Dolls Dolls Dolls!!!

This pretty little girl is my friend Coral's granddaughter. She was the first to finish her tea hat!

What a WONDERFUL time we had this morning at Tea with the Curator: "Bring Your Doll to Tea!"

Everyone had a lot of fun, and it was so adorable to see all the little girls in their pretty dresses and fancy tea hats!

First, they chose a spot to sit down, and their dolls "saved" their seats. Then each girl came up to make a special tea party hat to wear. Next, we had our tea. It was very quiet, as everyone was on their best behavior for this special occasion!

After tea, I went around with the wireless mic and had each girl introduce their doll to the rest of the group. Only a few were too shy to tell me the name of their doll!

Then everyone gathered at the front of the room to hear the story Tea for Ruby by Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. Then we all went upstairs to the Keller Gallery, so I could show the ladies MY favorite dolls in A Doll's World!

Then we all did the Scavenger Hunt. It was fun!

We WILL be doing this again next year, so if you'd like to come, check back in the fall for more information. The timing was just perfect -- life is just too hectic before Christmas. This is that strange time between holidays, when people need to fill their time with something fun.

Here are some of the highlights:


Making hats. Beforehand, I tied tulle onto each hat and cut up all the mismatched flowers we had gathered up over the years!


Chris helping dispense glue dots. He normally stays away from anything crafty, but Cindy is sick today so he agreed to help out. (Hope you feel better soon Cindy!! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY!)


Making hats.


Making hats.


Making hats.


Joyce, our director, helping to hand out flowers. (She was also our sponsor for this event. THANK YOU JOYCE!)


Little ladies ready for tea! (And quite a few kids DID drink tea! We had some hot cocoa too, of course)


Gathering for the story.


Me reading Tea for Ruby.

THIS IS A VIDEO OF ME READING THE END OF THE STORY:


Click on the video to hear me read the story!


A group shot! (The hats were VERY PRETTY from where I'm standing! All the decorations were on the other side!)


Afterwards I showed them MY favorite dolls in A Doll's World.


Looking at the dolls.


Doing the Scavenger Hunt in A Doll's World.


Coloring a doll or drawing your own to take home or post on our bulletin board!


Looking for the last few dolls on the Scavenger Hunt!

Thank you to EVERYONE who came today, and to the staff and volunteers who helped. It was fabulous, and we all had a great time! Many of the girls came up to me afterward to thank me, like proper young ladies. It was very sweet!

Bring Your Doll to Tea!

One of the dolls from the exhibit

I have finished preparations for Tea with the Curator: Bring Your Doll to Tea on December 30!

I wrapped the hats with tulle, leaving the tails to flow down the back. I have snipped all of the flowers off their stems so they can be glued to a hat (I cut my finger yesterday doing this, but it's nothing serious -- more annoying than anything else!). I have divided them into large, medium, small, and leaves (for filler).

I even made my own sample hat! Fun!

There are only a few more spots left for this program. Call the museum now at 330-455-7043 to make reservations!

Processing the last of the 2008 donations

I just have a few donations left to issue paperwork for as this year draws to a close!

It is important for people to receive paperwork dated in the correct year of their donation, particularly if they are going to use their donation for tax purposes. So every year in December, I check and re-check to make sure I have everything mailed out.

About 2 weeks ago I was current with my paperwork. But alas, it never lasts!

So my goal before Christmas is to get the last of the paperwork mailed out.

I haven't done as well with the Adopt-an-Artifact program in recent months, most likely because of the economy. But I do want to thank those donors who took the time to send me a check with their signed Deed of Gift.

Little amounts are greatly appreciated, and are added to other little amounts, until there is enough to buy lots of archival supplies!

Suite 101 article

Last week I was accepted as a freelance writer for Suite 101!

I wrote my first article on the McKinley National Memorial. Click here to see it!

I can write about anything on any channel, so if you have an article idea for me, please let me know!

Open Hearth Dinner

The chefs! Volunteer Bill Gouge is on the left and Chris is on the right.

Another success!

The entire event ran like clockwork, and I think everyone enjoyed themselves and left with full tummies!

Thank you to all the volunteers and staff who helped make this event so wonderful!

I was busy all night serving, but I did run down and get my camera when things were wrapping up. Here are some highlights:










Live violin music adds a festive touch to the evening!






Volunteer Tim Rowles clearing dishes away.

Volunteer Holiday Luncheon

Judy and Bill Gouge working on their Christmas carol trivia. (Judy faithfully reads this blog so I wanted to put up a picture of her!)

Again this year I am STUFFED!

I didn't have anything I didn't like. And I ate too much of it all.

Here are the volunteers, playing our annual "Twas the Night Before Christmas" game. Enjoy!

The Blue Olive and the Canton Classic Car Museum

Every year, the Special Events Committee gets together for lunch in December instead of having their regular monthly meeting. The day usually includes a tour of a local attraction, and lunch at a restaurant.

This year, we had lunch at The Blue Olive, which is located in the basement of the old Knights of Columbus building in downtown Canton. The food was great, and the atmosphere is really cool! They have live music in the evenings, so I think it would be fun to go back for dinner sometime.

After that, we had a wonderful tour of the Canton Classic Car Museum with Director Char Lautzenheiser. Wow, does she know her stuff!

As she is fond of saying, they are "so much more than cars." And they really are!

There are hundreds of antiques on display, and lots and lots of Canton memorabilia. One of the neatest things I saw was a baby bracelet worn by Katie McKinley, the president's daughter who died as a child.

Char is full of energy, and gave us a fantastic tour. She says she always tells her visitors to come visit us, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to encourage my blog readers to go visit her!

Holiday Open House

Fun was had by all at the Museum's annual Holiday Open House last Friday night!

Over 600 people came through to celebrate the holiday season with us! Here are just a few highlights of the evening:


Santa is always a favorite, with his "elf," volunteer Tina Taylor.


A live reindeer from Stump Hill Farms is always a big draw! Did you know it's the FEMALE reindeer who have antlers?


We had a ribbon cutting for our new tornado exhibit in Discover World.


Kids decorated their own pinecone decorations.


Another craft station for kids!


Volunteers Jane Turner and Patty Lue Roosa helped serve hot cider, homemade donuts, and gingerbread loaf.


Volunteer Bill Gouge cooking donuts over the fire.


Director of Education Chris Kenney cutting out the dough for the donuts!


A gorgeous doll in the Museum Shoppe! Remember, the Shoppe is a great place to find unique holiday gifts. And all these beautiful dolls are less than $20!

Find unique gifts in the Museum Shoppe!

There are MANY unique gift ideas in our Museum Shoppe!

These photos are just a FEW of the wonderful things you'll find here that you won't find anywhere else.

Remember, you don't have to pay admission if you just want to visit the Museum Shoppe! So make us a part of your holiday shopping!


We have lots of unique and educational games and toys for a variety of age groups.


Cindy Sober, our Museum Shoppe Manager, stocks all kinds of wonderful things for customers to enjoy!


We have adorable holiday items too!


And don't forget -- A Doll's World is on view in the Keller Gallery through January 18, 2009. The Museum Shoppe has lots of beautiful dolls at a reasonable price -- they are all less than $20!

You'll have to stop in to see everything for yourself. We have a wide variety of souvenir items and books to choose from. There is also a section of teas, lotions, and jewelry for that "hard to shop for" woman in your life!

Remember, MUSEUM MEMBERS received a 10% discount in the Museum Shoppe. Become a member today!

The Giving Tree in Discover World

What a wonderful way to help support the animals in Discover World!

Science Director Lynnette Reiner has created a wonderful Giving Tree just as you walk into Discover World. Many people may not realize how much money it takes to keep our animals fed and healthy!

If you would like to make a unique contribution this holiday season, please stop in Discover World and choose from several different ornaments. There are lots more than what you see here!









Any amount is greatly appreciated!

Day After Thanksgiving at the Museum

Johnnycakes cooking on the fire in the Cabin in the Street of Shops!

There were lots of great activities going on today! Here are just a few of the things you missed if you didn't come to our Day After Thanksgiving activities at the Museum:


Chris had samples of open hearth cooking.


Chris's mom assisted him with his famous apple pie!


Jeff Risher was back again this year with his reptiles!






The Electric Show is always a big hit!


And of course, the Museum is decked out for the holidays!


The lobby tree's theme is angels this year.

We hope to see you next Friday night for the Holiday Open House! Meet Santa and a LIVE reindeer! Enjoy cookies provided by the Museum Auxiliary, and donuts and gingerbread made over the fire. There will be crafts, carols, and LOTS MORE!

So join us on December 5! Members are FREE, and guests are just $5 each.