Chapter Six: Rose Patterned Porcelain

quaint & old-fashioned

a favorite of the photos I took last year!

Hi!! *motions for you to sit at a table set for tea* Might I interest you in something to drink, friend? Please, help yourself to the dainties. *nods approvingly as you select a scone* Now, as we enjoy our tea… *pours you a cup* …I shall commence rambling!

(But first: this post is incredibly late, isn’t it? Yes, yes it is. *glares at creative block* It’s an understatement to say that August flew by! Nevertheless, I am determined to have the second newsletter of the month sent this weekend XD)

“Good, old-fashioned ways keep hearts sweet, heads sane, hands busy.”
~Louisa May Alcott~

I think I’ve always been old-fashioned at heart, it just took a little while for me to fully realize it. My mom is the one who instilled the loved for tea parties, dolls, books, classical music, dresses, flowers, princesses, bows, and dancing— among many other things—in me. (Thanks, Mom!) She’s often reminded me that she got if from my Grandma who got it from my Great-Grandmother... which I suppose makes me a fourth generation girly girl of sorts XD

It’s only been in the last couple of years that I’ve finally found what I truly like and returned to a lot of my old favorites. I decided I am quite against a lot of the modern aesthetic, which is quite plain and angular, and lean towards more of the softer and ornately detailed side of things. And I’ve discovered my favorite time periods — for fashion, art, music, etc. — to be the 1800s-1940s (and a bit of medieval and 1950s too). All of it thrown together seems to echo a bit of academia and cottagecore, which I find quite fun!

Not everything old is perfect, of course — just take a peak at history — and not everything new is bad — a lot of what we have nowadays is fantastic! But society has gone too far in mocking traditional values (which I won’t get very much into here, but think chivalry, the church playing a large part in daily life, etc.) and slowly pushing things to look like it was “designed for robots” as I saw someone say recently. It may just be a girlish whim but I hope that by using some of the classic ideas that have held up over the years, and by romanticizing the mundane, I can carry on some of that beauty in my own life!

(found on Pinterest)

Where Did It Go?

The character? The traditions? Everything now is bland and featureless. I miss ornate architecture and cozy living spaces, home libraries and gardens full of flowers, stunning works of art in grand museums, vibrant communities of people who love creating beauty, ordinary things made interesting… like this neat toaster:

a 1920s toaster, isn’t it cool?!

In the last few years, as my love for vintage things has awakened, it’s affected my personal style and everyday life. I wear more dresses and listen to old music, I attempt to use words that aren’t really in use anymore and experiment with vintage makeup looks, I’ve been trying to learn to dance the Charleston, and historical fiction is one of my favorite things to read and write. I’ve acquired a great appreciation for history and living as in times past, I don’t know if I’d necessarily take it to the extent that some people have, but I would still love to have a house someday full of quaint things and to wear historical dresses whenever I find the chance. I’ve already started collecting things for said house, picking up a pretty figurine here, a good book there.

And it’s quite a lovely thought that, besides how pretty old-fashioned items and values are themselves, the reason they draw and hold attention is, I think, rooted in The Creator of the universe who gave us the eye to appreciate life and beauty. Modern inventions lack the touch of humanity that older things possess, whether because they are handmade or due to the intricate and intentional detail of how they are designed. And it makes one wonder if the absence of a general knowledge that God has breathed life into us and given us the gift to create lovely things, plays a part in it.

What’s the point of sharing all this? I’m not entirely sure… to ramble about fancy old-fashioned things partly… but also to encourage those who feel similarly, I think. We need people who recognize the need for goodness, gentleness, beauty, — and ultimately the love and grace of Jesus — in a world so dull and twisted. So keep embracing your feminine side ladies (it’s how we were designed!), keep daydreaming, keep writing, keep composing, keep making art, keeping doing beautiful things. Continue to be a light and live a life that inspires others and above all, glorifies God. You are needed for such a time as this!

Another thing I just remembered: A lot of people say that they were born in the wrong time period — and I used to agree! Even though I knew God placed me here for a reason I couldn’t help wishing that I lived in another decade (for the most part) — but there was one reel on Instagram that changed my perspective. It posed the question: what if you were born in this era to keep those old things alive? To help preserve history in a way? And so whenever I wish I was living in another time I remind myself of that video… perhaps part of that reason you and I are here now is to keep the memory of the past alive :)

(found on Pinterest)

Classic Favorites

🍰To wear: pearl jewelry, dresses and skirts with ruffles, mary janes, lockets, bows, puff sleeved blouses, charm bracelets, frilly socks, and sweaters.
🍰To decorate: lace curtains, porcelain figurines, quilts, teacups, old books, wooden furniture, wicker baskets, vinyl records, dolls, typewriters, framed art prints, perfume bottles.
🍰To watch: old films like Roman Holiday (1953), Cinderella (1950), Little Women (1994), Emma (1996), How to Steal a Million (1966), The Enchanted April (1991), Lady and the Tramp (1955)
🍰To listen: vintage music like the songs in my A Classy Gal (she listens to old records) and Through the Lens of Autochromes playlists.
🍰To read: books by L. M. Montgomery, Tasha Tudor, Edith Nesbit, Jane Austen, and Beatrix Potter.
🍰To do: picnic, make paper dolls, dance, bake, garden, sew, write letters, ride a bike.
🍰To eat: scones and lemon curd, tea, jam filled cookies, strawberry shortcake, soups, chicken and potatoes, sandwiches.
🍰To recreate: modern vintage like Emma Bridgewater and Royal Albert china dishes, A Fine Romance and other books by Susan Branch, Little Women Atelier clothes (I hope to save up and get a dress someday!), and Etsy has a good selection of antique or antique-esque things!


And now, we shall move onto the rest of this post which involves whimsy and updates on various subjects!

Bible verse(s) of the day:

“Gracious words are a honeycomb,
    sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

Proverbs 16:24 NIV

A Peek Inside A Writer’s Mind

I’ve been making more headway in rewriting/editing Seafoam lately (which I’ll finally tell you all about next post!) and I think I’ve fixed the beginning! The ending still needs some brainstorming but that’s for later me to worry about ;) As of late I’ve wanted to begin writing my (temporarily titled) 1920s mystery By Moonlight that I may have mentioned here before. I have some new ideas for the plot and, who knows, I may cave by the end of the week!

A longer quote (in need of editing) from Past the Garden Gate:

A clothesline was strung from a small whitewashed and thatch-roofed shed to the cottage, on it hanging an array of handkerchiefs, dresses, and tablecloths. A swaying pennant banner of blues, purples, and whites in varying sizes.

Flowers seemed to spill out of a garden bed which bordered the edge of both buildings and ran along the stone wall which wound from the sides of the cottage to join some feet behind the shed. Two tall trees, planted near the corners of the wall, framed green rolling hills that stretched to the horizon. Mabel peeked around the side of the cottage and gasped at the sight of a small pond in the shade, waterlilies bobbed serenely on the water, stained green from reflecting the willow trees that stood behind it. Tiny frogs sat on the lily pads, quietly croaking. A green metal bench was situated at the end of the pond near the wall opposite the cottage where another latticed window was set, this one having an arch of stained glass above it.

Mabel turned and smiled as her brother started to walk over, his hands in his pockets. His face lit up upon spotting a frog swimming towards a purple flower. Mabel pointed to the other ones on the floating disks and a bigger one crouching on one of the butterbur leaves that grew at the edge of the pond and then at the window. The colorful glass showcased a flying dragon in the middle pane and the surrounding four pieces each had a flower on them. After a moment of studying them, she guessed the flowers were a nasturtium, a rose, a pansy, and a daylily.

Lost In A Book

Well, I hit my 50 book goal on Goodreads! It’s currently at fifty one now, having read forty four chapter books and seven picture books. I plan to try and bump the chapter book number up to fifty though, as that was my original goal XD Recently I’ve been reading a lot of romance: Starting with Dearest Josephine by Caroline George… I’ve never read an epistolatory novel before which was interesting but although I thought it was cute, I was rather confused with some of the jumbled timelines. Next I binge-read my eARC (ebook advanced reader copy) of What Comes of Attending the Commoners Ball by

Elisabeth Aimee Brown

, which I stayed up till the wee hours of the morning to finish because I simply could not put it down!! It was fantastic and the first ARC I’ve actually enjoyed... Victorian fantasy though!!! After that I read Georgana’s Secret by Arlem Hawks, being intrigued by the synopsis, and it absolutely held up to my expectations! The sweetest regency romance on the high seas, eek! And lastly I read my eARC of Once Upon An Apple by Gabrielle Landi, which was a little repetitive but also pretty cute. I should have full reviews up, particularly for the ARCs, on my Goodreads soon!

Bookish quote of the day:

“Mrs. May looked back at her. "Kate," she said after a moment, "stories never really end. They can go on and on and on. It's just that sometimes, at a certain point, one stops telling them.”

~from The Borrowers by Mary Norton

Whimsy, Please!

*places a teapot on your lap… you open the lid*

---

Musical cats! How darling!!

(found on pinterest, credit to artist)

An enchanting quote from a classic novel…

All was a-shake and a-shiver—glints and gleams and sparkles, rustle and swirl, chatter and bubble. The Mole was bewitched, entranced, fascinated. By the side of the river he trotted as one trots, when very small, by the side of a man who holds one spellbound by exciting stories; and when tired at last, he sat on the bank, while the river still chattered on to him, a babbling procession of the best stories in the world, sent from the heart of the earth to be told at last to the insatiable sea.

~from The Wind In the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, page 4

C’est La Vie

Life lately has gone so quickly, how is it already the end of the month?! Some highlights from August:

• My mom and I spent an afternoon at the mall and enjoyed a lovely time browsing shops, eating some delicious salad for lunch and chocolate caramel cake for dessert, and concluding with a trip to the bookstore where I bought a few volumes to add to my hoard ;)

• I got the sweetest postcard from my friend

  Miriam Novotny
  that made my entire week! 🥰

• I’ve been spending my mornings in the Word at the dining table with my mom which has been super fun!! And after watching service from home for awhile, we’ve started attending church on Sundays in person again. As well as getting involved in activities like youth night and after-church coffee shop visits with our sweet church family!

• I snagged some new titles at Half Price Books (two of which I didn’t realize had highlighter in them 🥲), ThriftBooks (two of which arrived damaged so they're sending replacements), a book off eBay, some free ebooks, and I got a digital library card for Libby that has a ton of the books on my tbr! A very good book month to be sure.

• Drove my dad’s car for the first time, down the driveway and our cul-de-sac street! Just like driving cars at Legoland ;)

• I attended The Young Writer’s Workshop virtual writing conference and ended up taking notes non-stop for a couple of hours XD A lot of much needed encouragement and reminders from some wonderful speakers! And I won a copy of Do Hard Things by Brett Harris from one of their giveaways which was a pleasant surprise!!

• Already starting to feel a bit of autumn creeping in, the fields are browning, the trees are losing their spring vibrance, and I had my first autumn drink — an apple crisp macchiato — from Starbucks last Friday, which was quite delicious.

• I was delighted, and quite shocked, to receive my first Substack recommendation from my writer friend

  E. E. Martin
  !! (you can read it on my welcome page) 💜

• The stars were extremely twinkly outside last night!!!! So magical.
  
  

Some favorites, new and old:

❁ Mary Poppins (1964)
❁ The Aristocats (1970)
❁ The Glass Hill Blog (run by my friend Miriam!)
❁ @celestecclark’s art on Instagram
❁ Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery
❁ Fancy Nancy Tea Parties by Jane O'Connor
❁ Beauty & the Beast Ragtime Cover by Kristen Mosca (my favorite music currently!)
❁ Sunrise Serenade by Glenn Miller

If you’ve read through the entirety of this, thank you, you’re wonderful. I hope my rambling was at least slightly coherent XD *offers you some flowers to take home* Until next post!

Yours devotedly,
Lily ♡

© 2024 The Lily of Shalott