Reports From the Field: A Blog Reader Visits the Bird

Published on September 7, 2013September 7, 2013 by In The Vintage Kitchen12 Comments

Ms. Jeannie was thrilled, thrilled, thrilled to hear from blog reader, Victoria who set out to visit the Heath Hen memorial, one of the five sculptures in the Lost Bird Project collection. The Hen now permanently resides in the Manuel F. Correllus State Park on Martha’s Vineyard, MA, where the last survivor of the breed, known as Booming Ben was spotted in the 1930’s.

Here’s Victoria’s first sighting…

All photos courtesy of Victoria at Vintagiality.

According to her it is a bit tricky to find the sculpture. So if you go and visit yourself, here is her helpful advice…

“It took forever to find him as there are no markings of any kind besides the plaque at the entrance gate to the State forest and it only talks about the heath hen in general. I searched for directions for a long time and all I found was some local article from years ago that said it was a 5-10 minute walk from either gate 18 or 19 of the forest.”

This is the plaque at the forest entrance that Victoria referred to. In addition to the historical information, it seems people have left behind their own bird relics at the marker, which Ms. Jeannie thinks is sort of fitting. Since the sculpture acts as not only a piece of art but also a memorial tribute to the extinction of a species, this is not unlike people putting flowers or candles or other such relics on gravesites to commemorate what was lost.

This is what the plaque says…

HEATH HEN – Tympanuchus Cupido Cupido

The sole remaining heath hen in the world was seen for the last time near this spot on March 11, 1932; this eastern race of the greater prairie chicken was declared extinct in 1933. During the mating season, the males made a loud “booming” sound by inflating the orange air sacs on their necks, a sound that could be heard as far as one mile away. A staple in the early colonists’ diet, the heath hen was more important than the wild turkey to the survival of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony in the hard winter of 1620-1621. Despite the passage of various protective laws, by 1845 the only birds left were on Martha’s Vineyard, having once been widespread from coastal New England south at least to Maryland. In 1908, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts set aside 600 acres here as a heath hen reservation. Additional land was added later, until the reservation totaled nearly 5,000 acres, most of which ultimately became the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest. The heath hen thrived on the reservation, it’s numbers rising from about 50 in 1908 to about 2,000 in early 1916. But in May 1916, a great fire swept the reservation, destroying many nesting females and their eggs, reducing the population to about 150. Primarily due to inbreeding, disease and predation, despite efforts to protect and propagate the bird, its numbers slowly dwindled to 28 in 1923, about 30 in 1927, and only 3 in 1928. The last bird, known as “Booming Ben” lived alone from 1929 to 1932.

To give you some visual perspective this is what heath hens looked like in the wild…

Photograph of a Heath Hen on Martha's Vineyard taken in 1909. — Photograph of a Heath Hen on Martha’s Vineyard taken in 1909.

This next illustration gives you a sense of their colors. The orange bulb at their breast is the air sac that they inflate during mating season. Pretty flamboyant! No wonder the lady hens liked them:)

And here is the Heath Hen memorial on the day Victoria went to visit him…

Victoria also provided this insight…

“I would love to say that it was an impactful sight but he really looked so small from a distance when I first noticed him. He was smaller than I expected and just sat calmly perched on the side of the path. Many people had never even realized he was there all these years walking by. It was very interesting to find out that the entire State forest was actually originally called the Heath Hen Reserve and only later took the name of its long term superintendent which virtually caused the heath hen to be forgotten.”

If you missed Ms. Jeannie’s previous post about this amazing bird art, the Heath Hen sculpture was created by artist, Todd McGrain as part of his Lost Bird Project. You can read more about his work here. In the documentary that was recently released about the project, you can follow along as Todd chooses the exact resting spot for each of his birds. Using both historical information and artistic intuition as placement guides, he took great care in deciding why each sculpture should be placed in the exact spot that it was.

So it doesn’t really come as a surprise to Ms. Jeannie, after hearing from Victoria, that the Heath Hen should be in a location within the state park that lacked any sense of showmanship or fanfare. According to the documentary, Todd wanted each bird to not only be a memorial to what we have lost as a country but also a teaching platform that could draw surprise, sympathy and inspiration to all who viewed it – but in a natural way – a walk in the intimate woods, so to say, that wasn’t preachy or guided.

Ultimately, the project aims to educate and draw awareness – to appreciate our natural surroundings, to notice what occurs in our everyday environment and to hopefully take a little bit more care with our natural world so that in 100 years we do not see other animals – ones that are so prevalent today like deer and foxes and geese – on the extinction list in the future.

A great big thank you to Victoria for sharing her road trip with us in both thoughts and pictures. Stop by and visit her Etsy shop here. Learn more about the lost bird project here.

Finally, The Fireworks!

Published on September 2, 2013September 2, 2013 by In The Vintage Kitchen2 Comments

As you might recall dear readers, Ms. Jeannie got rained out this past 4th of July in the fireworks department. But as luck would have it, a friend of the Jeannie’s cleaned out her garage over the long holiday weekend and discovered two forgotten bags of fireworks from long ago. Knowing what a big fan, the Jeannie’s are of such entertainment , she dropped them by for a little Labor Day celebration fun.

The weather cooperated (thank you Mother Nature!) for a few hour break between rainstorms. Just enough time to enjoy a pre-fireworks patio dinner and the after dinner treat of a little light show. Here’s some photos from the display…

And the big finale…

Labor Day is actually the celebration of American worker’s and all the strength, perseverance and endurance it takes to continue to make our nation great. Ms. Jeannie was thinking about this as she watched (and photoed!) the fireworks and thought what a lovely and fitting tribute the light show actually was.

Here they are, just small little individual rockets of paper, kind of like people . But when ignited or inspired they shoot to the moon and make a splash of color across the atmosphere, leaving a bit of awe and wonder in their wake.

It doesn’t really seem to matter whether you watch a big show like Macy’s 4th of July Spectacular or just a humble homegrown attempt – either way it’s still marvelous. Just like people, just like workers, just like America.

Happy Labor Day dear readers! If you are watching fireworks anywhere this weekend, send Ms. Jeannie a picture or share your holiday plans below in the comments section.

Cheers to all the hard workers!

In the Creative Season: Where Ms. Jeannie Popped Up This Summer

Published on August 27, 2013August 27, 2013 by In The Vintage KitchenLeave a comment

The last time we checked in on the virtual appearances of Ms. Jeannie it was May. Now, September is just days away already, can you believe it, dear readers?

While Ms. Jeannie is looking forward to the cool, cozy days of Autumn, the impending holiday season, and a few treats she’ll share soon, she also feels incredibly humbled and privileged to have been featured on these following sites this summer…

KELLY BURMUDEZ

A little link in the inspiration chain for watercolor artist Kelly Bermudez, came in the form of Ms. Jeannie’s vintage 1949 “hear” flash card photograph…

Stop by and see more of Kelly’s beautiful work here.

THE ETSY BLOG

Eitor's Picks: Stories of the Sea — Editor’s Picks: Stories of the Sea

Editor’s Picks: Stories of the Sea featured 11 nautical themed items on Etsy – one of which was Ms. Jeannie’s 1940’s photograph portrait of a sailor. Sailor was very pleased indeed to be among such comrades:)

PIXIPORT

Pixiport is an online marketing site for fine art photographers. Ms. Jeannie is thrilled that they just featured her June 2012 interview with French photographer Yann Pendaries! See the Pixiport featutre here and see more of Yann’s work here.

DISCREET CHARMS

Discreet Charms is written by California blogger Dana, and features a wide variety of stunning people, places and things that inspire her. In August, she wrote an incredibly lovely post about Ms. Jeannie’s vintage shop. Goodness gracious – Ms. Jeannie could not have been more touched by her kind words.

ART CRAFT SECRETS

Art Craft Secrets, an internet business and marketing site geared toward creative enterprises, recently published an E-Book entitled How to Set Up a Successful Etsy Store. Ms. Jeannie’s shop was one of three sample shops used throughout the book to highlight various aspects of marketing and promotion. Ms. Jeannie was thrilled to help aid, in whatever small way, a new batch of future Etsy sellers!

It’s been an incredibly rewarding season – chock full of interesting new perspectives, people and passions. Thank you to all the above and to all you dear readers for taking the time and effort to include Ms. Jeannie in your life. Cheers to a new season and to new start!

August 20th – The {annual} Day of Doughnuts

Published on August 21, 2013 by In The Vintage Kitchen6 Comments

August 20th is a special day in the Ology household. It’s a food holiday tradition of sorts – on par with other such food holidays like Cinco de Mayo or St. Patrick’s Day. Ms. Jeannie’s holiday is called The Day of Doughnuts – in honor of her grandfather Herbert, who was born on August 20th, 1908.

You may remember Herbert, or Herbie, as Ms. Jeannie sometimes liked to call him, from a previous post about the long line of Chicago firemen in Ms. Jeannie’s family. Here’s a picture of him to refresh your memory…

Grandpa Herbert holding Ms. Jeannie's dad. — Grandpa Herbert holding Ms. Jeannie’s dad.

Of German – American descent, Herbert loved lots of foods, particularly ones that were part of his heritage: beer, sauerkraut, bratwurst. But if Ms. Jeannie had to pick one food that was most synonymous with him – it would be the doughnut. Grandpa Herb adored them. So much so, in fact, he’d enjoy one almost every morning with his coffee and his crossword puzzle. He liked them in all their vast variety from the simple round old-fashioned rings to their fancier counterparts – the crullers and the danishes.

Doughnut Wall Art by DianaPappas (click for more info)

Technically, fried dough has been around for centuries in many different cultures, but the round “traditional doughnut shape” and size is wholly American. The writer, Washington Irving, was the first person to refer to the word “doughnut” in his writing’s in the early 1800’s, where he noted ‘flour dough balls mixed with sugar and fried in hog lard.’ Sound tasty?! !

Vintage Washington Irving portrait from dogsbodysalvage (click for more info)

According to Ms. Jeannie’s grandfather, a cup of strong, black coffee and a doughnut was the perfect way to begin the day. While he ate his breakfast, he’d work a crossword puzzle from the daily newspaper. When half of the squares were filled in, he’d set the puzzle aside and go about his daily activities. In the late afternoon, he would carry a fresh cup of coffee out to the sun porch, along with a cigar, and while he smoked, he would complete the rest of the puzzle.

In Ms. Jeannie's shop! A view of the crossword section of an original 1969 Virginian Pilot newspaper. — A view of the crossword section of an original 1969 Virginian Pilot newspaper from Ms. Jeannie’s shop. (click for more info)

Ms. Jeannie once asked him why he never worked the whole puzzle all at once and he said it was because it gave him something to look forward to every afternoon. That was Grandpa Herbert in a nutshell. Delighting in the simplest of activities in the simplest of ways.

If Ms. Jeannie was lucky on those porch days, and the crossword was an easy one, Grandpa Herbert would sit back with his coffee and his cigar, in the shade of the giant hibiscus bush, and tell her stories about life in the firehouse.

Herbert with his fire company Engine 33 - Chicago, 1940's — Herbert with his fire company Engine 33 – Chicago, 1940’s

Her favorite stories were always the ones where he rescued pets and babies. He had this one story in-particular about a residential building fire and a woman hysterical, down on the street, because her baby was in the apartment. Up went Herbert into the flames, listening for a crying voice. He broke down the apartment door to discover a giant dog in the room. The fire was too hot and the flames too high to go back down the stairs, so he wrangled the dog up in his arms and out they went through a window and down the ladder. The “baby” made it to safety! Ms. Jeannie cheered every time!

Perhaps, because Grandpa Herbert had seen so many life and death situations ignite and extinguish for so many years, he felt humbled and satisfied just to be alive. He had a beautiful wife, a smart and driven son, grandchildren who always couldn’t wait to see him, a tidy little house in Florida, a car, friends, impeccable health clear into his 80’s (even with the doughnut diet!), a great sense of humor and a smile that always quick to appear. “What do I have to complain about?” he’d often say.

So on the annual Day of Doughnuts, black coffee and breakfast treats are always served. It’s a simple no-fuss homage to a simple no-fuss man who made it a point to always look for and appreciate the small little joys in life. May we all be equally as aware! Happy Day of Doughnuts dear readers!

Marking the Day of Doughnuts – August 20th, 2013

Introducing the Vintage Book of the Month Club!

Published on August 18, 2013August 18, 2013 by In The Vintage Kitchen7 Comments

The English philosopher, A.C. Grayling, recently said “To read is to fly: it is to soar to a point of vantage which gives a view over wide terrains of history, human variety, ideas, shared experience and the fruits of many inquiries.”

Ms. Jeannie could not agree more! While re-reading Wuthering Heights a few months ago, Ms. Jeannie got to thinking about vintage books and how their stories, while old in years are often times, not old in spirit. They are just more settled and sometimes overlooked by their shinier, more alluring contemporaries. But Ms. Jeannie aspires to shake these vintage stories up again – to churn their waters of words and wisdom, of history and social commentary, of status and symbolism. So it is with that in mind, that Ms. Jeannie is thrilled to announce the launch of her new Vintage Book of the Month Club!

The book club operates on subscription basis, with a choice of either six months or one year. And there are a few categories available: Fiction, Non-Fiction and Children’s books. The former broken down further into “him”and “her” categories and the latter into “boys” and “girls” categories. That way if you were giving the book club subscription as a gift you could personalize it with the types of books the recipient likes to read the most.

Every month, subscribers receive one hardcover vintage book in the mail. Written or copyrighted before 1970, each book arrives gift wrapped. A card detailing the history behind the book and/or author is also included along with a bookplate that bares the recipient’s name. This is a what the bookplate looks like…

When Ms. Jeannie designed the bookplate, she went with an Art Deco theme since that is one of her favorite periods in history. The soaring antelope-type deer reminded Ms. Jeannie of the soaring feeling a good story can give you.

It also reminded Ms. Jeannie of the time that she was picking blackberries from a hedgerow in Pennsylvania. It was a lovely lazy grey, green day. Storm clouds were just working there way into the landscape and the birds were singing their hearts out. The blackberries that year, were the biggest Ms. Jeannie had ever seen. The bushes, equally girthy, had grown together and formed an alley of a row that seemed as long as a mile and as tall as a giant. Full, heavy berries dangled feet above Ms. Jeannie’s head taunting her ability to reach them.

But Ms. Jeannie had more than enough supply at eye-level, so she got to work with intentions to gather enough for a pie and then possibly some tarts for her neighbor. Within 30 minutes, she had pickd an entire bucket full and was working on a second, when all of a sudden, a dark shadow passed fast overhead. Ms. Jeannie looked up in time to see a furry, white belly sailing through the sky. As she watched the arc of the belly go from front to back, she saw it land, noiselessly behind her and bound off into the woods.

Do you you know what this mysterious flying creature was? A deer! Most likely spooked by something in a neighboring yard this deer was on the run, saw the hedgerow and thought “yeah – I can clear that,” and up and over she went. Ms. Jeannie was awe-struck. It was a magical and dangerous moment. If Ms. Jeannie had been standing just a few inches further back than she was, the deer would have landed right on top of her.

To have the whole scene play out without a single noise (except for the birds) was stunning and surprising. You’d like to think you could hear such a commotion coming. The event was marvelous and left Ms. Jeannie a bit giddy with excitement to tell Mr. Jeannie all about the day a deer flew through the sky like a bird. Looking in on the scene – you’d have seen a woman among a batch of berry bushes, but stick around and invest a few minutes of time there, and eventually you’d have seen a bit of magic. Isn’t that just the epitome of a good book? At the start you think, “oh this is a nice pattern of words” and then without warning those nice little words pull you into the storyline in one effortless swoop and carry your imagination away.

That’s just the effect Ms. Jeannie is hoping for with her vintage book of the month club. As for the types of vintage books that one might receive, the field will be varied. Non-fiction readers could expect a variety of topics including biographies and memoirs (can you ever really get enough information about Ernest Hemingway?!), books about nature, cooking or history. Fiction readers could expect vintage editions of classic literature from Henry James or Mark Twain, tales of romance complete with gorgeous retro dust jackets or a vintage suspense novel or a book of poetry.

The fun part of an “of the month” club is the surprise element behind each package and the appreciation of the item in form, content and appearance. So just like when you participate in the jam of the month club, or the wine of the month club or the coffee of the month club – you come away just a little bit more enlightened about the subtle differences of a singular subject. Each of the vintage books in Ms. Jeannie’s club, will be of good quality and will be hand-picked for its story, presentation and/or subject matter.

The children’s book option includes a variety of board books and picture books, tall tales, nursery rhymes, and early education materials. Ms. Jeannie thinks that this subscription would make a really fun gift for a baby shower or a new mom. The little one’s library would grow bigger and bigger, month by month, just like them, and hopefully they would become the building blocks for a new generation of readers altogether.

So that’s the book club in a nutshell. Fun for gift-giving or fun for yourself, Ms. Jeannie’s Vintage Book of the Month Club looks forward to entertaining a dynamic group of readers. If you’d like to sign up for a six month subscription, you can do so here. Or if you prefer a one year subscription, you can sign up here.

And of course, if you have any questions, please ask!

Tuesday In the Kitchen – The Art of Greek Cookery

Published on August 14, 2013February 27, 2022 by In The Vintage Kitchen7 Comments

Opa! It's international dinner night! — Opa! It’s international dinner night!

Today, dear readers, we are going on a wonderful culinary adventure that is taking us from Greece to Long Island, New York to Ms. Jeannie’s kitchen in Georgia. The subject of our adventure is a recipe from this Greek cookbook…

The recipes in The Art of Greek Cookery were compiled in 1958, by 16 first generation Greek women who lived in Hempstead, New York and were part of the congregation of St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church.

St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Church, Hempstead, NYPhoto courtesy of rohlfstudio.com — St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church, Hempstead, NYPhoto courtesy of rohlfstudio.com

The Church, which was formed in 1944, needed to expand as their congregation grew, so the ladies of the Church formed a recipe committee, which was a segment of the church’s social organization, the Mr. & Mrs. Club (so cute!). The intention of the recipe committee was to gather traditional recipes from their homeland into a book for American cooks and then to sell the books as a fundraiser for the new building construction. In true Julia Child spirit, these ladies got to work gathering, testing and and adapting hundreds of recipes that were representatives of their Greek culture. This is a picture of some of the original members of the recipe club…

After two and half years of laboring, they published a simple spiral bound cookbook entitled, The Grecian Gourmet, which turned out to be a runaway success. Both the The New York Times and the New York Tribune published articles about the women and their book project, which caught the attention of people all across the country and book orders poured in.

The recipe committee was humbled and amazed that their little cookbook had become such a sensation.

“It was a book that had immense appeal for all food conscious people. For gourmets and experimental cooks of all kinds; for tourists who upon returning from Greece, wished to duplicate in their own kitchens some of the interesting and exciting dishes they had tasted in Greece on the Grecian islands. It was a work of love and a great pleasure for all of us.” – Theodora Lourekas, Chairmen of the Recipe Committee, 1963.

The cookbook also caught the attention of New York publishing giant Doubleday and Company, who wanted to republish it under their “Art of ” cookbook series. And so the Art of Greek Cookery was born in 1963.

Containing a wealth of recipes ranging from appetizers to desserts, the cookbook also contains information on Greek wines, traditional feast days, customs, traditions, suggested menus and a lovely forward by the then pastor, Father George Papadeas. To say that he was not only proud but impressed by the hard work and determination of these women was an understatement. Just by reading the forward, preface and introduction of this cookbook you can tell that so much love and good cheer was behind this project.

100% of the proceeds from the book sales went into the church construction fund, which provided them with more than enough money to undertake the expansion. Both the Church and the recipe club are still going strong today!

So in true spirit, Ms. Jeannie embarked on a new cooking challenge and made one of the recipes from the book. Ideally, she would have liked to have chosen a lamb recipe, since that is so traditional, but Ms. Jeannie feels bad for the little lambs and doesn’t know of a local, ethically sourced lamb company, so she chose a chicken dish instead. It had five ingredients and was ready within an hour. And it was DELICIOUS (with a big capital D!). Here’s the recipe…

All the ingredients you will need! — The ingredients!

Chicken with Scallions (also known as Kotopoulo me Kremidakia Freska)

3-4 lb. organic chicken, cut into 6 pieces

5 tablespoons butter

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 cup hot water

6 bunches organic scallions, rinsed and ends trimmed

3 organic eggs

1 lemon, juice of

Rinse chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels. In a Dutch oven (or you can use a large soup pot) melt the butter, add the chicken pieces and brown until golden on all sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. *Add hot water and scallions. Cover and cook over low-heat for one hour.

In a medium bowl, beat eggs. Incorporate lemon juice slowly into egg mixture while constantly stirring to prevent curdling. Add some broth from the pan (about 1/2 cup), again constantly stirring to prevent curdling. Stir actively for about a minute.

Remove chicken from pan and place on a plate. Add the egg mixture to the pan broth and stir constantly for another minute to avoid curdling. Add the chicken back into the pot to soak up the sauce. The heat under the pan must be on low and the sauce must not be allowed to boil. Let the chicken rest in the sauce fora few minutes before removing from heat and serving.

* Special note – Ms. Jeannie doesn’t have a Dutch oven so she used a large soup pot. After she browned the chicken and before she added the water and scallions, she de-glazed the pan with 1/4 cup of white wine just because her pot tends to burn easily. If you are using a Dutch oven you might not need to add that step at all.

Once Ms. Jeannie placed the chicken and sauce in a serving dish she sprinkled it with some chives from her garden. This of course is optional. She served the chicken with a simple homegrown tomato basil salad which was marinated in olive oil and garlic for an hour, a crusty baguette and a glass of sauvignon blanc. Enjoying an authentic Greek dinner outside on the patio with Mr. Jeannie Ology made Ms. Jeannie feel like she was on a little vacation!

It is armchair traveling at its best and most delicious! Cheers or Opa (as they like to say in Greece)!

Under Construction: Part One

Published on August 7, 2013 by In The Vintage Kitchen10 Comments

All summer long Ms. Jeannie’s house has been under construction. A new addition (or wing) as Mr. Jeannie Ology likes to call it, is being added just off the second floor guest room. Here’s a photograph of the work that is being done…

The workers have been hard at their project since early May. When Ms. Jeannie first noticed the activity, their scaffolding was the size of a golf ball. Now, it is the size of a 20lb. Thanksgiving turkey…

Ms. Jeannie thinks the architect on this crew was inspired by Frank Llyod Wright’s Guggenheim Museum in NYC …

Or the turban style head pieces seen often in India and the Middle East…

Alas, there are no hats to be worn on this job site! The construction crew at Ms. Jeannie’s have a style all their own. These guys are bald faced hornets – tough little critters that are actually part of the wasp family.

Photo via pinterest — Photo of a bald faced hornet via pinterest

They build their nests out of strips of chewed up wood and saliva, which wraps (literally!) around the interior comb protecting the queen and her babies. Up to 400 wasps can live in a nest this big – and from all the buzzing and commotion going on, in and around this nest, Ms. Jeannie is sure the structure is at capacity.

When the nest was about the size of a grapefruit, the pest company came out to look at it. They said because of the positioning – between the house and the gutter – that it wouldn’t get much bigger. Ha! It has doubled about five times since that day. The pest company offered two solutions. They could come geared up in hazmat suits and “dust” the nest which may or may not get rid of them all or we could all just wait until Fall when the weather turns cold and they would abandon the nest themselves.

Ms. Jeannie liked option 2 the best. The nest is high up off the ground and bald faced hornets eat mosquitos and flys and caterpillar types in the garden. They only get troublesome if you bother them and since they are now residing in an out of the way area, Ms. Jeannie is not really concerned. Plus, she thinks it might be fun to see just how much bigger this nest could actually get and to see if she can take it down and inspect it more closely once all the wasps leave in Autumn.

So this is a TOO BE CONTINUED post. We’ll check back in a couple of months for our own private unveiling of the Guggenheim Georgia! in the meantime, if you’ve had any encounters with our construction crew in the past please share your comments!

Paris House: Ms. Jeannie and the Photo Shoot

Published on August 2, 2013August 3, 2013 by In The Vintage KitchenLeave a comment

A few weeks ago, Ms. Jeannie was contacted by Paris House in regards to doing a photo shoot for a few of their products. Sharon at PH was very complimentary of the photos in Ms. Jeannie’s Etsy shop and thought it would be fun to photograph some of the Paris House bags and clutches in similar fashion.

Based in New Zealand, Paris House not only offers completely original bags and accessories but also the experience of thinking outside of the proverbial conversation box. Here are some examples…

Everything is made of of the softest, plushiest leather, and they all contain gold embellishments and quirky sayings, both on the inside and outside.

This is more from the Paris House 2012 Catalog…

As soon as the box of bags arrived Ms. Jeannie got to work thinking about fun and creative ways to photograph these fun and creative items. Because the bags are brassy and modern with their sassy gold illustrations and because they are classically luxurious in texture, she thought that industrial type props would be a nice contrast…

Envelope clutch. Click for more info. — Envelope clutch with weathered bricks. Click for more info.

As she was photographing this clutch, Ms. Jeannie started thinking about a little story involving the eyelashes and paparazzi. So she got out her vintage Brownie camera and incorporated it into the photo shoot. It was easy for Brownie to fall in love with the golden eyed beauty.

The backside says peeping tom on it! — The backside of the clutch says Peeping Tom on it!

The inside of the bag says: Love to my sister who just got married.

Next, Ms. Jeannie went on a little travel adventure with a weekender bag that lost his way…

The caption on this bag reads: Should this bag ever wander, smack his bum and send him home. — The caption on this bag reads: Should this bag ever roam, smack his bum & send him home.

The inside had little illustrations that carry the fun from out to in…

Those little fruit characters really called out to Ms. Jeannie, so the next envelope clutch was all about fun with bedazzled fruits…

This bag states: Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.

That sounds like a statement Helen Gurley Brown would have made!

It is difficult to mention Helen Gurley Brown and then right after not to mention men, so Ms. Jeannie changed gears and went to work on the Fantastic Man zipper pouch..

Underneath Fantastic Man it says kisses!

In Ms. Jeannie’s opinion, any well-read man is a fantastic man. And who was one of history’s most fantastic, most well-read men? Why none other than Hemingway of course! So here’s a nod in his direction…

Ms. Jeannie thinks Hemingway would approve of the fantastic man comparison:) — Ms. Jeannie thinks Hemingway would approve of the deer antler addition.

Then of course, one cannot think about Ernest without thinking of his famous “write drunk, edit sober” quote so Ms. Jeannie carried on into a night of partying with the Two Drunken Couples zipper pouch…

On such a wildly entertaining night as this, of course, just about a billion and a half stories unfolded. So many in fact that inspiration for the Dear Sophie zippered pouch came about from stacks of stories in stacks of notebooks…

And now Dear Sophie and her stacks of stories from the drunken night now sit on the homepage of the Paris House website…

As you know, Ms. Jeannie just loves everything that tells a story, and these bags do such a good job of giving you a little slice of creative inspiration. Wouldn’t it be fun to combine all these little sayings into one short story? It would be an interesting one at that! Ms. Jeannie might just have to set out on such a challenge. In the meantime, stop by the Paris House website and peruse their vast collection of fun and whimsical items here.

And, when conversation hits a lull at the next party or dinner date you attend, you can call on Dear Sophie or the drunken couple to liven things up a little bit:)

Happy shopping!

The Little Fig That Could: An Update and a Nanny

Published on July 30, 2013 by In The Vintage Kitchen10 Comments

The cutest little thing greeted Ms. Jeannie on the screen porch this morning…

It’s a fig leaf, dear readers! And can you guess where it came from?

That’s right! It came from our very own fig clipping water method! It’s hard to believe that this was the easiest most uncomplicated way to grow a fig tree. And yet, here our little dazzler is – her own version of jazz hands greeting the day.

If you recall from previous posts, Ms. Jeannie tried two different ways to grow a fig tree from a clipping. There was the newspaper method and the water method. After trial and error, which you can catch up on here, the clear winner was the water method. In a nutshell… cut a fig clipping in winter, stick it in a jar of water for several months and watch the roots grow.

Then transfer the rooty clipping to a pot filled with potting soil. Ms. Jeannie at this point still kept the clipping indoors for a couple of weeks, but placed it next to a window that receives indirect sunlight. Then, on a bit of a whim one gorgeous afternoon, she moved the pot to the screened-in porch. That side of the house gets late afternoon sun for a few hours and apparently that was the ticket for this little one to sprout!

And so here we are, in newborn fig heaven.

When this little darling sprouts a few more leaves, she’ll transfer it to a bigger pot. In the meantime, she’ll just watch it grow.

Another little delight that greeted Ms. Jeannie recently, was this fellow…

Just like the kitty that surprised Ms. Jeannie in the fig bush last year – this visitor also found his way into the yard from the fig bushes. Perhaps there is some sort of trap door in those fig bushes! A little underground network of tunnels for stray cats, with a special sign at Ms. Jeannie’s fig roots that reads REST STOP – THIS WAY!

Whatever the case – it seems Ms. Jeannie is on some sort of list now to receive a new cat every summer. This one she has named Boy-O because he’s very clearly a chap, and he’s got green eyes and that handsome black and white coat which favors the Irish complexion. Ms. Jeannie actually went through a whole roster of names beginning in Italy (since he was in the figs on a hot summer afternoon of course!) … there was Paolo, Giuseppe, Jono. He was completely indifferent to those names so Ms. Jeannie changed directions… Adolph, George (this was long before the royal baby!), Leo, Sam, Charlie. No interest again. Then she said in exasperation – “Boy Cat what is your name?!” And he turned his head and looked at her. Aha! Something was ringing a bell. “Boy. Boy Cat. Boy-O? Could that be it? Boy-O?” Immediately right after she posed this question, he meowed. Clearly there was a winner in the name department!

So it’s been about a month now that Boy-O has visited here with Ms. Jeannie. He loves to eat and he loves to pal around with Ms. Jeannie’s two cats. He enjoys walking around the garden, licking fallen figs and drinking out of the bird bath. But perhaps his most favorite thing to do is nap. He loves the side porch, more than anything, just like the little fig sprout does. Most afternoons, Ms. Jeannie sees him sprawled out like this…

All this afternoon bonding time with the fig sprout has led Ms. Jeannie to think that perhaps Boy-O is a fig nanny. Maybe that sign in the underground tunnel reads FIG NANNIES – APPLY HERE, and Boy-O just showed up because he needed a job.

Whatever the circumstance, Ms. Jeannie is working with her local vet to try and find a home for him. It’s a daunting task as they have their own giant book of Boy-Os that also need homes. “But mine comes with a skill,” Ms. Jeannie told them. “And he’s dedicated!” The proof is in the pictures…

Fig nannies just don’t come along every day, dear readers, so if you know of anyone – who might need such a talent, than Boy-O is their man(cat).

The Connection Between Kelly Clarkson and Ms. Jeannie

Published on July 26, 2013 by In The Vintage Kitchen9 Comments

This past Tuesday marked the return of one of Ms. Jeannie’s most favorite shows…

Who Do You Think You Are on Tuesday nights at on TLC — Who Do You Think You Are on Tuesday nights on TLC

Now in its fourth season, Who Do You Think You Are is the pet project of actress Lisa Kudrow (from Friends fame) that follows celebrities as they trace and discover their own roots. Ms. Jeannie loves this show because everyone can learn from it – regardless if you are famous or not, everybody follows the same format. You have to look back in order to look forward.

Lots of different types of celebrities from film stars (Susan Sarandon), to sports figures (Emmit Smith) to singers (Lional Ritchie) to comedians (Chris Rock) to models (Brooke Shields) have been featured on past episodes.

This week it was singer Kelly Clarkson, who Ms. Jeannie realized she actually had a few things in common with. This is the trailer for Kelly’s episode…

http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are/videos/kelly-clarkson-video.htm

Kelly’s great, great, great grandfather, Isiah, was a Civil War soldier from Ohio who fought for the Union side. Ms. Jeannie’s great, great grandfather was also a Civil War soldier from Ohio who fought for the Union side…

Ms. Jeannie's great great grandfather Albert — Ms. Jeannie’s great, great grandfather Albert (1840-1921)

Kelly’s ancestor fought in the war for four years. He was captured and taken prisoner by the Confederate soldiers and sent to a prison camp in Andersonville, Georgia. Ms. Jeannie’s great, great grandfather also served for four years and fought in battles all over the Southeast – his last one was very close to Andersonville, GA and it was there that he suffered trauma to his eyes.

The prison camp at Andersonville was awful – holding over 40,000 soldiers in a barracked field open to the elements and left to their own devices for toiletry, food and shelter.

Camp configuration at Andersonville. Photo courtesy of mihp.org

Andersonville Prison. Photo courtesy of old-picture.com — Andersonville tents. Photo courtesy of old-picture.com

Union soldier held at Andersonville Prison.

Men were walking skeletons from mal-nourishment and disease, they were angry from being confined, and they were exhausted from fighting the war and then fighting to survive in a prison camp. Andersonville is the United States version of Holocaust camps in Germany. There was no regard for human dignity or for human life. Men were thrown together en masse and left to fend for themselves. Over 13,000 soldiers died in camp at Andersonville during the Civil Wa,r and now the park serves as a memorial to the bravery of lost victims. Thankfully Kelly’s great, great, great grandfather escaped the prison confines and re-introduced himself to civilian society. He carried on with strength and determination to lead a long and fruitful life.

Ms. Jeannie’s great, great grandfather mustered out of the Civil War cavalry after his eye trauma in 1865. He went home to Ohio to collect his sweetheart, Martha, who lived in a neighboring county in Indiana…

Albert's wife, Martha. Ms. Jeannie's great, great grandmother. — Albert’s wife, Martha. Ms. Jeannie’s great, great grandmother.

A month and a half later, in the summer of 1865, they married at Martha’s parents home in Johnson County, Indiana, and the very next day, they embarked via covered wagon on a journey to Iowa. Martha’s parents accompanied them. Ms. Jeannie can only imagine what kind of “honeymoon” this was! During the month and a half-long trip, Martha made this quilt, which you might recall from a previous post…

Martha's churn dash style quilt, which Ms. Jeannie now keeps. — Martha’s churn dash style quilt, which Ms. Jeannie now keeps.

Martha made this quilt so that she would have a bed covering once they reached their new home in Iowa. It would be a reminder of their journey across country and also a symbolic token for the beginning of their marriage. By the time this blanket was created, Albert, 24, had seen all sorts of horrendous acts at war, he had defended his country, he had fought for his beliefs. Martha was a young bride, 18, leaving the only life she had ever known in Indiana to travel thousands of miles across country to begin anew. Neither knew Iowa nor what lay ahead for them. They simply set out and hoped for the best. Like Kelly Clarkson said in this past episode ” These are brave choices, made at this time – all these men and women.”

Kelly’s great, great, great grandfather went on eventually to serve a seat in the House Senate. Ms. Jeannie’s great, great grandfather also went on to a career in the public arena. When he and Martha reached Iowa, they staked their claim in Vinton where they became farmers and eventually, Albert, became the town clerk and justice of the peace, a position he held for 25 years. He and Martha became parents to 11 children – 9 of whom lived to see their adult years…

Martha and Albert, center, at their 50th wedding anniversary with their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren by their sides.

Albert died in 1921 at the age of 80. Martha died in 1929 at the age of 82. Ms. Jeannie is so thrilled that there are two pieces in her family to remember them by. The quilt from Martha and this civil war ink well from Albert…

Albert's inkwell that he carried with him throughout the Civil War. — Albert’s inkwell that he carried with him throughout the Civil War.

Both items are warm and hopeful pieces and Ms. Jeannie just loves that. Martha’s quilt kept the two of them warm for years. Albert’s inkwell may have aided in letters home while he was away at war. There is no documentation in Ms. Jeannie’s family of anything written using ink from this inkwell, but Ms. Jeannie thinks something special must have come from this font in order for it to have been passed down through the family for all these years. It could have been something as simple as an “I Love You” from Albert’s hand to his parents, James and Nancy in Ohio or a sweet “wait for me – I’m coming soon” sentiment to Martha in Indiana. Either way it was a valued vessel.

Kelly ends the episode by returning to Nashville and reporting to her mom all that she uncovered on her genealogy adventure. “Now we know…” she said to her mom. ” This is in our blood.” This is what makes this show, and genealogy in turn, so great. It is in your face history that has directly affected your life. Had there never been Isiah there would never be Kelly and had there never been Albert there never would be Ms. Jeannie. And while we can’t sit down and have a face to face conversation with these past generations, we still know them, because we are them.

We are all, a lot more related then we realize!

Who Do You Think You Are airs every Tuesday night at 9:00pm (eastern) on TLC. Next week, it’s the actress Christina Applegate. If you are a fan of the show, please comment below, Ms. Jeannie would love to hear your thoughts.