elizabeth_mn

Last week we went to the MN State Fair. It is always fun and we had a pretty good time. I didn't take so many pictures as last year, but I got a few.

The creative activities just weren't as good this year as submissions seemed to be down in a lot of categories, especially garment sewing. But I did take photos of anything I recognized as being made of Treadle fabric!





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Yesterday we had our Victorian Ice Skating event downtown at the Landmark Plaza rink. It was PERFECT weather, maybe even a little warm at 30 F, and no wind. The Girl and I were joined by Miss French and Mr. Geraghty on the ice, and Ms. Low attended and took photos.



I made The Girl a new coat and muff. She wore last year's dress and hood.



Miss French was a little timid, not having skated in years. But I think she did wonderfully!



We skated about an hour and then headed to the St. Paul Grill for drinks and desserts. Lots of chat about the next events we want to do, as usual! Looks like Victorian bathing is going to happen for real. So I need to get cracking on historic swimwear that I can actually swim in! Or wade, anyway.

I am so glad that this ice skating event has finally gained a little momentum. I really want to keep it going and do it every year! Now if only we could convince the skating rink to play waltzes.

Okay, let me preface this with the fact that the Minnesota State Fair is a Big Deal. My friend wikipedia tells me it's the largest state fair (by average daily attendance), and my innate home-state pride tells me that it's definitely the best one.

People love the state fair here. We love all the exhibits, the funny and beautiful and strange ones, we love rides, we love the music, and we especially love food on a stick. Seriously, you can put ANYTHING on a stick here and people will be lining up to eat it. Bonus points for deep-frying.

So, yesterday we all went. It was opening day, gorgeous cool weather, and totally mobbed. There is SO MUCH to do out there, we could never get to it all. As it was, we got there around 9 and didn't leave until almost 6. The day just flew by! Plus I felt like I was taking pictures all day and I didn't even capture half of what we saw.

The first thing I like to do is always check out the Creative Activities building. There are zillions of categories, including beadwork, embroidery, sewing, knitting, crochet, scrapbooking for some reason, wood carving, boat building, lacemaking, quilting of course, and dollmaking. (There is a ton of baking and canning too but I usually skip that.)





Nerd crafts were much in evidence.



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There is so, so much more that we did that I didn't photograph, and so much more that we DIDN'T do!! We missed the butter sculptures, most of the Fine Art, and the show with the guy who jumps rope on a unicycle. One day is just not enough to see and do and eat everything you want. We were wrecked by the time we got home. But we had a really great day!

The day started out a little rocky, with everybody being crabby, especially me. But eventually we got mobilized and started out on the road.

All ready to go!



We took the interstate to Reproduction Fabrics, which turned out to be a pretty tiny shop in the second floor of a bank and office building. I would never have found it if I hadn't been looking.



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On Saturday afternoon a small group of ladies gathered at the LeDuc house in Hastings, MN, a charming house built in the 1860s and now preserved as a historic site.

One of the best things about the house is that none of the furnishings are original (stick with me for a sec) which means we can actually USE the place - eat off the tables, set glasses down, lounge in the chairs, and so on.

It's a short drive out of The Cities, and when I arrived I was greeted, given a short tour, and invited into the parlor for sherry. I was a bit early but the other ladies joined me shortly.

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So glad I was able to attend this great event!

So, it's Tuesday, and I feel like I am the last person to get my weekend photos up. How weird is that? Modern times.

We went to the Netherfield Ball this weekend organized by the Historic Recreation Society. I wore my green voile from last year. I had big plans for a new yellow silk dress but after making Glinda and the purple plaid I was a little burned out and postponed it for another time. I also had plans for the HB but I decided to wait until I have the new-ish Laughing Moon men's regency tailcoat pattern so I can do it right. So her wore his blue 18th century suit from last spring.

It was really cold and snowy that night, and my HB asked me if I was sure I would be okay wearing that thin dress. Silly man! At least I didn't dampen it, like a certain hardcore reenactor in attendance.

Anyway, pictures!

A goofy selfie was required.



The ball was pretty well attended. Lots of lovely ladies and dapper gents all dressed up! Not everybody was perfectly in period; a lot of the men were in their Victorian evening wear, but who cares because they like to dance!



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I first heard of Little Free Libraries in a Minnesota Women’s Press article. I loved the idea so much that I clipped it out and still have it stashed in my file cabinet.



If you haven’t heard of this, a Little Free Library is basically a weather-proof box with a door that you stick in your front yard and fill with books. People can stop by, take a book, bring it back later, pass it on to a friend, or donate a book of their own. The first time I saw one, I got so giddy with excitement – it seemed like the best thing ever!



This idea is not unique to the Twin Cities, but we seem to be brimming with them here: within about a mile radius of my house, I have counted twelve so far and it feels like more are popping up all the time! It is now a favorite pastime for F and I to stop at one or two on our walks through the neighborhood. On a totally practical level, I really appreciate having fresh reading material for both of us without having to take the bus to the public library constantly.

Here are a few of our favorites.

This one is in front of a row of businesses on Snelling Avenue.



This is probably the nearest one to our house, just the next block over. It has a sweet little bench to sit and read.



This is the Super-Deluxe one on St. Clair Avenue. Its exterior is made from repurposed soda cans, plants are growing on the roof, and there is a seed swap drawer in the bottom. Love it!







Also very near to us, and I love the simplicity of this one.





Of course, I have wanted one  in my own yard since I first heard the idea! Maybe in a couple years, but right now I think the neighborhood is pretty well covered.

I need to drop the url here for the new/reformed old local costume group, because the old website is gone (I was hoping it would redirect for a while) and no amount of Googling was getting me there.

It's http://www.historicrecreationsociety.org/  That's Historic, not Historical.  No wonder I could not find it.  It's not much more than a placeholder but I'll be keeping my eye on it.

I agree with others that it ought to be suffixed with mn; the name is just too common.