Aurora Borealis Enchantment

During the opening ceremonies of last night's Vancouver Winter Olympics there was a moment when they simulated the northern lights with special projected effects.  I was reminded of an experience about 20 yeas ago when I walked out of a building around 8 o'clock at night and beheld the most spectacular sight I have ever had the joy of viewing - the northern lights or aurora borealis.  I have never seen them before or since that even came close to that night in southern Wisconsin. 

The many beautiful colors and streaks of light seemed to encircle my location - shimmering and angling toward the center of the sky like I was standing under the circus big top.  It seemed like it should be the second coming or something.  Words cannot describe the other worldly, eerily beautiful experience as I stood there in the silence, stunned and enchanted.

"Enchanted" also describes the feeling I felt when I was a little girl peeking into my mother's jewelry box.  She kept some of her jewelry in an oblong box with a flip open lid that was covered in red plaid fabric.  I loved to carefully examine the crystal or pearl necklaces, brooches, and chunky earrings.  Besides the brooch that looked like a little fox with a mink body, my favorites were her colorful crystal necklaces, bracelets and earrings.  They reflected all the colors of the rainbow - some like the surface of an oil slick.  I loved this jewelry so much she eventually gave it to me.

 

I still love it.  

The crystal necklace and the wire coiled bracelets are gorgeous.

 

A close up look shows the many faceted iridescent colors that so enchanted me when I was a little girl.  I always knew this was 50s jewelry, but that was about all I knew... until a couple of weeks ago.  I was visiting one of my favorite haunts and found five pair of beautiful crystal earrings.  I decided to scoop them up and sell them in my Etsy shop.  Three pair of these earrings have those same colorful looking crystals.

I almost can't resist them.  One of them had a name on the back of the clasp - "Coro."  In my research I found out that this type of jewelry was called aurora borealis or AB for short.  I am surprised that I never knew this before now.  Lifelong learning!  Corocraft was a company licensed to produce this type of jewelry in the 50s and 60s.

 

I say "licensed," because the patent was owned by Swarovski who collaborated with Christian Dior in the early 1950s to develop the process to make aurora borealis crystals.  The multi-colored effect is  achieved by applying a micro thin metallic coating.

  

This new jewelry was all the rage when it hit the market in 1956 - advertised to be "more brilliant than the starry constellations."  Other advertising:  "Acclaimed in Paris iridescent crystal jewelry!  It's called Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights.  Necklaces, chokers, earrings and bracelets recalling the rock crystals of the '30s'."  Another ad claims these shimmering cut crystal stones "flaming with color" are the "season's most exciting inspiration for true glamour" and "blend beautifully with whatever you wear." 

The rage died out by the mid 60s, but for those of us who love "true glamour," we have always been enchanted by aurora borealis jewelry.

Era - Gone

Ok, I need a distraction.  School board has been so stressful lately.  How about I pull out my 1956 Better Homes and Garden Decorating book and share a few pictures.

Let's talk about interior design.  I do like late 50s/early 60s design.  Some call it "Atomic."  Some call it "Eames Era."  It's all the same.  "Atomic" refers to post war and post atom bomb.  "Eames" is the name of an iconic designer of that time period.  Charles Eames pioneered moulded plastic chairs, wire mesh furniture and moulded plywood.

 

  

All classics - all Eames.  All worth thousands.

We actually studied these chairs in college.

This was an era of scientific progress and it not only showed in the innovative technology put to use in making furniture, but also in the amoebic design motifs employed.  This was a time of optimism which was manifested in the bright colors used in interior design.  This was a time when Americans were very interested in the space race.  Many pieces of furniture reflected the long spindly legs of the Sputnik satellite and the starburst shapes of outer space.  

You recognize it when you see it.

Let's look at a few pictures.

Furniture of this era was often supported by spindly legs and had sleek upholstery without gathers or tucks.  Note the organic, amoebic shape of the coffee table up on tapered legs, of course.  Check out the bright touches of primary colors.  I love the lamps.  They seem to be built right into the end tables.

Here's another coffee table with an organic shape.  Bold fabric prints were also the order of the day.  And of course, we have Fifi the family guard dog standing sentinel.

That light fixture has sputnik written all over it.  Note the Danish Modern chairs and table - also hot during this era.

Here we have Ricky Gervais returning home after a hard day of work with his wife patiently waiting in her day dress and earrings.  Plastic fruit was big.  Note the wire candle display on the wall.  Wire was "in."  See the wire mesh chair in the foreground?

More bright colors in this living area.  There always seemed to be a little black in each room to set off the bold colors.  Note the wire in the picture frame, the lamp and the coffee table legs.  I absolutely LOVE that lamp.

 

Check out the olive and turquoise color scheme accompanied by touches of orangey rust from the other side of the color wheel.  What I don't understand is why there is a woman peeping in the window.

I like two things in this picture:  the wire and moulded plastic chair and the Coke everywhere.  I guess product placement is nothing new!

OK, distraction accomplished!  Now back to answering emails and reading school board information.

Time for a Treasure Hunt

I've always had a penchant for creating family traditions.  The Shurilla Family Valentine Treasure Hunt is one of those.  The treasure hunt began for my husband before we had kids.  This year will be the 27th annual hunt, the participants are dwindling, but the hunt will go on!

Keaton is a big fan of the hunt because he's a bigger fan of candy.  Yes, we have definitely been bad parents in the candy department.  And why, for that matter, does every holiday have its' own special candy?  We are a candy society.  I will add that the last few years, I have also included non-candy items at my daughter's request... but she's at college this year, so we're probably back to candy.

The Valentine's treasure hunt works like most treasure hunts.  The fam starts off with a clue that leads them to a place in the house where there will be goodies stashed with the next clue or just the clue if the hiding place is too small.  They continue on until they reach the last stash.  The end.  Not too hard... or is it?  I am always amazed at how the clues can confound my loved ones.  Easy for me to say, I wrote them.  Some years the clues rhymed, but most years they are just very punny.  Here's one from years past that absolutely stumped my husband.  Let's see how you do - leave a comment if you figure it out and we'll pronounce you unbelievably clever!  Here's the clue: "The visiting place of a stranger's hand every day of the week but one."

I loved the days when the kids were little and you'd hear them call out, "I found it" from some place in the house.  Or when I'd declare that somebody was getting "hot" and everyone would stampede toward that kid.  They'd insist the clues be brought back to the kitchen (home base) before anyone was allowed to read them.  And then they had to take turns.  And then I'd give hints to the ones who weren't getting in on enough action.  And then the oldest would dominate or give in so the younger ones could have the joy of finding the next clue.  And then... memories are made.

Traditions - it's the glue that binds families together.

Oh for a Road Trip...

Call it cabin fever or winter boredom, but when I was working in iPhoto this morning, I caught sight of some summer vacation pictures and I couldn't help clicking through them and reliving our late August road trip taking Chelsea out to BYU.  

I love a good road trip.  Maybe it harks back to my childhood when we drove from Wisconsin to Texas every year to visit relatives, but I don't mind the hours of watching the road pass under my wheels.

 

On those Texas trips, I remember the peacock chenille bedspreads hanging on the clotheslines outside of souvenir shops in the Ozarks, but now we head west instead of south and that opens up new sights for my travelers eyes.

Crossing the mighty Mississip.

Water towers that look like coffee pots.

The Spam Museum in Austin, Minnesota.

And the covered with corn

Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota.

We counted at least 75 Wall Drug signs.

The incredibly good Badlands.

...and you know if we stopped at the Spam Museum,

we're not gonna pass up Wall Drug!

Mt. Rushmore inspired us all.

The Switchbacking, narrow roads

of the Needles Highway in South Dakota

did nothing for my fear of heights.

The pigtail bridges.

One lane tunnels blasted through

solid granite before 1922.

Beautiful Sylvan Lake.

What a treat to hear Chelsea play
the rickety grand piano in the historic
Sylvan Lake Lodge where we stayed.

Getting stuck in a bison jam.

Feeding carrots to a band of friendly burros in Custer State Park.

oops...

After all the sightseeing along the way, we did finally accomplish our mission of getting Chelsea out to school.  Thanks for taking my little memory lane road trip with me.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get a blanket and turn up the thermostat.

Cookie of the Month - Iced lemon

 

January almost ended before I got my cookies of the month baked for the Nelsons.  Yep, it's a new year and new cookie of the month recipients.  New yet old.  The Nelsons were the high bidders in 2008, too.  So that means now I want to keep things interesting by coming up with a new recipe now and then.  This month I tried Iced Lemon Cookies using a hybrid of several lemon cookie recipes.

Here are the ingredients:

Makes 4 dozen

4 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. grated coriander

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

1 1/2 cups butter

2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 tsp. lemon extract

1 tsp. vanilla

glaze:

3 cups confectioner's sugar

3 tablespoons lemon zest

juice of two lemons

milk to obtain desired viscosity

  

  

Mix dry ingredients together:  flour, baking soda, salt, and coriander.

 

Add the finely grated lemon zest.

Whisk together.

 

In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar...

until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, lemon extract, and vanilla.

 

Mix until well combined.

 

Slowly beat in the flour mixture.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons or make slightly rounded balls and place two inches apart on cookie sheet.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes.

While cookies are baking, whisk together confectioner's sugar, lemon zest, and the juice from the lemons you used for your zest.

 

You may need to add a little milk

to get your icing thin like a glaze.

  

When the cookies have cooled, spread a teaspoon of icing on each cookie.  Have you ever been to a Krispy Kreme store and seen the doughnuts passing underneath the waterfall sheets of glaze?  This is the contraption I envision would be helpful for coating these cookies.

 

Either way, the results are nummy.  The glaze dries and these are luscious little nuggets of lemony goodness.  Although mine are plain, you could also sprinkle them with yellow sugar or nonpareils  before the glaze dries.