Sheetar.com
Sepia Saturday

Sepia Saturday 257: Lassoo, Dad and Son, Porch, Dog, Cowboy

 , ,

Scan10619

When I saw the prompt image a few weeks ago in the “coming soon” section on Sepia Saturday, I immediately thought of this photo.  It’s been a bit of a thorn in my side as far as finding out who everyone is, but I’ve made some progress since the beginning.  Here’s the rundown of who’s who (or who I think is who) with uncertain identifcations marked with a question mark.

Back, Left to right: Jessie (Battin) Powis, June (Croyle) Johnson?, Euphaime (Lamb) Miller, Marion Miller?, Oscar “Fritz” Powis, Laura (Johnson) Powis
Center, Left to right: Charles Miller and William Miller (twins, not sure who is who)
Front, Left to right: Alfred Powis, Louise Johnson?, Margaret Johnson?, Frank Johnson

As far as a date goes, Laura and Fritz were married in March of 1926, so I’d assume the Johnson family was over to visit on or around the time of their wedding.  Dorothy Powis, their daughter, was born in December of 1926, and there’s no baby in the photo, nor does Laura look pregnant, so I’d have to pretty solidly put this in early to mid 1926.  As far as my guesses go, I assumed June Johnson would be in the photo and she’s identified solely by process of elimination.  I’d found another user’s photo of Euphaime Miller online, and the Miller twins appear over and over in other photos (my great grandma was clearly smitten with them and may have even taken this photo).  I also guessed on Marion Miller since she’s standing near her mother and brothers.  The two gals in the front are likely Laura’s two younger sisters, but it’s hard to tell who is who since they were born a year apart.  The Millers are, as far as I can tell, not related at all, just neighbors.

A lot of the guesswork with the identifications takes  into account the date and circumstances for the photo.  Sometimes it’s easy to get frustrated when there are no labels and put a photo aside, but with a little critical thinking (Laura and Fritz were recently married, I know that’s Frank Johnson and the Miller Twins, so…) and a few lucky google/ancestry hits, things can be sorted out eventually.  It definitely pays to revisit unidentified photos from time to time!

2014.11W.19

Subscription Boxes

GoodeBox December 2014

 

DSC_3139

Another month, another Goodebox!  Pretty great box this month, good variety in products even though there’s a dupe product from the November Petit Vour (kinda.. it’s missing the concealer).

  • Aila Nail Polish – .5 oz / $17 – (sample is Full Size!)  The product card says full size is 2.5 oz, but .5 oz is the bottle size and I can’t imagine a 2.5 oz bottle of nail polish.  I’m not a big fan of gold (the color is “#likeaboss”) – I don’t even wear it for jewelery – so the color isn’t really my thing, but I tried it out and it covered right over my bright red polish in one coat which is pretty amazing.  It did grow on me throughout the day and wasn’t as not-me a color as I had originally thought.  It’s a 5-free polish which is awesome, but it’s also on the spendier end of the nail polish spectrum (Butter London is $15, Zoya is $10, LVX is $16).  There is a discount of 10% off your first purchase at Beautea Bar including Aila polishes.
  • Au Naturale Organic Eye Shadow Stick – .5 oz / $20 – (sample size is the same as the Petit Vour Box, so value of $3.10)  I received the color “Graphite” this time, so at least it’s not a total dupe!  I tried the one from the Petit Vour box the other day and it creased really badly in under 3 hours, so I’m less impressed with this than I had originally hoped.  The color is nice though (a steely blue grey), and I’ll have to see if I can help it out by layering some sort of translucent powder over to set it or something.  Same excess packaging (all that paper for one wee tube of eye shadow?) as the Petit Vour box, but the circle where the concealer should be was covered with a sticker that said, “All Au Naturale orders .. will include a Creme Concealer Sample.”  The box also includes the same 25% off coupon.
  • Balanced Guru Scrub Me Crazy – 9 oz / $40 – (sample size is 1 oz, value of $4.45) At first look, I thought something must’ve happened to the sample because the product isn’t like other scrubs I’ve used – it’s only a little moist and looks like a tub of brown sugar.  I expected something a little more oily?  Suspended in some sort of liquid maybe?  A quick search though and that looks like the right consistency.  It smells really heavily like spearmint which isn’t a favorite, but it’s nice and refreshing.  When added to water on your skin, a coffee smell blooms, but the scent left behind is spearmint.  It’s a rough scrub, so I used it right on the KP mess that is my arms (exfoliation followed by moisturizer is the best way to knock it back a notch) and it worked really well.  The skin feels noticeably  softer and I’ll cover up the mint with a body butter or something.  There’s a coupon code for 20% off all Balanced Guru products.
  • Shea Terra Organics Body Creme – 8 oz / $16 – (sample size is 1 oz, value of $2) When I first opened this, it smelled so good, like cakes and cookies (the scent is “Bourbon Vanilla”).  It’s AMAZING, and only SIX  ingredients!  It’s a rich, thick cream that sinks in quickly and isn’t greasy, and the littlest bit goes a very long way.  Applied over the Balanced Guru Scrub, it completely overpowers the mint and moisturizes very well.  I could definitely see getting these as gifts since the vanilla is such a great scent, not to mention pretty universally loved.  There’s a coupon code for 20% off too.
  • EcoJot Mini Notebook – 5×7 / $10 – (sample size is 3×4, value of $5, per ecojot website) As much as I hate paper, having a little notebook has come in super handy for genealogy research and taking notes when talking to family members.  I find I can jot down notes on paper faster than I can tap them into my phone if I don’t happen to have my laptop with me.  Also, for whatever reason, writing notes on paper feels more respectful than tapping away at a phone or laptop – somehow it still feels like you’re engaged in the conversation and not zoned out into a screen.  It’s a really great little notebook with a sturdy cover, and I’ll probably put a hair elastic around the bottom edge to keep it closed while jostling around in my bag.

Total value is around $32!  The Nail Polish alone just about pays for the cost of the box, so it’s a great value, and I LOVE the body creme and will use everything in the box!

Subscription Boxes

Petit Vour November 2014

 

DSC_3129

The November box arrived on December 1st – a hair late, again.  The email said the lateness was a result of the snowfall last week delaying shipments which is fine, and I appreciate the communication!  I’m sure the Thanksgiving holiday had something to do with it too.  Anyway, the box this month was co-curated by Ashlee Piper at The Little Foxes, featuring the theme, “Natural Givers.”  I liked this box more than I thought I would after seeing some teaser early reviews on Twitter (seriously, how do people get their boxes two weeks before me?!).  I wasn’t so sure about the body oil, but it’s so rich and smells so good, I think it’s going to be my before-bedtime go-to for dry skin.  Now, on to the contents!

  • Au Naturale Creme Eyeshadow – $20 / 5.5 mL – (sample size is approx .85 mL, value of $3.10) I received the color, “Palma,” which is a shimmery gold color.  Easy to apply, rich color, goes on buttery smooth.  Love the ingredients list and my sensitive eyes appreciate that!  This is going to be so fun to use over the next month.
  • Au Naturale Creme Concealer – $24 / 5.5 mL – (sample size is approx 1.5 mL, value of $6.55) I received the color, “Buff,” and it’s just about the right  shade for my winter skin (maybe just a wee bit    too light).  Doesn’t feel too heavy on, but doesn’t cover very well either on its own.  Definitely needs a go-over with powder or something to really be effective.  The Au Naturale products came with a 25% off coupon inside the packaging which was really excessive.  So much wasted paper!  It looked nice and was a fantastic presentation for the products, but for a vegan beauty box, I was a little disappointed to see so much excess packaging.
  • LA Fresh Waterproof Makeup Remover – 24 ct / $10 – (Sample size is two pieces, value of $.83) I wasn’t impressed with the nail polish remover from LA Fresh, so I’m already skeptical about the makeup remover.  The second ingredient is cyclopentasiloxane which is NOT biodegradable or compostable as the front of the packet indicates.  In fact, it’s suspected to be an environmental toxin that bioaccumulates particularly in waterways.  It’s a cheap alternative to better ingredients like vegetable glycerine.  I’m not sure I’d want to use this around my eyes since they tend to react badly to products with cyclopentasiloxane, and while the instructions say to, “gently press wipe onto eyes or lips,” it then cautions, “Avoid direct contact with eyes.”  Hmmm.  So, I think this is a pass for me, and I’ll hand it off  to  someone whose eyes aren’t as hyper-sensitive.
  • Earthbody Sacred Skincare Dream Body Oil – 4 oz / $23 – (Sample size is 1 oz, value of $5.75) Oh man this smells SO amazing.  It starts out as fresh lavender and then develops into this woodsy, resiny scent on my skin.  It’s so rich and thick, and contains  only  oils, no carrier ingredients like silicones.  PERFECT.  I can see using this before bed like I mentioned above or right after a shower to super-hydrate elbows and knees.  Great time of the year to have this as a sample too for winter dry skin.
  • French Girl Organics Lip Tint – .15 oz / $11 – (Sample is Full-Size) I received the color, “Cerise,” and I cannot begin to express my love for this product enough.  This is definitely the winner of the box for me.  The scent is like a peppermint herbal tea and was a really nice surprise.  Then, it goes on like butter with the color building up to a beautiful, rich cherry color that’s absolutely perfect for me!  I have a feeling this is going to disappear quickly, so it’s great that they’re affordable.

The total for the box comes to just about $28!  Between the Lip Tint and the Body Oil, the cost of the box is covered, so I’m happy with that!  Kinda bummed that I didn’t get the Caru serum since I would’ve enjoyed that much more than the makeup remover pads, but that’s just how things go with subscription boxes sometimes.  It’s still a great box, and I’m happy with what I’ve got.  The Holiday Limited Edition box looks fantastic though and I might have to treat  myself to a little holiday present!

Sepia Saturday

Sepia Saturday 256: Festivals, floats, feathers, and fair maidens

 , , , , , , ,

Another one from great grandma’s personal photo album.  I’d posted about this little album a while ago and the issue that the photos are all glued to black construction paper-like pages.  I had managed to free a few of the photos that were loose already and made a few new discoveries.  Fitting in with the Sepia Saturday this week, I present to you a group of  fair maidens.

Scan0045

Scan0046

On the back is written, “Left to right, Anna Shranko, Goldie Powis, Helen Somerville, Kathleen Troland, and Mary Shranko. The Shranko sisters are from Osceola Mills, PA. Four Budds and one bloom from Williamsport, PA. Taken May 15, 1932”  Junua “Goldie” Powis (nee Patchin) was my great grand uncle’s wife.  Alfred Herbert Powis had died 6 years prior to this photo being taken and they only had one son who died in infancy.  It’s sort of a sweet way to refer to Goldie as a, “bloom,” and the other girls who had never been married as, “budds.”  I haven’t been able to find out much about the other girls, and I think maybe some of the names are spelled wrong.  I did find an entry on the 1930 census that shows Helen, Kathleen, and Mary living in a house together in Williamsport, PA, with them all working a variety of different jobs from machine operator to saleslady and even laborer in a rubber factory.  All the gals are dressed nicely for a lovely late spring day (see the tulips blooming in the foreground?).  Again, I have to wonder who took the photo and took the time to label it as well with a date and all the names.  And that’s that!  Short and sweet this week, and a little late given that things have been  pretty busy at Casa Sheetar.  It’s still Saturday though, so I say it works!

2014.11W.11

Socks

Not Just Boring Dude Socks

 , , ,

DSC_1149 DSC_1150

A friend was back at the sock designing board and needed another test knit, this time for socks for men.  The husband has repeatedly refused my offers to knit socks for him, but let’s be fair, he wears t-shirts all year round and is ALWAYS too warm.  Knit socks are not really what he needs, but he did request an awesome pair of mittens that I’ll get to in another post, soon.

Anyway, on to the Dude Socks!  I had to figure out who to knit for, so I opened up a post on Google+.  A bunch of guys responded, willing to be test subjects (and enthusiastic about hand-knit socks which was SO neat to see), so I random-number-generatored a winner who just happened to be friend and almost-neighbor, Steve.  Steve gave me his foot measurements and I set off knitting the large size.  After quick test-fit when the first sock was almost done, I managed to finish the pair  in 8 days!  Super quick knit, really squishy and stretchy, and the sizes fit anyone from a small woman’s foot to a large man’s foot with plenty of ease.  Steve has already worn them a bunch of times which of course made me happy because every knitter wants to hear that their hard work is much appreciated and loved.  The pattern went live on Ravelry recently, and the details are below.

Pattern: Not Just Boring Dude Socks
Designer: Corrine Walcher
Needles: US 2  (2.75  mm)
Yarn: Knit Picks Essential in “Sarge”
–Ravelry Project Link–

Sepia Saturday

Sepia Saturday 255: Children, train sets, crafts, silhouettist, dogs, family groups

 , ,

For many of the prompt images for Sepia Saturday, I see the image and immediately think of a photo that fits.  This one was a little more difficult.  I have no artists like Eveline Maydell in my tree (that I know of) and no photos that jumped out at me as having the same feel.  The one below kind of came close to the feel of the photo, even though mine is a perfectly posed family photo.  It’s a bit of a departure from the prompt image, but it’s still Sepia and Saturday!

Scan10615

The image is just about an 8×10, mounted on heavy boad with the photographer’s studio name embossed in gold, “Lipp Studio,” in Philadelphia, PA.  The studio doesn’t exist anymore, but even without that hint, my great grandma Olga labelled the photo, “Mother’s sister, husband, Maurice & Gordon, Shugg Family.”  Bessie looked much the same throughout her life, so it’s been pretty easy to pick out photos that she’s in anyway, and this is no exception.  Bessie Battin was born in Lawhitton, Cornwall, England in 1870.  After marrying Arnold Shugg in 1900, she came to the US with her husband and two children in 1911, almost 20 years after her sister (my 2nd great grandmother Jessie) arrived.  They settled in Philadelphia, PA about a 5 hour drive away from where Jessie and her family lived.  The sisters appeared to have kept in close contact, exchanging photos over the years, and Jessie’s daughter Olga even visited Philadelphia to see Maurice Shugg and his wife, Mildred Pruden.  Marurice (the older boy in the photo) and Mildred never had children, but Gordon (the younger boy) had a child, Mary, who married Joseph Delphidio.  I don’t have a lot of information on the descendants of Bessie and Arnold, but I apparently have a few fourth cousins floating around somewhere, related via Bessie.

As for the book Bessie is holding, all I can make out is that it says, “Record,” on the front and is very well worn.  As far as a date goes, Gordon was born in 1905, and they arrived in 1911, so something like 1915 sounds about right.  If you happen to stumble across this photo and are related to the Shugg family, please get in touch!

2014.11W.05

One Local Summer

One Local Summer 2014 – Meal 22

 , , , , , ,

DSC_1298

TWENTY TWO!  Yeah, that’s a lot of orange on that plate (Heyooo Dutch reference again), but it’s delicious orange!  The plate contains a pork butt steak with steamed carrots, mashed sweet potatoes, and a chunk of delicious Fat Cat Cheese.  Mmmm root vegetables and meat, all washed down with a glass of sweet apple cider.  Husband braved the chill outside to cook the pork on the grill after it was rubbed with a sweet and spicy  rub  which, while the rub isn’t made from locally sourced ingredients, it is blended by a local woman, so I’ll count it as a partial win.  This is probably one of our favorite cuts of pork because it’s easier to grill up and still keep it tender and juicy.  Pork goes from edible to rubber quickly if you’re not careful with the temperature, but the butt steaks seem more forgiving.  It was devoured quickly, but there was enough steak and vegetables for some leftovers.

Just a quick note too, the cheese maker, Birchrun Hills, has started a Kickstarter to help them “Raise a Cave” at their farm.  They’re currently renting space at another facility to make their cheeses which isn’t incredibly cost or time effective.  We love these folks SO much and enjoy supporting local agriculture, and hope you might consider sending a few dollars their way!  It’s always great to see Sue at our local farmers market, and we’d love to see this succeed.  Also, if you haven’t yet been able to find their Smoked Blue Cheese, you aren’t really living.  Honest.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/993112740/birchrun-hills-farm-raise-a-cheese-cave

Ingredients:
Sweet Potatoes – Jack’s Farm
Carronts – North Star Orchard
Apple Cider – North Star Orchard
Pork Butt Steak – Countrytime Farm
Cheese – Birchrun Hills
Milk – Camphill Kimberton
Non Local – Salt, Pepper

Subscription Boxes

Square Hue November 2014

 

DSC_1286

In  the September Goodebox there was a full-size Square Hue polish.  While I wasn’t too keen on the color, I really liked the formula (covered in two coats, long lasting, five-free).  There was a special offer for a special treat, so I figured hey, why not give it a shot?  This is my first month.  Couple of things I didn’t know and weren’t made entirely clear when I signed up.  The spoiler image for the next month contains the colors that will be in the next box.  Had I realized that and seen the image, I probably wouldn’t have signed on for that month.  The next month’s box is billed around the 3rd or 4th day  of the month prior (So, December is billed November 4th).  If you don’t remember to check the spoiler image and cancel before that date, you’re in for a box you might not want depending on the colors involved.  I wish they would email a day or two before billing with the spoiler image so that you have a chance to opt in or out of the next month’s shipment.  Anyway, November’s theme is Prague!  Having been to Prague, these were not at all the colors I imagined and I was pretty  disappointed with the dark, grey and gloomy colors selected.  When I think of Prague, I see red tile roofs against the green copper patina spires and domes of churches all sitting above white and cream colored buildings.

  • Parizska – Micro Glitter, right – It’s basically a cream  grey with silver glitter added in which means after two coats, it’s lumpy and bumpy from the glitter underneath and is almost  like one of those Sugar Coat nail polishes.  It drives me crazy.  I like the idea though of adding glitter to a cream polish, but it just doesn’t work for me.
  • Vaclavske Namesti – Shimmer, left – I actually kinda like this one.  It’s a deep plum color with a hint of shimmer and is great for winter parties.
  • Na Prikope –  High Gloss Creme, center –  The color is just horrendous and looks a little like mossy concrete.  This isn’t at all something I can wear and will probably trade off to someone who does like it.

DSC_1289

A second box?  Yep, that’s the bonus special treat!  One of the prior months’ boxes packed up and shipped out in addition to your monthly order which makes six polishes for $19.99 including shipping.  I received the August 2014 box with the Beverly Hills collection.  I’d already received Rodeo Drive as my sample in the Goodebox and really don’t like the color at all, so I was kinda bummed to now have two of the same polish that I don’t like.

  • Rodeo Drive –  Micro Glitter, right – It’s just such an odd hue – somewhere between brown and pink and I really hated the way it looked.  Any other color, and this would’ve been a great polish.
  • Cannon Drive –  Micro Shimmer, left – I have to admit that I like this one – it’s a light, shimmery not-quite-pastel violet and  is a fun color.
  • Wilshire Boulevard –  Micro Shimmer, center – Absolutely my favorite of all six.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE blue and this is a shimmery royal blue that’s just the kind of color I like to wear, and I have nothing like it at all in my collection of blue polish.  I can see this being a new go-to favorite.

All in all, it’s a great deal for a first order, and then if you keep on top of things, you can suspend and reactivate your account when the spoiler image has colors you like.  I don’t need three new nail polishes every month, but I could see doing this a few times a year for a treat.