Please party guests this season with mulled wine

By | October 8th, 2020|Categories: Christmas, Entertainment, Halloween, Victorian Era Celebrations|Tags: , , , , , , , |

There is something about mulled wine that sends me back in time. Maybe it is the special mix of spices I’m not used to drinking that makes me think of a fancy tea party. Or maybe it is because I enjoyed it for the first time at a very special Victorian-themed lounge in Greenwich Village. [...]

Hattie McDaniel's Continued Legacy

By | June 15th, 2020|Categories: Entertainment, Women's History|Tags: , , |

Queen Latifa as Hattie McDaniel in Hollywood If you haven’t already seen the Netflix miniseries Hollywood, I strongly recommend binging it this weekend. It is a retelling of the “golden age” of Hollywood that seeks to imagine how things could have been different if it had started off on the right foot in regards to [...]

Name that Dress! contest = 6 $50 Winners

By | April 7th, 2020|Categories: Contests and Games, Entertainment|Tags: , |

Offer a name for our nameless lasses We have over 500 dresses and gowns on our website.  Most of them have been named, such as Tilly, Sophronia, Daisy, Desidera, etc.  There are some orphan dresses who have never been given a name and this is your chance to name them. Below we have pictured the [...]

Romance in the post-war years: Episode 3 of A Very British Romance

By | March 3rd, 2020|Categories: Entertainment, Roaring 20s, Valentine's Day, Women's History|Tags: , , , |

I was sad to see the final episode of the BBC’s charming docuseries, A Very British Romance, come to an end with its third episode. I am also a buzz with all of the fun things that I learned about the world of romance and courtship as we know it today, and how some of [...]

The 1920s, the Decade that Changes Everything!

By | January 31st, 2020|Categories: 1920s fashion, Entertainment, Fashion, Roaring 20s|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In part one of our look back on the 1920s we explored the top five events that kicked off the Decade of Change, the years we know as the Jazz Age and the Roaring ‘20s. Most are aware of how that decade exploded in 1929 with the crash of the stock market and the start [...]

The Story of the Christmas Carol

By | December 7th, 2019|Categories: Entertainment, Recollections, Victorian Era Celebrations|Tags: , |

Is it surprising that the carol is thousands of years old? The first carols were not related to Christmas, however. Carols, or circle dances of praise and joy, were originally associated with pagan celebrations throughout the four seasons. With the advent of Christianity, winter solstice celebrations took on a more singular religious meaning. One of [...]

The Tournament of Roses Parade (Rose Parade)

By | November 21st, 2019|Categories: Destinations, Entertainment, Victorian Era, Victorian Era Celebrations|Tags: , , |

The Origins of the Tournament of Roses Parade What do you do when the “flowers are blooming and the oranges are about to bear” and it’s cold and snowy in Chicago and New York? Well, if it is 1890 in southern California, you have a “festival to tell the world about your paradise!” – Charles [...]

Dickens Fairs

By | November 18th, 2019|Categories: 19th Century Literature, Christmas, Entertainment, Holidays, Victorian Era, Victorian Era Celebrations|Tags: , , , |

If it’s November, it’s time for Dickens fairs! These mid-Victorian London-inspired events pay homage to 19th century author Charles Dickens and the wonderful characters he created. The fairs are popular throughout England and the USA. Each one has its own signature, but all embody the spirit of the time. Here are a few Dickens Fairs [...]

Southern Ghost Girls

By | October 30th, 2019|Categories: Entertainment, Fashion, Halloween, Holidays, Recollections, Victorian Era, Victorian Fashions|Tags: , , |

How did Southern Ghost Girls Tours and Paranormal Investigations come to life? Lesley Ann Hyde loves to travel. She loves history and enjoys paranormal investigations. As she pursued her passion, Lesley noticed that most investigators were men, no one immersed themselves in history by dressing the part, and participants rarely got to do the investigating. [...]