Author Archives: Susan Rink
My studio day with Cyndi
If I’ve learned nothing else during my five decades on this planet, I’ve learned how to recognize an amazing opportunity when I see it. So when Cyndi Souder invited me to spend a day in her quilt studio, I didn’t hesitate for a second.
In a bind…a ‘Zig-Zag’ bind
I love to design and piece my quilts, but I hate sewing on the binding. I may have found the perfect solution for quilters like me. My first attempt, however, was less than successful.
Hannah Ellen Frantz and ‘The Mysterious Mr. Merriman’
I met Hannah Ellen Frantz last June in the Vital Records department of the Butler County Courthouse in Butler, Pa. and I haven’t been able to get her out of my thoughts since.
Marmalade Daze
Ever since I was a kid, I have valued hand-made and homemade gifts. Forget your Macy’s gift cards and your Land’s End slippers, if you want to make me happy, give me something that you have taken the time and effort to make by hand.
Filling in the blanks in your family history
When researching your family history, it’s easy to overlook some of your most valuable information sources: your elderly relatives. The approaching holiday season provides an excellent opportunity to interview your grandparents and great-grandparents about your family’s origins.
Pinterest turns everyone into Martha Stewart
With Pinterest, even the most domestically challenged of us can transform ourselves into the ultimate Domestic Diva. Our fantasies of a Martha Stewart lifestyle, surrounded by chalk painted vintage dressers, mercury glass votives and gorgeous, one-of-a-kind holiday centerpieces are made possible, thanks to the ease of setting up a Pinterest Board.
Today’s genealogy breakthrough: My great-great grandmother Susan Rotrock
One of the most challenging aspects about researching a family tree online (as opposed to, say, having a family member give you information) is that it isn’t always possible to trace back the maternal side of the generation, since women would relinquish their maiden names when they married. Sometimes there are clues in the first or middle names of their children, but not always.
The Buttermilk Dilemma
For me, cooking is all about improvisation. But baking is tricky (all that pesky chemistry) and it isn’t always possible to substitute ingredients without sacrificing the end product.
Everyday Discoveries 