Frivolous Friday...Fashion of Reign

 

Song: Can't Help Falling in Love

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Hello Lovely Readers,

I know I cast myself as being a lover of historical stories and I love historical accuracy, but I have to admit I have a guilty pleasure in the CW show Reign. Saying that it is a CW show should tell you that it is not going to be historically accurate in both story and fashion. It is the story about Mary Queen of Scots and her time in the French court. If you are like me, I don't really know much about Mary Queen of Scots except she was beheaded by her cousin Queen Elizabeth I and her son became King James I of England. So I am enjoying watching this how that has now been on for two seasons and renewed for a third. Francis and Mary have had their ups and downs... but I keep shipping them and hoping they will have a happy ending (even if it is not historically accurate).

No matter what the plot line the fashion is fun to watch as well so here are some of my favorite dresses from Reign, in no particular order:

To start Mary's coronation dress-

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While the front has beautiful it is the back with all those pleats that capture my eye.

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At the start of the show Mary is suppose to be this almost naive girl about the way of politics and I notice she wore more colorful outfits with lots of prints on them (example above). I loved these mismatched prints and how well they work together. 

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This is probably my favorite dress of Mary's from season 1. It might be that Mary and Francis have such a tender moment in this dress. A lot of the first season is bringing Mary and Francis together only to separate them again... causing this shipper a lot of angst. 

These are some of my other favorite dresses of season 1. As you can tell they have lots of details and still full of color. I think these dresses do a good job showing off Mary's femininity. Even though Mary is Queen of Scotland, she is a pawn a lot of time being pushed to follow the politics of French Court.   

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Over time though Mary grows more powerful as a character (it is good character development) and her fashion represents this. While this dress might look feminine, in the scene she not only fighting for her ladies in waiting, and herself, she is fighting for her love (Francis) and the French court. Up to the point in this series it is the most powerful thing she has done. 

Even after she marries Francis (sorry SPOILER Alert... but seriously it's history) she is not safe and has to defend herself. I actually feel in season 1 she is more under attack after Francis and she get married than before. Above are some of her more "fierce" outfits. 

These are just the outfits from season 1- Even though she is Queen of France in Season 2, life does not get easier for Mary, and I keep watching every week for a glimmer of hope.

When you see this dress you think everything, colorful and cheery, you would think everything is happy. Uh but Reign is good about making you think things are good but wait five seconds and everything changes. However this pink dress might be the most historically accurate dress.

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Speaking of everything changing this picture is from after, probably most shocking moment on the show, but I love this dress because it shows her power and how she is not willing to be the victim of circumstances. I also love this photo because Catherine de' Medici (played by Megan Follows aka Anne of Green Gables) is standing beside her which is not usually the case. 

Outside of Mary's fashion there is also her "Ladies in Waiting" fashion, though they also verge on being a bit ridiculous as well. Sometimes I think the strength of the show is showing women who at the time would be completely vulnerable standing up for themselves and having great courage. Also though Mary is Queen she sticks by her friends even when they do follow the rules of the times, and are usually scandalous. So while it is not always historically accurate and sometimes the plot lines are ridiculous, I am still on the edge of my seat through each episode as keep holding onto my Frary shipping though right now it feels in vain, however the hopeful romantic in me cannot let it go.

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Okay I mean this post to only have only have the top ten dresses I like but if you are following there are fourteen...sorry but not really because the fashion of the show is intriguing (even if sometimes it is is eccentric).

Some spoilers in video:

Song: Say Something

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Book Blurb... The Storyteller

After Easter dinner some friends and I went to the book store Brookline Smith, if you live in Boston it is one of those local places most people love. I like going because they have a great used book section and they usually have a good collection of $5 books. I love books but my budget is better suited for checking books out of the library.

Any way, I was drawn to this book, The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult, I have never read one of her books though I know she has written a lot. I had kind of casted her off as airport bookstore author; you know one making the top sellers list but books lack substance (sorry I might be a book snob). Going back to my story, I was drawn to the book about a baker, Sage who tries to hide away from the world, and her unlikely friendship with an older man, who has a dark secreted past. This drew me and the fact that it was called The Storyteller, made me wonder why the title and what was going to happen.

I thought after reading The Nightingale (link to book blurb) that this would be a good light read... however this was not a light read at all. I was too far in when I discover the older guy, Josef Weber, was a former Nazi SS Guard (Goodread.com states this, so I don't feel this is a spoiler).  "Ugh!" I thought to myself, I had just read a book that left me breathless with Nazis and now this book has Nazis. "What is the book universe trying to tell me?" There were moments in the book we went into Josef's past and had I not been on the T, I would have cried.

Before I rehash those details and give spoilers away, I will say over all it was great story. I liked because it was written almost from 5 different view points. There is Sage Singer, who is trying to block out the world after her mother's death. There is Sage's grandmother, who is a survivor of the Holocaust, Josef the Nazi, Leo the federal agent who is trying to find out if Josef is truly a Nazi guard and then their is a tale woven through of Ania and Alek. The book actually starts off with Ania's story... "My father trusted me with the details of his death"  is the first line of the whole book and that chapter ends with "My father trusted me withe the details of his death... but in the end, I was too late." I was impressed Picoult was able to weave these five different narratives to make a good story, I have always wanted to write a multi-narrative story so when I find that is well written it is awesome. I liked how the book gave each one of these characters different type so you knew who it was in reading their words.

Also there were other great lines, in the book about telling stories and discovering what sharing your story truly means. As a aspiring author I found those lines to be great and I wish I could have underlined them. There is one line that I loved and took a picture of it with my phone... "History isn't about dates and places and wars. It's about the people who fill the spaces in." As someone who studied history and is frequently teased about loving history I want to remember this quote.

Though you don't have to be a historian or a wanna-be-novelist to appreciate this book.

The only thing I did not like about this book was there were moments it felt a little too rushed. For example Sage calls Leo about the Josef being a former Nazis and he seems to be able to work a little too quickly for it be practical (kind of like a crime solving show where DNA test happen instantly). But mostly it was the violence that affected me the most, and even though it is a work of fiction, knowing that it is based on reality and this violence truly did occur left me a little heart broken.

Currently looking forward to some lighter reading.

Rethinking some writing

Hello Lovely Readers,

This probably won't effect many of you (as I am not sure who was reading it) I have decided to stop posting my story The Secrets of our Past Days. I know I only got five post in so it might seem as if I am jumping ship well in a way I am but for good reasons. One, I am not so happy with the title. Two, I want to take some time to do better plotting of my story. I have never been a big plotter usually I have an idea of where I want the story to go and then I see what happens, but this story I feel needs some development. Three, I have gone back and looked at my draft and I have realized some historical inaccuracies so I want to fix them up and make it more polished. 

I do want to share parts of my story with you my lovely readers as I feel it is great motivation for me but I am not sure what that looks like. And my fourth reason is, I would one day like to be published (though right now that seems a pipe dream) and do not want my hard work to copied by some one and stolen away from me.

Please if you have any advice or encouragement I would appreciate it... I am still figuring all this out. 

Thank you

Story time Saturday... Letter #4, #5

For letter #3

Dearest Aunt, 
I fear this letter will cause you quite amount of pain. 

Uncle was here, which is why I called away at end of my last letter, and he begged me to come with him. Oh I would be at your side in a moment if my will was my own, but it is not. My mama says I will be able to come to you the Monday of next week and has given me leave for an extended visit. 

I am sorry I cannot be with you now.  
Love,
Molly

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Dearest Aunt, 

I do not if I will have the courage to send you this letter but I feel I must write my thoughts down, for I fear if I don't get them out I will explode and mama will shame me with my feelings. 

I completely do not understand my new mama, she knows how important you are to me, how you have been a second mother to me in these years since my own mother past away, and yet she forbids me to come to you. At least for a time. She seems to think an engagement of a dinner party is far more important. Oh how I wanted to scream and throw a tantrum at that moment when she refused to let Uncle to take me. I feel she must have known I wanted to throw a tantrum for she gave me a look to say "you poor child." I despise that look. It makes me feel so small and as if my feelings and wants don't matter. Perhaps to her they don't matter. She has never cared for me--not really.

I am frequently reminded of the day, I went to The Towers, when I just six or seven, and how she let me sleep in her bed when I was over tired. I am reminded that she was willing to let me share her bed when all the towns people left me behind, and they thought father would not come for me until the following morning. She states that this was a mark of her kindness. I have never seen it as kindness. I feel she put me in her bed and forgot all about me, not remembering to collect me before the towns people left, and I have a vague memory of she sneaking the food Miss Helene brought up for me. No matter what I remember, my mama infuriates me when she tries to pass herself of as generous towards me. I know I should not write those words, oh Aunt if you read his letter, please burn it, for I know I am quite wicked in saying what I just said. I should not even think it. 

Dearest Aunt, it is you I worry most for. My mama is saying I have not been good company at these engagements we have had, I do not know how to be good company when my thoughts are plagued by you and your illness. The one comfort I have is reading Cassandra's letter, I cannot wait to truly call her my sister, but mama thinks she will not come till Easter. Till then I am on my own with my new mama. I will copy her words for you to read them (if I send this letter) for I feel they will give you as much as pleasure to you as they have to me:

My dearest Molly,

I am sorry if my wording is a little too bold for I have never had a sister, and I do not know how to write a sister I have yet met. Perhaps I should write, "Dear Miss Gibson" but that sounds too formal after all we are related now.

I wish I had been able to attend our parent wedding, mostly to meet you. My mother writes that you are a kind girl, full of knowledge on various topics, and not afraid to express your opinions. She writes the last part as a fault, but I rather enjoy a girl who expresses her thoughts. I would not be able to call you a true sister of mine if you were not opinionated. And a true sister you will be. I feel bound to you already.

Please have a snap shot taken of yourself so I may have a photograph to picture you, while I wait and dream of meeting you. 

Oh my, I feel my words are a little true strong to be good. I would not have you thinking I am too overly sentimental, I might be a bit, but as I said I have never had a sister and you being my sister now makes me spill over with emotions. I have been on my own too long I fear and I have been left only to imagine sentiments. I promise when we meet I will be quite good with my feelings and the words I use to express them. 

Yours,
Cassandra. 

See my dearest aunt she is so kind, she is truly kind and warm, an apparent opposite from her own mama. I believe we will be true sisters and friends. Besides you, I long to see her most frevently. 

I feel I will improve my vocabulary as she has been educated in some of the best schools for young ladies. 

All my love, 
Molly

PS- I heard talk Ozzie is to be home soon, I hope that relieves your heart, I know your son was too good not to come home. 

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