A visit with the Fae Folk

Deep in the forest sites a simple little house. A not so perfect round house, very much like a pumpkin, orange in color. From the chimney, which is very much shaped like the stem of any ordinary pumpkin, light grey smoke casually  drifts off into the forest, dissipating almost instantly.Inside of this quaint little house, deep in the forest, lives three members of the Fae folk. Fae folk you may ask? Well my dear, Fae Folk are the fairies of the Irish forests.

Gooby, who is the youngest, is a darling of golden blond hair and sky blue eyes. When she smiles, which is often, her cheeks become rosy pink, not unlike the pink primroses that grow around this little house. Gooby loves to bake, and it is her, who the stove burns for and the smoke rises through the chimney. Chocolate chip cookies made with slivers of silver almonds await any and all who come to visit.

Sir William of the Snow, one of the bravest knights of the Fae Folk, spends his time now tending his garden. Sir William's hair is golden and silver grey eyes. Sir William is of a very serious nature, but when time allows, is the first to tease. With a sly, crooked smile, and a slight cock of his head, you wonder if you have been bested or not. Meandering and intertwined vines, heavy with deep purple reds and light green orbs, rest  upon  bent and crooked branches made into trellis. Green lettuce and sprawling potato plants promise a feast at harvest. However, Sir Williams greatest prize are his giant pumpkins, each one perfect in size and shape. It is these pumpkins that he spends his most time, guarding and protecting from others who would wish to snatch them away. These pumpkins are the gggggg grandchildren of the pumpkins that were grown over a 1000 years ago. The seeds each year are carefully harvested, dried, protected. Locked away in a secret, hidden chest, that only Sir William knows of the key. It is these pumpkins, that are carefully picked and cleaned that Gooby uses in her most delicious pumpkin pies.


Last but not least in this pumpkin shape house lives Dayla of the Day. A small sprite she is. Her golden brown hair rests on her shoulders, her eyes, large deep brown, filled with love and mirth. Dayla of the Day brings the beauty of the forest into their home. Dark green leaves are carefully picked and sewn into curtains for their windows. However, it is her tablecloths she is most famous for. Delicate petals of the flowers of the forests, primrose pinks, cardinal reds and stellar jay blues and  golden yellows are picked just as the dew of the morning, kisses each one in promise of a new day. Only picking the ones she needs and not being greedy, for a forest without any flowers is not place for the Fae Folk to be. Dayla of the Day, carefully chooses each small, delicate petal, and carefully sews with golden fairy thread. The only thread able to sew through flowers, to allow them to continue to be fresh and new, as with the first kiss of the morning dew.
It is in this house, deep in the forest, live the three Fae Folk. Unaware of time, stress and the constant rush to do more and be more. Today I wish I could live in the pumpkin shaped house, deep in the forest with the three Fae Folk. Tending a garden, sewing with golden fairy thread, and finishing it all off with chocolate chip cookies, with silver almonds. Care to join me?

Brown Recluse Spider-Be Careful!

Brown Recluse Spider - At this time of year, this is worth seeing. Show these pictures to your spouse, your kids, grand kids, and friends. It could 

save their lives. Remember what this Spider looks like and be careful while cleaning, as told below.

It's summertime & cleanup is going on. Be careful where you put your hands. They like dark spaces & woodpiles. Also cool areas in the attic   This guy was bitten by a Brown Recluse spider.   Day 3 The following illustrates the progression of a brown recluse spider bite. The affected skin actually dies on his body.  Day 5 Some of the pictures towards the end are pretty nasty, but take a look at the last one -- it is a picture of the spider itself.  Day 6 The Brown Recluse Spider is the most dangerous spider that we have here in the USA.  Day 9 A person can die from it's bite. We all should know what the spider looks like.   Day 10Send this around to people you love, because it is almost summertime. People will be digging around, doing yard work, spring cleaning, and sometimes in their attics.  The Dangerous Brown Recluse SpiderPlease be careful.  Spider bites are dangerous and can have permanent and highly negative consequences. They like the darkness and tend to live in storage sheds or attics or other areas that might not be frequented by people or light.  If you have a need to be in your attic, go up there and turn on a light and leave it on for about 30 minutes before you go in to do your work.

Dream Your Dreams

We all have dreams, some of them small, some of them huge. No matter what, we should never give up on those dreams. There will be naysayers and those who will tell you you can't. But its those, who should give us the most inspiration to persevere and full fill those dreams.
I am working on creating a history presentation for 1912. There is so much information to share and finding the right combination of facts and fun, is frustrating. However, my biggest road block right now is having the faith in myself to bring this to an audience. Many of you may have watched the following video, but it is inspiring, empowering no matter how many times you watch it. If this woman, filled with the belief in herself,could take her dream to an audience what is stopping the rest of us from making dreams a reality.
Happy Friday and keep dreaming..........
Share your dreams and watch them unfold.........................................

Dream Your Dreams (Click Here to Watch This Video)

Introducing the Blanche behind Blanche's Place

 It is my pleasure to introduce you to Blanche Burton,  the namesake for Blanche's Place and my introduction to living history.


Born in Ireland in 1859, Blanche, like so many from the Emerald Isle, flooded to America in hopes of a better life.


Settling in the East, it appeared as if Blanche would live happily ever after, with her husband and two beautiful children.


Unfortunately, Blanche's life would be filled with tragedy. Blanche and her husband divorced in the 1880s. Shortly afterwards, her son was killed in an explosion. Blanche did the only thing she thought she could do with her young daughter. She placed the girl in the protective care of nuns at a convent and headed West. One must remember, there were few options open to women at the time, especially, for a  divorced Irish woman with a small child.

Blanche arrived in Colorado City, Colorado, around 1889. Established in 1859,Colorado City, served as a supply town for the gold/silver mines in the South Park Mining District. As most supply towns at the time, Colorado City, had its fair share of saloons and brothels. Colorado Springs, established in 1872, and located a few miles to the East, was dry, so any and all came to Colorado City for entertainment and refreshment.

It didn't take long for Blanche to show up in the newspaper. Unfortunately it was in the police records, having been arrested for running a house of ill repute. Blanche, ever crafty, found a loop hole, releasing her of the charges. Afterall, how could she be running a house of ill repute when she was working out of a tent?

Shortly after,  news of a gold strike west of Colorado City, was causing great excitement. The world's richest gold camp, Cripple Creek, Colorado, was turning carpenters into millionaires over night.

Blanche decided it was time to pack up her tent and head up Ute Pass to the gold fields of Cripple Creek.

When Blanche arrived in Cripple Creek, she met  Bob Womack, who had discovered gold.Bob suggested she set up her tent in what was known as Poverty Gulch, which really is no indication of the wealth in the area. Although Bob discovered gold, he did not reap  the benefits, dieing penniless, in his sister's boarding house.


Business was good with all of those hard working miners. Business was so good in fact, Blanche moved down  onto the main part of town and opened her own brothel above one of the saloons on Bennet Avenue.  Blanche became the first madam of Cripple Creek!


As with any gold town in its infancy, there were very few laws and the need to enforce them.  As  proper women moved into the camps, they pushed for laws to keep the working girls off of the streets. In time it was decreed that all of the  "girls" would be moved one  block South to Myers Avenue. Blanche at this time was 30 and considered well seasoned for her profession. She decided it was time to retire and move back to Colorado City.


She moved into a small house along the avenue and listed herself in the city directory as a dress maker.


Blanche became well known for her generous heart. Although her finances were slim, she always found  extra to help out the less fortunate. She accumulated  a varied assortment of pets, as she was always taking in strays and abused animals.


 Forces dedicated in saving the masses from themselves, and the methods they used reached epic proportions. In 1909, the entire red light district went up in flames. Although, many of the more prosperous establishments rebuilt, this forced many others out of business or to move away.


Although Blanche was retired and worked to help others, she still experienced the wrath of the righteous. Shortly before the fire in the red light district, she experienced a fire herself, which consumed her barn. She lost her prized driving horse as well as her pet dog, and narrowly escaped  herself.


A few months later, Blanche was at home, sitting at her desk next to an open window, when suddenly and unexpectedly, her oil lamp was knocked over, the oil spilling onto her dress and exploding into flames. Blanche ran out into the street, her screams of agony bringing two constables who were patrolling the area to her side. They used the snow from the ground where she was laying to put on the fire. They then carefully carried her back to her home. As news of the incident spread, Mamie Rodgers, the Queen of the Red Light District, ran to Blanche's side. In her dying breath, Blanche asked Maime to contact her daughter  in Illinois. Blanche died before she was able to tell exactly where her daughter lived. There was no money for a funeral, because just the evening before, Blanche  purchased a ton of coal for a destitute family.


Blanche was laid to rest three days before Christmas on December 22, 1909. Maime Rodgers paid for her funeral.


Blanche remained unmarked until 1989 when Charles Henderson, former mayor of Colorado Springs took a fancy to those ladies. Thanks to the assistance of the Rotary club, Blanche was finally given a gravestone 80 years after her death.

Pioneer Madam

Blanche Burton

1859-1909

The sins of the living are not of the dead

The quote is from another well known Colorado madam's stone, Mollie May of Leadville, Colorado.

New Beginnings in 2012!

So what are your 2012 New Year's Resolutions? For the first time in a long time, I don't feel a need to make a resolution-to resolve, or change anything in my life.Being filled with gratitude for my family and the relationships I am blessed with through Blanche's Place.

  I began Blanche's Place over a decade ago to feed my  addiction to historic reenacting.Since 19, I have ventured into entrepreneur endeavors, so owning my own business was very enticing. I can not sew and couldn't afford to go to the great expense of having a custom outfit created for each event (Ladies, we all know we can't wear the same outfit twice!) I had a ready audience. Ladies, like myself, who could not sew or did not have the time to sew a new outfit, but wanted something nice to wear to an event, that  they didn't have to mortgage the ranch for. In additional, I had two small children still at home. I didn't want to work full time an being able to bring is money doing something I was great at and most importantly loved doing, then so much the better.

 Being involved in reenacting and living history competitions, I know how overwhelming it can be for those just starting out. There is so much information out there, and not always correct information, in addition making wrong choices can be very expensive, and I don't know about you, but I surely can't afford to have outfits hanging out in my closet taking up space!

2012 will see the relaunching of Blanche's Place. In this relaunching process, I am stepping  aside as the chief cook and bottle washer, and stepping out of my "home based business" mindset and opening myself to work with a team. BP is in the process of being redesigned, using the talents of Mr. Shawn, I was fortunate to meet in a mastermind group. I have hired Cathi Harli with Suzanne Evans, as my business coach, assisting me in taking BP to that next level. From the beginning, I wanted more than just a click, buy, ship business. I wanted a business, that of course sold products, but also one that  served my customers.


 This process of relaunching will not happen overnight. Its a journey I am very excited to be taking and I hope you will take it with me.So maybe in the long run I am making a resolution! I resolve to not only sell you the items you need, but also to serve you. I would love to hear your comments and suggestions of how Blanche's Place can be of service to YOU?

 - Do you need help in putting together an outfit or set of outfits for a re-enactment for you and your family?
-Are you new to reenacting and you just don't know where to start?

Email us with your ideas and suggestions and how Blanche's Place can serve YOU!