Updated February 3, 2019 The groundhog has spoken and depending upon where you live, the prediction is either six more weeks of winter or early spring. Whatever way it turns out, there is definitely more winter to come. I started to think about what Victorian ladies wore during winter. Winter Outer Garments During the 1840s [...]
New Year celebrations have changed over time, even from the beginning to the end of the Victorian era. Prince Albert may have introduced the tradition of the Christmas tree from Germany, but Queen Victoria was obsessed with everything Scottish. There was no bigger holiday during the year in Scotland than New Year’s Eve and Day where it is known as Hogmanay or Hegmena and the Queen passed her passion on to her subjects.
By Donna Klein DIY - Do it Yourself the Steampunk Way this Holiday! Looking for something crafty to do this holiday season? DIY Steampunk Christmas tree ornaments may just be the ticket for some funky holiday fun! I did a quick search to see which DIY ornament projects were out there and these [...]
by Donna Klein Charles Dickens, the Victorian Era, and Today's Christmas Traditions An annual holiday tradition in my house is watching “A Christmas Carol,” based on the novella by Charles Dickens. It got me thinking, 'what was Christmas really like in Dickens' day, and what is his influence on how we celebrate the [...]
by Donna Klein I love non-commercial radio, which means WCMU where I live. As I was driving earlier this week, the station was conducting a fundraiser for heating assistance. Fundraisers usually mean the more popular selections of classical music are played. It was no surprise that holiday music was the fare of the day, [...]
by Donna Klein Now that Thanksgiving and the initial shopping frenzy is done, it's decorating time at my house. Are you decorating Steampunk this year? Maybe you already have, but if you haven't or want to do more, here are some ideas to spark your imagination. DIY Holiday Decorating Do you [...]
by Donna Klein Holiday Walking Tour at Meadow Brook Hall Each Thanksgiving, we go over the river and through the woods and eventually arrives in Rochester Hills, Michigan to share the holiday fun and food with about 30 members of our family. We were looking for something other than shopping to do on [...]
By Donna Klein Thanksgiving During the Gilded Age Thanksgiving is here! As I thought about the holiday, I wondered what it was like during the glory years of the characters on Downton Abbey. I know the British don't celebrate Thanksgiving, but what was it like for their American counterparts? What was Thanksgiving like [...]
A prolific author with more than 20 books to her credit, Chris Enss really gets into the characters she writes about when she tells the tales of the women who populated the America’s old west. She chronicles such interesting ladies as mail-order brides, frontier teachers, and Cheyenne Indians. Most recently, Chris is working on [...]