Vintage Thingie Thursday: Vintage Parachute Wedding Dress

Welcome everyone to Vintage Thingies Thursday. If you have a love for vintage things, well....you have come to the right place. We have a "dog-gone" good time each and every week!!!
If you are new to this party, please take the time to read and follow the instructions for participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday, click HERE. I try and keep things fairly simple, so  please make sure you follow the instructions. Please only ONE link per week.  

I usually don't show things here on Vintage Thingie Thursday that you would not find inside my home. But this week I came across this amazing wedding dress while visiting Pinterest that I had to share it here. It has the most sweetest and romantic story and really thought you might enjoy it too. I love the dress, style and story of how this came to be. Truly amazing.

Description:

White; made from parachute; fitted bodice with left side metal zipper; shirred at center front from waist to bust; shirred at side seams at bust; net yoke inset that also forms upper portion of sleeves; opening in yoke at center back, fastened with eight buttons and loops; wide ruffle of lace and net sewn to bottom of yoke; two darts in back bodice; long sleeves; skirt portion of eight panels of parachute; parachute cord in casings placed vertically and drawn up to form poufs; cords pulled up to make skirt shorter in front and create train in back; skirt lightly gathered onto bodice; parachute cord casings, without cords, used as decorative band around bottom of skirt.

Background:

This wedding dress was made from a nylon parachute that saved the groom's life during World War II. Maj. Claude Hensinger, a B-29 pilot, and his crew, were returning from a bombing raid over Yowata, Japan, in August 1944 when their engine caught fire. The crew was forced to bail out. It was night and Major Hensinger landed on some rocks and suffered some minor injuries. During the night he used the parachute both as a pillow and a blanket. In the morning the crew was able to reassemble and were taken in by some friendly Chinese. He kept the parachute and used it as a way to propose to Ruth in 1947. He presented it to her and suggested she make a gown out of it for their wedding.

She wondered how she was going to make "this voluminuous item" into a dress. Seeing a dress in a store window that was based on one that appeared in the movie Gone with the Wind, she patterned her dress after that. She hired a local seamstress, Hilda Buck, to make the bodice and veil. She made the skirt herself; she pulled up the strings on the parachute so that the dress would be shorter in the front and have a train in the back. The couple were married in the Neffs Lutheran Church in Neffs, Pennslyvania, July 19, 1947. Their daughter and their son's bride also wore the dress for their weddings. It was then gifted to the Smithsonian. This item is one of 137 million artifacts, works of art and specimens in the Smithsonian’s collection. It is not on display. To see original source click HERE.

I hope you enjoyed having a peak at this dress and reading the most romantic story behind it! I know I sure did. Have a wonderful weekend!!!

Giveaway Winners Announced

Wow...I'm late....I'm late....for a very important date!! So sorry I did not get to the giveaway yesterday....I have been busy working on a wedding, then yesterday...sick, sick sick. I am better now and remembering I forgot to announce the winners.

Random Number Generator chose for the (2) Taste of Home winners numbers

Number 5 : Phyllis Parkinson said...

Almost anything I can pan toss on the stove quickly, it's too HOT to even grill, I cooked Hamburgers on the stove last week and I love BLT with avacado and fresh tomatoes this time of year easy but filling.
Phyllis

Number 40: reason to smile said...

I saw "Taste of Home" and immediately clicked to see the full post! I look for those magazines in the grocery store (it's the pictures that get you)...but quickly put it down. College student status does not allow my bank account to be on the same page as my stomach, or more so: my love for cooking and baking. It's quite a loss. But! I digress...my favorite things in the summer months: cold lemonade, and a spinach salad with apples, craisins, walnuts and raspberry vinaigrette. Yummm!

The winner of the gift card is

Number 7: Panni said...

I am bad. Usually just tuna out of a can. Nothing good!

Congratulations to the lucky winners. You have 48 hours to email me your snail mail address. If you fail to do that, I will chose another winner!! Thanks everyone for participating!!! I really enjoyed reading your ideas and plan on making some changes around here for the rest of the summer!!

Vintage Thingie Thursday: Vintage Graves in a Vintage Cemetery

Welcome everyone to Vintage Thingies Thursday. If you have a love for vintage things, well....you have come to the right place. We have a "dog-gone" good time each and every week!!!
If you are new to this party, please take the time to read and follow the instructions for participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday, click HERE. I try and keep things fairly simple, so  please make sure you follow the instructions. Please only ONE link per week.  

You all know I always talk about visiting the cemetery when we go to Cripple Creek Colorado. For a reason I can not describe, we always walk through the cemetery and visit a lot of long forgotten graves, and then of course those that will never be forgotten. (to see details, click on photo to make larger)

It is always fun to see what has been left at the grave of the infamous Madam, Pearl Devere of Cripple Creek.
During the Gold Rush she ruled the roost and many roosters! I first talked about her HERE, if you'd like to have a look at that information. No matter when you visit, there are always trinkets and things left for her.

This time, we noticed a grave we had not paid too much attention to before. The head stone took me by surprised...then I noticed how the grave itself looked. Very desolate. You can tell this guy has no visitors....I always hate that for some reason, always makes me sad..........

But look who this is..........Fred E. Krueger...................

Or could it really be Freddy Krueger??? Could that be why no one visits??? I am NOT one for horror movies to say the least....so I did not waste too much time wondering about this grave, did not want to take  any chances!

I found this most interesting. This is a family plot for Johnny Nolan. Johnny Nolan was a huge character in the Gold Rush Days of Cripple Creek. I noticed right away there were no graves in this plot. After a brief argument with my husband and upon some research, we discovered that no one at all is buried here in the PRIME plot in the cemetery. It seems it is owned by the Nolan family, or descendants, and no one was ever buried here. I was just baffled by that. This has a direct view of downtown Cripple Creek and Bennett Avenue. I can think of no better place to be myself....wonder if they'd sell it????

Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday.....hope you enjoyed a look at some very vintage graves!!

Giveaway Time: Because It Is To Hot To Do Anything Else!!!

The one thing about the 100 plus degree weather in the summer months is the fact I like to take a back seat to cooking...I mean it is just too darn hot! And that coming from someone who LOVES to cook is saying a lot!!

So in honor of my summer laziness in the kitchen, I decided it was time for a little giveaway here on The Coloradolady. I mean, why should I be all alone in sitting and flipping through a magazine, dreaming of what I'd really love to be cooking in the kitchen but realizing it is just too hot to do a thing!

How would you like a years subscription to this great magazine Taste of Home? I am giving away (2) one year subscriptions to two of my readers.

And.....one lucky winner will win a $35.00 gift card to Williams-Sonoma, which can be used online or in store. Just leave a comment and let me know what is your favorite go-to meal in the hot summer months.....or just tell me you feel like I do and are on a break from cooking...you know...make me feel better!!!

Winner(s) will be drawn Sunday July 24th! And just so you know...Taste of Home and Williams-Sonoma have no idea who I am, and I am sure they really don't care I have sworn off cooking until the temperature reaches below 100 degrees!!! This is from me to you!!! Good Luck!

Crock-pot Creamy Green Beans and New Potatoes

This is a great recipe for summer cooking. Prepare in your crock-pot and let it go. Super easy. Super delish.



Crock-pot Creamy Green Beans and Potatoes

You will need:

2 lbs. new potatoes - small ones are really the best
1 1/2 lbs fresh green beans
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup water
1/4 cup Dijon mustard (any variety will do)
3/4 - 1 teaspoon dried dill
dash black pepper



How to:

Wash potatoes and place in crock-pot. Next snip off ends of fresh green beans and snap in half, add to the crock-pot. In a separate bowl, add soup, water, mustard, black pepper and dill, mix well. Add to the veggies in crock-pot and give everything a stir to mix well.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-5 hours or until beans and potatoes are tender. Stir well before serving.



This is great as a meal all by itself. I added a little sliced cantaloupe with mine. It is a easy side dish for pork chops or chicken as well.....best part is, fresh veggies without heating up the kitchen in the summertime!! Enjoy!


This is linked to Foodie Friday Today.

Vintage Thingie Thursday:Vintage In The Garden

Welcome everyone to Vintage Thingies Thursday. If you have a love for vintage things, well....you have come to the right place. We have a "dog-gone" good time each and every week!!!
If you are new to this party, please take the time to read and follow the instructions for participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday, click HERE. I try and keep things fairly simple, so  please make sure you follow the instructions. Please only ONE link per week.  


This week I have some pictures to share of some of my vintage things in the garden. I never, EVER spend money on new pots, or garden decor....I prefer old, rusty, junky stuff to fill my gardens. I love the feel the old rusty stuff brings to the garden, reminds me of old country roads and fields of flowers.....however, with the heat we are experiencing...my flowers are not reminding me of fields of flowers these days...more like fields burned up!!

I have a few plant stands like these. The one on the left is what I call an old mexican stand. Both of these were roadside finds...totally free.....old, junky, perfect.

I like to use containers of all sorts to hold my flowers. An old galvanized pot holds my Rosemary and vintage old sap buckets hold lots of flowers.

And scattered throughout....lots of vintage things......I seriously need a dog in my flowerbeds made from JUNK.....Hint * Hint * you know who you are......haha.

I also have a few things waiting to be re-purposed into something wonderful....this caused quiet an argument with my husband...He more or less ORDERED me not to be hauling stuff in my new car....OK....whatever.....these old mattress bed springs are going to be really cute when I have time to do something with them! Psst....my husband never knows what kind of fabulous junk I am going to haul home....good thing I have lots of hiding spots!

I have vintage iron lawn chairs that belonged to my mother in law. They are green and really need to be repainted...but I found this old iron table with glass top, it is white and chippy and green paint is coming through so I have just left it for now....a painted old tea kettle sits at the base of the table.

And since I don't have my junky, adorable dog made from scrap junk....Bailey will have to do...she wishes to remind you to stop and smell the flowers.....vintage style!!! Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday!!!

It Doesn't Take Much To Make Me Cry.......

Call it hormones.....call it tenderhearted.....call it what you will....but today I sat down and cried like a baby....guess my eyes needed a good eye washing. Many know about my "Cards for Seniors" post I put up each month. You will find that on my sidebar under "one fine blessing". I have no way of knowing how many even read those post, much less participate in that project. I have sorta felt like there were not that many who did have the time to participate and had thought I'd cancel it before the end of the year....I was thinking this might not interest too many folks.

But then today....I received this letter in the mail....and believe me, I just cried.......I'd like to share it with you here. Some of what this dear soul said, I am leaving out as I feel it was most private in nature....but you will get the idea of the message.

Dear Colorado Lady,

Words can not express how wonderful my last Birthday was. No words can tell you what that week meant to me. I am going to tell you about it and thank you for all you have done.

I received a knock at the door one afternoon and it was my mailman. I felt that strange, as I don't get mail other than on sale ad days. (my kids control me and all my money and bills) so I see nothing and get nothing. That wonderful day I had two cards. TWO. I was shaking so bad when I opened them I could hardly hold them. And then, dollar bills fell out of the cards. I was dumbstruck. The cards alone were such a bright spot but that fact that there was a dollar in each I was almost afraid it was a scam. I sat those cards on my mantel and admired them all night. The dollar bills sat there too as I was not sure what to do with that money.


The next day I got three MORE cards and 4 more dollars. These cards had the most warmest greetings and wishes for my Birthday that I could not even remember the last time I felt like I mattered to anyone much less a stranger. My family does not live close and they are so busy, that I just don't see them hardly at all. All my friends are gone and it is just me. I have a neighbor behind me who calls me to see if I need anything from time to time. So you can really not imagine how these cards lifted my spirits and honestly, I had all but forgotten my birthday was coming as it is something that is just regarded as just another day.

What you don't know as I feel like I have some angels who were watching over me. I had very slim pickings in my cupboards until the next week when I got my allotment for groceries from my kids. I always make do, but for some reason this month was a little short. With my Birthday dollars I purchased a small milk, cheese, small bread, a tomato and a chap stick. I made it just fine for several days and was so thankful beyond words that someone out there cared enough to send me a card and a dollar.

Thank you so much and there has to be a special place in heaven for folks like you and all the others who made my week and birthday special. I am sorry it took me so long to write you a note of thanks. I am slow but mean well.

I hope we meet one day on the other side so I can hug you proper.

I don't know really what to say but thank you to all who have participated in this project. When you think you are not making a difference and all your efforts are tossed to the wind, something usually blows back into view and lets you know how much you do matter...to someone....somewhere......in big ways or small. If you know a senior to be added to the list of birthdays, please email me and lets add them. You just never know what a blessing to someone a card can be.

Vintage Thingie Thursday:Vintage Toy Sewing Machines

Welcome everyone to Vintage Thingies Thursday. If you have a love for vintage things, well....you have come to the right place. We have a "dog-gone" good time each and every week!!!
If you are new to this party, please take the time to read and follow the instructions for participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday, click HERE. I try and keep things fairly simple, so  please make sure you follow the instructions. Please only ONE link per week.  

I have several toy sewing machines. These are three of the ones I have displayed in my sewing room. They are fun to find at estates sales and thrift shops....you never know what you may come across while you are out looking and shopping!
 

This one is one of my very favorite. I love the color and it comes with its own case. I reminds me of a miniature version of the machine my grandma sewed on.

Of course I love the red and cream ones!! This one has lovely scroll designs too!!

I think this one was one of the best deals I got one day. Love the color and the price...this only set me back about $5.00.

It is super hot here....and I am still not too motivated.....guess it will pass!! Hope all is well in your corner of the world! Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday!!

First, Fifth, Forever - A Letter Writing Journey for 2011 - July 2011

It is hard to believe it is the first of the month already....I swear I don't know where the months are going...but going by fast they are!

This month, I posted about the senior Birthday's here and If anyone would like to participate, please feel free to do so!! A simple card goes a long way for a senior these days!! If you are new to this endeavor, click on the "One Fine Blessing" on the right sidebar and view those post!

I also sent out several cards this past month as well. Several Sympathy cards, get well cards and a special not to a very special friend who always knows how to make me smile. Sometimes it is nice to take the time to drop a note in the mail and let those you love and appreciate feel how special they are to you!

If you have a senior with a birthday coming up, please mail me and let me add their name to the calendar! I sure don't want to leave anyone out!!

I will have a link up if you have something to share about something you sent or received last month in the mail.....feel free to link in!