VICTORIANA + THE SEANCE BY JON HARWOOD

Mondays used to be the day I dreaded the most.  I would get a little thrill with Wednesday and just lived for the weekend, not anymore. I don't have a 'weekend' any longer but I get excited for Mondays as I know that the world is 'back in business' and I can start working again and getting things done. Living in the deep country you like to hear other peoples voices in the world (beside your own).  I do love to work (ask my husband). Last week when I was trying to decide what to read next I stumbled upon an article on Huffington Post about a woman that was videotaped getting an anal tattoo with her boyfriends name, this was actually the 3rd boyfriend to have his name added to her nether region and she did this in public at a convention with people milling around like they were watching a car show.  I decided there and then that I wanted to get lost in an era where that would be UNTHINKABLE, an era where getting a glimpse of a woman's ankle would cause a scandal. I am all for women having rights, I am a woman that owns a small business and am thankful for the suffragettes that made this possible but when did rights exclude decorum?  What happened to polite society? I do think that it should be de riguer to have manners and if you see a young woman getting an anal tattoo in public, you should tip your top hat and throw your cloak over her naked body and say to the crowd, "Now carry on good people, this is someone's daughter, good day to you!'.

Back to the book, I downloaded The Seance by Jon Harwood recommended by Heather H..  It wasn't terrifying as some reviewers would have you believe (thank goodness!) and there was a part that got a bit convaluted but stick with it and it's just an enjoyable read set in Victorian England when spiritualism was the rage. Once it was done I didn't want to leave the era and come back to the 21st century (see above) so I started reading a non-fiction book called The Napoleon of Crime by Ben McIntyre. I'll let you know all about it when I am finished but so far it's been utterly delightful, the names of the criminals and their gangs are so colorful, it's worth the price of admission right there! The above monogram was inspired by a more genteel era and may be a little on the intricate side for most but I love the intertwined letters and flourishes. I think if you stamped this on a graphic pattern you could easily 'modernize' it. The winner of this monogram is Lee & Megan W. after I made this I realized that the W.'s are with child but I think they can still use it (I hope) at least for a few more days? Congrats Megan + Lee!

P.S. The ink colors in the image are a new product that I am adding to the shop--three perfect colors (white, black + gold) all in one perfectly convenient stacked case!

clockwise: 

Victorian monogram close up, The Seance, Victorian monogram, Monogram stamp, ink trio