Little orange feet

In the morning when it's time to dress I have trouble keeping myself from reaching for a cardigan, woolly skirt and a pair of brown tights. Today was no different. My days for dressing in this favored and comfortable manner (second to this) are swiftly drawing to a close. Spring begins this month and with each glance outside I imagine little bits of green poking out through the snow. I mustn't get ahead of myself as it is still very cold out and the ground is coated in the most obnoxious layer of gritty, snowy dirt (or, snirt) and ice. For these very reasons I opted to journey no further than the back porch for my photos today. My attention span was also rather limited which resulted in detail shots only. While my outfit concept may be a little redundant, it's documentation is differing slightly from the norm.

Cardigan and shoes: H&M, Brooch: thrifted
Tights: Hue, Skirt: Tucker for Target

Changing subjects, I've spent the last few evenings immersed in the world of Cranford.

Have you seen it? Or read the books? I had a gift card for Barnes & Noble waiting to be used up, so I put it toward the Cranford and Return to Cranford box set. I have a geek confession to make: I love the opening theme music! I don't know what it is about it, but I could listen to it play on a loop for hours on end. I have another confession to make: Elizabeth Gaskell works adapted to film are among my favorite period dramas, but I have yet to read any of the books that inspired them. Cranford, Wives and Daughters, North and South... I haven't read a word. I'd like to change this and have been meaning to for some time. A copy of Wives and Daughters is even glaring at me from my bookshelf as I type this. If reading didn't make me so darn sleepy I'd easily be able to devour several books a week.

Tell me, what's something that's been adapted to film that you love, but haven't read in book form?

DVD photo credit: Amazon.com

Ex Libris Dearilou

Guest post by Chelsea of Dearilou

I know that Emily and I share a love of old books. The kinds without dust covers. Books with creamy pages and maybe a little bit of writing in them. When Emily asked me to do a guest post I thought "A ha! A perfect opportunity to show her (and those who read her blog) my old book shelf!"



I just love how all these worn books look together. Leaning on each other like old friends with some woodland creatures here and there. And yes, that is a meerschaum pipe.



Most of my lovelies I picked up in Washington, but my newest addition is from the bookstore I now work at. The greatest thing about working at an independent used bookshop is being able to snag the best stuff first, like this collection of Dorothy Parker's short stories.



My favorite part of old books is the details left by the old owner.



The pride of my old book collection are my Shakespeare plays.





Apparently Max collected old Shakespeare plays too, as his stamp is in the front of a couple of my books.



This copy of Macbeth is probably my favorite.It looks all homely and nondescript on the outside...



But inside is full of wonderful treasures.



Including:



What is your favorite thing about old books? Do you own any? Do you wish you did? A whole bookshelf or room of bookshelves full would be a dream for me.

Blow away the dust

Last month my local library held its annual book sale. You may remember that I posted about this event last year. The pickings this time around were incredible. It was sweltering under the summer sun browsing through boxes and combing over tables, but oh so worth it. I came away with so many beautiful bindings, illustrations, engravings and a few little inscriptions nearly 80 years old. Here have a look:

The Oxford Book of English Verse 1250 - 1900, Impression of 1930

Within my own book collection I seem to be amassing a sub-collection of Oxford Books of English Verse. I felt compelled to buy this little volume not only for its gorgeous red and gold binding, but because it features both English and American writers. Perhaps it is a bit more compact than those focusing solely on either English or American authors, but I like it all the same.

Sketch Book - Washington Irving, published by the H.M. Caldwell Company

This collection of stories by Washington Irving is by far my favorite book sale find and the most exquisite book I have ever seen. There is no copyright date in this book, but after a bit of research I am confident in stating that it was printed in either 1896, 1897, or 1898. The intricate floral design on both the front and side binding is stamped in silver and the fancy floral paper also adorning the front cover has a gold-ish ink that shimmers when it catches light. If all that wasn't wonderful enough, the original silk ribbon bookmark remained with the book tucked securely at the beginning of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I'm not sure if you can see it in the above photo, but the ribbon has slightly stained the two sheets of paper it's been pressed between.

The Poetical Works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Series I

This collection of poems was published by the Collins' Clear-type Press with no indication of a publication date. It is a rather dainty volume and the paper is fragile, so I'm lead to believe it is another oldie.

A Shropshire Lad by A.E. Housman, printed 1931

An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott

I am uncertain of the publication date of this copy, but I do know that it is no earlier than 1911. The delightful engravings on both the front and back covers are such fun to look at. I see new details every time.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, copyright 1970

I would have preferred the hardcover version, but this paperback was the right price and I can't complain about that!

Elephant Cargo by Winifred G. Hammond, copyright 1959

The dust jacket illustration is what drew me to this title. The story itself is interspersed with drawings equally as charming and it looks like a fun read.

Fine additions to a growing book collection, don't you think?

With a dreamy, far-off look and her nose stuck in a book

In 2009 I kept a tally of all the books I read throughout the year. My total? 23. I probably could have squeezed in a few more, but sometimes I like to pace myself through books and only read little bits at a time. Other times it may take me a while to get into a book, thus allowing it to collect dust for a few weeks before I give it another go. I did read quite a few manga installments this past year. Does that take away from my total? Maybe they should count for more since they're read right to left and impose on my accustomed left to right reading habits! ;)

I'd like to match my 2009 total or, ideally, exceed it in 2010. Currently, I'm reading Swing It! The Andrews Sisters Story by John Sforza and, after writing this post I decided to re-read, Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery. After those are finished I plan on jumping in to:

• Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri (a friend of mine gave me this book for my
  birthday last year and I'm just now getting around to it. Bad, I know! Even more so since I'm a fan of Lahiri's other works, Interpreter of Maladies and The Namesake.)
• Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell (Okay, so I cheated and watched the BBC adaption of ''Wives and Daughters'' before reading it. In fact, I've only ever watched Gaskell adaptations - ''North and South'' and ''Cranford'' being the others. I'm excited to actually read her.)
• Gift from the Sea by A. M. Lindbergh (I picked this up at my town library's annual book sale this past summer. It ended up staying near the bottom of my ''to-read'' book pile, but I look forward to finally cracking the cover.)

I have a few other titles in mind, but the above three are all I am committing to at present. Both my mother and one of my aunts have suggested a few books to me, so I'll eventually work my way toward those. Do you have any books you would recommend? Do share!

P.S. Do you recognize where the title to this post is from?

Discovering an old favorite

It's no secret that I'm a fan of L.M. Montgomery's beloved Anne of Green Gables series. At thirteen, I devoured the books one after another often bringing them to school with me to read between classes and when I could steal a few moments without my teachers noticing. The tales of Anne Shirley are among the most memorable books of my youth.

After finishing all seven Anne books I delved into reading about another of Montgomery's young heroines: Emily Starr. Similar to Anne, Emily is an orphan who finds herself in the midst of a set of circumstances uprooting her young life. Emily of New Moon, Emily Climbs, and Emily's Quest follow Emily from being a young girl sent to live with relatives to becoming a successful author as an adult.

Within the last couple of years, I became aware that the Emily series had been adapted for television and had aired on Canada's CBC Television from 1998 - 2002. Just this year I found out the series had been released on DVD making my hopes of tracking it down more likely. Then, one day last week I was flipping through the television guide and noticed that a digital sub channel our receiver picks up airs "Emily of New Moon" weekday mornings. What a surprise! I was able to watch an episode for the first time this morning and am already looking forward to when my work schedule will allow me to do so again. I'm also thinking of re-reading the Emily books as it's been 10+ years since our first acquaintance.

Tell me, do you have any beloved books and/or television series from your youth?

photo sources 1, 2

Outdoor Summer Reading

My town library held their annual book & bake sale this past Saturday and these are the small treasures I picked up. $0.50 for paperbacks, $1.00 for hardcovers -- can't go wrong at those prices! I have such a soft spot for paperbacks from the 1950s - 1970s with their illustrated covers and now-yellowed, delicate pages. I've also been known to collect more than one copy of a title simply for its cover design. Speaking of book covers, while at the book sale my mother picked up a beautiful copy of Little Women for me before I arrived. This particular edition was printed in 1947 and its pages are interspersed with charming colored illustrations.



What have you been reading lately?

And since I'm on the topic of books, I find this the perfect opportunity to pass along a blog award the kind and lovely Diana at our.city.lights gave me a while back. The great reads I would like to award are Much Love and Tis Serendipity!


I am terribly backlogged on sharing awards. I was awarded with the following by Much Love a few days ago and made the promise to pass it along quickly! Here's some ♥blog lovin♥ for On Dressing Up and Little Bird!

Old Soul

Romper: thrifted, Top: Target, Shoes: American Eagle
Sunglasses: Kenneth Cole Reaction, Barrette: H&M

(Click to enlarge photo of book. I ♥ the cover illustration!)

Every two weeks for the last few months I have been renewing The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady from the library. By reading only a few pages at a time, I have prolonged the unparalleled enjoyment that comes each time I open the cover.

In January 1906, Edith Holden began a year long diary chronicling the splendor of the seasons as found in her little corner of the English countryside. The pages are teeming with her own illustrations and paintings as well as endearing poems and verse. Best of all are the acute daily observations that only a charming naturalist such as Miss Holden could make.

Hidden in plain sight

Yesterday while enjoying the warmth of the sun on my back, I came across a delightful book on our dining room bookshelf. This particular bookshelf is full of books belonging to my late grandparents. At first, I was amusing myself with an illustrated collection of History of The United States and American Heritage volumes dating from the 1950s - 1970s. As my eyes scanned the titles pertaining to the Revolution and a newly formed nation, something completely unrelated caught my eye:


Wouldn't you agree that this is the perfect title to find in these early days of Spring? I happily flipped through the pages, allowing myself to become more and more anxious for the world to be in bloom again. The few minutes I spent with this book helped me to identify some pretty little flowers whose names I had not previously known. I can foresee many mornings and afternoons spent studying the contents of this little treasure.

Outfit details: shirt - Forever 21, corduroys - thrifted

A List and Thoughts From the Heart

Classes officially ended yesterday, but exams still need to be taken and I currently find myself in the midst of writing a paper. Said paper is resting right now while I sort my thoughts and plan the remainder of what I need to write. The task is not overbearing and only requires me to write a minimum of 1,500 words. I am already nearing the 900 word mark. I would like to finish tonight, but will also save tomorrow evening should I need it. I'm trying to stay focused and disciplined as my wandering mind is half in winter break mode already.

Speaking of winter break, I've compiled a small list of books I would like to read during this much anticipated time of rest and relaxation:

• I Am England by Patricia Wright (Highly recommended by my grandmother)
• Chronicles of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery (Tales and short stories by the author of my beloved Anne of Green Gables series. I cannot help but love them. Their charm and innocence always brings a smile to my face and I find them to be a pleasant diversion to the mess that life can sometimes bring.)
• Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
• Howards End by E. M. Forster

I do not find my list to be too daunting, although it may become so if I decide to add to it! The last book on the list, Howards End is a recent addition from the past week or so. I borrowed the film adaptation from the library and decided after watching that I must read the novel. The film on all accounts was superb. I cannot think of a better way to describe it. It won three of the nine Oscars it was nominated for in 1992 including Best Actress in a Leading Role (Emma Thompson), Best Art Direction-Set Direction and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. The film was also nominated in the Best Costume Design category, but did not win. While watching I found myself nearly drooling over the beauty and elegance of the Edwardian era costumes. I have always admired fashion from this era, but now I feel my adoration stems from the fact that this is what my great-grandmother wore when she was roughly my age. Although I never got the chance to meet her, I tend to feel a sweet and comforting relationship with her through the photographs I've seen and the stories from my grandmother and mother. Both my grandmother and mother have told me time and again how well she and I would have gotten along. My grandmother was even so generous as to give me a brooch and a handbag both belonging to great-grandmother. Although not Edwardian, they are certainly small treasures that I hold dear to my heart.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged..."

I have spent the better part of my summer immersed in Austen. Anyone who knows me knows of my admiration and appreciation for the literary works of this fine lady. I have devoted many an hour to film and television adaptations of Jane's work, scouring libraries for copies of those which I had not yet seen. Shorter intervals of time have seen me tearing through the pages of Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. I simply could not put them down. I have yet to read Mansfield Park and Emma, er, begin Emma again - I had started it once several years back, but never finished it for one reason or another. Ahh, but this summer I have reveled in the sweet, playful affection Henry Tilney bestowed upon Catherine Morland in Northanger Abbey and claimed Anne Elliot of Persuasion as my favorite of all Austen heroines. I found myself relating to Anne in many ways; however, I am not suffering of a lost love eight years in duration. I will admit to my total girlishness by sharing that the rekindling of Anne and Captain Frederick Wentworth's romance is by far my favorite of Austen's plots (that concerning Elinor Dashwood and Edward Ferrars of Sense and Sensibility is an extremely close second). The letter that Wentworth writes to Anne in Chapter 23 gets me every time. Every single time.

"I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes? I had not waited even these ten days, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine. I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others. Too good, too excellent creature! You do us justice, indeed. You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among men. Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating, in
F. W."

"I must go, uncertain of my fate; but I shall return hither, or follow your party, as soon as possible. A word, a look will be enough to decide whether I enter your father's house this evening or never."

Even now my insides are squealing with joy. Calm down, E, you know it isn't real, but... but...!! Is it silly of me to be so delighted in a proclamation of literary love? To take refuge in a world that exists now only on paper peppered with wit and satire?

My answer is "no."