Thank You Forever

It's hard to see here, but a child has scrawled "Daddy" over his uniform. Think about Veterans today -- Thank Veterans today. And tomorrow too.

Debut :: Aye, We Speak Trad in Chicago

Royal Stewart Tartan -- if I am incorrect, be kind and just let me know, as I'm not a tartan scholar (but this gentleman, apparently is -- and suddenly I care nothing for haunting kilts, but only of ordering one from him). This incredible four-yard kilt was haunted in Chicago and debuted today. The trees are really popping with color now, and with a rainy, gray foggy sky, this was just the punch I needed. Tartan debut!

Though my ancestors were Scottish Kennedys, I feel right at home sporting the Royal Stewart, as one of those Kennedy men married Princess Mary of Scotland. And let me just invite the thousands, nay, millions of other descendants to share in our wearing of a bright red kilt!

Details: Four-yard kilt (read more about eight- and four-yard kilts here) with fringe on the front panel, two black leather straps with buckles, kilt pin in-tact (biggest surprise of the score), and many, many knife pleats in the back. Made in Jedburgh, Scotland by Rannoch Designs.

Hmm, now that I am referencing my handy little book "The Scottish Clans and Their Tartans", I may be wrong. Well, I will keep telling people it is Royal Stewart until a tartan scholar corrects me, and then I will thank him or her for keeping me on the straight and narrow. The little book was given to me by Mema -- the Kennedy herself.





A sartorial Scot --



And the other Scot's footwear --



"Avise la fin" :: Consider the End
Clan Kennedy motto


The only other bit o' motto that resonates with me as much as Clan Kennedy's is "Esse Quam Videri" (to be rather than to seem -- North Carolina's state motto).



But is there a castle? Why yes, Fiona, there is.




And for context, today's weather report -- just like the midlands!*




*Though I understand that this name is out of fashion. The "Central Belt" just doesn't sound very romantic.

To Quote :: "Are You on Facebook?"

My good DAR friend M treated me to a Civil War reenactment in central Illinois this weekend. It was interesting to experience a Civil War anything above the Mason-Dixon line -- it was weird. I'm so used to everything being so pro-South. It's the same feeling that I had the first time I heard the words of the third and fourth stanzas come out of my mouth while singing "Illinois" (the State song, lyrics below, see the bold passages) at a DAR function. But we're all together now, right? Yes.

Well now, here the Yankees are advancing -- check out that standard!



And a quick shout-out to my NC rebel boys --



In the end, the Union won this battle. But we are in Illinois, after all! Everyone loves an at-home win.



After the battle, we walked around the grounds and came upon President Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln. As we passed them, we overheard Honest Abe ask, "Are you on Facebook?"

Lordy!


::::::


Illinois
Written by C.H. Chamberlain
Composed by Archibald Johnston

By thy rivers gently flowing, Illinois, Illinois,
O'er thy prairies verdant growing, Illinois, Illinois,
Comes an echo on the breeze.
Rustling through the leafy trees, and its mellow tones are these, Illinois, Illinois,
And its mellow tones are these, Illinois.

From a wilderness of prairies, Illinois, Illinois,
Straight thy way and never varies, Illinois, Illinois,
Till upon the inland sea,
Stands thy great commercial tree, turning all the world to thee, Illinois, Illinois,
Turning all the world to thee, Illinois.

When you heard your country calling, Illinois, Illinois,
Where the shot and shell were falling, Illinois, Illinois,
When the Southern host withdrew,
Pitting Gray against the Blue, There were none more brave than you, Illinois, Illinois,
There were none more brave than you, Illinois.

Not without thy wondrous story, Illinois, Illinois,
Can be writ the nation's glory, Illinois, Illinois,
On the record of thy years,
Abraham Lincoln's name appears, Grant and Logan, and our tears, Illinois, Illinois,
Grant and Logan, and our tears, Illinois.

::::::

What's Niew?

Looks like Europe, no? This is Stone Street in New York City, formerly New Amsterdam. While in the city last week, I made a special point to explore the New Amsterdam area in downtown Manhattan as I have ancestors who settled there, while the colony was Dutch. As a southerner, I have been intrigued by this decidedly northern landing.

Much of my knowledge of the colony comes from the book The Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto. This book does a great job explaining why:

1) New York is today the world's financial hub (the colony was established by the Dutch purely as a trading post, not for political or religious freedoms)

2) New Yorkers are apt to "live and let live" and be more tolerant of other peoples' beliefs (a product of the Dutch idea of civil liberties and their generally tolerant nature)

3) New York is diverse. New Amsterdam was not a Dutch colony filled with singularly Dutch people. Colonists from all over the world came to work for the Dutch West India Company. There were eighteen languages spoken in the colony!

One of my ancestors had a home in this area, and I love to walk the roads and trails where they lived, and imagine how it must have been when they were proving themselves to the world. When in lower Manhattan, you'll see street signs that are black. This color signifies that the street's footprint has not changed over time -- that these streets are the same width and plan as they were in the Dutch colony.

I had lunch at one of the cafes on Stone Street (above). Stone Street was the first street (paved road) in the New Amsterdam colony, hence the name: "stone". Pearl Street is just south, named for the oyster shells left by the Lenni-Lenape Indians. The shells gleamed in the sunlight -- like pearls.



Near the cafe society of Stone Street is the intersection of Pearl Street and Coenties Alley, and this is the location of the old City Tavern -- where Dutch colonists met to rail against Peter Stuyvesant's militaristic rule. The building eventually became City Hall, where the municipal government met. The colony received it's municipal charter in 1653 and stopped being a "company town" of the Dutch West India Company.



The yellow bricks in this sidewalk trace the footprint of the City Tavern. I made sure to get a person in the shot for scale.



Near Pearl Street you'll also see stenciled markings on the sidewalk indicating the waterline in 1609 when Henry Hudson came to the island. Over the past 400 years there have been a lot of changes in Manhattan's shoreline as a result of landfill, and these markers are another way to get a feel for the landscape of the past.




I followed the National Parks Service free audio walking tour on my iPhone. You can download the map and the audio here.

Also, learn about all the events celebrating the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson finding Manhattan at www.henryhudson400.com.

"Off with Their Finials!" :: The Bowling Green

New York has lots of Revolutionary War history. The Bowling Green is a very old park situated directly in front of (north of) the old U.S. Customs house at the bottom of Broadway.

When the Declaration of Independence was read to the soldiers of Washington's Army, they were so fired up that they stormed the Bowling Green and felled the grand statue of George III and chopped off the crown finials from each major fence post.

The image above shows one of these major fence posts, without its crown. Every crown was cut off, and the metal was used to make shot for the army's fight against the British. The fence that surrounds the Bowling Green today is the original fence, with only black paint coming between today and it's Revolutionary history.

Haunted :: Columbus Day!

It's Columbus Day -- and who would have thought that this guy could be scored today of all days. It was just too perfect, I had to get it.



The illustrations are wonderful, created by the author Ms Genevieve Foster. Ms Foster authored other books in addition to The World of Columbus and His Sons, including George Washington's World, Abraham Lincoln's World, Augustus Caesar's World, and The World of Captain John Smith (Jamestown shout-out!).



The book is filled with charming line drawings of locations across the globe.



Unfortunately, there isn't a colophon, but it looks like a Garamond type, with inline initial capitals -- easy on the eyes.

And the lady herself --



I will now be haunting for the series -- APB out on Genevieve Foster!

Three Days in New York

Off to the Big Apple for a small retreat. Looking forward to lunch at Fraunces Tavern, a patriot walking tour (or two) and getting some creative electricity. I've been having a wardrobe essentials moment lately -- seems every fashion article or post is "the essential wardrobe" or "ten items you must have", but I suppose that is the season. In a month it will be cocktail and holiday party looks.

However, my own wardrobe is starting to be a well-oiled machine. All the arms and legs of the system are working together, and I'm pretty pleased with the results. The wardrobe schedule for New York:

1 :: Sweater :: black silk/cashmere cable-knit with a shawl-style v-neck

2 :: Sweater :: cream cotton with 3/4 bell sleeves and a cowl neckline

3 :: Trousers :: black. enough said.

4 :: Cords :: brown corduroy with a slim boot-cut

5 :: Tee :: comfy, black

6 :: Shirt :: white button down

7 :: Blazer :: black knit

8 :: Shoes :: Robert Clergerie black suede lace-ups

9 :: Shoes :: Black patent leather pumps

10 :: Handbag :: The man magnet

11 :: Handbag :: Bright mustard yellow daily

12 :: Scarf :: Vintage silk floral (cream ground with magenta, gray, brown dynamic blooms)

13 :: Coat :: Vintage trench (a debut!)


New York photos to come! Have a great weekend!

Quintets and Trinities

Today was my first time at the Women's Athletic Club (WAC) in Chicago. I was fortunate enough to be invited to a performance sponsored by the Chicago Chamber Music Society. Quintet Attacca performed four pieces, including two that were Latin-inspired. Quintet Attacca is:

Jennifer Clippert, flute
Barbara Drapcho, clarinet
Erica Anderson, oboe
Collin Anderson, bassoon
Jeremiah Frederick, horn

The WAC was formed in 1898 as the first club for women in the United States -- and it did not disappoint. I wanted so badly to take a few inconspicuous snaps of the small ballroom, but I couldn't bring myself do it. As if it would have ruined it. But the room was gorgeous. Art Deco to the hilt, and all around the perimeter of the room was a banquet with kelly green upholstered banquette with a black frame. Die!

After the concert, we had lunch in yet another beautiful Art Deco room with silver wallpaper with Asian motifs and silver leaf beams. Stunning, but again, no pics. Sorry! Our post-luncheon excursion was a quick stop at Cartier. Trinity ring, anyone?



The ram skull ornament is on the WAC building on Michigan Avenue. Image credit here. Copyright info here.
And check out Cartier, too!

Love :: An Interior within an Interior

This little snapshot (c. 1975) is of the entry at my grandmother's house. On the most perfect drop-leaf table, she had a portrait of me, one of her mother, and two small photos (in a little metal frame that folded like a book), one half of a pair of truly elegant chinoiserie lamps with silk shades, and on the left side of the table is a lantern (red candle!) that my uncle made on his way to becoming an Eagle Scout. It's like the ones they used in the mid-nineteenth century -- the only other time I've seen one like it is on a Confederate ghost walk.

I love a little vignette, and this little white-edged snap perched on its delicate brass easel is a peach. The best part is the "interior within an interior" effect (à la "play within a play"). The setting of the photo (endo-frame) relates so much to the setting (exo-frame) of which it's a part. The similar colors of the tables, a single lamp to the right, and the mirrors on the wall behind.

Why was this picture ever taken? It's unusual to to find a box filled with party-people and holiday smiles, only to come across one where the only people in the shot are two-dimensional. How did this one make the cut into the box with the party people? Talk about absence/presence and representation through image! Whoa -- heavy stuff, Mema!

Unpretentious southern decor: a bit of nicety, a lot of quality, and family ever-present. Mema had it.

Independence Day :: Fly the Flag and Ring Bells!

This is a really old pin-back button that I picked up at a flea market in North Carolina back in college. I love to wear it on patriotic holidays like Independence Day or Flag Day, and Memorial [Decoration] Day, but also on election day. And sometimes I wear it to a DAR events. The paper insert inside reads "Lucke Badges and Buttons, Baltimore, MD". The flag artwork is just beautiful. It's such a pure sentiment. (You'll also probably notice that this is the button that inspired this year's DAR Chicago Flag Day pin, in the sidebar below.)

One of my favorite patriotic songs is "You're a Grand Old Flag" by George M. Cohan. It's a good one to put a little pep in your step this time of year.

::::::::

YOU'RE A GRAND OLD FLAG
chorus
by George M. Cohan

You're a grand old flag,
You're a high flying flag
And forever in peace may you wave.
You're the emblem of
The land I love.
The home of the free and the brave.
Ev'ry heart beats true
'neath the Red, White and Blue,
Where there's never a boast or brag.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
Keep your eye on the grand old flag!

::::::::

When you're out today, carry a small flag if you have one (I love to carry a little parade flag... particularly the Betsy Ross variety), wear a vintage flag pin, or even a vintage political badge. The DAR also encourages people to fly the flag and ring bells on the Fourth of July. Enjoy your day!

Read more about the history of the song, "You're a Grand Old Flag" here.

Chicago Fireworks :: Independence Day 2009

John Adams started the tradition of firing cannons and such on the Fourth of July to mark the day. In Chicago, fireworks are on the third -- which I really don't like, on principle. But, when in Rome (or Chicago).... Truth be told, it is a great way to kick off the holiday weekend.

Public Enemies :: Opening Today

Johnny Depp has really grown on me over the years. I love that he's so serious about acting. He is in a league of his own. I have been looking forward to this movie ever since Mr Interiors told me that some of it was shot in a Chicago building with which I am quite familiar. Chicago is always great on the big screen, and to see some familiar sights through vintage glasses, all the better. If I can't get to the theater on Wednesday -- save me a seat this weekend!

Check out the trailer here.

The second photo is the Biograph Theater on the north side of the Chicago, and the third photo is Chicago's Union Station.

Haunting :: Some Saturday Finds

Oh, Lord. Kitty* and I hit the haunts today and whew... we were all over the place. Here are a couple of my finds:



A brass magazine rack with a relief of what looks to be a landing scene of a Spanish ship -- conquistadors? No telling really -- though I can't see any Spanish helmets on our landing party. It's marked "Peerage -- Made in England", and it definitely has some patina, if you know what I mean. But it will look fab in the living room -- I have a lot of magazines, and I need a lot of ways to corral them. And y'all know I love all things Americana/explorer/manifest destiny/history (what a thought-bucket!). Check the end of the post for an impromptu set-up.



This deck of playing cards was a steal! Love the type on this!

Okay ---- drummmmm rolllll pleeeease....



Oh this is going to be good.

More haunted stuff to come -- stay tuned!

* formerly known as "K"

A Low Country Treasure

Charleston has quite a few historic plantation houses, but after pouring over the details of the lot, we settled on Drayton Hall on the Ashley River for a visit. Drayton Hall is the house of an old indigo and rice plantation. It is spectacular in its state of preservation. The paint is peeling, the floors creak, and you can still see where the family marked children's heights on the door frame.





This house has been preserved, not restored -- meaning that since it was acquired by the National Trust from the Drayton family in 1974, it has been kept as-is. The wonderful part is that not many changes had been made since the mid-eighteenth century (it was built in 1742). Shutters were added in the nineteenth century, and repairs made with contemporary materials as needed, but on the whole, it's very similar to how it would have been back "in the day".



There is no furniture or artwork inside the house, since there is no air conditioning to protect it. Windows are wide-open as you pass through the rooms. Window views of languid spanish moss and lush grass are the art. The ultra-verdant landscape contrasts sharply with the dull green-gray of the walls with bits of red wood underneath, and striking greek key on the mantels and star motifs on the molded plaster ceiling. This place is a feast for the eyes.



Find out more about Drayton Hall here.

Haunting :: Back in the Day

From the pages of the Hugh Morson High School in Raleigh, circa 1930. My favorite: "A certain Buick".

Memorial Day :: Thank You

That's my grandfather on the right. He served in the Pacific theater in WWII. He came from a small mill village in southwestern North Carolina, and his family had lived in the area since Tryon County was half the state. I workout with a woman whose husband is in the National Guard and this spring returned from deployment in Iraq. I think that serving in the National Guard is very honorable, and I told her so. The DAR is going to be laying a wreath at General Logan's monument at Grant Park today, and I will be there.

Thank you to all the men and women who have served our country.

Haunting :: Moravian Cookies

A little bit of Winston-Salem! These are traditional cookies -- "the world's thinnest cookie" -- made in the old Moravian communities of colonial days. We used to have these with coffee after the Moravian Christmas Eve service. I picked up the Spice Cookies and the Key Lime variety. I like the traditional, but the Key Lime could be great for a summer tea.

PS :: They had cheese straws too! Don't get me started on cheese straws -- too good.

Find out more about the Old Salem Moravian community here, and more about the cookies themselves here. Enjoy!

Haunting Brings Unexpected Things

Like these guys, for instance. At an immaculately styled shop in Chicago, a group of these figurines stood on a small silver tray -- a little army of duos. Some wore sky blue tunics, some sage green. This pair was the only one with terra cotta and gold stripes.

When I picked them up for closer inspection, I noticed the sticker said "Chang and Eng". I knew those names! From North Carolina!

A bit of background: Born in Siam (now Thailand) in 1811, Chang and Eng Bunker were connected at the chest. As teenagers, the twins traveled the world giving lectures and demonstrations. According to their travelogues, they visited the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1834. Chang and Eng were such international celebrities, the term "Siamese Twins" became the common name to describe conjoined twins.



After traveling the world, they came back to North Carolina and married two sisters, Adelaide and Sarah Yates of Wilkes County. The two families eventually produced 21 children!



Back to the haunt: When I asked the shopkeeper about the little Chang and Eng figurines, he said that John Derian (of decoupage fame) had found a lot of about a hundred of them in England, and that they had been made when the twins were worldwide celebrities. Mr Derian brought them back to the U.S., and this group of figurines ended up at my haunt. I think you could have knocked that shopkeeper over with a feather when he heard the North Carolina story... just seems out of left field.

I poured over the little rugged porcelain army, studying their painted faces and contemplating the colors of their robes until I settled on the best pair. Now they live on my desk, reminding me about the Old North State and all its variety, and how these two men made such rich lives.

Watercolor image and history source: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill University Libraries

Cinco de Mayo :: Chicago History Museum

It was a full-on fiesta at the Chicago History Museum last night! We celebrated Cinco de Mayo in style: kickin' Mariachis, perfect margaritas and homemade guacamole from Adobo Grill, and a tequila and chocolate pairing with truffles from my favorite place for chocolate: Vosges Haut Chocolat. We were treated to the Ancho Chili truffle from Vosges' Aztec collection -- very, very delicious -- and complex!

In addition to those kickin' Mariachis, we were also treated to Mexican 80s pop. As explained to me by the music's owner, "It's kind of like a Mexican Duran Duran or Bananarama, but definitely not like a Mexican Britney Spears."



Thank you very much, C, for inviting me! After the museum event, we ambled over to Adobo Grill for more guacamole, more margaritas, and tamales, enchiladas and ceviche. Delicioso.