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.

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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]