At Tante Anna, we are two sisters who love all things old and interesting. Things from yesteryear seem to draw us in for a closer look. But we also love how the right old thing works well with something new and modern. You might find us at an estate sale or local consignment shop, or searching for new ideas online. We dream of visiting village markets in Bolivia or flea markets in Paris. But mostly we love to rummage through our family’s stuff, things set aside or stored by our mother, our aunts, our grandmothers and their sisters.
We’re explorers in our own homes too, sifting through pieces that belonged to our mother and her mother and her mother’s mother or finding stored things we had forgotten.
The Anna in Tante Anna was inspired from our great-grandmother, Anna, who we never really met, but who we feel we know intimately through stories told by her children, nieces, nephews and grandchildren. Tante is German for aunt and we think Anna would have liked our knowing something about her origins.
Tante Anna is not one person, but all of these women in our family, she’s the archetype caregiver of our narrative – the cool aunt who doesn’t mind if you dig through her purse. She’s the composite of so many Annas in our family who share some form of her name. (MaryAnn, Leann, Anne, Anna)
Some Annas were very close to us, some very present, some lost too soon and some lost to memory, yet retained in the objects passed down to us in old photos, faded recipes, or a chipped chrysanthemum vase.
About Michelle
I’m one of four sisters. While you’ll mostly hear from either Melissa or me on this blog, I’m the oldest. You should know this. My sisters like to pretend that because we’re adults, birth order doesn’t matter. But, let’s be honest. Whenever there’s a social situation that requires a lead or an awkward pause to be filled, they make me take over. Their LinkedIn profiles prove they’re accomplished in their own right, but rest assured, I’ve made my impact.
I am a writer of fiction, an editor of fiction (mostly mysteries, YA and historical fiction) and a communications professional at SW Content.
About Melissa
Being second has advantages. While most middle children bemoan the lack of attention, I relished it. Fading into the background formed my keen observation skills that later served me well. Unlike my other sisters, I was never grounded. It’s not that I didn’t break rules. No one caught me.
Marsha may have been the oldest and coolest. But I want to remind Michelle that Laura Ingalls was the SECOND sister. When we were young, I was made to play Mary and assumed it was because I’m blonde. But the reality was Michelle, being the oldest, first laid claim to being a writer and nominated herself as Laura.
Today, I write and make magic happen online as a digital marketing professional at redravenmarketing.com.
Why Tante Anna? We played together all the time when we were little and we built Tante Anna because, why stop now? Tante Anna is a continuation of our creative discovery as sisters, only now, we’ve a bit more wisdom to share.