Reception

We had our reception at a family friend's Georgian-style home.


The lawn was set up with tables and chairs.


Guests were served tea,


along with sweets (strawberry macaroons, cream puffs, butterscotch scones, and cupcakes with rose petals)...


...and savories (cucumber sandwiches, chicken salad on mini-croissants, and open-faced roast beef tea sandwiches).



Douglas and I sat at a small table on the south-facing portico...


...but this didn't last long as we soon began greeting our guests, table by table.


And lest we forget the cake, here it is!


Complete with vintage cake topper from my grandmother's 1947 wedding.

Wedding travels

En route from Brother's Wedding to Cousin's Wedding we find ourselves in the hills/mountains of Tennessee -- a far cry from I-80!


A field of cosmos, and beyond, the landscape of North Carolina.

Bridal shower

My sisters-to-be threw me my first bridal shower on Friday evening -- as you can see, they know me pretty well and decorated the tables accordingly. It was a lovely evening and I so appreciate all their effort!

Ribbonwork

My mom made this pretty little sachet from a kit she ordered at HelenGibb.com. Helen's books tell us that ribbonwork had its heyday in the 1920s. There are some beautiful examples of vintage ribbonwork currently at Vintage Textile: garters and an evening coat.

Bride's scrapbook

In her cedar chest, my grandmother also kept a scrapbook of all the cards given to her and Grandpa upon the occasion of their marriage.


I enjoyed browsing through the cards, ranging from beautiful and elegant to sassy and humorous. I giggled at how "un-P.C." this card would be considered today:


"Here's hoping that the Bride knows how to wield a wicked skillet..."


"And hope the Groom can bring a lot of bacon home to fill it!"

Hope chest

I've never actually had a hope chest, but upon learning of my engagement, my Grandparents Ackerman gave me a cedar chest in which to store items for my future home! It was made in the late '40s or early '50s by my Great-Grandpa, who was blinded in World War I by a mustard gas explosion in France.

Mom and I went over to their house yesterday to pick it up. Grandma had emptied its former contents onto the bed, none of which I'd ever seen before -- and boy, were there some treasures! I'll share more about what was inside in the next few days...

Great-Grandma Irene

While at my uncle's in Ohio, I found this old photo of my great-grandmother, Irene. Judging by the style of the hat and coat, I would date this in the late '20s or early '30s. (She married my great-grandfather, Jim, in 1931, so it could've been taken sometime around then.)

Irene's maiden name was Dembinski and her family came from Poland (can you see the eastern European look in her facial features?). Photos of her as a young girl are few and far between, so I was especially delighted to find this one.

(I've previously shared Great-Grandma Irene's recipe box and Great-Grandma Irene's pie crust recipe, if you'd like to put a face to the name.)

A fun weekend

On Saturday I headed up to the Big City to spend some time with my brother. Our activities included:

• the Symphony Orchestra playing Vaughan Williams (Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis), Korngold (Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra), and Beethoven (Symphony No. 7).
  
• Aikido class -- Nathan participating, me watching.
  
• Thrifting. (I got a new-to-me corderoy jacket and denim skirt for $4!)
  
• English country dancing with a local ECD group! I learned 10 new dances!

Orange marmalade cake

Today I made an orange marmalade cake for my Aunt Joanna's birthday. We didn't have round cake pans so the cake is square!

Fezziwig Ball: the aftermath

We had our Fezziwig Ball on December 23, and I do believe it was a success! We won't win any prizes as elegant dancers, but we sure had a great deal of fun. The above picture of my brother and I is one of my favorites. Click on the picture to go to Flickr for more photos from the evening.

Nathan's coming home!

My older brother, Nathan, is flying home tomorrow. In anticipation of his arrival, I thought I'd post a few pictures of us from Christmases Past. (This is also a study in historical fashion.)


1985


1988


1994


2006

(How do ya like that handsome beard?? Alas, it is no more!)

I'd like to point out that my mom made all of my dresses, except in the last photo (I made the black dupioni jacket, but the dress was purchased). You can see that sewing's in my blood. :)

Fezziwig Ball: the CLOTHES

Which, as we ladies know, is really the most important part. ;)

On the invitations, I wrote: "You are invited to wear 19th century costume, or come dressed in your finest dancing attire!" 19th century costume is a pretty broad category, and even within my family we'll be spanning a few decades.

I've been working on a new Regency emsemble for myself. I made a bodiced petticoat from Mrs. Chancey's instructions (pictured below), and now I've started cutting out my actual dress. I'm using gorgeous white cotton voile and the Elegant Lady's Closet pattern from Sense & Sensibility. I chose the view with 3/4-length sleeves and a gathered neckline.


I also plan on making my brother, Nathan, a "Mr. Darcy" costume -- the men's 1812 waistcoat from Rocking Horse Farm, a muslin shirt, and cravat. He's going to look rather dashing, if I do say so myself.

Mom's Romantic dress is already taken care of, courtesy of Cheri, and Dad will either rent a Victorian costume, or else wear a Victorian-esque vest my mom made for him two years ago. We think it'd be fun to stuff his shirt front with pillows in an attempt to make him look like Mr. Fezziwig, but my dad gets hot easily and I don't think it would last throughout the evening. ;)

Mrs. S. has been sewing up a storm for her family, so we know at least a few of our guests will also be in costume!

Vintage box

This is an interesting piece of ephemera from my family history. This box was given to my great-grandmother, Edda Smith, upon the birth of her fourth child, Arvid Daniel, in December of 1929. My Grandma Leora, his sister, thinks it originally held a rattle, though it now houses large vintage buttons. I like the old typeface and the cute cartoons of mother and baby!

The unfortunate part of the story is that Arvid died at two months from measles and pneumonia. The oldest child, Juanita, who was six at the time, caught the measles at school, and the entire family came down with it, except for my great-grandfather. Edda was sick herself and unable to attend the funeral. She said it was the saddest day of her life.

(I know many moms are questioning vaccines these days, but can you imagine living in a time when childhood diseases were so deadly? Very sad!)

EDITED TO CLARIFY: I didn't mean to take a stance against vaccines one way or another. ;) I haven't done any up-to-date research on the topic as I don't have any children, but when the time comes I will be very cautious about the issue. My comment stemmed from the thought that most Western mothers don't have to fear losing a baby due to a contagious illness nowadays... due to eradication of certain diseases in the population, and improved nutrition and medical treatment! How blessed we are!

Thanksgiving

We had an enjoyable holiday yesterday with a total of a dozen guests -- some family (my mom's parents), but mostly friends from our church family. Most everyone brought something to eat, so that cut down on the amount of cooking Mom and I had to do. We did brine the turkey this year, and I made some homemade stuffing, mashed potatoes, and an apple pie. Mom worked on making the table look beautiful, and I made place cards for each person. Each card had a different verse about thankfulness or remembering God's goodness to us.


Dad picked out some readings from William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation and we sang "We Gather Together." After the meal, we played baseball outside in the sub-freezing weather, then came inside and played ping-pong to warm up again!

Sunday dinner

(By the way, around here it's "lunch" every day but Sunday, when we usually pull out all the stops... such a feast must be called "dinner"!)

My mom and I have been doing a bit more hostessin' than usual lately. Today we had some new friends over for Sunday dinner after I visited their church this morning. On the menu:

• pistachio-encrusted chicken
  
• butternut squash puree
  
• fruit salad (bananas, pineapples, mandarin oranges, pomegranates, and shredded coconut in yogurt)
  
• green salad with broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots
  
• Snickers pie

Dad and I promptly worked this off by taking a walk in the 65-degree weather -- it's so beautiful outside today!

Camping

Friday evening, my parents and I headed up to camp for a weekend of fellowship with other families from our church. We will not dwell on Friday night, but allow me to hint that it included cold weather, a hungry mouse, and lack of sleep. Saturday was definitely an improvement!

I had the most fun on the ropes course. There are three activities to try: a 40-foot climbing wall, a 25-foot pole from which one jumps to a trapeze swing, and a high course in which one must cross timber beams and wire with minimal support, only to jump down on a zipline at the end.


I did make it to the top of the wall, although I had to "cheat" two or three times by inserting my hand into a crack between the wooden planks, when I couldn't quite reach the next hand-hold!


Here I am leaping for that trapeze. I did not make it! Frankly, I think most women lack the upper arm strength to grip the bar tightly enough to hold on!


Those boots I'm wearing didn't give the best traction, but I managed to get around the course anyway.

The other highlight of the weekend was spending time with our assistant pastor's four-year-old daughter, who inexplicably latched on to me, as children sometimes do with young people. I found her to be a sweet, polite, and affectionate child, so we had a good time together!

Creation Museum

Today we visited the new Creation Museum in Petersburg, KY. We drove about two hours to get there and arrived a little after noon. It was packed! (Praise God!) The throngs of people slowed us down sufficiently that we didn't get to take in the entire museum (and we didn't even walk through the grounds, either). I'm happy to report that it is a very well-done and professional-looking museum with many interesting exhibits and beautiful displays. It's well worth your time if you're in the Cincinnati area! (But try to go during an off-time, if there is such a thing!)



Dad saves Uncle Doug from the ferocity of a T-Rex.



I caught and tamed this li'l dino myself. :)



The museum's model of what Noah's Ark may have looked like -- the jutting obstruction on the bow may have been used to catch the wind and keep the ship perpendicular to the waves.

My dad is a creation scientist, so most of what is featured in the museum was not new to me, but nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed visiting such a well-done museum that glorifies God's creation.

Family gatherings

The Scene: Mom, Dad, Aunt Joanna, and I sitting on the couch watching my 14- and 15-year-old male cousins (whose parents were not in the room) trying to set their leg hairs (attached to their legs) on fire with a lighter.

Aunt Joanna: (desperately trying to change the activity du jour) Anyone for a game of Rummikub?

:)

4th of July

My long-time (i.e., 18.5 years) friend Douglas has been visiting us this week. Yesterday morning we kicked off the day by going tubing on the Platte River. There wasn't a whole lot of water in the river, but there was enough to float, if you sort of held your body semi-rigid and didn't let your bottom skim along the sandy river bed. :)

Noontime brought a picnic with my grandparents and far too much food, as usual. My mom made homemade vanilla ice cream and my grandmother made her traditional flag cake.

After lunch and a few rounds of "Othello," Douglas and I went to a friend's party and spent several hours playing lawn games and visiting with other friends. We declined to accompany them to a local concert and fireworks viewing, however, and went and purchased some "explosive devices" for ourselves. After watching the official city fireworks display, Dad and Douglas gleefully set off our own fireworks, thus ending a full but satisfying Fourth of July.

I hope you all had a happy time with family and friends, too!

Creation and the Fourth

My dad, a pathologist and creationist, has recently written an article titled Creation and the Fourth of July. It's a good read at this time of year. Enjoy!

David and Karen

(Dad and Mom in their "going away" attire.)
Don't they look classy? You can hardly tell it's the '70s! :) (Unfortunately, the discoloration you see is a problem with the original photograph, but I think this picture is too cute not to share.)

Yesterday my Mom and Dad celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary. I am so thankful for their commitment to each other and to my brother and I! Thank you, Mom and Dad, for your godly example. I am so blessed to be your child!

A humorous anecdote

I'm "keeping house" for Dad for two days while Mom is in Kansas. Today I cooked him some pancakes and scrambled eggs for lunch. I set out all sorts of tempting syrups and toppings for the pancakes, including some homemade corncob syrup, which I later noticed had some mold growing inside. Here's an exchange from our tête-à-tête lunch:

SELF: [horrified, having just watched Dad pour said corncob syrup on his pancake] Dad, that syrup was moldy!
DAD: Well, it tastes all right and I kind of poured it out the non-moldy side.

:)