Road to Avonlea

Most everyone knows about Ann Anne Shirley and the whole Avonlea thing. It's such a fun series and the costumes are wonderful. I've been out for that 'Gibson girl' hairstyle for years. You would not believe how hard it is to get your hair to stand up full and thick like this! Seriously.

I've tried soo hard for this look.

And I just can't get it.  

It could be my terror of 'teasing' my hair. Even for this look, I. will. not. tease. my. hair. 

But I should be able to get the same effect without doing that, right?

How hard can it be? 

Surely you just brush  your hair a little.

And Poof it a little.

And pin it a little....Waa-laa!

Er...no. That can't be right. *Clears throat uncomfortably.* I must have done something wrong...*Shoves hairpin in a little further.*

Never mind, I wasn't going to talk about Anne's hair anyway-lovely as it is.

 I was going to talk about the "Road to Avonlea" series.

It is awesome.

Just so I don't mislead you, I'm going to say right off that it really isn't like Anne Shirley movies. It's only the same insofar as it takes place in the same town. No Anne. No Gilbert. I know...*Sniff* 

But there is Gus Pike. 

I'm not going to lie. He's my favorite character and my main reason for loving this show. More about that later.

Season one starts off about a little girl called Sara Stanley who has to leave her home in Montreal and live with her Aunts in Avonlea whom she's never even met. She's hates it at first (and you can't really blame her) but she slowly makes friends and begins to enjoy living in this beautiful little town. 

Since there is no trailer for any of the season, we here insert theme song.

                       

There are seaven seasons and the plot does change and grow. I think the first few years are my favorite. The characters are still really young and doing crazy, stupid things that kids do. It's great! I love the cast and the children are all really good actors/actresses.

(Did I mention I love these kinds of cloths?)

My only complaint is that, every now and then as the show goes along, you'll get one of those kind of annoying episodes where the characters don't really act like themselves. This is something that I see pretty commonly in TV shows and it always irks me. You're like, "Hang on! That would totally not have happened. Jump the shark, jump the shark!" But other than that, they are really delightful and I am slowly collecting the whole series. 

And then there's Gus.

Okay, here's my real reason for this post. 

You hardly ever find a character as interesting and as awesome as Gus Pike. * Squeal!*

He is sort of a no-where man-- a wanderer-- when he first shows up. He has no family. He's a loner. But then he finds Avonlea and begins to feel he has found a home. 

The sad news is that he doesn't actually come into the show until the second season. And that is so long to wait! But then he sticks around, off and on for the rest of the series. I swear though, there is never is never enough Gus Pike. 

Here's one of my all time favorite Gus Pike scenes. This is when he first comes into the show and it makes more sense if you've seen the whole episode. *Squeal!* Still, it's pretty great on it's own.

If you're a fan of period drama, give these a shot. You'll probably enjoy them. I will caution that are two or three episodes that are a little more 'adault.' Not in a bad way. Just in a, "Oh, that was more than I was expecting," sort of way. For instance, there are two different episodes that have to deal with childbirth and it's a little scary. So...just a heads up. 

If you watch these for no other reason than you love period costumes, beautiful scenery, you will not be disappointed. 

If you love watching little kids to crazy, naughty, and sometimes just plain dumb things, you will not be disappointed. 

If you are watching them for Gus Pike, you will not be disappointed.

God Bless
Amy

Saturday Style

Happy Saturday, Everyone!

So for this style, you do the ponytail flip style (make sure you start it as a high pony. It will relax and slide down a bit.) but instead of just flipping your pony once, you're going to keep going,  flipping till only the ends of your hair are left. Then you tuck the ends and pin them in place. And it looks so nice. :) It reminds me of a Spanish Dancer type style. That might just be the big red flower. *Hmmmm.*

I really want to see this show. I came across the trailer a little while ago and I think it looks like it could be  pretty awesome. The idea really intrigues me. I mean, what would happen to the world if all power just stopped and didn't come back on? Plus, the Uncle looks super cool. *Grin.* All that sword fighting action...and those wicked crossbows! Sweet! I believe it's already airing on TV but I don't have cable so I'll have to wait till it's out on DVD. It's kinda a bummer. But then I can keep tabs on how the show's doing and if they don't get permission for a second season I wont already be hooked on the first. :) 

I'm almost done with my big sewing project. :-) I just have to do buttons and button holes. It's that split skirt I mentioned some posts ago. I've been working on it on and off for the last few weekends and I'm rather pleased with the way it's looking. The thing with sewing is, I get burned out pretty easily and I leave half-done projects sitting for months! It's terrible. I started a grey skirt back in-oh let me see. January? And it's basically done. I just need to do hemming and buttons. *Note to self. Finish that project. A grey skirt would be a welcome addition to my wardrobe.* I don't know why it's always the last bit that just does me in. I mean, the hard parts are done! Silly me. I will get the split skirt done as soon as possible and then I might post some pictures and gloat a little. Mrhrhrhr. 

Well, cheers! I'm going to make a little batch of cookies for tomorrow. I always like to have a cookie-maybe two- with my coffee on Sunday morning. It's ever so lovely!

God Bless!

Amy

Blog Award

I have been awarded! Oh my! 

                                                              


These are the RULES! (Rules are simply made to be broken...Just saying.)
1. You must post eleven facts about yourself.
2. You must also answer the eleven questions the awarder has given you and make up eleven questions for your awardees to answer in turn.
3. Tag eleven fellow bloggers
4. Notify them that you've awarded them
5. No tagging back
6. And the eleven blogs you tag must have less than 200 followers.

Lucky me, I was awarded by two other bloggers.

Occasional Randomness

An At Home Daughter

So I will answer half of Treskie's questions and Half of Kimberly's. That seems fair. And let's face it, 22 quesstions would take me forever. *Grin.* 

Without further ado, Eleven Facts about Myself. *Ahem* Right.

1.) I did martial arts -Aikido- for almost a year and succeeded in getting my first belt before circumstances and life in general sort of got in the way of this pursuit. (Plus, it was a non-violent martial art, which is all well and good, but I likes a little bit of violence in my fighting. *Bats eyelashes innocently*.

2.) I can drive a stick-shift. Go me. :)

3.) I love 'Old Time Radio Shows.' Richard Diamond, Private Detective is my favorite. 

4.) I really like gummy bears.  (I really like skittles too, but I get a sugar high almost immediately...even on ONE skittle. A sugar-highed me is a little overwhelming for the general public. My family included. :)

5.) I have a burning ambition to learn how to pick locks. My own and anybody elses. *Mrhrhrhrhr.*

6.) I am a devoted fan of Pixar movies. The have some of the best stories ever. *Raise your hand if you wept buckets over UP.)

7.) I intend to dig an escape tunnel from the attic to Freedom! (Brownie points to anyone who knows what I'm talking about here. )

8.) My tree-climbing skills were the envy of every boy in my neighborhood. And my bow making skills. And my cape. I was pretty awesome.

9.) I would love to learn, hands on, much more about cars. So. when I own my own car, I will be Prepared.  This book is actually very very cool for that.

10.) I haunt the singing classes at the local community college. Singing is my favorite thing in the whole wide world and I am the most inspired by music. (You might have already know that, but hey!)
11.) One of my singing goals is to learn this song. It is awesome. I'm not saying that I want to be an Opera singer. I'm just saying I want to be that good. Ya know. I want to be able to say, "Oh yeah. I can sing an aria. No problem. LOL.
                            

Okay, now for some of Treskie's questions. 

1.) Who's your favorite musician and why?

Oh..that's kinda hard actually. But I'm going to go with James Galway. Nobody plays the flute like that man does. It's awesome! Take this version of Pachabel's Cannon for example. 

                            

2.) Do you think the Beatles overrated?
Yeaaaaah...they were okay. There are a few songs that they do that I kinda like. But I mostly don't like them.  And their later stuff was not so good. At all.
3.)Did you ever want to be a Ginger?
I admit Yes. I did. Red hair is super pretty! I like the dark, brownish-red but not really the blondish-red.
4.) QUICK! PICK A NUMBER BETWEEN ONE AND TEN! Why did you pick that number? Why? WHY?
 Ten. It's such a nice, round, even number. (I've been watching too many episodes of Monk.)
5.) How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Well, it depends on three factors.
~The woodchuck's desire to chuck said wood.
~The woodchuck's need to chuck the aforementioned wood.

~The woodchuck's ability to chuck the wood when it's a wood chuck.
6.) The started the American Navy?
John Paul Jones! "I have not yet begun to fight!" (How cool is that? Yes, I'm a bit of a history freak.)

And now I'll do 6-11 of Kimberly's.

6.) How do you prefer your eggs cooked.
I like my eggs poached.Like Julia Child did it.
7.) Have you ever heard of the Weston A. Prince Foundation?
Er...no. I'm not gonna lie. :)
8.) Tea or Coffee?
And I say, "Is it too much to ask for both?" I like coffee in the morning and tea at night.
9.) Mild chocolate or dark chocolate?
DARK! Dark, dark, dark! Soooo dark.
10.) Have you ever gotten lost and called it an adventure?
Lost? ME? Well...yes. And I've called it many things. *Grin.* Depending on which 'lost' occasion we're talking about, some of them have been titled adventures. Most of them were simply called inconveniences.
11.) How do you feel about frogs?
That depends entirely on the frog.

There you have it. I hope you enjoyed that.
Now if you recall, I said that the Rules were made to be broken. I said that because I simply don't have anyone, let alone eleven anyones to tag. I do apologize. That's what happens when several of your sisters have blogs too and beat you to the whole tag thing. *Nods knowingly.* 

Again, thank you two for awarding me!
God Bless
Amy

Saturday Style

*Sheesh!* Saturday does sneak up on a person, don't it? Why does it feels like the weekend is never long enough, but at the same time it feels like it's always here? That doesn't make any sense. What sort of strange world is this anyway? Or am I just loosing my mind...we've all suspected as much anyway. *Ramble, ramble, ramble.-Ahem.*  Oh yes! Hair post. Right.
This isn't a style really. I merely saw this picture and sort of fell in love with it. I don't know why. It's not anything special really. But it looks so pretty!

. 

My sister kindly let me fiddle with her hair for a while, tying this and that in it to see what I like and snapping a few hasty pictures. She was a good sport. 

(She says this bow looks like a ripped, tattered towel. I disagree.)

I do like the red one better though.

I realize that this was sort of a cop-out 'hairstyle' but, hey! 

This is video is cooler than a hairstyle anyway. (And No, I'm not trying to compensate for anything. *Grin*) I so have to follow this fellow's blog so if he ever does this again I can join in. It looks, and sounds, amazing.

                                  

God Bless!
Amy

"It seems like it may turn out to be,

feels, like it will undoubtedly,
looks, like a rather blustery day today."

It's just one of those brilliant days where it's cold enough for sweaters and slippers but not so cold to make a person cold.

Cold enough for cozy.

The sort of day where you just want to bake and write and drink lots of tea--british style.

The type of day where the leaves and pine needles get blown off the trees in a swirling rush and the clouds are dark and threatening.

The sort of day where you can listen to music loudly and sing your heart out.

The type of day where you can smell autumn on the wind and hope it rains.

The sort of day where the only meal that makes sense for dinner is potato soup and bread, steaming from the oven.

The type of day where that detective story you'be been pondering in the back of your mind seems real.

The sort of day where you can feel how beautiful life is. And thank God for it.

It's that sort of day.

Tonight will be the type of night to pop some popcorn, make some hot chocolate and watch a movie. It will be that sort of night...

God Bless
Amy

The awesomeness of Altoids

And a touch more art.

So. I was at the end of my little tin of Altoids and I noticed something. Something that really tickled my sense of wonder. (My sense of wonder is pretty easily aroused.)

       The little paper inside the tin had writing on it. Not the obvious stuff on top but on the bottom.

And it made no sense.

But then I got clever and folded it in half. And held it up to the light. Oo-De-Lally!

A MESSAGE!

I found a secret message in the bottom of a little tin of mints one of the most delightful things I've ever come across  It seriously made my day. As I say before, my sense of wonder is easily aroused.

Anyway.                

I've been in a very artsy mood lately. I doubt this drawing streak will last-it never does. But I am heartily enjoying myself, playing with pencils and doodling on any paper that happens to be on hand. It wont last, I promise you, and you'll not have to scroll through my doodles every time you pop on.

I've been practicing different angles. *Pats self on back.*

This one I like. He's sort of Sherlock-ish. And that makes me happy.

Tra-la. Well. There you have it. 

God Bless.

Amy