When Ms. Jeannie spent a couple of years in a rented house on a horse farm in pastoral Pennsylvania, she fell under the spell of Derby fever. She lived in PA at the exciting time of Smarty Jones’ run for the trifecta, when friends would host ‘Smarty Partys” and the pride of a local hometwown horse victory could be felt miles around.
Smarty Jones headding to victory at the Preakness!
Smarty won the Kentucky Derby. Everybody cheered! Smarty won the Preakness by 11 1/2 lengths. Everybody was enraptured! Smarty rounded the last quarter mile at Belmont in the lead. Everybody was anxious. He neared the finish line. Hearts were hopeful! Birdstone made a run from behind. Smarty and Birdstone were neck and neck. Birdstone crept ahead. Birdstone wins the Belmont. You could have cut the devastation in half that day. It seems everybody was rooting for Smarty – even Birdstone’s jockey apologized!
And that, dear ones, is what makes horse racing so exciting! You just never know what may happen until the very last second. Sports enthusiast or not, everyone can appreciate a good suspense story and that’s just what the Derby delivers, year after year.
With just a week and a half left until Derby day, Ms. Jeannie has party preparations on her mind. Every year, she sticks to a few traditions and then adds new elements on top to keep her guests surprised.
Ms. Jeannie always starts the party planning process by watching her two favorite horse movies…
Next, Ms. Jeannie visits kentuckyderby.com and reads up on all the entrants. Ms. Jeannie is a sucker for any horse that is white or has a great name. This year she has her eye on a few…
Hansen (aka the white one!)
Hansen
And these creative namers:
Went The Day WellDaddy Long LegsI’ll Have Another
And, because she loves all things Irish, Ms. Jeannie is throwing an extra bet on the Donegal Racing Stables entrant…
Dullahan
The favorite of the race right now is Union Rags, who has had an impressive race history and comes from a long line of champions. Ms. Jeannie always like the underdogs the best though. So she’s going to stick with her top picks above. Although that Union Rags is one pretty cute horse!
Union Rags
Now that she has her favorites picked out, she can start her party planning.
FLOWERS
Traditionally red roses would be the flower of choice for table decorations at any Derby party, but Ms. Jeannie likes to mix things up, so she’ll be using red clover flowers instead. They are blooming en masse in her side yard, and look so lovely and farmy that she can’t resist picking a few bucketfuls.
Red clover flower blossoms
MUSIC
The Corduroy Road was an Athens, GA based bluegrass/folk/Americana band that Ms. Jeannie first heard at an outdoor market a few years ago. She loved their twangy sound and old-fashioned lyrics, so much that she had them come play at her friends surprise birthday party. Sadly, one of the two singers left the band to go to medical school, so they don’t play together anymore, but luckily they gave Ms. Jeannie some music before they said their goodbyes. So she treasures each song dearly and plays them often. It is perfect party music, since it is subtle but upbeat. See for yourself… here’s one of their you tube videos…
COCKTAILS
When there is a horse running in the Derby with the name, I’ll Have Another, you just have to make them the star of the cocktail hour! Ms. Jeannie always serves Mint Juleps (tradition of course!) but this year she will also serve a new drink to match the bay color of I’ll Have Another. This drink is a Southerner’s delight, containing Jack Daniels whiskey (appropriate!), pecans, sherry and an intriguing smoked element that can either be done on the grill or the stove.
Line heavy large pot with heavy-duty foil. Sprinkle wood chips over bottom of pot; cover. Turn exhaust fan on high. Heat pot over high heat until smoke begins to form inside pot. Fill 9 x 4 1/2 x 3-inch metal loaf pan with ice. Place in pot; cover tightly. Smoke ice until just melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool slightly. Cover loaf pan tightly with plastic wrap; freeze until firm, at least 6 hours. Using ice pick, cut ice block crosswise into *large* smoked ice chunks allowing 1 per glass. Wrap tightly in plastic and keep frozen.
Bring 1 cup water and sugar to boil in medium saucepan over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add pecans; reduce heat to medium and simmer until syrup tastes like pecans, about 12 minutes. Strain; discard pecans. Cover and chill pecan syrup until cold, about 2 hours.
Place 5 tablespoons whiskey, 3 tablespoons Sherry, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons pecan syrup in cocktail shaker. Fill with plain ice cubes; cover and shake until cold. Divide mixture between 2 old-fashioned glasses. Repeat with remaining 5 tablespoons whiskey, 3 tablespoons Sherry, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 3 tablespoons pecan syrup, and ice. Place 1 smoked ice chunk in each glass and serve.
DINNER MENU
In honor of all white Hansen, Ms. Jeannie will serve an assortment of white cheeses from Trader Joe’s. She is keeping appetizers low-maintenance this year since the Smoke Signals cocktail is a little more involved. Plus, everybody loves cheese and Trader Joe’s carries a wide variety from all over the world.
For the main course, carrying the Irish theme for Dullahan, Ms. Jeannie will make a Braised Brisket with a Bourbon Peach Glaze. Of course the peach glaze, gives it a southern flair, but it retains its Irish roots by being braised in beer! Ms. Jeannie will also being using locally raised grass-fed beef, other than that she will follow the recipe exactly. If all goes well it look like this:
Braised Brisket with Bourbon Peach Glaze
For a side dish, Ms. Jeannie will make homemade, oven baked bistro french fries, which for the occassion, she will rename, Daddy Long Legs, after one of her favorite Derby contenders in the creative names category.
For a second side dish, Ms. Jeannie will make a wilted spinach salad with goat cheese, dried cranberries and toasted walnuts, along with a homemade white wine dressing.
She’ll throw a few loaves of crusty french bread on the table as well and call dinner done!
For dessert, she will carry the Went The Day Well theme and offer her guests a bountiful array of locally grown strawberries (now in season!), crumbled dark chocolate pieces, smoked almonds and espresso. If she planned correctly, her guests will have indeed felt that in fact the day went well!
HAT
What’s a derby party without a hat! Ms. Jeannie still needs to get her derby hat, so don’t you panic either, there is still a little time left. Etsy has a large selection, depending on your budget. Here are Ms. Jeannie’s favorites in the following price points:
Under $20.00
Ivory Rose Fascinator by CastleMemories – $18.00
Under $50.00
1970’s Picture Hat from the Vintage Hat Shop – $42.00
Under $60.00
Wide Brim Black Derby Hat by theoiginaltree – $54.99
Under $80.00
Hot Pink Fascinator by HatsByCressida – $80.00
Under $200.00
Blue Sinamay Derby Hat by daisyhere – $175.00
Or you if you are of the crafty sort, you can make your own homemade derby hat from things lying around the house or the craft store. Either way, you’ll look stunning!
If you have any Derby traditions you’d like to share, please send us a message or a photo!
You may have noticed that Ms. Jeannie has been absent from the blog for a few days. Unfortunately, in all the excitement and anticipation of good gardening days, Ms. Jeannie, unknowingly, pulled out a whole patch of poison ivy vines. With her bare hands.
This little garden patch was in her friend’s poolside landscaping bed that contained beautifully tall stalks of salvia, a pink climbing rose bush, a flowering mystery plant, a ton and half of weeds and the unforseen poison ivy. Focusing more on the mystery plant then the ivy , Ms. Jeannie just jumped right in to pulling weeds, dreaming all the while about the garden utopia she could create here at the pool.
Needless to say, day 3 of the rash yielded a trip to the doctor after both her eyelids were swollen shut. Magically, overnight, it seems that Ms. Jeannie had turned into a puffin.
While waiting in the doctor’s office, Ms. Jeannie wondered where poison ivy originated from. Surely it had to be in the same importation category as those fish that have feet and the beetles that destroy pine trees by the thousands.
Ever the researcher, (swollen eyes or not!) Ms. Jeannie was surprised to learn that poison ivy is native to North America.
She also learned that it is a relative of both the cashew and the mango. Mustard gas used in World War I was inspired by it, and in the 1960’s, Poison Ivy was a DC Comic book character.
Ironically enough, there is a DC comic book for sale on Etsy that features Poison Ivy…
1960’s era DC comic book featuring Batman’s enemy, Poison Ivy from GrannysCoolStuff
In 2001, Poison Ivy underwent an image makeover courtesy of artist Brian Bolland. Clearly, a touch more sexy then the 60’s version.
Promotional Cover for Batman Gotham Nights cover, 2001 by artist Brian Bolland.
Poison Ivy was first recorded in North America by Captain John Smith in Virginia in the early 1600’s. John Smith was an English explorer who established the first North American settlement at Jamestown, Virginia.
Captain John Smith (1580-1631)
He was the the person to give poison ivy it’s name as it reminded him of the English ivy that grew in his homeland. This is what he recorded…
“The poisonous weed, being in shape but little different fromour English ivie; but being touched causeth reddness, itchings,and lastly blysters, the which howsoever, after a while theypass away of themselves without further harme; yet because forthe time they are somewhat painefull, and in aspect dangerous,it hath gotten itselfe an ill name, although questionless ofnoe very ill nature.” – Captain John Smith, 1609
Incidently, European explorers in the 1800’s transported poison ivy to England and Australia to be used as decorative plantings in cottage gardens as the leaves turned a brilliant red/orange in the fall. Sorry about that dear ones. How dreadful!
Urushiol is the oil found in poison ivy that causes an allergic reaction. The word urushiol is derived from the Japanese word for lacquer, which is kiurushi.
Urushiol can be found in all traditional Japanese and Chinese laquerware. Because urushiol is poisonous to the touch until it dries, it takes a skilled dedicated artist to work with the product. As many as 200 coats of lacquer are applied to one object, with drying and polishing occurring between each application.
Prized for being one of the strongest adhesives in the natural world it is extraordinarily durable and is resistent to water, acids, alkali and abrasion.
18th century laquered Japanese writing box.
This just goes to show you that beauty can be be derived from all situations, whether it is perceived as good or bad!
Ms. Jeannie found these great items on Etsy that would have been super useful had she had them on hand before the start of her gardening project.
Poison Ivy Relieve Salve by bcbontanicalsDetox Blend from rootsandflowersVintage Gardening Books from theArtFloozy
That being said she will stock her medicine cabinet in case she stumbles across the ivy again. Right now that thought makes her wince, but, just like any weed, a true gardener can never be knocked down!
Ms. Jeannie has come away from this whole experience learning one big lesson when it comes to digging in the dirt. Definitely look before you leap, my dears, look before you leap.
In case you missed it, Ms. Jeannie just wanted to let you dear readers know that her blog postMexican Folk Art: How Circumstances Affect Creativity has been updated with new information from some of the artists that were featured.
Get to know what inspired the following pieces by visiting this link here. Share your thoughts in the poll at the bottom of this post.
Angel Retablo Tropical Alta from ChristinaAcostaTropical Accent Pillow from arribachicaPurple/Blue Folk Art Box from mimexart
Well, Ms. Jeannie has done it. She has finally planted all the garden seeds that she had ordered from Botanical Interests three weeks ago.
The just completed final garden patch.
She has been working on this goal bit by bit every few days, but Monday’s gorgeous weather really got her motivated to finish up.
At market last weekend, she bought some pre-started herbs for her garden (dill, rosemary, basil and mint) and wouldn’t you know, a few extra plantlings just happened to jump into her basket during that shopping trip too. So 4 jalapenos, 1 red bell pepper and two tomato plants round out the garden complete.
So in addition to her six containers full of sunflowers, a 4′ x 5′ sunflower patch and her newly finished 10″x 12″ vegetable, flowers and herb garden, Ms. Jeannie is well on her way to being a farmer!
In the 10′ x12′ patch, she mounded the herbs in the center of the patch to give the garden a little interest as everything starts growing out. She lined the base of the herb mound with rocks and lined her pathway in old bricks that she had lying about in the garage.
Mound of herbs!Brick pathway
Until she gets a fence up she has blocked off the sections in her garden with fallen sticks from woods behind her house.
Garden sections. Jalapeno plants down front. Tomato plant in back.
Ms. Jeannie likes to halfhazardly organize her garden thoughts on paper before she plants, so she can keep her seed plans organized while she’s planting. On paper the garden plan looks like this:
Rough sketch of garden plan
As Ms. Jeannie was planting, she started thinking about the garden of her dreams and what all that would/could include. Years ago, she read a beautiful garden coffee table book called Venzano: A Scented Garden in Tuscany about a couple who bought a 12th century monastery in Italy and turned part of it into a nursery.
Venzano: A Scented Garden in Tuscany by Stephanie Donaldson
It is a gorgeous book and a gorgeous story.
View from VenzanoCourtyard at Venzano
Ms Jeannie is in love with the rustic pergola above. She has spent many a daydream trying to incorporate something similar into her own garden plan. At Venzano, it is used to shelter the herb garden.
Sadly, due to financial issues, the couple had to sell Venzano. It was bought by someone but the nursery is no longer in operation and the residence is private.
But thanks to the book, Ms. Jeannie can recreate the look of Venzano in her own garden. In addition to the splendid pergola above, Ms. Jeannie would also incorporate these dreamy elements that are available through Etsy.com…
Wrought Iron Garden Trellis from VanMadroneMetalworksPea Gravel from BluffCreekNaturalsAntique Iron Wire Garden Gate by beep3100 Succulents from SanPedroCactusStepping Stone Paver Moulds from KapCreationsFrench Style Garden Bench from SusanVaillantWood Garden Markers from AndrewsReclaimedSolar Powered Mason Jar Lights from BootsNGusAntique Large Copper Wash Tub from RustedandWroughtWhite Cotton Ball String Lights by CottonLightGarden Bench Made from Reclaimed Wood by SauteeWoodWorksBirdhouse Gourds by MizzTizzysWeedSeeds
Ms. Jeannie is also in love with the twig style fences. In almost all the how-to guides on building a twig fence you can find the follwing verbage: challenging, impractical, un-sturdy, purely decorative, non-functional. Perfect! Ms. Jeannie’s on a mission to change all these negatives into positives and makes the world’s first easy, durable, functional twig fence!
She just loves the look of them, so maybe her passion alone will navigate her the tough parts. This is the kind of look she aspires to:
Today marks day 16 of the garden growing process. Ms. Jeannie woke to find the very tips of her little sunflower seedlings just barely peeking over the brim of their vintage water trough container…
Just peeking!
She brought her ruler along with her when she went out to water this morning. The seedlings are just a hair under 3″ inches tall now.
The most amazing part though is that on some of them the leaf span is almost 6″ inches wide! Goodness gracious they are growing up and out!
One of the things that Ms. Jeannie appreciates most about antique items is there ability to hold up.
Maybe it’s because we live in such a throwaway society now, where things are made flimsier and not meant to withstand decades upon decades of use. But antique items were built to last. Generally she finds them to be more sturdy, more durable or perhaps it could be that they were just better taken care of.
Just this week, Ms. Jeannie added two paper items to her shop, which are both around the 100 year age mark…
Early 1900’s Lowney’s Chocolate and Bonbons Paper BoxOriginal May 3rd, 1912 Virginian Pilot Newspaper
These two are just amazing to Ms. Jeannie… century old paper that is still usable in one form or fashion today!
Let’s take a closer look at the newspaper. Fascinating on many different levels but possibly most enjoyably relevant now that we are coming up on the 100th anniversary of the sinking of Titanic on April 14th, 2012. This newspaper edition came out just 3 weeks following the epic diseaster. Having never learned about the Titanic in school, Ms. Jeannie gained knowledge of the event, primarily from two cultural arts experiences.
The first was a play, called the Unsinkable Molly Brown…
The Unsinkable Molly Brown Broadway play poster
And the second was, of course, the movie starring Leo & Kate. Somewhat sheepishly, Ms. Jeannie admits to seeing this movie five times in the theater.
One of Ms. Jeannie’s favorite scenes from the movie.
Each time, she enjoyed it for something different… the costumes, the acting, the history, the romance, the weight of the drama. But let’s face it, Ms. Jeannie is a loyal romantic and when something moves her… she’s committed.
Years following the movie, Ms. Jeannie attended a lecture at her local library presented by one of the divers who helped unearth Titanic artifacts from the ocean floor. The artifacts went on tour as part of the traveling Titanic exhibit.
In the lecture, the diver talked about the physical aspects of the job…the long hours…the tedious technical process… the beaurocratic red tape that had to be sorted through just in order to be able to dive)… the excitement of meeting and working with James Cameron…and the vast amount of state of the art equipment they were able to use to explore the site.
He also discussed the emotional impact the dive had on him. The most surprising aspect for him was the amount of shoes that he saw down there in the sand. Hundreds upon hundreds. Mens, womens, childrens. Party shoes, work books, slippers. These turned out to be taboo items. It was agreed by all parties involved, that the shoes should remain at the bottom of the ocean. Somehow they seemed too personal, too human, to bring to light again.
After the lecture, Ms. Jeannie dove into lots of research regarding Titanic, learning the whole story from construction to destruction. Having been on one luxury cruise liner as a teenager, herself (The Queen Elizabeth 2, which also sailed from New York to Southampton, England) Ms. Jeannie could really understand the excitement behind the whole cruise experience. The QE2 was not quite as opulent as Titanic, but it was a pretty luxurious experience all the same.
The Queen Elizabeth 2, considered to be one of the last great transatlantic ocean liners.
It was one thing to read about the Titanic as an event that happened in the past, with the ability afforded of 100 years of condensed research. But it is something entirely different to read about the events surrounding Titanic as they were occuring.
The articles from Ms. Jeannie’s original Virginian Pilot newspaper add a personal glimpse of the aftermath as events were unfolding. In this edition, light is shed on the lives of six people involved with Titanic that rarely get mentioned, with the exception of one, in regular news features.
There are primarily five articles that reference the Titanic in this edition, which was published, May 3rd, 1912, just three weeks after the sinking.
Two articles appear on the front page. The first one is in relation to a memorial service for Major Archibald Butt that was attended by President Taft.
President William Taft
Archibald Butt (1865-1912) was a military aide to both President Taft and Theodore Roosevelt.
Major Archibald Butt
He also held a career in journalism and was in the Spanish American War. He died on the Titanic at the age of 46, along with his partner, painter Frances Davis Millet.
Francis Davis Millet
Francis’ body was recovered from the wreck site but Archibald’s never was. In 1913, a memorial fountain was constructed for both Francis and Archibald in President’s Park, the gardens that surround the White House.
The article in the newspaper…
THERE WERE TEARS IN TAFT’S EYES AS HE PAID TRIBUTE TO MAJ. BUTT Guest of Honor at Augusta on Occasion of City’s Memorial Service to Memory of Victim of the Titanic Disaster
Self Sacrifice A Part of His Nature
Augusta, Ga., May 2 – Coming as a friend to pay tribute to the memory of a friend President Taft spent today in Augusta as the guest of honor for the occassion of the city’s memorial service to the memory of Major Archibald Butt, one of the victims of the Titanic diseaster of April 14.
The memorial services were followed by an informal reception at the commercial club, where Taft met many of his old friends and afterward the President was entertained at the home of Landon Thomas. He left on his return to Washington at 3:50 p.m.
Tears in His Eyes
The President was visibly affected by the tributes paid to Major Butt. There were tears in his eyes as he called upon memories of the man who was his aide ever since he entered the White House and who had traveled thousands of miles with him.
Mr. Taft made only a short speech but he came near breaking down twice. ‘Never did I know how much he was to me until he was dead,” said the President. “Lacking nothing of self – respect and giving up nothing he owed to himself, he conducted himself with a singleness of purpose and to the happiness and comfort of the President who was his chief. To many fine qualities he added loyalty and when he became one of my famoily (typo) he was as a son or brother.”
Why He Never Married
Mr. Taft told how he met Major Butt, first in the Phillipines and later as aide to President Roosevelt. He dwelt on Maj. Butt’s devotion to Mr. (frayed edges along the fold marks make this part of the article difficult to read)…
…President “that Archie never married because he loved his mother so. The greatest sorrow of his life was when she left him.”
Mr. Taft concluded with a word more as to Mr. Butt’s spirit of self-sacrifice. “Self sacrifice,” he said “had become part of his nature. If Archie could have selected his time to die he would have selected the one God gave him.”
The second mention of Titanic… a photo, clip and article about Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of the of the wireless telegraph used to transmit messages from the Carpathia regarding the details of the Titanic sinking.
Guglielmo Marconi
Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937) was an Italian born inventor and winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics. In 1897, he founded the Wireless Telephone and Signal Company, (later renamed Marconi’s Wireless Telegraph Company) which set off a string of events that led to his pivotal connection with Titanic. It was his wireless telegraph system that allowed for outbound ship communication to land-based wireless stations. Also, it was his Marconi employees that operated the radio equipment aboard Titanic and his equipment that sent the distress signals.
Underneath his picture in the newspaper, begins the following caption:
“G. Marconi, the noted wireless telegraphy inventor. He posed for the above photograph just before sailing for Europe on the Kaiser Wilhelm III., after having testified before the Senatorial Committee regarding the conduct of the Marconi wireless stations during the attempts that were made to secure definite information from the rescue ship Carpathia regarding the details of the Titanic tragedy…” This caption is followed by an in-depth article of speculation surrounding Marconi’s involvement in the distress messages sent from the ship.
To read Marconi’s full testimony before the United States Senate, along with other key characters, visit the fascinating Titanic Inquiry Project here
A third article on the front page (tied into the senate hearing details surrounding Marconi) titled “The Search for Bodies Abandoned at Present” details how the Western Union Cable ship, Minia, would be returning to Halifax with 15 bodies after searching the waters around Titanic.
Western Union Cable Steamer, Minia. photo courtesy of MaritimeQuest.com
Here is the article in full:
THE SEARCH FOR BODIES ABANDONED FOR PRESENT Minia En Route to Halifax with Fifteen of Dead — New York Investigation Yesterday Failed to Reveal New Facts
New York, May 2 – The Western Union cable steamer Minia which has been searching the scene of the Titanic wreck for bodies is returning to Halifax with 15 bodies and will dock Monday, according to a wireless message received here this afternoon by the White Star Line. This means, officials of the line state, that the search for bodies has been abandoned for the present and may be postponed indefinietly.
The message states that the Minia found the bodies widely scattered over a great area, so that search became daily more difficult.
Most of the bodies now on the Minia it is believed are those of members of the Titanic’s crew.
Seven dead bodies buoyed up by life belts together with parts of the wreckage of the Titanic were passed on April 26 in latitude 41.13 and longitude 49.34 by the steamer Gibraltar, which arrived today from Middlesboro. When the bodies were sighted the Gibraltor was stopped but no signs of a living person could be seen and the steamer proceeded.
May Abandon Search
Halifax, N.S., – May 2 – White Star Line officials here had a lengthy conference today with Captain Lardner of the Mackey-Bennett, discussing the utility of a proposal to send out a third steamer, the Seal, to search for further bodies of Titanic victims. Captain Lardner expressed the conviction that it would not be possible to find any more. The idea, it is likely, will be abandoned.
The bodies of the fifty-nine unidentified victims, seven of them women will be buried tomorrow. Fifty-six will be placed in one common grave in Fair View cemetery and three, who were Catholics, will be interred in Mount Olivet. Twenty-seven have been shipped to friends. Eleven more will go tomorrow. This will leave ninety-three bodies still at the morgue, claims for which a majority of which have been sent in. Some of these will likely be buried in Halifax.
At the funeral services tomorrow 100 seamen from the Niobe will assist in the services.
Here is a photo of Captain Lardner and his crew…
Captain Lardner is in the second row, third from the left. Photo courtesy of MaritimeQuest.com
According to an interior article in the newspaper, funeral arrangements were also being made for John Jacob Astor who was the wealthiest person on the Titanic to perish. His body was recovered on April 22nd, by the Mackey-Bennettt crew. His pregnant wife, Madeleine survived.
John Jacob Astor IV (1864-1912)Madeleine Astor (1893-1940)
From the newspaper…
COLONEL ASTOR’S BODY ARRIVES AT FERNCLIFFE
Rhinebeck, N.Y. , May 2 – The body of Colonel John Jacob Astor arrived at Ferncliffe, the Astor estate near this village, this afternoon and funeral services will be held here from the Church of the Messiah of which Colonel Astor was a warden, at 12′ o’clock Saturday.
Every f lag in the village was at half mast, when the body arrived, accompanied by Vincent Astor. The services will be conducted by the Rev. Ernest Saunders, pastor of the Church. A special train will bring a large funeral party from New York.
Ferncliffe, later renamed Astor Courts. Photo courtesy of movato.com
On a side note, Astor Courts, was the venue for Chelsea Clinton’s recent wedding.
Underneath Astor’s funeral notice is a photo of Natalie Harris Hammond, wife of John Jays Hammond, who was a prominent mining engineer, diplomat and philanthropist. Natalie was appointed secretary of the committee of prominent capital women organized to raise funds for a Titanic memorial.
Natalie Harris Hammond, wife of John Jay Hammond
Not much is written about Natalie Harris Hammond, except what Ms. Jeannie found in the newspaper above. There was a monument erected in 1931 in honor of the men who gave their lives so that women and children could escape in lifeboats, but there is no specific mention of Natalie Harris Hammond’s name in association with the sculpture or memorial. Most likely this is the cause that Natalie was appointed to. The memorial was made possible through donations given by women across the country, usually in small denominations, $1.00 or $2.00 at a time.
Here’s a photo of the memorial, which was designed by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney and sculpted by John Harrigan.
Women’s Titanic Memorial in Washington DC made possible by the Women’s Titanic Memorial Association
It is lovely to see how just a little bits of contribution can turn into something remarkable.
The last mention of Titanic in this newspaper edition is that of Mrs. Louise Robins, wife of Victor Robins who was manservant to John Jacob Astor aboard Titanic.
From the paper:
FIRST DAMAGE SUIT AGAINST WHITE STAR
New York, May 2 – Papers in the first suit for damages brough (typo) by a relative of a Titanic victim were filed in the Federal District Court here today. The suit, in admiralty, is brought by Mrs. Louise Robins, a widow of Victor Robins, Col. John Jacob Astor’s valet, and is the suit in which the testimony of J. Bruce Ismay and officers of the sunken steamer is desired. It charges negligence on the part of the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company and asks for $50,000 damages and costs.
Ms. Jeannie couldn’t find any follow-up info on this lawsuit, but she is still searching. .. if anyone has any info they would like to provide, please send it along!
If you would like to purchase Ms. Jeannie’s original May 3rd, 1912 Virginian Pilot newspaper, and read all these above mentioned articles in person, you can do so by clicking on the picture below…
Ms. Jeannie woke to happy little sunflower sprouts this morning! She took her ruler out to water with her and was excited to see that they are close to 2 inches tall already.
Sunflower sprouts measure up!
She also had a special visit from the Easter bunny, who has seemed to take up residence in an old tree stump near the driveway. She was one quick little rabbit – too fast to grab a picture today. But now that Ms. Jeannie knows she’s got a neighbor, she’ll be more prepared next time.
Thank goodness those seeds were planted in an old water trough instead of directly in the ground. Otherwise bunny might have thought Ms. Jeannie had extended an invitation to dinner!
If you have read her blog bio, you will know one of the things that Ms. Jeannie loves most in life is havin’ a laugh.
She loves stumbling upon things that are unexpectedly funny, which is exactly what occurred, when she set out to interview one of her favorite fellow Etsy shop owners, Frick and Frack Scraps.
Frick and Frack Scraps builds some of the most wonderfully whimsical yet fully functional home decor items. They are rustic, provincial, aged, weathered, repurposed, re-salvaged and entirely original in all aspects. Here is a sampling of items from their shop…
Sampling of Items from Frick & Frack Scraps
Naturally she was thrilled to discover the funny designer behind the fun shop…
Ms Jeannie: I love the rustically provincial/whimsically repurposed theme of your shop! Please explain a little about your design inspirations.
Frick & Frack Scraps: Well, thank you, firstly, for the compliment and the interview. Your blog is so unique. I get inspiration for my projects from leftover scrap laying around. My father was an architect and an armchair engineer. He used things differently and saw potential in lots of things that most people would not see. I think I got a little of that from him. And also from beer.
MJ: Do you think a lot of people are inspired by beer?
FFS: Two words, Ms. Jeannie. Benjamin Franklin. Enough said.
MJ: You have sold a lot of one of a kind items in your shop. Currently there are 11 items for sale. Are you concepting new ideas now?
FFS: Well, don’t you do your homework?! I have been busy, in the non-Etsy world, with other work, so right now I am on sort of a break, but I always look for things to use for when I am back in the saddle on my saw horse.
MJ: What designers inspire your work?
FFS: Well, I think of things in very straight terms. Not a big fan of curves, so I think that makes Mission and Prairie designers my gut inspiration. O.K. I will admit it. I have posters of Stickley and Wright on my bedroom walls.
An example of Mission style furniture. Photo courtesy of 4interior-design.comAn example of Usonian style furniture. Photo courtesy of inhabitat.com
Prairie Style Table Centerpiece from Frick & Frack Scraps
MJ: What is your most favorite type of material to work with?
FFS: Wood and steel and beer cans.
MJ: Do you ever worry about running out of scraps to work with?
FFS: Not while I live in the United States. It is funny how some people see things as useless and others see a winerack. There is more than enough.
MJ: Explain a little about your design process. How do you get started on each piece?
FFS: Since it is all scraps to start with there is a bit of a limitation at the beginning. I can not go into something thinking “table” when I only have enough scrap for a box. Once I have stuff in front of me, it is a very simple, no holds barred process. The real upshot is if I make a “mistake” it just goes into a bin until it can be used on something else.
MJ: While you are working on each creation, do you ever think about where they might end up? What style of house it will go to? Or what sort of person would buy it?
FFS: Absolutley! There is a lady on Etsy, Jacksonofalltrades, that wanted some Frick & Frack for a birthday party at a dude ranch. I never thought of my pieces that way but I think it will look good. So I have that going for me, which is nice.
MJ: At what point in life did you realize you were destined to build things?
FFS: I have always built things as far back as I can remember. “Destined” is such a big word. I think it should only be used when referring to superheros.
MJ: Speaking of superheros…who is yours?
FFS: My pal, Thom Zelenka. If he were a real superhero he would be Always OK Man. He never seems to get rattled, always has a nice or kind word and has always been the same guy – from the day I met him to decades later. Pretty damn cool.
MJ: What is it that lures people towards your items?
FFS: I am not sure. I made the four pack out of parts that were left over, after a six pack I had made that sold pretty quickly. I am sooo glad I am able to find similar materials for the four pack ’cause WOW have I had to make alot of them. But I digress, I think people like the price, the FUNctional part, and also I make alot of things that hold or incorporate alcoholic beverages so it could be that these buyers are all fun drunks.
The Four Pack & The Six Pack from Frick & Frack Scraps
MJ: What is your most favorite item in your shop right now and why?
FFS: By far, the Fire Box Humidor. My pal, Tommy and I, made that and I am so proud of the re-use of that fire box. It is so outside the box. See what I did there?
1950’s Fire Box Humidor from Frick & Frack Scraps
MJ: Is there one item that you are constantly striving towards building for your own personal collection?
FFS: I use my wife’s style as a guide to things I build for our house, so that there is no conflict. I once bought a table at an auction for like 200 bucks and she called it the “UGLIEST TABLE IN THE WORLD” two years later I sold the original Gustav Stickley drum top table for 1500 bucks. I still smile about that. But I still do not get to pick out what I like. Ah love!
MJ: If you could build props for any tv or movie set, past or present, which would you choose?
FFS: Gangs of New York, There Will be Blood and A Good Year in the movie department for sure. I think there would be no challenge for me to get it right the first time.
Gangs of New York setThere Will Be Blood movie setA Good Year film set
MJ: Two of the three movies you mentioned, star Daniel Day Lewis. Do you think he would be a fan of Frick & Frack?
FFS: I think so. He is very unique himself and he lives in a castle pretty much so he’s certainly got the money to “drink my milkshake”.
Side note: If this reference confuses you, check out the “milkshake” scene from There Will Be Blood
MJ: Also, two of the three movies you mentioned are period dramas and the third is a contemporary drama set in provincial France. It is easy to picture Frick & Frack in both these worlds. What inspires you about the look of these films?
FFS: There is a utilitarian feel to everything old to me. Not much design just use in mind when they were made in the old days. That has beauty to me. I like that.
MJ: What one type of item is a consistent seller in your shop? What seems to be the slowest to sell?
FFS: The Four Pack is a runaway success. The Fire Box Humidor and the Coat racks are the slugs but I looked at other Etsy shops that have coat racks and mine should be sold as firewood compared to others! There is such cool stuff on Etsy.
Large Coat Rack & Small Coat Rack from Frick & Frack Scraps
MJ: What type of environment (besides the fireplace!) would your coat racks look best?
FFS: I dont know. The ones with the wooden “sleigh” shaped hooks would be great in a rustic cabin in Montana. Like a River Runs Through It house that Ikea just re-decorated.
MJ: What are some of the challenges of being a handmade seller?
FFS: I think people’s expectations. I make things rustic. I am not a finish carpenter. I send items out that might give you splinters. Really. I have not had any problems but that is the part that makes it hard.You just never know how someone will react when they get an item in hand having based their purchase on three or four pictures and a description.
MJ: Do you think if you heard more feedback from buyers that you would build different items?
FFS: I am not sure. I listen to my head when I build. There is not much more room in there for other people.
MJ: What’s your shop’s greatest success story?
FFS: Well, all of the coverage I have gotten for sure! I think when Urban Outfitters emailed me to be a vendor for their outdoor center in PA, that was pretty cool. Nothing ever came of it, in the end, but just think about how that one email could have really changed things. And the ONLY reason is due to Etsy and all of their hard work.
MJ: If you could spend one day, building Frick & Frack alongside anybody famous, living or dead, who would you choose?
FFS: Frankie Wright. (that’s what his friends call him)
Architect and designer, Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), father of organic architecture and leader of the Prairie School Movement.
MJ: What does your studio space look like? What would your ideal space look like?
FFS: I build most everything thus far at my pal, Tommy’s, old mill building. It is old, dusty, and full of great equipment. My ideal space would be a 1/2 indoor 1/2 outdoor space, maybe an old barn.
MJ: What’s next on the Frick & Frack horizon?
FFS: I have no clue. Some days I think if I could just do this full time, life would be alot more simple and rewarding. I think I will try to get some wholesale clients that want lots of four packs. Maybe a cool brewery like Dog Fish Head or Victory Brewing Company could find my work and fall madly in love with it. And then I will be the hero that made their beer sales skyrocket and there would be a movie made about my life and how I changed the corporate culture of beer packaging. I would become a household name and then retire in Ireland to golf until I die. Who knows? It is amazing what a minute can do.
MJ: What would the title be to that movie be?
FFS: I think it would be: Luck. I have had alot of it in my life.
POST UPDATE (10/10/2012): Frick and Frack Scraps has just entered the blogging world! If you are in need of a laugh (or 20!) stop by and visit their aptly named blog, Out of Hand.
As you know from Ms. Jeannie’s previous posts – she’s got gardening on her mind. So she thought this would be an appropriate time to do a little further sleuthing on one of the flower themed items in her Etsy shop…
The 1930’s era women’s fiction book, Passion Flower.
Passion Flower book from msjeannieology
Written by Kathleen Thompson Norris, one of the highest paid literary writers of her time, her books mostly told stories of the women of upper-class society. Passion Flower in keeping with that theme, details the story of an elite women who falls in love with her chauffeur.
Kathleen Norris in 1925
Kathleen was born July 16th, 1880 in San Francisco, married fellow writer Charles Norris (1881-1945) and published over 80 novels in her lifetime. She also wrote four collections of short stories, one play and 10 non-fiction books. Goodness gracious, she was one busy lady!
Author Ann Douglas, in her book Terrible Honesty: Mongrel Manhatten in the 1920’s described Kathleen’s work …
“Kathleen Norris was the most interesting novelist of feminine and matriarchal sentimentalist essentialism in the 1910s and 1920s; vastly popular, with a curious literary style that seems to owe a good deal to Henry James, she developed the themes that would dominate the soaps of early radio, aroused the ire (and perhaps envy) of Dorothy Parker, was adored by Alexander Wollcott (always a fan of the matriarch), and took acre of Elinor Wylie’s stepchildren (they were related by marriage; forgotten today, she is well worth in-depth study. “
In addition to being a writer, she was also a strong feminist, promoter of women’s rights, joined Charles Lindbergh in the 1930’s to oppose US ships carrying supplies to the British, called for capital punishment and campaigned for the outlaw of nuclear rights.
Kathleen Thomson Norris – photo courtesy of Garver Graver
Kathleen spoke sensibly about following dreams and achieving goals. Clearly this philosphy was working for her!
“Before you begin a thing, remind yourself that difficulties and delays quite impossible to foresee are ahead. If you could see them clearly, naturally you could do a great deal to get rid of them but you can’t. You can only see one thing clearly and that is your goal. Form a mental vision of that and cling to it through thick and thin.” – Kathleen Norris
Charles Gilman Norris – photo courtesy of Garver Graver
Kathleen’s husband, Charles Norris was a prolific writer as well. Possibly best known for his book, Salt, in which F. Scott Fitzgerald claimed:
“I know Gatsby better than I know my own child. My first instinct after your letter was to let him go & have Tom Buchanan dominate the book (I suppose he’s the best character I’ve ever done–I think he and the brother in “Salt” & Hurstwood in “Sister Carrie” are the three best characters in American fiction in the last twenty years, perhaps and perhaps not) but Gatsby sticks in my heart.”
Side Note: Ms. Jeannie’s absolute most favorite book in the world is The Great Gatsby, so she is always on the look out for any F. Scott Fitzgerald references!
Kathleen and Charles owned a 200 acre ranch in Santa Clara County, California where, as Kathleen’s novels rose in popularity, they entertained many a celebrity and Hollywood A-lister. This is a photo of their home, located in Palo Alto.
Kathleen & Charles’ Spanish Colonial style home. Palo Alto, CA.
The house is still there today and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You can read more about the property here, as well as see more photos and design plans.
In 1930, Passion Flower was made into a movie starring the beautiful Kay Francis, one of the most popular actresses of Hollywood’s Golden Era. Interestingly enough, she had something in common with Kathleen. Kay was one of the highest paid actresses of the 1930’s. Her estimated annual salary was $115,000. As a comparison, Bette Davis’ annual salary at the same time, was $8,000.
Kay Francis
Here’s a photo from the movie featuring Kay and her leading man costar Charles Bickford…
By the end of Kathleen’s career, her books had sold over 10 million copies. She died in San Francisco in 1966. Her collection of works and papers are stored at the Special Collections Departments of the University of California, Los Angeles, and Stanford University.
She was quoted as saying:
“Life is easier than you’d think; all that is necessary is to accept the impossible, do without the indispensable, and bear the intolerable.”
Interested in who the highest paid author is in our 21st century, Ms Jeannie was surprised (sort of) to learn that it was Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight series, who in 2010 alone earned $40 million. Her series, comprised of four books, has sold over 100 million copies to date.
Stephenie Meyer
In one of those, if you could have lunch with anybody, living or dead scenarios, Ms. Jeannie thinks it would be interesting to sit down with Kathleen Norris and Stephenie Meyer.
Both women, highly successful in their writing careers, both having the luxury of seeing their own success, and both having the ability to connect with their readers on passionate emotional levels, would provide for some thought provoking conversation.
Kathleen prided herself on diligently focusing on goals to achieve success while Stephenie attributes her success to having the confidence to explore her dream state, which was how the plot for Twilight started. Ms. Jeannie loves that both women achieved successful writing careers using two totally different motivations.
It is always great to have little reminders of our motivations in life. Ms. Jeannie found these two Kathleen/Stephenie approved ones on Etsy…
The Future Belongs To Our Dreams Art Poster by misterioGoal Without A Plan Plaque from Crestfield
Ms. Jeannie thought it would be fun to imagine the writing spaces of these two very different women with the almost 100 year gap between them. Using Etsy, as her design shopping center, Ms. Jeannie put together these two worlds… based on the information she just learned about them…
Kathleen Norris’ 1930’s inspired writing niche…
1937 Royal KHM Typewriter from MidMdAntique 1920’s Secretary Desk from SecondRevival1930’s Vintage Box of Gladiator Pen Nibs from kelleystreetvintage1930’s French Writing Paper from the vintagearcadeArt Deco Brass Lamp from VintageLancasterVintage 1920s Blotting Papers from LuncheonetteVintageAntique Oak Captain’s Chair from dajaxsurbanattic1930s Dictionary Word Bundles from VintageScrapsThe New Woman – 1897 Stereoview Photo from NiepceGallery
Vinyl Decal Kit for Laptops from SkinKitsEbony Writing Desk by JiriKalinaTwig Pencils by braggingbagsWoodgrain Writing Set by AshleyPahlForest Table Lamp from tansyandcoJournal with Eleanor Roosevelt Quote by watermarkbinderyComputer Keyboard Wrist Cushions by HomeGrownPillowsMod Shimmer Chair by AryCollectionWall Decal Twilight Quote by InspirationsbyAmeliaWolf Dog Photograph by EmeraldTownRaven
It’s only been four days since planting the garden sunflower seeds and they have already sprouted!
Sunflower sprouts already!
Ms. Jeannie checked the Botanical Interests seed package… they estimated sprouts between 10 and 15 days, so we are WAY ahead of schedule! How exciting!
Ms. Jeannie added a garden countdown calendar on her blog . She set the date for her birthday, June 16th, in hopes that she will surprise herself with a lovely birthday bouquet.
At the rate they are going – they might be here by Memorial Day!
In the Vintage Kitchen: Where History Comes To Eat 