Lady Carolyn: About Me

The 103 Word Bio - for those of you who prefer bits and bytes of information

Lady Carolyn is a Certified Interpretive Guide from National Association for Interpretation, which focuses on the interpretation of science, arts and cultural history. Teaching history part-time and a wrangler in the film industry has allowed Carolyn to combine her love of history and her historic clothing as a vehicle to bring history to life. Her shows/presentations are used at museums, educational institutions, service organization, tour organizations, historical societies and on cruise ships.

Lady Carolyn is a passionate edutainer, who is now retired, but was once a successful business owner of Residential Treatment homes for 38 years for private care and State of Nevada.

A little more bits and bytes -
Lesser known stories of history can be as interesting as the big events. Lady Carolyn's forte is finding the lesser known stories of history and people that support the main event or character that you can put your finger on and say that event or person changed the course of history.

While operating group homes, she was showcased on the John Tess and Leeza Gibbons Show (NBC) and the network brought her back for an hour spotlight of her work on the Leeza Show. She has appeared numerous times on local TV programs for various programs concerning foster care and special needs programs for youths.

Over 13 years ago Carolyn's love of history and enjoyment of everyday types of sewing has provided a jumping off point to take her love of these two on a journey to the costuming world.

Questions?? This blog is here to answer questions or visit. Drop me a line if you want to chat about costumes, doing presentations or shows, speaking on cruise ships or the art of Interpretation as it pertains to the arts, science or history.

Email me - Carolyn@LadyCarolyn.com
Facebook - Lady Carolyn

And for those who always want more, read on.

The Back Story - the nitty gritty stuff

The Personality I've always been involved in some type of artistic endeavor. As a teen I think I did every type of craft that came out in the 60's. Does anyone remember fur flowers? Then on to drawing classes, oil and watercolor painting, sewing and designing my own clothes.

Always, always doing something with the right side of my brain.

Yet when I take those tests, you know, "Do you use your right side or left side of your brain?" I come out--- a disappointing even score between right and left brain. So that must be why I enjoy doing projects. I do "lists," I try to be objective, rational, this is all the left brain stuff. Although I do score a few points more on the right brain side and absolutely avoid anything to do with math or spelling, all left brain. Thank goodness for spell check.

Oh, I've always been the one to collect the family antiques, from grandmother's cake stand to odds and ends and old bits of clothes that got handed down.

Life Happens - The short version Graduate high school, go to college, marriage, work on MRS and PhT (married and putting hubby through), 5 children, owner/operator of Residential Treatment Homes for youths with emotional, behavioral and developmental issues for thirty plus years. My husband's degree is counseling , my ton of CEU's (continuing education) and a BA from Baptist University in Christian Ministries and hard work made all these vocational choices possible. Along the way I home schooled my children. After 36 years of marriage, I became what I never wanted to be, a divorcee. I remarried in October 2010. So where did Lady Carolyn come into the picture?

Lady Carolyn is born Several years ago while running errands around town my big gray brick cell phone rang. This should clue you how long ago. I'm thinking it was 1997. It was my friend, Andi, she told me about some clothes in the classified ads for sell, "1871 clothing, over $3000.00 invested" After a call, a long conversation, a visit, I ended up with the clothing. The gentleman, Clark Magee, who's wife, Allison, had passed away, and to whom the clothing belonged, showed my daughter and I how to get dressed in the multi layers of clothing. To say the least, I was intrigued.

Being intrigued with all the layers of clothing a Victorian Lady would clothe herself, the gal who worked for me suggested we do a tea party. I showed how all the layers of my clothing went together as I undressed in front of 60 friends at the tea.

A couple of weeks later one of the ladies who was at the tea told me "Carolyn, every time I get dressed I think about how the Victorian lady would get dressed. If I'm still thinking about this you need to do a talk or show." This set me on a long course of research and study.

A friend had a dude ranch, she invited me to visit, I talked with guests about the clothes. I was booked with a couple of tour companies. I then started getting bookings for Lady Carolyn.

And the name Lady Carolyn? Allison Magee, former owner of the clothing was a teacher. At the end of each show I quoted the yearbook that was dedicated to Allison Magee: "in everything she did, she first and foremost was a Lady". Usually someone would state, "we want to thank Lady Carolyn for being here today" So there you have it, Lady Carolyn was born.

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