Love & Friendship

Have you heard?  There's a new Jane Austen movie out!  Love & Friendship is based on one of her early works written by way of letters.  Since she only wrote six full novels, it's rare that we get something new.  The film isn't playing in my area, so I may have to travel to see it...

Library of Luminaries: Jane Austen

I went to the fun letter-writing club at the Pickle last week.  Of course I have to purchase something whenever I'm there...  This time a book caught my eye - Library of Luminaries: Jane Austen.  It's an adorable illustrated biography of Jane.  There is so much research based on Jane Austen that it was refreshing to find something simple (and not overly scholarly).  Find it on Amazon here.

Jane Austen at Anthropologie

Check out these beautiful hardcover Jane Austen novels at Anthropologie.  I have a copy of Pride and Prejudice that was my great-great grandmother's, and I have a nice paperback edition of Sense and Sensibility that I picked up in Winchester - but I would love to round out my collection with one of these lovely books.

Paddywax Library Candle

Another discovery from our weekend in Louisville was the Paddywax candle company.  They have a Library collection that pairs quotes from famous authors with unique fragrances.  This Jane Austen travel candle is scented with gardenia, tuberose, and jasmine.  Leo Tolstoy's scent is black plum, persimmon, and oakmoss.  Lovely.

Lizzie Bennet Diaries

Have you seen the Lizzie Bennet Diaries on YouTube?  They're pretty clever - made with modern Pride and Prejudice characters.  Here's the first.

Jane Austen Centre Giftshop

I went to lunch with my friend and Jane Austen teacher a couple of weeks ago, and she gave me some of this fancy Elizabeth Bennet Hand Cream.  It's from the Jane Austen Centre Giftshop in Bath, England.  They have a lot of great items available online, including this fun variation on the Keep Calm print.  The quote on the mug, as you might know, is from Mr. Darcy's proposal.  Fun!

Thursday Text: Jane Austen - A Celebration of her Life and Work

My mom gave me this fantastic book for Christmas. Don't let the cover fool you - it is packed with great information and lovely illustrations, like the one of Godmersham Park, below. You can find the Kindle version here.

Thursday Text: Kindle Fire

Our major joint Christmas gift this year was a Kindle Fire. It's pretty exciting. I downloaded this version of the complete works of Jane Austen for $.99!

1-2-3 Stitch!

Today was my last Jane Austen class. It was a lot of fun, and I am sad that it's over. It's given me a lot of good ideas, though! This web site has some really fabulous Jane Austen-themed cross-stitch patterns. (Just do a search for Jane Austen.) This little pillow looks like a fun project.

Persuasion

I just finished reading Jane Austen's Persuasion for my class. I really love the book. It was even better the second time around. Have you seen the latest BBC production? It's the version that we'll be watching in my class. Yea!

Friday Featured Art: Hugh Thomson

Don't you love this cover art for Pride and Prejudice by Hugh Thomson? It's from the 1890s, and it's fantastic.

Silhouette

Silhouette making was yet another creative project from my Jane Austen class. Here's one that I made with a traditional bun and frilly shirt. I also did one with my hair down - I'm thinking this could be a fun family project.

Jane Austen Bookmark

For my class project I made some bookmarks to hand out. The quote is from Pride and Prejudice. You can download a PDF of the bookmark below. It prints three on a 5"x7" page - just cut along the lines. I hope it works!

Jane Austen Bookmark

Lost in Austen

I just watched Lost in Austen, and it was hilarious. It's an ITV series in which a girl from present-day London finds herself in the midst of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. She frantically tries to make the story go the way that it's supposed to, but nothing works out. Check it out from your local library.

Burghley House

While working on a Pride and Prejudice project for my Jane Austen class I learned about Burghley House. It is a fantastic estate built in Elizabethan times, and it served as the filming location for Rosings Park in the latest version of Pride and Prejudice. It looks like an incredible place to visit.

Thursday Text: Pride and Prejudice

My class has finished reading Pride and Prejudice. We're going to start watching the 1940 film version tomorrow. Here are a couple of quotes from Elizabeth on her engagement that I thought were perfect.

To Jane:
It is settled between us already, that we are to be the happiest couple in the world.

And later:
I am the happiest creature in the world. Perhaps other people have said so before, but not one with such justice. I am happier even than Jane; she only smiles, I laugh.

Masterpiece Classic: Sense and Sensibility

My Jane Austen class just finished reading Sense and Sensibility. I really love it. We're now watching the latest BBC adaptation of the book. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. I watched it a while back and liked it better than the version with Emma Thompson...

Thursday Text: Happiness in Marriage

Here's a quote from Pride and Prejudice. My class will be reading that next...

Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of choice.

So true.

Genealogy Fan Chart

I went to our Family History Center last week and discovered some great features on the new FamilySearch. I'm getting excited about genealogy again. I even made up this fan chart of Jane Austen's ancestry to tie in with my Jane Austen class. So fun.

Thursday Text: Jane Austen

I signed up to take a class this fall called "Jane Austen's World in Film and Literature." I'm really excited. These are our two textbooks. The second one is a collection of short stories from a Jane Austen competition. I'll let you know how it goes...