My Adoptive Children

Do you want to know something particularly funny? I sort of think of these two as 'my kids'. I am very protective of them in my mind's eye. As in always being interested in their welfare and searching for signs of continued happiness. I want them to be happy...forever...just like I would my own kids. This may seem odd yet I am betting I am not the only woman out there that feels this way. Catherine is particularly lovely in blue.

I Vow To Thee My Country

I was thinking about a hymn they played at Princess Diana's wedding and funeral called "I Vow to Thee My Country" when I made this in photoshop. It is really a beautiful song. It had not been written yet when she lived but this song would have certainly been a most appropriate song for Queen Elizabeth I coronation as she was so deeply committed to her country. She was an exceptional monarch which is so very ironic considering how desperately her father wanted a son to carry on the House of Tudor. All the while he was scheming and conniving  ways to have a son, he had a diamond right in the palm of his hand with his most intelligent daughter. She loved her father and paid tribute to him when she told her troops "I may not be a lion, but I am a lion's cub, and I have a lion's heart". The ornate tombs of Queen Elizabeth I and her sister Queen Mary are not far from where Prince William and Catherine will be getting married tomorrow inside the Abbey as is the tomb of Mary Queen of Scotts. The Abbey is filled with the tombs of ancient monarchs and other famous people. Isn't history a wonderful thing?

The Dress I Designed For a Fine Lady

I forgot what day it was somehow! I must post my dress design tonight because tomorrow night will be the night of the wedding here or the day of the wedding in London.

For the past week or so, I have been pondering and thinking of how Catherine's dress should look according to how I imagine her. If Catherine complies with the tradition of the Abbey, she will wear a dress that is considered modest at least where skin exposure is concerned. She will respectfully wear a dress that has her shoulders covered.

I have heard her hair stylist say that she will wear her hair down. However, if she complies with the tradition of royalty which I think she will, she will wear her hair up. After all, she really needs to stay in the good graces of her new grandmother-in-law, Her Majesty. If they are anything at all, they are all about tradition.

I believe her dress will have a semi-long train yet will be classic in its design with simple, timeless lines without a lot of feminine embellishments on it. I see the trimmings done in silver and gold brocade. I see the brocade being embellished with pearls and crystals. I see the dress itself in heavy ivory silk. I think the sleeves will be fine hand-made Irish  lace creating when connecting to the bodice a sweetheart neckline. You can be quite sure that Catherine's bouquet will be significantly larger than the small posey my lady is holding.

I am pleased with how my dress design turned out. But overall, I would say I am not so pleased with this piece as a whole. I did not embellish it with a lot of glitter because I do not see Catherine as a glittery woman. I wanted this piece to have a look of antiquity to it hinting at the ribbed vaulting of the Abbey in the background but I did not quite capture that. Instead, it has more of a "shabby" appearance. Shabby is good but it is just not the look I was striving to achieve. It looks well enough to hang up in my office room which is what I intend to do with it. Who knows? Years from now, someone might be rummaging through their attic and find this little homage I did to the royal wedding of 2011.

My Dress Design

Overall Picture

Game of Life

This week is about all things England. Did you know that in 17th century England many board games were played to pass time? This is a picture of one similiar to the game we Americans know as "Life".

Prince Raven

Prince Raven would like to know what you intend to wear to the royal wedding? He intends to wear his crown of course. He has a grand perch from which to watch.