Author: Christine Skirbunt March is Women’s History Month and, while we sing the praises of an often-well-known repertoire of already famous woman, Women’s History Month includes the history of some lesser-known-but-no-less-important infamous women. Women who defied their times and stood their ground outside of traditional norms. Thus enter the English Highwaywomen. While highwaymen are among the [...]
Author: Christine Skirbunt Valentine’s Day is near and no other day on the calendar captures the essence of romance like that conjured by February 14th! The connection between Valentine’s Day and love has its modern roots stretching back to the Middle Ages. Fast forward to the modern era and you will find that from its [...]
Imagine a sweltering summer day in Victorian England. It is not a difficult stretch of the imagination today as we push through August, but in the 19th century, with the burden of heavy clothing and without the convenience of air conditioning, relief was more difficult to find than today. One of the joys were street vendors [...]
Did you enjoy your holiday season? If so, how are you adjusting to being back into the swing of things? It has been a bit challenging for me as I would much rather be continuing to have fun hangouts with friends. There must be something in the air, as the invites have continued coming in. [...]
While they are available now year-round, apples are technically a seasonal fruit for fall. That is probably why so many warm dishes were made with them during the Victorian era. Apples in the Victorian era were a very popular and common ingredient, even served as a dessert dish on their own. There was also a [...]
Are you taking any trips this fall? It is a great time for those who want smaller crowds and cooler weather. If you are taking a trip, do you know how to pack your suitcase? The Victorian era was a very interesting time for travel. Advances in transportation made it easier to go long distances [...]
I love to wear lipstick and do so almost every day. Occasionally I notice that in casual settings I am the only woman doing so, but there is something about it that makes me feel like “me.” Coloring one’s lips has a history that goes back thousands of years, with it signifying different meanings entirely [...]
If pickleball were trending in the Victorian era rather than today there would have been a very prescribed outfit for playing it. Instead, we ladies throw on whatever is clean and comfortable and then head to the park. Sporting and outdoor leisure for females was a new concept in the 1800s, and etiquette experts scrambled [...]
Summer is here! It is a great time for freshening one’s wardrobe, with so many opportunities to be seen and to get creative. This year I am enjoying pairing my light sundresses and skirts with the cowboy boots and Western-style accessories I have been collecting over the past couple of years. I enjoy the fact [...]