The Circulating Library ~ Regency England

Did you know that in 1815 a 3-volume novel cost the equivalent of $100 today? Such a price placed a novel beyond the reach of most people. Then, as now, circulating libraries provided a place to gather, relax, and engage in leisurely pursuits.

That being said, I'm headed to the library to return the T'ai-Chi For Dummies book I've checked out and renewed three times. I just have far too much writing to get done!

You can read more about the circulating libraries in Regency England [here].

Fox Hunting in #Regency England

Did you know that the number of buttons on a man’s hunting jacket differed according to skill? It turns out he master of the hunt wore a scarlet coat with four brass buttons, while the huntsman had five buttons.  Amateur hunters had four buttons. You can find more interesting facts about fox hunting in Regency England [here]

#Regency Era Accessories--Still Fashionable Today!

It amazes me to see the rate at which advances in science and technology change our lives on an almost daily basis, and yet at the opposite end of the spectrum, some of the fashionable accessories popular during the Regency era are still with us today. Have a look for yourself. [Read more]

Anatomy of a Regency Letter

Long gone are the days when handwritten letters were all the rage. Truly, it is a lost art, or perhaps craft is the better word.

We have learned to condense our lives into a mere 140 characters and share it with the entire world in short bursts of self-disclosure.

AAMOF, I GTM when I realize we now communicate with IM's, tweets, and Facebook status updates. Though, IRNCOT in depth. I will say, our FTC with glorious written words is quite sad. ISSYGTI. Hope you enjoy the post. BBFN!

[English translation]: As a matter of fact, I giggle to myself when I realize we now communicate with instant messages, tweets, and Facebook status updates. Though, I'd rather not comment on that in depth. I will say, our failure to communicate with glorious written words is quite sad. I'm so sure you get the idea. Hope you enjoy the post. Bye bye for now!

This is the time of year I spend a teensy bit too much time looking for fabulous garden ideas.
(Shhhh. . .that's just between you and me;-)

I stumbled over this AMAZING retired builder, Lowsen Robinson, and his scaled down buildings.

Can you believe the phenomenal attention to detail that goes into each and every one of his creations?

Read more [here]. Enjoy!

Love Between the Covers!

Well, it's finally here! Love Between the Covers is releasing  a film documenting a fun, honest look at the romance community! I am so thrilled to have been a part of this wonderful project and am so excited about helping to get the word out to you about the film! You can find it here on Amazon.

There are even going to be fun prizes you can win here. Enjoy!

A Little Fun With My Muse

I wanted to share something a little different today---this is a calendar for July that you can download  and set as the background on your computer screen! Isn't it nifty? I was just having a play date with my creative muse and she convinced me you might get a kick out of our little project;-) Enjoy! 

#Regency Era Servants ~ A Primer

The members of high society London and their various ranks are well known by most Regency era history buffs, or Regency romance readers, as the case may be---but did you know that their servants' rankings were just as strict? Kristen Koster gives us a great overview of the subject [here]. Enjoy!

What Would You Cook For Mr. Darcy?

One of my favorite things to do is flip through cookbooks and look at the pictures. I like doing that better than actually cooking in a lot of instances, but some of these recipes are just so divine I had to share them with you.

The next time I'm inspired to whip up something a little special, I'll have these recipes handy as a reference. What about you, do you love to cook?

[Read more here]

Jane Austen Bookmarks

While I do have an e-reader and use it frequently, there is still a certain comfort that a physical book brings to the soul. The whisper of the pages, the smell that only gets better with age, and the weight of one in my hands are all things I will never give up.

Show your books a little love with these awesome Jane Austen inspired printable bookmarks 

So tell me, what do you love about a physical book in your hands?

Weddings During the Regency Era: Did Brides Wear White?

For most of us, the word "wedding" conjures up images of a bride dressed all in white, bridesmaids numbering half a dozen or more, with a hundred or two of the happy couple's closest friends and family in attendance. Which, by the way, is why I think an open bar is mandatory. And the cake, let's not forget the typical towering mass of sugary goodness!

So, what kind of weddings were common during the Regency era? [read more]

Spring Has Sprung

Spring in New Mexico is a little different than in most parts of the country. A brisk 55mph breeze most days, tumbleweeds whipping across the highways, and the occasional horizontal rain shower are all signs of the new season. It seems London, on the other hand, has been enjoying sunshine and mild temperatures. In either case, it's spring and that is certainly welcome news!

Enjoy the lovely 1814 Spring Fashion excerpts from Ackerman's Repository [here]

"I Thee Wed" is Now Available

I'm so excited! Today is release day for Book 4 in The Worthington series, I Thee Wed. I hope you enjoy it!

Intelligent and driven, Orion Worthington aspired to be like his mentor, the acclaimed scientist Sir Geoffrey Blayne. Logically, Sir Geoffrey’s daughter would be Orion’s perfect match. So why can’t he keep his mind off the unruly girl who works in Sir Geoffrey’s lab? 

Orphaned fire-cracker Francesca Penrose hopes that London is modern enough to accept her brilliant mind despite her womanhood. But she can’t help noticing Orion’s mind...or his body.

So they decide to run an experiment: if they give in to their passions, their attraction will simply fizzle out, with no impact on their hearts...right? 

Mother's Day Printable #Tea Tags

Don't panic! But, Mother's Day is just around the corner! You knew that, right? May 8th is the date this year. You have plenty of time to whip up a crafty, heartfelt gift. I found these printable Mother's Day tea tags and think they are just perfect. A little loose leaf tea and thirty minutes of your time and you'll be all set. (You're welcome;-)

You can find the instructions at Lia Griffith's blog right here. (She has all kinds of crafty goodness on her site.)

How To Make #Regency Diadems

Greetings! Are you ready to follow me down the rabbit hole of shiny objects? It's not for the timid - these tiaras bite. I'll let you know now, they're vicious little creatures. My hands are cut, burned, and scratched from creating just a few of these, so if you don't have much experience working with or soldering metal, you may want to try a few smaller projects before you start in on this. That being said, here's a list of supplies you'll need to create your own Regency diadem: [continue reading]

23 Powerful Lessons We Learned from #JaneAusten

Remember the first time you cracked open a Jane Austen novel? Or watched one of the movies (or binged on a mini-series)? Chances are, you’ve read or seen something inspired by the classic author. Jane Austen published her first book Sense and Sensibility in 1811, and she became so popular, that by the publication of Emmain 1815, the Prince Regent requested she dedicate the novel to him.

[continue reading]

How fast could you travel across the U.S. in the 1800's?

The experience of traveling can often feel frustratingly slow. But despite the traffic jams on the roads and congested airports, we don’t know how good we have it today compared to our great-great grandparents.

Indeed, in this age of instant digital communications and fast travel, we tend to forget that not so long ago traveling distances were subjectively very different. In the 1800s, for example, traveling a few hundred miles across the U.S. meant taking a steam-powered train, and the trip could take days. Going from coast to coast, which now takes less than a day, could take weeks. [continue reading]

Awkward! The #Regency Court Gown

Female gowns worn at court during the Regency era looked ungainly. Instead of the lovely columnar silhouette of the Grecian-inspired draped gown, court gowns at this time made their wearers resemble the upper half of an extravagantly decorated apple or a pregnant cake topper. [continue reading]

Pick Up Lines From the 18th Century

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a gaggle of girls on a night out will face an onslaught of pick-up lines – some charming, many (many) more dumb, cheesy or downright creepy. What happened, you may wonder, to romance, word play, and sophisticated seduction?

If you think it can be found in the 1700s – the century of Jane Austen and Casanova – think again. [continue reading]

The Tradition of English Twelfth Cake

Although the tradition of making these cakes dates back to the medieval period, John Mollard's 1803 recipe seems to be the earliest printed recipe for an English Twelfth Cake. 

These decorated cakes were an important element in the celebrations for the feast of the Epiphany. They were at the height of their popularity when Mollard wrote his cookery book. 

It was the custom for each guest at a Twelfth Day entertainment at this time to take on the role of a particular character for the whole evening. This was achieved by choosing a card at random from a pack. These were illustrated with images of various comic characters. [continue reading]

Unusual Things To Do in London

What should you do once you’ve seen the classics? With Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and the London Eye under your belt, here are some of the more unusual things to do in London…

1) Unusually Wild: Roaming around Richmond Park

Of all the Royal Parks, Richmond Park is the biggest and arguably the best. Here you’ll find hordes of deer running wild, catch pro cyclists in training and even stumble on the home of the Royal Ballet School. It’s further from the centre than most, with even the London Underground not making it that far. Yet amidst these rolling hills and hefty oaks, there’s one spot where you can see all the way back to St Paul’s. Legend has it that this was where King Henry VIII brought Anne Boleyn on honeymoon – and also where he waited for the signal that told him of her death. Shiver…[continue reading]

#Regency Hairstyles and Their Accessories

As the Regency era progressed long hair became increasingly popular and full ringlets began to appear near the side of the face. Hair ornaments for balls included jewellery, bandeaux, turbans and wreaths of grapes and towards the latter end of the Regency era flowers, turbans and ostrich feathers were seen to adorn the hair.
[Continue Reading]

8 DIY Home Library Ideas You Have to See

Books are one of the best ways to expand your mind and learn new things. While a lot of people are now using e-Readers and carrying around thousands of books on one device, there are still those who love nothing more than cracking open a binding and smelling the pages of a new book. The only obstacle with loving the physical company of books is: where do you put them all? Books can take up quite a bit of space and trying to figure out what to do with them can be difficult. Therefore, we’ve collected our favorite DIY home library ideas from around the web to share with all you book worms out there. Take a look! [Continue Reading]

Ideas For #Regency Parties

Ideas for Regency Parites

The Regency theme lends itself to many gentile ideas for society pleasures:

• Regency Fancy Dress Party - if you have enough friends who like dressing up (or can be persuaded into doing so) then this is definitely the most fun idea. The Regency period was well known for it's grand balls and parties.
• Regency Tea Party: Take out your best China, use loose leaf tea and bake up some lovely afternoon treats. What could be more lady like?
• [Continue reading]

Lighting the House in the Regency Period..

Until the Victorian Era, candles, lanterns, and rush-lights served as the principal means of lighting the Georgian style home, and like every other aspect of Regency life, the use of these sources of light adhered to their own “hierarchy” of use.

[Continue Reading]

#Regency Era Slang--Eh Wot?

Oh la, there are few things on this fine planet so divine as Regency-era slang. This period in history was distinguished by men obsessed with good form, women obsessed with flitting their fans, and a leisure class obsessed with keeping itself amused.

Imagine a sizable group of wealthy, landed English people. Now, imagine all of the social events they had. Imagine the London season, and all the related balls, visits, assignations, and copious amounts of conversation.

These are optimal conditions for slang creation. Let's have a look at some of the Regency era's best hits, shall we? [Read more] 

Historical Account of Teaching Babies To Walk

The household medical advisor is a complete, popular scientific work of reference compiled from the most recent recognized system of prevention and cure...with over 320 illustrations, colored plates, and unfolding anatomical models. Published in 1900. {Read more here}

Regency British Humor

British people often consider the French to be masters in rudeness. But the British are quite adept at trading insults too. This British-made chamber pot with a bust of Napoleon dates from 1805. It can be viewed in the Royal Pavilion Museum at Brighton. [Read more]