Heirloom Registry Scavenger Hunt: ‘A grown-up scavenger hunt focused on celebrating…heirlooms and antiques’

Feb27 by Houstory Publishing

Houstory’s Heirloom Registry Scavenger Hunt is next week. Are you ready to take advantage of your chance to win more than $500 in great prizes?

For those interested in genealogy, family history, family heirlooms, historic preservation or antiques, it should be a lot of fun. For more on the hunt, including a schedule, visit the official scavenger hunt page.

Make sure to follow Houstory at Facebook and Twitter (#HoustoryHunt) for current scavenger hunt updates. In the meantime, here are few comments from those involved in the hunt. Houstory thanks all the sponsors and participants!

“When Houstory asked me to participate in his Scavenger Hunt, of course I said yes. What genealogist doesn’t love a scavenger hunt? It’s what we do, except I’m doing the hiding this time.” — Caroline Pointer, founder, 4YourFamilyStory.com

“Be it a flour sifter, slide rule, quilt or grandfather clock, preserve the story of your precious heirlooms with HeirloomRegistry.com. It’s easy to order the registry stickers, then snap pics and upload to this innovative site. I won’t always be around to tell the history of our family pieces. My 8-year-old grandson can search by the registry number and read about his second great grandmother’s red ceramic pitcher just like that!” — Pat Richley-Erickson, author of the DearMYRTLE Genealogy Blog

“The Heirloom Registry takes documenting family keepsakes into the 21st century with its simple and inexpensive method for recording heirloom histories. It’s a perfect fit for the mission of The Family Curator blog – ‘Preserving and Sharing Our Family Treasures’ – and I am delighted to help share this great program with readers of my blog through the Heirloom Registry Scavenger Hunt.” – Denise Levenick, The Family Curator

“We are thrilled to be participating in this special event. What’s not to love about a grown-up scavenger hunt focused on celebrating, researching and preserving heirlooms and antiques? It’s an honor for us to be one of the ‘stops’ in this adventure, which includes so many companies we admire for their devotion to helping people learn from and commemorate the history of their own lives.”– Antoinette Rahn, Antique Trader editor

“Isn’t genealogy just one big scavenger hunt? So if you enjoy ‘the hunt’ like I do, take a break from your family history research and try your hand at this fun online activity. Who knows? You could win something that will help take your genealogy to the next level!” – Thomas MacEntee, founder of GeneaBloggers

“We hope being part of the Heirloom Registry Scavenger Hunt will inspire family historians to preserve information about those treasured objects.” — Diane Haddad, managing editor with Family Tree Magazine

“I’m excited to participate in this fun hunt that will get people excited about their family history, help them learn more about The Heirloom Registry and give them opportunities to win great prizes.” – Janet Hovorka, President Utah Genealogical Association, author of Zap The Grandma Gap

“We at Flip-Pal mobile scanner are enthusiastic about giving people greater opportunities to easily capture and share their memories. Sponsoring The Heirloom Registry Scavenger Hunt is a great pairing—not only to easily capture your memories—but then saving your scans in a safe place for future generations to use.” – Diane Miller, Genealogy Account Manager for Flip-Pal mobile scanner

“I am passionate about helping people explore their personal history and that of their house or local town. The Heirloom Registry is committed to preserving the stories behind those histories. Partnering with Houstory on the scavenger hunt was a fun way to get genealogists and historians involved in recording family and house history in a hands-on way.” – Marian Pierre-Louis, author at Marian’s Roots and Rambles blog

“It’s such a treasure to have family heirlooms in our home. I love this opportunity to celebrate and remember those who came before us.” — Katie Briscoe, a founder of DIY Del Ray blog

“We all have family heirlooms – large or small – that need saving for the next generation.” – Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective

Heirloom Registry Online Scavenger Hunt announced; features $500 in prizes

Feb21 by Houstory Publishing

Hey, Houstory Nation: We are going to give you the chance to put your detective skills to good use and win some pretty great stuff!

The Heirloom Registry is overseeing an online scavenger hunt and you are all invited! The hunt — which will run from March 4-10 — will include 12 popular family history, genealogy and antique-related blogs, with approximately $500 worth of donated prizes up for grabs.

This is a fun and exciting opportunity to win yourself a popular Flip-Pal mobile scanner, or even research services provided by professional genealogist Caroline Pointer of 4YourFamilyHistory.com, among many other valuable items.

There will be more details posted later at The Houstory Hearth. Read on to see participating sponsor blogs, as well as the great prizes winners will receive.

WHAT:

A weeklong online Scavenger Hunt (March 4-10, 2013) that will encourage readers to visit genealogy, family history and family heirloom-related blogs they may have never seen before. Contestants will be required to visit each of the various partner blogs to obtain a special code. The code can be entered into the Heirloom Registry and will pull up a record that contains one of the “Words of the Day.” Every contestant that correctly sends all of the “Words of the Day” back to Houstory by the scheduled deadline will be entered to win the daily prize and be eligible for the grand prize drawing at the end of the contest.

WHO — SCAVENGER HUNT SPONSORS:

The following blogs are sponsoring the hunt, and will be stops along the way. We are grateful for their support!

* GeneaBloggers

* Flip-Pal mobile scanner

* The Family Curator

* Marian’s Roots and Rambles

* 4YourFamilyStory.com

* DearMYRTLE’s Genealogy Blog

* DIY Del Ray

* Antique Trader

* The Chart Chick

* Genealogy Insider

* Revolutionary Voices

The Flip-Pal mobile scanner.

PRIZES AWARDED:

* Flip-Pal mobile scanner

* 4YourFamilyStory.com Research Plan Package (U.S. only)

* Zap the Grandma Gap (Book & Workbook), by Janet Hovorka

* Preserving Your Family Photographs, by Maureen A. Taylor

* Antique Trader Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide 2013

* Warman’s Antiques & Collectibles 2014

* Family Tree Magazine 2012 Annual CD

* Plan Your Way to Research Success – Webinar-on-CD, with Marian Pierre-Louis

* How to Archive Family Keepsakes (electronic version), by Denise Levenick

* Heirloom Registry Standard Stickers (5-Pack)

There will more updates here in the coming days! Don’t miss out.

Access to Vital Records for Genealogists, Family Historians: Who, How and When to Ask?

Feb20 by Houstory Publishing

By Mike Hiestand, Houstory Founder

The following is the second part of a two-part series written by Houstory founder Mike Hiestand. Mike’s background in open records law is extensive: He worked as an attorney for more than two decades, helping journalists with their questions about access to government records and meetings.

In last week’s post, he provided general information regarding vital records research. This week, he’ll touch on the specifics of tracking down this valuable information for family historians and genealogists.

vital records, genealogy, family history

The first thing to know is that there is no national set of rules when it comes to vital records.

Providing specific information about access to vital records that applies across the board — in every state or territory — is simply not possible. Nevertheless, here are a few points to keep in mind:

Who to Ask

Requests for most public records can generally be made to the place where you think the records are kept. For example, if you’d like to see a copy of the health inspection of a particular restaurant in your town or an environmental impact study affecting your neighborhood, you should request those records from the County Health Department in the county where the restaurant is located or the state or federal agency that conducted the environmental tests. The same is often true for vital records — but not always. If you’re looking for a marriage certificate and you live near where you know the marriage was performed, it’s probably worth a phone call to that county clerk’s office. While they may not keep the record you’re looking for they should be able to direct you to the appropriate office (for example, a county court clerk.) However, a number of states have created Vital Records Offices or Agencies that are now responsible for collecting and managing access to vital records — either separately or in addition to the local record-keeper. A good resource for determining where vital records in a particular state are kept is maintained by Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Alternatively, you can just enter “Vital Records” and your state name (or you can even try your county name) into an Internet search engine to track down more information.

How to Ask

In many states, public records must be made available when they are asked for, either by mail, by phone or in person. Verbal requests in some of these states are valid. Other states require that you submit a written request. (You can find a nice, free automated form for requesting many public records here. (Full disclosure: I can say it’s nice because I helped create it years ago.)

Once again, however, obtaining vital records often requires you to play by different rules, which frequently includes requiring that you complete a specific agency form or that you provide specific identification that, as discussed above, proves you are someone with a direct and tangible interest.

While an increasing number of government agencies now offer online ordering services for vital records, in many cases states have made the private company VitalChek the authorized agency to provide such service. If you go the online route, just be aware that VitalCheck charges a service fee for the convenience, which is in addition to the regular fee charged by the state or local record-keeper.

Other companies are also stepping into the vital records business, so you may want to do a bit of research if you expect to need such information on an ongoing basis.

When to Ask

This is particularly frustrating as states truly are all over the map in establishing waiting periods — or not — when it comes to accessing vital records. Most states have waiting periods specified in their statutes for how long after an event you have to wait to request access to birth certificates and death certificates — but not all. A fairly common waiting period for birth certificates (unless the record is your own or you are the minor subject’s parent/guardian) is 100 years after the birth. Twenty-five years after death is a common waiting period for death certificates. Waiting periods for adoption records are even more varied, and frequently combined with other various exceptions and requirements. Waiting periods are less common for marriage and divorce records.

Still, trying to provide “standard” general information in this forum is an exercise in futility. In 2009, the Records Preservation and Access Committee of The Federation of Genealogical Societies and The National Genealogical Society compiled a list of states and their respective waiting periods, which may provide some help. Unfortunately, because state laws often include a dazzling array of exceptions and other stipulations, the list might not be the end of your research. A visit to your state’s Vital Records Office is probably the best first step.

How much does it cost?

You should expect to pay a fee to obtain a vital record. Open record statutes will either establish a standard fee schedule or, alternatively, allow an agency to charge a “reasonable fee.” One thing is clear: Providing public access to public documents is not supposed to be a money-making venture for the government. Unfortunately, as state and local governments have seen their budgets shrink, there has been an increasing tendency to raise fees for public records. Still, the law demands the fees be reasonable — which generally means the agency is entitled to recoup its actual costs for producing the record — and courts have sometimes stepped in to strike down particularly high fees as unreasonable. Vital records generally do have set fees, but those fees have also been rising in some states. The CDC Web site, mentioned above, includes some fee information.

Vital statistics records are part of the bread and butter of genealogists. While the rules can be frustrating, the information is generally available.

Navigating the Law: Access to Vital Records for Genealogy, Family History Research

Feb13 by Mike Hiestand

By Mike Hiestand, Houstory Founder

The following is the first part of a two-part series written by Houstory’s Mike Hiestand on access to vital records for genealogists and family historians. Visit here for part two.

Mike’s background in open records law is extensive: He worked as an attorney for more than two decades, helping journalists with their questions about access to government records and meetings. He has spoken all over the country, written a book and produced various other resources to help journalists and others navigate state and federal freedom of information laws that, when used, can be highly effective tools for accessing government records and meetings.

___________________________________________________________

Oddly, when giving a talk to folks on freedom of information law, some of the most frustrating questions I would receive concerned the particular subcategory of public records of most interest to genealogists: vital statistic records (or vital records). That is, records that document the important milestones that make up a person’s life: their birth, adoption, death, marriage and divorce. A person’s military service records are also sometimes lumped into the category of vital records.

Answering questions about vital records is frustrating because access to such basic public records should be so much simpler than it is. Increasingly, states are stepping in to implement rules they claim are meant to protect against fraud, identity theft or, in recent years, terrorism. The dangers vital records actually pose and the efficacy of the laws intended to curb such nebulous risks are matters of hot debate. The undeniable casualty of lawmakers’ meddling around, however, has been a user-friendly records system. Rarely does the current system lend itself to a quick answer. Unless you’ve memorized the rules of a particular state, you always have to look them up because there is not a lot of rhyme or reason — and certainly not a lot of consistency — that informs those rules.

The first thing to know is that there is no national set of rules. Vital records are local records that are governed by an individual state’s open records law. That means that while another person’s birth certificate might be available to you today in state “A,” that same record could be off limits in state “B.” (The rules for getting a copy of your own vital records are less stringent.)

According to a 2009 survey by the Records Preservation and Access Committee of The Federation of Genealogical Societies and The National Genealogical Society, “Birth record release dates range from 72 years [after birth] in Delaware (the same restricted period as the U.S. Census) to 125 years in Alaska. Death record release dates range from 25 years [after death] in Alabama and Texas to 50 years in a majority of states.”

As for adoption records, whose rules can get particularly gnarly, the same Committee found “nine percent of the states…allow access to this information for adoptees between eighteen and twenty-one years of age. Four states have open access with either higher year age restrictions or other regulations.”

Many state laws include rules about who may obtain a copy of a vital record. State laws often restrict access to those with a “direct and tangible interest.” (Or language similar in effect.) Way too often, the statute leaves that term undefined, which means it’s up to the government record-keeper (or eventually a judge if a dispute arises) to interpret and determine who has a direct and tangible interest.

Fortunately, lawmakers in other states have at least taken a stab at clarifying what the terms means. Hawaii, for instance, defines someone with a direct and tangible interest as including the following:

Registrant
Spouse of the registrant
Parent of the registrant
Descendant of the registrant
Person having a common ancestor with the registrant
Legal guardian of the registrant
Person or agency acting on behalf of the registrant
Personal representative of the registrant’s estate
Person whose right to inspect is established by an order of a court of competent jurisdiction
Adoptive parents who have filed a petition for adoption and who need to determine the death of one or more of the prospective adopted child’s natural or legal parents
Person who needs to determine the marital status of a former spouse in order to determine the payment of alimony

Points (4) and (5) would cover the work of most individual genealogists researching their own family, but could leave genealogists and historians without a direct family tie scrambling.

Next week, Mike will discuss the specifics of tracking down vital records information for family historians and genealogists — including who, how and when to ask for the information.

How to Archive Family Keepsakes Blog Book Tour: Caring for Heirloom Clocks

Jan25 by Houstory Publishing

Guest Post by Denise May Levenick, The Family Curator, author of How to Archive Family Keepsakes (Family Tree Books, 2012).

It’s not surprising that The Heirloom Registry was born when Dan and Mike Hiestand wanted to share the story of their heirloom grandfather clock. Watches, clocks, and timepieces of all shapes and sizes have been favorite family keepsakes for generations.

family heirlooms, family keepsakes, blog book tour, denise levenick, houstory, heirloom registry, family history, heirloom clocks, antique clocks

Denise Levenick, The Family Curator

Houstory Publishing and I share a common interest in preserving family treasures, and I’m delighted to share a few tips for clock care from my new book How to Archive Family Keepsakes with readers of The Houstory Hearth Blog.

Join the Blog Book Tour for How to Archive Family Keepsakes January 10-26, 2013 for author interviews, book excerpts, giveaways, and more. Visit the Blog Book Tour Page at The Family Curator website for the complete schedule.

Saving Time: Caring for Heirloom Clocks

Timepieces are one of the most popular family heirlooms passed on from generation to generation, and with proper care and regular maintenance you can help keep your keepsake watch or clock ticking well into the next century.

Most clocks consist of two distinct parts, the clock itself and the outer case. Grandfather clocks, cuckoo clocks, and mantle clocks are often made of wood and metal parts. Decorative clocks may be constructed from brass, bronze, marble, plastic, or other materials. Wristwatches, pocket watches, and ladies’ brooch watches are usually cased in silver, gold, or a combination of materials.

If your antique clock isn’t working or keeping the correct time, don’t try to repair or clean the interior workings yourself. Clock repair and maintenance is a specialized skill, and your local jeweler should be able to refer you to a certified clock repair shop. They can also show you how to wind the clock mechanism and recommend a routine for maintenance that will keep it good working order.

Many antique clocks and watches require daily attention to keep running, and this is often the best way to keep the timepiece in working order. Clocks should be cleaned and oiled every two to three years to avoid undue wear of moving parts. If your clock needs replacement parts that are no longer available, or the cost makes repair impractical, enjoy it as an heirloom decorative object.

Care for your clock will depend on its construction material:

Wooden Clocks

Like any fine wooden furniture, wooden clocks, are especially susceptible to swelling and shrinking from extreme fluctuations in temperature and humidity. They will do best in a room that is comfortable for everyday living, not too hot, too cold, nor too damp.

Treat wooden clocks as you would fine wooden furniture. Do not use aerosol furniture polish or waxes; instead dust regularly with a soft cloth and use solid paste wax annually to keep the wood clean and supple.

heirloom clock, family heirloom, family history

The grandfather clock that inspired The Heirloom Registry

Metal and Stone Clocks

Care for metal and stone cased clocks by dusting and polishing with a soft cloth.

Keep china figural clocks in a glass cabinet if possible to minimize dust and potential damage.

Most clocks contain metal working parts, and will benefit from a clean dry environment.

The best housekeeping is often a routine that is regular and minimally disturbing to the item itself. Keep your heirloom clock in a location where it can be enjoyed, yet is out of the path of likely damage. A living room or dining room can be a better choice than a family room filled with active children and pets.

Working or not, clocks are time-honored family heirlooms and a wonderful reminder of a family legacy.

Find more ideas for sorting and organizing inherited family treasures in How to Archive Family Keepsakes: Learn How to Preserve Family Photos, Memorabilia & Genealogy Records by Denise May Levenick (Family Tree Books, 2012).

Guest Post from How to Archive Family Keepsakes: Learn How to Preserve Family Photos, Memorabilia & Genealogy Records by Denise May Levenick (Family Tree Books, 2012). Copyright, 2012, Denise May Levenick. All Rights Reserved.

How to Archive Family Keepsakes (Family Tree Books, 2012) ISBN 1440322236
Paperback / eBook Family Tree Books, Amazon.com, Scribd, iBooks, Barnes&Noble.com. 10% Savings Coupon ShopFamilyTree.

Join the Blog Tour

Join the Blog Book Tour for How to Archive Family Keepsakes January 10-26, 2013 for author interviews, book excerpts, giveaways, and more. Visit the Blog Book Tour Page at The Family Curator website for the complete schedule.

Proceeds from the sale of How to Archive Family Keepsakes during the Book Tour will help fund the 2013 Student Genealogy Grant founded in 2010 in honor of Denise’s mother, Suzanne Winsor Freeman.

Blog Book Tour Giveaways

Comment on daily Book Blog Tour Post
Tweet the Tour Twitter @FamilyCurator #keepsakebooktour
Share the Tour on FaceBook, Google+, Goodreads

It’s easy to enter to win a free copy of Denise’s new book or one of the weekly giveaway prizes. All you have to do is leave a comment to the Blog Tour Post hosted at one of the official tour blogs. Random winners will also be selected from social media comments on Twitter, FaceBook, and Google+.

Each blog tour post comment gives you one chance to win; one entry per post per day, please. Leave a comment at each stop on the blog tour and increase your chances of winning. The lucky names will be announced each Saturday during the tour at The Family Curator.

About the Author

In every family, someone ends up with “the stuff.” Denise May Levenick is a writer, researcher, and speaker with a passion for preserving and sharing family treasures of all kinds. She is the creator of the award-winning family history blog, The Family Curator www.TheFamilyCurator.com and author of the new book How to Archive Family Keepsakes: Learn How to Preserve Family Photos, Memorabilia and Genealogy Records, (Family Tree Books, 2012).

New Year’s Resolution: Take Ten Minutes (and Two Bucks) to Preserve Family History Forever

Jan16 by Houstory Publishing

By Mike Hiestand, Houstory Publishing Founder

I’ve always loved radio. While I missed the so-called Golden Age of Radio in the 1930s and ‘40s, I’ve still always had the radio bug in me. From listening to the CBS Radio Mystery Theater with E.G. Marshall on my pocket transistor in my bedroom as a young boy to still enjoying “appointment radio” most Saturday evenings with Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion, the medium has always called my name in a way television never has.

family heirloom, radio, heirloom registry, new year's resolution, houstory, family history

The large floor-model radio operated for several decades in the family-run hardware store in East Chicago.

I think that’s why my in-laws thought about me about 25 years ago when they acquired a 1930s-era radio from my mother-in-law’s grandfather. The large floor-model radio operated for several decades in the family-run hardware store in East Chicago, Indiana where it would have certainly played hundreds of Chicago Cub games, broadcast war news from Edward R. Murrow through Chicago’s CBS affiliate WBBM and alerted shoppers looking for a particular nut or bolt of the death of John F. Kennedy. My mother-in-law, now in her late 70s, says she remembers the radio well from when she was a young girl visiting the store.

The radio completed its service in the mid-1980s and was removed by my in-laws shortly before the old store was torn down.

The radio still works, but since it only plays AM radio well — which I have reason to listen to less and less — I don’t turn it on too often. Still, it is an attractive piece and it has been in our house since before both of our daughters were born.

For my daughters – who I’m not sure even know AM radio exists – it’s simply been a part of their day-to-day lives. It’s a place to drop their books, or to store our outgoing mail as they walk past it every day on their way out the front door.

I’ve touched on the story of the radio a few times, but let’s be honest, when you’re a teenager, family genealogy and stories about relatives — most of whom are now gone and they’ll never met — isn’t a high priority.

But, if they’re like most of us, someday it will be.

And our radio, like all family heirlooms, is a tangible, real — and touchable — piece of family history that brings to life a story in a way that simply looking at a family tree and seeing their great-great grandfather’s name “Joseph Wadas” never will.

Joseph was a first-generation immigrant from Poland who arrived in his late teens. He is my daughter’s link to a big part of their family’s start in the “New Country,” and this radio came from the store that truly was part of his American Dream. While I don’t know the exact date the radio was acquired, I presume his fingers worked the well-worn dials and permanent radio presets (it looks like radio station WLS was a particular favorite, as you can barely just make those call letters out.) Over the years, those same dials were definitely much-used by Joseph’s son, Walter, who took over the store when Joseph died and probably touched by their great grandpa and their much-loved grandma as well.

So, for them, it’s not just another old radio. But without its story, that’s exactly what it would be.

Fortunately, I know the story (or at least the parts I’ve been told). So this morning I permanently recorded that story at The Heirloom Registry. First, I attached a durable, permanent sticker to the backside of the radio, which includes a unique registration number and the Registry’s Web address. (You can purchase stickers from the THR Web site or even make your own if you just want to purchase a registration number and save a buck.)

I then spent about ten minutes writing its history — its provenance as they say in fancier circles — and uploaded a couple of photos of the radio showing it in its present location (because that is certainly also part of its story.) I also made a mental note to try and get a copy of a photo of Joseph (and perhaps even the hardware store) the next time we visit my wife’s parents so that I can upload as well.

And, truly, that was that. Once I acquired a registration number and recorded the radio’s story, there was nothing more that I ever had to do and there’s nothing more that I ever have to pay. As long as the sticker (or metal plate, which you can also purchase) is attached to the radio, its story will travel with it for anyone to pull up and see. I actually felt some relief when I finished. I’ve always felt a modest sense of obligation, as the owner of the radio — and keeper of its story — to make sure it was preserved and shared with future generations. And now, with an investment of ten minutes and two bucks, it is.

To see the Heirloom Registry entry, including photos, for the radio, visit www.heirloomregistry.com and enter registration number: SNTS-256-996-3497-2012

In 2013, Houstory’s goal is to tell your stories – the stories of home. Do you have family heirlooms with a story? We want to share your family history with our readers. And make sure to follow us at Facebook, where we will be posting your “Houstories” all year long. And please comment and share if you like what we have written!

Company history: Before ‘Houstory’ there was ‘Hestia,’ Greek goddess of hearth and home

Dec12 by Houstory Publishing

An early prototype of company logo — before we became Houstory.

By Mike Hiestand, Houstory Publishing Founder

Before there was Houstory, there was Hestia. Literally.

After the muse struck and we had shopped around the idea of the Home History Book with positive results, we figured the next logical step would be to give our dream company a real-life name.

In inspired fashion, Hestia came to mind.

I knew almost nothing about her at the time, but I learned that Hestia is the Greek goddess of Hearth and Home, charged with the important task of keeping the home fire stoked. Sounded like a pretty good fit for our company.

While I won’t go into the details of her birth (which like many God/Goddesses involves considerable oddness — in Hestia’s case being swallowed at birth and later regurgitated by her dear old dad), she is regarded as one of the 12 great gods of Greek mythology.

Specifically, she is goddess of domestic life. Of motherhood and child-rearing. She is the “mom goddess” – even though she never married. Curious that.

According to Wikipedia and other sources, she blesses one with domestic happiness. (Or withholds her blessing if not asked for it.) She is often thought of as the nicest goddess. As the goddess of the sacred fire of the altar, she feels comfortable in the kitchen and has a special affinity for cooks and bakers. Hestia has a keenly developed spiritual side and plays a special role in the rituals of the various gods and goddesses, always making sure that their temples are prepared and everyone is comfortable. She is a wonderful hostess.

While I’ve not seen it written down officially, I feel Hestia actually would have been very comfortable being the Goddess of the Heart. But that, of course, was a position firmly occupied by Aphrodite. So the next closest thing to the heart, she felt, was the hearth. While today we generally think of the hearth as simply part of a nicely designed fireplace, in historic times the hearth was essential. It was used for heating, cooking and cleaning. It was also the focal point for religious rituals. Both literally and symbolically, it was heart of the home.

Hestia and Aphrodite actually have an interesting relationship. Hestia rejected the marriage proposals by both Poseidon and Apollo, both much admired – and desired — “studs” at the time. She thereby rejected Aphrodite’s values and became, to some extent her Wikipedia article says, Aphrodite’s “chaste, domestic complementary, or antithesis.”

While the Goddess of the Heart and Goddess of the Hearth are both deeply loving beings, there often does seem to be some sort of inner war going on between them. Certainly their paths have been quite different.

One wonders if Hestia might not have been caught off guard at how much work it was going to be. Instead of passionately pursuing romance, lovers and adventures of the heart like Aphrodite, Hestia shouldered the heavier, more demanding job of making sure dinner was on the table, the home cleaned, the laundry done and the family and home operating smoothly. It was her energy that kept the family looking and feeling like a family.

Sandro Botticelli’s painting The Birth of Venus (aka Aphrodite) from the mid-1480s shows the goddess rising from a seashell.

While the work could be incredibly rewarding – phew! – it can also wear you out. As any modern day Hestia/Mom will tell you, the other heart — the fun loving, party-going, libidinous heart — often ends up taking a back seat due to physical exhaustion. (You hear about the same even happening with some Baby Daddies, though most of them I know still seem to make time for Aphrodite!)

In her book Love Magic, Laurie Cabot describes the various personality archetypes and says that Hearth Goddesses, which in addition to the Grecian Hestia also includes Brigit, Cerridwen, Vesta, Hera, Isis, Hathor, Frigg, Arianrod, Nanna and Juno, are “very centered, inner-oriented women who develop great wisdom concerning the importance and meaning of everyday things.” While they can enjoy an active, rewarding love life, Cabot says for some Hearth Goddesses it’s often with more of a “take it or leave it” approach.

In the end, in naming our company, we found that Hestia had already found a couple suitors in the all-important world of Internet domains so we moved on and soon landed on Houstory, which also felt good at the time – and is feeling better and better and better every day.

Still, it was Hestia who called to us first. And we thank her. She’s done a wonderful job keeping the home fire stoked and helping us at Houstory establish a strong foundation for our young company. But the time has come to take off the permanent apron and put on your party shoes, girl! Because, just like here at Houstory, it’s starting to feel more and more these days like you actually can have it all.

Let us know what you think. What’s your company name history? What was its original inspiration? Are you more Hestia or Aphrodite? We want to hear from you!

A different kind of December: Say ‘no’ to more ‘stuff’ — honor what you already have

Dec6 by Houstory Publishing

By Dan Hiestand, Houstory Sales and Marketing Director

Editor’s note: I can break the rules. I’m off-topic before I begin. Just give me second, ok? If you are ever bored and have time to waste, Google “stupid gifts for pets.” Better yet, do an image search. You’re welcome in advance, and this will actually make sense if you read the article below. Enjoy!

It’s ironic that as the sales and marketing director of a company I helped create, I originally had to sell myself on my own product line.

Don’t get me wrong: I’ve always thought the concepts we champion (telling the stories behind houses and heirlooms) are fascinating. After all, research, writing and crafting stories have been pillars of my professional life for the past 15 years.

Our products (The Home History Book™ and The Heirloom Registry™) are steeped in story, and I’ve always been sold on these ideas. How can you not appreciate learning the background of a unique relic, the chair grandma used to sit in every night after dinner, a grandfather clock — or the intimate details of a 1920s Craftsman home?

Concept was never the problem. No, my issue was much more tangible.

Simply put, I didn’t want to put more “stuff” into the world. Now, stuff is a broad term, but in my mind it has a reasonably clear meaning: items that hold little or no value in terms of practical use, sentimentality or enduring entertainment.

If an item falls into one of these three categories, I don’t believe it to be just “stuff.” Let’s break this down.

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Practical Use

These are items you genuinely can’t live without, and probably use more than a couple times per month. They may include everything from a vacuum cleaner to a pair of shoes to a computer and all sorts of things in between.

Sentimentality

Admittedly, this is in the Houstory wheelhouse. These include items that you are holding on to simply because they inspire and move you. Family keepsakes, photos and heirlooms would fall into this category, of course.

Enduring Entertainment

I’m not the “stuff police,” ok? If you want to buy a flat screen TV, or spend money on a new camera, book or electric slippers, more power to you. I would simply ask that you consider the item’s true value to your life before pulling the trigger. Will you still be using these items in five years, or will they simply be discarded in a landfill in a few months?

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I realize I run the risk of sounding preachy, but I’m not trying to. I just think if I’m going to make such a declaration, I need to define my terms.

Heck, I’m writing this from a laptop, and my home is filled with things – including stuff. Did I truly need that box of Dog Cigars (see “stupid gifts for pets” reference above)? No. That’s a poor example, actually. I don’t even own a dog.

However, I think it’s safe to say most everyone has stuff, including me.

Which brings me back to selling myself on Houstory. Before I invested time, money and started down this entrepreneurial path, I needed our products to meet this self-imposed “anti-stuff” criterion.

In particular, The Home History Book – a substantial coffee table book with 244 pages and an engraved brass plate – gave me pause for introspection. Being built to last, which the book certainly is, requires effort and natural resources. While we did our level best to build the book responsibly (see “Built Responsibly” link at bottom of home page), we also wanted to ensure it would be something that provides long-term value to its owners.

Happily, in the end, not only did I conclude we are not just selling stuff, we are actually helping people to transform their items from being “stuff” into valued belongings.

We believe the more you know about your possessions– whether they are houses or heirlooms – the more likely you are to hold on to them, and not just demolish or discard and replace them with newer, shinier stuff.

Why are most historic homes valuable? Quality construction? Perhaps. Location? Maybe. Or is it history? Every day, homes are saved from demolition because of the stories behind them.

What about family heirlooms? Picture two identical grandfather clocks, side-by-side. However, you know that one clock was purchased by your great-grandfather as a wedding gift for your great-grandmother. You know nothing of the other clock. Which one would you probably keep and maintain?

Undoubtedly, historical preservation leads to conservation.

Sadly, the term conservation has become highly politicized, divisive and attributed to more liberal-leaning factions. I’m not quite sure why, as the term “CONSERVative” is derived from the very same root word.

In reality, I think all parties are on the same page: We want to leave things better than we found them for future generations. If you do feel this way – and we think you do – do something about it.

Which brings us to our “No More Stuff/Preserve. Conserve.” campaign this month. Here are some things you can do right now.

Preserve. Conserve. And say “no” to “more stuff.”

Do it differently this December.

Let us know what you think. Do you agree with our campaign? Do you think we are full of hot air? Do you have too much stuff? Do you think buying stuff – as we’ve defined it — is even a problem? Do you own Dog Cigars? We want to hear from you. Let’s get this conversation started.

How do you know you’re ‘Home?’

Dec4 by Houstory Publishing

“On the path of awakening or the journey to Self, finding home and living there is the goal, for once we are home, we are in Truth and in love. When we are home, everything feels different, but in essence nothing has changed, for we are simply remembering who we really are.”

— Sara-Jane Grace

By Mike Hiestand, Houstory Publishing Founder

“So where’s home?”

Simple question, right? Not for me, a military brat, who “lived everywhere and nowhere” and whom researchers have identified as part of a distinct, 200 year-old American subcultu re, with millions of members. And not for an increasing number of people in today’s highly mobile society.

I just counted — as I can never remember — and I moved 9 times, attended 9 different schools and had 11 different “homes” while growing up as an Air Force brat. At 18 I headed out on my own and, since then, added another 7 cities and probably another dozen “homes” to the list (though calling some of my living situations in college “home” would, admittedly, be a stretch.)

alaska, anchorage, high school, prom, childhood memories

Bartlett High School (Anchorage, Alaska) Senior Prom 1982. The author (the one with his eyes closed) and his ever-lovely date, Kelli, who helped the author create the The Home History Book™ archival journal.

So when that question “where’s home” comes up, I have to pause and think. If they mean “home” as in hometown, where I grew up, I usually end up just saying Alaska. That is where I was fortunate to string together four very important years in a row and attend and graduate from the same high school. And because of that, I do feel a stronger tie there than to the other places I lived.

On the other hand, if they mean “home” now, that’s easier. I’ve lived with my family in Northwest Washington state, in a home we built, for about nine years. So it’s definitely where our home — the nice building that contains our stuff — is located. But I’ll be honest, as beautiful as it is around here (and it’s breathtakingly beautiful), as many good friends as we’ve made and as comfortable as we are, I’m not sure it’s completely felt like home for some reason.

And, in fact, my wife and I frequently talk about where — if anyplace — we might like to move when our youngest daughter graduates from high school in a few years.

We moved here from Washington, D.C., where we lived for about a decade, to be closer to family. As a military kid, I never lived here permanently, but my parents were raised in the Pacific Northwest, my grandparents lived here and a couple of my brothers have now settled nearby. So if home is where most of your family is — a sentiment that resonates strongly with my wife — I guess this is home.

But, for us, the grey weather can be downright depressing for half the year, sapping energy and making for a long slug. Natives, on the other hand, actually feel “off” if an odd patch of sunny days sticks around more than a few days.

Culturally, we also feel a bit out of it sometimes, having moved to a more rural area. In that way we felt much more at home in D.C. than here. And while we can get a major city-culture fix with a 90-minute drive to either Seattle or Vancouver, BC, or a nice taste with a 15-minute drive to the “City of Subdued Excitement,” Bellingham, Wash., those places – for now – aren’t home.

So all that begs the question: How do you know you’re Home?

Is there a place that has all the things you’re looking for. Or is the goal finding a place that has all the things you’re willing to accept? And can home be permanent? Or does it need to change as you change?

Home for me always suggested permanence, a place of one’s roots, a place where as Sarah Jane Grace notes above, you live in “Truth and love…(and) everything feels different.”

“There’s no place like home,” Dorothy says in the Wizard of Oz.

But maybe home is not a place at all but a state of mind.

It’s a question that continues to befuddle me. Which, of course, often makes me wonder why I — a person whose ties to “home” are confused at best —came up with the idea for the Home History Book, a product intended to permanently record a home’s unfolding story and share it with everyone who lives there.

The concept of home is clearly an important one. In fact, some people, seem to just know when they’re home. Either they grew up someplace and never left, which, of course, generally bypasses any confusion when asked “Where’s home?” Or circumstances (a vacation, a job, a significant other) brought them to a place that they immediately recognized or felt as “home” and so never left.

Let us know!

How do you know you’re Home? Is it a place? Is it a feeling? Is it a sense of community? Is it genetic? Is it permanent or changing? I think it’s an important question. It’s one that many have looked into and one I plan to examine further. If you are “home” and would be willing to share a few ideas about how you know that or “tips” for those who may still be searching, we’d love to hear from you.

Buyers seek ‘homes,’ not houses: Top reasons for staging a home for sale

Nov28 by Houstory Publishing

This week, Megan Gates — a writer for Douglas Elliman Real Estate — is our guest contributor. Established in 1911, Douglas Elliman has grown to become the nation’s fourth-largest real estate company. It has a current network of over 65 offices in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island (including the Hamptons and North Fork), Westchester and Putnam Counties, as well as South Florida.

By Megan Gates, Special to The Houstory Hearth

When you are preparing to list your home for sale, there are many details to be seen to and home staging should be at the top of your list. Home staging allows you to highlight the best features of the home while downplaying the weaknesses. First impressions are everything and, with the majority of homebuyers now beginning their home search online, prepping a home to look best both for a showing, and in it’s online gallery is more important than ever.

Home buying is part emotional and part logical. (Photo: Douglas Elliman Brooklyn Real Estate)

Staging aids potential homebuyers in being able visualize themselves in the space more than an empty house will. Here are a few reasons; including some tips on how to stage a property to help it reach it’s market potential and turnover a sale quickly.

It’s Difficult to Visualize the Placement of the Furniture

Many homes remain on the market for months because homebuyers cannot visualize how they can place their furniture in the home. Most buyers cannot distinguish between a 14 x 12 foot room and a 12 x 10 foot room. The first room is 40 percent larger, but most buyers look at the rooms as the same. With furniture, buyers can visualize the difference. Buyers can also view the potential of the room if furniture is included in the home.

An important tip to remember is to not place too much furniture in a space. Look around the property and think of function of a room—if there are other pieces that don’t help define a space, store them away and allow your room to look uncluttered. Hiring a home stager can provide ideas and help sellers view the potential of the space.

People Are Looking For Homes and Not Houses

Home buying is part emotional and part logical. Most people focus on the emotional side of buying a home. The emotional side of buying a home includes the homebuyers becoming attached to the aesthetic aspects of the home and visualizing themselves living in the home. It is more difficult to visualize living in a home for 20 to 30 years without furniture.

Part of the emotional attachment to a home can include connecting with the home’s history and helping buyers see themselves as part of that history. Highlighting a home’s unique house history by including information about past owners or noting interesting events that have taken place in the home or staging a home with historically significant furniture can help buyers make that connection.

When homebuyers tour a staged home, they can automatically visualize themselves in the home. When a seller removes all of their personal pieces, like family photos and taste-specific artwork, it will provide a buyer with a neutral and appealing look. This service is invaluable because an emotional buyer will purchase a home faster than a buyer who focuses on the logical aspects of the home buying process.

Buyers Focus on Negative Details and Not the Home When It’s Empty

When a room is empty, prospective homebuyers focus on everything, but the overall appeal of the home. For instance, prospective homebuyers may judge a house on its paint colors, may ask whether the carpet can be replaced, or why the molding is not finished.

Noticeable flaws could prevent a buyer from making an offer. If the buyer does make an offer, he or she may ask for price concessions for the flaws in the home. With some easy and simple updates to a home, these flaws can be fixed or will not be as noticeable if the room is staged. Not only will this help the home sell quicker, it will also sell for a higher price.

Home Stagers are Beneficial

Home stagers require a small investment compared to the amount of money recouped from the home selling process. The service is growing in popularity because most home sellers recoup 200 percent from the home sale and also reduces the time on the market by almost one-half. Home sellers should consider the services of home stagers because of the significant benefits of the service.

Whether selling a sprawling farmhouse in the Midwest or listing a penthouse apartment in New York City, home staging can benefit any seller. With some small reorganization steps, a huge reward can be reaped when a property is sold for top dollar.

Megan Gates is an active creative writer for Douglas Elliman, writing on topics including home improvement and the latest architecture, design and home buying. Follow her on twitter @MEGatesDesign.