Dust on the Shelves Like Gossamer Wings

I found Winter!

2012-02-09T09:54:00.000-05:00

And The Rodent says it'll be here for a while longer. Or something like that. I'm pretty sure that either way we get more winter. And so - let's bundle up!19061935 Frank and Jaque Brown on their way to RomeThe Brooklyn Bridge(and check out those nylons!)1970sA lot of Mink19251890sIce Skating in the Bois de Boulogne!And finally, the Comtesse de Castiglione

Snow Reviewed in Summer

2012-01-14T09:57:00.003-05:00

You know, someday you might even get an adult's book review out of me. (It's true! I'm currently most of the way through "The Help"). But not today. Today I get to gush about Caldecott award winning author Jane Yolen. *gush* ^_^As soon as I saw Snow in Summer hit the shelf, I knew what my next book was going to be. If you want a good fairy tale and you don't want an original Grimm or its

Dances of Sugarplum Fairies

2012-01-13T20:35:00.013-05:00

And my Christmas present from my roommate was a trip to see The Nutcracker Ballet in Philadelphia! Yay! It is my favorite ballet. Growing up with a dancer mum and being a little ballerina, all I wanted in the world was to be able to dance the part of Clara! Unfortunately, my ballet company said "EVERYBODY does The Nutcracker. We'll do A Christmas Carol instead!" But then, at the Christmas party

A Pouting Review That Ends With A Hug

2012-01-12T09:32:00.003-05:00

So I always seem to be reviewing Juv. Fiction or Teen Fiction. Now I'm going to start throwing Picture Books into the mix. Yay! But let's face it. We've ALL read Goodnight Moon and Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs. They're wonderful books, but you already know that. So I'm going to try to keep it to more recent books that you might not have heard about.The Pout Pout Fish, by Deborah Diesen, is

We take particular pride in the excellence of our ballet, monsieur.

2012-01-11T10:54:00.000-05:00

Not only was The Phantom of the Opera utterly fantabulous, but, being who I am (and who I am is quite obsessive over the historical accuracy which always seems to be lacking), I was struck and overjoyed at the historical accuracy of the costumes! The Phantom of the Opera is set (at least in Andrew Lloyd-Weber's production) in the 1880s. (I do have the book, and my sister loves it, but I have yet

Review of Neptune!

2012-01-10T17:13:00.001-05:00

Dear Rick Riordan, WHY MUST I WAIT ANOTHER WHOLE YEAR TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE ARGO II LANDS??!!??!?!!??!?!I want book 3, and I want it now. *pout*So yes, The Heroes of Olympus: The Son of Neptune is awesome. ^_^ This book has the same basic timeline as book one, The Lost Hero.Except now we have PERCY back! *yay!* Except that, aside from knowing his name and that MONSTERS ARE CHASING HIM

Phantoms of the Opera

2012-01-07T22:17:00.010-05:00

My Dearest Darling Hilary asked me to accompany her and her mum to NYC to see The Phantom of the Opera! *squee!* It was a fantabulous performance! Much more exciting than I even thought it would be! So here are some Opera Ghosts for you!Soprano Adelina Patti in the 1880sThomas Rendl as Pontius Pilate, 1890Adelina's sister, Soprano Carlotta PattiFrancisco D'Andrade as Don Juan, 1891Louise

Little Tom Tucker

2011-12-03T12:31:00.001-05:00

Sang for his supper.What shall we give him?Brown bread and butter.How shall he cut itWithout e'er a knife?How shall he marryWithout e'er a wife?

It's Election Day!

2011-11-08T16:02:00.000-05:00

CAT!

2011-11-08T16:00:00.000-05:00

I'm a Kitty Cat!My name is Parker and I'm full of purrs for my new mommies!1910s1950s or 1960sWitch's Apprentice Applicants!18891910sMr. and Mr. Whiskers1890s Kitty Seek and Find!Cat in the Box!

Tea of the Day!

2011-11-07T09:49:00.003-05:00

Victorian Rose (Eastern Shore Tea Co.): 4/5(You can also get it at Wegmans!) I love love love this tea! It is, as it says, a Rose flavored tea. It is black tea, but possibly the first one I have ever had where I actually had to check the label to make sure. I cannot taste the black tea at all, and it does not get enormously strong like most black teas if you leave the bag in for too long (and

The Witching Hour!

2011-10-31T23:13:00.009-04:00

The time has come! The votes are in! (for some reason blogger has been put under an awful spell and is not letting people comment! *sadface*) The Witches are busy recounting, just to make sure we've got it right!Happy Halloween! Joan Blondell and Friend The Hufflepuffs! Clara Bow Joan Crawford The Slytherins Morticia and Lily A witches coven at the Home of the Aged in Norfolk, England And the

Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Reviews

2011-10-30T18:04:00.001-04:00

Quick! Before you read this! GO VOTE for the Costume Contest! I think that, just by looking at the cover, we can all see why I chose to pick up Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children! Flipping through it, and seeing all of the crazy antique photos strewn throughout the pages convinced me, and now it is my turn to convince you!Jacob was raised on the fantastic and adventurous stories of his

When Suddenly, There Came A Rapping!

2011-10-29T15:13:00.014-04:00

Rapping, at my chamber door. It's the Annual Halloween Costume Contest!!! (Late, I know, but that's what happens when it snows in October. People get confused and turn around to go home.) The point is, all the guests have arrived and since none of you lovely readers are going to be out and about tonight, you'll have plenty of time to chat everyone up by the eyeball laden punch and submit your

Clap Your Hands If You Believe!

2011-10-25T09:53:00.001-04:00

Back in the Habit!

2011-10-18T10:13:00.000-04:00

That means I'm actually going to continue on with the posting and stuff! And just so you know I'm telling the truth...MORE MAN LACE!1860s Sister M.M. Joseph of the Sister's of Mercy (North Carolina Civil War Medical Unit)1890s Chartreuse. I'll bet at least one of them knows the ingredients...1849 Angers, France1860 Msgr. Jaquemet Nantes, French Bishop1955 Polish SeminariansSaint Thérèse of Lisieux

You Can Dance If You Want To

2011-10-17T19:12:00.003-04:00

Just checking in! Working 9 days a week leaves little time for blogging. I DO miss all of you terribly though! :( Never fear though, the HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTEST will be up this week!!!!!It's not a photograph, but it fits quite well here! Also, it's fantabulous!

Is My Blog Holier than Yours?

2011-09-16T23:33:00.015-04:00

I'm am up for my first blog award! Yay! (mostly because I told Dave that he had to nominate me...but that's not the point!) Please please pretty please, if you love my blog, go over to The Crescat and vote for meeeeeeee! (Under "Best Visual Treat") And now, because I've been nominated on a Catholic blog, I shall ingratiate myself to her general viewing audience!Beginning with MAN LACE!1888

Internet!

2011-09-16T08:21:00.001-04:00

I have it! Yay! Which means I'll be able to go back to updating this regularly! (I know you're all THRILLED).Also, it was cold yesterday, and Autumn seems to have found its way to my background early...*snuggles with pomegranate cider tea*

Debris

2011-08-29T22:40:00.010-04:00

Well, not all of these are necessarily natural destruction. (and some of them have been featured here before.... what? They're awesome and deserve as much air time as possible!) But now that the flooding is subsiding, there's only one thing to do: KEEP CALM AND DRINK TEA! 1944 London in June And a train for Jilly beansTALK 1895 Paris in October 1906 San Francisco Earthquake During (look at

Come On, Irene

2011-08-28T16:44:00.008-04:00

In 2002 Tropical Storm Allison came up the East coast. My town is 1.5 square miles. People at the other end of town remember Allison as a really bad storm. People in the next town over don't remember it at all. I live across the street from the creek at the low end of town. We got WRECKED. (Ever hear the sound of a hundred car alarms drowning?) Then comes Irene. And for some reason, the morning

Baby, Oh Baby!

2011-08-22T23:17:00.019-04:00

My Best Bestie had one of these on July 20! 1860 1926 Queen Elizabeth and the future Queen Elizabeth (I LOVE the Queen Mum!) 1947 Germany (This woman apparently had an exceedingly ugly triffid on the other side of her face) 1850s I'm curious about her dress - notice the short sleeves. Status of a working woman/servant/nursemaid? Or rich enough for a photograph while not having the money for

Native American Heritage Month

2011-08-16T23:23:00.017-04:00

Bet you didn't know that was August. Bet you thought I forgot about this again too. Looks like I'll be moving again soon! Yay! More EXCITING details on that once we sign a lease on Friday. Don't want to go crazy and get my hopes up in case something goes awry before then! Blackfoot at the Bow River, 1926 by E.S. Curtis Inupiat Child, 1929 Cayuse woman, 1910 Arapaho family, 1867-1874

Tea of the Day!

2011-07-15T13:08:00.003-04:00

Rhyannon' s Tea (Tea & Herbs by Cherie Anne): 3.5/5"Ginger taste with coconut pieces (here we go again with the coconut), ginger bits, cinnamon, apple bits, cardamom & pepper. Rooibos.Severe trepidation. As I said in my last post about Cherie Anne's tea, I'm not the world's biggest fan of coconut when it's being other than, well, a coconut. I'm also notorious for not liking Rooibos. But it was,

Once Upon A Time...

2011-07-14T14:59:00.002-04:00

“When I’m 80 years old and sitting in my rocking chair, I’ll be reading Harry Potter.And my family will say to me, ‘After all this time?’And I will say,‘Always.’”- Alan Rickman.

We're going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo

2011-07-12T13:47:00.013-04:00

So now we're back! (Well, I'm back. I just know that you've all been here the whole time, waiting in rapt attention with bated breath for my next post...) Wow. I've missed a ton! I kept trying to prepare a fantastical fairy post for you for May Day (when I went to the Spoutwood Farm Fairie Festival as the Tea Fairie!), I missed commemorating Elizabeth Taylor, I missed Easter. I MISSED THE ROYAL

Hola!

2011-07-06T21:35:00.000-04:00

Where have I BEEN? Well, the short answer is here:Menorca is a tiny island off the southern coast of Spain (right next to its better known sister, Mallorca). I spent three weeks there for archaeological field school! I kept a pretty constant diary of what I was doing, and now I shall share it with you! (I could have done it in real time, but why spend more time on the internet when I could be

Tea of the Day!

2011-07-05T16:50:00.002-04:00

Sangria Iced Tea! (Non-alchoholic): 4/5One of my friends just had a tea party themed birthday party! (Complete with scones and homemade Devonshire cream!) As it's, you know, July, and quite hot out, instead of hot tea (which was available but of which no one availed themselves), her mum made a giant, lovely pitcher (of which, alas, I have no photograph) of Iced Tea based on the idea of Sangria! (

Today! We Celebrate! Our Independence Day!

2011-07-04T19:30:00.016-04:00

Welcome to the one day a year where my overwhelming love for Englandworld goes to the backseat. And I get to see FIREWORKS!!!!!! *yay!* (I missed the parade though...)1940s1880s Baby Sutton1910s Lady Liberty1910s1896 New York City Parade!18801918 Lady Liberty, Uncle Sam, Red Cross NurseActor Walter Huston and Showgirls1881

Tea of the Day!

2011-05-27T12:03:00.004-04:00

Oh my! Remember me? I never forgot you either. That would have been TERRIBLE of me. I've just been busy, but more on that another time. There are more important things about which to remark. Namely, TEA!Coconut Chamomile (Tea & Herbs by Cherie Anne): 3.75/5Am I getting freakishly stingier with my ratings? No - I think the tea is fantabulous! But, being someone who likes coconut pretty much only

I Love It When They Walk...

2011-03-18T07:51:00.002-04:00

Ron Weasley said it best! Best to not elaborate and just watch (handkerchiefs out, Ladies! It's not polite to be caught drooling.)Prince AlbertMr. DarcyMr. Thornton (and his EPIC cravat!)Captain Wentworth(Jenni: Persuasion is about this man marching around looking gorgeous ^_^)Mr. Rochester(I could not find a walking picture yet, as it's still fairly new. I'm sorry to say you'll have to accept

Tea of the Day!

2011-03-17T21:25:00.004-04:00

Plantation Mint Tea (Bigelow Tea): 3/5I did enjoy Bigelow's Plantation Mint tea. It is made with black tea and spearmint, which gives it quite an interesting flavor. In fact, after having a cup I was surprised to find out that there is no peppermint in it! (Though the spearmint was quite obvious) Though it was good, I found the the combination of mint and black tea a little strange. I fell like,

Hallelujah, It's Raining Men!

2011-03-16T21:06:00.000-04:00

AMEN!1848 and the Top Hat of Destiny!(or something...)1852 Which is more impressive? My vest or my spiffing swirling vortex of Scottish hair?1860 Reverend Rendall Fantastic Posture. Especially when Leaning.Epic Top Hat man's younger brother? Also smoking a cigar, but not yet full grown in the Hat.1848 William Young McAllisterBecause everyone knows a well cut jacket and a well trimmed beard put

Jane Review!

2011-03-14T20:56:00.004-04:00

So, I got over my bad self and FINALLY (read: 8 years later) read Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Mostly, I was busy having a love affair with sister Emily's Wuthering Heights, and refused to believe that anything else could be that good. My words taste good this week. ^_^(And after gulping it all down, I did NOT get to see the movie! Stupid limited release! *stamps little foot*)Life is Hard. Jane

Forget Cowboys, Where Have All The Well-Dressed Men Gone?

2011-03-12T18:37:00.016-05:00

Maybe I've been immersing myself in too much 19th century romance lately. (Read Jane Eyre, started North and South, watched Pride and Prejudice, TRAGICALLY have not seen Jane Eyre yet, hopefully will see The Scarlett Pimpernel this week...)Or maybe men really just need to start wearing top hats again.(For the express purpose of tipping them at women, of course. ^_^)1853: Painter William Sydney

Seventeen Years Before Oz...

2011-02-18T07:47:00.000-05:00

And 13 years before the first color feature film, a 1922 Kodachrome Film Test featuring actresses Mae Murray, Hope Hampton, Mary Eaton, and an unidentified woman and child. Wow.http://1000words.kodak.com/thousandwords/post/?id=2982503I kind of want to work there... And wear that hat with the dangling flowers... 1915 I wish the quality of this image was better, but I feel like that has to do with

The Colors, Duke! The Colors!

2011-02-16T07:53:00.000-05:00

1907 Katherine Stieglitz, daughter of photographer Alfred Stieglitz and his first wife, Emmy. This is one of my favorite photographs, partly due to the barely there color which lends so much texture and really highlights her expression. Her hair looks so soft! 1913 "Ma Femme" by Alfred Van Besten (his wifey again! aw!) Another example of fantastic lighting and amazing textures brought to life

Tea of the Day!

2011-02-15T08:08:00.000-05:00

Pu-Ehr Tea: 0/5If anyone can give a more favorable review of this tea, please please pretty please do!I got a cup of it at a cafe. I'd heard the name before, and decided to be adventurous. Maybe I let it steep too long, but that generally does not affect the flavor THAT much. It tasted like liquid seaweed. And not in the good way. I could not even finish the cup. Blegh.Pu-Ehr Tea: Pu-ehr tea

Color Photographs!

2011-02-13T16:34:00.015-05:00

1917No, not modern photographs, silly. And not the hand tinted ones either (we will explore the beauty and total tragedies of those critters at a time that is not now.). Honest to goodness color photographs from the early years of the 20th century! Yay! I'm not going to put up detailed explanations of how the different photographers achieved their colorness. If you really care that much, you can

We Sheeped, We Spun, We Shawled! Now We're Warm!

2011-02-04T07:56:00.000-05:00

Knitting Starlets! Featuring: Gale Sondergaard! And someone who looks suspiciously like Myrna Loy... 1937 Ginger Rogers in Shall We Dance? Knitting! Backwards! IN HEELS! 1890s Dutch Girls Knitting! Two girls knitting in Harlem! Yay little knitters! 1894 "The Vesper Bell" Knitting in 1858! So good she can knit scarves AND poodles! Knitting in the 1910s 1918 Fleisher's Knitting and Crocheting

The Mini-Force!

2011-02-03T16:39:00.002-05:00

This might just be the cutest. thing. EVER. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-uHQna0&feature=channelHere's the link, as it seems viewing it on my blog cuts off a bit of the video. :(

Sheep to Shawl 2!

2011-02-02T17:50:00.000-05:00

1885 More spinning Welshwomen! Spinning in Brittany! 1895 More Spinning in France (I'm beginning to feel redundant...) 1865 Spinning in Alsace! 1895 Still spinning in France! 1880s Spinning in Wales! 1865, Alsace. Look! We've finally finished winding our wool! Now we can move on to KNITTING! Woo hoo! 1912 Knitting in France! The Unknown Knitter 1912 Grandmother Briggs. Because some of us like to

Tea of the Day!

2011-02-02T17:40:00.004-05:00

Well, we're going to cheat and combine the hot tea water with the chocolate and promote: Land O'Lakes Hot Chocolate! Raspberry Hot Chocolate and Dark Chocolate Raspberry Hot Chocolate! 5/5!!!!Sometimes you need something more substantial on a freezing cold icy tundra day than a steaming mug of hot leaf juice! I will say that I prefer to snuggle with a movie and a mug of chocolate than a mug of

Sheep To Shawl!

2011-01-31T17:37:00.000-05:00

In one week! First, take one sheep.1877 1885 Margaret Evans and her spinning wheel. Wales 1870-1900 Spinning in Palestine 1860s Spinning in Wales 1913 Spinning in Ireland (it's amazing we don't get dizzy and fall down!) Spinning in Frisia! (It's a very long stretch of, well, beach along the top bit of Germany. They wear nifty traditional costumes there.) 1890s Spinning in France! 1910s Spinning

Book Review: Amalee

2011-01-24T17:40:00.000-05:00

Maybe I'm just not creative, but I could not figure out how to combine Amalee with Review and make it funny. You'll forgive me eventually.Dar Williams wrote a kids book! EEE! Amalee, a novel about Amalee, her family, her friends, and her family friends. There's also a sequel! (Don't expect a review anytime soon - the only place I have seen her books in physical form is at her concerts. And those

The Greatest Show On Earth!

2011-01-20T22:28:00.000-05:00

I find this photograph intriguingly beautiful. What do you think? Unknown I have this dear Bearded Lady listed as Madam Josephine Clofullia, the Bearded Lady of Geneva. Unfortunately, I'm uncertain as to the veracity of that, as Josephine died in 1875 and while the costume worn in this photograph could be from the 1870s, I would be inclined to place it at the very end. Thoughts? George Prise, "

Mr. Poppers Reviews!

2011-01-20T07:54:00.000-05:00

Well, now, that doesn't alliterate at all. What does alliterate is Newberry Honor book Mr. Popper's Penguins, by Richard Atwater. Hilary handed it to me and told me it would make me happy (I LOOOOOOOOVE penguins!) Though perhaps not quite as much as Mr. Popper.Mr. Popper was a disheveled man. He painted houses during the day and read all about the Arctic and Antarctic regions in the evening

The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze!

2011-01-19T07:51:00.000-05:00

Known in some circles as Jules Leotard (yes, that kind of leotard). (And totally serious about the song.) Jules (1842-1870) developed trapeze acts as we know them today (and the costume - though calling it a leotard did not catch on until the 1880s). He was the son of a gymnastics instructor and was poised to enter Law. However, his love of and awesomeness in acrobatics led him to his first

Tea of the Day!

2011-01-18T07:50:00.000-05:00

Green Rooibus Tea (Wellcat): 2/5According to Teavanna (not that you've seen any of their products here. I'm not quite rich enough for that. But if anyone feels the need to send me samples... ^_^):Green Rooibus is another take on the (Red) Rooibus teas which come from "an African red bush".High in antioxidants, vitamins and mineralsMay help control allergies and fight coldsGood for your skin and

We're Running Away To Join The Circus!

2011-01-17T09:35:00.000-05:00

So, High schools have mascots. Sports teams have mascots. Hogwarts houses have mascots. Here at the PCC, we have a mascot too. I'd like you all to meet Priscilla:1940: We (at the museum) have that photograph in our collection - part of a mad scientist's notebook (seriously, the guy was nuts). Anyway, Percilla (no, that's not a misspell) was born in 1911 in Puerto Rico with hypertrichosis. She was

A Beastly Review

2011-01-12T13:44:00.003-05:00

The other day at work, Katie plonked Alex Finn's Beastly down in front of me, claiming it was fantabulous. As usual, she was right.Beastly is a modern retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story (one of my personal favorite Fairy Tales). It stars Kyle Kingsbury, son of an incredibly rich and famous TV news anchor, who lives in a world where money and looks are everything. At school Kyle may not

Further Excuses

2011-01-10T07:55:00.002-05:00

Ok, so this is a totally shameless post all about me! And, you know, more excuses for not having been a better blogger in recent months... I was busy!Being A Fairy! (Yes, that is me with Brian Froud!)Sometimes the Cameraman just will not cooperate. Then you have to put a Fairie Jinx on him.I also hosted Thanksgiving dinner this year! This was dessert. And yes, that is a flower in the b-u-n-d-t

Medieval Monday!

2011-01-10T07:55:00.000-05:00

Brazenly Borrowed from a back issue of Renaissance Magazine, I give youChildren's Books of the Middle Ages!The Polar Plague ExpressHow the Guelph Stole ChristmasPeter and the BeowulfSleeping Bayeux-tyRichard the Scary's Book of A-B-SiegesGoldilocks and the Three BarbariansGood Knight MoonLittle Erik the Red Riding HoodThe Lyon KingThe Little Siege Engine that CouldCharlemagne's WebSaxon, Plain

Woman's Best Friend

2011-01-07T17:14:00.000-05:00

1921 Actress Margaret HoranI. love. this. photograph.1856 "The Lesson"Teaching demon dogs to sit up and beg.1857 Wilfred Dodgson (Charles' brother) and Dido (who is a lovely dog)Despite Wilfred's very happy looking demeanor, I find the image to be quite lovely.1887 Toto Too!1888 Fun Fact: She crocheted that Yorkshire Terrierright into that shawl for Mother!1900s "I TOLD you, Emily! I'm allergic

The Lost Review!

2011-01-06T19:08:00.002-05:00

ANOTHER PERCY JACKSON BOOK!!!! Kind of. Not really though. Katie plopped Rick Riordan's latest 500+ page epic in front of me. I couldn't put it down. The Lost Hero, the first in the Heroes of Olympus series, is awesome!So, what's with the Percy Jackson comment above? Well, despite being all about the kids at Camp Half-Blood, Percy Jackson isn't there AT ALL! OH NO!! Reasons? Look to the title,

A Girl And Her Dog

2011-01-05T07:53:00.000-05:00

Again, I know it's not quite the correct phrase, but according to my collection girls were much more attached to their dogs than their brothers were.No names or dates attached to it, but I'd bank on some 1920s beach film! I wish I had a dog to drive my private boat around a harbor. Though what she's doing with that fur....thing.... I couldn't begin to say. I hope it wasn't her last driver!1850s I

Tea of the Day!

2011-01-04T19:19:00.003-05:00

Cranberry Apple Tea (The Spice & Tea Exchange): 0/5~Apple, Hibiscus, Cranberry, Sunflower Oil(?)~Caffeine Free*sigh* Sometimes you get really excited to try the new tea that you just got for Christmas. Especially because you LOVE apples, and, well, cranberries can be fun too! And then it smells a bit like cough syrup (not Robitussin, I mean the non brand nasty stuff (don't judge me)). And that

Puppies!

2011-01-03T18:20:00.000-05:00

Well, since I'm out of cats (seriously, I have about two photographs that did not make it into that week's posts), we'll turn our attention to Man's Best Friend! (Even though most of these dogs are posed with women...)1855I love the little girl's dress! I'm also proud of the dogfor staying still for what had to be quite some time!This is Noble, Queen Victoria's(!) favourite collie. He's regally

Medieval Monday! - Annual Renaissance Faire Edition

2010-12-19T23:33:00.000-05:00

I know it says "Medieval", but according to the *gentleman* walking behind me at the Faire the other week, he was at the Renaissance Faire, walking around with all of the Medieval people. So we're going to run with that. Eventually we'll run into a wall upon which we can bang our heads, but that's later. So, where have I, your dearly beloved blogger, been?(I'm the adorable little one)Well. When I

Tea of the Day!

2010-11-13T21:49:00.001-05:00

I did a bad thing. I bought, yes, more tea (review and photographs of the event to follow). Irishshammrocks pointed out that I have, "like, 20 different kinds of tea. I thought that number sounded a bit small. Leaving aside the odd collection of bagged tea I have jumbled together in a canister, I officially have in the vicinity of 47 teas! That's not including the ones that I just have a few

Medieval Monday on Thursday: I Finally Saw Robin Hood!!!

2010-11-04T21:45:00.005-04:00

A new theater opened up and spent their first week showing old movies for a $2 donation to cancer. And the most recent Robin Hood was one of them!! Here is what I took away from it:All Robin Hood movies MUST feature the Bayeux Tapestry.~To: EngandRe: King JohnEPIC. FAIL.~To: King JohnHate you.Hate the French more.Love, Your Not-So-Loyal-Subjects~Dear Hollywood,Do you think that maybe, once upon a

ELECTION DAY!

2010-11-01T21:32:00.014-04:00

VOTE!Lucy Burns was jailed in 1917 because she asked for the right to vote.In 1919 Eunice Dana Brannan, Doris Stevens, and Alison Turnbull Hopkins went to jail because they wanted their right to vote.Vidia Milholland was imprisoned in 1917 over the right to vote.So was Helen Hill Weed.And Pauline Adams.Alice Paul was tortured in prisonbecause she continued to protest by refusing to eat.Dora Lewis

And the Winner Is....

2010-11-01T21:25:00.005-04:00

Now that we've all recovered from the Halloween party (and extensive Trick-or-Treating!), we have (omg!) a WINNER in this year's Halloween Costume Contest!!!Would Mr. Toad please come forward!Because this year's attendees to my blog are AWESOME we had THREE TIMES the amount of votes as last year!! (That still only means 6, folks! Let's go for 10 next year!) So thank you SO MUCH to everyone who

HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTEST!

2010-10-25T21:00:00.026-04:00

Well, due to the OVERWHELMING attendance at last year's Halloween bash (all two of you), we're trying it again! So welcome to the party! Prithee comment with your favorite costume!We lead off with last year's Winner(s):1) Two Cackling Witches, Flying Again!2) The Dodge Sisters as That Good Ol' Ball and Chain!3) The Mysterious Mister Darcy!(Always lurking in the corners, avoiding contact with his

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

2010-10-19T09:08:00.002-04:00

Tea of the Day!

2010-10-07T19:05:00.006-04:00

Today's Tea of the Day comes to you directly from my Wicked Witch of the West mug (it being Halloween season and all)! It is:Hibiscus Delight (Wellcat): 3.5/5Hibiscus Delight is an herbal tea blend (meaning there is no actual Tea in it (meaning the leaves from the Tea plant), meaning there is no caffeine!) (I made this batch! Seriously.) It contains Hibiscus Flowers (one would hope), Rosehips (

Pride Goeth Before a Review

2010-09-30T16:34:00.002-04:00

So I finally broke down and read Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. After reading (read: sparknoting) Emma, I swore myself off of Jane Austen forEVER as dry and dull and pointless. Not quite George Eliot. But close. I was wrong. Very wrong.Understand, I did by no means rush into P&P and love every line of it from beginning to end. In fact, I almost gave up several times, really just wondering why

The Golden Age of Fashion

2010-09-29T21:11:00.014-04:00

So Jilly beansTALK is both a fashion blogger and loves working with textiles at the museum. She specifically loves loves loves 1930s fashion. This is the blog post I've been promising her for over a month!I decided to go with all Hollywood stars, rather than Real People, as the focus here is more High Fashion than what everyday people wore. You will notice that everything is sinking: the bobs of

Tea of the Day!

2010-09-28T21:53:00.000-04:00

Orange Spice and Lavender Tea (Wellcat): 4/5A concoction created by Dave when I could not decide which tea to drink one day (a few months ago...)! I have always wanted to try mixing the different teas I have together to see what I could see and taste what I could taste. But then when the time comes for a cup I forget...Anyway! This blend is delIcious! (You will have to imagine the high note in

Medieval Monday!

2010-09-27T22:12:00.000-04:00

I solemnly swear to update every day this week! (and not always in Middle English...)

The Queen's Gallery! or My History Crush: Up Close and Only Separated by a Thin Sheet of Glass

2010-08-24T19:00:00.002-04:00

I know I promised Jilly beansTALK a lovely 1930s fashion theme, but I'm actually rather good at overlapping my promises, and I DID tell Vikipedia several weeks ago that I would be posting all about my LOVELY morning at the Queen's Gallery's current exhibit: Victoria and Albert (My history crush, in case you'd forgotten): Love and Art.It featured impressively large paintings, like this one:And

Tag! I'm it!

2010-08-17T22:56:00.003-04:00

So apparently I've been tagged, twice, no less! That means I MUST answer the questions, I suppose.The rules are to answer 8 questions and then make up 8 new ones and tag 8 others for them to answer!1. What is the favorite outfit you ever styled for yourself?Definitely the Faery costume in the fourth photograph of my banner/header thing. I've never worn it since and I'd tweak it if I did, but I

Gloved and Dangerous!

2010-08-13T20:50:00.001-04:00

Final Glove post! Mostly movie stars! Oh la la!Also, Target has some spectacular Steampunk style jewelry right now, just in case anyone feels like buying some for my Steampunk Fairy costume... ^_^That aside, Onto the Gloves! Beginning with.....An ADORABLE Marilyn Monroe, who is Clearly excited to be wearing such smashingly shiny gloves! (and to be featured here, of course!)I know it's super tiny,

Reviews Return!

2010-08-12T19:39:00.002-04:00

Yay!I haven't forgotten. I have a whole stack of books here that I've read and would LOVE to be reviewed. Now, have I been too busy or too lazy? I'll leave that up to your discretion. Let me know what you conclude. ;)But where has Books for Boys (specifically) gone?? Well, I don't work at Barnes and Noble anymore (*weeps*). We'll see how wiped I am after Faire season (and how wiped my bank

More Gloves?

2010-08-11T07:39:00.000-04:00

Yes! Of course more gloves! It is my goal to bring back glove wearing (you know, in more than just the winter)! (and hat wearing! especially for the gents, but more on that another time)We begin today with 1930s actress Olivia de Havilland (hmmm. looks like I need to find another ___ de ___ for the next post...) Another one of the most beautiful ladies I've ever seen (and so cute!) She's also

Tea of the Day!

2010-08-10T17:03:00.005-04:00

Yuanyang: Rating up to you!So Devon introduced me to a new drink this past weekend! Can't decide if you'd rather coffee or tea? Have them BOTH! Hot or cold, this beverage (popular in Hong Kong) is coffee, tea and milk, all in the same cup! As I am no coffee drinker, it was not quite to my taste, as the coffee definitely overpowered the tea. However, the tea was by no means lost in the cup. So for

Gloves!

2010-08-09T20:26:00.015-04:00

I'm making some! But they're not finished yet. So until they are, you'll just have to make do with this fabulous collection!Also, I just had a most excellent weekend full of board games, kitty cats, wizard rock, Beatles covers, and two of the most wonderful people I know. Let us begin with the Beautiful actress Cleo de Merode. I can't tell if she's doing amazing things for those gloves or if

National Breastfeeding Week

2010-08-06T07:38:00.000-04:00

Well, the end of, anyway.I have photos for that! (Following, of course, on the idea that I have antique photos stored in here for virtually every occasion) (except weird things like school, and fish. and most other themes that people suggest to me. You should suggest something. I just might post about it!)1899: "The Manger" by Gertrude Käsebier1896: "Madone Moderne" by Archibald GoldieUnknown1931

Tea of the Day!

2010-08-05T07:52:00.000-04:00

ANOTHER blog post, all in a row! Life is about to get fairly hectic (PA Ren Faire begins in two weeks!!) - as in back to work 7 days a week for a LONG time. I'm going to try to stay more focused on getting posts up in a timely fashion, as well as spending slightly less time with Etsy so that I can do more other things (like this! - really, writing and sewing, but neither of those displays my love

Here Comes The Bride

2010-08-04T07:38:00.001-04:00

Dear Everybody,Come visit PA's Anthracite Heritage Museum, where we just opened up a brand new exhibit:Just Married: 70 Years of Weddings in Coal CountryYou know, the one I tried to get you all to send your wedding photos into? Yes. That one. It's PRETTY. ^_^ (And yes, that's also the mural I've been whinging about) In even better news, we're raffling off this dress:It's worth $2300. Raffle

A Fashion Post

2010-08-03T21:06:00.005-04:00

Yes, you read that right. Me? Fashion? Are you ok, Guenevere? Did you, perhaps, drink a bit too much tea and start confusing yourself with Jilly beansTALK? No, I just have a few things to say on the topic, having just spent two weeks in a fairly fashion conscious city. (Seriously, people get dressed before they leave their homes in England, it's great. Granted, I know all too well the need to

We're All Mad Here

2010-07-26T22:13:00.007-04:00

I FINALLY saw the Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland! (On the plane!)I loved it.I also went to Oxford last week...I must say that I was IMMENSELY pleased with how it turned out! (I was rather concerned, what with Alice being grown up and Depp as a rather pathetic looking Hatter)I really liked the girl they got to play Alice, though she kept me distracted by looking like some odd younger sister of

Ancient Egyptian Whack-A-Mole? And a Tardis?

2010-07-11T17:27:00.011-04:00

No seriously. They have it at the British Museum:Now that I have your attention. That's what we did Saturday. Along with a visit to the Queen's Gallery (which will have it's very own post when I have more time), and the Royal Mews. Sunday we went here:Then we went here :(And rounded out the afternoon with the promised: TARDIS!

Your Wedding Photo in a Museum????

2010-07-09T12:42:00.000-04:00

Would you like to be included in the next exhibit? The Anthracite Heritage Museum is putting up an exhibit titled Just Married: 70 Years of Weddings in Coal Country 1880-1950 and we would love to display your (not just your grandparents, but yours and your kids'!) wedding photo in the exhibit!If you would like to be included in this exhibit please send the following to the Anthracite Heritage

My Summer Vacation: Part One

2010-07-09T12:33:00.003-04:00

We've arrived! Yay!In the land of my totally adorable History Crush! ^_^(1860- it looks like she's trying to finish sewing his jacketwhile he's already wearing it!)

We're Flinging Celtics!

2010-06-25T08:12:00.009-04:00

Fling Fling Fling Fling Fling Fling FLING! This weekend is the Celtic FLING at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire! With KILTS!Ok, maybe not THAT kilt. But now that I have your attention...Kilts!Wave Hello to Gordon everyone!Dancing!No Tartan Terrors this year, sorry. (No Coyote Run either! :( )Mistress Ruth's Herb Garden and Apothecary! (Where I work!)Now you know what it looks like, so you can

Wild Reviews!

2010-06-24T07:43:00.001-04:00

(Sorry for such a tiny photograph) Are you a woman? Are you a feminist? Do you like history? Does 19th century women's history strike your fancy? Do you like to live on the edge? Do you fancy yourself the petticoatless pistol packing heroine of your own imagination? Do you admire the women authors who dared to write under their own names? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, GO READ

Baby!

2010-06-23T18:59:00.000-04:00

My nephew, Nathaniel Thomas Eckert was born on Friday, 6/18 at 12:25 pm!For a while he didn't have a name, because my sister in law was knocked out and my brother wisely chose not to make any executive decisions without her. I have yet to hear how Nate's older sister Kate (haha) is handling things.I don't have a date for this beautiful little child, but he's so happy! And the blankets he's

Medieval Monday!

2010-06-11T17:53:00.004-04:00

Well, as I AM an aspiring medievalist, the least I could do is subject you all to my whimsy. (BWAHAHAHAHHAHA- er, moving on) The idea is to have a regular Monday feature about something medievaly. I have a bestiary to fall back on should nothing super-exciting be taking place in the world of medieval news (yes, we actually do have one of those) that week. To be fair, I'll probably be stealing any

More Antique Mapness!

2010-06-10T07:43:00.000-04:00

Irishshammrocks has kindly lent me an 18th century map of hers to post here! Thank you very much! ^_^A New and Correct Map of the United States of North America - 1784by Abel BuellOk, so here you can see where the Pennamite-Yankee Wars came from - everybody's claim seems to go straight across as far as the eye can see (though PA seems to taper off with no western border...) Silly Connecticut. And

The Review Diaries

2010-06-09T07:40:00.000-04:00