#georgiana sample

[perkvpsvcho]

❛ maybe we're supposed so to remain a case of 'right person, wrong time' forever. ❜ alexandra&georgiana

Nada nessa vida termina de forma bonita. Terminar não é bonito. Como seres humanos, nós temos a capacidade de transformar tragédias em algo belo; músicas, poesias, a arte nos �� inerente - alguns tendo maior facilidade nesse ato de transmutação do que outros. Georgiana sempre foi péssima no assunto.

Para alguém que sabe interpretar o interior e traduzi-lo de forma a ser visto no exterior, decerto isso é uma surpresa. Provavelmente porque quando faz isso, está fazendo para o trabalho. Entra nessa espécie de meditação profunda onde não precisa pensar demais, não demais, e as cores, os tecidos, as texturas e os contrastes surgem no fundo da sua mente num passe de mágica.

É bem mais complicado quando tem que fazer isso em sua vida pessoal.

Na primeira vez em que teve seu coração estraçalhado, no dia em que foi recusada na entrada do hospital, enquanto o amor da sua vida se encontrava em coma, pelos próprios pais dela, sua reação foi sair correndo de volta ao minúsculo apartamento que dividiam e se afundar nas roupas de Alexandra, o cheiro dela sendo sua única chance de se acalmar.

Tinha apenas 24 anos. Nem lembra mais quanto tempo separa o pior dia da sua vida do dia em que descobriu outras formas de se entorpecer, proibir a entrada (ou melhor, a saída) dos pensamentos e sentimentos ruins. Só sabe, agora, que tudo o que mais queria era esticar sua mão até a prateleira de uísques caros que tem em casa, abrir uma das suas garrafas favoritas e engolir o conteúdo nela até que aquela imagem desaparecesse da sua frente.

Right person. Wrong time.

What the fuck is that even supposed to mean.

Ela pisca os olhos e sente as lágrimas caírem, quente, por seu rosto. Fazem com que Alex entre em foco, bem mais real, delineada. Dolorosa.

She's right. I should leave. Our time's passed.

Sóbria, sua cabeça lateja na mesma batida da repetição daquelas palavras.

This is wrong. You are wrong. You are... wrong.

“You are right.” Embargada pelo peso descomunal de sua dor, o volume é baixo assim como o tom é grave quando a voz de Georgiana finalmente interrompe o silêncio palpável entre as duas. Seu coração em queda livre. Será que ela consegue ouvir?

Já esteve aqui antes. O instante em que o tempo se encontra suspenso e nada acontece. Em que ela não existe. A dor não existe.

Georgiana levanta o rosto, seus olhos se fixam nos de Alexandra - novamente um borrão. Seria aquilo tudo parte da sua imaginação? “I'll move on this time.” Já estive aqui antes. Diferente da última vez, Alex é quem tomou a decisão de que não há mais nada aqui pelo que lutar e Georgiana vai honrar seu pedido. Vai embora.

Não é como se não conhecesse o caminho.

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

In the Bellamy house, the evidence of party planning littered the floor. Boxes for presents, happy decorations, and sample cakes were left abandoned. A giant thirty years tri-celebration had been originally planned for the day after Abe and Roman returned from their second honeymoon for both their and Adrian's thirtieth birthday. All that had changed the second the Siew family had been caught off guard at a family barbecue and members of the royal family had been killed or injured. Abe and Roman had teleported back home immediately, while Adrian had teleported all of their children from the cottage to the Bellamy estate and then teleported back to help protect the queen.

And so the Bellamys sat and waited for Adrian to return. Roman had offered his own help, seeing as he was a demon hybrid who could hold his own in a fight, but Adrian had refused. Roman was needed at home, protecting the children Adrian had entrusted him with. As much as he hated the idea of Adrian in danger, protecting their family was more important.

It was still hard to wait to find out about the Siew family. Adrian had promised that Georgiana was okay and that he'd personally bring her to her mother without a scratch on her. Ulyssa was preparing some kind of speech to the public and was safe. She had lost two children and that had to be crippling. Roman would likely be crying in a corner, completely incapacitated if he lost a child. His heart broke for Ulyssa, though he didn't dare mention that fact out loud. Worrying about your affair partner and bastard child from said affair wasn't a good look after returning from your second honeymoon.

Abe could sense the turmoil though. That was what they'd looked forward to the most about demonic marriage. Abe could feel what Roman felt and understand that those feelings for Ulyssa were wrapped with guilt, shame, and remorse. Roman could have told him as much, but now Abe had the proof to feel for himself.

"I'm sure Daddy is okay," Luci offered softly. Roman's fear and anger and sense of uselessness was starting to travel to the children.

Roman squeezed his eyes shut, took a deep breath and tried his best to dispel the negative emotions from his mind.

"I know he is, honey. Your dad can take care of himself. With Evren there too, they'll be unstoppable. He'll come home safe."

Saturnia traded a worried look with her sister.

"Did Adam die? Is Theo going to be sad if he did? Can we call him? I haven't seen him in forever. I miss him."

Saturnia looked at her father with frightened eyes and Roman tried to keep his cool so that his daughter could relax. That was another mess of nerves that Roman didn't have the emotional ability to discuss. He'd gotten a notice that Theo had graduated from his program and would be returning home soon, only to discover that his son was "posted to a special assignment" in Pleasantview. Roman didn't have a clue of where his oldest child was, and if Adam had nearly been injured or killed at the barbecue, there was a decent chance that Theo had teleported there in hopes of finding him. The last thing he needed was for Theo to find himself in a new dangerous situation.

"Theo is safe and I'm sure that Adam is as well," Roman replied, trying to sound confident. "We would know if they weren't. They're both really strong warlocks. Nothing is going to slow down Adam when family is at stake."

"Yeah, Rien too. She knows what to do when bad guys show up."

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Roman asked, hugging Luciana close to him. "You saw something really scary and I know how confusing things must be. Did you want to talk about what happened?"

Luciana shook her head, the look on her face vacant. She'd seen people actually fight for their lives and had somehow avoided being hit with a magical spell or bladed weapon. One of her father's work friends had shielded her from seeing any bodies and returned her to Adrian's side without breaking a sweat. It had all gone so quickly, and she had trouble piecing together what exactly she had seen.

"Jorah's here!" Abe cried, jumping up to answer the door. Jorah was a mess, still sobbing despite his best efforts to put on a brave face. "Jorah! What's going on? Has the situation been handled? How's Adrian and Evren? Are they safe?"

Jorah opened his mouth, only to be overcome with sobs once more.

"They're...They're fine, right?" Roman asked. He could feel Abe's anxiety through their bond, which only worsened his own. If the children hadn't been present, Roman would have been asking about Evren and Adrian's deaths instead of assuming they were alright.

Jorah nodded, and both Roman and Abe nearly crumpled to the floor with relief.

"Adrian and Trent have everything secured. The Pleasantview witches have backed Twikkii Island security, but we have no prisoners. There are three dead assailants, but they're not in any system we have access to. The only casualties were from the Durant family. My family. The family I'm supposed to lead. My little sister is dead. Cindra won't leave Trent's side and my father hasn't left his bedroom since we learned about Lauren. I don't know what to do. Trent told me to come here, so here I am."

"It'll be okay. You've got this."

Roman rushed to hug Jorah, who once again began sobbing in his arms.

"I'm sure Cindra will come home as soon as her children and their blood relatives are safe," Abe reassured him. "The Siews are her family now too. If someone is targeting your family, she needs to keep her children where they'll be protected. When Twikkii Island is declared safe, Adrian plans to keep the children there where royal security can guard them. Cindra will come home when she can."

"And my children? Do I need protection for them too or are they not targets because they live here? Should I be worried?"

"They'll be fine. I could sense their intentions when I stabbed one of them in the leg. They want to cause fear, and they hate the royal family. They don't like Aunt Ulyssa much, but they don't care about Arkhelios itself."

The adults stared at Rien, who was happily playing with her brother's familiar, Too. Abe wanted to say something about Rien's admission of stabbing a man, but decided that that could be brought up when Jorah wasn't sobbing on their doorstep.

"Rien, honey, you shouldn't say things that you don't know for certain," Roman began worriedly. "It was a scary situation and you can't trust what you saw when you were scared. No one can. Your father will help figure out the motive of the bad guys."

Rien rolled her eyes.

"I could feel it, just like I always do. It wasn't a lot of information, but I could sense it from him! As long as Uncle Jorah stays away from Twikkii Island, he'll be fine. The spirits agree, and they're never wrong. They told me how to save the queen and Princess Georgiana and it worked. Just listen to them like I do."

"Who is behind this? What do they want? What can I do to save my family?"

Jorah couldn't stop the words coming out of his mouth. Someone, even if they were a child, was finally giving him answers and he was desperate. Roman and Abe shared a sharp look and nodded in agreement.

"Rien, you're being inappropriate and insensitive to Mr. Durant," Abe began. "I know that you saw some terrible things today, but you can't let your imagination run wild when people are grieving. It's wrong to offer false hope."

The look Rien gave her stepfather was indescribably dark. Both of her parents had seen Malika’s abilities when communicating with the spirits, and her ability to predict the future had been nearly infallible. Most of the Bellamy fortune had been amassed with her gifts. And yet, none of Rien's parents could see that their little girl had that same talent or trust what she knew to be obvious.

"The spirits know where to cut to sever an artery in someone's leg," she said curtly, turning her back on the adults. "If they didn't, maybe I'd be dead instead of him."

"Go to your room, Rien! Now. We'll process our feelings about what happened today when your father comes home. Until then, don't rile up your siblings with talk like that."

Rien pictured how her older brother would handle a conversation like this and smiled. Theo would probably leave the room flipping people off and threatening to run away again. That would feel amazingly liberating, but it wasn't going to help her in this scenario. Everyone was still on edge. Instead, Rien obeyed Roman's command, and silently left the room without acknowledging any of the adults. Let them be wrong. If they weren't going to acknowledge her gifts, maybe she'd be less inclined to intervene on their behalf.

"I'm so sorry, Jorah. She's been through a lot today and with Evren and Adrian facing so much danger, all of the kids have been unsettled. I'll talk with her," Roman promised. "Today...today has been rough for all of us."

"I can't imagine what she saw," Jorah replied sadly. "I can't imagine what any of them saw. Rien means well, I'm sure."

"Why don't we wait outside for Adrian to return?" Abe suggested, looking at Luci and Saturnia's worried faces and trying to imagine the therapy bill for all the children involved. "It might be more distracting."

The smell of hamburgers filled the air as the Bellamys and Jorah waited for Adrian. Abe had half-heartedly grilled some burgers to be a proper host until he remembered that the tragedy they were still reeling from had been a barbecue. Roman dutifully ate some and when Jorah's husband Valerian arrived to check on Jorah, he forced Jorah to do the same. Jorah had barely eaten since the news arrived and the last thing their family needed was for Jorah to faint.

The Bellamy family didn't have enough outdoor seats to accommodate the group, but they made do with what they could find. The children were content to stay inside where they felt safe and have some separation from the worried adults. Luci had apparently gone to comfort her twin sister, which Roman hoped would end in a sisterly hug and not a united front rebelling against their parents.

"Has there been any more announcements?" Valerian asked while chewing a burger. "Do we know anything about Maura?"

Jorah shook his head.

"Cindra has been the one keeping me informed and she's busy with her own family. Ulyssa isn't answering my calls since she's apparently making a speech about the attack. Maura isn't in a stable condition from what I've heard. Ulyssa's the queen regent until Maura is able to reign again. If she's able to reign again."

"Maura’s strong, she'll get through this," Valerian insisted. "Things must be bad if they're asking Ulyssa to run the country."

"Val!" Jorah snapped irritably. "Her wife might be dying and she's lost two children! Have some compassion! My sister's not perfect but she's trying!"

"Well, would you want to live under Queen Ulyssa? It was bad enough when she tried to steal back your role as family heir. Life's too short to waste pretending to like your sister."

Jorah glared at his husband, whose eyes had drifted to Roman. No one wanted to start drama, but the Durant family was dying to know how Roman felt about his ex fling ruling a country if her wife died. Would she try to get back with Roman when the pressure got too much? If Maura died, the Durant family had to be ready for Ulyssa falling back on old habits and the potential fallout.

Before Valerian could continue, he was interrupted by a shimmering magical light. Adrian was finally here.

"Adrian! What's happening? Is Georgiana really okay? How's Maura? What even happened?"

"Ulyssa has the surviving children with her under heavy guard," Adrian answered, his eyes searching for his own children. "Maura’s in critical condition, but they're optimistic about her chances. If I hadn't been there to intercept her first attacker, she might not have been so lucky. Roman, the things I've seen....our kids are taking self-defense classes at the military academy immediately. I can't go through something like this again. And they weren't even really interested in us. I couldn't imagine having our kids be targets. I won't let it happen. I can't protect them all the time. They need to learn to protect themselves as best as they can when we're not around."

"Agreed. Theo can hold his own, and he usually has Adam glued to his side, so they're safe. Maybe Saturnia, Fiolett, and the twins can watch out for each other until the others are older?"

"Trust me, Rien doesn't need training. I fully expect the queen or queen regent to give her a medal for her performance," Adrian replied solemnly. "She really does have a gift that I can't explain, Roman. I wish I could because it scares the shit out of me, but a lot more people would have died without her. She may receive her own title for this, the crown is that grateful."

Roman froze, reflecting on what Adrian had said. He understood the words, but he couldn't accept their meaning. Stressed, relieved, and scared out of his mind, Roman wrapped his arms around his ex-husband as tightly as he could.

"I watched my grandmother work her magic all of my life. It makes sense that Rien may have inherited all of that, but I've never understood what gift my grandmother had. And with demon blood? I can't think about that, Adrian. Not now. Maybe when the world isn't coming to an end, I can rehash my trauma with you, but not today. We'll put the kids in self-defense classes as soon as we can and I'll try to listen more to Rien, but I can't face all of that on top of this mess."

"I understand completely. Just don't throw a fit if she's Duchess Rien when she's eighteen."

Roman groaned, releasing Adrian from his arms.

"I'll add it to the list. I'm just glad that you and Evren are safe and the queen may survive this. No one kid should have to mourn their mother and become king as young as Adrion."

"Maura’s a fighter," Adrian gently reminded him. "She won't let a little thing like an assassination attempt end her reign. She's too stubborn to die on somebody else's terms."

While Roman and Abe stood anxiously at Adrian's side, Jorah slipped back into the house, searching for the proven oracle that had saved the queen with her predictions. He had questions that he hoped Rien might be able to answer. It was desperate of him to try to talk to a child about his worries, but he was desperate. He had to protect his family, and if desperation was what it took, then he'd be desperate.

Jorah found Rien in the living room, ignoring Roman's order of going to her bedroom as punishment. Instead, she was watching Jorah with a detached curiosity.

"You came back to ask about your family," she stated and Jorah nodded.

"Are my kids truly safe here in Arkhelios? Do you know why my sisters were attacked?"

Rien tilted her head as she pondered the question.

"Stay in Arkhelios," she replied cryptically. "Your destiny is here. You may not be safe, but whoever wants your sisters dead won't bother to find you here."

"And who's behind this? Who wants to kill my sisters and the queen?"

Rien stared impassively at the man in front of her, watching him like he was little more than an ant to her. She weighed each word carefully. She didn't know more than what she'd already told her father, and Jorah had been silent when Roman disbelieved her claims. Now here he was, asking for her help.

"Your daughter, Judith. She gets in trouble a lot, right? She stands out from the twins to the point that people make comments about it?"

"Oh god, is Judith going to die next?" Jorah cried, barely holding back tears at the thought.

"No, she's going to be fine. She's not your husband's kid though. Uncle Nathan is her father, hence the bad attitude. She's a Helios after all."

Jorah's jaw dropped to the floor as his mind pieced together small comments people had made about Judith. She wasn't as pale as her siblings, and Susanna and Hamnet were calm, easy-going children. If he remembered right, Judith could have a small resemblance to Nathan. Maybe.

"But I was the one who gave birth to her!" Jorah exclaimed. The all knowing child had to be right, but at the same time, Jorah knew that he'd never laid a finger on Nathan Helios. Nathan creeped him out more than anything and spending even an hour with him sounded like torture. "I don't know how you can right about the queen and wrong about this, but I promise you, Nathan Helios and I can't possibly be parents together."

Rien shrugged. Her words were true, and he deserved to hear it for doubting her in the first place.

"The spirits say that it was contamination from a fertility potion. His lips and your lips touched the same liquid and genetic transfer was made. You really should be more careful about what you drink, Uncle Jorah. Magic can be dangerous if you don't understand it."

Abe III interrupted their conversation with a happy squeal. Too was desperately trying to free herself from Abe's grasp but not succeeding. While Jorah's attention was focused on the unhappy familiar, Rien disappeared. The spirits whispered their approval of her choice of information to reveal. He didn't need to know about the potion mix up from so long ago, but Rien wasn't inclined to share what the spirits shared with her on any other topic. When people actually did believe her warnings, they assumed that she was all-knowing, all the time, which was just as frustrating as not being believed at all.

Jorah slumped to the floor, unable to breathe with all of the anguish weighing him down.

He knew that Ulyssa had gone too far with all those potions she had brought him when they struggled to conceive. At least one of them had clearly blown up in his face; how many others had been equally disastrous? Were any of their kids genetically theirs? Had magic corrupted their DNA? Were they sick or damaged at all by a potion?

If Ulyssa wasn't currently going through hell and not returning his calls, Jorah would have some incendiary words for her and her meddling.

"Jorah? Honey? Why are you on the floor? Did Cindra call with bad news? You're scaring me."

Valerian crouched down to sit next to his husband, taking his hand.

"I was only joking about hating your sister. Well, mostly. I didn't mean to upset you either way. Talk to me."

"R-Rien. I asked her about my family, and, and she said that a magic potion backfired when we got pregnant. T-that Nathan Helios touched one of them and- and he's Judith's father. I never cheated on you, I'm so sorry! I don't even like being in the same room as him! This is impossible; she has to be wrong."

Valerian looked into the kitchen, where Judith was tormenting her brother for some reason. It didn't matter why they were fighting, Judith would fight over anything and her shy brother wouldn't fight back.

"That...that does explain a few things," he murmured. "There have been some times when I've wondered if she was a changeling abandoned here and switched for our daughter. Nathan huh? Why couldn't it have been one of the smart, ambitious Helios siblings? Lucy's kids seem to have a good head on their shoulders."

"I feel like you're missing the obvious," Jorah whined, staring at his husband strangely. "Magic has ruined our family. My husband isn't the father of all of my children and my family is forever scarred by an assassination plot. Nothing is okay. Nothing will ever be okay again."

"Judith is my daughter," Valerian vowed, looking his husband directly in the eyes. "No DNA can change that. We'll figure this out. Maybe she's wrong, but if she isn't, then worse things have already happened. You're taking the word of a child, no matter gifted she may be. How about you leave the psychics alone until things with your sisters calm down."

"You really don't care?" Jorah asked incredulously. "This could be huge. I mean, it makes about as much sense as anything else that happens here. I believe her enough to test Judith. Don't you want to know?"

Valerian hugged his husband.

"I don't care. Really, I don't. Your sister just lost two children and maybe their mother. They're gone. Our children are here, and I can't ask for anything more. After today, how can you even ask if magical screwups mean anything? Nothing else matters outside of our family. Nothing."

"Why is Jorah crying on my floor?" Roman asked to no one in particular. No one ever answered his questions in this house anyway.

Roman had a guess as to why his guest was crying, and it wasn't because of the tragedy in Twikkii Island. The children were suspiciously absent, increasing the likelihood that one or more of them was involved.

He sighed heavily, mentally composing his apology to Jorah before he walked to check on him. Whatever he had thought parenting would be, it certainly wasn't this.

[proton-wobbler]

Lincoln's Sparrow - (Melospiza lincolnii)

Swamp Sparrow - (Melospiza georgiana)

Rio Grande Nature Center (State Park) - Fall 2023

A comparison between two species. I used to get them mixed up a lot when I started birding, despite the very clear difference between their belly plumage. The Lincoln's Sparrow (solo, on the left) is full of streaks along its chest and flanks, and between the streaks is a wonderful buffy band of color. The Swamp Sparrow (on the right) has an indistinct "smudge" of gray, with almost no streaking present. Swamp Sparrow also have a more rich, reddish tone to their wing and back feathers, and more gray to their face than Lincoln's.

These two species, as well as the Song Sparrow, make up the genus Melospiza. With Song Sparrow being near cosmopolitan in frequency, it's then a bit ironic that Lincoln's Sparrow are more common in the West, and Swamp Sparrow are more common in the East.

All banding, marking, and sampling is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey's BBL. Permission to share these images was given by Rio Grande Bird Research, Inc. (Instagram: @ birdbanderdude_nm)

[unsociableandtaciturnbarbie]

I read fanfic instead of studying for biochem, sue me

For this week’s Tumblr, I read/sampled (one I couldn’t finish and one I haven’t finished yet) four fanfics. Fanfic as a space is something I’ve discussed previously on Tumblr in a Sense and Sensibility post, but I discussed the idea of a fix-it fic then. This time, however, I read a variety of fanfics that seem to use the formula we started to touch on in class of Pride and Prejudice and (Fill in the blank). I really like this formula; as a fan of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, it’s hard not to. An idea was introduced right at the end of class of this “and” adding something in which reveals more about the story. Harding probably thinks this reveals the inner hatred and fear, but I’d argue it can reveal a variety of things. We discussed in the very beginning of class the idea of violence being written into Jane Austen and, as I said then, in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies we see a good amount of violence. I’d argue this violence has been there all along in the vicious banter Lizzie and Darcy engage in- adding the “and Zombies” simply allowed audiences to see it play out in a physical way. Fanfic takes this idea of adding something in a variety of directions, and I think each one I read, despite solely sticking to fanfics in which Elizabeth and Darcy end up together (I have strong opinions about coupling off properly),  reveals/unravels something unique in or about Jane Austen’s writing or story which you might not get in Pride and Prejudice itself. 

My favorite read was Neither Duty Nor Honour which I’m going to call Pride and Prejudice and Single-father Darcy. This fic exists in the world/story of Pride and Prejudice, but if Darcy had married his cousin and had a daughter with her before she died. I will confess to being a sucker for a single father romance when done well (which this was) but besides the overall fun time I was having, there’s a really interesting plot divergence when Georgiana Darcy comes with her brother to Netherfield. Wickham then cons Lydia Bennet into helping him meet with Georgiana in secret. Both Lydia and Georgiana think he’s in love with them, but he’s just in love with Georgiana’s money. Luckily, Lydia overhears a conversation of his and saves the day. This fanfic, besides the adorable development of Darcy and Lizzie’s relationship, reveals a potential for Lydia to be something other than the silly girl she seems to end up doomed to be forever in Pride and Prejudice. I really liked this because Lydia has felt very annoying to me, but on some level I always felt that if one of her plans had failed she could have turned out as a sensible girl. We get a characterization of Lydia here that kind of “reveals” an idea in Pride and Prejudice where Mr. Bennet sends Lydia to Brighton in hopes to, “teach her her own insignificance,” which in this fic is made possible by the addition of the Single-father Darcy. Overall, my biggest complaint is that it felt rushed; I would have gladly read 17 more chapters of this fanfic.

A really cute read was some say it makes the world go round, some say that's absurd which I’m calling Pride and Prejudice and Modern-day Wedding Planning. This is a modern au (au means alternate universe, so basically you can put any characters in just about setting/fictional or real world) where Jane and Bingley are getting married and Lizzie and Darcy (Will)  have to help them with wedding planning but end up falling in love. There are a lot of really cute odes to the book such as Darcy and Lizzie’s favorite wedding venue option being “Gardiner house” and Darcy’s tailor being called “Rosings and Park” where the tailor himself is a very Mr. Collins-esque character. There was also a comment at the end about a “Palmer-Jennings confrontation” which is an ode to Sense and Sensibility. This fic had a lot of content from Darcy’s point of view, which I think we get a little of in FID in Pride and Prejudice but nothing like, “Will would’ve agreed to go for a dip in shark-infested waters if Lizzy suggested it.” It was overall really fun and sweet and I think adding the Modern-day Wedding Plan really allowed me to see a bit of the kind of mushier and cute side of Pride and Prejudice because all this fic really did is take the Darcy musings from the book like, “Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her” and reveal/amplify them into 6 chapters of adorable fun.

I’m not going to linger on this one for long because I actually couldn’t finish it. It’s called An Ever-Fixed Mark and I’m calling it Pride and Prejudice and Soulmates? I was really excited about this one because it centers around the premise of soulmate marks (a trope where soulmates have markings that help them recognize/find each other), but I quickly realized that it’s more about playing with the idea of soulmate misunderstandings than getting Darcy and Lizzie together. The first four chapters are long and Lizzie and Colonel Fitzwilliam got engaged because the name on Lizzie’s wrist is Fitzwilliam (which is OBVIOUSLY Fitzwilliam Darcy but she hates him so she marries the Colonel instead) at which point I got annoyed because I’m here for the Darcy and Lizzie content. The fic does bring up Udolpho so I can tell the author did their time-period research or at least has read other Jane Austen, which I can admire, but I wanted to get to the good stuff, not sit through Lizzie’s first marriage. I can’t really tell what this fic reveals because I didn’t finish it, but I will say that it’s probably the closest to Austen’s style as any of the fics I’ve read have gotten so if you are less passionate about a Lizzie/Darcy pairing this may be a good read for you!

Finally, I’d like to give an honorable mention to the fic I’m still reading, That First Meeting, which I’m calling Pride and Prejudice and Rom-com Bookstore Meeting. This is a fic set in the Pride and Prejudice with the same plot but Lizzie and Darcy bump (literally, I love Hallmark tropes) into each other in a bookstore before Bingley arrives at Netherfield. I’m really enjoying it thus far (six chapters in). It’s cute, but still feels somewhat book accurate. As I’ve not finished it I can’t say with certainty what it reveals, but the mushier side we found in some say it makes the world go round, some say that's absurd is definitely here. Every chapter (thus far) is from Darcy’s perspective, so that also reveals/assigns a bit more of his feelings in situations where we might only get a facial expression in the book. I also wanted to mention, there is an interesting parallel that makes me wonder if the author has read Northanger Abbey. When they meet, Lizzie asks Darcy if he likes novels because, “I have found that most men consider novels to be rather frivolous and unworthy of their time.” This was already feeling very “Jane Austen manifesto about novels” in Northanger Abbey, but Lizzie then goes on to recommend a gothic romance to Darcy which sealed the deal for me on this being a crossover. Needless to say, I’m excited to see where the rest of this fanfic goes!

[waterlilyunit6]

Feathers and Buttons

So my garment could be more historically accurate, I wanted to use buttons for my fastening, rather than a zip or Velcro. However, I needed the buttons to match my garment, or at least compliment it, so I decided I wanted to make my own buttons with the left over fabric from my garment. This way I knew my buttons would match, without guessing or hoping any I bought would be correct. All round, this would make the look of my garment flow and is seamless.

I bought a button making kit from Etsy that included two different sizes of buttons (a button front and a button back), the implement needed to make the buttons, and a stencil for the size and shape of the fabric needed for each size of button. I thought I would need about eight or nine smaller buttons for my bodice, and four for my tailcoat, so I bought ten smaller ones, and five of the bigger ones, incase any went wrong.

The duck egg duchess satin was cut out to the correct smaller stencil, and the navy duchess satin for the larger buttons. The fabric is then placed on top of the correct button maker, along with the button front. The button front is then pushed down with the tool before the excess fabric was folded into the back of the button front. The button back is then placed over the top, and pushed down with the tool. I found this part to be quite difficult, as you needed a lot of strength to get the button back to push in place. When making buttons, you're not supposed to have too thick fabric the smaller the buttons are, and I think this duchess satin was just the correct thickness before being to thick to create buttons with.

It turned out that I needed nine buttons for the bodice, and five for the tailcoat, with none of the buttons going wrong. However, I remembered I needed a button for my skirt, and thankfully I had one spare small button. Sadly, the ivory fabric used for the skirt was ever so slightly too thick for the button, but thankfully I found an off white satin button in a tin of random buttons I had. The button's off white fabric doesn't quite match the skirt, only by a shade, but its only when you look closely and know that it doesn't match.

So I could definitely make sure the button backs would stay on, i added a small dot of glue at the back to keep it in place and not make it visible.

Another addition to my garment was a fabric feather. I really like the feather sample I tried when looking at more of Georgiana's gowns and looks in the film, and I thought it would be a great hair accessory, influenced by Georgiana's iconic fashion and statement pieces (such as the scene where she wears huge Ostrich feathers in her hair.

However, this time, I wanted to make the feather's structure stronger so it would fold downwards, and I also wanted it to look fuller/fluffier. I thought that layering two strips of fabric together instead of one, and adding a thin piece of wire in-between would make the structure stronger and fuller a the same time. Calico was used this time instead of white cotton, as the threads are slightly thicker, and the ivory colour matches my gown better. Two strips of calico was cut out, about 10cm by 40cm, and all the Warp/vertical threads were pulled out from the sides to the centre, leaving around six strands of thread at the centre. Both strips of the feather were brushed out, and a strip of thin wire was glued down the centre. The second strip was placed on top, and a layer of thin super glue was added down the centre, using tweezer to press the two calico strips together. The superglue was left to dry before brushing the threads again.

I thought of applying hairspray onto the feather to keep the thread strands together, as they kept curling and flopping downwards whenever I picked it up. I sprayed a light layer of hairspray onto ether side of the feather, after brushing it out again, let it dry, and applied another thin layer. This time, I let half of it it dry hanging over the edge of a table so when it is picked up and flopped over, the feather will bend upwards in an 'S' shape.

[jdgo51]

A Proverb a Day

Today's inspiration comes from:

The Little Red Book of Wisdom

by Mark DeMoss

Wisdom for Every Aspect of Your Life, in One Short Book

"Nothing ever becomes real until it is experienced. Even a proverb is no proverb to you till your life has illustrated it." — John Keats, letter to George and Georgiana Keats

"'Two prostitutes approached the king’s bench. The first had given birth to a baby boy, and three days later, in the same house, the second gave birth to a baby boy. During the night, the second woman rolled over and accidentally smothered her newborn. What did she do? She switched infants. The next morning the first prostitute awoke to a dead child and the other woman claiming her live child.

“She’s lying!” the second prostitute shouted. “Her baby is dead! This baby belongs to me!”

A court hearing circa 900 bce predates DNA testing, and the king had a long docket. He asked to have a sword brought to him, and an aide produced a blade. Gesturing, the king said: “Cut the child in two and give each mother half.” “No!” the first mother cried out, “give the baby to her!”

“Fine!” the second one yelled, “no one gets him!”

“The first woman is the mother,” the king said. “Give her the baby.”

The monarch whose reputation for wisdom was sealed that day was Solomon, son of David, Israel’s first king, and David’s wife Bathsheba. Toward the beginning of his forty-year reign, Solomon collected wise sayings and pored over them. At some point he winnowed the riches into a book in the Bible’s Old Testament under the simple name Proverbs. From nearly a thousand years before Christ, Proverbs is one of the earliest examples of wisdom literature, a priceless guide still widely considered the gold standard of counsel.

Of the Bible’s sixty-six books, to my thinking, Proverbs is the most provocative. Two dozen centuries before Sigmund Freud and psychological profiling, thirty-one short chapters penetrate human nature with insights into sex, anger management, slander, wealth, welfare, business ethics, intoxication, pride, and fissures in character as relevant as tomorrow’s top trending topic.

Proverb is a Hebrew word meaning “to rule or to govern.” Much of it has to do with self-mastery, and the only thing better than reading it is reading it routinely. If you were to take in a chapter a day, in one year you’d have twelve readings of a book that I consider boredom-proof. After nearly four hundred trips through the entire book, I still rely on it for new insights, reminders of timeless truths, and life-guiding principles.

Billy Graham said he read five psalms a day “for getting along with God,” and a chapter of Proverbs a day “for getting along with my fellow man.” In my growing-up years, I saw my father do the same thing. He also read every year through the Old and New Testaments, still another reminder that a mind and character cannot be left to chance.

To sample Proverbs, flip around. Just don’t be deceived by the simplicity. A proverb is an acorn with a tree inside — a puzzle piece to character — and character, in the words of Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Barbara Tuchman, is destiny.

Here’s my sample for you, from the NKJV translation (italics added):

Proverbs 1:33: “But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil.” If we listen to it, wisdom will protect us.

Proverbs 2:11: “Discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you.” Like an invisible shield, good judgment deflects problems before they can strike and destroy.

Proverbs 4:25: “Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you.” Life’s highway is lined with wrong exits, fake billboards, flashing arrows, and wreckage. A farsighted driving instructor warns us to keep our eyes on the road.

Proverbs 5:21: “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He ponders all his paths.” We can lie to ourselves. We can lie to the IRS, our spouses, coworkers, neighbors, bosses, personal trainers, and the guy who mows the lawn. God reads us straight through.

Proverbs 6:27–29: “Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be seared? So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; whoever touches her shall not be innocent.” Enough said.

Proverbs 8:11: “For wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.”

Wisdom is the ace in every play. Nothing comes close.

Proverbs 10:19: “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” The difference between speaking words or withholding them can be the difference between sin and wisdom.

Proverbs 12:1: “Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.” Your critics have information that your friends are withholding. If you love the truth and want to grow, the people who correct you have the goods.

Proverbs 15:1: “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Most arguments begin with tone of voice. If your first reaction to a tone is anger, wait for your second reaction and soften your tone. Even if you have to fake it, soften it and feel your temperature cool.

Wisdom is the ace in every play. Nothing comes close.

Proverbs 16:18: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” A triumphant general entering Rome is said to have paid an attendant to walk alongside and whisper in his ear, “You are but mortal.” When delusions of grandeur threaten your grip on reality, repeat as often as needed: “There is a God, and it’s not me.” The fifth verse of this chapter says, “Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord.” Everyone. And “Though they join forces, none will go unpunished.” None.

Proverbs 19:17: “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.”

Think of it: when we give to the poor we lend to the Lord, and He repays us. Proverbs 20:18: “Plans are established by counsel; by wise counsel wage war.” The advice on seeking advice is to do it. Before you lay out a project, consult the veterans.

Proverbs 22:1: “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches.” A certain celebrity cleaned up from a drug habit and the life that went with it. Years later when he was falsely accused of something else, the court of public opinion knew his record and believed the worst.

It’s easier to restore a life than a name. Proverbs 24:17–18: “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him.” Take the high road and let God take care of our enemies.

Proverbs 26:4: “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.” The next time someone baits you, overreacts, boasts, or is patently outrageous, do nothing. Relax into the silence. Self-restraint won’t get you hits on social media, but it will steer you past senseless exchanges.

Proverbs 28:6: “Better is the poor man who walks in his integrity than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich.” They’re not mutually exclusive, but given a choice between wealth and integrity, choose the latter.

Proverbs 31:10: “Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.” The image of a rare jewel reminds young men of what to look for in a life mate and older men of the priceless fortunes in wives of noble character.

I hated having to edit this list, by the way. The point is to read the entire textbook.

A single chapter in Proverbs averages thirty verses and five minutes of reading time. I can’t predict how much wiser you’ll be for making it a daily habit. I can guarantee you’ll be wiser for it than using the same minutes to scroll through Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok. “Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors,” Solomon writes of wisdom. “For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 8:34–35 NKJV).

One morning when April was running late, she saw me sit down and open my Bible. “Read me whatever you’re reading,” she said. Turning to that day’s chapter in Proverbs, I saw a subheading. “It’s about ‘The Crafty Harlot,’” I said. “You still want to hear it?”

“No,” she said, “but I want you to hear it. Go ahead!”

I get these flashing warning lights every month, and I welcome them.

I’ll close with an endorsement. My son, Mookie, is in his thirties now. On the morning of his graduation from high school, he left a priceless note on my desk with a final line that still makes my eyes sting: “I’ve been reading a chapter of Proverbs every day since eighth grade because of you.”

I hadn’t known he was doing that. The habit came from his father, who got it from his grandfather, whom he never met. Three millennia after the book’s first publication, Solomon was right again: “A wise son makes a father glad” (Proverbs 15:20 NKJV)."'

Excerpted with permission from The Little Red Book of Wisdom by Mark DeMoss, copyright Mark DeMoss.

[queerlymasculine]

Hey! Shut the fuck up. - why do trans men love naming themselves Seth? and Chase. Don't answer that. Just shut the fuck up. Have a good day though

are there a lot of Seths out there? damn, that means I've got a lot of dudes to throw hands with. I don't know if this is a thing for people with other names, but I do feel a compulsion to fight other people named Seth to establish dominance. I'm coming for you, Seth Meyers.

as for people with the name Chase, I'll admit I only know one trans person named Chase. I'm not sure where you're getting your sample from because I feel like there's a disproportionate number of Aidens and Adriens out there, but my impression is just based on the people I know and not any nationwide survey of trans people's chosen names.

now that would be an excellent idea - doing a survey in the US of the names trans people choose to see if there really are any trends. maybe we could also see how many people chose a version of their birth name -- for example, George to Georgia/Georgiana. we could also see how many people chose a family name, like if someone decided to use a name because it was a grandparent's name, and how many people asked their parents what they would have been named if they were X gender and went with that name.

I think that would be a super interesting study to do, just to see if there really are any names that trans people of various genders gravitate towards.

for anyone curious, I went with Seth because of an inside joke with some friends (really long story lol). I changed my middle name but kept the same initial, and then I also changed my last name because, aside from my dad, my whole family, nuclear and extended, is absolute trash.

and I'm not just talking about trash based on involvement/lack of intervention in what I went through as a kid.

I'm talking about "protested planned Parenthood" kind of trash 😬

I'm sure you understand why I went with something different lol

anyway, thanks for the ask! you gave me a really fun idea for a survey to kick around and gave me the opportunity to think out loud, so to speak, about it, which was really cool of you - I appreciate it :)

[kindnesscollects]

@nobleconsort

“The Palace is very beautiful,” Always so careful and assured in her speech, Georgiana hoped the nervousness she felt did not reveal itself. 

She’d been in China for all of two days, which was just enough to become acquainted with her bedroom and for her to discover which foods absolutely did not agree with her (though she had decided to try as much as she could, how else could she regale her adventures in cuisine to her friends who had only sampled the familiar European foods one was so used to?). She had spoken to hardly anyone yet, and since it wasn’t of her own volition that she was there as she was accompanying political friends who hoped to work up a way to be rid of the ban on Chinese imports to Britain, she hadn’t expected to. 

But today she found herself seated in the part of the palace she assumed belonged to the ‘harem’. She’d heard of such things, and the men in her circle often teased the idea (and she was not so unused to the idea of polygamy, though her own situation regarding such things was much less consensual than it was here among the many loves of the Emperor, or so it seemed), but to see it was much different than she’d expected. 

“Tell me again, please,” The translator sitting before her repeated each word with such ease that she almost didn’t notice it, “How do you pronounce your name? Forgive my ignorance, I don’t mean to offend.”   

[queen-mihai]

Abortions Georgiana just happened to be in the city the day of the count. She wouldn't have even been interested in the survey but the uniform looked remarkably similar to the uniform of her favorite fruit stand that likes to give out free samples

"average American female has 3 abortions per year" factoid just statistical error. average american female has 0 abortions per year. Abortions Georgiana, who lives in a cave & has 1,000,000 a day, is an outlier adn should have not been counted.

[authorgeorgianakent]

And here it is Book Friends! What do you think to this beauty? 😍 I've been sitting on it for months and I can finally show you! I'd like to thank Carin and the team at GetCovers for creating this gorgeous cover! I love it! 💖 But what's it about? I'm glad you asked. * * 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜... Erica has a secret, a curse she’s been hiding her whole life. And now it’s only a matter of time before her cover is blown. No longer satisfied to lurk in the shadows, the Lost Souls are seeking dominance over the Earth. Somehow they have managed to navigate the age-old barriers that have kept them apart from mankind. Chosen by Time, Erica works with the KeyMaster, Michael Nicholas, to uncover the truth and it quickly becomes apparent that her secret might give them the edge they need. But will they be in time to stop the growing army of Lost Souls? Welcome to Georgiana Kent’s 𝘒𝘦𝘺𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘴: a world where KeyMasters, quondams, and Færies collide in mankind’s fight for survival. Perfect for fans of epic urban fantasies! * * What some of my Beta Readers said: "The story and intriguing characters hooked me in from the moment I began to read. I love the world that Georgiana has created: Perfect fantasy and escapism - I can't wait to read more!" "A really enjoyable read, with a diverse cast of mysterious characters and an original take on the interplay between our world and others." * * Releasing 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝗻𝗱 in all good book stores and libraries 💕 FREE sample pre-order links in my bio 🔼 * * So, what do you think? Who's excited?! Give me a 🔥 * * * * * #urbanfantasyreaders #urbanfantasyreadersofinstagram #urbanfantasyauthor #urbanfantasyreaderswritersunite #urbanfantasyloversunite #urbanfantasynovels #urbanfantasyseries #weloveurbanfantasy #georgianakent #souldominion #keysoftime #keymasteruniverse #keymasterchronicles #writerlythings #authorbuddies #writerbuddies #britishauthor #writerfriends #diversebooks #diverselit #bbcderby #timetravelbooks #fortheloveofreading #vscoreads #ilovetoread #readinguk #readersofbookstagram #readerlove #coverreveal #bookalicious https://www.instagram.com/p/CRGq5KMLwAq/?utm_medium=tumblr

[nightshade-victorian]

For thr character meme - Francis!

1. Francis was born with the Shard of a C'tan for a soul. (he's not sure which one but he knows that he wasn't one of the major ones) This is a constant source of immortality, spiritual Vampirism and drama for him and not always in a good way. He does later in the 40k find an ancient Necrotyr statue of his full C'tan self... very scary moment.2. In true lovecraftian fashion, Fran is often aware of things that even psykers are oblivious to which often lands him in hot water when people think he's either delusional or making things up. It's only really Georgiana and occasionally Arlette who believe him. More than once Fran has lost his temper at someone for what seems like trivial things only to find that he was trying to raise a legitimate concern. However alas, Fran is a veritable Cassandra.3. Fran is intersex and becomes more genderfluid as times go on but he maintains He/him pronouns mostly out of habit and familiarity. As C'tan shards have no concept of sex or gender, this is how his material body solves the conundrum.4. He loves anything to do with the arts and culture, going out of his way to sample a littleof everything that each era has to offer. Fran has literally sold everything but the clothes on his back to travel the worlds and see their sights. 5. He was the first Inquisitor employed by the Victorian government during an unprecedented rise in supernatural activity. Most witch hunters had been church based or loners. He set a trend for state governments to employ supernatural investigators however he escaped the job whenever possible for his own motives. Later after the horus heresy, Francis was called back into the job by Malcador who recognised his skills.6. Francis has a massive sweet tooth. Anything sweet and sugary is his favourite. This has a lot to do with the fact sugar has high amounts of energy that the C'tan shard can access swiftly and it's one of the few real substances that bizarrely can actually be tasted by C'tan so naturally this bleeds through.7. Francis is an intermittent lover to the Emperor especially if Arlette (and Alistair) aren't around. This usually ends in Arlette turning up and Fran being dropped which hurts massively each time but he never seems to learn going back into the Emperor's arms when they open to him.8. Francis has trained as a Doctor several times during the ages as technology moves on and back. 9. He is currently playing a massive prank on the Inquisition as a whole with a series of books spanning the millennia. The books seem only to contain hymns from different planets but clues are dropped in and around that refer to a strange code. Each inquisitor is desperate to solve the puzzle but really it means nothing at all. 10. Francis is related to the famous tudor line through the mother of Lady Jane who married Adrian Stokes, his father. He was their youngest child

[m13-elenaalexandrapantelimo-blog]

What an experience!

As i mentioned in my last post, i will tell you about the work that i did at Totem Communications in the last month. 

But first let me tell you more about this place. 

Totem was founded in 2003, by a team of professionals bringing on local market an unique concept, integrating market research, marketing and communication services. Its current management team has expanded the firm’s expertise to include multichannel marketing, management consulting services and patients programs. The programs, aimed to contribute in improving quality of life for patients, help patients and families better understand the disease and its progression in order to plan and prepare for the future and psychological support for better acceptance of disease and treatment based on prescription issued by a physician. Using proven health behavior change tools and techniques, people build programs that allows a better diseases management.

Since the end of June we work on a research project about suboptimal vaccination, in order to investigate the reasons for the current Measles outbreak and to find out why parents refuse vaccination for their children. The most recent measles outbreak, starting in 2016, has so far caused more than  3,500 measles cases and 18 deaths. There are many assumptions but very little knowledge on the reasons behind the sub-optimal vaccination coverage in the country. Our first assumptions included access issues related to low health access, poverty and lack of integration with the society, including lack of registration for the vulnerable groups. Another assumption included also hesitancy related to safety concerns influenced by the online presence mainly affecting well educated and high income groups. Through this research we wanted to gain more information in order to understand who is affected, the reasons why they are sub-optimally vaccinated and which barriers and drivers affect their vaccination intentions and actions. So the aim is to identify the factors related to sub-optimal measles vaccination uptake in Romania in order to inform a long term strategy to increase vaccination uptake and avoid future outbreak. The entire approach was developed based on consultation with a range of stakeholders in Romania including The Ministry of Health, National Institute of Public Health, The National Society of Family Medicine, UNICEF, WHO, and National Regulatory Authorities.

We worked with a questionnaire survey, targeting representative sample of measles cases to obtain insights into barriers and drivers to vaccination in representative population samples. So we started by doing phone surveys, targeting a representative sample of confirmed measles cases in the current outbreak aged 13 month or older. The questionnaires were applied on the members of the family, persons able to provide the most relevant information regarding the case. Families form bot rural and urban areas, all genders and age were included in the sample. The cases were asked if they agree to give their phone number in order to be contacted for a short interview. We had to conduct 500 questionnaires which was a challenge for us, especially in the beginning. It was for the first time we did this with people we have never met, people who were strangers for us. We did this in a call centre, full of new colleagues, and as me and Georgiana are two very shy girls it was a bit hard to do it. But after a few calls, we started to get used with it. We met all kind of people thorough the phone. Some of them gave us short answers and did not seem to be to comfortable to talk to us about the experience they had, and about their opinions on vaccination, others had a low level of education and it was pretty hard to conduct the interview with them, but we met a lot of people who wanted to share many stories with us. 

The next thing on or list were qualitative studies, in depth interviews for a deeper understanding on the reasons behind the factors we found out through questionnaires. We did 2/3 of them until now, with doctors and patients from two cities; Arad and Timisoara. The interviews were conducted with parents in low-income settings and high income settings, exploring barriers to vaccination, vaccine hesitancy and access to health services, and doctors, exploring their attitudes to vaccination, relations with parents and the way services are provide. 

Next time, i will let you know more about the experience that we had in Arad and Timisoara, some great memories and also many challenges that we faced.

[ao3feed-janeausten]

The Trials

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2rphBq0

by timunderwood9

Darcy never met Elizabeth at Pemberley. Years later Lady Catherine blackmails Darcy into agreeing to marry Anne. Elizabeth had become the governess to Lady Catherine's unwanted ward. Darcy is torn between duty to Georgiana and love for Elizabeth. Then something terrible threatens to tear them apart forever... Sample until 2018

Words: 2691, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Pride and Prejudice & Related Fandoms, AUSTEN Jane - Works

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M

Characters: Elizabeth Bennet, Fitzwilliam Darcy, Lady Catherine

Relationships: Elizabeth Bennet/Fitzwilliam Darcy

Additional Tags: Angst, Romance

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2rphBq0

[i-globalone]

Are you planning a trip to Portland, Oregon? The Pacific Northwest is a lovely region and there is so much to do that you’ll want to plan to make sure that you don’t miss out on seeing the major attractions. Portland is a clean and interesting city that sits near the Pacific Ocean. There is a lot to do, but you might not be aware of some of the more fun and interesting activities if you’re not from the area. We’ve prepared a list of the 20 best things to do in Portland for first-timers.20. Ride the MaxPortland, Oregon has a type of public transportation that is called the Metropolitan Area Express, MAX for short. It’s an economical and fast way to get around the city. The average fare cost is just $2.50 for two and a half hours riding time on the MAX routes. MAX is a light rail system and it can take you to the majority of the major attractions in the city of Portland. If you’re planning to make a day of it filled with site-seeing it cost just $5.00 to ride the MAX all day. The MAX also runs to nearby cities including Gresham, Clackamas, Beaverton, and Hillsboro.19. Visit Bailey’s Tap RoomBailey’s Taproom is a bar located in the downtown part of Portland. If you enjoy craft beer and/or hard cider this is a must-visit establishment. This is the place that craft beer enthusiasts gather because the bar features a total of 26 rotating taps of hard cider and craft beer. The servers and patrons are friendly and it’s a great place to meet new friends while you’re sampling the local brews. 18. Go to Powell’s City of BooksIf you’re an avid reader then you’ll feel as though you stepped into heaven at Powell’s City of Books. This retailer is the largest independent bookstore on the planet. They offer one of the largest collections of new and used books within the enormous structure. You might feel overwhelmed at the sheer size of the store and the volumes of books on the shelves, but the color-coding on the sections make navigating through the categories fairly fast and easy if you know what you’re looking for. There are even maps available as well as helpful staff members. They also have a rare book room. In addition to books, the store also sells notebooks, notebooks, journals, games, souvenirs and of all things, silly socks.17. Go to the Ground Kontrol Classic ArcadeGamers absolutely have to visit the Ground Kontrol. Imagine a two-story bar filled with pinball machines and video games. Now combine that with a full-service restaurant and bar and you have Ground Kontrol. They have some of the latest games but the real attraction is the games that go back to the 1970s. It’s a great place to stir up a sense of nostalgia and you can play the games. Even the bathroom in this classic arcade, bar, and restaurant features a Pacman theme.16. Visit Stumptown Coffee RoastersStumptown Coffee Roasters is located in downtown Portland. It’s a wonderful place to find your favorite caffeinated beverages. This retailer began as a single roastery in 1999 and it quickly grew into a chain throughout the entire country. This is one of the best places to find gift boxes for coffee lovers or find some new or unique blends for yourself. They’re open for business Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4 pm. The store and cafe are located just 3 blocks from the Waterfront in an interesting part of Portland in the Old Town District with a large cafe as well as a retail shop. It’s a great place to take a break and enjoy a latte, cup of coffee or other caffeinated beverage. 15. Eat at Lu Lac Vietnamese KitchenLuLac Vietnamese Kitchen is a great little restaurant and bar that offers a daily happy hour from 4 to 7 pm every day. Their pho is killer, along with sample plates for $2-$3 during happy hour. It’s one of the most highly recommended Vietnamese restaurants and bars in the city.14. Tour the Pittock MansionThe Pittock Mansion is one of Portland’s most famous attractions. It’s a historic building that was constructed in 1904 for Henry and Georgiana Pittock, Portland business moguls. Tours are given of the mansion which features rotating exhibits in the spacious rooms, photography, and artifacts. It’s an excellent way to learn the history of Portland and the state of Oregon as well.12. Take a Brewvana TourBrewvana takes you on a tour of some of Portland’s favorite breweries. The city is known for having more breweries than any other city in the world. There are more than 70. The Pacific Northwest is Best bus tour takes you to a variety of local breweries and pubs for a visit and a sample of some of the best locally brewed beers on tap. If you love beer and you like to try something new now and then we highly recommend this enjoyable tour. 10. Go to Voodoo DoughnutsVoodoo Doughnut is one of the most famous bakeries in the Pacific Northwest. People would stand in long lines to try their new Bacon Maple Bars when they were first released for sale. The Portland Cream is another favorite of patrons of this extraordinary donut bakery. There are over fifty different types to choose from and Voodoo Doughnut even has artists who are standing by to create custom doughnuts upon request. If you’re a vegan it’s not a problem because they will make them tailored upon request with a variety of different topping selections.9. Visit the famous Portland food trucksThere are more than 500 food carts within the city of Portland, Oregon at any given time. They are organized into what city officials call “pods.” A pod is a surface lot that is populated with several different food carts. The map of the food cart locations helps you to find some of the most unique food vendors and there is even an app for iPhone and Android with daily updates to let you know the current location for each cart.8. Visit Blue Star DonutsAnother popular attraction in Portland, Oregon is Blue Star Donuts. It’s nearly as famous as Voodoo. Blue Star Donuts was established when professional Chef and founder Katie Poppe created Blue Star Donuts to make her dream of owning an award-winning business come true. She and former quarterback Dennis Dixon had some unique ideas for donut magic. Blue Star, similar to Voodoo offers some of the most unique donut creations in the world and if you’re a fan of donuts, you’ll want to include a trip to one of the several locations in Portland, and give them a try. 7. Catch breakfast at Pine State BiscuitsPine State Biscuits is another highly popular place to visit for first-timers in Portland. It’s a restaurant chain that features Southern-style biscuits and gravy, along with biscuit sandwiches and a host of other southern style treats. While you’re enjoying the hearty fare, you can wash down the meal with your choice of locally roasted coffee brews or try one of their interesting cocktail creations. This is a restaurant that everyone who visits Portland must try at least once because that’s all that it takes to get you hooked.6. Visit the Lan Su Chinese GardenAnother popular attraction in Portland is the Lan Su Chinese Garden. It is an oasis with reflecting ponds, a traditional teahouse and some lovely and serene winding paths that get you back to nature for a bit of relaxation and repose. This is one of the most authentic Chinese gardens in the United States. The garden was created in a collaborative effort between the city of Portland and its sister city in China, Suzhou in the Jiangsu province of China. While you’re there you can visit the Tao of Tea teahouse, the Tower of Cosmic Reflections, learn about organic tea and traditional methods of making teas throughout different regions in China or if you’re there at the right time, you can even get in on a feng shui, Chinese brush painting or tai chi educational program. This visit is highly recommended for tea enthusiasts or anyone who has an interest in learning more about tea or Chinese customs for that matter.5. Visit Forest PartForest Park is one of the Pacific Northwest’s most beautiful natural attractions. Forest Park is filled with a wonderful collection of easy to access hiking and running trails. It’s a 5,100-acre lush space that is located on the northwest side of Portland with 70 miles of wooded space and trails. The park was first developed in 1903 and it stands as a natural sanctuary for wildlife and the plants and trees that are native to the Pacific Northwest. The Wildlife Care Center is located beside Forest park and they treat injured native wildlife at the site. There is a Nature Store, and occasionally there are birds of prey you can visit if there are any patients who are nearing the end of their treatment for release back into the wild.4. Visit Washington Park and the International Rose Test GardenNo trip to Portland is complete unless you’ve paid a visit to the International Rose Test Garden that is located inside Washington Park. If you’re visiting the area between May and September, you’ll find over 10,000 rose bushes that are in full bloom. You can easily drive to the location or even take the MAX Light Rail to Washington Park. There are 1.7 miles of wooded trails that lead from teh Washington Park stop to get to the rose garden. You can also rent bicycles to access the park from downtown or Northwest Portland. If you enjoy walks in serene settings, the walk is magnificent.3. Visit the Japanese GardenWhile you’re visiting Washington Park, another lovely attraction is the Japanese Garden. You can make a day of it at the Park and enjoy a quiet and calm retreat with the Zen garden, lush greenery and a variety of water features. The garden was recently expanded in April of 2017 with a multi-million dollar update that added a lot of amazing new features and it doubled the size of the already popular attraction.2. Visit the Crystal Springs Rhododendron GardenThis is yet another of Portland’s famous attractions. The Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden is located in the southeast part of town in the residential district. If you’re in Portland between late March or early April through the end of the summer months, this park features huge rhododendron bushes that offer a variety of vivid colors. There is also a lagoon in the garden that is filled with baby ducks in the spring. This is a wonderful place for families with children because the shady path that leads through the garden is kid-friendly and it’s a natural wonderland.1. Take the kids on the Hikes for TykesThe Tryon Creek State Natural Area is the best place to go if you have children. The area features approximately eight miles of trails for hiking and bicycling. Three miles of the winding paths are paved. While you’re there you’ll want to take the kids to the Junior Ranger educational program for kids through the on-site nature center.they also offer guided hikes of a variety of difficulty levels plus great educational opportunities for learning about the flora and fauna of the region.

http://www.globalone.com.np/2019/12/the-20-best-things-to-do-in-portland.html

[waterlilyunit6]

Chosen Design to Be Made

This design that I have chosen to make is a three part garment. I have taken into consideration the necklines and sleeve lengths of that period, as well as my mood boards, and colour palette; designing a collared tailcoat, a low neckline undergarment, and an ankle length skirt.

The tailcoat is a tight fitting bodice with a flared notched suit collar, and the waistline plunges into a V shape from the waist. The two tails will start at the centre back and come round to the front part way down the V shape waistline, containing a style-line at the hips to push out the tails when placed over a skirt. The skirt will start at the waist, with the waistband hidden underneath the tailcoat, and is pleated. The hemline of the skirt is full length, hovering above the floor.

For the sleeved undergarment, this will consists of fitted sleeves down to above the elbow, where long gathered bell sleeves will then hang. The bodice will contain simple style lines, creating tight fitting bodice to portray a corset style, with a low, squared neckline. Both the sleeves and the neckline are according to that period, and the hem of the undergarment will be hidden underneath the skirt.

The tailcoat will have printed boats on the fabric, and the colour pallet for this garment is blues, white, and cream, as these are part of my collection's colour pallet, highlighting my inspiration from my boat development.

The full garment design has been inspired by Redingote (a men's riding coat inspired dress that would be worn by women), so when making my garment, I want to make sure it reflects the Redingote style as best I as I can.

The design that was my second choice included a stomacher at the front that would be decorated/made out of diamond pleating. I have made two diamond pleating samples, and included it in a few of my designs as it is a technique I really really love. I felt that this was something I had to include on my tailcoat, due to how much I liked it and it added extra detail. Since there isn't no stomacher on this design, I decide to incorporate into into the back, turning the centre back panel into a panel of diamond pleating. I also still want to add pleating onto the pleating as in continuous the historical link and adding detail. I've also decide that I'm not going to added the boat print onto the pleated part of the tailcoat as then the garment would become too overcrowded and might distract from other details, although the print may end up being too small to be noticed.

All elements to this design have ben carefully thought of, making sure the look of the garment flows and remains historically accurate, such as the low neckline, flared collar (as seen on Redingotes), floor length skirt, beading, sleeve length, and the tails on the tailcoat not being to long or too sort (midway down the skirt). After constructing, a net petticoat will be added/worn underneath the skirt to widen and make the skirt fuller. Gowns from the 1700s would be worn over petticoats to make the skirts fuller looking). The sleeves to this design have been changed from the sleeves I originally designs to soften the look of the garment.

As a whole, this design was my favourite as it had a different look that stood out from regular looking gowns from the 1700, as well as it maybe being something Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire would have worn for its distinctivity.

[thebookrat]

Disclaimer: a review copy of this book was provided by the editor for review purposes. Affiliate links are not used in this post, but are used on this site. All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own. Edited to add: as you can see in the banner below, this post was supposed to be up yesterday, but I apparently don't know how to 'days of the week'... That is entirely MY BAD, sorry about that, internet!

You may have already seen me talking about this book online, as I listened to it while I was decorating for Christmas, but today -- before we dive into a guest post from one of the book's authors, Amy D'Orazio -- I'm going to dig a little deeper into why I loved Yuletide, an anthology of Christmas-oriented Jane Austen stories. And love it, I did! Generally when I read short story anthologies, I skip around to whichever story is calling my name most, with little care for the flow of one into the next. I also tend to only read them in bits and pieces, fits and starts, and never cover to cover. But because I was listening to Yuletide on audiobook*, and because I was flitting around the house, clipping evergreens that were politely pilfered from my neighborhood (ahem) and working them into wreaths and such, I just hit play and went along for whatever was in store. *it is still possible to skip around to stories in an audio anthology, btw. Chapters still exist. And man, I enjoyed this. The first story in the book actually gave me butterflies, but even when stories hit a flat note (which was rare), the immersive experience of listening to someone tell me Christmas stories about characters I love (who at this point feel almost like family, I've sent so much time with them), while working on Christmas myself? SWOON, it was so enjoyable. Harry Frost's narration was excellent, as well, even if I did occasionally chuckle at his "American" accent. ;) I'm not going to give you my whole spiel about how short story anthologies are great for discovering new authors, or as palate cleansers between books, our any of that (except I kinda just did), but as Austen anthologies go, this is one of the stronger ones. Each story felt entirely unique from the others, while still cohesive in context of the theme, and the different approaches mean that there's likely to be a story here to suit most Janeites. The book feels tightly and thoughtfully curated, and I did, in fact, discover some authors whose JAFF I now want to look into! And the best part of all? Proceeds from sales of the e-book and paperback go to benefit Chawton House! This mini review was turned out to be less mini and more review, but basically, I recommend this book, and I especially recommend reading it in the wintertime, when there's snow on the ground and the days are short, when your brain has turned towards Christmas but you're out of new Hallmark movies to watch... 10/10 experience, would recommend. And now, a piece from our special guest, Amy D'Orazio!

Eight Reasons Why Writing Modern JAFF Adaptations is so Much Harder than Writing Regencies 

by Amy D’Orazio (contributing author to YULETIDE “The Wishing Ball”)

The Yuletide anthology [collection of five Regency era and two modern holiday stories] explored some new ground for me — it is the first time I have published a modern adaptation rather than the regency-based stories I typically write. Part of that was because this story was originally part of a Christmas challenge at A Happy Assembly. The idea for it came from fellow author Pamela Lynne who challenged me to write something to do with Christmas ornaments.

I know many people believe writing a modern adaptation is easier than a Regency. Both have their challenges but of the two…? Writing moderns is harder, in my opinion, and here are my reasons why:

1. Prejudice. Okay so this is a big one and often one I find takes a good modern and makes it shaky. Heaven knows there are plenty of things people are prejudiced about in this day and age but translating that into a feasible Darcy & Elizabeth-type situation isn’t easy. Elizabeth Bennet wasn’t poor—yet— in P&P. She was part of the upper echelon of wealth in England, but Darcy was, by comparison, stratospheric. So, a story about someone wealthy marrying someone else who is uber-wealthy? —not really anything notable today

2. Location, location, location. The first challenge any modern author faces is where to put their main characters. Jane Austen put hers in various spots around England, and when I am writing a Regency, I feel comfortable enough with my research to do likewise. But modern day? I’ve been to London a few times but that’s about it—I would have to do a LOT of research to find the exact restaurant on the exact street or the specific house with the certain features I need for my characters. The chances of getting it wrong are so much higher! In my story in this anthology I placed Darcy and Elizabeth in New York City (gasp… they’re American!)

3. Show of hands—who has had a family member voice an expectation that you should marry your cousin? But it was an important custom then and had super important implications for bloodlines and fortunes and etc. So, it’s sort of a hard issue to translate into a modern circumstance even though it was an important part of many of Austen’s books.

4. Or for that matter —who has really allowed their family members to have much say into their marriage at all? I mean, sure, I wanted my family to like my husband but if Aunt Martha didn’t…well…I guess we’d have just cut her off the Christmas card list.

5. The whole Lydia-Wickham and Georgiana-Wickham thing. Let’s be honest, in modern times, the only proper place for the likes of George Wickham (age 26/27) is jail for being a sex predator on teenagers. Would the military even take him? Let’s hope no one would force one of his victims to marry him! It’s storyline that is very tricky to translate to the modern era!

6. Modern life changes fast which brings with it another pitfall of books set in modern eras (not just for JAFF but any modern story)—when you have your hero check email on his Blackberry, or your heroine snap her Razor phone closed, you automatically dated your story. If you mention a song, a book, a news event, or a particular celebrity, five or ten years from now someone reading your book might not get what it is you’re talking about. Horse technology, on the other hand, rarely changed throughout the Regency period and the main forms of communication—writing a letter or walking to your neighbors house to talk about it—were the same. 7. By far, I think the most difficult thing about modern translations is how the characteristics of the our main characters are when placed into a modern setting. I’ve seen some intriguing takes on this — Elizabeth’s wit becomes almost supernatural intelligence, Mrs Bennet’s illiberality becomes racism or homophobia, Emma’s tendency to matchmake turns into a wedding planning business. To me, this is where writing moderns can really be tricky—in a Regency you don’t have to decide all of this but in a modern, you need to decide how you’ll bring it all into a modern era. 8. Marriage. By far the trickiest part of creating a modern is the aspects of marriage. In modern times, there are dates, there are non-monogamous relationships, there are engagements that end with no dreadful outcome to either party—in short there are many complexities to modern relationships that didn’t exist back then (for better or worse). If you’re writing a Regency and your hero and heroine dance twice, have a whispered conversation behind a potted plant and then decide to marry— sure! True love! But a modern couple? I think most of your readers would think it was a bit unrealistic! So, there you have it! It should be noted of course that all the opinions expressed herein are solely those of me, the author! Love to hear your thoughts on the subject below! AMY D’ORAZIO is a former scientist and current stay-at-home mom who is addicted to Austen and Starbucks in equal measure. While she adores Mr. Darcy, she is married to Mr. Bingley, and their Pemberley is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She has two daughters devoted to sports with long practices and began writing stories as a way to pass the time spent at their various gyms and studios. She firmly believes that all stories should have long looks, stolen kisses, and happily-ever-afters. Like her favorite heroine, she dearly loves a laugh and considers herself an excellent walker. She is the author of The Best Part of Love, A Short Period of Exquisite Felicity, A Lady’s Reputation and various anthologies. Below you'll find an except of Amy's story in Yuletide; find samples from the rest of the anthology here!  ABOUT THE BOOK:

Yuletide: A Jane Austen-inspired Collection Of Stories, edited by Christina Boyd  190 pages / audio 5 hrs and 50 mins Published November 26th 2018 by The Quill Ink, LLC BUY HERE: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZPBZSFB ttps://www.audible.com/pd/B07ZP9R3QW?

“I went up to the Great House between three and four, and dawdled away an hour very comfortably...” –Jane Austen  A holiday short story anthology with some favorite Austenesque authors, YULETIDE is inspired by Jane Austen, PRIDE & PREJUDICE, and the spirit of the season. Regency and contemporary alike, each romance was dreamt to spark love, humor, and wonder while you dawdle over a hot cup of tea this Christmas.  Stories by: Elizabeth Adams * J. Marie Croft * Amy D’Orazio * Lona Manning * Anngela Schroeder * Joana Starnes * Caitlin Williams Edited by: Christina Boyd  All proceeds from e-book and paperback sales to benefit Chawton Great House in Hampshire, former manor of Jane Austen’s brother Edward Austen Knight and now the Centre for the Study of Early Women’s Writing, 1600-1830.

via The Book Rat