Where Bloggers Create Studio Tour

Welcome!

I am on vacation in England right now, but I wanted to Join in the wonderful Where Bloggers Create studio tour anyway. Greetings visitors! I’m pleased that you stopped by.

I have changed a few things around since the last studio tour I participated in two years ago. This is what my studio looked like then.

I have rearranged the room a little bit and taken down the colorful wallpapers for the time being. Like many of you, my studio is also the guest bedroom. Since I am having a string of visitors this summer, the beds are set up for company. These pictures are from my studio, when I was setting out costume dresses for my Jane Austen party this spring.

Because my room is set up and waiting for the next guest, we had a makeshift studio in the breakfast nook. Here I am, in the black shirt, painting a still life with another friend in the room just off my kitchen.

We wanted to do some plein air painting, but when the day turned out rainy I put together a still life for us to paint.

And the finished project from that afternoon……

Thanks for stopping by!

-Lynnae

The New Orleans Reception

After My daughter Hillary and Nicholas’ reception we had a few days to prepare for our New Orleans trip. This time my husband and youngest daughter would join us and I was excited to show them the city. But first we had a few days of packing, taking clothes and tuxes to the cleaners and hoping they’d be done on time, shipping photos, and catching up on sleep. I’ve been tripping over boxes hastily packed at our reception venue and eating Jordan Almonds by the handful. Why were there so many left over?

  Nick’s family were wonderful hosts and the reception was beautiful. Here are some of my photos from the New Orleans wedding reception.The room was very elegant. We had a Rosemary chicken dinner, and the first course?……..Gumbo. My husband was in heaven.In stead of numbering the tables they were named after famous New Orleans streets.

There was a head table for the bride, groom, and their families.

My Husband and my younger daughters

Me and Hillary

My husband and I pose for a picture on the balcony

Hillary dancing with her new sister-in-law. Darling!

The single girls assemble around the bride for the cake pulls.

Cake pulls are a southern tradition. Before the frosting is completed silver charms are put into a cake attached to ribbons. each young lady takes a ribbon and they all pull at the same time.

Hillary with her younger sisters. Jordan got the Four Leaf Clover (Luck) and Arianne got the Fleur de Lis (Prosperity & Love).

The bouquet toss

Nicholas and Hillary

-Lynnae

Hillary’s Bridals

Hi Friends. I'm still somewhat busy and trying to recuperate from the big day. I’ll post more of my daughter’s bridals and wedding pictures but for now please jump on over to Joshua Gene.com, our photographer’s website and have a look.

-Lynnae

Janeites, Get Out Your Crayons…

… And click on over to The Graphics Fairy for a page of lovely Regency ladies for your little holiday guests (or you) to color. It might be a fun activity to celebrate Jane Austen’s birthday next month. And nothing beats stress like taking a few minutes to relax and color.

While you are there, browse the categories on the right sidebar. I love using graphics from her blog on craft projects. Now I have a full page of Lady Catherines and Lydias to decorate in holiday colors.

Now where are those colored pencils?????

-Lynnae

Day One, Jane Austen Society of America Annual General Meeting

Sneak Peek at my ball gown

This morning, after staying up late to put the final touches on my dress, I picked up my Mom at the airport and off we were on our road trip to Portland.

We were able to check in to out room at the Hilton early. We went to registration tables, saw some cute T-shirts, picked up our packets and headed up to out lovely room, where we dumped out our “Jane Austen- The Abbey” tote bags to admire the contents.

 With post cards, a book light, and chocolate. You can’t go wrong!

 Mom and I in our room.

Mom and I decorate our nametags And take a quick snapshot before unpacking or dresses.

 I unpacked a portrait of Dear Jane for our room.

After this we went down to our dance workshop. We practiced four English country dances in an hour and a half. Sometimes it was exasperating, but when the dance came together it was exhilarating!  I danced across from my mom, but after the first dance they encouraged us to change partners. A nice looking and friendly woman agreed to be my partner. I saw my mom introduce herself to her new partner, and thought I should do the same, but then upon seeing her nametag I got VERY excited and almost lost it. I was dancing with Laurie Viera Rigler, the author of ‘Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict’ and ‘Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict’! Oh! (I may need a moment)…..Do you know how AWESOME that was???

OK, composure regained.

After dancing and a great dinner, we went to look at ‘Milsom Street’, the emporium full of booths, books, and other items for sale. Here is a sampling of the ‘shops’

 Rebecca Morrison Peck of ‘The Thatched Cottage’.

 Kay Demlow, Designer, Dressmaker, and Fashion Historian for Lavender’s Green Historic Clothing

There were also some lovely historic dresses on display that I photographed for your enjoyment. But first, here are links to a few more of the vendors:

Vintage Passementerie

Jean Judy- Jane Austen Charm Jewelry

Charlene Ahern- Henry Was a Railroad Man Card Company

After a brief rest in our room we attended Angela Barlow’s “Jane Austen, An Actor’s View”, with observations, readings, and delightful observations about the characters Jane Austen created. That leads us to where we are now, enjoying the view from my window, exhausted.

And now for more DRESSES………….

See you tomorrow,

-Lynnae

Busy Me!

Enter in to my (messy) studio.

It is in full sewing room mode. Yesterday I sewed for an hour only to have to unpick everything I had done. Funny how your mind gets clearer after eating dinner!

I am currently working on a chemise style slip. My pattern is the Simplicity 4055. For the underdress I am making view B except with the lower neckiline of view A. I am also making it sleeveless. If it is too tight to slip over my head then I will put a zipper under one of the arms. But all these changes and calculations are mixing me up and taking time.

The Jane Austen Society is less than a week away. Six days to prepare, not just for the trip, but to leave my daughter with a serviceable Halloween costume and give my husband any help he needs preparing for the festivities.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

And, in addition to sewing, life goes on. I’m going to a 2 hour Zumbathon tonight with my sisters and friends.

Tomorrow is Saturday, and I am going to devote the day to sewing.

-Lynnae

More Thrift Store Finds

Today I was out shopping the thrift stores looking for a dress for my daughter’s Halloween costume. Once I had a good dress in hand, I had to do a little searching for myself.

I found two small Battenberg style tablecloths, perfect for my next Jane Austen party, $3.99 each. And then…..and then I saw this lovely beaded scarf, excellent embroidery, excellent color, oh…… from the moment I saw it a regency ball gown developed in my head with this beadwork gracefully flowing down.

Not like anything I had planned to make for this year, so whether I can make it into something in time for this year’s ball I don’t know, but it will be made at some point. The scarf is long, about 8 feet, and a lovely ecru color.

The cost for this piece of loveliness? $4.99.  Score!

 

Four Days of Pure Jane Austen

Mom and I just registered for the Jane Austen society of North America’s annual general meeting in Portland this October.

 Dancing at the JASNA AGM Ball in Vancouver, 2007

  Four days of pure Austen… classes, lectures, a banquet and ball, actors performances, we even signed up for an English Country Dance workshop. I’m so excited. I’ve gone once before, and this time I get to share it all with Mom, so it will be even more fun.

 Authentic Jane Austen Era gowns on display in one of the breakout sessions in 2007 (click to enlarge)

I will give you details of my preparations along the way, and a few posts and lots of pictures from the AGM.

Stay tuned!

Senior Prom

I had to adjust the length on my daughter Arianne’s prom dress. It was a bubble type skirt, which added some complications, but at the same time the finished seam would not be showing, so that was great!

 

I spent an hour curling her hair, and she put on the jewelry we had picked out together.

Then she indulged me with a photo session until her date arrived…..…….

  And then we had another round of photos.

Before long they set off to their Senior Prom at the Space Needle.

This was taken in the park after dinner. While she was there a little girl thought she was a princess and wanted a picture with her.

This was a picture Arianne took at the top of the Space Needle.

Throughout this whole experience I was very thankful to the Lord that she was healed of her illness from March, which turned out to be viral meningitis. I’m so thankful that she is healthy and able to enjoy prom and graduation. I’ve been having a pretty sentimental day today.

This morning I dreamt I opened a door and saw my little girls bedroom just as they would have left it any morning 16 years ago when my older girls were two and four. Seeing the sheets and dolls and jammies was so realistic that I woke up and cried a little. It was only yesterday they were that small. Some days I just wish I could bring it back.

 

-Lynnae