Monthly Newsletter: September 2022 (No. 8)
This is the eighth newsletter and monthly feature highlighting events, happenings, and general news of all channels of Our Technicolor Life.
Welcome to Our Technicolor Life! We are a husband and wife team that lives a vintage lifestyle in full color through our many adventures in our tea room, travel, entertainment, and art. Follow along each channel that makes up Our Technicolor Life.
We are Jeff and Carrie Ketterman. During the day, Jeff is a General Manager with Kasgro Rail Corporation Management Division. With a fleet of over 500 heavy-duty cars, Jeff works daily to provide solutions to various needs of the multi-dimensional rail transportation industry. By day, Carrie is a painter, illustrator, and author creating murals, portraits, prints, wearable art, and children's book illustrations.
After closing up shop for the day. Jeff and Carrie host themed tea parties out of their historic home at The Old Capitol Tea Room, travel to festivals and vacation in The Not So Long Trailer, and have two bands, a 1950s style band, Rosie & the Rockabillies, and a 1920s style band, The Tin Pan Alley Cats. Each of these channels makes up our Technicolor Life.
TEA
Fasten your seatbelts, August was a wild and crazy tea party ride! It seems our little tea room that could finally caught on this year, our 6th year in operation. When we first opened for Mother's Day in 2016 people either didn't know what a tea room was or were confused that we hosted them the way we do. We can up with the term "tea-tre" tea meets theatre early on in the history of The Old Capitol Tea Room where we use our theatre background to make the tea room a whole experience. We have a lot of themes we like to offer so guests can dress up, play along, sing along, or just enjoy the total tea party meets theme experience. When you come to The Old Capitol Tea Room you have a traditional tea party with the cups and saucers, tea, finger sandwiches, and desserts but we add a little more to make it a whole unique experience. Based on the theme, you may play trivia, meet a character or characters, participate in a sing along, or even help us solve a murder during one of our murder mystery events.
We host tea parties on average 5-6 times a month depending on our schedule of work and other bookings. This is up considerably from when we first opened and would have 2-3 tea parties a month. In trying to keep up with demand, we hosted 11 tea events this month and I'm not going to lie, that was too many! We are pooped to say the least and I don't think I considered how many dishes washed and linens ironed that really meant for me. This next year I hope to achieve a little more balance in our schedule as well as be able to share our tea event schedule with a little more notice on the website under our upcoming events calendar. Goals for 2023 season have started already!
In the meantime, check out some of the fun events we hosted this past month here at The Old Capitol Tea Room. We hosted Office Tea & Trivia, our I Love Lucy Tribute Show & Tea, a 1960s Flower Power Tea Party, Breakfast at Tea-ffany's, Sound of Music Sing Along, Harry Potter Tea & Trivia, Snow White Story Time, an Elvis Sing Along Tea Party, and 3 private parties.
Tea & Trivia Tuesday: The Office
The Office Tea & Trivia hosted by Jan & Michael Scott a la The Dinner Party episode.
I Love Lucy Tribute Show & Tea
In celebration of Lucille Ball's 111th birthday, celebrated on August 6th we hosted our I Love Lucy Tribute Show & Tea.
Flower Power Tea Party
We are huge 1960s music lovers around here so we thought it fitting to host a Flower Power 1960s sing along hosted by Sonny & Cher tea party! We had guest appearances by Janis Joplin, Dusty Springfield, Neil Diamond, and some other long hair weirdo types for our medley of groovy tunes.
Breakfast at Tea-ffany's Tea Party
Breakfast at Tea-ffany's is the perfect excuse to don your little black dress, grab a tiara, and play tea party complete with sparkling cider in champagne glasses!
Musical Monday: Sound of Music Sing Along
We've been hosting a few Musical Mondays this season at the tea room and August saw the debut of our Sound of Music Sing Along Tea Party hosted by Maria and Captain Von Trapp. We even had a few nuns join in the fun!
Tea & Trivia Tuesday: Harry Potter
There is no such thing as too much Harry Potter so we host Harry Potter themes a few times throughout the tea room season and couldn't resist a back to school session. Dumbledore helped dust off the cobwebs with a challenging OWL trivia exam.
Snow White Story Time & Tea
This is another new theme we wanted to bring to the tea room and it's one we are definitely planning on doing again next season. We hosted a Snow White Story Time with one Grumpy but still charming dwarf.
Elvis TCT Taking Care of Tea
We couldn't let the summer season get away from us without one more sing along and this was the perfect timing with the excitement from the Elvis movie to add one more theme to August! Jeff is an Elvis impersonator from way back so when you already have not only one but two jumpsuits, you put them to use and have an Elvis sing along tea party! This one was such a fun event and so nice to hear the tea room filled with happy Elvis fans singing along to some of his best tunes.
In addition to these themes, we hosted 3 private parties this month! There was so much love, laughter, and celebration as friends and family got together to catch up and enjoy time and tea together. We hosted a 60th birthday party for Rhonda, a bridal shower for lovely bride to be Emily, and another bridal shower for beautiful bride to be, April. If you are interested in more private party information, please check out our Private Party tab under TEA. There are photos, video, and FAQ about all things private party related. As we move into our busiest season, we do not have any more availability for October-December.
Private Parties | Our Technicolor Life
Private Parties
We THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH for your enthusiasm and support of our little tea room that could! It is A LOT of preparation and planning behind the scenes to host these tea parties but we are SO delighted to be able to open our home and host so many wonderful guests.
Friendly reminder THE OLD CAPITOL TEA ROOM IS CLOSED FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER while we catch our breath and reset for the busiest time of year, our holiday season of October, November, and December.
And I cannot believe I am saying this at the beginning of September but we are 110% SOLD OUT FOR THE REST OF THE 2022 SEASON! All of our tea party events have sold out from October to December and we have no more availability for private parties this year.
It means soo very much to us to have had such a wonderful season with each and everyone of you that have come to tea with us here at The Old Capitol Tea Room where we enjoy “tea-tre” aka tea meets theatre. This would not be half as fun without your support and your enthusiasm for the themes, coming and dressing up, singing along, and just plain old playing tea party with us! So THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!!
Please stay in touch here on our website, www.ourtechnicolorlife.com and subscribe! I post all of our events, upcoming events, tickets, and the monthly newsletter to the website before anything goes on Facebook so be sure to subscribe.
The Old Capitol Tea Room is closed January & February and we will begin announcing 2023 tea events towards the end of February on our upcoming events calendar.
https://www.ourtechnicolorlife.com/upcoming-events-1
Our formal tea party events may be all SOLD OUT…
BUT…. The Old Capitol Tea Room will be hosting a historic walking ghost tour through Downtown Corydon on 3 select Tuesday evenings at 7:30pm in October only! Stay tuned for tickets and details about our historic walking ghost tour, Curious Corydon, presented by The Old Capitol Tea Room!
TRAVEL
It wasn't just all tea this month, we actually were able to squeeze in some summer time fun with a milestone birthday celebration for my Mama, a picnic, state fair excursion, a couple of day trips to see some art, a visit to the Cake Bake shop in Indianapolis, catch a baseball game, saw Misery with the Chicken Coop Theatre Company, saw Bright Star at Derby Dinner Playhouse, made a visit the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, an outdoor movie night in downtown Corydon, and picked some peaches at Huber's Farm.
We started the month of August with a big celebration! It was a big milestone birthday for my wonderful Mama so we hosted a birthday party at the house and made great use of the patio we spent many hours on earlier this summer. It was actually more like a week long celebration starting with a Cooke family road trip to Holiday World. (We saw Santa!!!) And then we tested our knowledge with a fun night of trivia, before the big party that weekend! It was so nice to have my brother in town for the occasion. He lives in Zurich, Switzerland so his trips back home only happen a few times a year. And having friends and family gather at the house on the patio with perfect weather, even when it had been storming ealier that day, made it for the perfect ending in celebration for my Mama's birthday party!
There's something so magical about the St. Joe's Picnic. Maybe it's just because it's usually a beautiful warm summer night with all the lights and lively atmosphere old time picnic feel that I can't get enough of. The excitement of the crowd, the wheels spinning for your chance to win at the cake walk, or plucking down quarters to try and win a prize while the smells of popcorn and cotton candy float through the air. This evening lived up to every magical moment even if we didn't leave with a prize. We left with lots of laughs and memories of this magical picnic evening and supported the great cause for the St. Joe's Orphanage.
This month we made another Cooke family outing to see the Monet & Friends Exhibit at Newfields Art Museum in Indianapolis. Last year we visited the Van Gogh exhibit at The Lume and followed it up with a bakery stop at the Cake Bake in Caramel so why mess with a good thing?!?
The Monet & Friends was incredible, and I particularly loved the music that went along with the exhibit. Seeing the koi and water swirling around your feet looking at Monet’s water lilies was such a magical feature, it felt like you could splash the water around. Also, the feature of Toulouse-Lautrec and the historic Moulin Rouge images were spectacular to see dancing across the huge gallery.
For the Van Gogh exhibit the photo op was his bedroom scene and for Monet you could step across the bridge of Giverny and be standing in Monet’s painting!
After the exhibit we headed to lunch at the Cake Bake in Broad Ripple and it was so charming! Much smaller than the Caramel Cake Bake but more fairy cottage and magical. We sipped glitter champagne cocktails and of course had to try the raspberry champagne cake!
If you enjoy the Impressionists, head to Newfields Art Museum in Indianapolis and check it out! Well worth the visit to such a beautiful museum and then of course follow it up with a visit to one of the Cake Bake locations!
This must be the summer of wonderful art exhibits because we have Van Gogh in town, a wonderful new immersive Impressionist show in The Lume at Newfields in Indianapolis called Monet & Friends, and there's a show at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville featuring Monet's Nympheas.
It’s been a whirlwind of a summer with events & gigs so I was delighted to catch up on activities with family before the summer season moves into fall. My Mama & I headed to Huber’s to pick some peaches and ended up picking apples & grapes as well! We've been going to Huber's Farm ever since I can remember and always enjoy the U-Picks plus the wagon ride out into the fields. And it wouldn’t be a complete Huber’s trip without lunch and glass of wine out on the patio.
Having seen a similar Van Gogh exhibit last February, my Aunt Jackie and I couldn't turn down the opportunity to see this Beyond Van Gogh exhibit when it came to town in downtown Louisville. It was incredible and great experience to explore and see Van Gogh totally immersed. It was a slightly different show and set up compared to the Van Gogh we saw at Newfields last year so it was neat to this version set up In Louisville. And more Van Gogh is always good!
It’s the unofficial, ceremonial end of summer - the state fair. We came. We saw. We ate corn dogs and pineapple whips. The last time we were here was pre-pandemic. The same guy is still running the pineapple whip stand. He said “Lucy and Desi! I remember!”
We were able to get one more Cooke family road trip adventure on the books before the month was up! We traveled to some old family stomping grounds in Butler County and Quality, KY en route to some new places to explore at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green.
This is one of those museums we have passed numerous times on the way somewhere or on the way back home and had never visited before. There are so many great classic Corvettes on display and I was particularly fascinated with the cave in exhibit that featured all kinds of photos, news clips, the actual cars, and more from 2014 when 8 Corvettes fell into the cave system. Standing over the trap door over the 30 foot drop was a little freaky!
There was a fantastic Hot Wheels play room with lots of fun structures to send your toy cars in and around plus you could drive a Corvette through a virtual racecourse! We finished the day with a little spin through the historic district in Downton Bowling Green and lucked out on a fantastic dinner spot called The Bistro!
With the approach of September, we are gearing up for our annual Fall camping trip in The Not So Long Trailer! We'll be heading up the East Coast to Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, and New York. Stay tuned and follow along as we hit the roads soon.
ENTERTAINMENT
Rosie and the Rockabillies headed to Odon, Indiana for the Old Settlers Festival this past month. Since 1886, this festival is an old-time celebration with parade, fun filled midway, carnival rides, live music, and a wide variety of old-fashioned carnival treats. We were honored to be a part of the live music for the 136th Odon Settlers Festival. The organizers were wonderful, fantastic crowd, and we left with some insanely delicious cinnamon rolls!
Rescheduled due to rain earlier this month, your September 1st looks to be 100% Rosie as we head back to Yew Dell Botanical Gardens for their Bourbon & Botanical Summer Concert Series!
Saturday September 3rd, we are going to be back in Vincennes, IN. at the Indiana Military Museum Inc performing our “Music That Helped Win the War” 1940s tribute to World War 2. This is a wonderful two day festival with lots to do, see, and hear! If you’ve not been to the Indiana Military Museum, treat yourself to a gem of a museum. You cannot believe the amount of artifacts all things military in this collection! Our show will be at 11am and 1:30pm on Saturday only following the re-enactments.
AND…
Sunday we’ll be getting back into our Elvis jumpsuits for the All Shook Up Celebration---A Benefit for the Clark County Museum! We’ll be singing Elvis tunes from 7-9pm. This fundraiser runs Saturday & Sunday so check it out and even get to see some of the fabulous Elvis jumpsuits featured in the recent Baz Luhrmann movie!
ART
It's a busy art time as well as I am getting started on Christmas orders! Christmas countdown is on and these months are flying! Order your custom hand painted gifts now from my shop, Maiden Kentucky! Now taking orders for pet ornaments, pet portraits (acrylic & watercolor), nesting dolls, peg dolls, & peg ornaments!
*While supplies & timing lasts! I just finished my latest round of orders so I can add more orders.
To place an order:
1. Email maiden.kentucky@gmail.com or send me a PM with your desired order. I’ll send an invoice (Square, Venmo, or PayPal). Payment must be submitted before your order can be processed.
2. If you want it SHIPPED to you, please note that when you submit your order. Your invoice will include shipping added to the listing price.
3. I have local pickup available in downtown Corydon.
Maiden Kentucky on Facebook, Etsy, Instagram and under ART at www.ourtechnicolorlife.com
Price List: Pet Ornaments $12/ornament (1 pet/ornament) Please include name(s) of let when you order. *$15/large wooden disc
Pet portraits 8x10 watercolor $30, 6x6 studio canvas acrylic $60, 8x10 canvas $60
Peg Dolls & Ornaments prices vary depending on various sets & sizes. Please ask for a certain set or custom set.
Nesting Dolls prices range $60-100 for various sets & designs. Please ask for a certain set or custom set.
Last Day to Order is Monday November 21st!
This month also presented the opportunity to create a truly one-of-a-kind piece! Teaching painting classes at the Masonic Homes in Louisville, I was chosen to create a centerpiece decoration for their annual gala which just happens to be a masquerade ball. Roughly 10 hours and many rhinestones later I finished painting this super-size masquerade mask piece.
LIFESTYLE
We meet so many wonderful folks when we're out and about and also through the magic of social media. This month we were introduced to a delightful young women name Dominque Benedict who has started a truly fantastic coffee company called Breakfast at Dominique's Coffee Co. Creating unique and flavorful blends in honor of Old Hollywood Icons makes this coffee not only very tasty but sure to jazz up your coffee counter with the dazzling artwork featured on the coffee bags. You can also read about the lives of these classic Old Hollywood film stars on the gorgeous website as you're ordering some of the delectable blends.
Home - Breakfast at Dominique's (hollywoodblends.com)
The Joan Crawford and Jean Harlow blends are too die for and I simply cannot wait to try the Boris Karloff! If you love coffee and classic Hollywood, treat yourself to a couple of bags of Dominque's Coffee!
And there we have it! This month was truly one for the books! We are so excited for our little Fall break coming up. We'll be posting here about our Fall camping trip and as always, we have exciting things in store for you guys in the next coming months!
This concludes our August as we move into September in Our Technicolor Life! Please explore the wesbite and share with friends & family! We try to make this website our one stop shop for all of our events. Don't foregt to subscribe so you stay in the loop and check out our ipconimg events secion right on the home page!
Yours truly,
Carrie & Jeff
AT A GLANCE - September Events
Thursday September 1st - Rosie & the Rockabillies at Yew Dell Botanical Gardens Bourbon & Botanicals Summer Concert Series
SOLD OUT
Saturday September 3rd - The Music That Helped Win the War
Indiana Military Museum in Vincennes, IN.
Shows at 11 and 1:30 Saturday only
Sunday September 4th - Clark County Museum Elvis Fundraiser
Live music Elvis set 7-9pm at The Depot
Friday September 30th - Quoth the Raven Nevermore Murder Mystery
SOLD OUT