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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 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 [...]
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 [...]
The name is Margaret Brown - The Unsinkable Molly Brown is a Myth Margaret Brown, popularly known as Molly Brown, was never addressed as Molly by anyone who knew her personally. She was known as Maggie to her family until she married. Molly is the creation of legend and Hollywood. Margaret, the flesh and blood [...]
The Brontë Sisters - the Early Days Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë were born between April, 1816 and January, 1820; middle children of Patrick Bronte and his wife, Maria. Each is remembered for literary accomplishments that might not have been fully recognized as such during their lifetimes, but continue to be enormously popular today. Charlotte is probably [...]