Last month I wrote about the history of silhouettes, or shadow portraits. As I noted in that article, some silhouettes were proportional or close to the actual size of the person whose profile was being traced. However, as an artistic form with a low cost as a main contributing factor, most silhouettes were small, many… Read the full blog post …
For hundreds of years, until the invention of the camera, the only quick and cheap method of immortalizing a loved one was through a shade, also referred to as a shadow portrait. As opposed to more decorative and expensive forms of portraiture like painting or sculpture, a shade was a simple and inexpensive alternative readily available for… Read the full blog post …
Even if one has never played charades, the game of mime and acting skill is familiar. We can all envision a person standing silent before his/her fellow players as the mystery word or phrase is conveyed with dramatic performance. Not an easy game to be sure and the biggest challenge is to remain close-lipped. Speaking… Read the full blog post …
As is typical, I approached my blogging day with no idea what topic to discuss. Then I read Riana Everly’s excellent blog on Classical music and Beethoven from a few days ago. If you missed it, scroll down a bit on the Home page, or click this link: Historical Tidbits: A Heroic Symphony. Now, I… Read the full blog post …
Please join us in welcoming wonderful Austenesque author Lona Manning to the blog. Lona discovered a fascinating bit of Old Bailey courtroom drama and requested sharing the case with our fabulous Austen Authors readers. Thanks so much, Lona! This is Lona’s fourth time as a guest, the links to her previous three blogs listed below.… Read the full blog post …
It is Spring and of the many aspects to the season I love, getting outside to work in my garden is my absolute favorite. This year marks the 8th Spring at our home in Kentucky, and is the third year where I anticipated scant to do for my carefully designed perennial garden other than the… Read the full blog post …
Spring has sprung here in Kentucky, even with the rain intermittently falling, so between the inevitable yard work and need to be active in the fresh, warming air, I have been busy and therefore find myself in a frivolous mood. Hence today’s blog being a series of trifles with nothing heavy or earth-shattering. And sorry… Read the full blog post …
Over ten years ago I set out on a mission. I was inspired by Pride and Prejudice — the beautiful love story as portrayed on the silver screen with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen and within the pages of Jane Austen’s novel — but also by my own love story of over thirty years. Beginning… Read the full blog post …
The Austen Authors are pleased to announce the winners for the Winter Quarterly Giveaway. Congratulations!!!! If your name appears below: (1) contact Regina Jeffers (Giveaway Coordinator) at reginalm@rjeffers.com to claim your prize. READ THROUGH ALL THE NAMES FOR THERE ARE MANY WINNERS!!! Winners names are in RED. (2) If your prize is an eBook, make certain the email address for the prize… Read the full blog post …
As I promised, today is a followup to my blog last month on The Somewhat Mysterious Evolution of Men’s Neckcloths. Click over to read a very brief history of men’s neckwear over time, particularly the eras immediately leading to the Regency cravat we all know and love on our manly Jane Austen heroes. We all… Read the full blog post …
For we who adore the Regency and the unique fashions of the era, high on the list is the cravat. Whether tied to perfection, removed for some dramatic purpose, or in any state in between, no other article of a gentleman’s ensemble impacts we females quite as profoundly as the cravat. Yet it isn’t only… Read the full blog post …
Santa Claus, tinsel on trees, Frosty the Snowman, reindeer pulling a sleigh… These are familiar Christmas images in the US. What about yule logs, a boar’s head, community wassail bowls, a king of misrule, mince meat pies, and figgy pudding? Rarely are those latter traditions seen here in the US. In fact, they aren’t too… Read the full blog post …
THANKSGIVING is fast approaching here in the US, and as everyone knows, food is a BIG and central aspect of this traditional holiday. For most of us, we have our established dishes that must be cooked year after year. In my household that “must have” no-compromise dish is the dressing recipe passed down from my… Read the full blog post …
