BARBIEOLDNEWGREENREDO--JUST A GRANNY HAVING FUN WITH DOLLS< DIORAMAS STORIES AND DIY

Windy City Barbie Doll Collectors Meeting: Pajama Party

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On top of everything else going on--I was host for the March "Pajama Party" Meeting for our doll club, which got moved to last night, March 16. It was Bittersweet as our venue in Northlake, Illinois is sold after 30 years of meeting there. 

Best of luck to the Perry family in their new life and thanks for the memories, delicious food and great service!

Windy City will be looking for a new place to meet, not an easy task when you are non-profit and a social club.

WE HAD SO MUCH FUN, THOUGH!!! 

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I made some back drops of bedrooms for everyone to display their dolls and furniture ---Enjoy the eye candy, 1960 Barbies to today, Silkstones and American Girl...just about everything you can imagine was brought by our members and guests. 

Many members arrived in PJ's, comfy clothes, slippers and even curlers.

Enjoy!

My Richelle says: Welcome everyone, set yourselves down anywhere you can!

Many doll pets traveled to the meeting too!

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Mattel's American Girls enjoyed an adorable trundle bed and lots of accessories. The owner had matches star pajamas(left) and matching robe to the right girl on....so cute!

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A collection of Silkstones lounged in some beautiful bedroom furniture. I didn't catch the name of...but well...

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Definitely worth having a few cocktails in! Check out that Harrod's tote!

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More cute vintage furniture! The three dolls in back are dressed the same in different colors...so cute!


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We had a DUDE backdrop, but it became coed anyway.

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My Gerard enjoyed lounging and of course some 'GO BEARS' Pillows! He has a Mickey Mouse pajama set on.

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Love this vintage table set! 
Check out those Kens' outfits!
the shelving unit was filled with everything you could imagine: toys, games, books, and more.

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Quite a few Suzy Goose pieces showed up...and lots of great dolls in pj's.

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Here's a Brunette number 3, Midge and another vintage Barbie  in the vintage nighties. The furniture was amazing!

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Sorry this photo is so fuzzy, we were all trying to take photos. The bathtub is a table prize from the 22 convention held in Rosemont we helped host. Bubbles and everything.  Cute Vintage Skipper!

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Aren't these kids adorable, they were having a giggle fest on my grand's doll bed!

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Lovely nightgown on this girl!

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Everyone was admiring this light up vanity set. Check out the fur on those PJ's and the vintage Midge, too...!

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"I don't think we are going to get ANY sleep tonight!"
"Nope!"

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Lots of stuffed animals, cozy pj's, and giggles!


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Girl on the right...had hotdogs, hamburgers, treats, books, and a great outfit plus her roll up sleeping bag. Check out the Minions flannels and cute PJ's and slippers on the left. So many cute beds, chairs and sofas.

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Three vintage Bubble Cuts with matching PJS in different colors. and Love the bed and puppies too. It definitely was a full house of Barbie's and friends.
Love the lamp, we forgot to turn it on!


Everyone had a piece of scrumptious BARBIE Birthday Cake for March, but...

"When's the Pizza coming!"


PS: I'll do another post about the backdrops that I made at my son's house. I'm still there, hopefully the remediation on our home will be done tomorrow or Monday. Today is day 20....yikes, who knew it would take so long!

The dumpster outside our house still has room in it...for all that stuff I have to go through soon as I get home! 

If you enjoyed this post please follow this blog by blogger or FOLLOW IT which you will find in the upper right hand corner of this page. 


Thanks always for visiting. 
I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.


I will be sharing at these fine Parties!





All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown. Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

Sandi






I won't be able to post much for awhile....it started with Ice

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I've always tried to have a positive, helpful spin on all my posts. Family dramas and sadness have been left out. This post was a disaster that could have been prevented. We were complacent and overlooked the possibility of what eventually happened. 

Within the last 15 years we had finished our basement, putting in a grid plastic with  plywood subfloor and finished most of the 1400 sqft with laminate flooring or sheet goods. The walls were finished with wainscoting or wallboard and in my craft room-heavy pegboard above wallboard.  

WE had two sump pumps and just had a new water filtration system,  new furnace,  new electrical to 200 amps and sewer/plumbing upgraded last year.  We had an unused generator in the garage---buried in the garage.

The storm all started with rain on February 23, then ICE. Thursday we had a nasty winds and ice, like much of the Midwest all the way to the East. It was moderate in our area, with continuous on/off rain. We used to be on the tail-end of a power grid which means you get fixed last if the power goes out. About 15 years ago a new subdivision was built to the west and COM-ED redid all the power grids in the area. After that we seldom had any outages and usually for only a few hours or sometimes minutes.

We hadn't had any water issues in the basement after we did a roof extensions, new gutter systems, and regrading of the yard.

We thought we were ready with candles, lighter, flashlights so if we lost power. We had water in a pitcher. I figured we could ride out a power outage. Power out at 7:30 PM, 9:00pm we were playing cards by camping light, and I could hear chirping---a plug in sensor with battery back up was chirping in the basement. I went and pulled it out and replaced the battery and walked all through the basement which was fine, nothing amiss. We went to sleep---apparently we had over and 1-1/2" of rain in-between the ice build-up that night. Some 10 large limbs and large branches crashed down in the yard. ALL but one was from neighbor's trees, only one was from one of our trees, which we actually had trimmed last year.

Here are some photos of the basement rooms as they were completed a few years back.

Family Recreation room:

The room is for my Hubby and family time filled with antiques, collectibles from family and little features like this lighted nook above a glass doored cabinet

Luckily the couches are cotton denim and I managed to lift up the skirt high enough it really didn't get wet and dried very quickly. The covers will all be washed when the weather is nice enough to hang them out, and then you put them back on slightly damp.

This table I featured in a redo post, is handy and all the legs were high enough so nothing got wet.

I have an antique trunk of my Grandmother's when she came from Denmark in 1921. It's on huge wheels, so its safe. Other pieces are all on wheels or were put up quickly.

Our finished woodsy/fishing decor-

This freezer is okay...but the wall behind it will be totally removed.

My craft doll room:

The new doll houses we will try and remove tonight. With their extensions they are a little tricky. All the decor has already been carefully boxed up with the help of my family and sorted.

The sink has been removed, the corner desks are dismantled, I'm hoping the cabinet on the left (empty vickie's vintage) can stay (its on wheels.) We will take down the table or use it to hold things, this room is 12 feet wide at its widest point so we have 4' in the middle to put things. I'll wrap everything in plastic or have someone do it.

This was taken in January...for the doll Mystery story.

I had consolidated this wall on Sunday, now I WILL have to take everything and box it up, and everything below already upstairs in the extra bedroom or on the porch.

My shipping shop:(shop is closed at the moment)

I had 8 bins and too many cardboard boxes and shipping supplies in this room, we already removed. I still have a huge shelving unit of supplies and smalls boxed to remove or find a sliver of floor to put it.

Here is a good shot of my gorgeous floors, vinyl laminate, I loved it!

My ETSY shop storage, the numbers are for keeping track where an item is stored. Only thing I lost in this room were paper products, (the suitcases safe and sound and up on a shelf unit. Plastic bins, shelving units and tubs are the only way to go. This room is only 6 feet wide, so everything will leave even items on the wall.

THE STORAGE ROOM: this is the disaster room!

I have quite few metal shelving units in here---but they are jam packed. Forty years of doing art shows really needs to be weeded out. Also left overs from my 10 years as a shop owner---I really need to let all these things go!

This is an older photo, but you can see the sub-floor with the unfinished surface here, but most things are up---or in plastic, safe and sound from 2" of water.

My husband's office, I have no photos of---everything in there was in plastic or on shelves, the entire wall closet is full of holiday and entertaining items---which may have to be removed yet.

Laundry/canning: I don't have photos---but its has plastic shelving. This is the area nearest the sump pumps and well tank, and where the black mold was found. A wall will have to be removed here...UGH! 

Back to the DISASTER!

Friday the 24th morning-power still out, I'm at the optometrist the the talking about the outages---and the Doc said his neighbor had 6" of water in the basement from a sump pump failure. 

I immediately called home in the middle of my exam and hubby checked, we had 2-3 inches in the entire basement. I got home in a half hour and waded around rescuing anything that needed to be up. I went upstairs to the bathroom. I heard when the power kicked back on and the  two sump pumps overloaded the pipes all the way to the sewer (110 feet)away and then began to backup, I was right above where the pipes exit the home. But, the back up was with force, splattered all over and the counters full because, it filled the two sinks, and even entered the dishwasher which was full of dishes. (The dishwasher is okay and now serviced and sanitized.)

But have you ever done dishes in hot water with Lysol and bleach? I soaked our dishes from the dishwasher in that and then washed again and super hot rinse. Any textured plastics were thrown away (ie.cutting boards, glasses.

Luckily I got the icky water off the wood counters and bleached immediately. They will need to be sanded and reoiled. We had just oiled a month ago---so most was protected, only where there was scraping wear. I never prepare food on the sink side counters. Everything is done on the island.

NOTE: Our sumps are strictly used for rain water run off from around the foundation which is pretty clear, but this was YUCKY backup from all the pipes going forward! All this happened in about 2-3 minutes. 

Hubby walked in the door and the main floor kitchen floor was covered with sewer silt, and BLACK water splattered everywhere. So now we had two levels of disaster.

HERE are a few suggestions for a positive spin on this post.

1: Have your generator checked each year, primed and gas ready nearby and a fresh spark plug on hand. OURS wouldn't start and was not  accessible without extreme chaos. We can't even remember when it was last used.

2: Pull out the plug on the extra sump pump (if you have two) during an outage, it may overload your drainage capacity if they both kick on to remove 2" x 1400 sq. feet=that's 233 cubic feet of water, yep I used a calculator and my son is in boilers and pumps. This is conservative, because it was up to 3" in some areas.

3: REALLY Consider a battery back up system for sump pumps. Better yet, have a generator available for at least that. Of course if you need to run a furnace, freezers, refrigerator, water pump (wells) you will need a much larger generator system. With the continued insane weather issues we all are suffering through, this is definitely a thought for homeowners, even renters if you are allowed.

4:OUR FAULT: Now you are going to say in your head, what about insurance? Our insurance has a rider system. Hubby hadn't updated it since we did the floors, so we had 5K$ ceiling on a sump-pump failure. No wonder every time there are power failures the streets are piled high with furniture, carpeting and walls, floors, and no repair trucks.

GOING FORWARD

The Sanitation estimate from the insurance recommended company was $30K....not counting removing everything in the basement all at once. And nothing on repairing or replacing. We settled for the full 5K and are jobbing out to small local companies what we can't do ourselves.

But, we started with help from friends and family---got half way through and hit some serious OLD BLACK mold, which had been treated years ago and then fired up again with the new water. I reacted immediately upstairs and had to leave the house. We are now on day 7 and still waiting on estimates to remove the rest of everything, haul all the flooring and some walls, and ruined items (luckily we got most things up---since it was only 2-3" of water. (Moving Company will come on March 6-7). We are waiting on the sanitation company to have the entire basement treated for MOLD. Dishwasher was serviced yesterday under warrantee and is good to go---the service man even sanitized it for us. All our appliances are now all from ABT and we can't say enough good things about them or their services.

I had to move to my son's house once the black mold was exposed, I'm horribly allergic to mold. Medications weren't enough to keep me breathing even through a super-duper mask.

PLUSES ++++++++++

Dishwasher was serviced yesterday under warantee and is good to go---the service man even sanitized it for us. All our appliances are now all from ABT and we can't say enough good things about them or their service team.

+ Our water heater is okay, but had to be serviced $110, +furnace is good, Freezer is fine, +pumps are good, +water treatment system is good,  +no electrical was damaged, as all electrical was installed waist or counter top HIGH.  +Furniture may be fine, but we will evaluate that---later. Everything is on legs, even the cabinets. The oak desk is the only one saturated below-and it is so big, it may leave permanently.

TIP 4: We will increase the rider on insurance to cover sump pump failure as well as install a generator for basic household functions, (when we can). Seriously 30k to clear 1400 square feet plus more $$$$ for removal of everything first. And, you must leave a 4-foot clearance from the walls.

TIP 5: No more procrastinating, I will downsize, sell, donate anything that is excess that is in pulled out of the house. 

Where we are on DAY 6. We have upstairs, the enclosed porch and a 10x10 tent unit set up to put things.  Seriously, I'm not going to live long enough to use all the supplies or do the projects I have stashed. Family items have been gone through in the past, but I will go through all those bins again, too! And, we will have a fabulous sale in my ETSY shop when I am able to get it up and running if I ever get my house back in order first. 

We still don't know what this will all cost---still waiting on estimates, still on DAY 7! So far we have spent at least $700 on tubs, totes, plastic bags, Bleach--cleaning supplies, gloves, masks, a durable tent, (floor for the tent) and heavy duty rugs for the front door and back door. I know I will have to have the new rug in the living room cleaned, I may just roll it up and clean it on the patio in spring.

Personally, I can deal with problems, but I hate dealing with UNKNOWNS!

THIS TOO, SHALL PASS! 


I HOPE YOU are READY FOR a

 FLOODING EPISODE?

Stay tuned, tomorrow I will take photos of the stacks of rubbish and the outside, and have hubby take photos of basement (before the movers and sanitation experts are here.) 

If you enjoyed (LOL) this post please follow this blog by blogger or FOLLOW IT which you will find in the upper right hand corner of this page. 



Thanks always for visiting. 
I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.


I will be sharing at these fine Parties!





All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown. Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

Sandi


Warning PG-13 and the CREEPIES, photos for those who love a bit of GHOULISH. WARNING PG-13

AD-FREE  This POST NOT PG

OUT Takes for Mature PG-13 audience for the Mystery.



HERE the couple are cozy under their blanket as the saxophone player wails into heaven?




Fully dressed in 1920's Glam-glam!


How about a little kiss, Mizzy?




The ten foot stole, blanket,  and trombone removed...and the couple in full embrace!



Holding hands forever!

These were just for the cycle of the story, and of course for the Forensic reports.

FULL STORY here:



Authors Note: I'm fighting eye strain at the moment, hence the delays. It seems this blogger can't work on miniatures and computers 16 hours a day without getting eye strain, so I have to give my eyes a rest when needed.

If you enjoyed this post(s), please join me by email- at FOLLOW IT---in the upper right hand corner of this blog.

I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions or products shown, or from where I shop. 







Chicago Love Story 1923 Mizz Ami Jeanine Sabatier


I'm Teresa for In Your Neighborhood and EyeWitness News.

Teresa: Tonight we bring you Ami Jeanine Sabatier's story in her own words. The following program includes a drama based on the journal writings of Ami beginning in 1923 by the NorthWestern Drama Department

 Our Chicago Love Story began in June of 1923. A seventeen-year-old Creole girl arrived in Chicago via train from New Orleans. Her bags held a few dresses, an empty journal, and her soul filled with music. More than anything, Miss Sabatier wanted to sing on the stage.


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Journal entry, June 17, 1923, Chicago at last

Ami: I sat for an hour waiting for someone to answer the door at 1375. I was clearly in the right place in Chicago, but no one seemed at home.

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I will try again! BANG, BANG! 
I didn't think it became this hot here in Chicago. 

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Hours later, an Appointment only? But, I have an appointment for today. BANG!

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And later, SOMEONE, is ANYONE THERE! Oh, my it's hot! I need to sit for a  time. 

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I had to rest, to think, and I dozed off, until someone had their hand on my head.... What!!!!

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Tall Man: Mizzz, wake up---you can't sleep here!

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I lashed out, startled by a tall stranger with the softest brown eyes. He backed away quickly, just as my kick missed him. Ma-ma  taught me well, I know how to take care of myself.

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Go Away! Please, leave me alone.

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Tall Man: Well Mizz, who are you waiting for? It's dusk now and customers will be coming. You can't sit or sleep here.

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Are you lost, may I help you? I play the sax, are you a musician?

Ami: (I couldn't place his drawl...so different from the whispered Creole from New Orleans. And he has an attitude.) 

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Ami: I sing a little---my uncle sent me here. He said I would have more opportunities to sing with his friend, Mr. Carney. But, no one is here...sniff, and I've been here all day...sniff-- and the train ride was horrible! I'm so tired and hot!

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Why does no one answer?

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Tall Man: Mizzy, you don't know about the buzzer, it's right here behind the bush. One long and three short---for thirteen. The first two numbers of this address.

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Ami: Oh....I never saw, I've just been knocking and banging on the door. 

Tall Man: Mizzy, the buzzer is the only way in. Mr. Dan has a Speak Easy in the lower level, that's how anyone safely enters.

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Ami: Well, I never! One long and three short, THERE.

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''

I thank you, Mr. Saxophone man and I'm sorry for almost kicking you. I'm Ami Jeanine Sabatier, and I'm going to sing, here in Chicago. I know I will.

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Sax Man: I'm Sonnie Louis Wright and perhaps we will make music together. You can call me Sax-man, if you wish.

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Just then a gorgeous red-haired lady appeared from the door with wine bottles on ice. Her blue dress and jewelry shimmered in the late afternoon light. She was so fine.

Mrs. Carney: I'm Delores, you must be that Amy girl my Dan said was coming from, well on the train from somewhere.

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Ami: New Orleans, Ma'm. I'm Ah-Mee Sabatier, and I'm here to sing, right here in Chicago.

Well, honey right now I need a hostess for a private party. All you have to do is keep glasses filled and bring them something to eat now and then. Do you have another dress? Can you do that?  I don't let any hanky-panky go on around here, understand? That's all the rules there are. 

Ami: Um, I do have another dress, not as fine as yours. I can help, just like I helped my pa-pa. But, my uncle told me you would help me be a singer.

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Delores: Well, Honey, not tonight. You have the looks for sure. If your pipes are as beautiful as you are, you will be very busy working. But, right now, I need serving help and Sonnie, you show Ah-mee to Room 3. Then get dressed and set up your band together on the main floor.

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Sonnie: Of course, Mrs. C....follow me, Ah-mee to your new digs.

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Delores: Better hurry, we have a customers arriving.

Ami: Delores waved at the car full of 'clients' as we went into the Carney Talent Agency/Speak Easy. What an exciting place. But, upstairs it was even hotter than the sidewalk. 


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Upstairs I took a breath, then there was a knock on my the room door. He walked in before I could even answer.

Daniel: Hello and welcome to the Carney Talent Agency, Miss Sabatier. We are pleased to have you here in our little establishment. I hope the room is satisfactory. However, sometimes you may have to share it.

Surprised I said, "With whom? I'm not that kind of lady, Sir."

Daniel: Oh, no...we do none of that here. Perhaps another young lady such as your self, a musician or singer for a day or two. We handle many acts that are of...color or mixed bloods, and finding places to stay close to where they will be working is sometimes a problem. So, we have them stay here. We are one very large musical family.


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Ami: Hmmmm. Of course that I had no problem sharing a room with anyone female. (Just to be clear, I must learn the ways of Chicago.)

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Daniel: Are your cheeks always that red? Perhaps you had too much sun, I suppose. Delores said you were waiting for hours. The front vestibule to this building is sound-proofed, so no sound goes in or out. That way we don't disturb anyone when we are entertaining our customers.

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You are very lovely though! Can you really sing?

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Stand up and turn around for me. Hmmmm..that's a lot of hair. The girls in Chicago are wearing their hair short.

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Great legs, how old are you?

I replied, I'm seventeen and eighteen in August. My hair will stay this way, always long, and of course I can sing. 

(I didn't sit on a train for two days to get here  and wait on tables.)

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(I don't know what he thought about me after that, Mr. Dan just sat quietly while I sang an old Creole ballad saying nothing.)

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(I sobbed) I know, you want to send me back. I'm not right for this place.

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Carney: Oh my, sweet girl, I think you are very young. With some classes, a little polish, some new clothes, we will have you Chicago stage ready in no time. I promise. 

(He shook his finger at me, and said,) And, you have a great set of pipes, we just need to work on your low-notes.

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Ami: Thank you, Mr. Dan. I know I can use some help on my lower register. My papa has told me time and time again...breathe.

Daniel: Get yourself cleaned up, borrow some powder from my Missus, and we will see you downstairs in the lower level in say a half-an-hour. 

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I'll send in a dress in of Delores' that will do for tonight, and tomorrow you two can go shopping! And, all tips go to the house and are split between all the help---so every job here gets rewarded! I will see you downstairs. 

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Suddenly, I was all alone in a new place, with different customs and some language I didn't understand. Mr. Daniel was dashing and a fast talker. But, he has kind eyes and I must make this work. 

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Looking in the mirror I could see my cheeks were flaming red---from the sun. Gran Mer would scold me so. I slathered cream on to calm my fiery skin, and rubbing hope into my soul.

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Mr. Dan said I had a great pipes. (Then I lowered my voice and said,)
Mr. Dan said
 I had a great
PIPES!

Journal, I have begun my future in Chicago 
and I'm on my way to
the STAGE!

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 Teresa: What a wonderful story. Ami in her own words. This dress, was found in the hidden room, and the white ermine stole worn by Ami and very well preserved. The 1920's music covers are prints of some of the actual music found in Sonnie's folder on the table along with what appears to be original jazz compositions and arrangements.  

Teresa: Channel 7 wants to thank the Drama Department at Northwestern and for the University of Chicago archives for bringing to life the couple and with the translations of many passages in Ami's journal. 

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Our next episode, 8 will explore the careers of Ami Jeanine Sabatier's rise to Chicago songstress and the musician or Sax Man, Sonnie Louis Wright.

(To be continued)
Here are all the posts on this storyline. 


Authors Note: I'm fighting eye strain at the moment, hence the delays. It seems this blogger can't work on miniatures and computers 16 hours a day without getting eye strain, so I have to give my eyes a rest when needed.

If you enjoyed this post(s), please join me by email- at FOLLOW IT---in the upper right hand corner of this blog.

I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions or products shown, or from where I shop.