A New Direction

I have published only one or two blog posts in the last month or so. And in that time, I have enjoyed doing - other things!

I've been doing a lot of reading, for one thing. There have been times during my blogging journey over the last 3 years (has it really been that long??) when I have read very little. I spent much of my spare time in blogging or other online pursuits. Over the past 6 months or so, however, I have developed a more disciplined - no, disciplined isn't the right word - but certainly a more active reading habit.

Something else has happened, too. I've discovered the joy and satisfaction that is to be found in savouring the small things in life. In the garden, in the house, in watching my siblings grow. I wake up every morning excited by the possibilities the day might bring - doing this or that in the garden, trying a new recipe, reading a new book to my little sisters.

Blogging is often a very time-consuming activity for me. It usually takes me several hours to put together one of my longer posts. The fact that I can be easily distracted and diverted when I'm gathering material online for my posts doesn't help! (Perhaps I should try writing posts with notepad and pen, so that I am less likely to be distracted by all the distractions the internet offers. It could be a more time-efficient way for me to blog.)

All this to say: I enjoy blogging - ESPECIALLY having the opportunity to "meet" so many kindred spirits from all over the world - but at the same time. . . I've got books to read and life to live!

I am not giving up blogging altogether. Hopefully I will be able to find a balance, wherein I will have time for blogging AND reading and other things. (Mummy suggested that I might aim to publish one post per week, which could be a realistic goal.) In the meantime, I can't guarantee that there will be many new posts on here. Or if there are, they might be of a different nature to what you're used to. . .

In the early days of this blog, I shared more tidbits from real life - recipes, humorous or memorable incidents from my life. . . that sort of thing. I think there will be still be the occasional book or movie review in future, but there might be more pieces from everyday life as well. I hope this is okay. People change, and blogs change! As my interests change, it's reasonable to expect that my blog will evolve with them. I never set out with the intention that this blog should be a period drama blog, or a book blog, or any genre of blog. It's always been bit of a hodge-podge of different things.

I repeat, I definitely won't be giving up blogging altogether. My reason for starting this blog was to use it as a way to develop my English skills. I might have finished [home]school, but I haven't finished learning or developing. It's good for me to write. It challenges me, and it provides an outlet for thoughts and ideas that I may want to share.

Summing up:

-I apologise for the lack of recent posts.

-I apologise for the possible lack of posts in the present/future.

-I wanted to give you a word of warning in case my blog heads in a slightly different direction in the future.

Well. God bless you all!
~Elise

Beautiful costume drama stills

Collecting period drama pictures from various corners of the web has become something of a hobby for me. The reason for this being that the pictures are just. So. Gorgeous! One could (in fact, one often does) spend hours drooling over the beautiful costumes, houses, landscapes, and people.

Many costume drama pictures are small works of art in themselves. As I am sure most of you are well aware, whenever I do a post on a period film, I use it as an excuse to share as many images as I can possibly cram into one post. This time I have no such excuse. This is simply a messy, mish-mash costume drama picspam, featuring a few of my favourites. The following are symphonies in light, colour, and texture! Elise, stop waxing poetical and get on with the pictures. . .

And just as a disclaimer, I do not whole-heartedly endorse every film in mentioned in this post. A couple of these films contain fast-forward-able scenes.


I love Drew Barrymore's red velvet dress. She really is a timeless beauty. Also, her character in this film is one of the few (that I know of) in period drama to have hair that is nearly as long as mine. :P Yay for lasses with long tresses! (Ever After 1998)


Bleakly beautiful. (Persuasion 2007)


Because it's so delightfully English! This could be a scene from any one of Georgette Heyer's novels. (Emma 1996)


Well, I had to include at least one pic of my favourite literary hero. ;-) Why does he does he have to be a fictional character? Why??! (Northanger Abbey 2007)


Very Monet-esque. By the way, if anyone could tell me where I can obtain high-res non-watermarked pics from this film I would be very grateful. (The Magic of Ordinary Days 2005)


An interior shot for a change. I love the warm, rich tones in this picture. (The Illusionist 2007)


Beautiful Liv Tyler. (Onegin 1999)


ANY still from this movie could easily have featured in this post. Italy. . . Helena Bonham Carter. . . Scumptious Edwardian costumes. I love how the personality of each character is conveyed in this picture. (A Room with a View 1985)


The dress and the field of wildflowers were made for each other (quite literally, no doubt). (Marie Antoinette 2006)


I loved Cecily's Pre-Raphaelite inspired daydream sequences. :-) (The Importance of Being Earnest 2002)


Once again, any picture from this movie could have been in this post. This one is very moody and gothic, and strongly remiscent of Andrew Wyeth's Christina's World. (Tess of the D'Urbervilles 2008)

One of my favourite movies. (Enchanted April 1992)

I suppose I'd better stop now. Part 2 will quite possibly be coming very soon. By the way, I hope you don't mind a post featuring mostly pictures, rather than writing. I've been suffering from a spot of writer's block lately.