Monthly Archives: March 2013

Travel – Mission San Juan Capistrano

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Mission San Juan CapistranoMarch 19, St. Joseph’s Day, traditionally is the day the swallows return to the Mission San Juan Capistrano in California.  Legend has it that when an angry innkeeper had destroyed their nests and the swallows took refuge in the old mission and then returned every spring.

San Juan Capistrano swallowsThe American Cliff Swallow is a migratory bird, which for several centuries, has traveled a distance of over 6,000 miles from their winter home in Argentina to this area of Southern California in the spring and summer.  “Scout” swallows usually precede and the main flock slowly follows, usually arriving on March 19, and the old Mission bells would be rung in celebration.  The San Juan Capistrano Mission area is perfectly located near two rivers where a constant supply of insects is available as a food source and the swallows built their mud nests under the eaves and archways of the Mission, where they are protected within the walls of the old stone church.  Then, just as the swallows suddenly arrived, they will leave the area on St. John’s Day, October 23, to travel south and back to Argentina.

After the 1912 Earthquake, in which the Mission Chapel was severely damaged, an article appeared in a 1915 magazine that reported on the unique phenomenon of the swallows’ annual habit.  In hopes of turning the public interest into revenue for the Mission’s restoration project, festivities were planned to draw the tourists to visit the area.  As the years passed, this annual event received world notice with radio programs, then television stations reporting on the news of the swallows’ arrival.

In recent years, the swallows have decreased their population from previous seasons.  This could be connected to a major increase in the housing development in the area which limited their choices of nesting places and has also affected the decrease in insects for the swallows to eat.

The City of San Juan Capistrano holds a week-long celebration known as the Fiesta de las Golondrinas.  Visitors come from around the world to gather and witness the famous return of the swallows to the Mission San Juan Capistrano.  For more information regarding the festival, please see the website www.swallowsparade.com

Mission San juan Capistrano 1    Mission San Juan Capistrano mission bells from interior

A brief history of the Mission San Juan Capistrano

Seventh in the chain of the 21 California mission settlements of the Catholic Franciscan padres, the Mission San Juan Capistrano was founded by Junipero Serra, on November 1, 1776.  The mission was named for the Italian Crusader, Saint John of Capistrano.  Built first as a small adobe church 1778, it was later replaced by a much large church to accommodate the growing population in 1782 and has the distinction of being one of the oldest buildings still in use in California.

Hoping to build a truly magnificent church, the padres hired a master stonemason who designed a doomed roof structure made of stone as opposed to the flat wood roofs of the other California Missions.  The building was built with stones quarried from the local creek beds and carried to the site by oxen.  Limestone was crushed into a powder to create a mortar for the stones when the walls of the mission were built.  Constructed in the style of the European churches, the floors were paved with diamond shaped tiles and brick-lined niches displayed statues of the saints. The mission chapel, known as “The Great Stone Church”, was a large 115 foot building constructed in the shape of a cross with a 120 foot tall bell lower (campanile) near the main entrance.  At the time, the bell tower could be seen for over 10 miles and the bells could be heard from even farther away.

When construction was completed, it included not only the chapel but also living quarters for the padres and their staff, kitchens and storerooms, workshops and barracks for the soldiers.   These buildings formed a quadrangle that was efficient for the daily life at the mission but more importantly for defense against the sometimes hostile natives.  Overall, the Mission proved to be a very successful settlement and the padres converted a large number of natives to Christianity.  In 1796, over a thousand people lived in or around the Mission compound.

In 1812, a devastating earthquake occurred during Sunday mass and over 40 people lost their lives when they were trapped inside, unable to open the doors, as the walls and the ceiling of the church collapsed.  Two boys, who were ringing the bells for the service, and were also killed when the bell tower collapsed.  Sadly from this tragic event, a festival celebrating the annual return of the swallows to the Mission San Juan Capistrano was used to raise funds to repair and rebuild the church and surrounding buildings.

Over the years, the mission proved to be a very successful settlement but there were still occasional setbacks in the daily life of the Mission, such as severe storms, followed by flooding which damaged more buildings, disease to the cattle herd and crops ruined by drought.  There was even a pirate raid in 1818, when the French pirate Bouchard and his men attacked and engaged in a battle with the Mission soldiers, they looted the Mission warehouses and destroyed several buildings.  Finally, even before Mexico gained their independence from Spain in 1821, the population of the Mission had started a slow decline.  The mission system was abandoned in 1833 with the Secularization Act, which lead to the further settlement of California, and the missions’ property and land were sold to private interests.

Interesting information and facts about the Mission San Juan Capistrano

  1. The Mission San Juan Capistrano chapel is sometimes referred to as the Serra Chapel because it is the only known existing structure with documented proof and distinct honor of having Junipero Serra officiating mass at this  specific location.
  2. The bells were an important part of the daily life at the California Missions.  They were rung at mealtimes and to signal the people to work and to religious services such as mass, baptisms or funerals.  The four Mission San Juan Capistrano bells were all given names.  The names from largest to smallest are: San Vicente, San Juan, San Antonio and San Rafael with each bell displaying a Latin inscription.  The two largest bells cracked and split open during the 1812 earthquake and were never rung again due to the damage.  Within a year a brick bell wall (campanario) had been erected between the ruins of the stone church and the Mission’s first chapel and all four Mission bells were re-hung there.
  3. Mission San Juan Capistrano was the location of California’s first vineyard.  In 1779, the Criollo grape plantings from Spain/Mexico were cultivated and became the only grape used throughout the Mission system.  The first winery was also built in San Juan Capistrano in 1783 and the “Mission” grapes produced both red and white wines.
  4. Father John O’Sullivan is the person credited for recognizing the Mission San Juan Capistrano’s historical value to California.  He led efforts to bring national, then world attention to the swallows’ annual return to Capistrano.  He used the event as an opportunity to raise funds to rebuild the Mission after the 1912 earthquake.  He is buried at the entrance to the cemetery and there is a statue at the front of his crypt.
  5. There is a song inspired by the swallows which was written by Leon Rene, “When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano”.  It has been recorded over the years by musicians such as Guy Lombardo, Glenn Miller and Pat Boone.  There is a room at the Mission San Juan Capistrano to honor the composter, which displays the piano he used to compose the song, copies of the sheet music and other memorabilia donated by the Rene family.

Craft – Faberge-inspired Egg Box

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Faberge eggIn my Décor post, Faberge Eggs, this month I told the story of these beautiful eggs and their connection with the Russian Romanov family.  Inspired by those Faberge eggs, I decided to recreate a simpler but still elegant oval “egg-shaped” wooden box that is painted and decorated with crystal and pearl stickers.  This box will be displayed in our family room bookshelf during the Easter season.

IMG_9366Faberge-inspired Egg Box – supplies

  • 1 wooden oval-shaped box (I used an oval to mimic the shape of an egg)
  • Sandpaper, used to prepared the rough surface of the wooden box
  • Pearl paint (I used Martha Stewart brand pearl acrylic paint in Mother of Pearl)
  • Paint brush
  • Pearl stickers
  • Crystal stickers
  • Glue stick, to fix or repair loose pearls/crystals

Faberge egg top Faberge egg open
Faberge-inspired Egg Box – instructions

  1. Pre-determine the pearl and crystal sticker placement prior to painting.
    (Sometimes stickers will come in an already established pattern as one application, like the one I used on the side of the wooden box.  On the edge of the lid, I alternated with placement of an individual pearl and diamond design. On the top of the lid, I pieced together several different patterns for a nice combination)
  2. Prepare the wooden oval-shaped box for painting, use sandpaper on all the surfaces, including both exterior and the interior of the box, to create a smooth surface.
  3. Paint the wooden box; let the paint on the different areas completely dry.
    (I suggest painting the inside of the box first, then the bottom, then the sides/top)
  4. Attach the pearl and crystal stickers in the different pattern combinations that were pre-determined ahead of time.  If any pearl or crystals come loose, use a glue stick to re-attach.

Craft Tip: For the wooden box that I created, I used a simple color palette of Martha Stewart pearl paint in white with pearl and “diamond” crystals for an almost monochromatic look.  Experiment with a color palette; using one, two or even three different colors, until you find the right combination that you like.

In a previous post on the House of Fabergé I gave a brief history of the company.  Peter Carl Fabergé was famous for designing the beautiful jeweled Russian Imperial Eggs which were specially created for the Russian Tsar Alexander III and later his son Tsar Nicholas II between 1885 and 1917.  In 2013 I published a post on the 54 Imperial Eggs that Fabergé created during that time.  (For readers interested in more detailed information about the House of Fabergé or on the Fabergé Eggs, please click on the link to the previous blog posts)

In another post, I was inspired by the original Russian Imperial Fabergé Eggs, I decided to recreate a more traditional and elegant style.  This idea started when I found the double eagle pendant in my local craft store.  The golden eagle pendant has a large blue gem set in the center and accented with diamond-like crystals.  I thought this pendant was a perfect inspiration for an Imperial Fabergé-style Egg.  (For more information on this craft project with a supply list and instructions, please click on the link to the Faberge-inspired Egg post)

Decor – Faberge Eggs

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Faberge Lily of the Valley Egg

Peter Carl Faberge was a Russian jeweler who is famous for the legendary series of Russian Imperial Eggs created between 1885 and 1917 for Tsar Alexander III and later his son Nicholas II.  These eggs were lavish and intricate art pieces made of precious metals, painted with an enamel process and decorated with gem stones.  They have become a symbol of the Russian Imperial family and are considered the masterpieces of House of Faberge.

Easter is an important celebration in the Russian Orthodox Church.  Over the years a tradition of bringing hand-colored eggs to the Church to be blessed then later given as presents to family and friends.  For the wealthy members of Russian society the custom developed into giving more expensive jeweled eggs.  Faberge had been creating miniature jeweled eggs to be worn as jewelry for several years. The first Imperial Faberge egg was commissioned by Tsar Alexander III as a gift for his wife, Empress Maria Fedorovna.  Inspired by an egg owned by the Empress’s aunt, Princess Wilhelmina Marie of Denmark, during her childhood the Empress was known to have greatly admired this egg.  The Tsar wanted to give an Easter egg in a similar style as a romantic gift to the Empress to commemorate the 20th anniversary of their betrothal.

Faberge Hen EggThis first Faberge Egg created for the Russian Imperial family, known as the Hen Egg, was crafted in 1885 of gold with a white enameled shell which opened to reveal a series of delightful surprises.  The first was a golden yolk which opened to reveal a golden hen which also opened to display a miniature replica of the Imperial Crown created in diamonds and rubies.  (Currently, all that remains is the outer gold and enamel shell with the golden yolk and unfortunately the golden hen and miniature crown have been lost.)

When this first egg proved to be a success with the Empress, the Tsar commissioned Faberge to create additional Imperial Easter Eggs every year with the only requirement being that each would contain a hidden surprise.  Once Faberge was appointed the goldsmith to the Imperial Crown, he was given complete creative freedom and his designs became more elaborate and intricate.  When Alexander III died in 1894, his son Nicholas II, continued the family tradition and presented a Faberge egg to both his wife, Empress Alexandra and his mother, now Dowager Empress Maria, every year until 1916.

Each Faberge Imperial Egg, from conceptual drawing to complex production by a team of highly skilled craftsmen, could take over a year to complete.  Faberge designed his eggs to commemorate the milestones and achievements of the Russian Imperial court and also to reflect the personal events of the Romanov dynasty.  Such as, the 1911 Fifteenth Anniversary Egg that commemorated Nicholas II accession to the throne or the 1913 Romanov Tercentenary Egg which celebrated the 300 years of the Romanov dynasty which included portrait miniatures of the Russian rulers.  Throughout the years the element of the hidden surprises remained a constant feature of the Faberge Eggs.  Such as the 1897 Coronation Egg with a miniature replica of the Coronation carriage that took over 15 months to complete or the 1899 Pansy Egg which included a small heart shape medallion with miniature portraits of the Imperial family.

Fabrege Fifteenth Anniversary Egg     Faberge Tercentenary Egg

Faberge Coronation Egg     Faberge Pansy Egg

Faberge Winter EggThe most expensive Faberge Egg ever produced is the 1913 Winter Egg.  At the time the Tsar paid 24,600 rubles, which was a remarkably extravagant price for the time and the highest price he ever paid for a Faberge Egg.  The egg design is made with a thinly carved, almost transparent rock crystal, finely engraved and decorated in platinum gold and 1,300 diamonds in a pattern meant to resemble ice crystals and bordered with an additional 360 diamonds.  The removable egg sits upon a rock crystal base carved to resemble a block of melting ice.  The hidden surprise inside the egg is a miniature basket made of platinum gold and 1,300 diamonds and the flowers are made of white quartz, gold, and garnets.  (The Winter Egg sold at auction in 2002 at Christie’s in New York for $9.6 million)

Faberge produced 50 Imperial eggs over a 32 year period, with no eggs produced in 1904 and 1905 due to the political unrest during the Russian-Japanese War.  Two Imperial Eggs were in the process of being created and scheduled to be presented in 1917, but of course the tragic execution of the Tsar Nicholas II and his immediate family by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Revolution brought a violent end to the Romanov dynasty.  As a result production in the Faberge workshop closed, the entire inventory was seized and Peter Carl Faberge fled from Russia with his family.  (He died in Switzerland in 1920)

Only one of the Imperial Eggs, the 1916 Order of St. George, left Russia with the original owner, The Dowager Empress Maria.  Following the Russian Revolution, the Romanov palaces were ransacked by the Bolsheviks and by order of Vladimir Lenin the contents, including the Imperial Eggs, were moved to the Kremlin Armory.  Later in 1927, Joseph Stalin sold several of the eggs in order to obtain foreign revenue.  Then, between 1930 and 1933 an additional 14 Imperial Eggs were sold, some were purchased by Armand Hammer, the owner of Occidental Petroleum.  Malcolm Forbes, the publisher, owned nine Imperial Eggs and approximately 180 other Faberge items.  After his death in 1990, the entire collection was scheduled for sell at Sotheby’s in New York City in 2004, but before the auction started someone purchased them for the amount estimated between $90–120 million.  Currently, it is believed that of the 50 original Russian Imperial Eggs only 44 are known to still exist.

If you are interested in further information on the Russian Imperial Eggs, I would recommend the book, “Faberge’s Eggs: The Extraordinary Story of the Masterpieces That Outlived an Empire” by Toby Faber.  I also recommend the DVD, “Treasures – The Czar’s Faberge Eggs”, a 2005 A&E documentary.

For a great craft idea, please check out Faberge-inpried Eggs for a list of supplies and instructions.

Celebration – St. Patrick’s Day

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St. Patrick's Day vintage card

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17; the anniversary of his death which became an official religious feast day in the early seventeenth century and over the years has become a cultural celebration of Ireland and the Irish people.  Some of the symbols, customs and traditions surrounding this celebration include: shamrocks, leprechauns, festive parades, eating corned beef & cabbage and wearing green so we won’t get pinched!

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and he was born in Britain in the fourth century to a wealthy family with a father who was a deacon.  At the age of sixteen, Patrick was taken captive by Irish raiders and sent to Ireland as a slave.    He was held somewhere on the west coast of Ireland and eventually returned to Britain and began his studies to become a priest.  Several years later he went back to Ireland as a bishop in an attempt to convert the pagan Irish to Christianity.  One famous legend told is that St. Patrick went to a hilltop (now known as Croagh Patrick) and with his wooden staff he banished all the snakes from Ireland.  This of course is a myth, since snakes were never native to Ireland, and it has become a metaphor for the conversion of the pagan Irish to Christianity.

The shamrock was a scared plant to the Celts in ancient Ireland it was a symbol of the rebirth of spring.  It is said that St. Patrick, in his teachings, used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity since the shamrock being a plant with three leaves represented the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  By the seventeenth century, after the 1798 rebellion of the Irish against British rule, the Irish people began to wear the shamrock on their clothing as a symbol of their pride in their Irish heritage and their displeasure with the English rule.  Over the years this tradition became known as “the wearing of the green” and the association of the color green and St. Patrick’s Day has grown to represent Ireland.

The belief in leprechauns probably comes from the Celtic folktales of fairies or tiny people who used their magical powers for good over evil.  According to legend, leprechauns were responsible for mending the shoes of all the other fairies that paid them with coins that the leprechauns stored them in a hidden pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.  If the leprechauns were ever captured by a human, they would give them three wishes in exchange for their release.  Leprechauns were not originally associated with the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.  In 1959, Walt Disney released a film, “Darby O’Gill and the Little People”, which featured a cheerful and friendly leprechaun so different from the cantankerous little man of the Celtic folktales.  It is this image of a leprechaun, a small little man with a beard wearing a hat and a green jacket, which quickly evolved into an image associated with the Irish and became a symbol of St. Patrick’s Day.

The celebration of St. Patrick’s Day was originally observed in Ireland as a religious feast day.  The day usually falls during Lent and Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and then celebrate in the afternoon.  The Lenten custom of not eating meat was waived and there would be dancing, drink and a feast of the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.  Unable to find Irish bacon in America, Irish immigrants living in New York City substituted with corned beef which was a cheaper alternative.

Chicago River dyed green 1The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place not in Ireland but in Boston in 1737.  Later in 1762, to celebrate and observe St. Patrick’s Day, a group of Irish soldiers serving in the British military marched through the streets of New York City and expressed their Irish pride through their music with bagpipes and drums.  Since that time, the Irish immigrates in America have held annual parades not only in New York City but also Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia.  On very unique tradition developed in Chicago when in 1962 city workers, in an attempt to control pollution and trace illegal sewage leaks, released green dye into the Chicago River.  This idea of dyeing the river has now become an annual event in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated throughout the world and although the United States holds the largest events, other countries such as Canada, Australia, Japan and Russia have their own festivities.  In Ireland, the day has long been a religious holiday and until the 1970’s Irish laws dictated the closure of local pubs on March 17.  However in 1995, the Irish government began a national campaign to capitalize on the interest in St. Patrick’s Day as a way to showcase Ireland, Irish culture and to increase tourism.  Currently approximately 1 million people annually take part in Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Festival which has become a celebration over several days featuring parades, concerts and fireworks shows.

St. Patricks Day Trivia

  • Erin go Bragh translates to “Ireland forever.”
  • An estimated 13 million pints of Guinness will be consumed on St. Patrick’s Day.
  • St. Patrick’s true given name was Maewyn Succat.
  • 36 million U.S. residents claim Irish ancestry. This number is almost nine times the population of Ireland itself (slightly more than 4 million).

Celebration – Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit

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Peter Rabbit

During this Easter season, I thought it would be the perfect time to visit the world of Peter Rabbit and find out about the author who wrote these charming and classic children’s books.

Beatrix PotterHelen Beatrix Potter (Born: July 28, 1866 Died: December 22, 1943) was an English author and illustrator, her first book “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” was first published in 1902.  She continued to write a series of books featuring such delightful characters as Benjamin Bunny, Jemima Puddle-Duck and Squirrel Nutkin.  Beatrix also drew the beautiful illustrations for her stories which featured the lovely English counrtyside where these small animal friends lived.

Beatrix was born into a wealthy and privileged family and her father was a barrister in London.  They lived in South Kensington and spent their summers in Scotland or the Lake District in England.  Beatrix and her brother were naturally curious children and had such a love of nature that they would keep a variety of small animals and spent their time studying, drawing and painting watercolors of them.

Beatrix and her brother were raised by a governess named Annie Moore and after she left their employment to get married, she remained friends with Beatrix throughout their lives.  Beatrix and Annie kept in touch over the years, writing letters and sometimes Beatrix would enclose stories for Annie’s children that she would illustrate with amusing drawings.  In 1893, one of those stories was to Annie’s son, Noel, and it was a charming tale about four little rabbits named Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter.  Annie suggested that Beatrix’s stories would make wonderful children books.

In 1901, when Beatrix was unable to find a buyer for her stories, she decided to print them at her own expense for family and friends.  The London publishing house of Warne & Co. was eager to compete in the lucrative children’s book market and they decided to publish Beatrix’s story of Peter Rabbit.  In 1902 “The Tale Peter Rabbit” was published and became an immediate success.  The popularity of Beatrix’s books is credited to her enchanting and imaginative animal stories set in the beautiful rural English countryside and charmingly illustrated.  Beatrix wrote and illustrated two to three of these little books every year eventually writing a total of twenty-three books. Working closely with Norman Warne, her editor, over the course of following years the two became friends and then they fell in love.  In 1905, they were secretly engaged despite the disapproval of her parents but sadly Norman suddenly died a few months later.  Beatrix continued to work with the Warne & Co. until her final book was published after World War I.

Beatrix Potter's Hill Top Farm

With the proceeds from her books and a small inheritance from an aunt, Beatrix bought Hill Top Farm in the Lake District in 1905.  She made many improvements to the property, learned new farming techniques and began raising livestock.  She continued to purchase additional farms hoping to preserve the unique country landscape that she loved.  In 1913, she married William Heelis, a respected solicitor in the area.  Beatrix and Heelis were married thirty years, they had no children, but Heelis came from a large family and they enjoyed their nieces and nephews.  Through the years they continued farming, raising their prized Herwick sheep and more importantly their preservation efforts.  Beatrix also continued to write her stories and to draw, mostly for her own pleasure, until her failing eyesight made it too difficult.  She died from complications of pneumonia and heart disease in 1943 at Castle Cottage.  She left almost all her property, including over 4,000 acres of land, sixteen farms and several cottages to the National Trust.

Beatrix Potter’s lasting legacy are the stories of Peter Rabbit and his friends.  Her children’s books have continued to sell throughout the world and are printed in several different languages.  She left most of the original illustrations for her books to the National Trust and the copyrights to her stories and merchandise were given to Warne & Co.  Her beloved Hill Top Farm was opened to the public by the National Trust in 1946; her artwork was displayed there until 1985 when it was moved to Heelis’s former law offices in Hawkshead, now known as the Beatrix Potter Gallery.

Beatrix Potter Interesting Facts

  • “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” was published commercially in October 1902, with a print run of 8000. Each book cost one shilling each.
  • The character of Mr. McGregor appears in several books. He’s remembered for chasing Peter Rabbit out of his garden in “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”, but he also appears in “The Tale of Benjamin Bunny” and “The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies.”
  • “The Tailor of Gloucester,” was based on a story that her cousin, Caroline Hutton, had told her. She self-published it in 1903, paying for 500 copies to be printed, but after sending one to Norman Warne, he published it as a follow-up to “The Tale of Peter Rabbit.” This story was said to be her favorite story (… and mine, too!)
  • To mark the 110th anniversary of the publication of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Frederick Warne & Co. commissioned British actress Emma Thompson to write “The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit”, in which Peter ends up in Scotland after accidentally hitching a ride on Mr. and Mrs. McGregor’s wagon. The book was released on September 18, 2012.

Movie recommendation

The 2006 movie, “Miss Potter”, stars Renee Zellweger in the title role with Ewan Mcgregor as her publisher, Norman Warne.  The movie tells the story about the life of Beatrix Potter and charmingly incorporates animated characters from her children’s books.