Hi! So nice to meet you! My name is Alaina. “What?!” You say, who is Emma Marie then? I shall tell you. I wanted to start this little blog and I didn’t just want to do my name, I love my name but I wanted to do something a little chicer, a little different, something with a little sparkle to it. While still ruminating on a name for my blog I was listening to an audio book by Jessica Herrin, founder of Stella and Dot. The name Stella and Dot was derived from her grandmothers’ names. That struck a chord within me. Family is very important to me, and I am especially close with my grandma. I started thinking about my grandmother’s name. Velma is my grandmother on my father’s side and while I love her dearly, well, lets just say Velma didn’t have exactly the ring I was going for. But her middle name is Marie. Ooh, I like that, a lot.
Then there is my maternal grandma. Her name is Luemma. An aside; she was named Helen at her birth but she abhorred that name so when she turned eighteen she changed it! Luemma is a mouthful and doesn’t need anything added to it, but Emma? Yes!
As I thought about the name, I realized that the essence of these two women epitomized what I hope to cover on this blog. Velma Marie was the quintessential 1950’s housewife. I say that with all the love and respect in the world, look up perfect 1950s housewife and you will see her picture! The last of five children, she grew up in the 30’s as a little farm girl in Iowa. After high school she went on to major in Home Economics at Iowa state university, ultimately obtaining her Mrs. degree in a union that lasted over 71 years!
Luemma, I never had the privilege of knowing. But here is what I do know about her: she could sing and yodel. Neither of these talents did she pass on to any of her five children. In addition to being a mother she was also a teacher. She then became the sole provider for her family when my grandfather died. She rose to the challenge and raised those five children, all between the ages of 7-13, on her own in the turbulent era of the 1960s.
From these two women I believe I draw a lot of what brings me joy. My love of “housekeeping,” if you will, I draw from my grandma Velma Marie, I love to cook, bake, decorate, and create any variety of things from jewelry to wooden signs. From my grandma Luemma I derive my love of history, reading, learning, and teaching. She passed down to my mother the importance of looking ones best no matter the budget.
These traits and interests sum up what I will primarily talk about here; anything from books to housekeeping, decorating to fashion, history to DIY. It is my hope that these little posts will inspire you and bring you joy. I hope that sitting down to read for a few minutes will feel like a deep breath of fresh air for your soul. I know they will certainly bring me joy to create them for you!