The Victorian Needle: 2019

Sunday, December 29, 2019

Greenfield Village Holiday Nights 2019

My awesome fiance decided an really awesome Christmas present this year: Greenfield Village, Holiday Nights! We drove the hour down to Dearborn, and enjoyed every second. My favorite moments were the parachuting Brit, eating roasted chestnuts, and looking at the different historic Christmas trees. Usually I only get to spend time at Greenfield Village if it's the Civil War weekend due to my hectic schedule. It was nice to carve out some time to enjoy it during the holiday season!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the night; there's no order to it, just what I liked. You may recognize some of my friends as presenters or the type of historic handiwork on display. There's something inspiring about watching others create, and the next few days were spent designing new things for my shop. This birthday present was certainly needed! It helped that it was about 55 degrees in Michigan...

This is Greenfield Village doing it right!

I hope I didn't make you too jealous...if you ever get a chance, do try to visit for one of their Holiday Nights weekends. It's absolutely wonderful, a gift I can receive every year and love it!

Merry Birthmas, everyone!

~Kristen

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Christmas Preparations

The holiday season is certainly a rush for me and my family. I spend the weeks before pushing and prodding my students at school to finish finals and turn in work. Then I attempt to fill some of my online orders of jewelry. Finally, there is shopping and cooking and all the million preparations that make our family gatherings possible. I'm lucky if I'm not burned out by Christmas day.

He's all for being burned out on the couch!

This year I've done my best to start earlier, and it has certainly made a big difference! Most of the shopping is done already (thanks Amazon!), with the recipes and plans already made for food. I still have an order or two to send out, but I have the weekend. So in my now plentiful spare time (ha), I've been able to create a few items for my shop/future events. Aren't these little things just lovely?

I may turn the punch paper into bookmarks, or even the front of a needle case. We shall see! I hope you're enjoying your holiday preparations. Expect a post from me soon about the new year. Stay safe and love history, friends!

~Kristen

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Christmas at Fort Wayne, 2019

Some people start playing Christmas music in October. Others wait 'til after Thanksgiving to start decorating their house. For me, my holiday cheer doesn't begin until my Christmas as Fort Wayne in Detroit. Suddenly, I'm ready for the fat Santas and miles of lights.

However, this year there was a bit of a hiccup. Our Fort Wayne event typically hosts tours of the public that shows Christmas in different houses/time periods. They meet in a specific spot at the Fort, one that unfortunately needed urgent repairs and could not be used. At first, we thought the event would be cancelled, which would be somewhat tragic for my Christmas spirit. But then, we were told we could use the building, but there would be no public to present to.

*Photos by Ken Giorlando

Which means practicing first person! We had a lovely group, and as always I felt very comfortable. This year did have a twist; Carrie (or Agnes) has little Nadia. In the 19th century, a domestic servant would not have or bring a child to work with her. So we pretended for a bit that she was mine, though she deeply cared for her caretaker, Agnes. I had a chance to get in some baby cuddles, and hopefully Carrie got a bit of a break too!

Dinner was fantastic as always. I made my apples, onions, and sausage dish, and we feasted on ham, roasted vegetables, bread, and pickled everything. Dessert was pie and cake, complete with a very large dollop of whipped cream. I look forward to this meal for weeks, and this year was no exception. Eating in the light of the candles lent that authenticity that makes you feel like you're truly there!

Now I'm ready for true holiday spirit! Have a safe holiday season, folks, and have fun!

~Kristen

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

A Holiday Surprise!

So here I am working away in my craft room. Hours of snipping, cutting, gluing and sewing have led to some pretty adorable things. On top of making Christmas gifts and stocking my shop, I also had a fun idea for the conference, one that I think my readers will enjoy.

If you are interested in attending the conference this year, I'll send you a little gift if you register in December. Perhaps you'll get a pair of earrings. Maybe a bracelet. Or even a piece of a pretty punch paper bracelet. In any case, you get to register for a fun conference AND get something cool! Seems like a total win to me...

~Kristen

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

100+ More Awesome-er Gift Ideas 2019

The time is once upon us again...I have already started my holiday shopping adventures. This may or may not include tackling someone for a pair of leggings my sister must have this year! Just kidding, I buy everything online and stay in to watch historical movies on Black Friday. But at least I click aggressively...

I like to support small businesses especially, since they work hard to ensure reenactors and other history lovers like myself can continue to geek out in our favorite hobbies.

These are separated by price. I totally understand if your budget is tight this year, or if you're look for small gifts for friends. Prices do not include shipping, as those can vary based on the entire order.

*Note: This list includes different time periods, and does not necessarily reflect progressive or period accurate items (ahem-please don't use the Jane Austen mug for Regency reenacting!). Also, the selection of the items from shops does not mean every item in that shop is appropriate for reenacting in your time period. Take care to do your research before making a purchase!

**Note: As this is my fourth year doing my "Gift Idea" list, you'll notice a few things. I often return to some of the same sellers because they are handmade or use ethical practices in their business. Let's support those that make reenacting possible! I'm also making an effort to include different groups, ones that are not often represented in living history.

***Note: There are other items in these shops. Please click on the links and check out other things they may have to offer! Sometimes there are more color/size/variations available.

****Note: To my family members actually trying to shop for me from this list...you can't go wrong with any of it, though you might want to call me first :)

*****Note: If you're a shop that I usually include and you don't see something on here, feel free to comment below and I'll add an item. I'm losing track from year to year of who I'm including where!

$10 and under