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.

Putting things away

I have spent two whole days processing new donations, and yet it doesn't look like I've done anything!

I sewed tags into textiles that had been cataloged by my volunteers, so I could move new textile donations that had been lying around on carts onto the rack in the Accessions Office. So I cleaned half of it off, and filled it right back up! (My new intern will have plenty to do come January!)

I am trying to get my workspace in order, because there is no place to work. Which sort of defeats the purpose of a "workspace" doesn't it?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all. Have a safe and happy holiday.

And I'll see you at the museum on FRIDAY for all of our Day After Thanksgiving activities!!

I did it!

I just verified my word count and became a 2008 NaNoWriMo WINNER!!!

I now have a complete draft of my very first novel. I love the way things came together in the end. Even things that I couldn't figure out seemed to work themselves out as I wrote. It was almost as if I took a backseat and just let the Muses type as they may. And I was astounded at how loose ends were tied up.

Now, that's NOT to say that the first draft is perfect. Far from it, really. The editing process will now begin. And that is no picnic.

But the important thing is I set my mind on a goal, and I achieved it. I HAVE A COMPLETE FIRST DRAFT! Woo hoo!

This novel has been in my head for a couple of years, and I am so glad to finally bring the entire thing into the world. My final word count was 52906, plus 16000 or so words I wrote before NaNo began. Bringing the grand total of the entire draft to 69047.

Unfortunately, I don't have a title yet. Which is a bit of a problem. I am waiting to hear what my sister, friend, and husband think it should be called when they finish reading the draft! Titles have never been my forte.

Here is the brief synopsis of the novel:

When her museum career is derailed by a scheming intern, Melinda Sinclair finds herself at a crossroads. Weary from battling her evil in-laws and mourning her lost relationship with her father, Mindy craves a quieter, simpler life. She revisits a childhood dream of opening a bed & breakfast, but it is hopelessly out of her reach. Or is it?

Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this crazy endeavor this month! (You know who you are!!)

And with any luck, I'll be sending out query letters in the not-too-distant future!

Bring Your Doll to Tea!

Another sweet doll currently on display in the Keller Gallery!

Preparations are falling into place for Tea with the Curator: "Bring Your Doll to Tea" on December 30 at 10:00 AM.

The hats came on Friday! They have big brims, which should be "fancy" for the kids to wear while they have their tea. We will have tulle, ribbons, and flowers available for participants to make their own hats!

We will make the hats first at a craft station, and then we will have our tea (and coffee or hot cocoa for those who don't want tea!). After that, we will read a children's story called Tea for Ruby by Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York (she knows a thing or two about taking tea!).

Following the story, we will go upstairs to the Keller Gallery exhibit A Doll's World to do a scavenger hunt. Then I will share some of my favorite dolls, and the kids can pick their favorites too!

It is going to be a fun event! Right now we are about half full, so if you'd like to sign up, please call 330-455-7043.

This tea is sponsored by Joyce Yut. Thanks Joyce!

Working on the collection

In the recent past and in the foreseeable future, I will either be attending meetings or cataloging artifacts. :-)

Here is the short list of what I've been up to:

• McKinley Day preparations have begun! This year we have decided to omit the speeches and will make the very moving Wreath Laying Ceremony the last program of the day. Letters have gone out inviting people to participate.
  
• We have had several meetings to try to determine the best plan for our proposed storage building. It is amazing that we have 26 acres on which to build, and yet there is no spot free of extra hassles! I think we made some progress today toward a plan that works for everyone.
  
• Split Rock has submitted their final design plan. Joyce has reviewed it, but I have yet to tackle it! I am looking forward to having this project completed. We have been working on it for so many years, it will be fantastic to actually see a new exhibit in that space!
• Collections work abounds. I have cataloged and photographed a large collection of embroidered and crocheted linens. And I have caught up on my volunteers' cataloging by numbering and photographing electric typewriters, vintage luggage, and a collection of bridal dolls. There is still a substantial backlog, but I am tackling it one donation and one day at a time.
  
• I have entered all of the photographs Sally has taken! Woo hoo! This is a big job done because she takes photos so fast, I am almost always behind.
  
• Looming in the near future are several things -- Day After Thanksgiving Activities, Holiday Open House, Open Hearth Dinner, and Tea with the Curator: "Bring Your Doll to Tea."
• Speaking of the doll tea, it has been one big hassle to get all the supplies for making hats! When I signed up as a non-profit for a wholesale account, I must have missed the part where it said you had to have a $100 minimum order! We had to order about twice as many hats as we will need for this tea, in order to get them at a good price. I know that sound nuts, but we think we will plan to do this again next year, so we are purchasing supplies for that in advance. (Make sense now? Good.)

All in all, I have been busy all day every day and at the end of the day I have very little to show for it.

On a personal note, I am doing NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) for the first time this year, and I am pleased to report that I am closing in on the goal of 50,000 words! I am currently just a tick over 46,000. I am hoping to finish up by this Sunday, because my in-laws will be in town for Thanksgiving and I don't want to be tied to the computer finishing a novel while they're here.

In case you are wondering, the novel takes place in a museum, but it is NOT based on anything that has really happened here! (And if you are out in cyberspace and can recommend an agent, I would love to hear from you! I am serious about finding a publisher for this novel and fulfilling a lifelong dream to publish my fiction!)

Tea with the Curator -- Mother's Little Helper

Yesterday we had another great Tea with the Curator!

Special thanks to Stephanie and all of her volunteers for another great event. And to Chris for taking pictures so I'd have something to share with you today!

Here are some highlights from "Mother's Little Helper":


The tables set, before guests arrive. (Note the background on the stage -- I blew that up on my plotter from a Christmas card!!)


Volunteers poured coffee for the non-tea drinkers.


Volunteers at the tea table.


Guests enjoying their tea.


Choosing tea is not easy! I am on the left, talking to Stephanie's mom. I chose Honey Vanilla Chamomile -- yum!

Here are some video clips from the program. I had a great audience -- they were ready to laugh at some of the vintage ads and commercials they saw! I reminded everyone that what seems so "normal" to us now, will seem just as silly and antiquated in a few decades!


Here I talk about cooking toys -- you won't believe what kids played with in the 1880s!


This Barbie promotion from 1972 sure got the audience's attention!

Our next Tea with the Curator will be "Bring Your Doll to Tea" on Tuesday December 30. We have a Train Workshop scheduled for the same time, so all members of the family can have something to do in the week between Christmas and New Year's! Pre-paid reservations can be made by calling 330-455-7043. Cost is $10 per person.

The Orb of Power

The whole gang at Great Escapes in Massillon

What a great time! The movie was awesome again this year. I'm sure all of the kids were thrilled to see themselves on the big screen!

And I was thrilled that I didn't make a total fool out of myself!

Here are some photos from the "world premiere":


Chris waiting to go in for his walk down the Red Carpet


Director Jim Gerren explaining what everyone had to do


The actors listen to their director one more time


Is he stylin' or WHAT??


Joey and Maria posing with the movie poster


Several staff members showed up, including Raelynn with her three daughters, and Stephanie with her husband John

In the following video, Chris thanks Jim and his crew for all of their hard work making this movie. You can also see the huge crowd that showed up -- at 11:00 PM!!




Everyone had a great time!

So THANK YOU once again to Jim and everyone at Nightwine Productions for yet another magnificent film! The kids love it -- and so do the grown-ups!!

Movie premiere Saturday night!!

THE WAIT IS OVER!

The McKinley Museum and the Orb of Power will premiere tomorrow night (November 15) at Great Escapes Theater in Massillon! The fun begins at 11:00 PM. The kids will walk the red carpet, followed by the world premiere on the big screen.

Thank you to Nightwine Productions for what I'm sure will be another GREAT movie!

Teddy Roosevelt visits McKinley National Memorial!

Joe Wiegand, creator of The Teddy Roosevelt Show, stopped by this week in the midst of his national tour to pay his respects to William McKinley (whose death paved the way for TR's rise to power, and as a result, what historians call "The Progressive Era" at the turn of the last century).

When I came out to the lobby, I knew right away this was Teddy Roosevelt. He looks just like him!

He has been touring the country this year, playing Teddy Roosevelt for all kinds of events. Last week he performed for President and Mrs. Bush in the East Room of the White House! And he told us that there is a portrait of President McKinley hanging in the East Room.

On his tour, Joe has visited many of the places where TR left his mark on America, including national parks, his home in Oyster Bay, and every place in between.

Joe was a super nice guy, and hopefully he will be able to come back and visit us again soon!

Guest book comments about dolls

A Madame Alexander doll from "The Sound of Music"

I just wanted to share two neat stories that were left in the guest book in the Keller Gallery exhibition A Doll's World.

"I got 'Nancy' when I was 3 (1943). I was taking her for a ride on my tricycle a year or so later and she fell off and skinned her nose. I still have her -- dressed in clothes my baby sister outgrew."

"When I was little I had a denim rag doll named 'Levi.' Levi went everywhere with me, even college!"

These are the types of comments that curators long to see in their guest books! It means that the exhibit resonated with these individuals, bringing up fond memories from the past.

I was just thrilled to see people leaving comments like this and wanted to share them here.

Plans coming together for Bring Your Doll to Tea!

I have to thank my fellow BellaOnline editors for their WONDERFUL ideas regarding the upcoming Tea with the Curator: "Bring Your Doll to Tea."

We are going to have a VERY fun craft! When they first get here for the tea, kids will get a hat that they can decorate themselves with ribbons and flowers! Then they can wear it and feel "prim and proper" as we have our tea! (or most likely for the little ones, hot chocolate!)

I have ordered a wonderful storybook to read to them about manners and tea, which is geared for kids ages 4-8.

After that, we will all go upstairs (wearing our hats!) for a tour of A Doll's World! The kids will get a chance to complete the scavenger hunt, and I will share some of my favorite dolls from the museum's collection. They will also be able to pick out their own favorite doll, and maybe even tell the group why they chose it.

If you are interested in signing up for this exciting new tea, call the museum at 330-455-7043. It will be December 30 at 10:00 AM -- when the kids are home on Christmas break! Hopefully a few new Christmas dolls will be able to join us!

This Tea is being sponsored personally by our Director Joyce Yut Thanks Joyce!!