I’m using the ’52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History’ series as an aid in beginning my personal history this year. See the entire challenge on my Examiner.com article at http://exm.nr/kdyNsp. I create an article about this series each Monday. Click subscribe (at the top) if you’d like to get my articles automatically delivered to your email inbox, or click the RSS icon to read my posts via a feed reader. These weekly challenges are authored by Amy Coffin of the We Tree blog and hosted on the GeneaBloggers website.
Here is the beginning of my memories about CLOTHES.
Aside from the raising and lowering of hemlines and shoulder pads and no shoulder pads and differences in colors and styles throughout several decades, my most fond memories of clothes were from my childhood. When I was very young, my mother would make me a dress out of matching fabric to hers. I felt so special at church when we would “match”. I was too young to feel embarrassment about this. I always loved it when I could pick out fabric for my Easter dress. It was usually soft and had a happy floral print.
I also loved “matching” my best friend, Nancy R. (as seen the the picture above). One thing, however, I hardly EVER wore red. I didn't think it went well with my red hair.
My mom had a favorite dress shop in Long Beach, Luann’s. Usually, for holidays, my dresses came from that shop where I’d try on several dresses with full petticoats (slips) underneath. I’d come out with one I loved and I felt happy to go shopping with mom for holidays. We also shopped at Buffum’s and Broadway and a few other stores in the Lakewood Mall.
I did enjoy sewing as I grew older and made many of my own clothes. In High School I won the Bank of America Award in Home Economics for the year. I had sewn a very complex, wool coat in my Homemaking Class which must have been the reason I was nominated. For some reason, however, I was very embarrassed to have the spotlight on me in this way. I wanted to “crawl into a hole” rather than accept the award in front of all the students.
After marriage, I attended many military balls and events calling for formal attire. It was fun getting dressed up and enjoying the company of others in that setting. Now, I simply try to be somewhat in fashion, but it’s not a main emphasis in my life.
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As founder of Family Tree Quest, people sometimes ask what tools I recommend for organizing and recording personal and family history. Here are my highest recommendations.
Heritage Collector Suite- Your complete Family History Management System (my highest recommendation)
This has everything you need to get your family history clutter into one, orderly place. Store and retrieve photos, documents, videos, etc. Create a PDF for a bound book. Many bonus items such as storybook and GPS modules.
Personal Historian Software- I love it’s timelines and personal history prompts.
This has everything you need to get your family history clutter into one, orderly place. Store and retrieve photos, documents, videos, etc. Create a PDF for a bound book. Many bonus items such as storybook and GPS modules.
Personal Historian Software- I love it’s timelines and personal history prompts.
Flip-Pal™ mobile scanner – Portable, easy flip-and-scan-technology. You can even scan pictures in the frame or while they remain in their photo albums! I sit on the sofa in comfort and scan to my hearts delight.
Please leave a comment and let me know YOU stopped by for a visit to my blog and tell me your thoughts on “clothes” for your life.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” I have not received any compensation from Amy Coffin or GeneaBloggers.com for writing this post. I am listed on the GeneaBloggers Blog Roll because I find it to be a valuable, shared community resource. As founder of Family Tree Quest [dot] com, I am an affiliate of LifeStory Productions, Inc., Flip-Pal and Amazon [dot] com.
