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Celebration – Planning a Bridal Shower

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Celebrating a bride and her upcoming wedding is a perfect opportunity to plan a party.  Generally, the maid or matron of honor will host a bridal shower.  Sometimes a family member will wish to honor the bride with a family bridal shower for the bride and groom’s family members.  If a co-worker who is especially close to bride, they might want to host an office bridal shower at the bride’s workplace and invite her co-workers.  If a bridal couple has a special group of friends that they socialize with on weekends, maybe a couple shower would be a great way to include the groom-to-be and have him join in on the fun.  Coordinate with the bride and her mother to see if anyone else is hosting other showers to avoid problems with conflicting dates.

The first step to planning a bridal shower is sit down with the bride and find out what type of party she would like.  This is a very important step because you don’t want to plan an elaborate party when she just wanted a small gathering or vice-versa.  She might want to help make some of the important decisions and could have some definite opinions on the details.

One of the first decisions is to determine the date of the party and always check to confirm that there are no problems with conflicting dates.  Normally the bridal shower is held a month or two before the wedding.  After the date is set, the next step is to decide on the number of guests and check with the bride for a list of names and addresses for the invitations.  A general rule of etiquette is do not invite guests to the bridal shower that are not invited to the wedding, this could possibly create and awkward situation for the bridal couple.  The one exception to this rule is an office bridal shower which usually is scheduled during office hours; this would be a great way to include friends that would not be invited to the wedding which is located out of state.  Another etiquette note is that the bridesmaids are not required to attend multiple showers but they are expected to attend at least one.

In regards to invitations, there are numerous styles and price ranges that are available from a variety of stores or online at various websites.  Another option is to create the invitations with a home and a scrapbook store is a great source for paper and other supplies.  When purchasing the invitations, keep in mind the theme of the bridal shower because this could determine the style of the invitation.  When sending out the invitation it is acceptable to add the bridal couple registry information but the important thing to remember is to send out the invitations early, at least 4-6 weeks before the shower date.

Budget is another important decision and setting a firm budget will help to keep the costs with reasonable amount.  Expenses can quickly get out of hand, so be sure to have a plan and stick to the budget.  This is the time to determine if the party location will be at your home, restaurant or another venue.  The location costs can greatly affect the party’s budget so this is an important decision.  Party items to include in the party budget: invitations, thank you cards (be sure to add postage costs), party decorations including flowers, food and beverages (be sure to include if there are party rental supplies and service staff, caterer or restaurant costs) If you are the host of the shower, it is acceptable to ask for assistance and if you are co-hosting with the other bridesmaids or family members it is also sensible to ask for sharing the expenses involved with the bridal shower.

The party theme is the next decision and this can be the fun part of planning a bridal shower.  A theme should reflect the bride’s personality, her style or color preferences or maybe a favorite activity.  Some ideas and suggestions are listed below:

Tea party – This is always a popular choice for a bridal shower, it can be held in a private home or at a local restaurant and is usually a more formal event.  Small sandwiches and pastries can be served on cake stands or silver platters and of course several pots of different kinds of tea.  Ask the guests to wear their best dress and even a beautiful hat!

Kitchen shower – This is a wonderful way to stock the bridal couple’s kitchen with pots, pans, mixers, crockpots, toaster, etc.  This can be a good opportunity to refer the guests to the bridal couple’s registry.  Guests can also be asked to bring their favorite or perhaps a family favorite recipe.

Linen shower –  This is another way to stock the bridal couple’s home with luxurious sheets and monogrammed pillowcases and fluffy pillow for the bedroom or bath towels, bathrobes and lovely soaps and lotions.  Be sure to check with the bride for her color preferences and include their bridal registry information with the invitations.

Travel shower – This is a great theme for a bridal couple that are about to embark on an exotic honeymoon or maybe they are world travelers for business or pleasure.  Gift suggestions can include luggage, camera equipment, guidebooks, etc.

Lingerie shower – This is a fun shower idea but it can get a little embarrassing for the bride.  Gifts suggestions can include beautiful or sexy lingerie, such as silk nightgowns and bathrobes.   Risqué items are best left to a bachelorette party, we don’t want shock grandma!

Destination shower – This is a great opportunity to travel to a nearby city and it could be a great weekend to bond with close girlfriends.  Suggested destinations could be a fun beach house, a ski trip to the local lodge, a small cabin by the lake, or a luxurious hotel.  A calming weekend at the spa is another suggestion for the bride and her close friends to get pampered with massages, facial, manicures and pedicures.

 Bridal Shower tips and suggestions

  1. Shower invitation idea – Use one of the bridal couple’s engagement photos,   attach to the front of the invitation and print the shower information such as date, time, location, etc. on the inside of the invitation.
  2. Shower game idea – Before the date of the shower, videotape the groom being asked a series of fun questions, then during the shower hand out the list of the questions for the guests to fill in their possible answers.  Play the video of the groom being asked the questions but pause the tape before his answers, ask the bride her answer to the question and then continue the video to find out the groom’s answer.  (this game is like a version of the old television game show of the Newlywed Game but everybody gets involved!)
  3. Shower gift idea – This idea will take a little extra work, but it is worth it in the end!  Ask each guest to bring a photo of themselves with the bride or groom; the photos can be old or new, funny or sentimental.  Set out strips of paper for the guests to write funny captions of sayings, place the photos into an album with the captions, and then pass the album around for the bride and her guests to enjoy at the shower.
  4. Preparing for the thank you notes – When the bride is opening her shower gifts, designate someone to sit beside her to write down the gift and the gift giver’s name so that proper thank you notes can be written after the shower.  This is also a good opportunity for the tradition of creating the rehearsal bouquet with the ribbon and trim from the shower gifts.

Craft – Picture Frame Tray

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While shopping at a local craft store, I always enjoy the aisle with the decorative drawer pulls and knobs. There are so many beautiful ones but these items can be a little pricey if you are planning on replacing several of the existing ones on the various furniture pieces or the cabinets in a kitchen or bathroom of your home. I wondered if I could use the drawer pulls and knobs for a simple craft project that required just a few supplies and I decided to create a picture frame tray. I had a picture frame that I had previously purchased but was not currently using and the size was perfect to use for a tray.. Now I had an excuse to return to the craft store to purchase several drawer pulls and knobs which happened to be on sale!

Picture Frame Tray – supplies

  • Wooden picture frame, a minimum size of 8×10 or larger frames are preferred
  • Picture mat with no openings (other options to use: scrapbook paper or fabric)
  • 2 decorative drawer pulls
  • 4 decorative drawer knobs
  • Screws for each drawer pull or knob, be sure the length of the screws in the correct size
  • Drill, to make the holes
  • Screwdriver, to attach the hardware
  • Epoxy glue (optional – for the drawer knobs)

Important things to consider before starting this craft project:

Determine the correct size of the screws being used to attach the hardware. Specifically the drawer knobs that are attached to the bottom of the picture frame, they should be the correct length for the thickness of the frame but should not go all the way through the frame. (we wound up drilling the holes, then cut the screw down and used epoxy glue to attach them to the frame)

  • Determine what type of “mat” that will be used for the picture frame. There are several options to consider. One is a traditional style picture mat but with no openings, just a solid surface. The other choices are more decorative, such as: scrapbook paper, wrapping paper or fabric. Be aware of the thickness of the “mat” and allow room for glass and backing to be replaced into the picture. (I used a fabric remnant for my tray)
  • Before replacing the glass and the backing of the picture frame, determine if you want to add other elements to the tray, such as: photos, decorative trim for the edges, etc. If you choose to add any of these elements, now is the time to decide on their arrangement on the tray.

Picture Frame Tray – instructions

To protect the work surface, cover the area with newspaper or old towels.

  1. Remove the glass and backing from the picture frame.
  2. Determine where the drawer pulls and knobs will be positioned and mark the positions with a pencil.
  3. Drill all the holes at one time before attaching the hardware to the frame.Picture frame tray 51
  4. Starting on the front of the frame, attach the drawer pulls. The drawer pulls will act as decorative handles for carrying the tray. (for my tray, the screws needed to be cut down shorter, my husband sawed off the excess length)Picture frame tray 52Picture frame tray 53 Picture frame tray 54Picture frame tray 55
  5. Next, flip the frame over to the back, attach the four drawer knobs first to each corner of the frame. The drawer knobs elevate the picture frame and act as decorative stands for the tray. (for my tray, my husband cut down the screw length with a saw and we decided to epoxy glue the knobs into place)Picture frame tray 56 Picture frame tray 57
  6. Now is the time to add any additional decorative elements to the “mat”, such as: photos, trim, etc. before replacing the glass, “mat” and the backing into the frame. (for my tray, I decide to use a fabric remnant)

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Design Tip: The fabric or paper in the tray can be changed out seasonally or if there is a special event photos can be added or changed to fit the occasion. Some examples would be Christmas wrapping paper during the holiday season, photos of Mom and the family for Mother’s Day, etc.

The picture frame tray would make a wonderful gift for family and friends. It would also make a great housewarming present. The gift can be customized to match any style and color.

Travel – Wind Cave and Jewel Cave

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Our family loves visiting caves – we’ve been to several across the United States!  When we visit South Dakota back in 2004 we were excited to visit not one, but two caves.

Wind Cave National Park

Established in 1903, Wind Cave National Park is located 11 miles north of Hot Springs, South Dakota and was the first cave to be designated as a national park.  Wind Cave has the sixth longest cave system in the world with almost 140 miles of explored cave passageways, on the average four new miles of cave passageways are being discovered each year.  Wind Cave is known for a rare calcite formation known as boxwork.

The Lakota Native Americans that lived in the Black Hills of South Dakota had known for centuries about the unique cave that blew air out of a hole in the ground.  They consider the site scared and an old legend explains that they believe it was the place where they first emerged from the underworld where they lived before the creation of the world.  In 1881, the first documented “discovery” of the cave was by two brothers, Tom and Jesse Bingham.  The story is that they heard the wind blowing out of a 10×14 inch hole in the ground, and when Tom looked into the hole, the wind was blowing with such a powerful force that his hat blew off his head.  When Jesse returned a few days later to show some friends, he looked into the hole, found that the wind had changed directions and his hat was blown into the cave.

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This unusual phenomenon of a cave that “breathes” is created by the atmospheric equalizing pressure of the air both in and outside the cave.  Rapid weather changes accompanied by rapid barometric changes are common in this area of South Dakota.  When the air pressure inside the cave is higher than the outside, the air flows out.  When the air pressure outside the cave is lower than the outside, the air flows in.  This phenomenon in smaller caves with several large openings will go unnoticed, but Wind Cave is a large cave with very few openings and that is why the “breathing” of the cave is so obvious. It is possible on the day the Bingham brothers were at the site, a storm was approaching and the atmospheric pressure would have been dropping fast outside the cave causing the cave’s higher air pressure to rush out of the cave opening creating the wind, hence the name of Wind Cave.

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As previously mentioned, Wind Cave National Park is known for a rare calcite formation known as boxwork.  Boxwork is an uncommon mineral formation formed by erosion rather than water evaporation.  As the walls of the cave begin to erode, the most resistant veins form thin blades of calcite that emerge from cave walls or ceilings intersecting at various angles which form honeycomb or box-like patterns.  95% of the boxwood formations in the world are found in Wind Cave.

In 1890, the South Dakota Mining Company took control of the Wind Cave site hoping to find valuable minerals, after a brief time the mining proved unsuccessful and no substantial and profitable minerals were found.  Then, a local family, the McDonalds, began to develop the cave for tourism.  In 1892 the cave was opened for visitors, the tour fee was $1 which was a very significant amount for that time.  The guides would take the tourist down into the cave and explore by candlelight but these early tours were very physically demanding and the tourists sometimes had to crawl through very narrow passages.  Eventually the cave passages were widened, wooden staircases were added and a hotel was built near the entrance to the cave.

In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt signed a bill creating the Wind Cave National Park.  The surrounding area above Wind Cave proved to be an excellent prairie habitat and in 1912 a national game preserve was established and fourteen bison, 21 elk and 13 pronghorn sheep were transferred from other areas of the country.  The interest in the cave and the wildlife attracted an increasing number of visitors to the park and in the 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) made major improvements to the cave system by adding concrete walkways, stairs and an elevator, roads and other building structures were also built in the area.

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Today the Wind Cave National Park’s mission is to preserve and protect the natural resources of the 33,851 acre park.  In the process of exploring additional areas of the cave system, park management has concluded that the cave is not an isolated environment.  What happens above on the land in the surrounding area can greatly influence the cave and the way it continues to form, an example is that if the topography of the land is altered even slightly it might change the flow of water through the cave which will change the cave formations.

The Wind Cave Visitor Center is opened year round, except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.  During the summer months, the visitor hours are expanded.  All cave tours are ranger guided and there are several different types of tours that explore various parts of Wind Cave.  Tickets are available at the visitor center and during the summer months there can be long lines and wait times, to avoid this inconvenience arrive early in the day to purchase tickets.  Time can be spent waiting for a tour to start by a visit to the Visitor Center, there are many exhibits concerning the process of the cave formations, discovery and exploration of the cave and an 18-minute movie, “Wind Cave: One Park, Two Worlds” which is shown several times throughout the day.

For additional information regarding hours, available tours and prices please see the Wind Cave National Park page at the National Park Service website at www.nps.gov

Jewel Cave National Monument

Jewel Cave National Monument is located 13 miles west of Custer, South Dakota and it is currently the third longest cave system in the world with over 166 miles of explored cave passageway.  Jewel Cave was formed when the limestone in the cave was gradually dissolved by water, the water served to enlarge the cracks that were formed when the Black Hills were formed approximately 60 million years ago.  When the water that created the cave drained, the calcite formations started to form on the walls and ceilings of the cave, such as stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone and frostwork.

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In 1900, Frank and Albert Michaud filed a mining claim and the brothers found a very small cave entrance, the hole was too small to get through and was enlarged several dynamite charges.  When they finally entered the cave, cave passages with very low ceilings were covered with beautiful calcite crystal formations that sparkled like jewel by their lantern lights, hence the name of Jewel Cave.

When the calcite crystals proved to have little commercial value, it became apparent to the mining company that the cave was a great natural wonder and they turned their attention to creating to creating a business venture that would profit instead by making it into a tourist attraction.  Over the next ten years, a wooden trail was constructed inside the cave and a hotel was built nearby.  Unfortunately, few people visited this area of the Black Hills of South Dakota.  (remember this was long before Mount Rushmore was built)

Eventually the hotel closed and they Michaud family sold the claim to the federal government for $750.  Meanwhile, a local organization was working to having the cave protected from further development and in 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt signed a proclamation naming the Jewel Cave National Monument.  In 1933, the National Park Service began administering the monument in 1933 and park rangers from the nearby Wind Cave would lead cave tours during the summer months.  In 1935, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) made major improvements to the cave system by adding concrete walkways and stairs, improved roads and a public campground were also built in the area.

As of 1959, less than 2 miles of cave passageway were discovered.   Then, in 1961, a geologist named Dwight Deal hired a husband and wife team, Herb and Jan Conn, with the specific purpose of exploring and mapping out new sections of the cave.  With the discovery of the “Scenic Area” of the cave and an additional 15 miles of cave passageways mapped, the National Park Service became very interested in developing more tour routes for public and the original boundaries of Jewel Cave were expanded.  As a result, more cave passageways were explored, the cave tour routes was extended and additional ones were added.  Further trail improvements were made to the existing walkways, new ones were built, an elevator was installed and a visitor center was built.  Exploration continues today and more information has been discovered regarding cave formations and efforts are being made to preserve and protect this natural wonder.

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Jewel Cave is open year round, expect for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.  The National Park Service offers three different ranger-guided tours: the scenic tour, the historic tour and a special spelunking tour through an undeveloped section of the cave.  Tickets are available at the visitor center and during the summer months there can be long lines and wait times, to avoid this inconvenience arrive early in the day to purchase tickets.

For additional information regarding hours, available tours and prices please see the Jewel Cave National Monument page at the National Park Service website at www.nps.gov

Celebration – Memorial Day

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vintage-eagle-american-flag-graveMemorial Day will be celebrated this year on May 27, for most people in the United States that means a three day weekend and it is the unofficial start to summer.  Memorial Day is a holiday that is celebrated every year on the last Monday of May.  It is a day that Americans remember the brave men and women who died while serving in the United States military.  (Veterans Day is sometimes confused with Memorial Day, Memorial Day observes those who died while serving and Veterans Day celebrated the service of all U.S. military veterans either living or dead.

During the Civil War the vast numbers of dead soldiers, both Union and Confederate, meant that the burial and cemetery sites would greatly impact the country’s cultural rituals.  Women, wives and mothers, began a formal practice of decorating the graves with flowers to honor the dead soldiers.  Originally known as Decoration Day, this special day started after the end of the Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died.  After the Civil War there were several memorial events both in the North and South, numerous cities and states claim to be the first to start the annual tradition.

In the North, the organization of Union Civil War veterans, the Grand Army of the Republic, issued a proclamation that a Decoration Day should annually be observed nationwide.  In the South, the growing organization of the United Daughters of the Confederacy were very successful raising funds to build Confederate monuments and lobbying Congress for reburial of Confederate dead.  In 1865, the federal government began a program to creating national military cemeteries.  The two most famous national cemeteries are Arlington National Cemetery located across the Potomac from Washington, D.C. and Gettysburg National Cemetery located in Pennsylvania near the Civil War’s bloodiest and most famous battle.

Originally, May 30 was chosen as the date for a Decoration Day for the specific reason that there was no Civil War battle on that particular day and it would also be the optimal time for the most flowers to be in bloom.  Across the country, both in the North and South, cemeteries were decorated with flowers on the graves and speeches were made by veterans and politicians to honor and commemorate those who fought so bravely.

Gradually the name of the holiday changed from Decoration Day to Memorial Day but it was not declared the official name until a Federal law passed in 1967.  Then in 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which changed four different holidays from their traditional dated to a specified Monday in order to create a three-day weekend and by 1971 the federal law was in effect nationally.  Memorial Day was one changed from May 30 to the last Monday in May.  Currently, instead of flowers American flags are placed on the graves of the soldiers buried in our national military cemeteries and the day is meant to honor all the American soldiers who have died in both domestic and foreign wars.

Memorial Day trivia

  • On Memorial Day, traditionally in a solemn manner, the flag of the United Sates is raised quickly to the top of the flagpole and then slowly lowered to the half-staff position and remains there only until noon.  At noon, the flag is then raised to full-staff for the remainder of the day.  The symbolism is that the half-mast position is meant to remember the men and women who gave their lives in the service of our country and at noon the flag is raised as a way to remember that their lives and the sacrifices they made would not be in vain and we as Americans should remain steadfast in our constitutional right of liberty and justice for all.
  • One of the longest-standing traditions held on Memorial Day is the running of the Indianapolis 500 in Indianapolis, Indiana.  The auto race, which has been held since 1911, runs on the Sunday preceding the Memorial Day holiday.
  • Red Poppies are the official Memorial Day flower.  Inspired by the poem “In Flanders Felds”, in 1915 Moina Michael wrote her own poem in response.  It reads, “We cherish too, the Poppy Red that grows on fields where valor led, it seems to signal to the skies that blood of heroes never dies.”  She came up with the idea to wear red poppies on Memorial Day to honor those who died serving the nation during war.  She then sold red poppies with the money going to benefit the servicemen in need during World War II.
  • Since the late 1950s, on the Thursday before Memorial Day, over a thousand soldiers from the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 graves at the Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. and continue to patrol the site for 24 hours each day during the three day weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing.

Travel – Mammoth Site, SD

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When we were planning a trip to South Dakota in 2004 and looking for things to do in the area, I found the Mammoth Site located in Hot Springs, SD.  I thought this would make a great place to visit and it was located near our hotel at the State Game Lodge in Custer State Park.  (Please check out last month’s Travel post, Custer State Park, for more information)

The Mammoth Site is located in Hot Springs, SD and it the world’s largest mammoth research facility.  A building and museum are built over the site of a massive sinkhole where a vast collection of preserved mammoth bones from the Pleistocene era were found in 1974.  The exciting part is that research and excavation at the site is still ongoing by a team of paleontologists and volunteers.

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About 26,000 years ago there was a large cavern located in this area of South Dakota that collapsed.  The result was a deep-sided sinkhole which was about 65 feet deep and 120 by 150 feet wide.  A pond formed which attracted the wildlife in the area that came to feed on the plants and drink the water; among those animals were the Colombian Mammoths.  The animals that ventured too far into the deep pond where unable to escape the steep sides and died.  Then, over the next 350 to 700 years the pond filled with sediments.  The remains of these animals found at the site are technically not fossils since they were not mineralized but preserved by the clay and sand.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAIn 1974, during construction of a housing development for a subdivision in the area, a worker with earth-moving equipment exposed the bones.  Someone recognized a mammoth tooth and construction at the site completely stopped.  Professional paleontologists were called in for further investigation and a complete mammoth skull and tusk were also found.  Donations led to building over the site to protect and allow the additional work to be done in a climate controlled environment and the site was designated in 1980 as a National Natural Landmark.  Run by a non-profit organization, the ongoing excavations are staffed by scientists from around the world and volunteers with an adjacent museum open to the public.  The bones and other fossils found are identified, numbered, cataloged and preserved with almost all remaining “in-situ”, which means that they remain where they are found in the sinkhole and not removed.  As of 2012, at least 60 mammoths have been identified with the majority being Colombian Mammoths but three Wooly Mammoths have also been found which marks the first time both species have been found in the same area.  Over the years researchers have determined by measuring the pelvis bones that most of the mammoths are young males.  The hypothesis is that based on the observations of current matriarchal elephant groups in which competing males can be frequently expelled from a group, these young mammoths were likely to be involved in taking risks and this behavior led to their entrapment in the ancient pond.

The Mammoth Site is open year-round and most visitors begin with a 30 minute guided tour.  After the tour, visitors can walk along area on the sidewalks located above the dig area.  This is very exciting because you get to see exactly where the bones were found.  The other areas in the museum include several exhibits and a window view into a working paleontology laboratory in the Ice Age Exhibit Hall.  There are also numerous films in the theater which cover the geology and history of the Mammoth Site and the people and animals that lived here during the Ice Age.  When we visited, our daughter was pre-school age and her attention span was very short.  We highly recommend a visit with school-age or older children, especially boys will love the Mammoth site.  We would suggest that you allow at least an hour or two to tour the site and see the exhibits and films.

Please check ahead for further information on hours and prices at the Mammoth Site website, www.mammothsite.com.

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The Black Hills of South Dakota has so many historic places to visit and the scenery is absolutely beautiful in this area of the United States.   When we visited in 2004, we stayed for a week because there was so much to see and do.  Custer State Park was our “home base” with daily trips to see several nearby attractions.  Please see last month’s Travel post, Custer State Park, and this month’s posts on Mount Rushmore & Crazy Horse, Wind Cave and Jewel Cave for reports on the other sites to see in Black Hills of South Dakota.