Claire Joy Powell

This isn't exactly NEW news, but just to remind everyone: I am an aunt!! My sister and brother-in-law, Katie and Jeremy, recently added their beautiful daughter, Claire Joy Powell, to our growing family. Claire was born on the morning of Saturday, January 7th, weighing 7 lbs even, at a height of 19 and 3/4 in. She is a happy and healthy baby. We are all in love with her dimpled skin, rosy cheeks, and humorously voracious appetite. Praise God for a new life brought into the world. May He guide and protect Katie and Jeremy as this little lady grows!

Update

It is clear from the date of my previous entry that I have abandoned posting for several months! The only excuse I can provide is being preoccupied with a heavy coarse load during my final year of college. Last semester was more work-intensive than semesters past, but naturally, I enjoyed laboring over my papers and projects in spite of its demands (what can I say? I love to study!)

I am back at school a bit earlier than most undergraduates; Messiah has an optional J-Term in which intensive, four-week courses are offered to students who wish to lighten their course load for the spring semester. I have participated in J-Term for 2 out of my 4 years (last winter, I studied abroad), and this year, I have returned, not to take a particular course, but to work on my English Honors Project. It is a research project, essentially, that involves investigating a certain topic in literature and presenting my findings in a 40-50 page thesis. I think I am also expected to give an oral presentation but I haven't yet discussed this with my project adviser.

The topic I have chosen for my research is 19th-century British Women's fashion in the novels of George Eliot, exploring these titles in particular: Daniel Deronda, The Mill on the Floss, and Middlemarch. I am so thrilled to be able to incorporate two of my greatest passions: literature and the visual arts! The overlap of these two fields is astonishing, particularly in the context of the Victorian Era. Women's fashion was affected by changing conceptions of beauty throughout the century that were manifested in both novels and art, particularly the works of Pre-Raphaelite and Aesthetic painters. It was the Pre-Raphaelites who emphasized a return to natural, rather than artifical beauty which clothing styles frequently reflected. Many wives of the Pre-Raphaelite and Aesthetic painters were inspired to reject the rigid, shape-defining styles of the time, and began to popularize more loosely-flowing, shapeLESS gowns. You can imagine this had an impact on the perception of women in society and their socially-defined roles! In the meantime, much of these changes are reflected in the clothing styles of Eliot's characters. It's downright fascinating, especially since Eliot was in such close proximity to the Pre-Raphaelites (she was actually friends with Edward Burne-Jones and his wife!).

I could go on to discuss the topic even further. In fact, I could discuss it all day. But rather than bore you, I will leave you with a some imagery to display precisely what I am writing about. I will be happy to share the final product of my paper when it is finished.




Helen of Troy by Dante Gabriel Rossetti



Ophelia by John Everett Millais


P.S. VOGUE magazine's December issue has a surprisingly informative article on Pre-Raphaelite and Aesthetic art and fashion. It has been an excellent resource for my paper. You may want to read it for a clearer understanding of these art movements and the ideologies behind them. I will try to find a link and post it soon!

Summer Dresses

"Shoot for your dreams...even if they're covered in sequins."

I got a phone call from my aunt this week, who, knowing my interest in fashion, told me to check out this film clip from NBC's Today Show: Jenna Bush Hager interviews the head designer for "J.Crew" whose name is Jenna Lyons. Coincidentally, my name is Jenna too. Perhaps it is a sign that I should drop what I am doing and simply design clothes for the rest of my life?? That's a lofty goal - but who says it can't be a hobby?



P.S. After watching this video, I phoned a local seamstress and I signed up for sewing instruction. I said to myself, why not? In the very least, I'll be capable of sewing buttons back on a jacket.

What's your secret dream job?

A Scone Posting

Today I tried baking scones for the very first time and, what do you know? My efforts were not a disaster! The scones taste delicious, although I wished they had "fluffed up" a bit more, like the ones you see in all the recipe books and in all the English bakeries.  I used a modified version of this recipe from "Joythebaker.com." I didn't have any dark chocolate and orange zest so I simply used what I had on hand - golden raisins.  Next time, however, I will undoubtedly try the dark chocolate and orange as suggested!

Here's the recipe:

Orange and Dark Chocolate Buttermilk Scones

makes four large or six small scones


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons orange zest

2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1 large egg yolk

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold buttermilk

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Place rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, orange zest, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. I use my fingers to rub the butter and dry ingredients together. In another bowl, combine egg yolk and buttermilk and beat lightly with a fork. Add to flour mixture all at once, stirring enough to make a soft dough. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Turn out onto a floured board and knead about 15 times. Roll or pat out into a 1-inch thickness. Cut into 4 large or 6 small squares. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. These are best when served immediately with butter and jam.




http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2011/01/orange-and-dark-chocolate-buttermilk-scones/

Spring Cleaning

A recent bout of spring cleaning has inspired me to get creative with some of my old garments and craft supplies. Here are a few DIY projects I've been trying:

FRINGE T-SHIRT SCARVES

A tremendously trendy remedy for recycling old t-shirts! All you need is your tee of choice, and a sharp pair of scissors. For full instructions check out "PSImadethis.com" (http://psimadethis.com/post/117053343)




FLORAL TEE
Lauren Conrad's spring fashion line includes light-weight tees with pretty floral designs. They are being sold for the outrageous price of $34.00 - at Kohl's nonetheless! (which is, in my opinion, a notoriously poor-quality department store). Instead of getting ripped off, I decided to paint my own pattern of roses on a clean white tee-shirt using fabric paints.



ROSETTE HEADBANDS
Ever since the headband trend hit the U.S. and beyond, I've been eager to create some headbands of my own! These ones I created from strips of fabric that I rolled into rosettes and secured with hot glue. I'm thinking of selling them on ETSY.com ? What do you think?

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.

I'm back.

I have finally returned from my 3 months of study in Oxford, England! The experience was life-changing, undoubtedly. I would love to share travel stories, and lessons learned, etc. However, it would probably take a plethora of blog entries to describe my experience in full. I am going to limit myself to a few photos for now. More photos can be found on my Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=527405754.

I am also figuring out a way to post my newsletter, "Life on the Isis,"- an amateur publication that I sent on a regular basis to family and friends while in England. It provides a much more comprehensive account of my adventures!

A quintessentially English treat: shortbread topped with white chocolate and berries. This item was photographed (and devoured) at "Cassandra's Cup Cafe" across from Jane Austen's house in Hampshire, England.

A photo of New College on an especially sunny day! New College was where I was selected to study for the term.

The Radcliffe Camera - a historic reading room that is primarily used by Oxford undergraduates. It is home to hundreds of books that are part of the extensive Bodleian Library System, and also many busy-body students slaving over essays! I had the privilege of being one of those students, though I didn't mind "slaving" over my work, as I'm sure others, in truth, did not either!

My lovely friend, and master travel-companion, Elena. Last year she studied in Barcelona, Spain and made trips to many other cities in Continental Europe during her time there. Needless to say, she is an old pro when it comes to taking public transportation, etc.! It was awesome to have her along for her expertise, and most importantly, for her friendship! This photo was taken on the cliffs of Cornwall, England. Here we are at an ancient amphitheater that was built into the cliff-side.

Glorious Cornwall! We were eager to visit the ocean after 8 weeks of seeing only books and the screens of our lap-top computers!

A snapshot of me in front of the famous (and somewhat underrated, in my opinion), rock formation, "Stonehenge."

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."

Christmas in Pictures

A Christmas Tea

During the weekend before finals, my best friend Elena and I decided to do what the British do when times are difficult ... drink tea, of course! Last year at this time, Elena and I treated ourselves to an end-of-the semester tea party at a tea room in Ellicot City, Maryland - which, by the way, is a lovely place to visit during the Christmas season! [Ellicot city is a historical little mill town which has retained much of its whimsical, old-city charm. It is a gold-mine for antique lovers and a hidden gem for fantasy-creature fanatics. There is a three story shop in the city center filled with supplies for aspiring fairies, including sequined wings, dainty wands, glittery pixie dust, etc. All of the shops on main street have a store-front window-decorating competition each Christmas. During our visit there last December, we even had the pleasure of passing a group of carolers singing sweetly on the sidewalk].

That being said, Elena and I were a little low on funds this year since we are saving to study in England this winter! As a result, we decided to take the more cost-effective (and more creative) option of hosting our own tea party on campus. We sent out invitations to our friends and invited them stop by our room for some tea and snacks as a break from (or an opportunity to procrastinate - ha!) studying.

Our menu included two types of mini-scones from Wegman's: cranberry-orange and pumpkin walnut. We also served some Almond Spekulatius cookies, assorted chocolates, candy-canes, orange slices, almonds and craisins. Our tea menu was another story altogether since we always keep a supply of various blends and flavors. The favorite tea among our friends was Celestial Seasonings "Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride Tea" a festive blend of roasted barley, orange peel and vanilla bean. It gives off a comforting, savory scent of sugar cookies fresh from the oven.

Our tea party was a definite success and though our focus for the gathering was food and hot tea, the best part was having the opportunity to sit and talk with friends before the end of the semester - and the end of our time in the U.S.!

A Harvest Tea

Wish I could be sipping tea out of this cozy kettle as I am currently cramming for my Philosophy Exam -- Thanksgiving vacation in 2 days!


Our Felt Sources - The Crafts Dept.

"Delicious Autumn"

I haven't much time to write these days, but I thought I would at least post some photos of my trip home to Massachusetts during October. I had a short break from classes so I decided to fly up north to spend time with family and experience a taste of New England in the fall! These are some pictures from Cambridge, MA on the day of the famed, "Head of the Charles Regatta" (an international crew competition on the Charles River). The delicious looking pastry in the top picture is a pumpkin scone from Starbucks lightly glazed (I know, thats an understatement - its practically covered!) icing!





"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."
— George Eliot

Back to class.

After spending three bittersweet months in Massachusetts, I have now returned to Pennsylvania for my junior year of college. This semester I will be living with three other friends in a "quad" dorm room. Our room is really large! As you can see, we bunked all four beds and pushed them up against the walls to create lots of floor space. By the way, my courses for this semester include...

Composition, Theory and Pedagogy
(English)Medieval Renaissance Drama
Educational Psychology
Problems in Philosophy
Introduction to Theology

"Where the mountains meet the sea"

One of my end-of-summer adventures included a camping trip to Maine with my parents, sisters, brother-in-laws and close college friend, Elena (my cousin Tristan joined us for a portion of the trip as well!) We camped along the coast of Casco Bay at our favorite campground, Recompense Shores. Recompense Shores is located in Freeport, Maine on an organic beef farm (Wolfe's Neck Farm). Fortunately the cow pasture was far enough away from our own campsite for us to smell the cows in our sleep! However, it was neat to visit the animals when we were closer to the barn - other than cows, Wolfe's Neck is home to chickens, roosters, goats, sheep, turkeys, rabbits and more! (http://www.wolfesneckfarm.org/)

One of the highlights of our stay in Maine was a visit we made to the town of Camden, which is home to Mount Battie. We drove our cars up to the top of the mountain so that we could soak in the breath-taking view of the Maine landscape provided from its peak. Above is a picture of Camden harbor (Penebscot Bay) as seen from the top of the mountain.

Another trip highlight was my visit to Bath, ME with my parents and Elena. On the final morning of our stay, my parents took Elena and I out to breakfast at a very quirky little cafe in Bath called the Twilight Cafe. Elena, a blueberry muffin lover, ordered a blueberry muffin served grilled! I, of course, ordered a scone! In addition to finding a great place to eat in Bath, we also came upon some interesting antique bookstores. My mom discovered a copy of the "Collected Poems of Edna St. Vincent Millay," our favorite Maine poet! A portion of her beautiful poem, Renascence is printed on a plaque which stands on the top of Mt. Battie.

Here is the first stanza of Renascence written on the plaque:

"All I could see from where I stood
Was three long mountains and a wood;
I turned and looked another way,
And saw three islands in a bay.
So with my eyes I traced the line
Of the horizon, thin and fine,
Straight around till I was come
Back to where I'd started from;
And all I saw from where I stood
Was three long mountains and a wood."

Camden, ME is often referred to as the city "where the mountains meet the sea," - a reference made to Renascence!

Styleboards

I recently discovered this website called Kaboodle where you can browse alot of your favorite products and clothing items! Kaboodle has a special "styleboard" function which site-members can use to creatively arrange pictures of items they like on a virtual display board. Here is one I created based around the theme of "organic" and "eco-friendly" items. In addition to the organic chai tea (a favorite tea flavor of mine!) the make-up brushes and cozy chair are also made of organic materials. I am submitting a few of these styleboards in a contest to win a gift certificate to one of my favorite online clothing companies, Modcloth (www.modcloth.com).

Life on the... by jennamae12

Shakespeare on the Common

Last weekend, my parents and I drove into the city to see Shakespeare's Othello performed on the Boston Common. It was a lovely summer, Sunday evening - perfect weather for an outdoor play. Before the show began, we plopped our lawn chairs on an open patch of grass where we could see the stage and dined (actually, "supped" sounds more Shakespearean), on ham sandwiches and cantaloupe.

The show was entertaining, though I wasn't quite in the mood for such a gruesome production (unlike his comedies, I find Shakespeare's tragedies sometimes easier to read than to see) The Boston common is a nonetheless a prime people-watching venue, and I found the sights and situations going on around me to be just as amusing, if not more amusing than the plot that was unfolding on stage!

Members of the play's audience varied greatly in race, gender and age. In front of me sat a group of asian adolescents, sprawled out on a blanket, playing cards. Near them were two European couples, apparently on a double date. On my left was a party of twenty-something twenty somethings, all of whom were females. They sat circled around a chocolate cake, nibbling and chatting cheerfully as they passed around endless tupper-ware containers of snacks to accompany their desert. A dark-skinned woman and a light-skinned man sat together on my right. How interesting, I thought, that they were witnessing another racially - mixed relationship on the stage.

It seems to me that live theatre truly is a "slice of life" experience; both the actors on the stage and the members of the audience can be involved in presenting a picture of everyday reality.

http://www.commshakes.org/shows/current_show/Othello/shows_current.html

The Choir

My parents and I are addicted to the BBC reality TV show, "The Choir." It was filmed a few years ago in the UK and is now being broad casted on BBC America. We don't actually get BBC America as part of our cable package, but fortunately we do have Comcast OnDemand which allows us to watch new episodes a day after they are released. If you've ever sung in a choir, as I have for many years, you will really be able to relate to the show's singers and sole "choirmaster," Gareth Malone.