Meet the Author.

I'm going to be changing this blog around a little bit... dipping into different topics, incorporating more history, and having fun talking about the adventures of flea markets and thrifting. So, to kick off this "new" blog, here's a little more about the author, yours truly.

I'm a Jersey girl. (Insert jokes about Jersey here). Like every state, Jersey has its' good and bad parts. I believe that most people think of Jersey's bad aspects thanks to the proliferation of negativity driven by those wonderful Jersey reality shows. However, those that are born and raised Jersey know the difference between reality tv and true life.

Jersey has so much to offer, including a great history. I live in the northwestern part of Jersey, an area that my ancestors planted roots in and remained. I am about an hour away from both NYC and Philly and beaches are just a drive away on the infamous Garden State Parkway. My county is situated on the border of NJ & PA, along the Delaware River. It has a mixture of rural and urban, but is dotted with wonderful farmland. People passing through will find that there really isn't a whole lot of things to do... there's the bowling alley that hasn't changed in at least 20 years, our mall that is slowly becoming a ghost town, and the one thing that brings my town together: high school football.

This area has a rich history of railroads, mining, and the canal. Being close to the Lehigh Valley, it is easy to travel to such places as Bethlehem and the Poconos. Warren & Hunterdon Counties have small museums, stories of coal miners, and great antique shops and a few flea markets. I'm often reminded of how much I enjoy living in this area during back road drives... great scenery and small towns with main streets that still remind you of yesteryears. Of course, I wouldn't mind living down south where the beach is just a five minute drive away.

I grew up with a love of history and "old stuff." My dream job, which since has changed throughout the years, was to be a high school history teacher. This altered a bit in college, when I decided I wanted to aim higher and be a history professor. More altering occurred when after securing a Masters in Holocaust and Genocide Studies (yup, that happened), I was not accepted into a PhD program. I was crushed at the time because there went my "dream." I grew up wanting to teach history, specifically on WWII & the Holocaust, which I fervently read about since the 6th grade.

I still love learning and reading about WWII & the Holocaust, but do not wish to pursue a career of teaching on the subjects. It's just not in me anymore to want to stand in front of a group of 20year olds and try to get them excited about history. Perhaps if I would have been accepted into the PhD program, this would be different but alas, no PhD for me.

So what is my dream job? Give me an endless pot of tea, a computer, and a topic and/or genealogy question to research and I'm good for the day. I love doing historical research. LOVE IT. I don't think I can stress enough how much I enjoy sifting through library books, census, records on Ancestry.com, old newspapers on Google, and so on. I would love to get a paycheck for helping solve family tree mysteries and writing on historical topics. Pair being a historical researcher with re-selling vintage items on Ebay & Etsy, and I would be set.

All of the historical research that I do is either volunteer work for historic sites in NJ or for my own collection of "books that I want to write" topics. I have 2 books in the making and when I say "in the making", I mean it will be years before they are even close to being published. If I played the lottery and won, I would be able to have all the time in the world to research and write. One can dream...

So, instead of a published book, I have this blog. It works for now and who knows, perhaps it could help land a "dream job." I'll be changing things up a little bit and mixing in some historical research on local topics as well as Jersey history, plus incorporating my vintage finds and re-selling adventures. Stories of thrift stores, estate sales, and flea markets will dot the web pages providing helpful tips and tricks for those on the hunt for vintage treasures and finds.