Holiday Cheer

This year has been a trying one for my family. We have had the worst financial stress since our early years of marriage nearly 19 years now. We have cut back on many things, moved to pay less rent, and yet continuously seek more ways to make it through.

I know there are many families and many single people out there doing the same as we. It is hard especially around the holidays to keep much cheer knowing that there is not going to be things under the tree for my now almost 3 teenagers. They have become so understanding for the most part. They understand that there is a sequence on waiting in an imaginery line for their time to come to generally even one thing they would like and that the time lapse may be a couple weeks, a month, or even 3 to 4 months if not more.

My husband earlier in the week sent me an email laying out the bills (mostly medical co-pays after our insurance) that are pressing on us to take care of here in the near future. He said he hated to be the bearer of bleak news of "NO Christmas". I went into a depressed spiral state for a couple of days and started trying to figure a way to make more money come through the door. My Ebay and Etsy sales have not been very good this time of year compared to many in the past. I know it is because we are a nation all facing the same scrimping and cutting back.

After a few days of this "stressed & depressed" state of mine. I am finally calm and have watched a few videos in past several days which have themes in them of what I have been going through.

Persuasion by Jane Austen says; "While Lady Elliot lived, there had been method, moderation, and economy, which had just kept him within his income..."

You've Got Mail a scene -- "Down $1200 in sales from this time last year.. How can that be? . . . I am not going to let that get me down, I am hanging more twinkle lights!"

Miss Potter opening words; "There is something delicious in writing the first words of a story. You never know where they are going to take you and mine has taken me here."

I know my story is not over, as a matter of fact, I told my husband just last night that I have been playing with the idea of starting some college courses online to work toward a degree. This is only in the beginning stages of planning, but who knows, one day I might go from a 2 year degree I already have to something much more. So I do have some new hopes and plans brewing in my mind.

Bring on the Holiday CHEER!

Zombies go wild in Jane Austen's world

By William Weir • THE HARTFORD COURANT • May 11, 2009


It is true that zombies are not everyone's cup of tea; it is equally true that not everyone cares for Jane Austen. But it is a rare soul who cares neither for zombies nor Jane Austen.

This is the genius of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, a surprise best-seller that has hovered near the top of Amazon's sales list this month.

Author Seth Grahame-Smith has struck gold by placing the menace of zombies in Austen's idyllic English countryside, where matters of courtship were previously the most pressing concerns. Supposedly, the book retains 85 percent of Jane Austen's original text; the remaining 15 percent is a zombie story woven throughout. The literary mash-up turns Elizabeth Bennet from feisty heroine to feisty heroine and adept zombie slayer:

"He lumbered toward Elizabeth at an impressive pace, and when he was but an arm's length from her, she plunged the dagger into his chest and pulled it skyward."

It's hard to explain the appeal of zombies to anyone who doesn't already share it; similarly, non-Austenites will never understand the hold that cravats and antiquated social mores have had on so many readers.

Finding common ground
On the surface of it, fusing Elizabeth, the arrogant Mr. Darcy and their horribly well-mannered ilk with drooling, limb-shedding zombies seems as stark a contrast as you could ask for. But Jane Austen books and zombies share at least one thing in common: an improbably long stay in pop culture and a strong connection to their respective fans.

By the Internet Movie Database's count, there have been some 45 Austen-related movies and television productions since 1938. The book-to-screen rush really took off in 1995 with adaptations of Emma, Persuasion and Sense and Sensibility. Then there are the countless novels that play off Austen's works, her life and even the lives of Austen fanatics. And PPZ (as the book's fans call it) will hardly be the end of it. In the works are two movies — one is Pride and Predator, essentially a similar reworking of the book but with aliens; the other is Jane Bites Back, in which the author herself is a vampire.

Jane Austen Doll Figure

I think this is absolutely for me! I feel a birthday present coming on. This is a Jane Austen Doll figure and I have just found some listed on Amazon.com at a very reasonable price.

More and more I find I am into Jane Austen and her novels. I just recently won the auction her whole set of hard back books with dust jackets from 1996 Book-of-the-Month Club while shopping on shopgoodwill.com.

Today, also I was exploring my new residing town of Great Falls, MT and got totally excited when looking at their online site for the Chamber of Commerce at the calendar of events. I found this May 9th listing for a Mother's Day Tea & Victorian Fashion Show. A wonderful website appeared, but I was having trouble finding an address for the event.

Upon more exploring, I am not very happy to report that it is over 198 miles to travel to this event. -- There goes my special fun outing with my daughter, Savannah Rose (who also has a birthday on May 5th). We will have to continue to look for something more local.

Who knows it may be a snow blizzard at that time as well -- because it has been snowing all last night, today, and currently at 1:28 a.m. -- Spring time in the Rockies!!!

Jane Austen in Rio, originally uploaded by Adriana Zardini.

Jane Austen Bath Festival

The Jane Austen Festival
Friday 18th to Sunday 27th September 2009

The Bath Jane Austen Festival was the idea of David Baldock Director of the Jane Austen Centre and the first Festival took place in 2001. “My aim was to draw attention to this very popular author whose works were so influenced by the city by holding an annual celebration where Austen fans from all over the world could come and indulge themselves in everything Regency.”




Each year the Festival, which is held at the end of September, grows and grows with more people dressing in Regency costume celebrating the life and works of Jane Austen. Throughout the city events are organized by the Festival team under the guidance of Jackie Herring the Festival Director. Entrance to the events is by ticket and those go on sale at the Bath Festivals Box Office a few months before the start.


The most spectacular day each year is the first Saturday, when the festival officially ‘opens’ with the Regency Costumed Promenade through the streets of Bath. Promenaders from all over the world dress in 18th Century attire led by our Town Crier and accompanied by soldiers and sailors adding extra colour to the proceedings.


In 2008 for the first time, a traditional Country Fair in Queen Square where not only promenaders but also the general public could partake of the sideshows and stalls as well as try the stocks for size!

Small soirees, theatre, concerts, walking tours, food, talks and of course dancing plus the opportunity to dress throughout the week, if you wish, in 18th century costume. These are some of the attractions of the Jane Austen Festival.



Stop and visit this site for information on City of Bath England: http://www.cityofbath.co.uk/

Victorian Art Print -- Rudolf Eichstaedt

Victorian Art Print -- German Artist, originally uploaded by WonderlandShoppe.

This reminds me of Pride and Prejudice. Could this be Wickham?

Actually, this is the work of a German Artist named, Rudolf Eichstaedt.

The piece is titled, "Heimkehr" -- meaning Homecoming.

There is a copyright date of 1807 (the "0" may be something else but is hard to read). Where is my magnifying glass when needed?

I would love to find more information on this artist, his work, available prints.

I came by this print from a former employer who was moving and let his staff pick from items his family was leaving behind. This was the only thing I wanted. It is totally beautiful and has been matted and framed and is much larger with more background scene than photographed here.

Thrifty Decorating

One's own sense of style and decorating is a unique and creative way to express your individual SELF.

I have developed my own "idea" of Victorian as to the things I find while shopping around town at thrift stores like Goodwill. (Check out their online site: shopgoodwill.com) I got this wonderful art print recently in an auction at shopgoodwill.com.



Now I will have fun picking out a matting and framing look for this beautiful artwork. I see Elizabeth and Jane Bennett from my favorite book by Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, in this.

Another find at a thrift store here in Nashville, TN called Southern Thrift is a wonderful brass Victorian looking shoe vase that I have chosen to put eucalyptus in for display.



I am always in search of my next acquisition for that special decorating touch. A big sense of satisfaction (picture me smiling) comes from saving money also.