HACKED. AGAIN.

THIS BLOG IS BEING HACKED FOR THE DAY.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

(intense gushing and tons of inside jokes and private awesomeness to follow; proceed at your own risk)

I know, I know.  Hacking one's friend's blog is slightly over-done in the world of teenage period drama bloggers, but it's always fun and I always manage to think of something new (or rather newish) to say, so why stop doing a good thing?  It's practically a tradition!  Anyway, today is the extremely auspicious occasion of Jane/Anna/Galannaley's birthday, so I had to hack her blog and write up a post to commemorate the day.  (Oh, and I also gave her blog a wintery makeover.  Yay or nay?)

Two birthdays.  I've now known Jane for two birthdays, and it's an AWESOME feeling.  We've been crazy together for all that time and it's fun to look back on all our friendship through the months.  Like the time Les Miserables came out on DVD and we both freaked out and sent each other long, feelsy emails.  Or the time I totally got her obsessed with Jack Cavanaugh's books and she returned the favour with Johnny Tremain and Betsy-Tacey.  Or when she'd watch episodes of BBC's Robin Hood and send me blow-by-blow emails about each and every one.  There have been tons of other instances of awesomeness but my mind goes blank whenever I try to specifically think of one. (oh, there was that time when we both spent an entire Skye session singing showtunes and fangirling/crying over Percy Hill...)  But just ask Jane.  She honestly astounds me with how she has the details of Skype sessions, chats, and emails cataloged in her mind - she remembers the smallest details, which is great :)

She's...

~the Anna to my Elsa

~the Hobbes to my Calvin

~the Watson to my Sherlock

~the Pascal to my Rapunzel

~the Piglet to my Pooh

~the Much to my Robin

~the Anne to my Diana

~the C-3PO to my R2-D2

~the Toothless to my Hiccup

~the Elinor to my Marianne

~the Bucky Barnes to my Steve Rogers

~the Jane to my Lizzy

~the Rab to my Johnny

~the Combeferre to my Enjolras

~the Percy Hill to my Johnny Morgan

[who don't have a picture, but SHOULD]

Basically, she's just plain amazing and I'm very, very, VERY proud to have her as my friend.

*HUGE CYBER-HUGS*

And have some cake!

HIPY PAPY BTHUTHDTH THUTHDA BTHUTHDY.

~Eva/Darcelsaba/Elsa

In Which I Steal An Idea From Numerous Other Bloggers

As seems to be my permanent state nowadays, I can't think of anything to post.  So, I'm going to copy everyone else--this is the Ask Me Anything Post.  If you are curious about me/my opinion on something, now is the time to ask it!  I reserve the right to not answer any questions I deem uncomfortable or too personal, &c., &c., but other than that anything goes.  The comment box opens now and stays open for two weeks (till the 20th).  So--here goes!

It Would Appear That No Author Has Ever Mentioned Sunflowers

 ...AKA I tried to find a witty way of saying I've been given the Sunflower Award, but couldn't find any Suitable Quotes.  Thanks for awarding me, Emily!  Without further ado, here are her questions...

1. Les Misérables or Pride & Prejudice?
Nooooo.  Nonononono.  I can't answer that. :D (Melody, I can hear you laughing...)
Hmmm, but on the other hand, I hate leaving these sorts of questions unanswered.  Sooooo...I choose Les Misérables.  For one thing, it has a better musical, and for another, I could give up Mr Darcy, but Enjolras?  Uh-uh.  Negative.  Not happening.

But lest I get mobbed by angry Janeites...I DO prefer Jane Austen to Victor Hugo.

2. Who is your favourite period drama gentleman? (P.S. Yes, Enjo is a gentleman in this case.)
Ehmmm...I think it would have to be...Mr. Tilney, because he's my favorite Austen hero and Austen heroes are my favorite gentlemen. ;)

 





3. Who is your favourite period drama woman/girl? (P.S. Not just 'heroines'.)
 Hum.  Well, as you might have guessed from my profile, I like Jane Bennet--she is indeed a "dear sweet girl".  I'm also rather fond of Eleanor Tilney and Cosette.



4. What period drama character would you like to meet in person, and why, and what would you say to them?
Oooh!  Um.  I can't decide! :D  Lizzy Bennet would be an obvious choice, because she would be a delightful conversationalist, but on the other hand...Georgiana Darcy would be nice too.  And I WOULD like to meet some of the Austen heroes, only I'd probably just get all tongue-tied and not be able to say anything to them at all. 
 




5. What period drama actor/actress would you like to meet in person, and why, and what would you say to them?

Oh my friends, my FRIENDS, don't aaaask me!  Ouch.  Samantha Barks would be nice, or Aaron Tveit, or Matthew Macfadyen so I can grumble at him about knights in pajamas Benedict Cumberbatch, or maybe Dan Stevens.  Because his Edward is amazing. :D

Ring Out The Bells...

Today is a very auspicious day for me and this blog.  Some of you may have already figured it out, but if you haven't--this is the first anniversary of Classic Ramblings!

I remember when I first started Ramblings, I was really excited for my first anniversary, planning out posts for it and thinking about how much I'd know about the blogging world by the time I'd been doing this for a year.  But really, I honestly didn't think I'd make it.  I figured that it would be a summer project, and then my interest would fade away as it generally does when starting new projects.

Well, that certainly didn't happen.

At first, it seemed that I was going exactly that direction.  I started out by posting every day, being absolutely over-the-moon thrilled when I got a comment, and pestering...erm, introducing myself to all those Bigger Blogs.

Then something happened.  Looking back, I'm honestly not sure what it was, or whether it was a combination of things, but I began to love blogging.  It wasn't just an experiment anymore--it was a journal of sorts, and a way for me to get to know other people who loved the same things I did.

And so now, starting on my second year of blogging, I'd like to say thank-you to every follower or commenter--you really do make my day sometimes.  Thanks especially to the early ones; I can't imagine what it was that you saw in my first several posts (seriously, just...don't read them), but your kind words were enough to make me want to do better.

I also have a thank-you to extend to the people who inspired me to blog in the first place--I cannot express the impact you've had on me, Amy and Melody.

And of course, this wouldn't be complete without some mention of the friendships I've formed over the past year.  They've become incredibly precious to me, and I consider it a great privilege to get to personally know some other Janeites over the internet--I'm so excited to continue my journeys with them over the next year!

Do I have any Big Plans for Classic Ramblings now that it's a year old?  Well, the short answer is no.  In the beginning, I aspired to be an Enormous and Influential blog, but that's another thing that's changed: I'm content just blogging in my little corner of the world, writing about anything that pops into my little head and totally disregarding the fact that this was supposed to be a Jane Austen/classic books blog. :P

All that said, I'm going to share some stats to end this post, because they're fun and I'm awful at endings...

Posts: 131 (this one included)
Followers: 40
Total Pageviews: 15,412

Events Hosted: A Short-Cut To Mushrooms (with Eowyn)
Three Most Popular Posts: Defending Enjolras (530 pageviews), Guest Post! (241 pageviews), Celebrated Musicals Week: The Songs of Les Misérables (176 pageviews)
Most Popular Search Keyword: "enjonine fanfiction"

Also, I'm going to blatantly copy dear Miss Woodhouse here and ask a question: how do you remember finding my blog?
And now that's over with...THANK YOUUUU again to everyone who's reading this, and I hope this next year will be an amazing one!

-Miss Jane Bennet

Time For Elevenses, Mr. Gruber!

 Serena of poetree nominated me for the Liebster Award!  Thank you, Serena! :)

The purpose of the Liebster Award is to recognize blogs with fewer than 200 followers. There are some rules:

~Thank and link back the person who nominated you 
~List eleven facts about yourself 
~Answer the eleven questions asked by the blogger who nominated you 
~Nominate 9 bloggers who have fewer than 200 followers (you can't nominate the blogger who nominated you)
~Ask them eleven questions
~Let them know of their nomination!

 My Eleven Facts:

~I love to do hair.  Especially Disney Princess hairstyles.
~In case you hadn't guessed already, Captain America is my favorite Avenger.  Actually, he's my favorite superhero EVAH.  Period, end of story.
~In that vein, Flynn Ryder is my favorite Disney hero (well, unless you count Tom Hiddleston).
~My favorite song from POTO is "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again".
~I love the books of E. Nesbit and Edgar Eager.
~For years, my favorite book--or rather, book series--was Betsy-Tacy.  You may be hearing more about that later this month.
~I HATE pickles.  And I don't especially like popcorn either...
~I've only read four books of Dickens'.  A Tale of Two Cities, Little Dorrit, The Pickwick Papers, and A Christmas Carol.
~My two favorite books of Marguerite Henry's are Black Gold and Born To Trot.
~ I am terrified of spiders.
~WWI is my favorite time period of American history.

My Answers:

• How long have you been blogging for?

 Ummm...*counts on fingers*  Approximately ten months and a half. ;)  And I've loved it for that long, too. =)

• Why do you blog?

 That's a question that would have been answered very differently when I first started blogging, and will doubtless be answered differently in the future.  But right now, I blog mostly because I enjoy it.  I love putting my thoughts down, I love that it challenges me to write better and find new ways to interest people, and perhaps most of all, I love the amazing people I've been introduced to through my blog.

• What do you find challenging about blogging?

Well, right now I'm still figuring things out, really: how much information to give out, what kind of post am I best at, when it's a good idea to follow/comment, and so on and so forth.  Probably the most challenging thing at the moment, though, is to try to make my writing engaging and interesting; sometimes I get either too enthusiastic or too dull, and I want my readers to enjoy my posts, so...

• Dark, milk, or white chocolate?

Ummm...well, I don't especially like milk chocolate generally, but I love milk hot chocolate for some reason.  I don't much like dark chocolate, either, so I suppose that just leaves me with white chocolate.  I don't actually like that too much either, though, so I think I'll just choose milk.  My favorite kind of chocolate, though, is mint.  In case you were wondering. :)

• Tea or coffee?

 TEA.  I love tea.  There are so many different kinds (including chocolate tea, for those who like it strong), it's so Regency-ish, and I love fancy teacups and teapots (though I also enjoy some of the patterns on coffee mugs, so that goes both ways).  Also, coffee does not do my health any favors. :P

• What is your favorite tree species?

Tree species??  Um, I like apple and cherry trees.  The blossoms are so pretty. 

 

• Who is your favorite poet? (Or singer/songwriter. They're poets.)

 Hm.  I like Hilaire Belloc; he's fun.  Who can resist a title like "Matilda: Who Told Lies and Was Burned To Death"? :D  I suppose that when serena asked this question, she did not intend for me to write a ten-page essay on Why I Like Michael Ball, so I'll just leave it at that. :P

• What do you enjoy doing on a sunny day?

 Pitching tents, playing tennis, sitting outside in a sunbeam reading, going barefoot, climbing trees...that sort of thing. ;)

• And on a rainy day?

 Staring bleakly out a window, muttering about being bored with my life (points if you get that reference.  I actually haven't seen the movie or read the book, but I've certainly seen the trailer many, many times.  But only because it plays before Sherlock. :P), reading curled up next to a fire, drinking hot chocolate, watching a nice, feel-good movie like Les Mis (KIDDING, peoples), and I also enjoy splish-splash-sploshing.  Because it's fun to act like a little kid once in awhile. ;)

• What's your favorite book genre?

 Jane Austen. :P  But seriously, I have so many favorites...I even like the occasional romance (like I said, JA)!  I love historical novels especially, though, and childrens' classics. :)

• Do you know how to play any musical instruments? If so, which one(s)? If not, are there any you'd like to play?

I play violin, as most of you know.  I'd like to learn viola someday, and I sometimes plink out tunes on the piano.  Also, I sing/hum/whistle incessantly.  That's about it. 

 My Nominees:
GreenMedallion of Green Medallion
Monica of Spilled Ink
Maddie Rose of The Madd Rose
Kate of Her Own Thoughts And Reflections
Anna of A Cowgirl and a Dream
Evie Scott of A Period Drama Fangirl
Kiri Liz of Lianne Taimenlore
Sydney Summers of Ramblings from a Les Misérables Fanatic
Sierra Bailey of A Burst of Many Colors

My Questions:
~What movie genre is your favorite?
~Do you like musicals?  If so, list a few favorites.
~Favorite modern author?
~Do you prefer reading a paperback or hardback book?
~Favorite time period in history?
~Least favorite food?
~Do you have any historical role models?  If so, who and why?
~Fictional character who's most like you?
~Do you ever take personality quizzes?  If so, list a few of your favorites.
~Favorite book when you were little?
~Thoughts on Kindles?

-Miss Jane Bennet

Happy April!

Hello hello hello, everybody!  Good grief, I've been away for quite a long time, but now my blogger's block is gone, so here I am and hopefully nobody's too angry at me.
Anyways!  Thank you to everyone for your very helpful suggestions.  I will be using many of them in the weeks to come, and the person whose ideas I used will be credited.  To start, I'm modifying one of AnElvenPrincess's thoughts a bit and letting you all know what I've been up to lately, because those posts always interest me.

~Reading~

Make that tea. ;)

I've been reading a variety of books lately, from French-translated-into-German-which-I'm-translating-into-English books (more on that in a bit) to old favorites such as Johnny Tremain to beta-reads to one not-so-good (putting it mildly) book, the title of which I won't disclose. :P  The main thing I've been "reading" lately is The Little Prince--or rather, Der Kleine Prinz.  Yes, this is the aforementioned German book.  It was recommended to me by a friend recently, so I decided to attempt a translation.  Right now it looks more like the Google Translate version of "Let It Go" than anything else (no, I haven't been using Google Translate--okay, maybe a little :P), but hopefully it ends up being somewhat intelligible.

~Watching~

Mostly Sherlock, actually.  After a Very Long Hiatus from it because of the creepiness of "The Great Game," I'm watching it again and next up is "The Reichenbach Fall".  Yes, I am prepared to cry.  We got Frozen recently on DVD, so I've seen that twice more since I reviewed it. (I HAVE NO OBJECTIONS.  Speaking of Frozen, I now ship Hans/Elsa, or Elsan.  My Frozen sister--note the capital F :P--and I have been coming up with theories about this for quite awhile now.) Also, I've been watching some Scooby-Doo episodes because they're fun and rewatching Star Wars.  Have I mentioned yet that I love SW?  Because I do.

~Writing~

Actually, not much.  My NaNo novel has pretty much stalled, and my writing inspiration has gone wherever my blogging ideas did--only it hasn't come back. *le sigh*  Also, I've been pinning lots of writing things.  Because, um, it inspires me. :P  I have, however, been writing emails by the dozen and may or may not have some unfinished posts in my Drafts folder. ;)  I'm also working on two Secret Projects with other bloggers, which shall be revealed in time.

~Learning~

How to embroider (I got to do something Tangled-themed a few days ago, which was fun ;)), all about Napoleonic France, water color painting, how to get Skype to work when it's being Evil and Uncooperative, why one should never stay up too late for many nights in a row, and the delights of having a best friend.

~Laughing~

At overly romantic swoons, Calvin and Hobbes cartoons, silly improvisation while acting, parodies of "Let It Go," the delightful hilarity of P. G. Wodehouse, the Amusing Antics of one Sherlock Holmes, adorable babies, and Very Loud Singing.

~Fangirling~

This is one of the main reasons I haven't been posting lately, actually.  It's all the fault of Certain People who start irresistible chats about a Certain Movie That Came Out Today (*frowns threateningly*).  Actually, I don't mind one whit.  I've been having more fun waiting for Captain America: The Winter Soldier than really makes sense. :D  Also, I've been rediscovering Les Mis; I haven't been "into" it much lately and I'd forgotten how much I love it. :)  VIVE LA ENJOLRAS! :D

~Listening~

 As I mentioned before, I've been listening to Les Mis.  Besides that, I've also been re-introducing myself to Cinderella (2013), playing Wicked/Frozen/both (some of the W/F crossover fanvids are really amazing, btw) almost non-stop, and acquainting myself with the music of Captain America: The First Avenger and its sequel.

So basically, life has just been its normal (at least for me ;P) self for the past month or so.  That's not to say it hasn't been delightful.  I certainly haven't been doing much in the way of Great Works, but I've grown closer to God, family and friends, had some pretty awesome experiences, and just enjoyed life.  It's been kind of nice, having a short break from blogging, but don't worry, I'm not quitting--coming back makes me realize that I have missed it quite a lot (no, it means don't get shot. :P).  So here's some virtual chocolate (fine, yes, you can have mint chocolate, Pascal) for all my AMAZING followers, commenters, and even Shady Blog Stalkers.  I'm so glad you consider my posts worth your time. :)

-Miss Jane Bennet

The Well of Inspiration Has Dried Up

Hello to everyone!  I have been rather absent from the blogging world lately, which has a simple reason behind it: I have *no* idea what to post.  Therefore, I'm going to take a page out of Melody's book and ask my lovely readers for ideas.  If you have something you would like me to ramble on about, or a question (if it's not too personal), please comment on this post and let me know.  The comment box will close on March 30th, and I will make it a goal to write on at least three of the ideas during the month of April. 
I'm not quite sure how to end this rather dull post, so I guess I'll just end it here. :P  Cheerio!

The Sunshine Award

Natalie of Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens has awarded me!  Thank you, Natalie! :)

Now, without further ado, here are my answers to her questions.

1. What would you do on a rainy (but not stormy) day?

Ummm...I like to sit against a window and read or watch the rain fall.  (I also still sometimes race the raindrops...don't judge. :P)  Running around outside is nice too, and pretending that one is a Very Fine Lady with an umbrella...er, parasol. :P

2. Heels or flats?

Flats.  I can't stand heels.

3. Is there any particular music/song that ever gives you chills from the beauty or inspiration of it?

"Let It Go" would be a big one, as well as "Defying Gravity".  Also, "Do You Hear the People Sing?," "Never Say Goodbye," and "Amazing Grace".

4. Would you find a mud battle hilariously fun or positively gross?

Positively gross till I got into it, and then I'd probably have a lot of fun. 

5. Is there anything you feel God has taught you over the past year?

That He's always there, and that His peace is yours for the asking.   I've been struggling with some anxiety issues, and the moment when I realized that "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding" could be mine...that was huge.

6. Favorite sidekick/best friend character from literature?

Really???  Why???  Gahhh...I can never answer this question.  Combeferre from  Les Mis, Galinda from Wicked, Tacy and Tib from the Betsy-Tacy books, and Bucky from Captain America are a few of the biggest ones.  Oh, and Pascal from Tangled. :D

7. What do you like to do for exercise?

I used to run, but I don't do it much anymore.  Let's see...I like to ride my bike, and ride horses, and pretend to be Enjolras flopping over a barricade, and run up and down the stairs dramatically singing, "Down Once More" or "Let It Go".  Haha...

8. A favorite movie/TV show nobody would expect you to like?

That depends on who it is that's not expecting it. :P  Let's see...um...I guess it might come as a surprise to some people that I quite like Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu. It kind of surprises ME that I like it, so...

9. E-mailing, telephoning, texting, or snail mail?

I don't text at all, so that's out--and I'm not much good at calling people on the phone--so I'd have to say...it's a toss-up between email and snail mail.  Emailing is much quicker, but letters are more personal.  I guess I'd say letters as personal preference, but I use email more 'cause it's so convenient.

10. Describe your dream dress:

Ummm...haha, I've never really thought too much about that.  Something Regency-ish, and maybe light pink or violet, with silver...and puffed sleeves!  We love puffed sleeves. ;)  That aside, I do love Flounces and Frills and skirts that spin out when you twirl.

11. Favorite Biblical name?

For girl names...I've always liked Miriam and Esther and Ruth.  For boys, I like Isaac and Ezra and Aaron.  Okay, so maybe that was more than one...

My Nominees:

Eva of Ramblings of a Janeite

Monica of Spilled Ink

Eowyn of Inklings Press

Melody of Regency Delight

Sierra of A Burst of Many Colors

Questions for the Nominees:
~Do you play an instrument, and if so, what? (And what's your favorite song to play?)
~Dream vacation?
~What's the time period you most like to read about?
~If you could steal one character's wardrobe for a day, whose would you pick and why? (Bonus question: where would you go in your new clothes?)
~Do you sew, and if so (sink me!), what?
~Do you write or read poetry much?
~What Jane Austen character do you think would be the easiest/most fun to swap places with?
~Thoughts on tea?
~Favorite funny quote?
~Has any book completely surprised you with its quality (i.e. have you ever read a book that you thought would be bad and turned out to be good, or vice versa)?
~What's your favorite imaginary creature (if you have one)?

-Miss Jane Bennet

Sunflower Blogger Award

 I have been nominated by Livia Rachelle for the Sunflower Blogger Award!  Thank you!  I'm not very good at thinking up introductions, so I'll just jump right in.

Rules
1. Share 11 facts.
2. Answer nominator's questions.
3. Set your own questions.
4. Nominate 11 more bloggers.

My Eleven Facts
1. I can knit, but I usually only knit bookmarks, and I used to know how to crochet.
2. I cannot resist getting sweatshirts/sweaters if I find a nice one.
3. I slightly prefer Tangled to Frozen.
4. One of my favorite authors is Jack Cavanaugh.
5. I rarely get plot bunnies that don't just peter out and die, but when I do, they usually turn into an immensely detailed outline of a book that I can't get out of my head.
6. I've always wanted to play viola, though I have no problems with violin.
7. One time, I pulled out a tooth that was barely loose because I was wiggling it while reading an exciting book.
8. I tend to keep up running commentaries during movies and squeal and jump around during the exciting/scary parts.
9. I still find Scooby-Doo hilarious.
10. I find the time period of WWI fascinating.
11. I'm a huge Star Wars nerd.

Livia Rachelle's Questions:
~What are your favorite juvenile/Y.A. fiction favorites?
Ummm...I like the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books, Freddy the Pig and its sequels, A Horse of Her Own, the Timber Ridge Riders books...ugh, my brain hurts. :P
~Thoughts on cosmetics, conventional, natural, none?
None.  I really know nothing about it.
~Would you homeschool your own children and how serious a decision is this for you?
Yes, I think I would.  I guess it would depend on the circumstances, but it'd be a pretty big decision.
 ~How do you feel about reading fad novels when they are popular such as Eragon, The Hunger Games, and The Book Thief? Do you discern serious differences in quality amongst them? Have you ever read and loved some before or after they were a fad?
Fad books.  I don't like reading them while they're a fad, because then it's kind of like I'm *just* reading them because everyone else is, not because they're actually going to benefit me.  However, I did read Eragon before it was really popular, and I read the sequels to it before I knew it was popular. ;)  I've never read THG, and don't really plan to, but I did try Divergent and found it to be a bad book, really.  The Book Thief is very well-written, whereas Eragon is less so, so I suppose that there are both amazing and awful books that are popular.
~If you could learn any language (fantasy, real and living, obscure, dead or dying) which would you learn?
Ooh...French, maybe?  Or British. ;)  I'd like to learn Quenya as well, because then I wouldn't need the little captions during LotR.
~If you could change your name to any name (again fantasy or real or obscure) what would it be?
Ahhhh...I don't know!  I like "Galadriel," but I don't think it suits me.  "Hermione" is too mainstream *adjusts hipster glasses*, "Galinda" is just ridiculous, ditto for "Eponine"...I wouldn't mind being named Elsa.  Or Jane.  Wow, I'm boring...ooh!  I wouldn't mind being called Cosette, either. =)


My Questions to the Nominees
~What's your favorite flower?
~Thoughts on dessert (favorite, least favorite, &c.)?
~Preferred method of reading books?
~Name the book/movie/TV character you'd most like to marry (and think real life, not just because they're heroic)?
~What's the fandom you most enjoy being in?
~ Have you ever tried to deduce someone like Sherlock Holmes, and if so, what was the result?

And I don't know if any blog I follow hasn't been nominated yet, soooo...if you're wearing pink right now, you've been awarded. ;)  Do please let me know if you do the tag.

-Miss Jane Bennet

Hippo Birdie Two Ewe...or Something Like That

Today, I wish to talk about a particular person, who has a birthday this month and totally deserves a huge celebration.

Her name is Eowyn. (Well, of course that's not her real name, but I don't think she wants her real name broadcast to the world, so...)  She blogs over at Inklings Press, and she's a simply wonderful girl.

Eowyn and I "met" in early September when she emailed me about a fanfiction I'd offered on my blog.  It took awhile to get the fanfic sent in a format that she could read it in, so we got to know each other a little better while doing that.  We started to talk about writing, and I told her I'd read The Box (which, by the way, is amazing; if you haven't read it, you should), and she asked if I would like to read the first five chapters of her novel, and we went from there.

It's been so amazing, getting to know her over the past few months.  There's quite an age difference between us, but somehow, it doesn't seem to matter when we're emailing or talking.  She was there for me during NaNo with snippets from her own novel and quotes from Newsies when I had 7k words to make up.  Every email from her is full of fun, encouragement and fangirling.  We have nicknames and inside jokes and shared fandoms and our emails have this weird habit of getting longer and longer. ;)

She's taught me a lot about friendship.  I thought that to be best friends with someone, you had to be the same age, be of the same opinion about anything and everything, talk to each other every five minutes.  I learned that that is certainly not true.  We have differences of opinion and we don't live anywhere near each other (SADNESS), and yet, she's one of the closest friends I've ever had.  Our debates are full of hilarity.
She's amazingly enthusiastic about her fandoms, and her fangirling puts mine to shame.  She knows quite a bit about her fanships as well--FARAMIR, Les Mis, Phantom, Wicked...if she loves it, she does research, and the breadth of the knowledge she has of some of those things amazes me.

She knows a LOT about this guy, let me tell you. ;)

 I don't know how we manage it, but the huge projects we plan always come together with both of us working on them.  Like this party.  And this piece.  And we have two or three other projects in the early planning stages...
She's always cheerful, and she has a vast array of quotes that she uses in any and all situations (and makes me squeal with delight).  I love talking with her in any way, shape or form.
Also, she's just a lovely Christian girl.  We can talk about marriage, beauty, God, &c. and that's been really helpful for me sometimes.  I love to discuss things like Les Mis or Lord of the Rings from a Christian viewpoint.

Her writing is simply breathtaking; the snippets and chapters I've read from her books only make me more eager to read the rest.  Her characters just pop out at me and become real, and the descriptions can make me feel like I'm in the room, cheering the main character on. 

And now, I suppose there's only one thing left to say, which is HAPPY (late) BIRTHDAY, EOWYN, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING MY LOVELY, WONDERFUL FRIEND!!!

This isn't quite true...but it was too good to pass up. ;)

I'm Back

Yes, I'm back.  Back from a weekend full of wading in freezing cold water, taking pictures, building bonfires, roasting marshmallows, and having a wonderful time in general.  (I also washed a lot of dishes, but I'm not going to talk about that.  :D)
Well, I had a fun time reading through four days' worth of blog posts, and I found out that I've been tagged/awarded twice.  So I'll do that today.

Rules

• When you receive the award, link back to All Things Good and the blog that nominated you (Revealed in Time and Abilaine Cottage)
• Display the award button in the post
• Answer all of the 12 questions given in this post (Do not make your own questions)
• Nominate 8 bloggers
• Notify them that they have been awarded

Questions:

1. What made you decide to start blogging?

  I am a crazy, hopeless fangirl and blogging was a way to be able to ramble and talk about it.  It's gotten to be more than that, though.  I've made some friends and blogging has become a part of my life.  It's brought me closer to God and my family and I've learned some important lessons. 
2. What is your fashion style?

Ummm...do I have one?  I don't know...I like comfy clothes and I like to look nice if possible.

3. What is something none of your followers know about you?

I enjoy going to flea markets, even though I rarely buy anything.

4. What are some of your blogging goals?

The main purpose of this blog is talking about classics, of course, but I want each of my posts to inspire or cheer the people who read them.  My lesser goals...having a larger community on my blog and making new friends.

5. Where is your favorite place to shop?

BOOKSTORES.  I don't enjoy shopping for clothes that much.

6. What would your ideal amount of blog followers be?
I don't know...not really a specific amount.  Some.  Preferably some who comment a lot.

7. What are your talents?  

Imagining wild things, writing, reading, playing violin, baking.

8. Are you a leader or a follower?

By nature I'm a follower, but I'm the oldest of seven, so I have to be a leader a lot. 

9. What is one of your favorite quotes?

 Only one? This is cruel...
Maybe this one:

"There is nothing like a dream to create the future."

And a funny one:

"Wheee! Don't know commandeer, but it sound pretty harsh to me."
"It is a way you cook things," said Johnny solemnly.

10. Do you have a favorite book or book series?
Les Miserables
Emma
The Book of Books series 

11. Out of all of the synonyms for elegant, which would you describe yourself with (smart - stylish - dressy - graceful - dainty - fine)?

Well, I'm certainly not smart in the elegant way, being more of a dreamer, and I'm not stylish or dressy, and I'm not especially graceful, and I'm too tall to be dainty, so I guess I'm fine.

12. What is your favorite flower?

 I love Black Lace elderberries.








It doesn't look like anybody has been nominating eight, so I'm just nominating two people, even though I'm sure they've already been awarded a lot:
Melody
Miss Dashwood

Farewell, Adieu...

...for the weekend.  My family is going on a vacation this weekend for Labor Day and we won't be back till Tuesday, so I probably won't be able to post or anything until Wednesday.  If you comment, follow, etc. and I don't seem to respond, I'm not ignoring you- I'm on vacation. :)
Have a great Labor Day, everyone! :)

Another Quick Note

As I'm sure most of you have noticed, my blog got a major makeover thanks to Eva of Ramblings of a Janeite!  She did an awesome job- I absolutely love the new design.  Please let me know how you like it!
Thank you so much, Eva!! :)
-Miss Jane Bennet

You May Have Noticed...

...That I changed my header and background.  The old one didn't work very well.  However, I'm not sure if I should stick with this new one or change it up more.  Please let me know in the comments what you think- I need advice! :)
-Miss Jane Bennet