Jane Austen Festival Part 1

Here is the first post about the lovely time I had at the 6th Annual Jane Austen Festival in Louisville Kentucky. The festival is organized by the Jane Austen Society of Louisville and this is the third year I have attended.

Next year the festival is on July 19th and 20th. If you enjoy Jane Austen or historical costuming, then this is the event for you. It will be the 200th anniversary year for Mansfield Park (May 4th). 

I left with my boyfriend, Mr. H, for Louisville on Friday afternoon. I find driving down Saturday morning can be risky with traffic, plus it gives you a night to explore the city. We stayed at the Econo Lodge Downtown. It cost only $71 a night and was close to 4th Street Live. I would recommend this hotel for anyone on a budget, the rooms were small but manageable. Everything was clean and safe. Plus there is a Papa John's right across the street. This made for a great quick dinner before the ball on Saturday.

From Econo Lodge's Website

Dinner was spent at Ramsi's Café on the World on Bardstown Road. Ramsi's is amazing. Take someone that loves to travel the world and put all their interests on the walls and in the menu: that is Ramsi's. There are so many different choices of food. Plus most of the menu is vegan and vegetarian friendly.

Picture from TripAdvisor.com

Picture from ramsiscafe.com

After dinner, Mr. H and I strolled around Bardstown Road. The atmosphere is very electric and eccentric. There was a really interesting bookstore, Carmichael's Bookstore, connected to a coffee shop, Heine Brothers Coffee. Carmichael's offers a large selection of books for an independent bookstore. Plus the staff recommendations are amazing! I really enjoyed the ice tea at Heine Brothers, though the man looked at me like I was crazy when I ordered an unsweetened black ice tea.

Picture from carmichaelsbookstore.com

Picture from heinebroscoffee.com

At 7:00pm, the festival held an English Country Dance practice. This was Mr. H's first time country dancing, but he picked it up really well.

Mr. H and I (in the teal green maxi dress)
Picture belongs to Mark F. Rockstroh 

Dance Practice
Picture belongs to Mark F. Rockstroh

What are your favorite spots to visit in Louisville?

Part 2 of the Jane Austen Festival will be up soon.

Have a wonderful afternoon,

September 11th Lesson Plans

As many of you know, September 11th is a very important day and sad day in modern America. The terrorist attacks in 2001, kick started a chain of events that changed not only America, but the world forever.Each year, a new generation is born farther and farther away from this devastating attack and do not know a world before the wars with Afghanistan, Iraq, and now Syria.

Flags on my college campus for 9/11

As a future history teacher, it is important that I and other educators teach our students about September 11th and the consequences that followed the attacks. Below are a few lesson plans and activities that deal with September 11th. Please comment if you have ideas of your own!!

Kindergarten to 2nd Grade:

• Strategies on how to deal with grief: Reading the book Children Also Grieve and creating memory boxes or colleges. 
• What is a hero: Student will formulate what they believe a hero is, discover heroes in their own life, and relate this to September 11th by being read the book September 11 (We the People). 

3rd Grade to 5th Grade:

• A Lens into 9/11: Using photographs and student experiences as a guide to help students write about September 11th. 
• The heroic actions of passengers on Flight 93: Uses readings, voicemails from the passengers, and pictures to facilitate a discussion on what is a hero and how these passengers were heroes. Use this lesson for students to think what they would have done in this situation. 
• The Red Cross in the aftermath of 9/11: Students learn about the history of the Red Cross and their involvement with the aftermath of 9/11. There is an optional service project that teachers can do with their students.  

6th grade to 8th Grade:

• Islamist extremism in the last 20 years: Students research Islamic terrorist attacks of the last 20 years and look at the similarities to the attacks on 9/11. They research the beliefs of the terrorist and how these attacks affect the world as a whole.  
• Global responses to 9/11: Students compare the first three pages of the book September 11th, 2001. Students will read and analyze how global and national papers reacted to 9/11. They will create their own article on 9/11 from the perspective of another country. 
• Airport Security Vs. Civil Liberties: Students use articles, videos, and political cartoons to prepare for a silent debate on airport security and if it is protecting us or taking away or civil liberties. 

Do you agree that the attacks on September 11th should be taught in school? Are you a teacher and want to share what you have done in your classroom? Have anymore great ideas?
Please comment below!!

Have a wonderful afternoon,

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Party Ideas

There is officially 74 days and counting till the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who!!! I know many of you are having a viewing party too. Here are some of the ideas that I am planning on incorporating into my party.  Please feel free to share your ideas in the comment section.

Invitations: 

The invitations to the party will be styled after the blue invitations that the Doctor sends out in "The Impossible Astronaut". Random Creativity has a brilliant blog on how to make the invitations.
                             
                                   

Decorations:

The decoration I am going to spend the most time on is turning the front door into the TARDIS. I plan to make it out of blue wrapping paper, black electrical tape, and construction paper.

One can also put a lamented picture of the Face of Boe in a fishbowl. This would be a good table center or side decoration.

Picture from Milwaukeemakerspace

It would be fun to draw cracks in the walls or mirrors and write Bad Wolf in random places for people to find.

                         

                                   
                                                          Picture from Superliz6


This Cassandra and water spray bottle would be hilarious! "Moisturize Me!!!"

                                        


The 10th Doctor's hand in a Jar!

                                              

Food:

Fruits and Veggies consist of celery sticks for wearing not eating, bananas: because you should carry a banana, and apples with smiley faces.

                                                
                                           

                                                    Photo from Baking For The Office


The Appetizer will be the Flesh Queso dip in a body shaped cake mold.

The desserts will consist of Darlek cupcakes (wrapper covers can be found on etsy), Jelly Babies, Cakes with ball bearings on, Adipose Babies, Shortbread "fish" fingers and custard, Brownie Bowties, and Jammie Dodgers.
                                        
                                     
                                                     Darlek Photo by CharmingMadness                                                         
                                            Photo from Photo from Baking For The Office

                                         
                                     

                                          

                                                      Photo from brianofmorbius

                                          

                                          

Drinks:

The Eleventh Doctor's Screwdriver Drink: recipe can be found here.

                                                  

                                                        Photo from thedrunkenmoogl

The Doctor Who drink list

                                                 

Activities: 

There are many different activities one can do leading up to the show and during the show.

BBC has printable masks of the flesh, weeping angels, cherub angels, the silence, the master, ood, silurian, peg doll and smiler  if you click here. One can print these out for people to take pictures with or if someone forgot a costume.

You can create your own Pin The Bow Tie on the Doctor game. The closest one gets a small prize.

Photo from tinyscissortimes

During the show, your guests can play Doctor Who Bingo!

Photo from and find more boards at Craftster

What do you guys think of these ideas? Do you have any more to add to the list?

Have a wonderful afternoon,



*Note: These pictures are from Pinterest. I have tried my best to supply sources, but it can be hard with Pinterest. Please contact me if you are the original poster and would like me to source you.*

"Claremont" 1930s Oxfords Giveaway by American Duchess!!

Dear Readers,

Have you ever wanted to buy a pair of historically accurate shoes? American Duchess is an amazing shop that offers historically accurate shoes from the 18th Century to the 1920's. I recently bought "Hartfield" Regency Leather Boots in brown. They are gorgeous and I am so excited to wear them next year at the Louisville Jane Austen Festival.

American Duchess is currently offering a preorder for the newest shoe, the 1930s "Claremont" Oxfords, until September 22nd.

Here is a description of the shoe from the store's website.

"Claremont 1930s Oxfords in brown suede and patent leather are smart, sophisticated, and elegant, offering that extra something for your vintage look, be it for historical reenactment, or everyday wear.Developed from original '30s lace up shoes, the Claremont offers both comfort and style, with our perfectly balanced, 2 3/8 inch / 6.03 cm, custom made heels, and snazzy patent leather striping on the upper. Pair them with daywear of the late 1920s through early 1940s, for the perfect vintage outfit."

This would be a great shoe for any reenactor of the 1930's concerned with historically accuracy or someone that is looking to add some class to their wardrobe. Click here to take a look at this amazing shoe.

Have an amazing day,