Here's to the Happy Couple.

Certainly the most lavish, regal, wedding I've ever witnessed...and perhaps the sweetest! Call me eccentric, but I have no regrets about waking up at 4 am to watch the ceremony on TV. Prince William and Princess Kate appear to be a truly lovely - and loving - couple! How precious is this photo of the newlyweds surrounded by all the flower girls and "pages" ?

Royal Wedding Splendour

Tomorrow is the big day for William Windsor and Kate Middleton - and anyone else who has been enamoured with the history and glamour of the English crown! Though I do think the Western World has gone a little over-the-top in its attention to the Royal Wedding, I can't deny that I am excited to witness the marriage of the handsome Prince William (yes, I know the most recent pictures of him have revealed that he is "losing his bloom" - and starting to go bald! - but he is a much handsomer prince than Charles ever was, and he always looks so "smart" in his suits and uniform) and the truly beautiful Kate - "middle-class" - Middleton. In honor of their special day, I thought I would share a couple wedding-related pictures that I took on my recent stay in England:

A shot of Westminster, Abbey - the location of Will & Kate's lovely nuptials, which will be exchanged at 11 am tomorrow.

I couldn't believe some of the outrageous Royal Wedding paraphernalia that I saw in the UK! While window-shopping in Bath, England, I spotted this heart-shaped teapot upon which the bride and groom's names are painted in gilded letters (also note the ornately decorated plate in the background with William and Kate's faces on it!)

"Downton Abbey"

Whilst I have been re-adapting to American culture since my return from the UK - there is one aspect of British culture I cannot give up: historical dramas! This past week I watched all seven episodes of "Downton Abbey"which is a series about the wealthy Crawley family and the ongoings of their household (including the lives of the kitchen maids, footmen, butler, ladies in waiting, etc.). The series is set in turn-of-the-century England (during the reign of King George the V). There are three daughters in the Crawley family and I just could not get over how elegant they were dressed in every episode! I really think we should go back to dressing this way. I pulled out my watercolors and sketched a few dresses - and faces, for that matter.

Here's the link to the trailer for Downton Abbey: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2M3moEeErr8

The youngest daughter, Sibyl, in a smart blue hat.

One of the dresses worn by the oldest daughter, Mary, during Episode 1.

A black gown worn by Mary while she is mourning for the death of her cousin (and fiancée) who drowned in the Titanic incident. The expression on her face is unhappy - not because she is sad for her cousin's death - but because her character dislikes the color black.

My favorite of Mary's outfits: a high-waisted silver skirt, lavender blouse, and elegant set of pearls.

The middle daughter,Edith,who bears the unfortunate reputation of being the least attractive sister.

En route to Oxford

Christmas break is coming to a close and the spring semester is quickly approaching. As many of you know, I will be continuing my studies in England instead of returning to Messiah College. I am blessed this semester to be studying at Oxford University, one of the world's top institutions. Oxford's ancient libraries and expert professors will no doubt provide me with new insights into English literature. I will be studying in particular, Victorian Literature and Restoration-era Literature (John Milton and such). My closest college friend, Elena, who is also an English major, will be coming with me to England and I am beyond excited to have her as a travel companion! I will do my best to keep everyone updated on Elena's and my adventures "across the pond."

Speaking of the Queen...

A photo of Killarney National Park, Killarney Ireland, Co. Kerry

The Muckross House at Killarney National Park

This past May I had the awesome opportunity to visit Ireland with the Messiah College Concert Choir. For ten days we toured the southern part of the country, visiting pubs and popular tourist locations by day, and then performing by night (though not every night, fortunately) - mostly in Catholic cathedrals. Among the places we visited was Killarney National Park. On the grounds of the park is the famous Muckross House (featured above) which was dedicated by its owners to the park for museum purposes. We were given a fascinating tour of the house by one of its tour guides (p.s. I LOVED hearing the tour guide's accent!). Throughout the tour, our guide kept pointing out decorative elements in the house etc. that were added by its owners in honor of Queen Victoria's visit to the house. Its earliest owners, Henry Arthur Herbert and Mary Balfour Herbert, spent 6 years preparing for the Queen's two-days stay at the Muckross House! Their goal was to score brownie points with the Queen when she came to visit them and they expected that she would compensate their warm hospitality by honoring them with the titles of Lord and Lady Herbert. However - her visit happened shortly before Prince Albert's young death at 42 and apparently the Queen was so devastated by his death that she completely forgot about the Herberts and never offered them the ranking of lordship. The tour guide said this lack of attention from the Queen probably led to the Herberts decline in finances and social standing - an unfortunate circumstance for them, but who can blame Queen Victoria? Prince Albert was an amazing husband and if he looked anything like Rupert Friend in real life, I'd also be grieved by his death! According to "The Young Victoria," Queen Victoria had Albert's clothes laid out every morning of her own life, after he died. She never could forget him I suppose!

A photo of me standing in the gardens surrounding the Muckcross House which included a variety of beautiful plants! The rhododendron bushes (pronounced "rhodeeedendron" by the Irish) were absolutely enormous!

The Young Victoria

Last weekend I watched "The Young Victoria" on Comcast OnDemand. Two words: GREAT MOVIE. The film is both historically accurate and aesthetically appealing. Furthermore, it is no cheap chick flick! Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend do justice to the genre of romance - although I suppose it is their characters, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, who give love a good reputation! I never knew both Victoria and Albert were such strong individuals. The movie gave me a new respect for these historical figures!

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