Friday, September 6, 2013

I Feel Elegant, Oh So Elegant

The Elegant Blogger award is making the rounds again, and three nice people have nominated me, so here we go.  



Rules

~When you receive the reward, link back to All Things Good and the blog that nominated you (My sister Molly, Miss Jane Bennet and Melody)
~Display the award button in the post
~Answer all of the 12 questions given in this post (Do not make your own questions)
~Nominate 8 bloggers
~Notify them that they have been awarded 

Questions


1. What made you decide to start blogging?

Well, I had a private blog for several years (starting when I was 13), just for friends and family, but in 2010 I discovered the blog Ribbons of Light and was completely bowled over by the idea that there were blogs out there about Jane Austen and period dramas. Who knew?  About a year later, the thought struck me that I could start one of my own-- there was no need for me to share my personal life in a blog about classic books and movies, after all, so with some trepidation I chose a pseudonym and began writing Yet Another Period Drama Blog.  And here I am, nearly two years later, happy as a clam and incredibly thankful for all the blessings blogging has brought me.


2. What is your fashion style?

I loved the phrase Hayden used-- "I’m kind of a sweaters-and-skirts type of person. Basically, I like to look like a librarian." Yep, that's pretty much my style too. I like the 40's and 50's vintage look. But I also really like ruffles, and pink, and necklaces, and swishy skirts... I used to say that I wished I could live all day every day in 19th-century garb, but since my family got involved in Civil War reenacting, I've discovered that wearing a corset and hoopskirt for eight hours straight can be a little tiring.  I still love historical costuming (more than ever before!) but I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm also grateful for modern comfy-wear.  Heehee.

3. What is something none of your followers know about you?

I'm going to take "followers" to mean "people who read my blog and don't actually know me in real life" because I'm really hard-pressed to come up with something my sisters and Melody (who are all followers of this blog) don't know about me.  So here goes... I like Jane Austen.

That was a joke.

No, no, I didn't mean it was a joke that I liked Jane Austen, I meant that it was a joke because you all obviously know that and... never mind.


Okay, well, I am a huge closet fan of Peter Pan.  The Disney movie was basically half my childhood (the other half being taken up with Mary Poppins and American Girl, etc.) and I can probably still recite the whole script.  I discovered the original novel when I was about eight or so and it remains one of my favorites to this day-- but I regard the Disney Peter Pan and the J. M. Barrie Peter Pan almost as two completely different characters that I love for different reasons.  Oh, and Geraldine McCaughrean's Peter Pan in Scarlet is the best not-by-the-original-author sequel I've ever read in my entire life and you should read it.  But read Peter Pan first.  And don't watch the live action movies, because they're not the same thing at all.


4. What are some of your blogging goals?

Sheesh... I don't really know.  Obviously I want to glorify God in everything I write, but I think that's more of a rule than a goal.  I'd like to encourage others by what I write, and maybe even convince someone that old-fashioned novels are absolutely and totally worth their time, and that Jane Austen is indeed all she's cracked up to be. :D


5. Where is your favorite place to shop?

Thrift stores.  And used bookstores.  I admit, I'm a penny-pincher, but those places can be treasure troves if you know where to look.



6. What would your ideal amount of blog followers be?

Um... currently it's 312.  Because that's what I have right now.  I don't have an "ideal number"-- rather, I'm just thrilled every time I log onto my dashboard and see that a new face has been added to the little gallery on my sidebar.  Welcome to the party, we're delighted to see you, don't let our craziness scare you away 'cause we're all mad here!


7. What are your talents?

Well, this is a fun question.  Everyone who filled out this tag had SOMETHING that came to mind when we read this, yet no one wants to come right out and say it for fear of sounding like a stuck-up little slug.  But I shall go ahead and be conceited and say that I'm pretty good at making people laugh.  At least in writing and on the Internet.  Real life... not so much.  Ask my siblings.


8. Are you a leader or a follower?

Definitely a leader.  It's a firstborn quirk, what can I say.  I'm trying very hard to curb the tendency to just rush in and take over when I'm doing a project with someone... it's easy to use the excuse of, "oh, well, I'm just a bit of a perfectionist" but the cold hard truth is that I usually consider myself more capable of getting things done and therefore should be the one to boss everyone else.  Cough.



9. What is one of your favorite quotes?

One of?  ONE OF?  Argh.  I'm going to go off the beaten track here and choose one that doesn't come from a favorite novel or movie-- I use plenty of those on my blog already.  :D

"It is a safe thing to trust Him to fulfill the desires that He creates."  
~Amy Carmichael

(And no, I am not cheating by having the Martin Luther quote too.  That is a picture illustrating the question, not an answer to the question. *whistles and looks at ceiling*)



10. Do you have a favorite book or book series?

Um, yes. Yes, I do.

Now, if I looked like this all the time, I'd have no problem saying
"all of the above."  Heehee.
11. Out of all the of the synonyms for elegant, which would you describe yourself with (smart - stylish - dressy - graceful - dainty - fine)?

Hmmm... maybe graceful? If we're talking about clothing style, that is, not hand-eye coordination.  *ahem*  Or fine?  Argh, I don't know.  I want very much to be elegant, but I really don't consider myself so, not yet anyway, which makes this one a toughie.

And the word "elegant" always makes me think of Emma Jane Perkins in Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, which makes me want to pronounce it "ellergant," which makes me want to giggle in a very in-ellergant way.



12. What is your favorite flower?

I am boring and run-of-the-mill-- roses, preferably pink ones.  I like any color, though.  I used to favor red but I've become increasingly fond of pink as I've gotten older.

Now I'm supposed to nominate eight other bloggers for this award, but practically everyone in my circle's been nominated already so I shall just pass on the tag questions to all of YOU.  But instead of saying, "I award this to anyone who wants it, so go ahead and put it on your own blog," (because face it, no one wants to post an award on their blog and be all, "Nobody actually awarded me but such-and-such said anyone could take it if they wanted...") I'm asking you to answer the questions in a comment here.  Because I consider you all very nice and elegant and all that and I want to see your answers.  Go for it!

10 comments:

Hamlette (Rachel) said...

Have you read the Peter Pan books by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson? I've read the first two, Peter and the Starcatchers and Peter and the Shadow Thieves, and they were rollicking fun.

Alexandra said...

Hey, based on the explosive giggles that take up 3/4 of our phone conversations...I think that making people laugh is DEFINITELY one of your talents. One of many. :P

Melody said...

Hold on a sec... did you just like not answer the book question and just said you did have a favorite book or series? Or is the picture above it supposed to match with the question? I suppose that must be it. But JA isn't a series, exactly.

Oh well. :P It's a good answer. "What's your favorite book?" "Um... well... just... JANE AUSTEN."
:D

You know, I never cared for Peter Pan. O_O IS NOT THAT SHOCKING. (I only saw it like once or twice, though, and never read the book.) That and Mary Poppins would be two major differences in tastes of our Younger Selves. Hahaha. :P (Although it's more than possible that you'd have taught me to appreciate them more...)

That Sir Percy thing is pretty hilarious. Heehee.

Dear me, you gain two followers in a day. Or two days, or whatever.

Eh... no, actually, I stand here to prove you wrong and say that I didn't have anything pop into my mind when I read the talent question. Heh. I just stared at it. :P (I decided afterwards that my talent must be evading tag questions. HAHAHA.) But you chose your talent well, dearling. And you make ME laugh in real life. (Poor fool. :D) But I think there's something about when we talk that... it's just like, we have to laugh all the time. There are no two ways about it. :P

I'm the SAME WAY about having to try not to take over projects. Hahahaha. :) I do think I'm getting a lot better at it, though. But in general I'm too timid to step forward and be a leader in general, even if I want to. :P

The word elegant always makes me think of Jane Fairfax and Jane Bennet. Hahaha. The former because she's supposed to be, and the latter because of when she says "they are very elegant!" in the movie and it pops into my head when I hear the word. Well, sometimes. ;)

Pink roses are wonderful things. :)

Christina L said...

I loved reading this!!! It's so awesome to have found another true fan of the classics! Oh, and I loved that Sir Percy Blakeney thing, lol. :) I just found your blog, but I already can't wait to read more!
I answered those questions a while back on my blog: idlewildcl.blogspot.com. :)
Christina

Kirsten Fichter said...

What? You like Jane Austen?! I wish I knew how to incorporate pictures and memes in comments, for the picture of the guy that goes along with the saying, "You don't say..." would be perfect in this instance. Only I fear it might scare people to scroll down the comment bow and see an obnoxious face peering out at them. So, perhaps it's best we can't do that.

Now I must look up Peter Pan in Scarlet. I love Barrie's story, but I was hesitant to read the "authorized sequel" for fear that someone other than Barrie would ruin the characters. Actually, I prefer the 2003 adaption of Peter Pan rather than the Disney one (with *ahem* some exceptions, of course) because it's a lot closer to the book and because it has a lot of straight-from-the-book quotes in it. But that's just me. I grew up watching the Disney one, and I could probably quote it all, too. I have the songs memorized, and *cough* , I do not sing them 24/7. Why would you even think that? ;)

You know, most people I follow have answered the shopping question relatively the same. Somewhere to buy books. It's a pity we can't have a great, big, virtual book shopping trip with all these lovely people who adore books. But alas! We must content ourselves with discussing those books on our blogs.

Yes. I consider that a talent. I literally laugh out loud pretty much every time I visit your blog. Jane Austen was right: There is no enjoyment like reading. And reading your blog is double enjoyment. :)

I'm going to skip out on answering the questions, because I already did this award over at my blog. *insert cheeky grin and mischievous chuckle*

Hayden said...

I love reading your answers, Amy! (oh, and by the way, I was wondering if you could send me another invitation to your private blog, because I totally lost/messed up the invite you had sent my awhile ago, so I can't get back to it. :(

Peter Pan is one of my favorites of the "classic" Disney movies (I freely admit that aside from the princess movies, I'm not a huge fan of a lot of earlier animated Disney movies...Pinocchio FREAKED ME OUT)

I need to read Peter Pan again...I read it years ago and just remember hating that Peter forgot Tinkerbell at the end. I remember loving Captain Hook, though...

Anonymous said...

Amy, I absolutely love to read your blog and "stalk" it quite often... umm, that sounds a little creepy... I mean I read it all the time and I love it! :D I am so happy that you got the Elegant Blogger Award! I love Peter Pan too (the Disney version)!
And seriously, Amy, you are to very elegant AND graceful! :D I would love to look like Anne so much and I really do like her hair too. Pink roses are beautiful - that's my favorite color too and then it would have to be... orange maybe.
PS I love the pictures you always add in your posts - they are so pretty. I would love to cover my bedroom wall with them :D
- God's little Teacup

Gwyn May said...

Oh, you've read Rebecca of Sunny Brooke Farm! We have that book, but I don't know anyone whose read it, so I wasn't sure whether I should... is it good? worth it? ;)
I love Peter Pan and Mary Poppins! I really like the Disney one (of Peter Pan), but I've also grown up with a 1988 'pickwick animated classic' that I may even like *more* even though it's just an unknown production. I haven't read the book yet - I can't wait to now!

Anonymous said...

Very interesting Miss D! It's so funny to think that you started this blog because of Ribbons of Light because that's how I found you! I discovered R of L last year through a random picture on the internet and then clicking through her blog roll landed on this blog and Sink Me. And of course, now I'm a devoted stalker... :) Keep it up girl!

The Elf

Marie said...

First off, you're not run-of-the-mill. Mr. Thornton is. Who do you think you are, girl?

Second off, I think I need to sieze that "seize the book" poster. I adore it.

Heehee, I used to totally believe in Peter Pan when I was younger. Or at least, I tried to convince myself I did...

Ribbons of Light was my very first period drama blog too, and we actually found that through you and Anne when you showed us the Pride and Prejudice duo speech. So you can add "Introducing Margaret and Marie to the blogging world" to your list of Good Deeds. :D