My daughter was meant to live in another era . . .

My daughter is a big fan of old movies. Since she's been little, she's always loved musicals — Oklahoma, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, White Christmas, to name but a few. And the romance of days gone by has always fueled her imagination. I remember a time when she was about 8 years old and desperately wanted a vintage bathing cap. We bought her one, and off to the neighborhood pool we went. She wore a plush full-length terry bathrobe over her one-piece bathing suit and a big-brimmed straw hat and big sunglasses a la the gals in the 40's when they headed poolside. I think she might have even put on a pair of high-heeled mules to add to the aura.

Back in early 2000 we took a train trip up to Baltimore. Trains in old movies were always so cool. The porter, the dining car, the train station, even stepping out of a train is elegant. Harleigh dressed the part for our trip. She wore a long dress-up dress, lace-up Victorian boots, her hair up in a bun, and she carried a hat box. Once in the train, she changed into a fancier long dress for dinner in the dining car. And our private room was the neatest thing ever. Everything compact. What a trip. What a girl.

Here is a poster I got her for Christmas this year which I have to take to get framed. So Grace Kelly.