Valentine's Day Book Rec

First post of the New Year. Sorry to have been so quiet.

I thought I'd share what I'm reading right now - an excellent choice for Valentine's Day, by the way: We Two: Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners, Rivals by Gillian Gill.

A wonderful book that covers one of history's greatest love stories - that of Queen Victoria and her Prince, Albert. Anyone that likes history or romance will find this book rather interesting. It is one of the easiest to read - not dry at all, but more like a novel at times. The author gets you involved in the histories of the two and how they changed and grew through their relationship. I found myself swept away in reading it.

Victoria and Albert eventually had 9 children - five girls and four boys. The youngest, baby Beatrice was only 3 when her father died. Tragically, Victoria had only 21 wonderful years with her 'Dear Albert' and had to live 40 more as a widow - always pining for her dearly beloved. She kept his room exactly as he left it - with fresh hot water for shaving and a new outfit laid out every day as if he'd come back at any moment. A bit morbid, perhaps, but fitting for her passionate love for him.

All of the Victorian values of morality, elitism, religion, industrialism and improvement - all of these come, not from the Queen, but from her husband. He insisted on cleaning up the royal image - imposing much stricter guidelines and rules for running the court, their households and the country in general. In truth we should call them Albertian values - morality, modesty, efficiency, improvement, etc. How different would the world have been had Victoria never fallen in love and married Albert? Historians speculate that if Albert had lived just one more year he may have been able to prevent World War I, which occured many decades after his death. (I won't give away how - you have to read the book! ;)

Even if you've studied this era before (as I have), you'll still find a few interesting new facts and views on it. I'm only halfway through, but enjoying it quite a bit.

And whenever I read about Victoria I find myself wanting to watch certain movies, too. Such as Young Victoria and Mrs. Brown. Two very different times in the queen's life and both fairly accurate (with some artistic licence taken in both in concern for exactly who saved her from assassins, but you have to allow for some dramatic scenes to be altered to fit the stories, I suppose). Both movies are well acted and the costumes and settings are remarkable. Great movies to watch around Valentine's Day as they are very romantic, too.

Happy Friday!

Jewelry for Dreamers of a Bygone Era - The perfect piece for summer!

I'm excited to introduce a new piece to my Etsy store this week - a miniature collapsible working telescope necklace! This is a part of my Historical Charm collection and my new favorite piece of jewelry! I made one for myself, (another for my mother who instantly wanted her own) and one more to sell!

This piece reminds me of Jane Austen's Anne Elliot, who pined for her Captain Wentworth all those years he was off fighting in the Napoleonic Wars and earning his fortune...of Captain Aubrey and Dr. Maturin in the Master and Commander series by Patrick O'Brian.

This picture is on a cookbook for the Master and Commander series - it is open to a recipe for Sea Pie - a very old fashioned recipe...The Age of Sail...

The telescope is pretty open or closed. You can adjust it to the size you like. I like to extend it partially so you can see all of it, but not quite fully extended. It is really well made, not a cheaply made trinket.

I added a wire wrapped pearl for a touch of feminine sophistication. It's strung on a 30" brass chain - easily goes over your head. You can knot it in the back if you wish to make it smaller or you could always restring it on a velvet ribbon or another chain. I love that it really works - it has 2x magnification!

Can you smell the sea air? Hear the sea gulls? Check your telescope - is that a sail on the horizon? Is my true love coming back to me??

Why yes, this piece does make me sentimental. I'm an incurable romantic...that's why I love historical fiction and period movies with lovely costumes, drama and happy endings.

It's a very versatile piece - you can wear it with a dress or skirt and blouse or just a tank top and some shorts. I'll be wearing mine all summer, I think. I'm wearing mine right now and even though I'm getting ready for bed I don't want to take it off!

Isn't it gorgeous? It's up for sale right now. Only one available for now.

And for a bit of Summer Reading List pleasure - check out Jane Austen's Persuasion (free to read online if you don't have a copy) - a lovely tale about loving the Navy and the idea of going off on an adventure with your true love no matter what the dangers.

Or check out Patrick O'Brian's excellent historical fiction novels for wonderful sea adventures, warfare, courting young ladies, dangerous Frenchmen, spies, treachery, and exotic locales.

And if you haven't seen the movies for both - do check those out, too!

One of those days...

It's just one of those days...it's bitterly cold outside and I feel so crummy. A headache, tummy ache...just about everything-ache. I woke up and saw that Smokey was sleeping so soundly in his basket. He looks so peaceful and snuggly in his warm bed that I'm tempted to go back to my own bed and do the same.

It's the kind of day that makes you want to curl up with a good book.

My father built me this set of bookshelves above my desk. I have another bookcase in my bedroom, but this one is for my favorite books on my favorite subjects - history and art. They are mostly on my favorite period of all - the Tudor Age. I have just about every good book on Henry VIII and his wives. I study it constantly and am always looking for new books on them.

And old books on them. I collect vintage books in general, but I get really excited if they are on the Tudors. I got two 'new' vintage books on Henry VIII for Christmas. I then went out and bought a few more with my Christmas money.

You could say I'm a bit obsessed. I also have French history books, too. Marie Antoinette and Louis XIV are also interesting people and periods in history. I have a few knickknacks that go along with the theme. An iron Fleur de Lis I'm using as a bookend...

And a golden lion (ancient symbol of kings) as another bookend.

Little things like that make me happy. Now I need to pick a book to read and curl up in bed. ;)

Indulgence

I have been a good little girl shoppingwise the last few months so I decided to splurge just a little this last week on items I just had to have. I consider them late birthday presents...and early Christmas presents.

One, for the summer days - a little pendant to wear:

I've been wanting this for over a year now so I thought I'd treat myself. The flapper era girl in an old fashioned swim suit just looks so cute! I got this from ArtsNcharms.

And the big purchase - a doll from Du Buh Du Dolls!!

I knew as soon as I saw this doll I had to try my best to get it. Can you believe the detail in the face?? How does she paint so well on such a tiny surface?? My doll looks like $&%* next to that. She is amazing!

I woke up early Saturday and paced around the room waiting for eight o'clock to approach and then with three minutes to spare I decided I had to go to the faster computer downstairs so I ran down the stairs and frantically refreshed the browser until the doll showed up and then raced to get it in my cart, log onto paypal and pay it before I lost it...I was so excited I was shouting at my computer, faster, faster - come on move it! I had to check three times that it actually had gone through and the doll was definitely mine before I believed it. Whew! Now I will eagerly wait by the mailbox for it to arrive and hound and harass my mailman until I get it. ;) I will treasure this doll for sure - thank you, Christine, for making such beautiful dolls!

And then, I realized I don't have Like Water for Chocolate on DVD, only a bad copy saved on video, so I decided to buy it on Amazon (a steal for only 6.99 just in case anyone else wants to buy one). So as I was looking around on the site I discovered my favorite author, Diana Gabaldon, has finally finished another book and An Echo in the Bone comes out September 22nd! Yay! I love her books and I have reread her last one to death and can repeat it by heart by now so of course I had to preorder that book, too. LOL

I'm done shopping now! Don't tempt me any further shopping gods! But then, I was a good little consumer, wasn't I? I stimulated the economy like they tell us to do so that makes it okay, right? Of course it does... At least I can console myself that I bought two handmade items and supported two fellow artists so really it IS a good thing. Amazon doesn't need my help quite as much, but I'm sure they appreciate it.

Tell me, what treasures have you bought or are saving up for now?

Edited to add: Wow, my doll came today already! Super fast shipping, thanks, Christine!! It's even more beautiful in person. The quality of the doll and the size is just amazing. I can't stop looking at it. ;)

Underneath the floorboards...

live the Borrowers. Did anyone else read The Borrowers when they were a kid? I loved the idea of little people beneath the floorboards. I used to 'borrow' things to make my own little Borrowers den and imagine a family using it when I wasn't looking.


I just bought the 50th Anniversary Edition from Amazon and I'm so glad to finally have a copy of it. It's cuter than the normal children's version at the bookstore - if they even have this classic, which most don't. I think my favorite bit is when the are describing the different Borrowers that used to live in the big house before it got so abandoned and they had to scatter. The Overmantles, Harpsichords, Bell-Pulls and Stove-Pipes with their last names corresponding with where they lived. Arrietty and her parents aren't all that interesting, really, but the idea behind the story still fascinates me and as a child I read lots of stories that were similar in theme - like the Ralph S. Mouse stories by Beverly Cleary or the Beatrix Potter story of Two Bad Mice, etc. I also vaguely remember watching the cartoon The Littles' which was a lot like the Borrowers only they had tails for some reason.

So whenever you are missing a pin, a scrap of fabric, or a spool of thread from your sewing basket, just remember - it might be a Borrower.