Period Dramas, Blog Parties and Valentines Gone Wrong

We strive towards a larger goal... those little games don't count at all!

The picture placed strategically above these words has nothing to do with this post.  It simply informs the world that I have zero interest in football, a fact which you probably already knew, but I had to include that picture here because I burst out laughing every time I see it. (I am told that the Crows won the Super Bowl.  Or maybe it was the Rooks.  Some kind of large, flappy, ugly birds.  Whatever.)

At any rate, today I shall be answering the lovely Miss Laurie's Period Drama Challenge tag questions.  I signed up to participate in the PDC about a month ago, and the idea is simple: choose a certain number of period dramas to watch between January and July, and review each one.  They don't have to be films you've never seen before, but they do have to be films you've never reviewed before.  I chose to do 10 films, and though I haven't done any reviews yet (cough...) I'm participating in the tag because it looks fun.



1. What period dramas have you watched in January?

Jeeves and Wooster (season four), Lark Rise to Candleford (season one, almost done) and North and South (the whole thing).

2. Do you prefer period dramas peppered with humor or laced with dark emotions?

A combination of both.  Humor is always good ("TAKE IT, EAT IT") but I like a bit of drama now and again pretty much all the time.

3. What was the first period drama miniseries (two episodes or longer) that you ever watched?

Pride and Prejudice (1995).  I saw Anne of Green Gables long before that, but I'm not sure if that one really counts.

4. How many Jane Austen adaptations have you seen?

Nine.  P&P95, Sense and Sensibility (both recent versions), Persuasion (both recent versions), Mansfield Park (1983), Northanger Abbey (2007), Emma (1996 Miramax) and Emma (2009 BBC).  Oh, and I've seen the Wishbone episode "Pup Fiction" which is based on Northanger Abbey, but I don't suppose that counts.

5. What period drama, that you haven't seen before, are you most looking forward to seeing in the future?

Ivanhoe (1982).  My sister and I are planning to watch it next Saturday... I haven't read the book yet, but she has, and I know the basic story, and-- forget all that.  ANTHONY ANDREWS AND OLIVIA HUSSEY.
Ahem.

In other news...

Jessica is hosting a Literary Valentine contest over at her blog this week, and since I can't resist such things, I made a wee Les-Mis-themed entry.  I thought about making a Jane Austen card, but decided that I had more opportunity for humor with Enjolras, so... here ya go.

Yes, well, the poor chap's not the romantic sort.   (Kudos to people who can identify Patria.)

And to top it all off, Kellie is hosting her third annual Literary Heroine Blog Party! This will be my third year participating (the first year was when I had a private blog) and I'm quite excited.  Do hop over to her blog and take a peek at the festivities from February 16-28!

Today We Bring You Bits of Random

To begin with, Miss Laurie is hosting a Period Drama Don't Keep Calm contest over at Old-Fashioned Charm, and since contests are my one weakness, I couldn't resist entering.  My three entries are as follows...

Les Miserables

Pride and Prejudice (1995)

Northanger Abbey

The contest ends tomorrow night, so go enter!

In other news... Kellie over at Accordion to Kellie is hosting a special Black Friday giveaway--a gift card to her delightful Etsy shop, Kellie Falconer Design.  Check out this post for details on how to enter, and don't forget to stop by her adorable shop while you're at it!

It's that giveaway time of the year, I think, because Jenny and Abigail are co-hosting a birthday party for their respective novels, The Shadow Things and The Soldier's Cross.  They're answering questions, blogging about all sorts of novel-related things, and hosting a giveaway.  I've read both books, and I mean it when I say that you should too.  Go here for more details! 

 

Also, I guest posted on Elizabeth Rose's blog today.  "I'm a writer, and I know many of you are too.  I've been writing for almost as long as I can remember.  In the early years of my scribbling, the stories I hand-wrote on computer paper and stapled together all had at least one thing in common.  And that was, to put it bluntly, plagiarism..." (Go here to read the rest.)

Lat but not least, I'll be popping up on Charity's blog tomorrow as a guest poster for her musicals week as well, so don't forget to go there if you get a chance.  (Anyone wanna guess which musical I'll be rambling about?) And since I won't be back on here until this weekend at the earliest, a happy Thanksgiving to you all!

What have you been up to this week?

Period Drama Trivia Quiz ... Answers!

And we have six winners!  Congratulations to Melody, Kiri Liz, Jessa Bri, Rachel, Margaret Hale and Marguerite Blakeney, who earned 24 points apiece.

The quote "I have now said quite enough, madam, so... good hunting!" is a two-parter.  The first phrase comes from Pride and Prejudice 1995, spoken by none other than Fitzwilliam Darcy in the Failed Proposal Scene.  The second phrase is originally from The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling but is also quoted in The Story of the Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbit (one of the best children's books out there).

1. What does Mr. Guppy call Esther Summerson?
a) "My angel."
Do we need any further commentary? :D
(Bleak House)

2. Why does John Ridd get dressed up in his good clothes on a weekday?
b) "No reason."
Boring answer, I think we all agree.
(Lorna Doone)

3. What kind of food does Hyacinth Clare find vulgar?
a) Cheese
As Scullery Maid pointed out, it is the whole of society minus Tom and Polly that find peanuts vulgar.
(Wives and Daughters)

4. What makes Mr. Bingley special in Mrs. Bennet's eyes?
d) His 5,000 a year.
"And he has FIVE THOUSAND a year!"
(Pride and Prejudice)

5. According to Squire Hamley, an engagement is not...
b) an elephant.
"Did I say an engagement was an elephant, mum?"
(Wives and Daughters)

6. According to Lizzy Bennet, what is a happy thought indeed?
a) shelves in the closet
"Shelves in the closet.  Happy thought indeed."
(Pride and Prejudice

7. What did John Chivery want inscribed over his ashes?
c) The name "Amy"
"Here lie the mortal remains of John Chivery, never anything worth mentioning..."
(Little Dorrit)

8. Complete this quote: "Look back..."
a) "Look back at me."
And of course, she didn't look back.  Heartless Margaret.  I would have.  (Thank you my dear, I think we have all apprehended that much...)
(North and South)

9. Why doesn't Mrs. Potter want tradesmen in the house?
a) They carry dust.
"I don't want tradesmen in the house, they carry dust."
(Miss Potter)

10. What epithet should be used to summon Mrs. Forrester's runaway cow?
c) "Bessie dearest"
The best part of this scene is the look on Major Gordon's face.
(Cranford)

11. What does Colonel Brandon offer Edward Ferrars?
d) A living in Delaford
Actually, it's poor Elinor who's stuck doing the offering.
(Sense and Sensibility)

12. What does Marguerite Blakeney drop in the library?
a) Her earring
"How careless of you to have dropped it."
(The Scarlet Pimpernel)

Thanks for playing, everyone!  This was such fun!

Period Drama Trivia Quiz

This picture has absolutely nothing to do with the post.  It's just funny
and I'm currently in a rather silly mood.

Last week, Anne-girl and I went to a sleepover at a dear friend's house, and naturally all three of us suffered from a serious overdose of Giggles.  During our visit, we put together a period drama trivia quiz just for laughs, and with the other girls' permission I decided to post it on here.

Each question is multiple-choice, with four choices per answer, and each comes from a different period drama (though some come from the same one).   You can get one point for each correct answer and one point for each correct guess as to which question comes from which film.  Maximum number of points: 24.  Comment with your guesses and I'll reveal all the correct answers next Saturday.  I won't publish your comments until then, to make it fair.  (There are some other random references/quotes sprinkled throughout the answers... you will not get any more points for identifying these, but you may tremendously impress me, so go for it!)

I have now said quite enough, madam, so... good hunting! (name THAT quote if you can.  The "good hunting" part, that is.)

1. What does Mr. Guppy call Esther Summerson?
a) "My angel"
b) "Woman"
c) "Your Highness"
d) "Lady Dedlock"

2. Why does John Ridd get dressed up in his good clothes on a weekday?
a) He's going to London to get his hair cut.
b) "No reason."
c) "It's Sunday, Annie.  Duh."
d) It makes him feel pretty.

3.  What kind of food does Hyacinth Clare find vulgar?
a) Cheese
b) Peanuts
c) Chocolate
d) Organic baby banana food

4.  What makes Mr. Bingley special in Mrs. Bennet's eyes?
a) His beautiful curly hair
b) His charming and elegant sisters
c) His private petting zoo
d) His 5,000 a year

5. According to Squire Hamley, an engagement is not...
a) something to be taken lightly
b) an elephant
c) a thing to be broken
d) a llama wearing pink pajamas with penguins on the bottom.

6. According to Lizzy Bennet, what is a happy thought indeed?
a) shelves in the closet
b) a single man in possession of a good fortune
c) Pemberley
d) Mr. Collins doing the cha-cha

7. What did John Chivery want inscribed over his ashes?
a) The name "Lorna Doone"
b) The word "Mother"
c) The name "Amy"
d) The symbol of Batman

8. Complete this quote: "Look back..."
a) "Look back at me."
b) "And don't move a muscle."
c) "And say goodbye."
d) "Do I have toothpaste on my face?"

9. Why doesn't Mrs. Potter want tradesmen in the house?
a) They carry dust.
b) They carry fleas.
c) They try to sell you things you don't want.
d) They eat all the leftovers.

10. What epithet should be used to summon Mrs. Forrester's runaway cow?
a) "Bonnie dearest"
b) "Betty dearest"
c) "Bessie dearest"
d) "Get back here immediately you stupid cow"

11. What does Colonel Brandon offer Edward Ferrars?
a) A coach and four
b) A goose that lays golden eggs
c) A spyglass monocle thingy
d) A living in Delaford

12.  What does Marguerite Blakeney drop in the library?
a) Her earring
b) Her glass slipper
c) Her glove
d) Her timey-wimey detector.

Mr. Collins and Disguises

First of all-- today is the lovely Miss Laurie's birthday! Stop on over at her blog and wish her many happy returns, won't you?

Secondly, Miss Laurie happens to be hosting a delightful Jane Austen caption contest.  (You can find out more by clicking on the link.)  I adore period drama photos with funny captions (I do run a blog for that specific purpose, after all) and so I had great fun coming up with two entries for her "Funny" category.

Picture: Frewen Warne in Miss Potter.

Quote: Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice (the book).

Picture: The Old Hag Sir Percy Blakeney in The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Quote: Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice 

(the movie-- he says this in the book as well but this exact wording is from the film.  Because I was too lazy to look up the quote in the book).

The contest runs until Friday the 27th, so there's still time to enter!

Entries for Miss Laurie's Contest

Miss Laurie over at Old-Fashioned Charm is hosting a lovely period-drama themed Keep Calm contest, and I had a great deal of fun making up two entries!  (The downside to hosting your own contests is that you don't get to enter them... so I was quite thrilled to hear that Miss Laurie was going to be hosting one similar to my Jane Austen themed contest.)

Entry #1 (from Anne of Green Gables):

That scene where Matthew goes to buy the dress for Anne is my mom's favorite in the entire movie, and I love it too--it's so sweet and funny!

Entry #2 (from Pride and Prejudice 1995):

This one, as I'm sure you can tell, comes from the infamous Lake Scene-- I always get such a kick out of Mr. Darcy's nervous stuttering.  "And your family is--is in good health?"  You said that already...

Thanks for hosting this, Miss Laurie!

Keep Calm, We Have A Winner

Congratulations to Jessica of Safirewriter on winning the Jane Austen Keep Calm contest! The public has voted, and Jessica's hilarious poster has been proclaimed the winner.

Congratulations, Jessica-- and thank you to everyone else for entering!

Keep Calm, I've Selected The Finalists

The Keep Calm contest has closed its doors to entries, and after much debate and delay and dillydallying, I've chosen five six finalists.  (I couldn't choose only five, I just couldn't.)  Thanks so much to everyone who entered, and a big shout-out to birdienl for providing a link to a Keep Calm image generator! Two of the finalist submissions were not made into images, so I used the image generator to create posters for those entries.  Thanks so much for the link, birdienl!

And now, the finalists are (in no particular order...)

Made by Jemimah C.

Created by Payton

Made by Maria Elisabeth

Created by Eowyn

Made by Rhoswen Faerie Wrose

Made by Jessica (Safirewriter)

Please vote in the poll on the right sidebar for your favorite!

Keep Calm and Enter This Contest

I'm sure you all have seen some of the hilarious (and some of the not-so-hilarious) "Keep Calm And Do Such-And-Such" posters floating around the Internet in recent months.  For those of you who have been living under a rock (tell me, what's that like?) the Keep Calm posters are a spoof on a speech Winston Churchill made during WWII, in which he encouraged the people of Britain to "keep calm and carry on".  

There are dozens of funny spoofs on the Keep Calm and Carry On slogan out there right now, as I said, and recently I discovered a whole slew of Les-Miserables-related posters that had me in stitches.  Excellent advice there on the right, no?

And then of course there's the one I began the post with-- and then this one, below on the left. 

Frankly, I'm quite disappointed that there was nothing urging people to "Keep Calm and Wear a Red Vest Of Power" or "Keep Calm and Hold the Barricade" or "Keep Calm and Lift That Vegetable Cart" or even "Keep Calm and Hear the Distant Drums", but oh well.  

You can see the collection on this Tumblr page.

Oh, and for those of you who know your 10th Anniversary Dream Cast, you have my permission to squeal with delight over this one here on the right. :D Not that you need my permission to squeal with delight, but it sounds nice, right? (I don't have space to post all that I would like to share with you, but I can at least link to just one more-- if you're looking forward to the movie as much as I am, you'll get a kick out of it.)

At any rate, there are lots and lots of these Keep Calm posters with many different themes out there, but as I searched around I found a sad, sad lack of Jane Austen themed Keep Calms.  And that, my friends, is what has prompted the latest contest hosted by Yet Another Period Drama Blog.

You've all seen the poster below, I presume, but I hereby challenge you to think outside the box and come up with something a little more creative than this one.   

Think of your favorite lines from Sense and Sensibility, funny themes in Northanger Abbey, hilarious situations in Emma. And then hie thee to Picnik or FotoFlexer and make thyself a Keep Calm button! (If you do not know how to make a button, you may simply leave your Keep Calm phrase in the comments and I will duly enter it.) Need some examples?

• Keep Calm and Restrict Your Remarks to the Weather
• Keep Calm and Hop In The Pemberley Pond 
• Keep Calm and Look Behind the Black Veil
• Keep Calm and Play in F Major
• Keep Calm and Don't Call Him Knightley

Extra kudos if you can identify all the Jane Austen books that those jokes come from.  The contest will close on Saturday at midnight, and on Monday I will put up a poll with the top five entries so you can all vote for your favorite.  Limit two entries per customer, please.  Either make yourself a button and leave me a link to the image URL, or simply leave your Keep Calm slogan in the comments as aforementioned.  (Be sure to say which Jane Austen book or film your joke comes from.)  I'm eagerly awaiting your hilarity! 

Period Drama Dresses Quiz... Answers Edition

First of all, a great big Thank You to everyone who played this game! I was overwhelmed by the number of responses and I'm still seeing tally marks swimming before my eyes at night when I go to sleep.  I hope I calculated all your scores correctly, because I'm not doing it again. :P

Our winner is... Miss Laurie with 171 points! Congratulations, Miss Laurie! This is for you (and this is why I wanted to know who you preferred, Emma or Molly Gibson).

And thank you to everyone else who played... this was so much fun!

Alexandra (144 points)
Melody (138 points)
Miss Elizabeth Bennet (127 points)
Rachel (120 points)
Birdienl (99 points)
Katy-Anne (86 points)
Ella (61 points)
Jemimah C. (58 points)
Rachel Olivia (52 points)
Eva-Joy (51 points)
Miss Molly (24 points)
Hayden (22 points)
Naomi (22 points)

And now, without further ado, the Answers Video.

Button Contest Winner

I would like to congratulate Alexandra on winning the blog button contest! I'm afraid that the prize for the contest is... well, bragging rights. And this.

(Alexandra can take this. Nobody else can. I'm saying that, but there isn't really any way for me to stop you from taking it if you really want it, heehee.)

Oh--and a couple of people raised a question about whether Alexandra's button was okay because it used a Disney quote, et cetera and so forth.  I apologize for not making the rules clearer! It was perfectly okay for a picture's caption to be any of the following: a) a popular witticism b) a song lyric c) a quote from another movie.  I had written in the post "a quote from another period drama" but any movie would have been fine.  I should have clarified that, and I apologize.

Also! Some of you might not have seen the winning picture, so here it is in case you missed it:

Quote of the Week 16 and Final Poll

(I realize that this picture is from the lesser 25th Anniversary concert...
but I couldn't find a good picture from The Best One)

Will you join in our crusade? Who will be strong and stand with me?
Beyond the barricade is there a world you long to see?
Then join in the fight that will give you the right to be free!

Do you hear the people sing, singing the song of angry men?
It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start when tomorrow comes!

~Courfeyrac and Enjolras, Les Miserables: The Musical That Swept The World, In Concert (1995)

And yes, I'm still just the least tiniest bit obsessed... cough, cough.  A long and rapturous post will be forthcoming next week.  It is not at all cheating to post song lyrics for Quote of the Week--besides, it's my Quote of the Week.  Might I just say that if you have not heard this amazing song, let me beg you to take two minutes of your life and watch this.

Also, the two finalists have been determined! Congratulations to Hayden and Alexandra, and to everyone else who participated.  Please vote in the poll at the top of my sidebar---it closes at noon EST on Saturday the 28th, and then I shall announce the winner (though you'll all be able to see for yourselves by then).

Contest Entries and the Top Twelve Finalists

Well, I must say that the Period Drama Button contest turned out to be quite a success (even though I was worried no one would enter)! Thirteen lovely contestants participated, with a whopping 71 entries! You must imagine my consternation at the idea of trying to choose only five from these laugh-out-loud pictures, so in the end, I didn't.  Instead, I chose twelve (because I have, like, no willpower).  

You may observe on my sidebar two polls, each with six entries.  The polls will be up until Wednesday night, and then on Thursday morning a new poll will arise.  The winning entry from each of the first two polls will then compete against each other in the third poll (the Thursday one).  I shall not be voting in the polls, except in case of a tie, in which case I shall be prevailed upon to break the tie.  I beseech each and every one of you to vote in BOTH polls, if you please, and then again in the third one when it is revealed on Thursday!  In this way, I pass the buck to YOU to decide who wins. :)

And now, so as not to prolong the suspense, I shall firstly thank each and every one of you who participated, because you made this thing awesome! Here are links to everyone's entries (in no order whatsoever).

Hayden at Story Girl

Miss Elizabeth Bennet at Elegance of Fashion

Melody at Regency Delight

Alexandra at Of Trims and Frills and Furbelows

Emily at Forget-Me-Nots
Rachel at Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker

Elizabeth at In the Garret
Maria Elisabeth at Miss Georgiana Darcy
Anne-girl at Scribblings of my Pen
Julia at Julia's Journal
Miss Laurie at Old-Fashioned Charm
Lauren at Books, Fashion and Tea
Stephanie at Eccentricitee

And now, here are the twelve finalist entries.  Congratulations to all!

1) "Sparkler, Be Quiet!" by Emily of Forget-Me-Nots

Picture: My Fair Lady (1964)
Quote: Little Dorrit (2008)

2) "I Feel Charming" by Alexandra of Of Trims and Frills and Furbelows

Picture: The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)
Quote: West Side Story (1963)

3) "With Wonderful Expression" by the Anne-girl of Scribblings Of My Pen

Picture: Pride and Prejudice (1995)
Quote: The Importance of Being Earnest (1952)

4) "Why Do You Keep Winking?" by Melody of Regency Delight

Picture: Emma (1996 Miramax)
Quote: Pride and Prejudice (1995)

5) "One Of Us Was Silly" by Hayden of Story Girl

Picture: Emma (1996 Miramax)
Quote: Wives and Daughters (1999)

6) "Heigh-Ho For A Husband" by Miss Laurie of Old-Fashioned Charm

Picture: Pride and Prejudice (2005)
Quote: Much Ado About Nothing (1992)

7) "Badly Done, Indeed" by Maria Elisabeth of Miss Georgiana Darcy

Picture: The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)
Quote: Emma (any of the adaptations)

8) "Suddenly Have A Headache" by Rachel of A Butcher, A Baker, A Candlestick Maker

Picture: North and South (2004)
Quote: Cranford (2007)

9) "One Smirk" by Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Elegance of Fashion

Picture: Pride and Prejudice (1995)
Quote: Northanger Abbey (2007)

10) "Horror Of Finery" by Julia of Julia's Journal

Picture: Pride and Prejudice (2005)
Quote: Emma (2009)

11) "Here Comes The Smolder" by Alexandra of Of Trims and Frills and Furbelows

Picture: Robin Hood (2006)
Quote: Tangled (2011)

12) "Poor Mr. Darcy" by Anne-girl of Scribblings of my Pen

Picture: The Princess Bride (1982)
Quote: Pride and Prejudice (2005)

And to close this post, I give you a picture and quote that are just beautiful.  This one is not one of the finalist buttons (in fact I don't believe it was even entered in the contest), but I got permission from Elizabeth to post it here... and it's SO lovely...

So what are y'all waiting for? Go vote!

Contest Closed

The Period Drama Button Contest is now officially closed! A great big thank you to all the participants... your entries were amazing! I will be announcing the five finalists on Monday, and then you will all have one week to vote for best one.

Meanwhile, I made this one and it made me giggle, so I thought I'd share it with you.  I can't enter it in the contest (obviously) but I thought I would post it here anyway.  If you are at all acquainted with Peter Pan and The Scarlet Pimpernel, I hope you'll find it funny.

Toodles!

New Contest

Annoucing... Miss Dashwood's newest contest!  I had such fun with that Jane Austen Birthday Card contest (as I hope you did, too) that I decided to hold another one.  This time, it will be a Period Drama Button contest.

Allow me to elaborate.

Participants will submit a picture from a period drama with a humorous caption on it, such as the one at the top of this post.  The caption must be either a common saying (such as "If I had a British accent..." or "Keep calm and ____") or a quote from another period drama ("sink me!", for instance) or possibly even a song lyric ("the simple bare necessities", perhaps).   A quote or song lyric or saying that goes with the picture, that is.  See below for another example.

I hope you are laughing at my amazing wit.  (Miss Dashwood, stop being so shamelessly vain and get on with what you have to say.)

Oh, very well.  As I said, if you'd like to participate, please make your own funny button (or two or three) and then post it (or them) on your blog.  Leave a comment on this post with the link to your button.  The contest will close on Saturday, January 21st at 11:59 PM.  After that time, no more entries will be accepted.  You are free to enter as many buttons as you wish.

If there are more than five entries, I will select five top entries and allow y'all to vote for a winner.  If there are five or less entries, I will select a winner from those five.  Makes some semblance of sense?  Good.

You may use whatever image source you like to get pictures for the contest (Google Images, Fanpop, Photobucket, whatever) but I thought I might provide you with links to a few screencap albums.  If you do use photos from these albums (which aren't mine, by the way) please be courteous and cite the albums in your blog post.

Emma 2009: http://rawr-caps.net/index.php?cat=71
Sense and Sensibility 1995: http://www.leavemethewhite.com/caps/thumbnails.php?album=101
Pride and Prejudice 2005: http://www.leavemethewhite.com/caps/thumbnails.php?album=170
Pride and Prejudice 1995: http://www.cap-that.com/austen/p&p1995/
Bleak House 2005: http://s145.photobucket.com/albums/r207/bleakhouse/

To edit your pictures and add text, I suggest using either Picnik (www.picnik.com) or FotoFlexer (www.fotoflexer.com), two free photo editing websites.

Happy editing... I'm looking forward to your submissions!


EDIT:
A couple of things I forgot to add... if you do not have a blog, please upload your entries to a photo hosting site such as Photobucket or Picasa Web Albums and leave the photos' URLs in a comment.  If you need help with this, just let me know.
Also, I forgot to mention that Yet Another Period Drama Blog hereby reserves the right to reproduce the winning entry (and possibly the runners-up) in a post announcing the winners.  Entrants that do not agree to these terms will be disqualified.
Heehee, that sounded so technical and official.  :P  All I'm trying to say is that if you win, I want to be able to put your button on my blog (with full credit of course) to announce that you've won, so be prepared for that.
Thanks!