Early September Lazy Days

My mom's impatiens on the front porch are losing their petals...

I think they look pretty lying on the cement.

A little acorn has joined them. It's proclaiming that fall is on its way.

P.S. I'm blaming my blogging absence on this little one. Got her this summer. She's named after the wonderfully sassy Minnie Pearl...and believe me, she lives up to the name.

How have your first September days been? They've been lazy days around here as you can see.

 

Elvis Sings On

Wasn't he something?

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Elvis will always be my favorite entertainer. I'm amazed at how he continues to reach audiences 35 years later. My generation never got to experience his music live, but it still means so much to us.

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I had the great opportunity to visit Graceland a few years back. It feels as if his spirit is still present there.

I made sure to join in on the tradition of leaving a note on his front wall.

Rest in peace, Elvis! Sing and don't be silent, 35 years later and beyond. 

August 16, 1977-August 16, 2012

American Pickers: Amateur Edition

Last weekend, my mom and I made our way to the Springfield Antique Show & Flea Market in Ohio. It turns out many of the vendors canceled because of the heat, but those who braved it had wonderful items for sale!

Here are a few things I found at the show:

I've been looking for a recipe box for awhile now! I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but knew I wanted it to have a 1960s feel. This was made by Ohio Art Co. (the same company that created Etch A Sketch!) I just love the brightness of the pink and red flowers combined with the aqua lid. It reminds me of my side borders! I can't wait to fill it up with yummy recipes. Got any good ones I should add in?

The next find was sheet music from one of my all time favorite musicals, State Fair. "It Might As Well Be Spring" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1945.

We found it among a large stack of music, each piece with Miss Betty Sellers's name on the front. We think she must have been a music teacher. If not, then definitely a lover of some great music! In the past I didn't like items with names written on them, but I now feel like it's making a connection with someone. I think she'd be thrilled to know that she is still able to share her love of music with others.

Rodgers and Hammerstein was the ultimate musical duo, don't you think?

The last thing I spied was this cupboard. I walked up to take a quick look at the tag thinking there's no way I'll have enough for this! I always need some more shelf space. As I turned the tag over to take a look, the dealer immediately said "I'll take $12 for it." $12!?!?!

Maybe I'm the crazy one, but I think that's a deal! It's very sturdy and the doors still close. All it needs is a new coat of paint! When I fix it up, I'll be sure to show you the after pictures.

We made it through the outdoor show with plenty of time left in the day, so we hit the two antique malls as well--Springfield Antique Center and Heart of Ohio Antique Center. Let me tell you, these are huge malls! Springfield, Ohio is considered the antiquing capital of the Midwest, and it's obvious to see why!

I love pink and black together. I've seen these dishes before, but hadn't yet bought a piece. This bowl was cheap. I love setting old bowls on tables, desks, and dressers to hold small items.

One last thing I grabbed was this red "S." My mom and sister both have a letter of their first initial, so I've always wanted one too. This one looks like it could have been used on an old marquee. I think it will go well with my aqua bedroom walls!

Summer is my favorite time of year for "picking." Have you found anything good this season?

The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave

  Happy 4th of July!

 

I took this photo during our trip to Washington, D.C. this past May. It was placed at the Vietnam War Memorial by high school students to honor the men from their school that had served. The red, white, and blue stood out so vividly against the green grass.

It was my first trip to Washington, D.C. (Can you believe it? No school trips!) It may sound cliche, but I felt pride in our country and its founders as I viewed the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights for the first time.

Enjoy your celebrations today.

Sarah Is In The Building...

 Ah! It's been awhile, hasn't it? Somehow a couple days break turned into a month! 

Welcome to my new followers! It's always nice to find a few new faces that have joined in the singing.

The lovely Magie at Teacups and Bunting nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award! She is so sweet and her blog is one of my favorites. Pay her a visit if you haven't yet. 

It's been so long! There are a few rules. Instead of listing fifteen blogs, I'll point you toward the "Inspiring Voices" down to the right on my sidebar. These are my (nearly fifteen) favorite reads. I'm inspired by the posts of all of these bloggers. Even if I'm not writing, I make sure to check in to see what these women have to say about their lives and work.

Here are my seven random facts:

1. I love working with children. I love their spirit and unfiltered minds.

2. I collect vintage wedding toppers...no wedding in sight yet! 

3. If I had been alive in the 1950s-1970s, I would have been one of those screaming girls in the front row of Elvis concerts.

4. I'd love to write a novel some day (probably not such a surprise coming from a blogger).

5. I'm really enjoying trying out different recipes recently. Coca-Cola cake goes perfectly with tea.

6. I love Mexican food! And sometimes crave corn dogs from the state fair. Weird, I know.

7. Purple is usually my favorite color, but I'm loving orange right now.

Hope you all are having a wonderful start to June. It's a little chilly here--must be the payback for those warm March days!

A Dose of Sprinkles

 This past Saturday, I spied this ring of sprinkle heaven in the front case at Flour Mill Bakery.

Could you have resisted it?

I couldn't!

A Royal Anniversary

Can you believe it has already been a year?

Last year, my mom and I got up around 4 A.M. to watch the coverage of the Royal Wedding. I have always had a crush on Prince William (I don't think I'm alone in that--look at that smile!) and have always loved learning about the Royal Family. Didn't he look dashing in red? And that dress...

As you can see, I added some little touches to brighten up the early morning darkness. I put up their engagement photos and the date to frame the T.V. We had to buy the commemorative scented candle to burn in celebration. We are burning it again today, as we love its sweet smell.

We ate breakfast while we watched the actual wedding, and then we had a tea around lunch time as we watched and listened to the day-long discussions of the networks about the dress and the balcony kiss.

That evening, we continued the celebration and had a chocolate biscuit cake, as that was what Prince William's groom's cake was to be. I've been craving it ever since then.

Several people did not understand why others here in the United States cared so much about the occasion, but I couldn't help but be enchanted by it. I guess I'm a romantic at heart (let's just say there's currently a stack of wedding books to look through at our house with no wedding in sight that needs planned!). There must be others like me...the night before, we met another girl my age in the baking aisle looking for ingredients, and we found out she was hosting a party in celebration too! Did you tune in?

Here's to many more happy years, Will and Kate! 

 

"Well, I Believe You May Get Your Headlines, Mr. Ismay"

RMS Titanic

1912-2012

What If...

I'm currently watching Titanic, the miniseries by Julian Fellowes. The iceberg has hit. The panic is spreading. The intricacy with which the the relationships are woven together  is compelling.

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Whenever I watch or read about Titanic, I'm haunted by all of the "what ifs."

What if they had listened to the ice warnings and stayed put until daytime?

What if the lookout had had his binoculars like he should have?

What if they had gone straight through the iceberg instead of trying to turn the ship?

What if they had decided to go ahead and keep the higher number of lifeboats despite the cluttered look?

What if they had filled all the lifeboats completely?

What if they had told families to stay together?

What if another ship had responded sooner?

All of these questions will remain unanswered. 

This week has been in memory of all of those that went to bed this evening 100 years ago, and tragically did not make it through the night. May they continue to rest in peace.

Child Researcher

When I was a kid, my mom got us books on anything we were interested in. As I'm sure you can tell by now, Titanic was one of the subjects my siblings and I found fascinating. These are three of the many books we have collected over the years. Much of my Titanic "research" has been done through re-reading my childhood books.

Polar The Titanic Bear by Daisy Corning Stone Spedden

On Board The Titanic by Shelley Tanaka

882 1/2 Amazing Answers to your Questions about the Titanic by Hugh Brewster and Laurie Coulter

 

I'm so glad my mom encouraged us to seek out books on unique topics. I still think reading is one of the most valuable ways for children to gather information. We can allow children to connect to the past by introducing them to historical information in books like these.

White Star Line Dining

The White Star Line was a British company. The Titanic was the second of three ships to be built that were to be the biggest of the time. The first ship built was the Olympic and the second was the Titanic. The third was to be called the Gigantic, but the proposed name was changed to Britannic after the Titanic tragedy.

At the exhibition, we were able to buy replica pieces of the dishes used aboard Titanic. Below is an egg cup used in first class. These passengers would have eaten in the first-class dining saloon. Things like grilled mutton chops and garden soup were served for lunch.

Third-class passengers ate from plates that looked like the one below. Note the absence of gold trim and detailed patterns. They had less fancy food choices also, like rice soup and boiled potatoes.

I think I hear the bugler playing. Dinner must be ready!

(Sister ship and food information gathered from: Brewster, Hugh and Laurie Coulter. 882 1/2 Amazing Answers to your Questions about the Titanic. Toronto: Madison Press Books, 1998.)

Now Boarding the RMS Titanic: April 10, 1912

 Last winter, my family and I had the opportunity to go to Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition. We traveled through and got to see real items from the ship and learned several new things (no photography was allowed). They had replicas of what the rooms looked like, and even had a large piece of ice that you could touch that allowed us to sense what the iceberg may have felt like. One of the most memorable parts, though, was getting to touch an actual piece of the Titanic at the very end of the tour. Seeing these items and the accounts from real passengers made it seem so much more real. I think all these years later, many no longer connect or understand the depth of loss this tragedy created.

At the beginning of the exhibit, we were given boarding passes. Each pass had information about a passenger including age, class, reason for being on board, and an interesting fact. At the end of the tour, you got to see whether or not you survived.

We were boarding the ship in Southampton, on 10/April 1912. Below are three of our passes. We were all in third class. I tried to imagine how exciting it must have been to board the ship. From what I've read, even third class aboard the Titanic was much better than any other ship before it.

So many gave up what they had in order to sail on the ship.  Apparently, some people seemed to have a feeling that something would go wrong, but negative thoughts were probably far from the minds of most as they boarded this magnificent "unsinkable" ship.

Here is our photo at the base of the grand staircase. My brother decided to "go explore the ship" (aka he stood on the side because he hates pictures) while we got our picture taken. 21st century clothing just doesn't do the decor justice.

(All images are taken of items I received at the exhibit which was produced by RMS Titanic, Inc., 

A Division of Premier Exhibitions, Inc. Please do not reproduce!)

Exactly 100 years ago, for the very first time, passengers were settling in for the night aboard Titanic. They were probably looking forward to all they would get to experience on this ship. At this point, they'd probably begun making a list in their heads of all of the things they wanted to remember to tell their friends and family about the Titanic once they were back in the United States (or by letter to those back in Europe). How exciting to be a part of this grand ship's maiden voyage...