought I'd also share a bit about how I name quilts.

So, my most recent quilt, The China Plate Quilt. It was my first try at a scalloped edge, and I'm decently pleased with how it turned out:

The other two I finished are Way Down South:

And Maple Leaf Rag:

Now, as for names. As Shakespeare would say:

"What is in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet."

As true as that may be, I still love a quilt's name which has a story behind it. And it's a very fascinating process.

Only once in almost 20 quilts have I known what the name was going to be before I had actually made the quilt. And that was with Maple Leaf Rag, because I chose that pattern specifically because of the maple leafs, and because it corresponded with the song Maple Leaf Rag. But with all the others quilts, I never know what their name is going to be until near the end.

Usually, the name comes to me during the hand-quilting part. I'll have lots of idea floating around in my head for a while, but when the right one comes, I just know. And each one has a story.

Way Down South, for example, is named such for the line in the song Dixie Land,

"And I wish I was in Dixie, Hooray, Hooray, In Dixie land I'll take my stand to live and die in Dixie, Away, Away, Away down south in Dixie!"

I though it fit, however, for several reasons. One, geese fly south. Two, while I was making it I was doing a lot of Civil War reenacting, and that pattern was popular during the Civil War, as was the method of using lots of little scraps. And thus, Way Down South.

The China Plate quilt was named that, well, just because it stuck. I had no ideas what to name it, but my mom started calling it the china plate quilt. And....it stuck.

One of my other quilts, In Honor Of Glory, is done in blue and reds, with stars and stripes. Rather reminiscint of the American Flag. Another name of for the flag is Old Glory, so the quilt is in honor of glory.

And thus.....naming quilts.

Psalm 27

2011-06-01T12:00:00.000-04:00

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD. Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up. Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Painting Pictures of Egypt

2011-05-30T10:53:00.000-04:00

Painting Pictures of Egypt

Sara Groves

I don’t want to leave here
I don’t want to stay
It feels like pinching to me either way
The places I long for the most
Are the places where I’ve been
They are calling after me like a long lost friend

It’s not about losing faith
It’s not about trust
It’s all about comfortable
When you move so much
The place I was wasn’t perfect
But I had found a way to live
It wasn’t milk or honey
But then neither is this

I’ve been painting pictures of Egypt
Leaving out what it lacked
The future seems so hard
And I want to go back
But the places that used to fit me
Cannot hold the things I've learned
And those roads closed off to me
While my back was turned

The past is so tangible
I know it by heart
Familiar things are never easy to discard
I was dying for some freedom
But now I hesitate to go
Caught between the promise
And the things I know

If it comes too quick
I may not recognize it
Is that the reason behind all this time and sand?
If it comes too quick
I may not appreciate it
Is that the reason behind all this time and sand?

Slowly But Surely

2011-05-05T16:51:00.000-04:00

Well, a quick progress report on my project list: I"m getting there. Slowly. But it's happening. Since that blog post, I have finished the 2010 slide show, and finsihed reading the book I got for Christmas. So, two things done!!! But, I've been rather busy since Saturday, and haven't had a ton of time to work on them. However, tomorrow I will start again!

Also, just to fill this post up a tad more, I found some time last week to make Apple Cinnamon Bagels......and let me say, they were AMAZING! I seriously did not expect them to turn out as well as they did, because I meshed together two different recipes and my own ideas to create these:

Yummm!!!! It's a pretty awesome thing to be able to experiment in the kitchen and actually have the product turn out well! On that note, the recipe:

Ingredients

* 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
* 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
* 3 tablespoons white sugar
* 1 tablespoon salt
* 1 tablespoon white sugar
* 1 small apple, finally chopped
* Cinnamon

1) In large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour and yeast. Mix water, 3 tablespoons sugar and salt together, and add to the dry ingredients. Beat with a mixer for half a minute at a low speed, scraping the sides of the bowl clean. Beat at a higher speed for 3 minutes. Then, by hand, mix in enough flour to make a moderately stiff dough.
2) Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes - this is important; make sure you actually knead it for this long). Cover, let rest for 15 minutes.
3) Knead in the cinnamon and apples. The dough will be kind of sticky now, and not all the apple will stay in the dough. Just leave the extra apple pieces on the counter.
4) Cut into 12 (I might have done 10....depends on what size you want) portions. Here is where you can mix some more apples into each individual ball. You will probably need some flour on the counter for this: Roll each ball into a "snake" slightly longer than the width of your hands together. Join the ends of the snake and squish them together well. Put them on a cookie sheet (again, some flour on here will help). Cover, let rise 20 minutes.
5) Meanwhile, start a gallon of water boiling. Put 1 tablespoon of sugar in it, mix it around a bit. Reduce to simmering.
6) When the bagels are ready, put 4 or 5 bagels into the water, and cook 7 minutes, turning once. Drain them. Place on a greased baking sheet, brush the tops with beaten egg and bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 35 to 40 minutes.

Enjoy!!!!

Living in A Movie

2011-05-03T13:50:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's already that time of year again, but this past Sunday was the annual Jane Austin Ball. Wow, May 2011already??? It feels like the 2010 ball just happened! But, it has indeed come and gone once again.

This year's ball was a ton of fun! I'm not sure why, but this year I actually felt as if I were in a movie. Maybe it was the fact that everything sort of passed in a daze, or maybe the fact that I have my own "Mr. Bingley" this year.......I don't know; but, it was really awesome. It was also really cool to have not only my mom there but my dad, too. I never thought I would see him doing this, but it's wonderful to have him join us!

Of course, getting all dressed up like this requires some extensive photo shoots!

Some others were outside with us taking pictures as well, and they were a riot to watch!

And after so many serious pictures, we decided to have some fun!

Somehow, the ball ended in a "fight" between these two =)

Yes, we are weird....but we had a lot of fun in the process!

And one last shot before heading home!

Thus, yet another successful Jane Austin Ball!!

My Own Mt. Everest

2011-04-29T15:44:00.000-04:00

Well, it's almost May, and that means 11th grade is coming to a close. In fact, I have only four more weeks! (Woohoo!!) Since I'm getting down to the end of my high school years, more and more people are asking me that infamous question:

"So, what do you want to do after you graduate? Are you going to college?"

And when I reply, in all seriousness,

"Actually, I'd like to get married and be a wife and mother."

They then give me a blank stare, a fake smile, and a "Oh, yeah, that's great.", all the while really thinking "This girl is insane."

But, it's true. Over the past two years the Lord has firmly cemented into my mind that my purpose and goal in life is to be a godly wife and mother; to glorify His name by being a helpmeet for my husband and by raising godly children. And it is incredible to see how God has worked things out so perfectly, to actually make that come true!

But there's more to it than that. I don't just want to be an everyday, average, mediocre, barely-gets-by wife. I want to be the absolute BEST wife and mother possible. I want to be the virtuous woman who is a crown to her husband and whose price is far above that of rubies (Proverbs 12:4, 31:10). I want to be like Ruth, whose reputation was so good that the whole city knew that she was a virtuous woman (Ruth 3:10). I want to be a godly woman who reflects the Lord everywhere I go and in everything I do. I want to be an example to others of a woman who is focused on serving God by serving her family.

Whew....that's a mountain and a half of goals.

So, I've gotten my gear together, I'm doing a lot of training, and now I'm taking the first little steps up that mountain. But then, I look up towards the summit, and my heart sinks.

"Oh no!" I think. "That's as big as Mt. Everest! I'll never make it up there!!"

I'll never reach the top.
I'll never be a good wife and mother.
I'll never be a virtuous woman.
I'll never be a crown to my husband.
I'll never reflect God in everything.
I'll never be a good example to others.
I'll never, ever, ever reach those goals!!
I just can't do it!!!!!!!

A little dramatic, I know, but you get my point. Those are the thoughts that haunt me some days, and they make me want to sit down, give up, take all my gear off, and simply QUIT.

But then, I remember Moses, and Joshua, and David, and Daniel, and Jeremiah, and countless others from the Bible.

Moses was called to lead a nation out of captivity....a NATION. And yet God didn't expect him to be perfect. When the Lord told Moses to speak to Pharaoh, his response was,

"And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say."

Moses didn't think he was good enough. He didn't think he could do it. And yet, God had called him to do what was seemingly impossible to him. But God didn't expect Moses to be perfect, or to be eloquent; no, He simply expected Moses to OBEY, and then He would give him the words to say.

Joshua also had to lead the nation of Israel. But he had more to do than that; he also had to go conquer other nations. That's another big mountain. But, again, God did not expect Joshua to be a perfect leader, or a perfect soldier, or anything of the sort. He simply expected OBEDIANCE, and He would fight on Joshua's behalf. In Moses' last exhortation to Joshua and the Israelites he said:

"Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."

Later the Lord spoke directly to Joshua saying:

"Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. ........Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

And Jeremiah.....he was called to prophecy doom and destruction to the kingdom of Judah. And he was a very young man at that time. And his response to God's calling was:

"Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth."

Again, God didn't expect perfection. Just obedience. And God gave him the words, and the courage, and used Jeremiah for His purposes.

And that is encouraging to me. When I look up at my Mt. Everest and start to feel like quitting because I'm not perfect, I just remember these men. And I serve the same God as they did. My Lord doesn't expect me to be perfect, or to know everything, or to get everything right the first try. He doesn't expect me to never stumble, or never be afraid. He just wants me to be obedient, and He will climb with me, and teach me, and pick me up, and get me to the top.

And so, I don't quit. I get my gear on and keep taking one step at a time, knowing that I serve an awesome God, and that He is with me every step.

So Many Projects......

2011-04-26T11:48:00.000-04:00

......Not nearly enough motivation.

I don't know about you, but I wish I could run down to the nearest Starbucks and order motivation the same way I order coffee.

Um..yeah.......I'll take a Venti of Motivation with a shot of Energy, and extra Creativity on top, please.

Unfortunately, life does not work that way. I am naturally a rather lazy and unproductive person; motivation only comes my way on its own every once in a while. Thanks to lots of hard work and wonderful parents who have taught me diligence and self-discipline, I can now say that on most days, I am productive. And yet still, I have a long list of projects to finish.

Another thing I like to do it have at least two or three projects going at the same time. I get bored of one easily, so that way I always have another to work on. Sounds great, right? Yeah, well, the only problem is......I don't always finish all the projects I start.

All that to say this: in a effort to be productive and finish ALL my projects, I thought I would share them on my blog. That way, I know people are expecting to see some results! So, here we go:

First one positive note; last week, I cleaned out and ironed and organized my fabric stash!! A big project, but one that NEEDED to be done.

Before:

And after:

Woohoo!! It felt good to get that done.

Now as for the rest of my projects...well..........

I have a quilt that I need to finish quilting, then bind and label:

I have a slide-show of pictures from 2010 to finish:

I have a book which I got for Christmas to finish reading:

I have a shawl for re-enacting to crochet:

And I have three more books which I got for my birthday to read:

Then add onto all of that my daily chores, weekly tasks, all the places I go, and all the things I WANT to do (like bake apple-cinnamon bagels), and I'm left feeling like there are too many projects and not enough motivation or time. But......somehow, I will be victorious!!!

Easter Eggs and Niagara Falls

2011-04-25T16:58:00.000-04:00

I'm trying really hard right now to think of some way to introduce this blog post; but, my brain is not cooperating. I feel like I should start my saying something about Easter, or how my family celebrates, but honestly, I just can't think of any words right now. So instead here are the pictures:

Saturday evening - decorating eggs at my sister's house with my aunt and cousin.

Sunday afternoon - Easter egg hunt with my cousin, and CHOCOLATE!

Sunday afternoon and evening - Niagara Falls with my mom, aunt and cousin.

This is snow.....incredible!

More snow!

Postcards!

British Sergeant's uniform from 1779:

Can you tell I like the benches there?

These are three crazy names!

A Tidbit From Mrs. Vanderbilt

2011-04-06T18:13:00.000-04:00

For those of you who read this post's title and asked "Who's Mrs. Vanderbilt?", well, let me enlighten you. Amy Vanderbilt was a lovely lady from New York City, who lived from 1908 til 1974. Most importantly, she is the author of the book entitled Mrs. Vanderbilt's Complete Book of Etiquette. Sounds like a thrilling masterpiece, doesn't it?

Well, I must confess that etiquette is quite fascinating to me. I wish that I could send the entire world through a 1800's etiquette bootcamp, and on many occasions my own dear, patient sister wants to slap me for my insistence that the lady ought to walk on the right side of the gentleman.

I realize, of course, that I will never reform the world. But, after spending an afternoon researching and compiling a list of proper 1800's etiquette for a class I am teaching, I thought I would share my findings with you all.

Now, before, I go any further, let me add one little caveat. I'm not suggesting we follow all of these rules now-a-days, and I will admit that even when I'm re-enacting I don't always follow these rules as accurately as I ought. Things like always wearing gloves in public, never crossing your legs, and never dancing more than two dances with the same partner are all rules that I break almost habitually while re-enacting (especially the last one!). Some of them I would even say are down right ridiculous (like married couples never sitting together at a dinner party). However, it would be nice to see some more politeness and gentility in this world, and when one is re-enacting these things do help in giving an accurate portrayal of that era. Thus...the following rules for your enjoyment:

Etiquette For Ladies:

1. ALWAYS graciously accept gentlemanly offers of assistance.

2. ALWAYS wear gloves on the street, at church and other formal occasions, except while eating or drinking. Remove your gloves after being seated at the table.

3. NEVER refer to an adult by their first name in public.

4. NEVER grab your hoops or lift your skirts higher than is absolutely necessary to go up the stairs.

5. NEVER lift your hoops or skirt up onto a chair or stool, (Wait for or ask for assistance when sitting down.)

6. NEVER sit with you legs crossed; except at the ankles.

7. NEVER speak in a loud, coarse voice.

Etiquette For Gentlemen:

ALWAYS:

1. Wear gloves on the street, in church & other formal occasions, except when eating or drinking.

2. Stand up when a lady enters a room (or your presence in a large room).

3. Stand up when a lady stands.

4. Offer a lady your seat if no others are available.

5. Assist a lady with her chair when she sits down or stands, especially when at a table or when the chairs are small and light.

6. Retrieve dropped items for a lady.

7. Open doors for a lady.

8. Help a lady with her coat, cloak, shawl, etc.

9. Offer to bring a lady refreshments if they are available.

10. Offer your arm to escort a lady (with whom you are acquainted) into or out of a building or a room at all social events, and whenever walking on uneven ground.

11. Remove your hat when entering a building.

12. Lift your hat to a lady when she greets you in public

13. It is proper to offer a lady his arm, particularly in the evening and it should always be the right arm. People passing should observe the law of "turn to the right" and in this way the lady would not be jostled. It is always proper for a gentleman walking alone to give the lady or a gentleman with a lady, the inside of the walk.

NEVER:

1. Refer
to another person by their first name in public.

2. Curse
or discuss "impolite" subjects when ladies are present.

3. Leave
a lady you know unattended, except with permission.

4. Use
tobacco in any form when ladies are present.

5. Greet
a lady in public unless she acknowledges you first.

6. Eat
or drink while wearing gloves.

Etiquette for the Dining Room:

1. Married couples of never seated together.

2. It is ridiculous to make a display of your napkin.

3. Never ask for “meat” instead of beef.

4. Never take bread, even when it is within your reach, without calling
for a servant.

5. Never cut your bread with a knife - it should be broken by hand.

6. Always use your napkin before and after drinking.

7. Be punctual for all dinner engagements. Food may not be served before
all guests are seated.

8. The gentlemen are to tend to the needs of the lady on their left, as
well as make agreeable conversation with ladies to either side and
across the table (size of table permitting).

9. A lady never serves herself from a buffet line. She informs her
dinner partner of her wishes and he brings her plate to her.

10. Gentlemen may tuck his napkin into his collar to prevent soiling his
shirt or tie, but ladies should place their napkin in their laps.

11. Do not use your knife to carry food to your mouth or put your knife
into your mouth.

12. Do not rinse your mouth out and spit into the finger bowls or water
glas.

13. Do not gorge yourself excessively during any one course. Never ask
for seconds as all other diners must wait until you are finished
before being served the next course.

Etiquette for the Ballroom:

1. Gentleman, request the “honor” of the dance.

2. Ladies, never refuse one gentleman and accept another for the same
dance, unless it was previously promised.

3. Gentlemen, lead the lady on and off the dance floor.

4. Bow and curtsy before starting to dance.

5. Gentlemen, always thank the lady for the honor of dancing with her

6. Ladies, a smile and a nod are sufficient response to a gentleman's

“Thank
you”.

7. Never dance with the same partner more than once, or at most twice,
during the same evening, especially with your spouse.

8. Gentlemen, when at a dance you are expected to dance, and dance
frequently, leaving no "wall-flowers" who are willing, and
waiting to dance

9. Young ladies should avoid sauntering about the hall or leaving the
ballroom alone; they should be accompanied by a guardian or a
trustworthy gentleman of their acquaintance.

10. At a private party, a gentleman may offer to dance with a lady
without an introduction, but at public balls he must first secure an
introduction from a mutual acquaintance or the master of ceremonies.

11. During the course of a dance, one should endeavor to look pleasant,
politely greeting other couples in the set as one moves through the
figures of the dance. However, one should not dance or caper in a
manner that would draw attention to oneself.

12. When a dance is complete, the gentleman should offer refreshment or a
stroll to his partner. If she declines, he should conduct her to her
seat and thank her again for the dance, whereupon she should smile
and nod politely.

And there you have it: just a small sampling of good manners from the 1800's. You should try some of them sometime........it's not all that bad!

Splendid Friday

2011-04-01T18:33:00.001-04:00

So, I thought I would share with my faithful blog readers all of the lovely little things which have been part of this splendid first day of April.

It started with a new journal! It's actually an old sketchbook; I never used it though, so I raided my fabric stash and made a new cover for it, and found some stamps and ink to number the pages.

There's just something about a blank notebook or journal that makes me want to write a novel. The only problem is......I'm no author. But hey, it's fun to dream!

Next came baking a fudge brownie pie, which I don't have a picture of. But, needless to say, it was delicious!! But I did learn something in the process of making the frosting for it: it's very difficult to re-melt butter once it is already mixed into powdered sugar. It...extracts the oil from it, or something.

This next one is kind of sad, as well as yummy, but, I had my last piece of Valentines Day chocolate today. It was from Oliver's Candies in Batavia, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for some incredible chocolate goodness!

Then for dinner, I tried two new recipes: chicken croquetts and classic dinner rolls.

And let me tell you, both were amazing! The chicken croquetts were something I first ate at Genesee Country Museum a few weeks ago and just had to try making. And I never thought I would find a dinner roll recipe that was like the store bought ones, but these were really close. And, because I'm not so mean as to make your mouth water and then leave you on your own to figure it out, here are the recipes and I used:

Chicken Croquetts
2 tbsp. butter

1/4 c. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 c. milk
1 tsp. each minced parsley & onion
2 c. ground or finely chopped cooked chicken
1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste
Pinch sage
Fine dry bread crumbs or corn flake crumbs
1 egg
1 tbsp. water
Fat for frying

Melt butter. Add flour, salt and pepper; mix well. Gradually add milk and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Combine next 6 ingredients with white sauce. Chill. Shape into 8 croquetts. Roll in crumbs. Dip into slightly beaten egg mixed with water and then roll again in crumbs.

Fry in deep fat for about 5 minutes or until golden, or put croquetts in shallow bake pan, top each one with a dot of butter and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with hot turkey or chicken gravy. Can also be frozen after rolled in crumbs.

Classic Dinner Rolls

2 cups all-purpose flour, or more if needed
1 envelope Fleischmann's® RapidRise Yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons butter OR margarine

Combine 3/4 cup flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Heat milk, water and butter until very warm (120 degrees to 130 degrees F). Add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add 1/4 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed. Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
Divide dough into 12 equal pieces; shape into balls. Place in greased 8-inch round pan. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Bake in preheated 375 degrees F oven for 20 minutes or until done. Remove from pan; brush with additional melted butter, if desired. Serve warm.

Yup, both were a big hit!

Then tonight, doing my nails......always relaxing.

And maybe watching a little Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives:

And finally, SEVENTEEN MORE DAYS UNTIL MY SEVENTEENTH BIRTHDAY! Yes, I AM excited. =D

Not Quite What I Had In Mind

2011-03-11T09:48:00.000-05:00

This past week was supposed to be my annual week down at the farm helping with baby goats. It was difficult this year to plan this trip, due to e-mails not getting through and busy schedules. Finally, we found this one week which was perfect timing, and a week and a half later, I was on my way down there.

The trip started out ominously enough, with snow storms on Sunday as we drove there. But, I made it there safely, and that evening started my short adventure. Going back out to the barn, doing chores, feeding some older baby goats......it was wonderful to be back.

Monday dawned bright and sunny. We had the first kids born on Monday, and I was once again alone in the house when it happened. I probably could have done that birth by myself, but I felt better having her daughter there to help. The first doe to freshen had triplets - to bucks and a doe. As I watched the first little boy come out and heard him start bleating, I couldn't stop the huge smile of joy and wonder that covered my face. I never get tired of seeing that most incredible miracle, life, starting right before my own eyes.

Two more kids were born that day, and we were kept quite busy with feedings and chores and everything else needing to be done.

Tuesday was another sunny day, but I didn't get to see much of it. At the end of doing chores, I started feeling lightheaded and almost fainted a few times. The rest of the day was spent on the couch feeling more and more ill as the day went on. However, I did hear that another set f triplets and twins were born that day.

Wednesday I woke up exhausted and feverish, and decided it was time to come home. Before I left, though, another little boy was born, making a total of 11 kids in 2 and 1/4 days.

Although my time there was cut short, I did so much enjoy the little that I did get to spend, and I most certainly miss all those little white kids!

These kids are three weeks old and very hungry!

These are all 11 kids that were born; all huddled together under the heat lamp.

By now they have realized that I'm standing at the door, and that mean food!

So there you have it........a few days of goat happiness!

A Major Case Of Procrastination

2011-03-04T10:22:00.000-05:00

Christmas.......it's one my favorite times of year. All the lovely decorations: the tree, the snowflakes, the manger scene, a few snowmen, some jingle bells, and of course.......the lights.

The tradition in our house is to put up all the decorations on Thanksgiving Day and the day after, and then to take them all down on New Years Day.

Well, I, Allison Gerwitz, am here to proclaim that the Christmas lights in my bedroom were finally taken down this morning. That's right....March 4th. I was so sick of seeing them that I finally worked up enough motivation to spend 5 minutes taking them down.

It's not that I left them up because I use them constantly and hate to see them go; that, at least, would be a good excuse. But, I haven't plugged them in at least since the last day of December. No, my wonderful excuse is simply this:

I'm a PROCRASTINATOR.

Not really something to be proud of, but thankfully, in this case my laziness caused no harm!

Feed The Birds

2011-02-27T19:30:00.000-05:00

I know, I know, I'm sure I've now got you all singing the song from Mary Poppins.......

Feed the birds, feed the birds, tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag......

And so on and so forth.

Well, forgive me if it gets stuck in your head, but it seemed an appropriate title. Yesterday, my mom and I and a friend went to the Birdsong Trail at Mendon Ponds to feed the chickadees - an annual tradition. It's so enjoyable to have adorable little birds sit in your hand and eat seeds right from it. so, enjoy the pictures, and forgive me for the poor quality of some of them....I should have been using my close-up setting!

I ALMOST got this deer to eat out of my hand....I was SO close! But, nope, I was just a bit too scary for her.

It was, as always, a lovely and quiet walk through the woods. Definitely something I would recommend as a "must-do" winter activity!

A Peek At Christmases Past

2010-12-20T22:25:00.001-05:00

Here is that promised post about Yueltide In The Country! For those of you who may have gone on the tour this year or in previous years, you know the pictures don't do it justice. But for those of you who have not, well, here is a brief glimpse.

The tour starts with a little Christmas caroling:

The first stop is Foster-Tuft's house in 1830. At that time celebrating Christmas was considered pagan. And in the Foster's house, like many others, an argument erupts between the children who want to celebrate Jesus' birth, and the father who is firm in his belief that Christmas is wrong:

Next is the local mercantile in the 1840's. Christmas has become good for business....Christmas sales, Christmas sales, Christmas sales. And this small town shop keeper is trying to find better ways to advertise. One man suggests dressing up like Santa Claus, but at that time, that was considered beneath a gentleman's dignity:

From there the tour ends up in a local tavern/inn in the 1850's, and what commences is a major clash of opinions. By then, Christmas was on it's way to becoming a national holiday, and more and more traditions were being started. The Irish innkeeper feels that Christmas should be celebrated the old way, with parades and pubs and music in the city streets. But one of the guests wants to celebrate it the new way, with family, and a tree and presents, and reindeer that fly:

Next is the church during 1855. The reverend is giving a very convincing sermon on why the the church should take advantage of the Christmas celebrations and use them to educate the population as to the true meaning of Christmas:

After the church, the tour the moves to the Livingston-Backus house, in 1860. It is a festive scene, with the two daughters doing a pantomime of the story The Night Before Christmas. But at the end, a friend comes to share the bad news that South Carolina has seceded, and men will very likely be going off to war by springtime.

Next is the Town Hall. It's 1862, and many of the men are off at war. To keep their spirits up, the local families hold a party. But right in the middle of the evening, the local casualty list from the battle of Fredricksburg is brought in. Women weep as their husband's, fiance's, and brother's names are read as wounded or dead. One young lady is devastated, because she hasn't heard from her young man in weeks. At the very end, however, that young man shows up, and the two get to waltz.

From there the tour travels to another local inn, during the late 1860s. Traveling actors have become very popular, and a few are staying at the inn. Although many of the actors are claiming illness, two actresses are persuaded to give the tour a short skit. They perform the scene from A Christmas Carol where Belle releases Scrooge from their engagement because he loves money now more than he loves her. The two actresses use singing as well as acting, and do a very convincing job.

The last stop is the MacKay house in the 1870's. The lovely Scottish family invites to tour to join in on their Christmas celebrations. First is the lighting of the candles on the Christmas tree, while one of the ladies sings Oh Christmas Tree. Next, they show off their scrumptious dinner, including goose and a pig's head, but no hagus. Finally, they all do a jig while their son plays the bagpipes.

And that concludes the tour. Forty years of Christmas, and just a small glimpse of how it was celebrated. I was part of the Town Hall scene (no surprise, since they have the dancing!), and it was very enjoyable!

Here are some pictures of various things.

The whole group at Town Hall:

Some of the buildings at night. The village is so beautiful, covered in snow and lit by candles!

The snowman Theodore, who managed to survive that random warm Sunday!

Watching the scene at Livingston:

Oh such fun times.....times of laughter, and some times of sadness. Wonderful walks through the snow, lots of great dances, and a ton of waltzing. It was three weekends I will never forget!

A Photoshoot In 1862

2010-12-13T13:14:00.000-05:00

I've spent a lot of time lately in the year 1862; it's almost more normal than 2010! The reason.......Genesee Country Museum's "Yueltide In The Country" program. My mom and I have spent our past two weekends at the village, acting out a scene which takes place in 1862. But, since we've been there so often, and have had some extra time, a friend and I couldn't resist taking the opportunity to use the houses for a photoshoot. Here are some of the best:

This one is a favorite. It looks very authentic to the time period.

Another favorite - I love the way that the pattern of the carpet shows so vividly.

My other favorite; the shadows and color is very intense.

Just to try something different - reading some sort of paper. Actually, it was a very sad story. Some young man named Harry was trying to gain his independence, so his uncle got him a place on a ship for four years. But, Harry had to leave before he had time to tell his beloved, Alice, that he was leaving, so as the ship sailed past their favorite spot, he could hear her crying.....

Check back next week for pictures from Yueltide!!!

Pumpkins And Mudcakes - An Off-road Adventure

2010-10-17T16:01:00.000-04:00

     This past Saturday was another new experience for me; in fact, it was an experience and a half. Words cannot fully describe the awesomeness that was the Schmidt's Fourth Biannual Off-road Rally; thus, I have pictures.
     The day started with a shoot-out. Basically target practice, and a chance to play with their coolest guns. And I got to shoot some pretty cool ones!
     My weapons teacher hard at work:

Caleb the sniper. He shot the stem off a pumpkin from.....well, I don't the exact distance, but a really really long way away!

Then there is trap-shooting. Trying to see who can hit that orange disk flying through the air first:

Finally, the Bayonet Charge of the Blue Barrels. The soldiers returning victorious with their fallen enemies behind them:

Next, the off-road part began. Just a few of the vehicles lined up, ready to start:

And we were off! And this was only part of the caravan:

Part one was through the woods. Can't you see the trail? Don't worry, neither could I. But I was assured that there was a specific trail marked through there:

Part two was the small pit. Pretty much a muddy swamp. We made it through most of it, but we got very stuck in the deepest part. Yes, that it was you think it is; the water and mud is almost as high as the door, and no, the door is not at all close to the ground:

As we were waiting to be pulled out, the Beast (a.k.a. the Stump-Stomper Mark I) drove into view.....

.....and promptly stalled.

We did eventually get free, and then there was a picturesque moment with Sally (the car which I rode in). And this was right before I drove Sally, my first attempt at driving a stick-shift:

Part three was the Pit of No Return, and it is very apptly named. The muddiest duo, stuck:

On their first attempt through the pit, it took a train of three vehicles to pull them free. On their second try, it took a train of four to get them unstuck. Only one other vehicle tried to get through, and they, too, got stuck, requiring another train of three. Although not very good for driving through, this mud was perfect for playing with and making mudcakes!

Part four, which I did not get pictures of, was another trail through the woods; only this time, there were large logs to drive over, and a ravine to stay out of. But it was fun.

The rest of the evening was spent eating dinner and hanging out around a bonfire. It was quite an enjoyable day!!!

Back To Letchworth

2010-09-27T18:49:00.000-04:00

This past week has been incredible. I played volleyball, danced five times, and went the Genesee Country Museum twice. To top it all off, yesterday I went to Letchworth with some friends. It was tiring, but so much fun!!

Stop #1

Daisies....my favorite!

Stop #2 - The Big Sycamoure. Can't you see it? It's that big green hump of a tree right in the middle of the picture!

Stop #3 - Lunch! Including squash soup and more laughter than was good for us!

Stop #4 - A quaint little bridge and coin-scavenging.

Caleb and Matthew......

The lovely Arianna.....

The guys.....searching for coins.

Stephen was so determined to get two dimes that he took off his socks and shoes!

Stop #5 - Too much fun with the "panorama" setting on Stephen's camera.....we spent more time playing around with that then looking at the views....thus I have only a few pictures!

I loved the stone walls everywhere!!

Perhaps my favorite picture of the day: vivid red leaves in front of the beloved Roseanne.....

Stop #6 - A momentous hike with too many stairs.

Our destination? That little bridge way off in the distance......

The guys......this time in deep contemplation.

The bridge again......after crossing it.

A caterpiller.....he looks so cute and friendly, but he's not. Apparently something on his yellow fuzz creates horrible itching if touched.

Stop #7 - Middle falls......

An awesome old building which has been converted into a restaraunt...

Stop #8 - Final stop, upper falls.

And that concluded our trip to Letchworth!

The Civil War Visits Hamlin Beach

2010-08-23T15:23:00.000-04:00

After arriving home from the Castle on Thursday and resting on Friday, we were gone again on Saturday. This time it was to yet another Civil War reenactment, the one at Hamlin Beach. Can you tell that I've found my place in life? I'm definitely in love with reenacting. This reenactment is smaller than the one at Mumford, but it was still very enjoyable. The Confederates heavily out-numbered the Yankees, and they won the battle. And of course, there was a dance in the evening!

Robert E. Lee in person!

The 34th North Carolina regiment in action:

After the battle, even Rebels and Yankees can be friends.

The camps....the poor reenactors who stayed the night got rained upon!

Looking back to shore from the end of the pier:

Finally, my good friend Stephen and I right before the dance. No, we're not miserable; we really did have fun! But back in the days of the Civil War, you had a serious face when your picture was being taken. Being the fanatics that we are, we had to be authentic.

On The Mountain Top

2010-08-23T14:55:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday through Thursday my family and I (including my soon-to-be brother-in-law Tim) went on a retreat to the Castle in Pennsylvania. I've been there twice before, but both times were with the youth group. It was a very nice change to go as a family with the church; we actually had time to relax and enjoy. So, here is the week in pictures:

Monday = Apples to Apples, grilled chicken, beautiful sunset, ping pong, softball, and a nap on the porch swing.

Tuesday = foggy morning, huge antique shop and downtown Franklin, pool and foosball, drawing, Sibley the dog, volleyball, an intense game of Cut Throat, and an adorable little boy worhiping.

Wednesday = A trip to the Chapel, a hike to find the lost Belltower, yet another nap on the porch swing, beautiful views from the Prayer Tower, yummy smores, a warm campfire, and incredible sunset clouds.

That's Why It's Called A Puzzle!

2010-08-09T16:54:00.000-04:00

After one long month of hard work, I have finally finished a 2000 piece puzzle. Yeah...I started it on July 11th, and I just finished it today. A couple of times I wondered why it had to be so difficult, but then I remember that that's why it's called a puzzle. I'm supposed to be "puzzled" by it! But, I'll tell you, putting that last piece in today was awesome!

And just to show you how big it is:

But, IT IS FINISHED!!!!!!!!!

Time Traveling

2010-07-20T20:05:00.001-04:00

This past weekend, I went back in time, back to the Civil War. It was Genesee Country Museum's annual Civil War reenactment, and it was incredible! It was my first big experience as a reenactor; I even camped out on Saturday night! It was so much fun to spend two whole days as a lady from the 1860s, wearing hoop skirts and fancy dresses. Not only that, but I got to spend the time with good friends.

This was my tent....

Here are pictures of the ball on Saturday night; there were SO many people!!!

Finally, pictures from the battles. I mostly have pictures of the Confederates; I went with the 21st Georgia unit, and a friend was fighting in the 34th North Carolina unit, so I was Southerner for the weekend!

Yes, there were some very epic "deaths"! These men do an incredible job of reenacting the battles; it really makes you appreciate what truly happened. And I got a good glimpse at what the women went through as fathers, sons, brothers, husbands went off to war, and all a lady could do was sit and wonder and worry, and hope that her soldier returned.

As a whole, the weekend was one big learning experience. Almost everything I did was a "first". But it was so much fun, and I can't wait to do it again!

The Best Place On Earth Part #2

2010-07-14T09:50:00.000-04:00

And you think that's a lot? That's only 83 out the 274 pictures I took!

Speechless

2010-07-10T20:04:00.001-04:00

I'm a quiet person. I don't say a lot, and that's normal. But it's rare for me to be speechless, and even rarer for me to be speechless twice in one week. Yet that is exactly what happened this past week.
The first time was Monday night. I was minding my own business, when suddenly I see my best friend from California (whom I had never met in person) coming towards me. And I went speechless.

The second time was Thursday night at Contra. A good friend surprised me with a gift: a Civil War broach and coin purse. Entirely unexpected, and again, I was speechless.
People are worried sometimes that because I don't scream at surprises, I'm not happy. But it's just the opposite. I'm SO happy about surprises that my brain stops functioning and no words come to mind.
So I thought I'd share that with you, and warn you in the process: if you ever surprise me and I don't say anything, take it as a good sign! =D

I'm A Freak......

2010-06-21T09:11:00.000-04:00

or so my sister and two cousins decided sometime in the recent past. Why? Because my 19th century wardrobe may soon become larger than my 21st century wardrobe. That's right, more dress making. But this time I'm moving up in the world, and a few decades, for that matter.
This July, I will be spending three days at Genesee Country Museum's Civil War re-enactment. But not just as a visitor......nope, I'll be in the action, a real re-enactor. Thus, my next project: a Civil War dress.

This is the pattern, but the finished dress is going to look a little different. We're changing a few things here and there to accomadate my preferences.

I realized when I got to the store that buttons were one thing I had never researched. What I mean is, I could tell you what pattern, fabric, or trim was period correct, but not which buttons. So, we just went with what seemed to fit.
I may be a freak, but I'm happy being one. I've always loved the dresses of the Civil War, and the war itself. So being able to reenact it is a dream come true!

A Staggering Promise

2010-06-10T09:19:00.000-04:00

I was reading in Romans 4 earlier this week, and these verses caught my attention:

"Who against hope believed in hope, that he [Abraham] might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he [the Lord] had promised, he was able also to perform." Romans 4: 18-21

This is talking about when God promised Abraham to become the father of many nations by having a son. If you read the account in Genesis 17, you'll see that Abraham does have some momentary doubts; in fact, he laughs and says in his heart, "Shall [a child] be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?"
But, even though he did doubt for a bit, he quickly moved on and believed and obeyed God. It says in Romans that he didn't even think about the fact that he was a hundred years old, or that Sarah's womb was barren. If God promised it, it must be true.
It says, "he staggered not". Stagger is a strong word. It brings to mind either an injured man who is limping along and can barely shuffle to a place of rest, or someone who is hit head on with a strong force and stumbles backwards. Either way, that's what doubts do. They make us stagger and waver in our faith. It's basically impossible to walk quickly and confidently when you are staggering.
Abraham also believed in hope against hope. Even when everything and everyone around him would have told him it was fruitless to believe that he would have a son, he stilled hoped in God. My favorite is the very last verse. Abraham was fully persuaded that whatever God had promised, God could do.
What is my point in all of this? Don't be staggered. So often when we are given a promise of God's, even something so elementary and basic as "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.", we don't believe Him. We say, "You can't be serious, God. There is no way you could really mean this." Or something like Abraham's promise, something that seems impossible, we say "Oh, it's never going to happen." But all we are doing is telling God that He's not powerful enough.
So, don't be staggered. As soon as we allow doubts about God's promises to take up residence in our hearts and minds, we begin to stumble. The longer they stay there, the worse we get, and the harder it is to recover.
I know, I've been there. Last June, there was something in my life which I hoped would happen in the future; I didn't really have a promise about it, and I didn't really believe it would ever happen. Yet, looking back now, it is incredible to see how quickly God started working, and how He is still working now. But even though I could see what He has done, I just recently allowed some doubts to creep back in, and I was pretty miserable. I had to focus on what I know to be true about God before I could see the truth about my circumstance.
So, all that to say, next time you begin to doubt God's words, remember Abraham and Sarah. Don't be staggered. Be fully persuaded that if God has promised it, He will do it!

Preparation Under Pressure

2010-05-31T16:46:00.000-04:00

I just thought I'd let all of my blog readers know that I feel like have done nothing but paint for the past week. Why? Because I have a deadline to meet. This Thursday marks the beginning of the 2010 LEAH Homeschool Conference, and I have a table there for Allison's Wonderlands. Now, I've known about this since the end of March, but, being the genius that I am, I put off all preparations until two weeks before the big event!
The good news in all of this is that I work well under pressure. It simply means that ever night until Thursday will end with scrubing paint from my hands! So, here are some "sneak peak" pictures, and please, if you'll be at the conference, stop by my table in the Young Entrepreneur's section. I would be delighted to see you there!

Dancing At Letchworth

2010-05-24T09:04:00.001-04:00

This past weekend was the Civil War Reenactment at Letchworth State Park. Although we were unbable to attend the rest of the weekend, my mom and I did accompany a friend to the dance that they had on Saturday evening. It was so much fun! I can't remember the last time I enjoyed myself so much; by the end of the night, my cheeks hurts from smiling so much! Here are some pictures. Sorry, there are no pictures of my mom; she was behind the camera the whole night!

That's me....at the end in the blue dress!

It eventually got too dark to use the camera; but here is one picture to show that we danced by Christmas light!!

I was going to upload a video or two, but I can't seem to find how to do it right now, so look for another post soon with videos!

The Best Place On Earth

2010-05-15T20:23:00.001-04:00

Today was opening day at Genesee Country Museum, which Mom and I decided to go enjoy. It was a wonderful day, though a bit brisk, and we got to see and do some new things. We had the honor of being the first guests of the 2010 season! I also learned two very important lessons. Number one, ALWAYS recharge camera batteries before going to a museum; and number two, it's not WHAT you know, it's WHO you know. We got a few extra perks thanks to a friend who works at the museum. So, instead of boring you with all the details, I will show pictures from BEFORE my batteries died!

It is definitely one of my favorite places in the world!

Out With The Old.....

2010-05-12T11:44:00.001-04:00

And in with the.......older??? Yup, it's the truth. I LOVE old things; there is just something about antiques that I find endearing. That being said, when I decided that I was done with my little girl bedroom, I knew that it was time to do something about my love of old. After spending one whole afternoon cleaning my room out, throwing out three huge bags of trash and donating another two big bags, it was time to start decorating.
So, with Genesee Country Village (where I would really love to live because everything is OLD) in mind, as well as tons of pictures like these to gain inspiration from:

I went for it! I raided my mom's family antiques (with her permission, of course) and redecorated several items I already owned. The result?? While certainly not as spectacular as the Museum or those pictures, it's a good start!

Getting Off Your High Horse

2010-05-06T09:49:00.000-04:00

Has God ever put something in your life that you really didn't like? That you didn't understand, and that was directly opposite to what you wanted? I know that has happened to me a lot. When He does, I get unthankful, discontented, and impatient. I've found that the best cure is to spend time directly thanking God for the things I don't like. But, it's so hard!!
Why is it that it takes several tries before I can actually get the words to come out of my mouth? Well, when we are unthankful towards God, it is because we think that our plan is better and that we know the right way to handle things. In contrast, thanking God for those unwanted things is acknowledging that His way is better than our way, and that He knows what is best. That requires a lot of humility......more than I usually have.
As difficult and unpleasant as this is, it's a good practice. When I thank God even when I feel unthankful, my attitude is changed. No, I still don't really like those circumstances, but I know that God is working and in control, and that His way is best!

And So Ends The Birthday Week....

2010-04-23T14:12:00.001-04:00

As most of you know, this past Sunday was my 16th birthday!!! It started off normally enough: getting up early and going to church. But, getting up early was made much better my a hot cup of coffee =) After church, Cati and I went shopping. We each had longs lists of things to get, and we spent four hours searching and purchasing. Then, we had dinner at Old Country Buffet. I don't know how, but no matter how little food I eat there, I always leave feeling as if I ate a ton! After dinner, Cati dropped me off at English Country dance. It was a wonderful evening!!! The group suprised me by singing happy birthday, a freind whom I wasn't expecting to see showed up, and I got so many happy birthday wishes that I couldn't even count them all!
If that wasn't enough, celebrations continued for the next two days. On Monday morning, Mom and I went to the DMV to get my driver's permit. I was slightly nervous, but all went well, AND I drove us home safely! My two cousins Rachael and Bethany came with us to volleyball that evening, and I recieved even more "happy birthdays" there. After volleyball, my cousins slept over, and we had delicious ice cream cake, and I opened my presents. Alex got me a 2000 piece Ravensburger puzzle; it's gorgeous, and I can't wait to do it!
Tuesday morning we were lazy, but then my cousins and sister kidnapped me and took me to a park for a picnic. It was a wonderfully sunny day. Then we played Minute To Win It, which included all sorts of crazy challenges, like balancing three golfs balls on top of eachother and sliding an oreo off your forehead and into your mouth simply by moving your face!
To wrap up an awesome birthday week, the Contra group on Thursday night sang me Happy Birthday, and again, a ton of more birthday wishes.
This truly has been the BEST birthday I have ever had!!!!!

A Farm Girl No More

2010-04-03T16:12:00.000-04:00

That's right....I'm a city girl once again. I just returned from a nine-day trip to the Phillips' farm. Unfortunately, I have no pictures, but let me share a little of what happened.
Friday night was Ben's birthday party. Saturday was cleaning the barn. Sunday was spending time with the family, which meant two adorable babies to hold. Monday and Tuesday were general work days. Wednesday, I had the house to myself because Ben was getting his wisdom teeth taken out. Thursday was watching granddaughter Addie while still attempting to be productive. Friday was....crazy. We got so much work done, and it was hot! This morning was lazy, and family came over to celebrate Easter.
In all, 12 kids were born. We bottle-fed them all, three times a day. Yesterday, we taught all but the youngest three to drink the milk from a pan. Also, we disbudded 10 of them, which means we seared their horn buds so that the horns would not grow; not the most fun, but necessary.
There were times during the week that I wondered, "Why again do I do this? Am I crazy?"

Like when I was all alone with a goat in labor.
Or when I was washing 30 bottles a day.
Or when I got milk all over my pants and arms because the kids knocked the milk bucket.
Or when I had three splinters and two cuts on my hands at the same time, and dirty chipped nails.
Or when I smelled the awful burning flesh from disbudding.

But then I would hold a baby goat on my lap.
Or feel a kid sucking on my finger.
Or take a large sip of fresh goat's milk.
Or look at what had been accomplished and know that I had done it with my own two hands.
Or see all the open land and rolling hills.
Or watch the miracle of a kid being born.

And then I would remember, "This is why I love it." There is something so rewarding about drinking milk that you milked from a goat. Or eating pork that came from a pig you raised. Or cracking open an egg that came from your chickens. It means that all your hard work has paid off. Yes, I feel like I could sleep for days. Yes, I shoulders kill and my arms and legs are tired. But, no, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Does It Get Any Better?

2010-03-25T11:45:00.000-04:00

I thought I'd let you all know that Thursday is the best day of the week. Why? Well, it means that the weekend in almost here! It's my dad's day off work, so he spends most of the day at home. That being said, we always have lunch together over an hour of Hogan's Heroes.

I do various things with my afternoons, but I always try to make time for a French manicure.

Then, my dad cooks up some scrumptiously delectable food for dinner. Finally, Contra!!!!!!!!!

For those of you who don't know, Contra is a type of dance. Kind of like square dancing, but done in lines. It's the most fun you're ever going to have while excerising and socializing all at the same time! You really ought to try it =)

Just One More

2010-02-23T13:40:00.002-05:00

Do you know what that is? Part of the supplies for another 1800's dress. Yes, another one. This one is for the Jane Austen Ball in May. It is going to be blue and black and have silver trim. I can't wait to see what it looks like finished!

In other news, I pulled an old quilt project out of storage this week.

You may or may not remember, but I started this one last May (http://alliscreativelane.blogspot.com/2009/05/please-accept-my-humble-apologies.html) I had to put it in the backseat for a while, because other projects were more pressing. Getting it out again was like seeing an old friend.

One of my first tasks: taking this fabric

and turning it into these blocks:

Part way there:

All nine blocks done!

Here are the other blocks I have done:

It's coming along well! Maybe, just maybe, I'll have it finished before this May =)

I Am So Sorry!

2010-02-18T14:09:00.000-05:00

I know, I know....it's been too long. I'm sorry to all of my Wreck This Journal followers; you've been waiting eagerly to see what fun I've been having lately, I'm sure. I got behind...why? Because I couldn't bring myself to chew on the book. I just couldn't. There was jsut something about the thought of having paper in my mouth. So Cati did it instead. Here are all the pictures!

More Journal

2010-02-03T11:09:00.000-05:00

Day 8, done with paint and sharpies:

Day 9, done with scissors:

Day 10, a string, a book, a coin, a watch, the edge of a note card, a braclet pendant, and the remote for my radio:

Day 11

Redwork And Wrecking

2010-01-25T21:00:00.000-05:00

In all my free time today, I decided to learn redwork. It's a type of embroidery used on quilts; it's also popular on dish towels. I don't know why, but I always imagined it to be difficult. Really, there's nothing easier. Here is my first attempt:

And for all of my faithful Wreck This Journal followers, here are day 6 and 7:

More Wrecking......Days 2 - 5

2010-01-23T16:36:00.001-05:00

Here is day #2 of Wreck This Journal (WTJ)

Day #2 was two pages:

Day #4 was by far the most fun; Cati and I put on our boots, went outside, and jumped in the dirt and snow, then came back in and used the book to wipe out feet =)

Finally, today, Day #5, I spilled Cati's coffee:

Wreck This Journal..And Yes, I Do Mean WRECK

2010-01-19T15:50:00.000-05:00

Why on earth would I want to wreck a journal??? Creative destruction; the book is dedicated to perfectionists. What is it about? Well, you are literally supposed to wreck this book. Here are some examples of what the book tells you to do:
1)Fill in this page when you are really angry
2)Tear out [this page]; crumple
3)Cover this page using only office supplies
4)Cut through several layers [of the pages]
5)Climb up high, drop the journal
6)Tear this page out. Put it in your pocket. Put it through the wash. Stick it back in.
Other things include cracking the spine, spilling your coffee on it, smearing dirt on it, even taking it in the shower with you.
If I do one page a day, it will take me almost to the end of April to finish. So, to start it all off, here is day one:

No, the pages don't come colored. They are all nice and white and clean right now. It still looks like a new, normal book. You have no idea how much pleasure it gave me to color in a non-coloring book! I think everybody should get one for themselves; it's just plain fun to ruin a book =)