Beauty...and the Beast?

"Marianne's abilities were, in many respects, quite equal to Elinor's. She was sensible and clever; but eager in everything; her sorrows, her joys, could have no moderation. She was generous, amiable, interesting: she was everything but prudent. The resemblance between her and her mother was strikingly great." - Sense & Sensibility, Jane Austen

This is from the newest adaptation of Sense & Sensibility staring the lovely Charity Wakefield as Marianne Dashwood. I love these shots of her in this dress and shawl during the scene at Allenham with Willoughby. Truly and beauty and perhaps a beast of a man? This thought just came to me. Willoughby is actually my favorite of Jane Austen's "villians", he's so horrible yet so pitiable at the same time. If only he was brought up better, had better guidance, if only Eliza was kept better track of, if only Willoughby had money enough to marry her at once. He'd a monster, but and interesting one. I've considered writing a story of his life, but it would be rather sordid so I'll leave it to others.

This adaptation is beautiful by the way and I beliveve the characters were perfectly cast. I'm thinking it's the best yet even though I'll always love Emma Thompson's adaptation.


Mood:

Listless

Anne in Bloom

"Twelve years had changed Anne from the blooming, silent, unformed girl of fifteen, to the elegant little woman of seven-and-twenty, with every beauty excepting bloom, and with manners as consciously right as they were invariably gentle..." Jane Austen's Persuasion

One particularly lovely part about actress Amanda Root portraying Anne is that she literally changes onscreen from a pale old maid with a red nose and blooms into a healthy, bonny bride. She is so lovely especially right at the end when she starts to smile more and curl her hair a bit.

Check out the transformation with some of my favorite shots of Anne:


Anne leaving Kellynch - yes her nose is actually red!


Anne taking a closer look in the glass - not quite what Captain Wentworth would remember.


Sea air at Lyme is good for the complexion - or is it literary chats with Captain Benwick, or being admired by a stranger on the beach, or is it being in love?


Anne enjoying of Mrs. Smiths gossip and good spirits - are those rosy cheeks I see?


Anne shortly after seeing Captain Wentworth in Bath - she wears the same earrings quite a bit but they are nice.


Mrs. Wentworth, the picture of a beautiful blushing bride. Now that's a transformation!



Mood:

Rejuvenated
(a weekend of rest is just what I needed)

Christmas at Uppercross

"But Mrs. Musgrove, who got Anne near her on purpose to thank her most cordially, again and again, for all her attentions to them, concluded a short recapitulation of what she had suffered herself, by observing, with a happy glance round the room, that after all she had gone through, nothing was so likely to do her good as a little quiet cheerfulness at home."

And this is Mrs. Musgrove's idea of "a little quiet cheerfulness" :

"Immediately surrounding Mrs. Musgrove were the little Harvilles, whom she was sedulously guarding from the tyranny of the two children from the Cottage, expressly arrived to amuse them. On one side was a table occupied by some chattering girls, cutting up silk and gold paper; and on the other were tressels and trays, bending under the weight of brawn and cold pies, where riotous boys were holding high revel; the whole completed by a roaring Christmas fire, which seemed determined to he heard in spite of all the noise of the others. Charles and Mary also came in, of course, during their visit; and Mr. Musgrove made a point of paying his respects to Lady Russell, and sat down close to her for ten minutes, talking with a very raised voice, but from the clamour of the children on her knees, generally in vain. It was a fine family-piece."



Lady Russell's idea of "a little quiet cheerfulness" is widely different.
"I hope I shall remember, in future," said Lady Russell, as soon as they were reseated in the carriage, "not to call at Uppercross in the Christmas holidays."

"When Lady Russell, not long afterwards, was entering Bath on a wet afternoon, and driving through the long course of streets from the Old Bridge to Camden Place, amidst the dash of other carriages, the heavy rumble of carts and drays, the bawling of newsmen, muffin-men, and milk-men, and the ceaseless clink of pattens, she made no complaint. No, these were noises which belonged to the winter pleasures: her spirits rose under their influence; and like Mrs. Musgrove, she was feeling, though not saying, that after being long in the country, nothing could be so good for her as a little quiet cheerfulness."

Mood:

Mischievous

A Christmas Carol

I've really been enjoying Charles Dickens stories quite a bit lately and I know The Muppet Christmas Carol isn't the closest adaptation but it's one movie that my family and I love to watch this time of year.



I'd call it "period" in the sense of Muppets dressed in Victorian costume. It may be a bit unconventional but the point of Dicken's novel comes across clearly and it's a great family film.




The bittersweet tale of Scrooge's love Belle is portrayed very sweetly with a lovely song "When Love is Gone".



Humor, singing and dancing abound in this family friendly funny film. Just another of the good things in life that make you laugh and cry at the same time. If you haven't seen it yet I suggest a good dose of Christmas cheer! :)

Mood:

Groggy

Looking Out to Sea

"The day was uncommonly lovely. It was really March; but it was April in its mild air, brisk soft wind, and bright sun, occasionally clouded for a minute; and everything looked so beautiful under the influence of such a sky, the effects of the shadows pursuing each other on the ships at Spithead and the island beyond, with the ever–varying hues of the sea, now at high water, dancing in its glee and dashing against the ramparts with so fine a sound..."

Almost done with my Christmas shopping. I found the most lovely handmade earrings online made by a seller on Etsy. Wickedpen has a series of "Jane Austen earrings" which are just exquisite! I bought this one-of-a-kind pair for my friend Amanda. I love old-fashioned items like this, it reminds me of a bygone era. :)


Mood:

Creative