Emmeline Pankhurst: Suffragist – Part 1

By | October 29th, 2015|Categories: Edwardian Era, Uncategorized, Victorian Era, Women's History|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Who was Emmeline Pankhurst? I recently saw a trailer for a new movie called "Suffragette," in which  Meryl Streep portrays Emmeline Pankhurst, a political activist who championed women’s rights in Britain during the late 19th and early 20th century. I decided to find out more about this historical figure and found Emmeline Pankhurst’s story to be [...]

The Centennial Building; Alpena, Michigan: Part 4

By | October 9th, 2015|Categories: Edwardian Era, Uncategorized, Victorian Era|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

by Donna Klein   Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3   Second Floor - Rooms to Rent and the Odd Fellows Banquet Facility   We've gotten some background information, visited the first floor and the basement. Next, we headed for the second floor. A massive stair case leads directly to the third floor, [...]

The Centennial Building; Alpena, Michigan: Part 3

By | October 8th, 2015|Categories: Edwardian Era, Uncategorized, Victorian Era|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

by Donna Klein   Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4   First Floor - Retail Space and Offices   Once I was brought up to speed on the early history of the Centennial Building, Mike and Kate took me on a tour of the building. I was about to embark on a trip back [...]

The Centennial Building; Alpena, Michigan: Part 2

By | October 6th, 2015|Categories: Edwardian Era, Uncategorized, Victorian Era|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

By Donna Klein   Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4   Meet Mike and Kate Phillips, Co-owners of the Centennial Building   After speaking with Mike Phillips, co-owner of the Centennial Building in Alpena, Michigan, I was more excited than ever at the prospect of exploring the inside of this 1876 architectural celebration of the [...]

The Centennial Building: Alpena, Michigan – Part 1

By | October 5th, 2015|Categories: Edwardian Era, Uncategorized, Victorian Era|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

By Donna Klein   Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4   An Introduction to the Centennial Building - Local Landmark for 139 Years   I am an explorer, so one of the first things we did when we moved to Northeast Michigan ten years ago was to visit Alpena. As we drove through downtown Alpena [...]

3 Fantasy Books for Halloween

By | September 10th, 2015|Categories: Uncategorized, Victorian Era, Victorian Era Celebrations|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

I've always been a fan of fantasy stories. When I was a little girl, I always wanted to be a princess, Little Red Riding Hood, Alice, or Dorothy for Halloween. Things don't change much... I'm a big girl now, and I still want to dress up for the holiday! Here are three of my favorite [...]

3 Classic Monster Stories for Your Halloween

By | September 8th, 2015|Categories: 19th Century Literature, Victorian Era, Victorian Era Celebrations|Tags: , , , , |

Monster Stories and Halloween Who doesn't love monster movies and stories around Halloween? The thought conjures up Gothic images centered in or near the Victorian era. Whether you are searching for costume inspiration or are planning a movie party, here are three classic monster stories that might pique your interest. Frankenstein Who doesn't think of Frankenstein when Halloween [...]

Halloween is Just Around the Corner!

By | September 3rd, 2015|Categories: Ball Gowns, Civil War, Downton Abbey, Edwardian Era, Fashion, Old West, Pioneer Dress, Roaring 20s, Uncategorized, Victorian Era, Victorian Era Celebrations|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Halloween is Just a Hop-Skip-and-a-Jump Away!   Yes, the calendar just flipped from August to September, and the thermometer is still registering summer temperatures. But, make no mistake, it's almost heeeeeerrrrre! It's time to start thinking about autumn and one of its highlights - Halloween.   Themed parties, no theme parties, and everything in between [...]

Costume College 2015

By | August 21st, 2015|Categories: Ball Gowns, Civil War, Destinations, Edwardian Era, Fashion, Old West, Pioneer Dress, Roaring 20s, Steampunk, Uncategorized, Victorian Era|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

By Sue McDonald   Costume College - Whirlwind of Classes and Special Events   If you haven’t heard about Costume College, then you haven’t been paying attention! After hearing about it for years, a friend convinced me to enroll last year, and I am now positively addicted to the excitement, the many opportunities for learning [...]