Sunday, April 29, 2012

Period Dramas Keep Calm Contest

Based on Anne of Green Gables (1986)
This week's game is a contest, a Period Drama Keep Calm poster contest to be exact. I can't say this idea is very original, the idea was inspired by Miss Dashwood's Jane Austen Keep Calm poster contest at Yet Another Period Drama Blog who kindly agreed to let me "steal" her idea. Thanks Amy!

Don't know what a Keep Calm poster is? The saying "Keep Calm And Carry On" was originated by Winston Churchill in England during WWII. The saying has recently become more popular than every with merchandise of all types showing up in bookstores and other shops. There have also been many spin-offs related to everything imaginable (usually favorite books, films and TV shows) circulating on blogs and websites lately too.

In this contest your entries must be related to your favorite period dramas and they must being with the phrase "Keep Calm And" (but just "Keep Calm" is okay too if it works with your saying).

Here's a couple examples of Period Drama related Keep Calms:

Based on Little Women (1994)

Based on North & South (2004)


Entries & Rules:
  • Create your own witty posters beginning with "Keep Calm And..." or "Keep Calm" that are related to your favorite period dramas (and try to think outside Jane Austen - Dickens, Gaskell, Alcott, Montgomery, Downton Abbey or other period films). 
  • You may enter up to two Keep Calm posters.
  • Post your Keep Calms on your blog or website and leave the link in a comment, or if you don't have a blog leave image URL in a comment. 
  • When you comment please tell which period drama(s) your sayings come from
  • Contest will be open for entries from now until 12:00 AM (EST) on Thursday, May 3rd at which time I will choose my five favorite posters and will post them and a poll for everyone to vote for their favorite. Winners will be posted Sunday, May 6th.  
  • Sayings may be related to any period drama but keep in mind that the more well-known or witty the saying the better chance it will have of being generally agreeable.
  • Please keep your entries clean and upbeat. 
  • Photos on your posters are encouraged by not necessary. 

The Keep Calm-O-Matic is a wonderful tool to use when making your posters and it's what I used to make the posters above.

And one more thing...have fun! Lots of fun!

I am very much looking forward to seeing your entries! :)
















Contest is now closed, thanks to everyone who voted!

Finalists Announced: http://old-fashionedcharm.blogspot.com/2012/05/keep-calm-and-vote-for-your-favorite.html

Winners Announced: http://old-fashionedcharm.blogspot.com/2012/05/period-drama-keep-calm-contest-winners.html

Saturday, April 28, 2012

First Lines Quiz - Answers!


These are the answers to the First Lines Quiz that I posted last week. 

I was so pleased to see how many of my readers were quite familiar with the first lines of classic literature, especially the first lines of the classic children's books I included.
Thanks for playing everyone! :)

Classic First Lines:

#1. "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." - Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

#2. "One thing was certain, that the white kitten had had nothing to do with it - it was the black kitten's fault entirely." - Through The Looking-Glass, Lewis Carroll

#3. "Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that situation will be held by anybody else, these pages must show." - David Copperfield, Charles Dickens

#4. "There was no possibility of taking a walk that day." - Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte

#5. "The weather door of the smoking-room had been left open to the North Atlantic fog, as the big liner rolled and lifted, whistling to warn the fishing-fleet." - Captains Courageous, Rudyand Kipling

#6. "When Farmer Oak smiled, the corners of his mouth spread till they were within an unimportant distance from his ears, his eyes were reduced to chinks, and diverging wrinkles appeared round them, extending upon his countenance like the rays in a rudimentary sketch of the rising sun." - Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy

#7. "Call me Ishmael." - Moby Dick, Herman Melville

#8. "It's time to go to the station, Tom." - An Old-Fashioned Girl, Louisa May Alcott

#9. "A surging, seething, murmuring crowd of being that are human only in name, for to the eye and ear they seem naught but savage creatures, animated by vile passions and by the lust of vengeance and of hate." - The Scarlet Pimpernel, Baroness Orczy

#10. "To begin with the old rigmarole of childhood." - Wives and Daughters, Elizabeth Gaskell

#11. "About thirty years ago, Miss Maria Ward, of Huntingdon, with only seven thousand pounds, had the good luck to captivate Sir Thomas..." - Mansfield Park, Jane Austen

#12. "The house in the hollow was "a mile from anywhere" - so Maywood people said. It was situated in a grassy little dale, looking as if it had never been built like other houses but had grown up there like a big, brown mushroom." - Emily of New Moon, Lucy Maud Montgomery

#13. "I will begin the story of my adventures with a certain morning early in the month of June, the year of grace 1751, when I took the key for the last time out of the door of my father's house." - Kidnapped, Robert Louis Stevenson

#14. "There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it." - The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, C.S. Lewis

#15. "Mr Salteena was an elderly man of 42 and was fond of asking people to stay with him." - The Young Visiters, Daisy Ashford

#16. "Cedric himself knew nothing whatever about it. It had never been even mentioned to him." - Little Lord Fauntleroy, Frances Hodgson Burnett

#17. "1801 - I have just returned from a visit to my landlord - the solitary neighbor that I shall be troubled with." - Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte

#18. "Among other public buildings in a certain town, which for many reasons it will be prudent to refrain from mentioning, and to which I will assign no fictitious name, there is one anciently common to most towns, great or small: to wit, a workhouse; and in this workhouse was born; on a day and date which I need not trouble myself to repeat, inasmuch as it can be of no possible consequence to the reader, in this stage of the business at all events; the item of mortality whose name is prefixed to the head of this chapter." - Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens

#19. "Miss Polly Harrington entered her kitchen a little hurriedly this June morning. Miss Polly did not usually make hurried movements; she specially prided herself on her repose of manner. But to-day she was hurrying - actually hurrying." - Pollyanna, Eleanor H. Porter

#20. "In these times of ours, though concerning the exact year there is no need to be precise, a boat of dirty and disreputable appearance, with two figures in it, floated on the Thames, between Southwark bridge which is of iron, and London Bridge which is of stone, as an autumn evening was closing in." - Our Mutual Friend, Charles Dickens

#21. "If anybody cares to read a simple tale told simply, I, John Ridd, of the parish of Oare, in the county of Somerset, yeoman and churchwarden, have seen and had a share in some doings of this neighborhood, which I will try to set down in order, God sparing my life and memory." - Lorna Doone, R.D. Blackmore

#22. "All children, except one, grow up." - Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie

#23. “Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents,” grumbled Jo, lying on the rug. - Little Women, Louisa May Alcott

#24. "Miss Brooke had that kind of beauty which seems to be thrown into relief by poor dress." - Middlemarch, George Eliot

#25. "'Edith!' said Margaret, gently, 'Edith!' But, as Margaret half suspected, Edith had fallen asleep. - North and South, Elizabeth Gaskell


10 Titles Not Used: 
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgeson Burnett ~ Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll ~ Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery ~ Bleak House by Charles Dickens ~ Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott ~ Les Misérables by Victor Hugo ~ Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen ~ The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain ~ The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis ~ Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson 


Players Scores
Jillian - 96 points
Scullery Maid - 88 points
Lydia - 84 points 
Miss Dashwood - 84 points
Anne-girl - 72 points
Sarah Grace - 68 points
Emily - 64 points
Mary Beth - 52 points
Hayden - 50 points
Jemimah - 45 points
Melody - 38 points
Ella - 24 points
Jen - 24 points
Miss Woodhouse - 20 points
Charity - 18 points

New game will be up soon!

Very Truly Your's,

Friday, April 27, 2012

Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998)


Sorry about the lack of film reviews lately, a lot has been happening in my life lately .

This week I'm revisiting an old favorite, a picturesque period film with a very sweet story. Ever After is one of those films that's been a family favorite, one I used to watch with my family all the time. When I re-watched it recently it was lovely hearing all of those familiar lines, laughing at those hilarious scenes and tearing up at those super sweet "awww!" moments!  
If you haven't seen Ever After yet I'd love to introduce you to this marvelous film!



Story: This retelling of the classic Cinderella fairy tale cuts out fairy godmothers and pumpkin coaches and instead sets the story in 16th century France. Danielle is a rather tom-boyish feisty motherless girl who loves her father dearly. When her father brings home the Baroness Radmilla, and her daughters Jacqueline and Marguerite, Danielle is trying to make friends with them but her father's untimely death throws the whole family in chaos. Danielle grows into a spirited, kindhearted young woman forces to make her keep by joining the servants in the housework, which she does without complaint. When one of the servants is condemned to transportation for the Baroness's debts Danielle dresses up as a courtier in order to buy him back and makes quite an impression on Prince Henry. The prince is slightly less than charming and has troubles of his own such as his reluctance to be royal or to enter into an arranged marriage with a Spanish Princess. When the King gives Prince Henry five days to choose his own bride Baroness Radmilla is determined to make Marguerite the future Queen, meanwhile the Prince is busy discussing literature and responsibility with Danielle. Throw in Leonardo da Vinci, a villainous scoundrel, a witty captain of the guards, an artistic best friend and a band of gypsies and you have a tale fit for the storybooks!


Script's Historical Accuracy: Although the story supposedly takes place in 16th century France and the historical characters Henry II and his father Francis I do appear this is definitely a historical fiction piece. In real life Francis I of France did not have a Queen named Marie but married Claude, Duchess of Brittany and then Eleanor of Austria. Henry II married Catherine de' Medici of Italy, so unfortunately no Danielles and no Cinderella story. I was surprised to discover that some of the info about Leonardo da Vinci was correct, he did live in France for the last few years of his life in a house provided by Francis I who became a good friend. The portrait Leonardo paints of Danielle in the film is based on da Vinci's Head of a Woman.

 
Costumes: The Baroness and her daughters wear lovely dresses in rich fabrics and the dresses and accessories of the Queen and courtiers were stunning! Danielle has one plain house dress but she gets to dress up several times and those dresses are my favorites! I noticed on a recent viewing that the dresses Danielle wears are shown as being part of Marguerite's wardrobe and she wears a few of the same dresses later in the film (a nice touch I thought!). Prince Henry has some nice tunics and riding boot but his trousers are rather tight from time to time. Overall the costumes are period correct and stunning!


Scenery: Stunning scenes in and around castles in France and a lot or gorgeous outdoor scenes! This piece is really beautifully filmed! It actually seems to give a fairly accurate view of living conditions in 16th century France.



Music: Composer George Fenton created an absolutely beautiful soundtrack. From the very first scene to the last each moment is filled with delightful currents of music that soar with hope, set the stage for adventurous chases and add to the general hilarity of many scenes. The Official Soundtrack is lovely to listen to, and the main theme is just stunning!

Actors & Characters:

  • Drew Barrymore as Danielle - Although Drew Barrymore is an American actress who does mostly modern films her role in this film is far and away my favorite. Her British accent and acting style in this film reminds me of Ramola Garai on several occasions. Danielle is a sweet and kindhearted heroine with a spunky and opinionated side. She honors her stepmother but also knows when to stick up for herself and the family's faithful servants.
  • Anjelica Huston as Baroness Radmilla da Ghant - Another modern American actress it quite surprised me how well Ms. Huston fit into the role of evil stepmother. Her performance was very powerful and mostly it was very easy to dislike her but there were a few occasions when she was almost likable because she did seem like she had loved Danielle's father.
  • Megan Dodds as Marguerite - Every Cinderella tale needs an evil stepsister and Marguerite definitely fits the bill. She is selfish, conniving and very jealous when the prince likes other people better than her. Megan Dodds' performance is so much fun to watch, the character even has some hilarious lines, just wait for "there was a bee" and die with laughter! :)
  • Melanie Lynskey as Jacqueline - Most original Cinderella stories have a plump but kind stepsister and Jacqueline who is "only there for the food" (hehe) is just right. She goes along with her mother and sister's evil schemes most of the time but she is usually kind to Danielle. Melanie Lynskey gives the character a lot of sweetness and humor especially toward the end of the film.
  • Lee Ingleby as Gustave - Gustave is Danielle's childhood friend who is a painter and who helps her out on several occasions throughout the film. He's a very kind and silly brother figure played very well by actor Lee Ingleby. If you've seen the BB's The Life and Adventures Nicholas Nickleby (2001) you'll probably recognize that Lee played Smike in that, my favorite Smike! :)
  • Dougary Scott as Prince Henry - What is a Cinderella tale without a handsome Prince Charming? not very much IMHO. Scottish actor Dougary Scott does a lovely job of dropping his brogue (so sad really! can't a French prince have a Scottish accent?) and depicting Prince Henry who is rather lost when he first meets Danielle. Her passion for helping others inspires Henry to use his royal power for the good of his people and to be a better man.
  • Timothy West as King Francis & Judy Parfitt as Queen Marie - First thoughts: Sir Leicester Dedlock and Mrs. Clennam married!?! Yes, any Dickens fan will definitely recognize these two from Bleak House and Little Dorrit as well as many many other period drama roles. As the King & Queen they are stressed about their son not taking responsibility or finding a bride but they are always fair and have a humorous side too! They were perfect in the roles. :)
  • Anna Maguire as Young Danielle - A very early role for this young starlet but she did a wonderful job or capturing young Danielle's spirit and love for her father. The scenes with Danielle and her father were just the sweetest and so much fun to watch. Anna Maguire went on to role in Wives and Daughters (Young Molly), David Copperfield and Daniel Deronda.
  • Walter Sparrow as Maurice - Maurice is the devoted servant of Danielle's family who she has to rescue from being transportation because of her stepmother's debts. He's a very kind soul and together with his wife and daughter makes up Danielle's true family. If you've seen Secret Garden (1994) then you'll instantly recognize actor Walter Sparrow who plays Ben Weatherstaff the gardener who talks to birds.
  • Toby Jones as Royal Page - Actor Toby Jones is excellent at playing creepy slightly villainous roles and this is just such a role. This Royal Page supplies information to the Baroness to assist her evil schemes and in return she pays him handsomely and makes kissy faces at him (yuck!). The character is quite ridiculous so fairly good for a laugh and just made a bit creepy by the actor's interesting talent.


My Thoughts: I absolutely love this film! It's one of those films that no matter how many times I watch it I always tear up, I always laugh and it never gets old.
When I was re-watching it several special things stuck out to me that reminded me why I love this film. First of all the heroine has a very close relationship with her father - laugh together, they read together, and even their rock-paper-scissors way of settling arguments is so cute. It has a heroine who stands up for what she believes in, she's always kind but when she feels deeply about something she can't let injustice go by without saying or doing something. The romance is very sweet and it's not really a love-at-first-sight story, the Prince likes Danielle but they develop a good friendship along the way. I also like that despite a few kisses their romance  is very clean. The characters are a lot of fun to watch and so well portrayed by an amazing cast of actors. There's loads of delightfully funny scenes, phrases and characters - lots of quotable stuff! And overall this is such a sweet story with a very happy ending.

My Recommendations: Ever After was rated PG-13 when it was first released in 1998 and they reportedly cut out three swear words for the VHS version to make it PG. I've only seen the VHS version so I'm not sure if the DVD version is uncut or not.
Things to be aware of: There are a few low cut dress on the ladies, a bit of language used (as far as I can recall it's a word for an illegitimate child) and the Baroness makes what I call "kissy faces" at the Royal Page to get information (so basically just flirting).
My friends and I loved watching this film at sleepovers when we were pre-teens. It's pretty family friendly in general but parents can always view the film beforehand for younger children..
I highly recommend Ever After! All my period drama fans are really going to love this movie a lot. If you haven't seen it yet this is a must see film! :)

Have you seen Ever After before? 
Which character do you think is the funniest?
Do you have any favorite quotes?

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

More Jane Austen Keep Calms

Since Miss Dashwood has selected the finalists in her Jane Austen Keep Calm contest voting is commencing I'm wanted to go ahead and post the other Jane Austen Keep Calm posters that I was inspired to make.

These were my two entries for Miss Dashwood's contest:

Pride and Prejudice
"I have been meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can bestow." - Mr. Darcy


Emma
"Why, I could almost fancy myself at Maple Grove, my brother-in-law Mr. Suckling's seat you know. Yes, the morning room there is just such a shape and size as this. ...I am extremely partial to Maple Grove. My brother and sister will be enchanted with this place, people with extensive grounds are always pleased with anything in the same style." - Mrs. Elton, Emma (1997)


And here are a few others I was inspired to make:

Persuasion
"I do admire the navy! These sailors have more worth than any other set of men in England!" - Louisa Musgrove, Persuasion (1995)

Mansfield Park 
"Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery. I quit such odious subjects as soon as I can, impatient to restore everybody, not greatly in fault themselves, to tolerable comfort, and to have done with all the rest." - Chapter 48

Pride and Prejudice
"But do you always write such charming long letters to her, Mr. Darcy? ... It is a rule with me that a person who can write a long letter with ease cannot write ill." - Caroline Bingley

Northanger Abbey 
"To begin perfect happiness at the respective ages of twenty–six and eighteen is to do pretty well..." - Chapter 31

Northanger Abbey 
"...and if a rainy morning deprived them of other enjoyments, they were still resolute in meeting in defiance of wet and dirt, and shut themselves up, to read novels together." - about Catherine & Isabella, Chapter 5

Emma
"Ah! there is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort. Nobody can be more devoted to home than I am." - Mrs. Elton


I had also considered making a poster that said "Keep Calm and give one smirk" so I adore Jemimah's delightful Henry Tilney poster! :)

Thanks for this contest Miss Dashwood it was so much fun! :)

Don't forget to check out the tons of amazing entries in the comments of the contest post and vote for your favorite finalists at Miss Dashwood's blog.


Which of these Keep Calm posters is your favorite?
Do you have any other suggestions for Jane Austen Keep Calms? (if there's a few I might make them up into posters for fun.)

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Quoting Isabella Thorpe

 Northanger Abbey has been my favorite Jane Austen novel for several years now but my love of the story began when I received an unabridged audio book of Northanger Abbey read by actress Anna Massey.

As a teenager I listened to the cassette tapes over and over again and consequently parts of the book are lodged in my brain and pop into my head at the oddest time.
The strangest thing is that a lot of the quotes I remember come straight from the mouth of Isabella Thorpe, the perfectly ridiculous villainess of the story! The only difference is that most of the things she said rather flippantly in the book I find to be things I would say and really mean.

Don't quite get what I mean? Take a look at these interesting quotes from Isabella with my comments in gold.



Isabella on Friendship
"There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves; it is not my nature. My attachments are always excessively strong."Chapter 6

"Now, if I were to hear anybody speak slightingly of you, I should fire up in a moment..."Chapter 6

"You know I carry my notions of friendship pretty high."Chapter 18

"It was dirty, indeed, but what did that signify? I am sure John and I should not have minded it. I never mind going through anything, where a friend is concerned..."Chapter 11

"When once my affections are placed, it is not in the power of anything to change them. But I believe my feelings are stronger than anybody’s; I am sure they are too strong for my own peace..."Chapter 13

The words Isabella uses closely resemble my idea of a Kindred Spirit, a bosom friend. I make acquaintance easily but friends take me a bit longer so when I make one I'm fiercely loyal and dedicated. I'd also do anything in my power to help my friends. I do "carry my notions of friendship pretty high". It's too bad for Catherine Morland that Isabella didn't mean very much of what she said; a friend who meant those speeches of loyalty would be a friend worth having. But we may say that Catherine found such a friend in Eleanor Tilney! :)


Advice from Isabella 
"Of all things in the world inconstancy is my aversion." - Chapter 16
Take a hint Isabella! It's so ironic that she condemns the very inconstancy that she is chief in acting out. People who are constantly changing their opinions and minds depending of the situation or people they are near do drive me a bit batty. haha!

"...I thought it a very foolish, imprudent business, and not likely to promote the good of either; for what were you to live upon, supposing you came together? You have both of you something, to be sure, but it is not a trifle that will support a family nowadays; and after all that romancers may say, there is no doing without money."Chapter 18
It is true that small incomes are not the worst thing in the world and often families that are not particularly rich in worldly goods are often rich in many other ways (I know this from experience). But in reality "love" doesn't keep people warm or keep a roof over one's head, so this quote comes to mind from time to time.

"Take my word for it, that if you are in too great a hurry, you will certainly live to repent it."Chapter 18
How many times have I been in a hurry and later wished I had take a bit more time to make my decision. In that way I identify with Catherine Morland from time to time.


Isabella on the Heart & Mind
"Where the heart is really attached, I know very well how little one can be pleased with the attention of anybody else. Everything is so insipid, so uninteresting, that does not relate to the beloved object! I can perfectly comprehend your feelings.”Chapter 6

"But do not insist upon my being very agreeable, for my heart, you know, will be some forty miles off."Chapter 16

"One’s eyes must be somewhere, and you know what a foolish trick I have of fixing mine, when my thoughts are an hundred miles off. I am amazingly absent; I believe I am the most absent creature in the world."Chapter 18

Ever go to a party or event and feel like warning people that you're not going to be very talkative because you have other things on your heart and mind? I've felt like that sometimes. Isabella tells Catherine this a few times but usually after the fact she's more lively than ever or she just uses it to cover up what she's really thinking (i.e. "Captain Tilney will be here soon!"). 


Isabella on Men
“And which way are they gone?” said Isabella, turning hastily round. “One was a very good–looking young man.Chapter 6
This is probably my favorite of Isabella's quotes and I even used the phrase on a button once. The phrase "one was a very good-looking young man" usually comes to mind if I happen to see a good-looking young man in passing like in a store, restaurant or at a church gathering. This phrase is usually followed by a wistful sigh, a prayer for my future husband and a praise to the Lord for making so many beautiful things in this world. 

"You men have such restless curiosity! Talk of the curiosity of women, indeed! ‘Tis nothing."Chapter 8
Indubitably!

"He is such a rattle!" (about Captain Tilney) - Chapter 16
Ever met a guy who just drives you crazy with teasing or silly comments? Yeah, this is a great phrase for those times!

“Handsome! Yes, I suppose he may. I dare say people would admire him in general; but he is not at all in my style of beauty."Chapter 16
Of course Isabella was speaking of Captain Tilney who she obviously did think was handsome. This quote struck me because I'm not a huge fan of the general style of the guys that are thought "handsome" nowadays, and often if a lot of girls think a guy is good-looking I'll dislike his looks even more! hehe

"I took him down several times, you know, in my way.”Chapter 16
In this quote Isabella is boasting how she discouraged Captain Tilney's attentions and teasing, which of course she probably didn't do, she probably flirted with him no end. Now me, I don't really appreciate that type of flirting so if I have to discourage anyone this quote usually comes to mind.  


Isabella's Exclamations
“Oh, these odious gigs!”Chapter 7
“Psha! My dear creature...”Chapter 18

Random things that are fun to say from time to time. :)


Isabella says to her Friends
"I have an hundred things to say to you."Chapter 6
"I have a thousand things to say to you..." Chapter 9
Two very similar quotes from Isabella. These quotes come to mind so often, especially when I haven't talked to one of my friends in a while!   

"...I received your two kind letters with the greatest delight, and have a thousand apologies to make for not answering them sooner. I really am quite ashamed of my idleness; but in this horrid place one can find time for nothing. I have had my pen in my hand to begin a letter to you almost every day since you left Bath, but have always been prevented by some silly trifler or other."Chapter 27, Isabella's Letter to Catherine
This quote comes to mind whenever I've been particularly neglectful of answering a letter or blog comment because my personal life has gotten busy. But poor Catherine, to recieve such a letter from such a faithless friend as Isabella after she's broken the engagement with James Morland. 

"By the by, though I have thought of it a hundred times, I have always forgot to ask you what is your favourite complexion in a man. Do you like them best dark or fair?"Chapter 6
It's always fun talking about ideas of beauty with a friend and this quote always comes to mind when the subject of "dark or fair?" comes up! :)

"We soon found out that our tastes were exactly alike in preferring the country to every other place; really, our opinions were so exactly the same, it was quite ridiculous!"Chapter 10
Ever meet someone who the more you talk to them the more you have in common? C.S. Lewis said: Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: “What! You too? I thought I was the only one." So true! I've been blessed to meet several Kindred Spirits during my time of blogging and I'm so thankful for all of you! :)


Isabella on Fashion
"I am determined at all events to be dressed exactly like you."Chapter 6
Yes I do say something like this from time to time because sometimes it's easier to choose an outfit for an event if you know what you're friends are wearing (dressy or casual). 

And here's two random quotes that are just fun to say:
"I remember I wore my yellow gown, with my hair done up in braids..."Chapter 15
"I wear nothing but purple now..."Chapter 27 
Sometimes it does seem that my wardrobe leans toward one color or another, currently several of my favorite tops are a raspberry pink color.


Various Quotes from Isabella
"What can it signify to you, what we are talking of. Perhaps we are talking about you; therefore I would advise you not to listen, or you may happen to hear something not very agreeable.”Chapter 8
This is fun to say when I'm teasing my sister or brother.

"It is fishing for compliments."Chapter 18
For those occasions when you feel like someone wants to be complimented or I find myself wanting to be complimented, or even when I am complimented and I feel shy receiving them.


"You know he is over head and ears in love with you." - Chapter 18
This expression is slightly different than the "head over heels in love" quote that people use nowadays that it always makes me giggle!



As ridiculous as Isabella Thorpe is somehow or other her comments more than often are lovely, if only she meant even half of what she says she'd be a far nicer character. 


Which of Isabella's quotes are your favorites? Which do you enjoy quoting?

Are there any Jane Austen characters you enjoy quoting even though they don't mean what they say?

Saturday, April 21, 2012

First Lines Quiz


In this game we are visiting the library, which is in my humble opinion one of the best places on earth! Let's take a look at some of those famous opening lines of classic books.


To Play: Read the first lines below and try to guess which classic novel and author they come from without looking up the answer. If you get stuck you can use the Titles Bank below for help (keep in mind there are 10 extra titles listed just to keep you guessing!). Leave your guesses in a comment and I'll respond with your score. Guess as many times as you like.

Scoring: Two points for each correctly guessed book title and author. A total of 100 points can be earned.


Classic First Lines:

#1. "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."

#2. "One thing was certain, that the white kitten had had nothing to do with it - it was the black kitten's fault entirely."

#3. "Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that situation will be held by anybody else, these pages must show."

#4. "There was no possibility of taking a walk that day."

#5. "The weather door of the smoking-room had been left open to the North Atlantic fog, as the big liner rolled and lifted, whistling to warn the fishing-fleet."

#6. "When Farmer Oak smiled, the corners of his mouth spread till they were within an unimportant distance from his ears, his eyes were reduced to chinks, and diverging wrinkles appeared round them, extending upon his countenance like the rays in a rudimentary sketch of the rising sun."

#7. "Call me Ishmael."

#8. "It's time to go to the station, Tom."

#9. "A surging, seething, murmuring crowd of being that are human only in name, for to the eye and ear they seem naught but savage creatures, animated by vile passions and by the lust of vengeance and of hate."

#10. "To begin with the old rigmarole of childhood."

#11. "About thirty years ago, Miss Maria Ward, of Huntingdon, with only seven thousand pounds, had the good luck to captivate Sir Thomas..."

#12. "The house in the hollow was "a mile from anywhere" - so Maywood people said. It was situated in a grassy little dale, looking as if it had never been built like other houses but had grown up there like a big, brown mushroom."

#13. "I will begin the story of my adventures with a certain morning early in the month of June, the year of grace 1751, when I took the key for the last time out of the door of my father's house."

#14. "There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it."

#15. "Mr Salteena was an elderly man of 42 and was fond of asking people to stay with him."

#16. "Cedric himself knew nothing whatever about it. It had never been even mentioned to him."

#17. "1801 - I have just returned from a visit to my landlord - the solitary neighbor that I shall be troubled with."

#18. "Among other public buildings in a certain town, which for many reasons it will be prudent to refrain from mentioning, and to which I will assign no fictitious name, there is one anciently common to most towns, great or small: to wit, a workhouse; and in this workhouse was born; on a day and date which I need not trouble myself to repeat, inasmuch as it can be of no possible consequence to the reader, in this stage of the business at all events; the item of mortality whose name is prefixed to the head of this chapter."

#19. "Miss Polly Harrington entered her kitchen a little hurriedly this June morning. Miss Polly did not usually make hurried movements; she specially prided herself on her repose of manner. But to-day she was hurrying - actually hurrying."

#20. "In these times of ours, though concerning the exact year there is no need to be precise, a boat of dirty and disreputable appearance, with two figures in it, floated on the Thames, between Southwark bridge which is of iron, and London Bridge which is of stone, as an autumn evening was closing in."

#21. "If anybody cares to read a simple tale told simply, I, John ____, of the parish of Oare, in the county of Somerset, yeoman and churchwarden, have seen and had a share in some doings of this neighborhood, which I will try to set down in order, God sparing my life and memory."

#22. "All children, except one, grow up."

#23. “Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents,” grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.

#24. "Miss Brooke had that kind of beauty which seems to be thrown into relief by poor dress."

#25. "'Edith!' said Margaret, gently, 'Edith!' But, as Margaret half suspected, Edith had fallen asleep.


Titles Bank: (you can use this for a little help but keep in mind there are 10 extra titles listed)
A Little Princess ~ Alice in Wonderland ~ An Old-Fashioned Girl ~ Anne of Green Gables ~ Bleak House ~ Captains Courageous ~ David Copperfield ~ Emily of New Moon ~ Far From The Madding Crowd ~ Ivanhoe ~ Jane Eyre ~ Kidnapped ~ Les Misérables ~ Little Lord Fauntleroy ~ Little Women ~ Lorna Doone ~ Mansfield Park ~ Middlemarch ~ Moby Dick ~ North and South ~ Northanger Abbey ~ Oliver Twist ~ Our Mutual Friend ~ Peter Pan ~ Pollyanna ~ Pride and Prejudice ~ The Adventures of Tom Sawyer ~ The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe ~ The Scarlet Pimpernel ~ The Voyage of the Dawn Treader ~ The Young Visiters ~ Through The Looking-Glass ~ Treasure Island ~ Wives and Daughters ~ Wuthering Heights


Answers will be posted next week.

Enjoy!


Very Truly Your's,

Emma 2009 Costume Throwdown - Results

Top Three Dresses

These are the results of the Emma 2009 Costume Throwdown from last week.
Thanks for everyone who voted and commented! :)

Which of Emma's dresses are your favorites?
1. Orange Floral Dress 14 votes
2. Long Sleeve Coral Dress 9 votes
3. Christmas Party Dress 11 votes
4. Pink Long Sleeve Dress 7 votes
5. Turquoise Day Dress 12 votes
6. Coral Evening Dress 9 votes
7. Green Day Dress 9 votes
8. Ball Gown 17 votes
9. Gray Morning Dress 6 votes
10. Gray Morning Dress - Summer Spencer 10 votes
11. Brown Floral Dress 11 votes
12. Picnic Dress and Spencer 17 votes
13. Yellow Morning Dress 6 votes
14. Yellow Sprigged Dress 24 votes
15. Wedding Gown 10 votes
49 voters
pollcode.com free polls


The Top Five Dresses

First Place - 14. Yellow Sprigged Dress
Worn during several scenes at Randalls and Hartfield (most notably the proposal scene!). Also worn on occasion with a yellow long-sleeve spencer.

Tied for Second Place - 8. Ball Gown
Worn during the ball in Highbury, the dress appears only in that scene but what an amazing piece it is!

Tied for Second Place - 12. Picnic Dress & Spencer
Worn during the picnic at Box Hill with a three-quarters-length sleeve striped spencer and a bonnet.

Third Place - 1. Orange Floral Dress
Worn at the Mr. & Mrs.Weston's wedding and again when Harriet first dines at Hartfield.

Fourth Place - 5. Turquoise Day Dress
Worn a few times during morning and afternoon scenes such as reading with Harriet, waiting for the Cole's invitation and visiting Harriet when she's sick.

~*~*~*~

The poll is still up so feel free to vote if you'd like here.

Did your favorite make it into the top five?
Out of these five dresses which is your favorite?

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