30-day Middle-earth Challenge—Day Nine: Prettiest Dress

>EDIT< I just realized this is my "Eleventy-first" post!!! I was thinking of doing something special for Post #111, but it came up before I knew it. However, since the costumes are my favorite element of of Peter Jackson's Middle-earth, I think this post's topic qualifies as "something special." :-)
/EDIT

Another hard choice! Ngila Dickson (the head costume designer for LOTR) designed so many beautiful gowns for all the ladies in the movies, it’s hard to pick just one and say it’s the prettiest in all Middle-earth. However, once again, since I cheated on my last entry and featured five Best Costumes, I’ll have to be good and do just that.

I’m going to say…Éowyn’s “Victory” Gown. 

[source]

The pale-blue color is so becoming on her, giving her a softer, more feminine look than some of her brown-and-white (or grey-blue) ensembles. The gold threads in the brocade jacket, the elegant jacquard trim, and the tiny jewels down the front of the jacket, all pay tribute to Éowyn’s rank as a Daughter of Kings, a member of the House of Eorl.   

 

Composite (with better view of jewels)
made by someone here

The undergown (my term) is worn with a long, fur-edged blue coat at another point in the movies, which is kinda cool.

[source]

We don’t see much of this frock in the movie, which is a shame, but Maggie has some gorgeous pix from the behind-the-scenes DVD and screencaps and stuff. Take a look!

Until next time, Gentle Readers,

God bless,

~“Tom”~

 

30-day Middle-earth Challenge—Day Eight: Favorite Costume

Oh, how to choose? Probably my favorite part of the LOTR movies is the lovely costumes—each distinctly portraying the various races and cultures of Middle-earth. I’m afraid I’m going to have to cheat again, since I couldn’t choose just *one* fave among these:

Frodo’s “Opening/Green Shirt” Outfit

[source]
(Do you know how hard it is to find good pix of this one??)

To me, this costume’s simplicity represents the homespun, carefree life of a Hobbit-lad—a symbol of Frodo’s childhood, which, when we’re introduced to him at the beginning of FOTR, he’s leaving behind as he comes of age. It’s funny, but his shirt changes from a sort of sage-green to heather-grey, depending on which pictures you look at—kind of like the “Fellowship” cloaks. A subtle foretelling of Things to Come from the costume department, perhaps? (More likely a result of all the color-enhancing done BTS.)

Pippin’s “Party Vest” 

[source]
Reproduced by Cordelia Willis ('cos I couldn't find a pic of the real thing!)
No copyright infringement intended

This spiffy waistcoat, made up in emerald-green brocade, sports bright yellow tambour embroidery (although some say it’s couched cording) in a swirling pattern down the front—very festive, and perfect for celebrating Bilbo’s Eleventy-first Birthday. Interestingly, it’s the only waistcoat Pippin wears until near the end of ROTK (more on that later).

Merry’s “Fellowship” Outfit

Hobbits, according to Tolkien, favor green and yellow, and Merry has both colors in this costume, which he wears for most of the trilogy. I think my favorite part is his quilted waistcoat. Actually, yellow seems to be Merry’s signature color, since his “Party” vest and the one given to him near the end of ROTK are both yellow. I must admit to admiring his stylish Georgian-inspired frock-coat, too. Merry’s clothes in general are more elegant than the other Hobbits’, reflecting his status as one of the richer Hobbits in the Shire—a Brandybuck of Brandy Hall.

Pippin’s “Fellowship” Outfit 

One interesting thing about Pippin is that, for most of the trilogy, he doesn’t have a waistcoat/vest like the other Hobbits. In the books, he says he is still considered a boy by Hobbit standards (or words to that effect), so perhaps the wearing of a waistcoat is a kind of sign of manhood (Hobbithood?) among the Little Folk (the exception being his “Party” vest, of course, but that’s a special occasion). Pippin’s costume is a bit like Frodo’s “Opening” outfit in that it consists of trousers with suspenders and a shirt, but Pippin adds a jacket (shorter than Frodo’s and Merry’s elegant frock-coats) and his signature knitted scarf. My favorite part, though, is the embroidery down the front of his shirt! Kinda makes up for not having a waistcoat.

Sam’s “Prologue” Outfit

Sam wears this costume during Bilbo’s voice-over at the beginning of FOTR, while planting flowers. What makes it noticeable (in my mind, at least) is the checked shirt—most other Hobbits wear solid-colored or white shirts.

I have a thing for Hobbits, can you tell? ;-)

I leave the Elves and Men for tomorrow’s post...Lord willing I have time....

Until next time, Gentle Readers,

God bless,

~“Tom”~

30-day Middle-earth Challenge—Day Four: Favorite Scene

How to choose just one favorite scene from among all the delightful…and deliciously frightful…and happy/fun/humorous…and “profound”…scenes that make up the LORT trilogy? ’Cos I probably really should stick to the rules this time, seeing as I kinda cheated with the Favorite Quote post. *Halo*

[source]

It was a hard choice. I almost picked Bilbo’s Birthday Party, but much as I love that scene, I’d have to say that there’s one I like even more. It’s the one in ROTK where Merry and Éowyn are resting before reaching Gondor, and have a little chat. Sadly, I’ve forgotten much of what was said during that “interview” (it’s been a few years since we watched the movies). All I remember is Merry’s statement that:

“...There are…many who love you. If I were a Man of Rohan—but I’m not. I’m a Hobbit.”

 I love the interaction between Merry and Éowyn in this movie. Both feel strongly the call to fight for their peoples, but are inhibited by one thing or another. For Éowyn, it’s the notion that a woman’s place is “in the house. But when the men have died in battle and honour, you have leave to be burned in the house, for the men will need it no more….” (Return of the King, Chapter 2: Passing of the Grey Company.)

Merry, on the other hand, is left out because of his size—or rather, lack thereof. Even after drinking the Ent-draught, he’s still no taller than a young boy among the Rohirrim. Everyone around him feels he’s too small to be of any use, which of course makes his feel “like baggage to be called for when all is over.”

Both are initially excluded from answering the call to arms; yet both find a way to sneak in with the Riders anyway. Éowyn sympathizes with Merry, and Merry, on his part, feels a deep respect for Éowyn. And of course, anyone who’s read the books (or seen the movie—or both :-D) knows that they both got their chance for “doing great deeds.”

And just for the record, it was this scene that created the initial “spark” of inspiration for Ciára Littlefoot’s story. :-)

Until next time, Gentle Readers,

God bless,

~“Tom”~

30-day Middle-earth Challenge—Day Three: Favorite Quote

OK, so this is actually yesterday’s, and Day Two got posted on Day Three of the challenge. That’s what happens when one stays up past midnight on Day Two, and then doesn’t write anything on Day Three. :-P But I hope to get today’s posted after I finish this post, so then we’ll be back on track.

Today’s challenge is to share a favorite quote from Tolkien’s works, or the movies based on them. Like Melody, I don’t see how one could have just one favorite quote, so I’m going to post several. Book titles are in italics; movie titles are abbreviated in ALL CAPS.

Fellowship of the Ring:

“Water!” shouted Pippin. “Where’s the water?”

“I don’t keep water in my pockets,” said Frodo.

FOTR:

Frodo: Bilbo, have you been at the Gaffer’s home brew?

Bilbo: No! –well, yes, but—that’s not the point!

TTT:

Gollum: What’s taters, precioussss?

Sam: Po-tay-toes. Boil ’em, mash ’em, stick ’em in a stew—or cut ’em up into lovely thick chips to go with fish.

Gollum blows a raspberry

Sam: Oh, come on—even you couldn’t say no to that.

Gollum: Oh, yes we could! —stupid, fat Hobbit, spoiling nice fissssh! Give it to us raw, and wriggling! You can keep nasty chips!

Sam: Oh, you’re ’opeless!

ROTK:

Merry: There are…many who love you. If I were a Man of Rohan—but I’m not. I’m a Hobbit.

Merry: Hullo, Pip. I knew you’d find me. Are you going to leave me again?

Pippin: No, Merry; I’m going to take care of you.

Return of the King:

“Hullo, Sam!” said Rosie. “where’ve you been? They said you were dead, but I’ve been expecting you since the Spring. You haven’t hurried, have you?”

“Perhaps not,” sid Sam abashed. But I’m hurrying now. We’re setting about the ruffians, and I’ve got to get back to Mr. Frodo….”

…

“Well, be off with you!” said Rosie. “If you’ve been looking after Mr. Frodo all this while, what d’you want to leave him for, as soon as things look dangerous?”

Of course there are more I could share, but that’s pretty much all I can remember.

Until next time, Gentle Readers,

God bless,

~“Tom”~

30-day Middle-earth Challenge—Day Two: Favorite Movie

I’ll never forget my first introduction to Middle-earth. FOTR was in theaters, and my dad wanted to see it. And since seeing movies in the theater is a family affair, we all went with him. It was the first PG-13-rated—also the most intense—movie I’d ever seen at that point, but once the shock wore off, and after a second viewing in the theater (something we never did before or since), it didn’t seem so dark and scary, and I was completely drawn in. Middle-earth became one of my favorite “worlds” to visit—second only to Narnia. I eventually read The Hobbit and the books the LOTR movies were based on (once we dug them out of the attic, and after each movie came out—I didn’t want to “spoil” the movies for myself). But enough history for now; you’re all waiting to find out which of Peter Jackson’s epic film adaptations of Tolkien’s works is my favorite.

I’m going to say…FOTR, with parts of ROTK thrown in. ROTK has some incredible scenes—epic battles and triumphs, “profound” speeches and tender moments—which, in some cases, have directly inspired my own writing (but that’s another story), but I love FOTR a bit more because it’s the lightest-hearted of the trilogy and features my favorite fantasy race EVER—Hobbits—the most. 

Bilbo’s Birthday Party scene, even with the added footage in the Extended Editions (EE), is too short for my liking. There’s just something so endearing and nostalgic about the Hobbits’ simple, laid-back lifestyle, their knack with green growing things…and of course their love of food! Sometimes I wish Tolkien had written more about just Hobbits, frankly. They represent an element of innocence and good cheer—something precious that is in danger of being wiped out if the forces of evil go undefeated.

Until next time, Gentle Readers,

God bless,

~“Tom”~

30-day Middle-earth Challenge—Day One: Favorite Book

Linking up with Miss Melody Muffin and Kiri Liz’s 30-day Middle-earth Challenge! Don’t know if I’ll be able to do all thirty days (in fact, I seriously doubt I’ll be able to do more than a few days), but I’ll do what I can as time allows.

Today’s challenge is to pick a favorite book from among Tolkien’s works. Not having read all of them, my choices are a bit limited to the books I have read—namely, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, The Silmarilion, The Book of Lost Tales (Parts 1 & 2)…and I think that’s it. Can’t remember if I read any of Tolkien’s Unfinished Tales or not. Anyhoo….

It’s kind of a toss-up between The Hobbit and The Two Towers. I love the lighter, more cheerful narrative style of The Hobbit, with its subtle humor and clever way of putting things. The dark parts aren’t quite so scary; the sad bits are soft-peddled for the most part, rather like a father telling the story to his children (unlike the movie—but I’m not going to open that can o’ Wyrms* right now).

As for The Two Towers, it’s always been my favorite of the trilogy (apart from the first few chapters of Fellowship). Don’t know why, exactly, although perhaps it’s because we get to know the characters a little more. Ones who were pretty much just *there* (like Merry and Pippin) in Fellowship are promoted to Main Characters—almost—and we get inside their heads more.

So I guess I kinda cheated and did two, but like I said, it was a toss-up. :-P

Until next time, Gentle Readers,

God bless,

~“Tom”~

*Can o’ Wyrms = A potentially volatile or controversial topic. A twist on the old saying, “open a can of worms,” meaning the subject, if broached, may bring trouble to the one who broached it. The addition of the archaic term “Wyrms” (dragons) indicates the aforementioned trouble to be several times more intense if stirred up.

~Tom’s Dictionary of Whacked-out Terms and Old Family Sayings

Writing Tag!

I fully intended to do another Influential Worlds post. Honest. But then Kendra and Melody did this delightful Writing Tag (hosted by Alyson of Every Good Word), and…well, you know the story. ;-)

Alyson says: “Below there are twelve questions I've answered for myself, & if you feel so inclined,

copy & paste them onto your blog, replacing my answers with yours, & link up at the bottom of the post so I can get to know all you great writers 

& we can really start building our community here!

1. What was your first-ever piece of writing? A little piece of fiction called A Friend for Max, in which the title character rescues a girl named Maxine from some bad guys by driving a crane and dropping an anvil on the head of one, and chaining the other to a larger anvil. Perhaps it’s a good thing it’s gone “where the woodbine twines and the Whangdoodle mourns for its firstborn”…. :-P
2. How old were you when you first began writing? I began at the ripe old age of eight, writing two more “Max” books in as many years, then branching out to other stories, which got better by leaps and bounds until I hit eighteen. Then I got in a slump that I’m still trying to work out of. :-(
3. Name two writing goals. One short term & one long term. 
   ~Short-term: Finish the Tale of Prince Nácil by New Year, or the First Day of Spring (which I consider the “real” New Year anyway) at the latest.
   ~Long-term: Finish (or start!) writing the rest of the Tales of the Young World! And illustrate them using a special process…which is another story entirely.
4. Do you write fiction or non-fiction? My first love will always be fiction, although I’ve branched out into non-fiction via blogging and project diaries over the last decade or so.
5. Bouncing off of question 4, what's your favorite genre to write in? Fiction in general and fantasy in particular. Especially fantasy, because frankly, I hate having to do a truckload of research just to find out if people ate ice cream in 1880, or if anyone actually lived in the Ural Mountains during the Renaissance. :-P With fantasy, I can make up my own history, geography, cultures—even fashion!
   I also enjoy blogging (when I have time to write something coherent), as well as keeping diaries of my creative projects.
6. One writing lesson you've learned since 2013 began. Ummm…that I’ve been slacking off and giving in to fear waaaaaay too long and need to get my lazy bum in gear and write!
7. Favorite author, off the top of your head! I’m going to say L.M. Montgomery. While I don’t agree with her theology, and some of her books are now on my Do Not Read list, her better works—especially the Anne Books—have a wonderful way of describing things and people. It was Anne that taught me to appreciate the wonders of God’s creation.
8.  Three current favorite books. Jane Eyre, The Hobbit and The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood of Great Renown in Nottinghamshire.
9. Biggest influence on your writing {person}: I’m going to be a copycat and say my mother. She saw my God-given talent and arranged my [home] schooling to help encourage and develop it. She’s also been willing to listen to my writing conundrums and give advice. Also my brother (who could also be a writer if he really wanted to), with whom I can discuss some of my stickier puzzles, and who has come up with some brilliant suggestions. He’s the one who can do a truckload of research and actually enjoy it! Not only that, but he can process and make sense of it all, so he’s the one I go to when I need information. :-P
10. What's your go-to writing music? I actually don’t do well listening to music while I’m writing, especially if the song has words. I get caught up in listening to the words (or the melody, if it’s a familiar piece), and my writing freezes up. Sad but true.
11. List three to five writing quirks of yours! Little habits, must-haves as you write, etc.
    ~Quirk: I tend to think more about what my characters—and the places they’ll visit in the story—will look like more than the actual story. (Probably something to do with my Book Illustrations idea….)
    ~Quirk: Sometimes I’ll act out (or just “recite” dialogue from) a scene involving two characters. It usually changes a lot before being translated into cold, hard text, but it sometimes helps just to talk it out. One of these days I’ll get brave enough to “recite” into my voice recorder so it doesn’t lose so much in translation. :-P
    ~Must-have: A glass or thermos of water handy and in sight. I’m really bad at keeping hydrated—just plain forget to drink water throughout the day—so if it’s in view, I’m more likely to remember.
    ~Must-have: My memo-corder, a notebook, or something in which to record inspirations, interesting names or words, etc.
12. What, in three sentences or less, does your writing mean to you? My writing is firstly a gift from God. He’s given me an active imagination, and the ability to write it down…when Inspiration strikes and the motivation is there. It’s my way of expressing things I’d probably feel silly or awkward doing or saying in Real Life, and in the case of the Young World (working title), a way to interact with “Creatures that are but myth and legend in the World of Men”…and put my own spin on them (MY Centaurs wear clothes!). My goal is ultimately to put Truth into all my writing—even the most fantastical—and thereby glorify God and hopefully point others to Him.

Until next time, Gentle Readers,

God bless,

~“Tom”~

Literary Heroine Blog Party!

Hurrah! *Confetti* It’s that time of year again, when the adorable Miss Kellie of Accordion to Kellie hosts her fabulous Blog Party saluting literary heroines, femininity and fun!

This event has become something to look forward to each year, and helps with the Winter Blahs we all feel in the middle of February. Be sure to check out her giveaway, too—lots of goodies for lovers of all things bookish.

Below is my contribution (note: I’ve referred back to my two previous entries several times—lots of clicking and scrolling ahead!):

~ The Questions ~

1.      Introduce yourself! Divulge your life's vision, likes, dislikes, aspirations, or something completely random! For those visiting my blog for the first time, my name is Rebekah G, although on the ’Net I generally go by Tom (short for Thomasina) or Wild Rose. Click here to see why. My life’s vision is to honor and glorify God in every aspect of my life—especially in the more recreational/creative areas. I’m in the process of fleshing out my wardrobe, striving to make each garment “modest, decent and proper” (see 1Timothy 1:9-10 and 1 Peter 3:3-5), pleasing to God while complimenting the coloring, figure and personality He’s given me. A (for now) secondary goal for my life is to build miniature room-boxes, a dollhouse or three, and what I call “mini movie sets,” to display all the wonderful “wee folk” God has given me over the years…and to use them to illustrate the stories He’s put into my head.

2.      What, to you, forms the essence of a true heroine? Pretty much the same as before (here and here), with the addition of being respectful to those in authority over her…but not being a doormat, either.

3.      Share (up to) four heroines of literature that you most admire and relate to. Pretty much the same as the previous years: Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables), Jo March (Little Women), Elizabeth Bennett (Pride and Prejudice) and Éowyn (Lord of the Rings). (Check out my previous entries for the reasons.)

4.      Five of your favorite historical novels? 

1.)   Pride and Prejudice will always be a favorite—of all the Austen novels I’ve read, it’s the easiest and most enjoyable to read (narrative voice-wise), plus I love Elizabeth’s loyalty, and her spunk and open-eyed view of the world. Yes, she’s a bit cynical and makes hasty conclusions, but she’s willing to learn from her mistakes when presented with a different look at old data.

2.)   Any book of Robin Hood lore earns my interest and usually ends up in my collection if it has enough different stories than its predecessors.

3.)   Jane Eyre stands out in the world of romantic fiction because of Jane’s refusal to “follow her heart,” as so many stories tell us to do. I love Jane’s speech to Mr. Rochester when he basically says no one will know that she’d be his mistress: she tells him that God would know, and she would know, and she couldn’t live with it. There is also the closest thing to a Gospel message towards the end that I’ve ever run across in secular fiction.

And I can’t think of any others right now….

5.      Out of those five books who is your favorite main character and why? It’s tied pretty equally between Elizabeth Bennett and Jane Eyre, actually. I like Eliza because of her spunk and intelligence, and Jane for the reasons mentioned above. Elizabeth had pluck, but Jane Eyre had courage.

6.      Out of those five books who is your favorite secondary character and why? It’s been so long since I read any of them, I’m afraid I don’t have a favorite secondary character this year. :-(

7.      If you were to plan out your dream vacation, where would you travel to - and what would you plan to do there?  We’re assuming money is no object, right? Of course right. I’d travel to England and see some of the usual touristy things, but mainly I’d like to visit the lesser-traveled spots—and this goes for Scotland and Ireland, too—little villages, noble old castles, rolling meadows, the ocean, that sort of thing. Get in touch with some of my roots, as it were—maybe see if there are any Beans or Pickleses or Goodwills still in England (or McSpaddens in Scotland/Ireland) to whom I’m actually related. And pick up some souvenirs here and there, of course.

8.      What is your favorite time period and culture to read about? Regency, Victorian and/or Medieval England, with a dash of American Frontier. And I know fantasy isn’t a time period or culture, but I like it anyway…providing it doesn’t go to the Dark Side.

9.      You have been invited to perform at the local charity concert. Singing, comedy, recitation - what is your act comprised of? Instrumental medleys of two hymns, or a hymn and a piece of classical music, played together—for instance, “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” and “Blessed Assurance.” Also some Scottish fiddle tunes and Irish jigs and reels, for the fun of it. I should mention that I’d be playing them with my mother and brother, and any other folk who could play the violin, viola, cello, flute, recorder, Irish whistle…and other folksy instruments…who wanted to play with us.

10. If you were to attend a party where each guest was to portray a heroine of literature, who would you select to represent? I’d probably still go as Éowyn because of being blonde and all. :-P I doubt I’d be able to re-create any of her specific costumes, though, so I’d probably make one similar to some of the movie costumes—a “what else is hanging in Éowyn’s closet?” type of thing.

11. What are your sentiments on the subject of chocolate? I love it all except extremely dark and bittersweet. The filled kinds are the best, especially mint and raspberry jelly. What I don’t like is all the sugar they put in it to make it palatable. Some day I hope to make my own—with natural, unrefined sugars—so I won’t feel so guilty eating it. ;-)

12. Favorite author(s)? The more I think about it, the less I like authors in general, but more like selected works of different authors. On the whole, however, Jeanette Oke and L.M. Montgomery are generally good reads. There have only been a few of Montgomery’s books (Emily series) and one of Oke’s (The Bluebird and the Sparrow) that I didn’t like. The others I’ve read (barring Magic for Marigold and Pat of Silverbush, of which I couldn’t even get past the first chapter) I’ve enjoyed. A.A Milne has a fun, witty feel to his works, which include some funny poetry (and not just Pooh Bear’s, neither). L. Frank Baum’s writing style is easy to read and generally upbeat and fun—at least in the Oz books. Some aren’t quite as good as others—a few feel forced, and one that was really good ended really lame—but the ones that are up to snuff are very enjoyable.

13. Besides essentials, what would you take on a visiting voyage to a foreign land?
~Mister Camera with extra batteries and memory cards
~Mister Laptop and adapter
~Booffy Bear
~Enough clothes to get me through a week (plus a few extras “just in case”), including a few for cooler/wet weather (’cos I’d only travel in warm weather)
~“Wild Irish Rose” with cabochons to match my tops/dresses, plus extension chains
~One pair studs and one pair “fancy” earrings
~Swimming gear
~A couple good books to read
~My carpetbag with a needlework project or two
…and lots of money for souvenirs and what-not.

14. In which century were most of the books you read written? Mainly 19^th or 20^th, although some are a bit older or newer.

15. In your opinion, the ultimate hero in literature is… I’m still voting for Samwise Gamgee (Lord of the Rings), but a close second would be Arthur Clennham from Little Dorrit. Mind you, I’ve only ever seen the movie—and that only once—but I love how noble and conscientious he is, respectful to all and determined to right wrongs. My only beef with him is that he couldn’t see how much Amy loved him until John (I keep calling him Joe) spelled it out for him. Duh!

16. Describe your ideal dwelling place. Click here and here for the first installments of my description. I’ve decided to add to it each year for as long as Kellie hosts these parties, or until I finish describing everything I can imagine about my ideal home. This year, I’m focusing on the kitchen. A country kitchen, to be exact—one with an island in the center with a separate stove-top and sink and a chopping-board. There would be countertops with cabinets under them all round the four walls (save where there are doors and that quaint little window-seat, of course), with spaces for the dishwasher, sink, oven/range and refrigerator. There would be cupboards above them—lots of storage space for extra pots and pans, easily-portable appliances, et cetera. There would also be a walk-in pantry with shelves galore for storing all manner of foodstuffs…except the perishable things, of course. Those would go in the refrigerators (one in the kitchen proper, one in the basement for overflow and bulk grains. I’d also have an upright freezer in the basement). I’d have little shelves hanging on the door to hold jars of dried herbs and spices. There would also be a pegboard on one wall (probably near the oven/range) where I could hang all my most-used pots and pans. The lids would sit in a specially-built rack—like a plate rack—that would hold them on edge, from smallest to biggest, so I never have to paw through the lids to find the one I’m after. I’d have a similar rack for cookie sheets, cooling racks and splatter shields under the island. I should mention here that I fancy the ’fridge and oven/range as being modern appliances with a 1950s look to them, kinda like this picture I saw on Kellie's blog a while back. The color scheme would probably be yellow and white, or blue and white, or blue and yellow, with good-quality linoleum in a stone-grey color on the floor.

17. Sum up your fashion style in a short sentence. I’m still figuring it out (I got a later start than most girls), but it’s developing into classically feminine, yet comfortable, practical and easily dressed up or down.

18. Have you ever wanted to change a character’s name? I’m still mad at Jane Austen for naming Catherine Moreland’s floozy friend “Isabella.” Why did she give such a beautiful name to such a bad, bad character?!

19. In your opinion, the most dastardly villain of all literature is... I’m still gonna say Judge Claude Frollo.

20. Three favorite Non-fiction books? 

1.      How to Make Your Dolls’ House Special by Jean Nisbet. Lots of great inspirations for adding realistic touches to your dollhouse, including step-by-step instructions. One of my favorite tips is to use dried used tea leaves, Styrofoam and green spray paint to make fancy yew hedges (waste not, want not)! Mom actually gave me this book for Christmas this year, to boot!

2.      The Miniature Costumier by Catriona Hall. I mentioned this one last year.

3.      Making and Dressing Dolls’ House Dolls in 1/12^th Scale by Sue Atkinson. Detailed step-by-step instructions on how to make historically-inspired costumes for miniature dolls. Mrs. Atkinson provides full-sized patterns, special instructions and techniques for working in 1/12^th scale, as well as a brief overview of the eras the patterns are from. One day I hope to combine her patterns with Hall’s techniques for making the costumes interchangeable.

21. Your duties met for the day, how would you choose to spend a carefree summer afternoon?  Take a picnic lunch to Tubbs Hill with some special friends, explore the hill, swim in the lake, and maybe do some boating…if anyone has a canoe, that is. That, or sit in a comfortable chair on the screen-porch with a book or an embroidery project, listening to some good music and feeling the breeze in my hair.

22. Create a verbal sketch of your dream hat - in such a way as will best portray your true character. For Summer, one with a wide brim to keep my neck and face from burning, a crown short enough that it will fit on my cranium without squashing my bangs (and I MUST have bangs, unfortunately). Two, actually—one of canvas for town and casual outings, the other of straw for church and special occasions. Both equipped with several removable ribbons embellished with “silk” flowers and what-not in different colors to match my wardrobe. Nothing elaborate, just festive.
For Winter, several “Pixie Bonnets” crocheted with two yarns at a time, in shades of pink, red, green, aqua/turquoise, blue and lavender/purple, lined with fleece or flannel for extra warmth. They’d each have a tassel hanging from the top point and knitted I-cord ties with tassels at the ends. The velvet tamo’Shanter would have been pretty, but not especially practical.

23. Share the most significant event(s) that have marked your life in the past year. Getting a REAL piano! My brother’s decision to attend to the local college and work towards a degree in Engineering and Computer Science. So many people making me feel special on my birthday this year.

24. Share the Bible passage(s) that have been most inspiring to you recently. There are several that I’ve been reading off-and-on that, when strung together, flow almost seamlessly into one awesome message of God’s love for us as His children:
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.
He gives strength to the humble and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with your whole heart.”
“I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are My servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine.When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”
~Psalm 103:8-14, Isaiah 40:29-31, Jeremiah 29:11-13, Isaiah 41: 9-10, 43:1b-2, Jeremiah 31:3b

Until next time, Gentle Readers,

God bless,

~“Tom”~

♥