Category: Sharing

 

When I opened theirishlady.com this morning, I saw “This Photo Has Been Deleted”.  Panic ensued.  Did I do something wrong?  Did someone hack into my account?  Did I offend someone?  My mind was searching.   Finally, I realized I had cleaned up my album on Photo Bucket and the funny thing is,  if you delete a photo there,  it no longer exists in cyber space to be placed here.

Another lesson I have learned is not to tell your father to just Google  The Irish Lady.    Apparently, this can be very risque and there are some naughty Irish women that aren’t cooking and designing.

Here’s another –  photography is important.   A photographer friend of mine asked if I would like some photography tips after viewing my site.  Well, yes, I would and I will be taking lessons.   The images you see should be crisp and inviting.  It makes you want to come back and visit.

Posting every day was going to be my rule.  That has already gone out the window.   We had unexpected doctor visits this week and I am not such a super woman that I can photograph, write, post and deal with our lack of fast and reliable internet service. We live out in the middle of  the cows.

Where is all of this blogging and this site leading me?  I am not sure; but, I am thoroughly enjoying it.  It has my mind creating and reaching out to others.  As long as it pleases God I would like to keep going.   Hope you will keep visiting and commenting.  Please send me your questions.  I love hearing from you.

My great great grandfather Pleasant Bohanon Collins was a Civil War Veteran and a prisoner of war who fought as a Son of the Confederacy.    There, I said it, it may not be politically correct these days; but,  at one time the Sons of the South and the Sons of the Union would have reunions because they respected one another.   There was an admiration between the soldiers on both sides because they knew what each had endured.  Also, a tinge of regret for what happened during the ten years deemed as reconstruction which was really retaliation and retribution for President Lincoln’s asassination.  Pleasant Bohannon Collins never owned a slave nor did he aspire to own slaves.  He fought the war as most southerners did,  not for slavery,  but to end the surge of  The North into the government of the southern states.

At twenty-one he left the farm and joined the Confederate Army in 1861.  When he was asked how many he had shot during the war, he replied that he didn’t know because ‘so many were lined up shooting and so many were lined up dying’.  He never knew what his shot struck but he was known as a “sure shot ” when squirrel hunting.

Fighting in the infantry in Richmond,  in what was called “The Seven Day’s Fight”,  the line he marched in was firing on command when hit by cannon fire.  His eardrum burst.  In the excitement, he was unable to hear the command to file in and was hit by a brass mini ball.   When he came to, he recalled the ‘terrible thirst’ and how he wandered around disoriented for a while.  He must have fallen out again when he was rolled off his blanket by a childhood friend thinking he was dead.  He might have been had his fellow soldiers not needed his blanket themselves.  They made a litter, a type of cot, out of the blanket and carried him to the hospital where the doctor made an incision in his back and removed the ball which had pierced the top of his lung.   This hospital was captured by the Union Army.  Pleasant, or PB as he was known, was transported by train to Illinois and placed in a federal hospital.   He and another prisoner, with only one leg, escaped and headed south as fast as they could travel by night.   He never shirked his duties as he fought in many battles before being wounded and captured.  There is no disgrace in how he served his country nor is there any disgrace in fighting for freedom against tyranny whether political or religious.

PB was eighty-six when he died.  He outlived three wives and had ten children all together.  I am one of his descendants.

It’s stylish.  It’s the haute couture (French for elegant sewing) of vintage accessories!  I love it!  I want to wear it out of season!  Wait, I want to decorate with it!    This, my friends, is a 1950’s Tortoise Shell Summer Purse by Stylecraft of Miami.  I  am so excited.  But, wait…

 

What is that smell wafting up to my nostrils as I admire my new treasure?   Ewwewwweeee,  is that cigarettes or moth balls or both?   It is –  the double whammy of vintage or antique anything.

Here is what you do:  Just place Bounce or any other strongly scented dryer sheet inside and close.  Leave it for a week.  This works for books, too.  Just place bounce between a few of the pages and it gets rid of the mildew smell.

 

See you in a week, purse!

 

This gown drew me in and I can’t understand why I was compelled to buy it for my antique booth.  Perhaps, the story it must contain fascinates me.  It is surely from the early 1800’s and costly since the entire gown is lace.  I know the gown was before the Victorians because blue was chosen for purity not white.   It is a gorgeous blue lace that no longer exists in today’s fashion where only natural dye processes could achieve the umber of  blue-gray with a black base.   Oh, it has  been reworked for certain with a zipper instead of the incredibly delicate and lengthy silk covered mother of pearl buttons.   A different type of lace was added to the bottom to make it longer.  This is where you can tell the differences in age and quality between the two laces.  The lining was replaced and tulle was added in place of the extensive hoops and private under things of the period.   Notwithstanding, the seamstress who refurbished the gown was highly skilled.   While the gown was not offended by its modernization, I don’t know of anyone  with a waist or arms so tiny that could do it justice.  Keep in mind in the photo below I had to leave the back open to fit the dress form a full six inches to get the dress to fit over the top and couldn’t fasten it after it was on the form.

Now I am on a roll and finding all sorts of photos of wedding gowns.  Blue was the prominent color and even today could make a comeback.  I would consider it;  especially considering, I had black floral bridesmaids dresses, big hair and very poufey long veil.   (I am considering that which I just wrote about considerations!)

 

 

 

 

Queen Victoria is the one who started the whole white wedding gown thing because,  before the Victorians,  blue was the color of purity as the one on the left.  Notice the detail work accenting the gown and the delicate lace at the sleeves.  Lace was very costly back then.  This gown belonged to a practical American bride who was not compelled to follow the British tradition of black; but, was more practical and would use the gown as her absolute best dress.  It is circa 1880’s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During  Queen Victoria’s 63 year reign which constituted the Victorian era from 1837 to 1901,  her husband, Prince Albert  died.  From that time, in 1861,  she wore black.  Honoring the Queen’s mourning , Victorian Brides chose to wear black wedding gowns as seen below. Notice what is in the hand of the bride.  I believe it’s a bible or prayer book.   This photo was taken in Illinois and would have been an upper middle class American around the 1860’s.

Below is Queen Victoria and her Prince Albert.  They had nine children together.  Her gown was pure white with her royal robes in fur and of course a diamond tiara or rather the real thing – the Crown of the Queen of  England.