Wandering People

Ever have one of those days when you can think of several things you should post but you just have a hard time getting them posted? Well that's me lately. I've been trying to get my thoughts and some photos together for a review on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader but I'm having a bit of a hard time forming the words, there's also another post that I've been working on since before Christmas and it's still not done yet! This is where I'm so thankful that Blogger saves drafts for you!

Instead of doing what I should be doing I've been creating blog buttons and making videos like the one below. Since I don't have the know-how to upload period dramas I enjoy creating videos that combines music with beautiful screencaps from period dramas.

The music in this video I'm sharing with you tonight is from the new Josh Groban CD I got for Christmas. This piece is completely instrumental, was written by Josh Groban and features the man himself playing the piano along with other lovely instruments! I've just completely fallen in love with this piece and had to use it for a music video! Going with the title of the piece "The Wandering Kind (Prelude)" I've chosen screencaps from my favorite Jane Austen adaptations that feature people wandering - on horseback, across open fields, through sweet meadows, out in an open carriage, and finally couples wandering with loving bliss. I'd fairly short but sweet. Enjoy!

The Wandering Kind of People from Miss Laurie on Vimeo.

Very Truly Your's,
Miss Laurie

P.S. I'm off to try again on the review. It'll be along before too long! :)

Grab My Button

Thanks to all of you helpful friends who helped me figure out how to organize the code for my blog buttons. I'm so excited to present these buttons and hope you many of my followers with kindly link to me on your blogs!

Here are a few that I made using screencaps from the Wives & Daughters miniseries. I couldn't decide which one I liked better so I've just posted all of them. I've also created a separate page where blog buttons will be housed permanently. Enjoy! :)

<center><a href="http://old-fashionedcharm.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Old-Fashioned Charm" src="http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/LadyBug1820/Blog/Favorites/Villians/wd_842-2.jpg" /></a></center>

<center><a href="http://old-fashionedcharm.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Old-Fashioned Charm" src="http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/LadyBug1820/Blog/Favorites/Villians/wd_570-1.jpg" /></a></center>

<center><a href="http://old-fashionedcharm.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Old-Fashioned Charm" src="http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/LadyBug1820/Blog/Favorites/Villians/wd_349-1.jpg" /></a></center>

<center><a href="http://old-fashionedcharm.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Old-Fashioned Charm" src="http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/LadyBug1820/Blog/Favorites/Villians/wd_326-1.jpg" /></a></center>

<center><a href="http://old-fashionedcharm.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Old-Fashioned Charm" src="http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/LadyBug1820/Blog/Favorites/Villians/wd_208-1.jpg" /></a></center>

Very Truly Your's,

Miss Laurie

I Need A Little Help...

For a while I've been admiring the lovely blog buttons that many of you have on your blogs. I've been wanting to set up my own blog buttons but now that I have the images all created I can't figure out how to create the link to my blog and make it appear. Is there a widget or gadget that I have to use? Any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks!

~Miss Laurie

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)

My family and I went to see The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (VOTDT) in the cinema on Christmas Day and I was quite surprised at how many people had been out for the afternoon showing. The showing we went to was not quite as full and we were able to pick the perfect seats.

I'll try not to give away too many spoilers just in case there's anyone who hasn't seen the film yet. For simplicity's sake (and so I don't get carried away) I'm going to divide this review up a bit into my first impressions, the good, the bad, and my final recommendations.

My First Impressions: I was very excited about going to see VOTDT and I was not disappointed. This was a fun and clean film that I enjoyed watching with my family. Lots of humor, great story, interesting adventure and a sweet ending.

The Good: These are all things that I really enjoyed and some which exceeded my expectations.

• The Dawn Treader & Scenery - I had seen pictures and clips of the title ship but on the big screen it was certainly impressive! It was lovely to see various scenes shot on the Dawn Treader, it was perfect! Other scenery, though not exactly as I imagined, was very lovely. I particularly liked the Dufflepuds and their island, and the sea of lilies.
• Lucy - despite my own thoughts that Georgie Henley has been too old for this role since Prince Caspian, her acting in VOTDT really surpassed her performances in the other films and she really came into her own. It was a delight to watch her on screen as her character learned and proved that she is beautiful in her own way.

• Eustace - Eustace Clarence Scrubb is my favorite Narnia character of all time and after hearing one friend's comments I was in high hopes that the character would be well represented. From the first moment that Will Poulter appeared on screen as Eustace he exceeded my expectations in every way! His voice, manner of talking, appearance, costumes and acting were all excellent! He just made the film wonderful for me and I would be so happy if they were do adapt my favorite The Silver Chair and cast him as Eustace again! And I know his freckly face will always appear whenever I read the last three Narnia books!

• Reepicheep - Dear brave Reepicheep is another of my favorite Narnian characters and after enjoying his appearance in Prince Caspian I really looked forward to his appearance in this film and I was not disappointed! I didn't even notice the change in actors who voiced the mouse. Everthing from his sword, to his bravery, to the feather in his circlet made me just want to read out and hug him as Lucy does!
• Dragon - In seeing what marvels Weta Workshops had produced in the other Narnia films I really looked forward to seeing the dragon who is Eustace. This Eustace dragon was perfectly majestic yet awkward and beautiful at the same time. I particularly liked the dragon's eyes so like Eustace's yet different.

• Aslan - Although I still do not altogether like actor Liam Neeson's voicing of Aslan (or his comments about Aslan in a recent interview) I very much appreciate the great amount of truth that was preserved from C.S. Lewis's book and represented in VOTDT. Particularly in Eustace's recounting of his change from dragon back to boy and in Aslan's last words to the children we find words quoted straight from the book and the spiritual application can be made as readily as if you were reading it yourself! There are also lessons to be learned from the plot changes themselves which are needed in our world today.

The Bad: These are things that I really didn't like and that didn't meet my expectations.

• Plot Changes - I have mentioned plot changes above and must say a little about them here. Before I went to watch this film I made a point of re-reading the book so I had it's story firmly set in my mind. I had hear there were some plot changes but I must confess to being very disappointed by the numerous changes I saw on screen. There is a major plot addition that the filmmakers must have thought necessary to keep the travels of the Dawn Treader interesting. It seems that it was not enough for the travelers to look for the eight Narnian lords, they must also fight evil at every turn. The power and enticement of evil seemed a little redundant to me, and it often seemed like the characters (especially Edmund) were struggling with temptations they had already dealt with in the previous films.

• Islands - There were several changes in the way the adventures took place on the islands Caspian and the others visited. There were several scenes that I just loved the way they happened in the book so to see them changed seemed unnecessary and were definitely disappointing.

• Aslan's Country - I do want to mention one thing with a spoiler below so if you'll forgive me a minute.*Spoiler Warning* One bit at the end that particularly bugged me was when Caspian sails with the children and Reepicheep right to the End of the World and they are all given the option to enter Aslan's country if they wish. I very much dislike this because I'm sure C.S. Lewis meant Aslan's Country to represent heaven. In this world it is not for us to decide when and how we make our exit and enter God's heaven. God's Word clearly says that we can only come to Him by faith in Jesus Christ and that God Himself chooses the hour when we have served our purpose on earth and He call us home to Him. In the book Caspian has so much to live for in Narnia that although Aslan's country sounds nice he is not given the option to go until his time of service is completed, so I hated when they changed that. I also wish they had included the lamb in this final scene but I guess that was too much to ask for! *Spoilers Ended*

My Final Recommendations: So after all of that I want to say that for any lover of Narnia The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a must see! This is a beautiful film! There are so many lovely moments that outweigh the bad (aka changes made) that it is definitely not to be missed. If you possibly can go to see it in theaters! I saw it in 3-D and it was pretty neat but if you can't do 3-D it's still going to be just as magical. Also may I recommend that you go to see the film before you read or re-read the book. Having read the book did dampen my enjoyment of the film but I do so highly recommend that you read and re-read all of the Narnia books!

An added blessing my family and I received when going to see this film was that there was a lady in the theater that was passing out free Narnia memorabilia! Miss Bea and I were so excited to take t-shirts from her and the rest of my family got lovely notebooks and sillybands (in the shape or Narnia characters!). I never thought about owning a t-shirt with Aslan on it but now that I do I wear it with pride! So much fun!


So...discuss away! I really want to hear your thoughts!
Have you seen VOTDT? What were your thoughts? Have you read the book? Which is your favorite Narnia book or film? Who is your favorite Narnia character?

Very Truly Your's,

Christmas Gifts - Family Edition

So this is me again showing off some of the many lovely Christmas gifts I received this year. This time here are some photos of gifts received from my family.



My sister Miss Bea gave me two lovely journals with lined paper and four colored gel pends to write in them. Now I not only have a book to write stories or ideas in but I also plan on using one of these books to fill up with delightful quotes and poems I find! I've almost filled up my fourth book of quotes and I can't wait to start on a fifth! Once filled these books are so much fun to page through and an encouragement to read. Bea also made me a pillow case!


Miss Bea loves craft projects but hasn't done very much sewing yet. The fabric and instructions for this pillow case came in a kit and she had to cut, pin and sew it together. She'd never done French seams before so this project ended up being a family affair as mom and dad helped interpret the sewing directions and maneuver through some of the tricky machine sewing bits. The final product is a beautiful pillow case in lovely browns, blues and greens that I will enjoy using in the days ahead! The fabric has such a lovely soft but sturdy feel to it and I love the fabric pattern! Thanks Miss Bea! :)



My brother Andy's gifts are next. If was fun because I sort of made out a short wish list for him to choose off of and he not only bought just what I asked for but he went above and beyond!

First is the new Josh Groban CD! Illuminations is filled with songs mostly written by Josh himself and the melodies are especially lovely! Andy bought the limited edition CD from Barnes & Noble (love that store!) so the package included not only the CD and a booklet with photos and lyrics but also access to a live streaming online concert! Also the packaging said it included a $10 gift certificate for the Josh Groban online store but after opening the CD I found not one but two gift certificates! Wow! Andy also gave me a gift certificate I can use at K-Mart or Sears so I can't wait to do some shopping!

A while ago my old plastic recipe box cracked and got too small for the many recipes I've been filling it with. My mom helped Andy pick out this beautiful new sturdy recipe box! I just love the pretty colors, patterns, designs and textures! It included index tabs divided by types of recipes and more cards to write recipes on. I have already enjoyed reorganizing my recipe box and look forward to adding more yummy recipes!

My mom and brother also picked out these green clogs with faux fur lining that keep my ever cold feet warm and toasty on these cold winter days. I'm wearing them right now! I enjoy wearing them around the house because their sole is sturdy and the design looks and feels more like a shoe than my old slippers. The lining is also very easy to remove for washing and for Spring/Summer wearing.


My parents filled my stocking with candy, fruit, and little gifts like these cute ladybug socks, a pair of ladybug earrings and a zipper pull, also a Bible themed circle word book. I haven't done very much sewing but I really want to do more so my mom had that in mind and my love of fashion bags when she picked out this sewing kit. It's a large drawstring tote with fabric that is similar to the pillow case and I look forward to working on that project very soon! My dad bought me two Dinah Harris mystery novels by Christian author Julie Cave. This authoress is associated with Answers In Genesis ministries and takes on some world issues from a Biblical world view combining mystery and faith values. I began reading the first chapter of Deadly Disclosures and by immediately pulled into the story - they are going to be so much fun to read!

A gift my parents gave to the whole family was a trip to the cinema to see The Voyage of the Dawn Treader! We went to see it on Christmas day (instead of Christmas Eve, it worked into the schedule better) and we all had a blast! I promise to do a film review on Dawn Treader very soon! Another surprise was a lady who was giving away free Narnia items and she came to our family first because we were one of the few groups in the theater at the time. Miss Bea and I snatched up these t-shirts with Aslan on the front while Mom and Andy got journals and dad took the sillybands again with Narnia designs. I was so delighted and have been wearing my lovely Narnia t-shirt all day!

So, these are most of the gifts given to me by my family. I may have missed something that I can't remember right now, I got so many lovely gifts it's hard to keep track! I'm so thankful for the family and friends the Lord has blessed me with and the wonderful ways in which He continues to bless!

What Christmas blessings did you receive?

Your's Very Truly,

Christmas Gifts - Friends Edition

I got so many lovely gifts this year that I'm thankful for. I'd love to share the gifts I got with all of you so I've taken some photos and divided the posts up into gifts given by friends and gifts given by family.

To start out the gift receiving I won this Giveaway at Practically Pink and was so excited to get this lovely package in the mail from Janny's Girl!

I love the soft red scarf and wore it on Christmas day! Sorry this isn't the best photo of me but you can see most of the lovely scarf. Thanks to Emily and Natashja at Janny's Girl for this lovely giveaway!


My dear friend Amanda in Maryland sent me a large Christmas package filled with lovely gifts! There's two pairs of cute Christmas socks, pretty stud earrings, glittery nail polish, a vanilla candle, lotion from Bath & Body Works, a cute reindeer ornament, and yummy chocolate in a bear jar/container. This was such a fun box to open!



Before Christmas my sweet friend Sarah and her sister Katie came up from Massachusetts and I got to exchange gifts and have a lovely visit. Sarah had a lot of gifts for me like Novel Teas, packets of English Breakfast Tea with quotes by famous novelists on the tags! Also these pretty, yummy, all natural flavored candy sticks.


Sarah often shops at Christian Book Distributors so I get lovely gifts like Streams in the Desert devotional book by L.B. Cowman, Footprints of a Pilgrim by Ruth Bell Graham, and Words By Heart an inspirational film. I look forward to using both books in my devotional times and viewing the film which I've never seen before.


Sarah and Katie both know I like to write and that I collect things with ladybugs on them. Sarah gave me two lovely journals and Katie gave me the note paper and photo book all featuring charming ladybugs!


Sarah knows that I love everything old-fashioned and she found this delightful engagement calendar The Reading Woman which features delightful paintings (by some of my favorite artists) of old-fashioned ladies reading. This is going to be so much fun to use and it's already been fun to look through the lovely artwork that's featured for each month!

Katie also gave me these two beautiful journals featuring old-fashioned ladies and flowers on the covers and lined pages with quotes and verses at the top of every other page! I am already plotting out what I want to write in each book!

Second to last and probably my favorite (if I had to choose) is this lovely little volume which Sarah gave me. The Jane Austen Companion To Life is an amazing little book filled with quotes from Jane Austen's novels and writings accompanied by full color detailed illustrations by Charles & Henry Brock. These two brothers knew Miss Austen's work and did many lovely illustrations for re-printings of her major novels from 1895-1906. It is so delightful to flip through this lovely book! This is the perfect gift for any Janeite!


Last but not least Sarah gave me my very own Bananagrams game! I'd seen this game in stores but never played it before. This game is similar to Scrabble but each player has to do her own crossword set adding letter until all of the tiles are used up. This game is so much fun and I've already played several games with my family and friends!


So these are all the gifts I received from friends. I hope to do a post with gifts from family very soon. What special gifts did you receive this Christmas?

Very Truly Your's,

Fun Christmas Banners

I almost forgot that I have made these fun Christmas banners (back a few months ago) using screencaps from the 2009 Emma adaptation. Most of these are from the Christmas party at Randalls. Enjoy and Merry Christmas to all!













And last but not least, here's the banner that was the hardest to do, the silliest and the most fun!




Merry Christmas everyone!

Love,
Miss Laurie :)

Merry Christmas!

I pray that your Christmastime is truly blessed with special moments spent with family and friends! I also hope that you will have many opportunities to remember the Christ of Christmas and to praise the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior!

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9:6

"...Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2: 10-11, 14

Old-Fashioned Christmas wishes from me and my family to you and your family!

God bless,
Miss Laurie

Joseph's Song

This lovely song written by Michael Card is such a delightful insight into what Joseph thought when Jesus was born. A lovely prayer.

How could it be this baby in my arms
Sleeping now, so peacefully
The Son of God, the angel said
How could it be
Lord I know He's not my own
Not of my flesh, not of my bone
Still Father let this baby be
The son of my love

Father show me where I fit into this plan of yours
How can a man be father to the Son of God
Lord for all my life I've been a simple carpenter
How can I raise a king, How can I raise a king
He looks so small, His face and hands so fair
And when He cries the sun just seems to disappear
But when He laughs it shines again
How could it be

Words & Music: Michael Card

Here's a video with Michael Card singing his song.