Sybil's Gorgeous Room

Natalie, this post is for you. :-)

Several weeks ago, Natalie and I swooned over Sybil Lindsay's room in the comment box. You might have spotted our caps, written in great gusto. We were talking about this super, super, super short scene in the lovely movie 'Chariots of Fire' - where Harold Abraham's love interest, Sybil, hears that Harold won the race. She hears the news in her bedroom. And we happened to adore that super short scene. Screen-caps weren't available on the Internet, so I screen-capped my own!

This picture gives you the best view of the room. My GOODNESS isn't this so endlessly beauty-swamped?!!! I want to sit in that room and have a French maid curl my hair. I want to fiddle with glassy perfume bottles and little beautiful bits and bobs. I know, I know, I sound like a spoilt two-year-old who didn't get his second chocolate-cake-piece, but I can't HELP this state of jealousy. I can't help it at all, I can't.

First of all, this room has stained glass windows. I mean, of all the coolest things. And then we have elegant and fluttery pink flowers on the window sill. And then those mirrors, all hazy and morning-like. And then all the bits and bobs, shining femininity and glorious pinky-ness. I love how this room reflects who she is - it's not over-the-top chic, and I really appreciate that. I love the pictures on the wall, and the messy atmosphere.

And can you spot the little teddy bear? :-P

Ah! Now we get a closer look at the mirror and the little things in front of it. Pictures, necklaces, perfume bottles in the most adorable sizes, shapes and with the cutest little toppings. Gah, I love that sea of endless little things. Also, that pink fan. I'm proud to sat that I am the owner of one very similar to it. If I had a mirror in my room I'd try to put it that way and pretend I'm Sybil. But I don't have a mirror in my room, so.

So, what do you think?!! Isn't it gorgeousness alore, peeps? Corkers? Twinkly? Dazzlingly must-have-one-day? Yes?!? You have to agree, this room is to DIE for. (Almost, that is to say. Because why would a dead person benefit from such beauty?)

I hope you enjoyed my little swoon-post about a ten-second scene no-one in the world probably ever really noticed apart from me and Natalie. If you haven't ever noticed this scene (or watched Chariots of Fire, for that matter (but seriously, watch it)) I am very honoured to have introduced you to this charming little dressing room of Sybils. Now we can all mourn about not owning it together. :-D

5 things I do to make me imagine I'm in a Period Drama

I have the kind of brain that sizzles with imagination. It's quiet and dully dead when it comes to Maths, though, but that's beside the point, right? (Why do we want to talk about Maths, anyway? To start with?)

You all know I love Period Dramas. Just look at my header. You can seen Sybil Crawley from Downton Abbey, Amy Dorrit from Little Dorrit, Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice and Emma from Emma. All the Period Drama-est of Period Drama's, right? So yes, I adore Period Movies. And I love to use that imagine-brain of mine to get shifted into that world of Period Drama now and then.

Want to do it too? Here are five (easy) ways to make you shift into the world of Period Dramas...

#1. When you're in a car, bend closely to the window and pretend you're in a carriage.

This one isn't hard and the effect is very rewarding. Because how many Period Dramas have beautiful carriages? Yeah. All of them. 

This is not hard to imagine when you're driving in a country-side-like area. You look at the trees whizzing past, ignore the fact that you're in a car, and bingo - it's easy as anything to imagine you're in a beautiful gold-gilded carriage, wearing a bonnet and long swishes of gowns. 

(If you're driving past cars and other such un-Period-Drama-like piffle, on the other hand, then it's harder. Then you should look up at the sky. They had skies back then too, you see.)

#2. Peer dreamily in Mirrors

This one might sound extremely... silly... but seriously, it's such a Period-Drama-like thing to do. I know Scarlet O'Hara shouldn't be one's biggest role model, but Jane Bennet did it too. 

Basically, all the Period Drama Ladies stare in mirrors. So do it. At least once every day. For five minutes. Relax. Take your time. You'll be captured to Tara or Pemberly or whatever mansion you like best immediately. Just, look in mirrors in a whimsical way. Mirrors to the trick.

#3 Never lean against the backs of chairs/benches

Sit up straight, always. Pull your shoulders backwards, have that back of yours more erect as a ruler (not that that is actually possible, but hey, you never know until you try it out.)

Even when you are sitting on a bench or a chair with the most comfortable velvet cushion-y backs, don't get temped to lean back. Don't even think of touching the back of the chair. Just sit upwards, erect, in the most beautiful posture ever, and you'll be whimsically whooshed in the sphere of the Period Drama World.

#4. Drink your tea in the elegant way

My favourite way to drink tea (or whatever hot drink I have) is with the palms of my two hands snugly wrapped around the mug, warming my whole body with sheer cosiness. But that ain't Period Drama-like.

So forget about the warmth, m'dears. And this rule counts also for cakes and other such corking nonsense. Eat your cake on a plate, with tinkly silverware. If you want to be shifted into the Period Drama World, that is. Because that's the way they drink tea, holding the little ear and nothing else. Pure sophistication!

#5. Place your hand lightly on the banister when you go up or down some stairs.

I know, I know, that sounds weird. But it works! Ever so well, even. You don't have go down in a robot-style way. You're even allowed to tiptoe swiftly. But place one of your hands lightly on the banister. It does magic. Especially when you meet long stairs - stairs that have delicious curves. We have one at our Church - one that leads down to the coffee room - and it's crazily fun to go up and down in an elegant way.

There you have it! Five easy little things! Try them. And your brain will capture the most Period-Drama-Like moments in your whole life. You'll feel tingles of excitement. You'll love it.

And now, because I haven't had a randomly nice picture in about one-hundred decades (no I don't exaggerate. What? You said I did? You mean person!), I'll end this post with a gorgeous picture of Melanie Wilkes in a puffy dove-mauve gown, touching the banister of Twelve Oaks in a beautifully charming way. Look and learn, my friends.

My top 10 most beautiful movies

I stole this idea from Olivia, who posted her list here - she graciously allowed me to steal it. Thank you, Olivia! :-)

A lot of movies are good. Just plain awesome, and all that. But some really stick out in their beauty. There are some movies where every screencap is beautiful; every angle filmed is pause-worthy. These are the movies I want to drool over today. So here are my ten prettiest movies... in no specific order, because I'm cryingly bad at putting things in orders (although the ones at the beginning I love more than the ones at the end - roughly.)

1. Downton Abbey

My, my. Downton Abbey is beautiful. Every screencap makes me want to make a new header to put it in it. :-) No really - every single one (weeelll, practically all of them, okay) is just a delight to look at. The bobbing hats, the jingling dresses, the steamy kitchen, the fancy stairs, the crunchy village. It's a feast for the eyes. :-)

Gah, I can't describe how beautiful this series is.

2. Cinderella 2015

I haven't seen this yet, but I know is breath-takingly gorgeous. It's fairy-tale-like gorgeous, with twinkly swishes, colourful elegance and magical attic-rooms. I've seen pictures of the ball, and totally fallen in love with anything and everything about it. It's all so fresh and sparkly and.... *sigghh* I really have to see this movie so badly.

3. The Sound of Music

When I think of 'The Sound of Music', a picture of the beautiful gazebo, the elegant lake and the pink lemonade in tinkly glasses comes to my mind, and THAT'S BEAUTIFUL. This movie is also sheer delight for the eyes. The interiors of the von Trapp's house - the exteriors of the garden - and even the dark shades of the Abbey.

4. Anna Karenina

I haven't seen this movie, so I can't recommend it, but I've totally swooned over screencaps and pictures. The dresses are such pastel-coloured statements, and the men are so dashing in their blinking light costumes. The ball room is all twinkly and perfectos. I want to see this movie just for the beauty of the rooms and costumes and areas. It's beautiful.

5. The Great Gatsby

Again, I haven't seen this, so I can't recommend it - but I know this movie is BEAUTIFUL. In fact it's perhaps even over-the-top bling-ish. There's shattering glassy parties, with sparkling dances and bubbling champagne. There's breezy rooms with white fluttering curtains. I've seen pictures of darling houses with purple and yellow flowers all over the place. It looks so pretty. I just wish the story was good.

6. Gone with the Wind

Despite the fact that it was filmed in the days when camera tricks weren't possible to make it more swoon-ish, this movie is a feast for the eyes. Especially those scenes with the blazing red skies. I remember when I watched the movie first, I thought it was so beautiful - I really practically lived in Tara for several months. I wanted to have a white frilly dress and sit like a queen on the butterfly-like porch. Ahhh.... it's pretty.

7.  The Young Victoria

I remember, after watching this, emailing Emma in all caps, screaming about the sheer beauty of this movie. I did, didn't I, Emma? Because it's TRUE. This movie is beautiful. Julian Fellowes might get some things wrong, but he does know how to make a movie pretty. He really does. The Young Victoria is a royalty movie, so obviously there's loads of rich lavish-ness about it. But even the rainy out-side scenes and beautiful... ahhhh.

8. Marie Antoinette

This a movie I'm probably never going to watch because I've heard it has some very unsuitable stuff in it (argh movie makers.) But my, I wish I could, because it's BEAAAAUTIFUL. No really, it deserves all and every cap. It's EXAGGERATINGLY beautiful. It's scrumptious, sickly-pink, candy-sweet kind of beautiful. I've seen loads of pictures. The gowns are like cupcakes. The shoes are frilly and lavish. EVERYTHING is ridiculously over-the-top-amazing.

9. Chariots of Fire

I have an unquenchable fondness for the seaside, and Chariots of Fire starts with the seaside. Therefore I find this movie beautiful. But it really is. The Scotland highlands are perfectly beautiful - there are English garden scenes, with fluffy garden robes and perfectly creme-coloured fluttery dresses. It's charming, charming. And the prettiest part is the five-second scene where Sybil Gordon finds out that Abraham won and we see her bedroom - filled with glass perfumes and hair stuff. It's gorgeous. I wish I could find a screencap of it, but I can't.

10. Singin' in the Rain

This is another of those lavish, roaring twenties, magical-like movies. All the lights in the dark nights and movie-stuff. And the fact that it's a musical makes it all jumpy and cheerful and even more twinkly. I really love this. I also love that everything is so perfectly symmetrical (there's a musical for you. :-P)

What are some of your 'prettiest movies?'

Strangers inspire me!

I've lately realised how much random-strangers-on-the-road inspire me. I've started drawing little pictures and writing imaginary letters to them, and I thought I'd share some with you all. I actually didn't think of this idea - writing letters to strangers - I bumped into a blog several months ago who did it (I've forgotten which blog it is now), and I loved the idea so much it's something I do pretty regularly now.

(Some of these, by the way, aren't exactly to strange who really inspired me, but just strangers I will not forget and I feel like saying something to.)

Dear man who helped a lady find her way to the right train station, 

You're so kind! I could see from the ladies face how eternally thankful she was - and I have the feeling you spent a lot of your time helping her. AND you were carrying her bags. You're such a gentleman! It's a treat to see kind men helping ladies with such respect. You know, I saw you when I was about seven years old, and I still haven't forgotten you. You have, without realising it, had a small impact on my life, and I have to thank you.

Oh, and by the way, I ship you two. I hope you're married by now.

Dear lady who did her wedding photo-shoot at a castle I was visiting with some friends several years ago,

You had a grey wedding dress. GREY.

Of course, your choice, and all that. And it looked kind of unity-like, I guess, next to your brand-new husband, who was also wearing grey. But yeahhh... it was grey.

Dear old man who walked across our house,

I saw you yesterday, so you're still fresh in my mind, but I know I'll never forget you. I mean, you were reading as you walked your dog. Reading as you walked. I smiled instantly through the window. I nudged my older brother when you walked by and said, 'Oh look, we aren't the only ones!' - I really thought I was the only person in our area who reads when we walk. It's fun, isn't it?

And I'm sorry for drawing you with a coat and a scarf - because it wasn't that cold yesterday. My bad.

You're cool and I love you. Although I wish I knew what the book was. I'll guess I never find out... this is a good test for my horrible curiosity. :-)

Dear person who decorated a small ugly tree by the side of the motorway with two Christmas decorations,

Haha. You made me snicker. We cross that little tree every Sunday on our way to Church and every time I see it I want to talk to you. I mean, a person who randomly decorates a small forgotten tree is obviously an awesome person. The tree, I suppose, is also greatly thankful to you, because she now finally has all the attention she deserves. I guess you felt for sorry for the poor little wiry thing.

But I have one (only one!) question, though - when will you take it off? It's almost May now... Christmas is over. Don't worry on my part, though, I love being in the Christmas mood in May. :-)

Dear little blond boy looking out of the window,

I'm so glad I waved at you. You looked so impeccably bored! What were you doing, staring outside? Were you waiting for someone? And you seemed surprised when I waved... you stared at me as if you couldn't believe your eyes. I like it when people look at me like that - like I'm a princess or something.

I hope you don't forget me, because I won't forget you. I might see you again one day - we don't live that far away. See ya, then. :-)

Dear hippie-couple carrying shopping bags,

No, I won't pretend I like your clothing style. Lady-hippie, that purple fur coat was quite nauseating. But you inspired me that day to be myself more - even if people will look up with pulled-up noses of whaaat? I really love that you're different - that you wear what you like and not what other people like. I'm so glad I saw you - I really needed it that particular day.

But I don't like the purple fur. But don't mind me (I know you won't.)

Dear person who wrote 'Don't even think of Parking here!' on his/her door,

You made me really LAUGH. I mean, that's so original. A bit harsh, perhaps, but very humorous indeed. Much better than the 'car-heave' sign. And it worked, too! There were cars all over the sides of the road except in front of your door.

But I have to say, I did *think* of it (well I thought about my mum doing it - not me, because I can't drive). Just for a few seconds. Just to imagine what the expression on your face would be when you found out. Would you say, 'Oh it's okay?' or would you say, 'I hate you! Fined!' - I bet you'd say something harsh but humorous. Ah, I just plain like you, man-or-woman.

Dear Sandra and Cordelia,

Yes, I've even given you girls names; I've thought of you so much!

I met you at the music-school when I was about seven. You two sisters were in the class above my class and our two classes had a joint lesson every Thursday, remember, when we sang those boring songs? I always stared at you. I was very rude, but I couldn't help it. I just found you fascinating! When I was eight I wrote a little story and put you two in it, also as sisters, and I called you Sandra and Cordelia. Sandra, you're the older sister with thick wavy long hair. Cordelia, you're the thin awkward and terribly shy girl who looks a bit like Anne Shirley.

I love how you're such besties and whisper in each others ear, gossiping about the wild bunch of students. I hope you said nice things about me, though. And I'm sorry for staring.

I really want to see you again one day. You just fascinate me for no reason in particular.

That's all! I could think of many more; these are only a few.

Do strangers inspire you? 

What was the latest strange that inspired you?

Mr Charles Dickens is here today with some tips for your stories

Today I am very honoured to introduce Mr Charles Dickens and have him write a guest post on my blog. I know, I know, I normally don't invite male people onto my blog, but please - this guy is so welcome. Although I must say, I think you all know him already - there's really no need to introduce him, right? But just in case you don't know him, he's a novelist and he has a beard. Slightly older than most of us, therefore making him very wise. A very experienced novelist, I might add. In fact, so experienced that I asked him to share some tips.

I have to add one more thing before Charles starts the actually post - Dickens style of blog-writing differs enormously from his novel-writing. Just in case you might get confused. :-P (But he will never use any smileys. Of any kind. Not even the classic ":-)" - He flatly refuses.)

So here is Mr Charles Dickens with some tips to brilliant stories...

This is me. I do beg your pardon for the serious expression on my face. I had only written 100 words that day and was extremely disappointed with myself and not in the spirit to be cheerful.

Dear readers, I am touched indeed to hear that people value my opinions! Here are some things/issues your stories are better of with than without...

Long messy hair-styles
I know this starts very random, my dear readers, but I advise you strongly to place on top of your beloved character's heads, some original pieces of hair. For less-well-off characters, I like the spider-web look; the shaggy dishevelled hair - they accentuate so well the face that the character is poor. Of course, the character could in reality easily and quickly cut it off or brush it with their fingers - but nay, forget about tidying it. Your poor characters need spider-web hair. Otherwise they aren't poor enough. They have to look poor - they have to look kind of creepy-poor. It's a fantastic way to accentuate their poverty.
Some examples are illustrated in the pictures below.

Loads of poor people suffering greatly
If you want a moving book - a book that will lie long in the hearts of nations - you need to bring some grim truth into it. Poverty, guillotines, war, murder, spanking, weird illnesses are some good examples. Put at least two of these grim, sad issues into your novel - no, perhaps two isn't even enough. You just need to put the grim truth in your books - shock people, shock them. Shocking people makes them remember your stories.
Of course, now and then you're allowed to write a humerous book. But even then it is important to put in some sad issues. In my story, 'The Pickwick Papers' - a book supposed to make people laugh, not to make them shocked or cry - I didn't forget this tip. When I placed Mr Pickwick in the prison, I showed my readers that life isn't just humour - it is sad. So long story short, my dear readers, put quite a fair amount of poor people in your book - make them suffer greatly.

Some very PERFECT characters
I strongly approve of drastically different characters. In my novels I try to have at least one character personifying the idea perfection of a human being. Lucy Manette and her husband in 'A Tale of Two Cities' are two lovely people - role models. In 'Martin Chuzzlewit' I have darling Mary - there really is nothing wrong with her - and of course, the perfectly good Tom Pinch. You need a few perfect characters - people have told me some of my characters are too good, maddeningly good - but I disagree! Your stories need GOOD characters. Characters that deserve not an ounce of wrong, characters that people want to see happy.

(Note from Naomi: I love these people so much! *sniffle*)

At least one character who is evil - and by evil I mean cooking evil
By contrast, you also need villains. In my opinion, a book is not a good one unless there is a deliciously creepy and evil villain inside. Not all villains have to be equally bad, I'm not saying that, but in my opinion my best books are the ones with the meanest villains. Blandois in 'Little Dorrit' is the villain I am most proud of, I have to say. I loathe him; everyone loathes him; everyone loves to loathe him; no-one feels bad to loathe him because there's not a breath in him that even hints goodness. These are the kind of people every book MUST contain.

(Note from Naomi: This isn't a note. It's just a big SHUDDER. :-O)

Weird names
Mr Pancks, Mr Squeers, Mr Winkle, Mr Snodgrass, Barnaby Rudge, Jeremiah Flintwinch, Mr Bumble... be original! When names are quirky and different, they will remain long in the brains of your readers. I understand of course, if you find it hard to come up with original names. I dare say our beloved Jane Austen had that problem. So here are some examples for you if you find it hard to think of them: Mr Pimpledomps, Mr Zark, Mr Trospetter, Mr Yomerick. Just have fun.

People that are so weird that they don't look like people
As I said before, one has to be original.
Make your character original, my dear readers, and they will stick in the minds of people! Give people one eye! Give them a huge bunch of spider-web hair! Give them a monocle that makes their eyebrows arch up for miles! Give them white powdered faces! Give them dust in their hair! Make them spooky! Make your readers' hearts pound hard! They might say you go over the top sometimes, but in the end people will love your books and they will never get enough of them.
Don't want to boast, but it worked with me.

Thank you, Mr Dickens, for writing for me! I hope you all enjoyed the post - I certainly did. Mr Dickens, I hope you will come back to Wonderland Creek more often in the future. (He just said, 'No thank you, one post was more than enough - he prefers writing his novels. But he says he enjoyed it anyway, just for once.)