My Christmas tree last year.
Christmas is here! For those of you who celebrate, I wanted to pop out of my unexpected mini-hiatus to wish you a delightful holiday. I’m terribly sorry for my lack of activity in the blogging world these last few weeks; I’ve been a very busy little bee working on some big changes for The Girl Who Stole the Eiffel Tower. I’m hopping to start rolling them out on January 1st, so if you happen to be online on New Years Day and want to take a peak…well, I hope you like what you’ll see! I’ve grown a lot since I started this personal blog in May and while my aspirations haven’t precisely changed, they have matured a bit. The blog itself – its content and “mission” – won’t be changing, but the upcoming new year has me inspired to start fresh and give this little place a revamp. Personally, I’m ecstatic about it and I truly hope you all will be as well!
While I haven’t had a lot of time for blog reading lately, I have come across a few fabulous holiday-themed reads that I’d like to share with you all. Take a peak at…
Austen-esque Ornaments on Rusty Sarcasm
Yummy delicious: Jingle Bells and Gingerbread on Wolf and Willow
Handmade Holidays: Winter Wonderland Table Centerpieces on Indie Fixx
Aussie Christmas Traditions by Scrapbook de la Emma on Crimson Rosella
Surviving the holidays by Style Activist on Crimson Rosella
Party Dress Finds on Etsy by Everyone Loves Lipstick on Crimson Rosella
Why Heroes for Christmas on Rusty Sarcasm
The last link is a must for fans of the BBC series Merlin. Heather created the most divine desktop wallpaper featuring the heroes from the show, which is now sitting prettily on my own desktop. And if you aren’t following A Spot of Whimsy yet, you should do that. Diane is one of those Christmas savvy women we all envy, the one who has the decor and the perfectly-wrapped presents and the fabulous recipes. She’s the one who effortlessly makes the holidays work. Go check out her beautiful Christmas posts and be inspired!
I want to truly thank everyone who has taken the time to read and leave comments on my blog for the last eight months. The support has been beyond anything I could have dreamed and has made this year an incredibly memorable one. Thank you all so much, and I hope you each have a spectacular holiday filled with love, warmth and the happiest of memories. Joyeux Noël!
It is a truth universally acknowledged…
that a single woman in possession of a biting wit was born two hundred and thirty-five years ago today! Forgive my silliness; the world certainly needs no more parodies of the infamous sentence that welcomed us all into Jane Austen’s heretofore most revered novel, Pride and Prejudice, but I couldn’t resist. Everyone is celebrating Jane’s birthday – even Google who designed a special birthday logo for the day. It continues to amaze me that the strong, independent authoress who rocked the literary and feminist worlds experienced only modest recognition in her lifetime. Imagine what she’d say now if she could see how the world of Pride and Prejudice has seen life in so many mediums. (I imagine she’d be rather amused by the zombies. And vampires. And sea monsters. Oh my.) While she had many contemporaries who penned equally memorable literature, I consider Jane to be a master of social satire and human emotion. Her characters are among the most vivid and delightful I’ve come to know through the vast world of reading. Their interactions, quarrels and romances highlight the strange and beautiful journey we all embark on in life, making them eternally easy to relate to.
A watercolor of Jane by her sister, Cassandra.
| “Here’s harmony!” said she; “here’s repose! Here’s what may leave all painting and all music behind, and what poetry only can attempt to describe! Here’s what may tranquillise every care, and lift the heart to rapture! When I look out on such a night as this, I feel as if there could be neither wickedness nor sorrow in the world; and there certainly would be less of both if the sublimity of Nature were more attended to, and people were carried more out of themselves by contemplating such a scene.” |
- Mansfield Park, Chaprter XI
While my favorite of Austen’s work is Persuasion as I’ve mentioned before, there’s something in each novel that draws me into the Regency world with unhindered delight. I think Mansfield Park, Jane’s third novel, is a vastly underrated piece of fiction. The heroine, Fanny Price, is very unlike the traditional heroine of feminist literature: she’s shy, demure, poor and sensitive. Unlike other quiet heroines, such as Persuasion‘s Anne Elliot and Sense & Sensibility‘s Elinor Dashwood, Fanny lacks the gentle sparkle of pride and dignity that makes the others so substantial. But my favorite thing about Fanny is how human she is. I think it was brave of Jane to take an unconventional character and center an entire novel around her. This particular piece of dialogue from the novel struck me with just how passionate Fanny is, although she doesn’t get many opportunities to show it throughout the story. On the list of Jane Austen characters I relate to the most, Fanny is quite near the top.
In the spirit of the day here’s a
great recipe for Jane Austen teapot cookies from
Mischief Mari Cookies. My perfect day of celebrating Jane would involve making these little delights before settling in with a cup of tea and a novel or a film adaptation with a group of friends. How would you celebrate Jane?
Barnes & Noble is also celebrating by offering linda Berdoll’s Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife free in e-book form! You can read it on your nook if you have one, or on one of their free nook applications. Enjoy!
Jane Austen watercolor from Wikipedia
A bit of a name-dropping Wishpot Wednesday this week! I couldn’t help myself. There are certain designers that have a very solid reputation with me and when I set out to shop online I can’t help but be drawn to them. Contrary to the pinkish hues of last week’s WW I’ve managed to stumble back into my typically monochromatic palette choice. Shall I say it one more time? There’s nothing so chic as the contrast between black and white!
Snow Leopard Cardi; $68, Nasty Gal
My curiosity over the leopard print trend hasn’t died. Combine that with my love of long cardigans and this one’s a hit! I could totally see it paired with leather pants, but not on me. I’m not that daring. I would be apt to wear it with leggings, though.
Dome Three-Finger Ring; $18, Nasty Gal
Another trend I’ve been loving this year are the multiple-finger rings. I don’t always know which styles would look good on me – some of them make me feel like I’m wearing brass knuckles. Not fashionable. I love the softness of this one and the pretty little design.
Betsey Johnson Fleur de Lis Studs; $25, Macy’s
Betsey is such a rock star. These fleur de lis studs might be my favorite thing she’s ever designed. Aren’t they fun? Just the perfect way to add a bit of French flair to any look.
Tommy Hilfiger Argyle Sweater Dress; $35.99, Macy’s
Some designers have a way of making you feel instantly at home – the fashion version of comfort food, shall we say? They’re designers that you’re comfortable with, the ones you know you can trust to bring wonderful quality and strong, appealing designs. For me, that’s Tommy Hilfiger. And this sweater dress is just the sort of thing I love from him. It’s so cute and preppy and fun – and argyle! Why not?
Rebecca Taylor Anchor Striped Crew Sweater; $275, Shopbop
Rebecca Taylor is a new favorite of mine; her designs are strong, minimalist and always comfortable. This sweater plays to my love of stripes, but I can’t get enough of the unexpected elements like the long finger-sleeves and the v-neck ribbing.
Splendid Poorboy Cowl Top; $121, Shopbop
Splendid is just that. Sorry, that was cheesy, but it’s true! Splendid is splendid. I want to curl up by the fire in this cowl top with a book and a glass of wine. Stylish and comfy!
What’s your heart wishing for lately? And do you have any favorite “comfort food” designers?
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Wishpot.com is an easy-to-use site that lets you create an online wishlist from products you find all over the web. A button added on to your browser lets you add to your Wishpot as you shop. Check it out, and feel free to add me as a friend!
