Bee Yourself

In Charles Darwin's book The Origin of Species, bees are one of the mysterious creatures he pays careful attention to in his work. I do not bring up Mr. Darwin to hypothesize about his theory of evolution or even to talk about Mr. Darwin himself. I only want to point out that since he was from England and lived from 1809-1882 that would make him the epitome of a Victorian naturalist.

Victorians loved to collect things. They especially like to collect treasures from nature. By collecting these things it showed their power and wealth over the places they already owned or had conquered. (Imperialism at it's finest.) I found an excellent article about it if your interested in knowing more about the Victorians mindset concerning this idea. http://project1.caryacademy.org/1851/images/home%20page%20stuff/curio_cabinet_essay.htm

Now, I'm not sure if I'm ready to start putting dead birds under glass or anything, but I do like this idea of displaying nature in the home. So to run with this trend I searched high and low till I found these nature inspired salt and pepper shakers on e-bay that are both elegant and whimsical.



They are tiny silver bee hives with golden bees perched on the outside ready to lift off at a moment's notice.

I am having a bit of trouble with the salt hive because some salt from the previous owner has hardened like molten lava on the inside of the opening. Still haven't figured out how to get it out but I will. Even if it kills me. You hear that stubborn salt. I WILLLL! Ok enough drama. Hold out for fun salt and pepper shakers. They'll make you happy every time you look at them. I know mine have. :D

Rene's Recommendation:

Pandora Internet Radio
http://www.pandora.com/

Do you ever get tired of listening to the same music over and over. When all you hear is your own music, music on the radio, music on tv, music outside clothing stores, music coming from rolled down windows as people drive by?

Ok, well, on second thought that is a lot of music. But if you're looking for a little more variety I would recommend Pandora. You can create your own "stations" and even though you don't have control over specific songs you can discover some great artists that aren't necessarily mainstream. It's like the motherload of all that's shuffle! (Just f.y.i. you can skip through songs you don't like but there's a limit per visit for that. I learned that the hard way. ;) As for myself I've found that it adds a bit of spice to my work day! Happy listening!

I'm Late! I'm Late For a Very Important Date!

In the morning, my bathroom becomes a vortex of space and time in which mere minutes can turn into hours without my conscious knowledge. Obviously this makes it hard to get to work on time. And back when I was still a slave to my bathroom's wily ways I knew that the only weapon strong enough to control this phenomenon would be a clock.

But it couldn't just be any clock. It had to be a clock with integrity, class and a little rebelliousness thrown in for good measure. Where would I find such a magical clock?

I began by looking on my favorite search engine, Google. Now if you start typing into Google: Victori... it will immediately assume you are looking for lingerie at Victoria's Secret because, of course, what other type of Victoria's could you possibly want? But if you endure and continue typing through this annoying assumption you will find the incredible website of the Victorian Trading Company (www.victoriantradingco.com/)

Such incredible Victorian inspired treasures you will be hard pressed to find. The site will suck you in, wrap you up in filigree, roses and life weathered remakes and you'll never want to leave! Albeit many of the items cost a pretty penny. But you can find some really beautiful, useful pieces that are 100% worth the cost.

And so it came to pass that I found my perfect clock.



Vibrant, unique, a Victorian Audubon themed print with brass plated accents that give it just a touch of steampunk. And hot dog! It wasn't just a clock but a calendar too! (By the way if anyone knows what kind of bird this is I would love to know.)

I did not buy the clock right away. The main reason was it was a bit pricey and I kept thinking, do I really want to spend all this money on a clock? But I finally decided that I wasn't going to live forever and I would enjoy the clock till the day I died so really, why not get it now? And I did and it's been wonderful.

The only drawback is it hasn't interrupted the time vortex in my bathroom as much as I would have hoped. Apparently it has nothing to do with the bathroom and more to do with me. Well, that's to be expected. But the clock is a joy to behold and I have no regrets.

Rene's Recommendation:

Electric toothbrushes. In spite of my love for the antiquated and old fashioned I thank my lucky stars I was born in place and age where dental hygiene is a priority. To celebrate this I present the electric toothbrush. I was a die hard Crest Spinbrush fan (found at Wal-Greens, Target, Wal-Mart) for a long time until a gift from my parents sent me over to the more expensive re-chargeable Philip's Sonicare toothbrush dark side. (A deliciously clean dark side I might add). But I was very happy with the Crest Spinbrush for those that aren't getting fancy Sonicare brushes as gifts.

So if you've never used one or are hesitant to buy, quit your bellyaching! Once you go electric you'll never go back. Feel free to play in the land of nostalgia but if you do not have an electric toothbrush go out and buy one right now! Your mouth and dentist will thank you. An $8.50(Crest)-$50.00(Sonicare) toothbrush will be worth all those bills you'll be paying for later to get cavities filled in.*

(*Disclaimer*-This product will not magically spirit away oral health issues due to lack of flossing, smoking, diet, mastication habits and various immune system abilities to fight off gingivitis. But they are a huge improvement to a brush-your-own-teeth toothbrush.)

This Is For You Halloween Party

I think the roots in this shift of thinking (see previous blog) really took hold last October when I threw my first Halloween party. I had always wanted to throw a Halloween party. Halloween is my favorite holiday and I love hosting parties. What could be more wonderful.

At first I wasn't going to do any of it because I was worried about my lack of space (small apartment) but I decided I was tired of waiting to have a fabulous Halloween party someday in the future. And even if it wasn't perfect why not just give it a go. So I did and it went great. I did go a little overboard with the streamers, homemade hanging bats and Halloween themed party food. (I chalk it up to my suppressed desire to decorate.)

But to back up a moment, when I first moved to Austin I needed to furnish my new place. But since I didn't know what my style was I subconsciously chose the most plain, dull, square furniture I could find. Like an artist choosing a white canvas on which they would later paint I grabbed my purse and went to IKEA! Now before IKEA lovers get up in arms let me say that I think IKEA is great. It's inexpensive, most pieces are light and easy to move. Good products for people on the go. It's very modern and goes with our modern day style. Perfect for a beginner too like I was at the time. (And let me add that IKEA might be perfect for some people's tastes but not really for me.)

I guess the Halloween party jump started my brain into thinking about what I liked. I ended up trying to decorate my place for the party like a witch's cottage. Candles, mason jars and fake fall leaves you could have picked up on one's way to look for potion ingredients or something. :)

It also got me thinking about the story I'm working on set in a Halloween world. As I molded the world I had to think about what the world looked like. What did the characters wear? What did they put in their houses? I started with small things like boots. I wanted one of my characters to wear black witchy boots but I couldn't put my finger on what kind of boots they were. So I began to look it up and discovered that the picture I'd had in my mind was what a Victorian woman in the 1800s would wear. I began to look at more Victorian fashion which led to all sorts of other things. I scoured the Internet searching for websites that would help me pin all these interests down. And in the process I realized that I myself could actually purchase the things I wanted in my story and, in a sense, bring my imagination into the real world.



I found these at: http://www.shoebuy.com/funtasma-victorian-35/266204

They are super comfortable and good to wear on fun occasions.

Now this buying of the imagination discovery may not seem like a big deal. But inwardly it was like someone handing me a key to unlock the joys of my mind and make them tangible.

The weirdest part was the confidence that sprang up from this knowledge. That the things I liked actually existed. They were being sold or I could at least make them. And in some small way I could take control of the way the world looked around me instead of being a victim to my indecision and what was popular or common. Life became a treasure hunt and whole worlds opened up.

Anyway, all this is just the beginning. I will have many more pictures to post as the blog goes on. But since all this is new and I'm just feeling out what sorts of things I'd like to include I will be adding at the end of each of my posts a recommendation from me. Rene (a.k.a Christina) Dante. In the past two years of living on my own I've discovered some really great things that have enriched my life though they aren't all necessarily Victorian related. Some of these things came about by happy accident and some not so much. But I'm going to just tag them on at the end of each post because I love all my readers and want them to benefit from what I've found out about. So adieu until tomorrow.

Rene's Recommendation:

I found these Rice and Adzuki Bean Natural Salt Artisan Snack Chips at HEB just a few weeks ago. The ones I found are actually an HEB brand so if you look for them at HEB they won't have the Boulder Canyon logo on them. I have found a few different flavors, natural salt and chipotle cheese. There might be more so be on the look out. But they are both really tasty. Light and crunchy with a unique flavor that's not a potato chip. So if you're tired of crackers or plain old chips this might be a good compromise.

It Starts

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING FIRST BLOG ENTRY IS LONG but SUBSEQUENT BLOG ENTRIES WILL BE IN MUCH MORE MANAGEABLE BITES! :)

Hello there,

To any kind reader who happens across this account of one young person's journey to find herself--I welcome you. Yikes, it's probably not a good idea to start out a blog with a cliche. On the other hand actually finding yourself and somewhat succeeding is not so cliche so I'll let it stand.

For a little clarification I do not actually live in a treehouse although that would be awesome! I live on the third floor of an apartment complex. But there are many trees right outside my balcony. I could also do with a few more windows because I only have the balcony, and the window in my room window for natural lighting. Not so long ago I had a momentary lapse of judgement and wondered if I could buy the apartment, knock out one of the walls and put a window in it's place. Then my sanity came back. Moving would be a better way to go if my craving for views ever became too much. :)

Anywho, here is an annotated account of my adult history. I went to college at the University of Texas in Austin. I enjoyed my degree very much. It was in screenwriting/film. Then I graduated, took a trip to Ireland for a summer, came back, worked as an obituary writer for three months, quit, then came to Austin to work for a computer software company. I've been at it for two years.

Don't get me wrong I am grateful to have my job but it's hard because it's very tedious. And sitting in front of a computer all day will make you want to...well let's just say I understand that movie Office Space. So if I'm being honest I've spent the last two years being a little depressed. Sometimes a lot depressed. Apparently this thing is pretty common. You get out of school and have all these adults telling you that life is over, it will suck and then you die. College days were the best years of your life and if you didn't enjoy them to the fullest that was just too bad. Not too happy prospects there. Wow, makes me want to live. Blah...

So I've spent the last two years trying to figure out how to do this crazy thing called life. I've had a lot of hit and misses. There were lost opportunities. Some regrets. Not anything too irreversible mind you but I feel like I've wasted a lot of time. I kept asking myself. What do I do now? This can't be it. This just can't be how life goes. All those jaded adults have to have it wrong. Right? But I certainly wasn't proving them wrong. I'd go to work, hope and pray I wouldn't go absolutely mad before the weekend, weekend came, ended too fast and then it started all over again. Uck! This was not good.

Ok but enough doom and gloom.

I finally started this blog (due to a family member's nudge) because for the first time since that point I've started having fun. And I think it shows. I stopped saving all my hard earned money that I kept squirreling away in order to escape somewhere. Thankfully I dodged that bullet and didn't move somewhere just to find I'd brought my old boring self along with me. Instead I've started doing things that are fun and learning about things that are truly and utterly me.

Ok, now don't worry. I'm going to try and not make these blog posts about all about me. No one wants this to turn into a giant twitter fest. What I really want to do is write about all the things I've been discovering. Because gentle reader, the world is full of amazing things to discover. Even if you can't have them all, or they don't bring you wealth, power or fame, enjoying them will lift your spirits out of the mire. At least that's what they've done for me. And I want to share that with you.

The following posts will mostly be about my discovery of my love for all things, Victorian, Neo-Victorian, Steampunk, Gothic and Art Nouveau. If you like any of these things then I can't wait to show you all that I've learned and found out about. And even if you don't like them you'll be surprised how much these historical trends have ebbed into our modern day world and enriched them.

For me, I always knew I liked this stuff but I couldn't put a name or face or time period to any of it. But now that I can it's like finding a cave in the recesses of my mind, taking a candle in there, lighting up and finding a treasure as vast as the one they found in the first Mummy movie. Only it's better because no one can steal it. Once you find out what you love and appreciate that your interests have immense value it's hard to find a more satisfying feeling.

Anyway, because this post is so long and if you've read through it you deserve a break. For a reward I am posting a link for Daily Squee. Daily Squee has nothing to do with what I'll be writing about but everyone should be exposed to some form of a cute furry animal at least once a day.

http://dailysquee.com

It's on the website: http://www.icanhazcheezburger.com which also has many fun and funny things to look and laugh at.

Seriously folks go check it out. To not be crushed by the seriousness of life we need to laugh, enjoy ourselves, stop carting around this cool grimness that seems to have become so fashionable. (I don't mean having fun at the expense of other's of course and believe me you can go overboard.) But the adults are right, life is short. And so we must make the most of our moments so we won't be missing out on all sorts of wonders!