Everything I Love

Happy Birthday Michael Faraday!

2009-09-22T19:52:00.004-05:00

Michael Faraday was born in 1791 and contributed immensely to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. He died August 25, 1867 at age 75.

He is also one of my favorite scientists.

Dresses of My Design: Part 1 - FAIL

2009-09-15T19:51:00.008-05:00

Ok, so back when I started to have an 18th century culture fetish, I stole one of my mother's notebooks and started to draw dresses. I dated all of them so I know I started this little collection on January 25th, 2009. Not all of them are historically accurate, and they probably weren't meant to be, but I love them all the same. The following designs are the worst of the bunch, but I wanted to get them over with and save the best for last. Drumroll please...

Ok, at the time I drew this, I was thinking that funky curvy design would be embroidered, but now I rather like to think of it as damask. It is so much better like that anyway.

This design was based off of the dress that Bess wore in The Duchess when she tries to explain to Georgiana why she is having an affair with the Duke. I don't like it.

This one was based off a dress in the 2006 version of Marie Antoinette that was shown for only moment in the scene where Marie and the gang are playing that quite adult game of hide-and-seek at Le Petit Trianon.
Oh, and the bows would be the same color as the fabric, so don't worry.

I think I drew this after I had been messing around on a friend's cell phone and saw some background of stacked pebbles, and decided to incorporate them in a design. Don't ask.

The design on the left was based off the dress in Marie Antoinette (2006) from the scene where Marie is flirting with Count Fersen and being criticized by either Louis, Compte de Provence or the Compte d'Artois (played by Sebastian Armesto and Al Weaver, respectively). I can't remember.

Anyway! I must have been in a gypsy-ish mood when I designed this one. Hmmm.

Those things on the skirt are supposed to be butterflies. Not my best idea.

If it wasn't evident before, I can't draw, which is why this attempt at a Fleur-de-Lis inspired design fell flat on its face.

I don't know, ok? Don't judge.

Again, I have no idea as to what posessed me. So don't ask, cause I can't tell.

Well, the worst part is over. A post is to follow of GOOD dress designs that were inspired by the 2006 Marie Antoinette movie along with pictures of the actual dress.
Until then, adios!

"Celebrate Fictional Times, Come On!"

2009-09-14T17:34:00.006-05:00

Happy Birthday to Frodo Baggins!

And of course, Bilbo Baggins!

Ok, if you didn't know that I'm a Lord of the Rings NERD now would be the time to make that fact apparent. Not to the point that I collect memorabilia or fly hours to go to the ComiCon, but enough to have read the books one too many times.
Anyway, happy birthday to you my little Fallohide Hobbits.

God I can't believe I just said that on the internet.

P.S. I don't think that Mary Queen of Scots post is ever coming. I'm just not inspired anymore.
Anyway, Happy Monday!

Another Random Commercial

2009-09-13T15:53:00.003-05:00

I saw this commercial a couple days ago but just now found it. It reminds me of the Bacardi commercial the way she "walks" through time.

Guess What?

2009-09-13T09:30:00.006-05:00

Today, 411 years ago, Philip of Spain died at age 71.

And, we can't forget that William Cecil, Elizabeth I's foremost advisor, 489 years ago, was born.

P.S. I've been procrastinating on my Mary, Queen of Scots post, but it's coming, I promise!

Quixotic Dance Fusion... Is Amazing

2009-09-12T23:11:00.005-05:00

I love, love, love, Quixotic. They do the craziest things.

I used to study ballet at the professional dance school in my city, but had to quit due to the fact I had about 15 hrs of ballet every week, tendinitis, and Osgood-Schlatters condition. I miss it, but I've started classes again, once or twice a week. They're called open classes, and you get a card good for however many classes and go to them whenever you want. Anyway, I remember watching some of these dancers in the video rehearse for the big ballet productions during the year. My fellow classmates and I would pile up around the door and all crane our necks to get a good look at the rehearsal while waiting for our class to start. They were so graceful. Wait, no, that's a lie. We just wanted to see the good-looking boys dance ;-).

Guess What?

2009-09-09T21:46:00.005-05:00

Today, September 9, 2009, is the 466th anniversary of Mary, Queen of Scots, coronation.
I have lots of homework to do, so there will be a post about Mary tomorrow, but I just had to acknowledge the event the day it happened.

Anyway, off to the lovely world of grammar and algebra. Toodles!

Why Yes, I Am Insane!

2009-08-30T20:06:00.005-05:00

And why do you ask? Because last night I decided somewhat on a whim that I would sew a 18th century corset (or more accurately, stays) BY HAND! It all started when I found this link at Elizabethan Costume to which allows you to punch in your measurements and voila, you have instructions to draw your own Elizabethan corset. And with that kind of opportunity, who couldn't resist? But i can't have an Elizabethan corset when I want to sew a Rococo-syle one. But no problem. I just made a few alterations to the pattern and it was all good.

So one run to Joann's later and I was cutting out the pattern. Then basted the pieces together, drew the lines for the boning channels, and started sewing them. My back stitch is awful but I don't care. I'll just have to go over it and cover that up somehow. Anyway, below is some pics of the work 'sew' far (sorry for the pun, couldn't resist).

As you can see, I have lots and lots and lots and lots of boning channels left to sew, as well as to draw.

Gawd this is gonna take forever. Oh well.

Daylight

2009-08-27T20:09:00.006-05:00

I love this commercial. It absolutely is my favorite of all time. Kudos to the advertising agency who created it. I love how he walks through time, especially when he walks through the 50's-60's (I love that era for the sense of style), and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, the song. It's Daylight by Matt and Kim. It's in my playlist on the right sidebar (which should be playing right now, hope you enjoy it)

Above is the music video. Not really anything special, but the stop motion animation later on is pretty good. But the song is still better.

Alice in Wonderland!!!

2009-08-27T19:15:00.009-05:00

I'm so excited for Tim Burton's Alice and Wonderland to come out this March. It's already such a somewhat dark storyline that I think Burton will do reeeeally well. In fact, part of what has me so excited about this movie is how dark it will be.

Exhibit A:

Johnny Depp is nuts. And I mean nuts. You have to be to play a drunk pirate, John Dillinger, Willy Wonka, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and this rather strange adaptation of the Mad Hatter. Don't get me wrong, I think this look for the Mad Hatter is ingenious, however it took me very much by surprise when i saw it.

Helena Bonham-Carter will be the Red Queen, and as she is fantastic in every other movie she's been in so I don't see why she won't in this one. I also love her makeup/hair and clothing. It reminds me somewhat of Elizabeth I. Also, I believe Bonham-Carter will have her head enlarged 3x on screen.

Tweedledee and Tweedledum are played by the same man, Matt Lucas, and I don't really know what to think.

Anne Hathaway is the White Queen. I find this a very interesting choice. Personally, I wouldn't have picked her. But who knows. She may surprise me

I saved the best for last. Mia Wasikowska (I think I spelled that right) is the choice for Alice over some other actresses like Amanda Seyfried (who, in my opinion, is pretty, but too modern-looking for the role), Dakota Blue Richards (she was in the Golden Compass), and Lindsay Lohan who apparently lobbied for the role (that doesn't scream 'desperate').
I like her a lot already. She seems perfect for the role. Innocent (which I think we all agree Lindsay Lohan lacks), pretty, and Alice-ish.

The teaser trailer looks so cool. I can't wait for the theatrical trailer. Man I'm excited about this movie.

Paaancaakessss!!!!

2009-08-25T18:21:00.004-05:00

You've probably already seen this video. It was all over the internet a couple years ago, and while browsing YouTube I sort of "rediscovered" it.

8 Bit-Trip, Whatever That Means

2009-08-25T17:58:00.002-05:00

This video is soooooo fanstastmagorical. Apparently it took about 1,500 hours to make it.

Cake Opera

2009-08-17T14:00:00.003-05:00

Yesterday on Food Network I saw the beginning of a Cake Challenge for Alice + Olivia clothing company. One of the competitors was Alexandria Pellegrino, and her company was Cake Opera. Immediately I loved the company. Cake and Opera, two of my favorite things. And I hadn't even seen one of their cakes. I made a mental note to Google them when I was in front of the computer. So at around midnight last night I became obsessed. They are better that any cake company in my opinion: Cake Alchemy, Cake Girls, Merci Beaucoup Cakes, Christopher Garren's Cakes, Charm City Cakes, and Carlo's Bakery. And this is why:

This cake was inspired by Marie Antoinette. I need to learn how to do this stuff.

I also love this cake.

And that is why Cake Opera kicks butt.

*Update: I watched the whole Challenge (I recorded it) and Alexandria Pellegrino won!

16th Century Reads

2009-08-17T12:12:00.006-05:00

I know it's a little late for a post on summer reading, but I have to got summarize 2 books for school and really want to procrastinate. Anyway, my theme for reading this summer has been the 16th Century England. I've always loved this era for the drama and thrill of court life and a vicious king. Not much has to be fabricated to make it interesting.

It all started when I was looking for my copy of The Host by Stephenie Meyer in my mother's bedside table and stumbled across this book, Jane Boleyn: The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford, and proceded to tell my mother that she shouldn't hide these things from me :-). It was marvelous. Somehow it was different from the average biography. The way Julia Fox was writing kept me hooked. And that is pretty difficult if I'm reading, because if a book slightly bores me I stop reading, even if I am halfway through the book. That's what I did with The Firm by John Grisham. But I managed to finish it a month later.

I can't remember how I came upon The Lady Elizabeth by Allison Weir. I think it was by chance in Barnes and Noble. But I'm glad I did. I loved how the book focused on Elizabeth before she came to the throne. It really did a great job in speculating what must have gone on in her mind that led her to rule England so well.

I had seen The Other Boleyn Girl the movie before I had read the book, but the book is (no surprise) so much better. I felt rather let down by the movie for not focusing more on the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn from the view of her sister, Mary Boleyn, who was the other Boleyn Girl. Definitely a book to read.

I finished The Boleyn Inheritance By Philippa Gregory just yesterday after picking it up in Target a couple days ago. I loved how they incorporated Anne of Cleves' and Katherine Howards' point of view, two Queens who I knew only the bare facts about. The book also included Jane Boleyn's point of view, but I knew quite a lot about her after reading Jane Boleyn: The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford. Another Win.

I got the Virgin's Lover at the same time I got The Boleyn Inheritance. But yesterday I got Innocent Traitor and decided to tackle them in chronological order.

I have been interested in Lady Jane Grey since I saw the movie of the same name. Poor dear. She shouldn't have been killed.

I also hope to read The Constant Princess. But first I need to get it. That would help.

Happy Reading!

Furniture Wonderland

2009-07-22T23:27:00.009-05:00

As I was clicking randomly through blogs on my dashboard, I hit Dancing Through Paris. This led me to click on the link to Alhambra Antiques, which is owned and run by Olga (whose blog is Dancing Through Paris). One look at the chandeliers and I was hooked. I spent the next hour saving pictures from her website to my computer for inspiration. It is all soooo beautiful.

This Spanish Altarpiece is so gorgeous I don't think anyone should put anything in it.

A limestone pulpit. You don't see that everyday. I think it would be pretty outside around a tree with ivy growing up it or flowers in front of it.

Gorgeous mirror.

I love this headboard. You just don't see things like that anymore.

Ok, this is an antique bottle drying rack. I think it is the coolest thing, but if one was to buy it, what in the world would one do with it? Hmmm. I guess it could make an interesting Christmas tree.

I would love to have a chandelier somewhat like this but a little smaller in my room. It has a very high ceiling, and I think that would look great.

I have no idea where I would wear this tiara, but it's so pretty and blue.

It's funny, because when I was younger I absolutely hated toile, and now I like it a lot.

My jaw literally dropped when I saw these candelabras.

And I would love to fill this centerpiece with big, whitish-pink peonies.

I think it would be so pretty to set this birdcage in my backyard, let ivy grow over it (I love ivy, can you tell), and then for parties stick candles in it. That would be so beautiful. Unfortunately, it's already sold.

If I'm cremated, my remains are going in this baby.

And being displayed on this shelf :-).

I saved some of the best tiaras for last.

I love the colors on this one. *Sigh*

I know we're in a recession, but it's fun to dream.

I'll probably be doing another post of some more actual furniture, as I just can't get enough of it. So pretty.

Martinis, Babies, and One Foxy Family

2009-07-22T19:23:00.004-05:00

My cousin was driving through town today and shared with my family that my other cousin (her sister-in-law), Lindsay, had a blog about her soon to be little girl. It's called Foxy Family, and very appropriate as their last name is Fox. With her most recent post about how she is slightly crazed with all the baby books and rules about how to raise the kid, it reminded me of the alcohol-free nine months, and through my habit of having odd thought patterns, led me to Google "non alcoholic martini recipes". So Lindsay, these are for you!

Cosmo-Not Martini

Ingredients:
6 ounces of freshly squeezed and very cold orange juice
2 ounces of freshly squeezed and very cold tangerine juice
2 orange rind twists
2 very, very thin orange slices
1 lime cut in half
3 ounces of cranberry juice
1 ounce of pomegranate juice
4 drops of vanilla extract
1 ounce of seltzer water
The Mix:
Add all of your juices and vanilla extract to a shaker 1/2 full with cracked ice
Shake for a full minute
Squeeze in the juice of your lime and swirl the shaker ten times
Strain into 2 large, frozen martini glasses
Top each glass with an orange slice and one orange twist
Slowly pour one tablespoon of seltzer into each glass (over the orange)
Drink and enjoy

Berry Me Deeply

Ingredients:
2 ounces of blueberry juice
1 ounce of pomegranate juice
6 frozen blueberries
2 ounces of fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
The Mix:
2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
Shake for a full minute, and then let your shaker stand for another minute
Rub two raspberries (smashing them) around the bowls of two frozen martini glasses
Pour one tablespoon lemon juice into each glass, swirl and pour out
Strain your juices into each glass
Bottoms up

There are some more martini recipes here. Have fun Lindsay (and David too).

♥ Syd

Bocce Ball and Boulangeries

2009-07-19T16:28:00.011-05:00

While at Paris Atelier, I found this adorable picture. I love how the old women are standing there in front of a yummy looking boulangerie, one with that armful of baguettes. So cute. So French.

Seeing this picture of old people in Paris reminded me of my own trip there in December 2007. We were walking to the Eiffel tower from Pont Alexandre III and in a little park we saw some old men playing bocce ball (I know how to say bocce ball in French, but not a clue how to spell it). We stopped to rest on a bench while my dad took pictures of them. When they saw my dad, they tipped their hats and said hi and smiled. Very polite. Especially for Frenchmen :-). They were reeeeally old and smoking cigarettes and looked as if they had been around since the Nazi Occupation.

Good times, Good times.

Begin the Beguine

2009-07-19T15:22:00.005-05:00

Before I did some searching on YouTube, the only part I'd seen of this magnificent 1940's Broadway production was the topmost video with Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell, but no worries, I found an extended version of the tape of the production (the video just above), the description of whch reads:

Eleanor Powell and Fred Astaire in Broadway Melody of 1940 - "The last of the big black and white production numbers, starring Eleanor Powell and Fred Astaire, Cole Porter's music, the sets, the camera work and direction by Norman Taurog, the incredible tap dancing by these two, well, it all seemed to come together in Broadway Melody of 1940. You know, you can wait around and hope, but I'll tell you, you'll never see the likes of this again."

Boy, were they right. Nobody does productions like this anymore. I love the polished floor and glitzy costumes and chorus girls, but most of all, Frank Sinatra and Eleanor Powell. They had class.

Lady Gaga and Katy Perry

2009-07-19T13:52:00.021-05:00

In my opinion, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga are very talented singers, but when it comes to the way which they dress themselves, some days are better than others.

Katy Perry, for example, is gorgeous, but sometimes she just overdoes it. The Hello Kitty ensemble to me looks very tacky and wearing Christmas trees and carousels makes me yearn for the hidden grace of Bjork's swan dress :-).Other times I am pleasantly surprised with K.P.'s choice of dress. It can be cute and vintage and sometimes even chic. Like this 80's number.

But only she could pull this off.

Lady Gaga, however, is absolutely nuts.

Seriously, this looks like my grandma's china.

And I would like this one better if she hadn't done the exact same thing in white!!!!

What a buttonhead.

However, in the end, I admire them both for having the guts to dress like nutcases, and wish them the best in their fashion endeavors.

So Cute!

2009-07-18T17:32:00.002-05:00

Your dose of "Awww!" for the day.

The Best Idea EVER

2009-07-18T16:24:00.004-05:00

If you haven't heard of Modcloth.com, then I suggest you click on that link pronto. They specialize in that retro-indie vintage clothing and what not, but also carry some little trinkets for furnishing homes.

So while surfing Modcloth, I found this awesomeness. I know, I know, it does look like a baby toy, but it's really an alarm clock. When you set the alarm to ring, the shapes are launched out of their places and the alarm won't go off until all of them are back where they came from! So you actually have to wake up a bit to turn the alarm off. I am sooo getting this for my mother.

Turn Down Your Speakers

2009-06-10T21:12:00.003-05:00

I have added a music playlist to show off some good tunes. Enjoy!

"Show Me Your Crown" Day

2009-06-10T11:27:00.013-05:00

Andrea at Vintage Bella Studio had a great idea to do an event where bloggers show off their tiaras or crowns and even though I am a little late to jump on the bandwagon I thought it was a great idea and decided to unofficially go ahead with it(wow, my english teacher would be annoyed if she saw that run-on sentence). Click here to see the full list of people who will be showing off their tiaras and crowns.

Not a big collection, but I love my tiaras anyway.
This one I got as a present from a friend for my birthday. Her mom owns a shop called The Victorian Trading Company. Click here to go their website. The name says it all.

They have every type of Victorian goodness and then some. Hats, furniture, clothes, umbrellas, candles, jewelry, and of course, tiaras!

Well, that is all. Now, get back to your lives. Until then, keep rockin' that tiara!

Cute FREE Blog Backgrounds

2009-06-09T22:37:00.003-05:00

Ok at this website you can get all sorts of free stuff for your blog, as well as tips and tricks to formatting your blog! Yay!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

2009-06-09T19:37:00.004-05:00

These chocolate chip cookies have been a classic in my family for a long time and take a little over 30 minutes from start to finish to make, also at the very bottom of this post is how to make them any type of cookie you'd like

Ingredients:
3/4 cup regular sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 sticks butter (softened)
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 cups quick oats
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 bag semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Mix sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer. In separate bowl, mix flour, oats, salt, and baking soda. After mixing, take dry mixture and cup by cup, add it to the sugar/butter/egg mixture. Add chocolate chips. Spoon batter onto greased baking sheet in balls about 3 tbsp. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool. Enjoy!

If you do not want oats in the cookies, substitute the 2 cups of quick oats for one cup of flour and make as directed. You can also do this and add macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips. Or anything else you like in your cookies.

Happy Baking!

Crazy Queens: Olympias, the Sorceress

2009-06-09T17:09:00.011-05:00

Well, I promised some crazy women, so, without further ado, I present...

Olympias!

With out her history would be very different because she was the one who popped out Alexander the Great. Which, in the end, was pretty much the biggest thing she accomplished.

Known in her time for her love of violence and snakes (which are so aptly displayed in the picture), Olympias's marriage to Philip II of Macedon was only one to secure peace in the world, and she was wife number four. Some type of orphaned royalty and coming from a place that was considered barbaric (Epirus), she engaged heavily in Dionysian rituals, which included snake handling, dancing, and essentially getting drunk. Oddly enough, Philip and Olympias met during these rituals. Hmmm.

On the strange couple's wedding night (or the night before the marriage was consummated, I've heard both), Olympias had a dream that a bolt of lightning hit her and started a fire that spread across the land before it was put out. Some time after that, Philip had a dream that he sealed his wife's body with a wax seal that had the imprint of a lion, which was said to be a good omen.

When Olympias had her son, Alexander, she educated him to be a conqueror. Turned off by Olympias's desire to have Alexander be a world power and catching her sleeping next to a snake, Philip divorced Olympias, disinherited Alexander (but we all know that didn't work) and married Cleopatra Eurydice (who I'm pretty sure didn't have any weird dreams about being creamated). Olympias was furious and declared Alexander the son of Zeus, and therefore Philip's superior. But Philip didn't have long to engage in more mudslinging, as he was stabbed to death by a male lover (I forgot to mention that side of Philip, but now you know), and it was rumored that Olympias placed a crown upon Philip's murderer's head. She then had poor Cleopatra Eurydice and the kids she had with Philip murdered.

After Olympias's baby Alex went off to seek world domination, the two never saw each other again (although they were quite fond of each other). Anyway, long story short, Alexander died*, leaving Olympias unprotected from Cassander, inheritor of the throne, who arranged for her execution in 316 BCE. She was denied the rites of burial.

By the way, the picture used here is part of a photo series taken by Alexia Sinclair and can be seen at her website.

*When Alexander died, he had named no heir and the mentally unstable Philip III Arrhidaeus (who was succeeded by Cassander), who was thought to be poisoned by Olympias, became benchwarmer, or rather thronewarmer, and civil war exploded over the empire all partly because of the scheming of our dear friend Olympias.

18th Century Shoes

2009-06-09T14:43:00.007-05:00

Okay, I am doing much more blogging than I intended to do but it is either cleaning or blogging sooo...

Shoes.
With my post about my mother's dress I promised to show you the shoes she wore. Here they are:

She got these from Peter Fox Shoes and had them dyed (they are dyeable) to match her dress. They are actually realllly comfortable (not to mention pretty) and at Peter Fox's website you can find many more types of shoes, but.....

they are kind of expensive, soooo.......

I will show you another way (or at least give you the links to the other way :-)

Travels in Time: 18th Century Shoe Part 1
Travels in Time: 18th Century Shoe Part 2
Travels in Time: 18th Century Shoe Part 3

These tips are from the amazing people at Travels in Time, which is a great place for people interested in costuming.

And now I shall finish with a couple of photos from Sofia Coppola's 2006 Marie Antoinette movie (which i love despite it's inaccuracies) that I edited on Picnik, a free photo editing site that is incredibly convenient. Enjoy!

Ahh... the controversial Converses. I kinda thought they were cool. But that's just me.
What do you think?

12 Powerful Women

2009-06-09T14:08:00.005-05:00

These photos by Austrailian photographer/digital artist Alexia Sinclair are absolutely gorgeous. She pulled 12 women from history and created the most beautiful photo series ever. The picture shown here is of Marie-Antoinette, but you can see the full collection at Alexia Sinclair's website.

The detailed photos of all these women led me to research all of them (I already knew a lot about some, like Marie-Antoinette and Elizabeth I) and they are all very interesting, so my next posts will be the wildest and craziest of the bunch (Olympias, Erzsebet Bathory, Cleopatra, etc.)

But in the meantime, do yourself a favor and drop by Alexia Sinclair's website. It is magical.

My Own 18th Century Gown

2009-06-09T12:18:00.006-05:00

Well, almost. It isn't mine but it is my mother's, and what a gorgeous dress it is. She had it custom made from scratch a couple years ago by these amazing seamstresses when she was the Chair of a ball to raise money for the local opera. The ball itself was fantastic because she encouraged everyone to come in 18th century costumes.

It started out as this drawing:

And became this dress:

Here it is on her:

I absolutely love it. She also had beautiful shoes to go with the dress, but more on those later :-).
Oh, and you can check out her blog at www.chicmatters.typepad.com

My Very First Post!!!

2009-06-09T10:15:00.005-05:00

Hello blogging world! I finally have sat down to post something, and I hope I am not a huge disappointment ;-). I have been following many blogs for a long time and now have my own and I am very excited to get working on it!

This blog is named Everything I Love because that is exactly what I will be writing about, which includes the 18th century, sewing, music, books, art, traveling (Europe), photography, baking, fashion, other blogs, and a lot of other random things that I decide to research. Hope that doesn't sound too boring!

Have a day filled with smiles! Au revoir!