Felicity's Chocolate Set: History & Recipe for Colonial Hot Chocolate

Hi Followers!!

     Recently during my Ebay searches, I came across Felicity's Table and Chairs for $130. But the thing that interested me so much is that it came with her Chocolate Set. Some of you may know how valuable her Chocolate Set is and in complete good condition it can cost $130 by itself. So I snatched it up quick!

     Chocolate was mentioned in the colonies newspapers as early as 1705 when it was advertised for sale in a Boston paper. There were nearly 70 commercial chocolate producers in the colonies around that time, 69 more than in England which made chocolate more available and more affordable in the colonies. Especially when the tea tax was in place, hot chocolate became the go to drink of choice for patriots. When England snatched Jamaica from the Spanish, they then had an island of their own full of cocao plantations, which made chocolate more available to the British but with the high cost of importation, the prices were still extremely high for them. Chocolate was typically sold ground up into bricks or "cakes" wrapped in paper. In England, the cakes of chocolate were sold in small sizes, about 2-4 ounces. However, in the colonies where chocolate was more affordable, they were sold in 1 pound bricks. To give colonists another big advantage, in 1737 a Massachusetts man invented an engine that could cheaply grind 100 pounds of cocao in six hours. In pre-Revolutionary Williamsburg, unsweetened chocolate cost on average about two shillings sixpence per pound, which was affordable to the middle and upper class people. Prices fell, however, and before the nineteenth century, it had become cheap enough to be given to slaves.

     Chocolate cakes were usually premixed with sugar so you could mix it into boiling water and add whatever other extra ingredients you prefer. There were other ways chocolate was sold as well. They were sold as "nuts", "shells", and also as pure cocao seeds. People who bought the pure seeds had to roast and ground the seeds themselves. It was a long tedious process. The chocolate researcher for Colonial Williamsburg, Jim Gay explains.

“The chocolate production process [he] follows involves “roasting cocoa beans, shelling them, crushing them in a large mixing bowl and transferring them to a heated grinding stone. Using an iron rolling pin, the cocoa beans are ground into a liquid and sugar and spices are added.”  Gay explained that 18th-century chocolate “isn’t something you’re used to.” Its less sweet than modern chocolate and grittier because its impossible to grind the particles that finely using hand-made processes. Gay also said that “each month [the chocolate] has a slightly different texture and flavor; the flavor profiles always [change].”

    The people that bought the chocolate shells would seep them into hot water. It is said that Martha Washington enjoyed this method because it was easier on the stomach than an oily chocolate.
    Fun fact... It was highly discouraged for quite a while for woman to consume chocolate in any form because it was believed to be an aphrodisiac.  The Virginia Almanac of 1770 cautioned women against it, warning “the fair sex to be in a particular manner careful how they meddle with romances, chocolate, novels, and the like,” especially in the spring, as those were all “inflamers” and “very dangerous.” Even though there were warnings, women were the top consumers of chocolate.
    So that is a quick history of hot chocolate in the colonies. Now lets make some! Here is what you will need! 

*A Bar of Unsweetened Baking Chocolate

     * 1/4 tsp Cinnamon

*1/8 tsp Ground Cayenne Pepper

*1/4 tsp Ground Ginger

*Sugar

*2 cups water

*2 cups whole milk

*1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

*Large saucepan

*2 small Saucepans

*food processor, blender, or hand grater

*whisk

Makes about 4 cups!

This is the chocolate I used.

My tips to make this easier... because everything is going to be high speed!...Make sure everything is measured out and ready to be added. Also read through the steps before you start so you know what to expect. 

~So first, put the large saucepan on the stove empty at a medium heat or a bit lower. Put 2 cups of water into a small saucepan or kettle and put it on the stove on high to boil, Also put two cups of whole milk into the other small saucepan and put it on the stove to boil too. 

~While they are heating up, take half of the chocolate bar (or the whole bar if you love chocolate!) and put it in the food processor (or blender or hand grater) and grind the bar into fine granules. 

~When that is done, dump the granules into the warmed large saucepan and start whisking around while the chocolate melts. Add the spices into the pan with the chocolate, also add some sugar to taste, start with about 4 tbsp, you can always add more later. 

~By this time, your water is probably boiling. Pour it into the large saucepan and whisk it around until the water and chocolate are meshed nicely. 

~Then add your boiling milk and a splash of Vanilla extract.

~Drop the heat very low and whisk and whisk and whisk some more until everything is blended nicely and somewhat frothy. 

~Take a spoon and have a taste. If it isn't sweet enough, add some sugar. If the chocolate taste is too strong, add some more milk. 

There you are! Enjoy! Add some whipped cream or marshmallows if you like!

   

Alright, so you got the history, you got the recipe, let me tell you about Felicity's Chocolate Set. The set includes a silver plated chocolate pot, 2 cups, 2 plates, 2 sets of forks and spoons, 2 napkins. 

                        

     My chocolate pot is a bad example because I noticed after buying it that it is in TLC condition. It is missing the top and chain so I used a picture off of google to show the comparison of the Pleasant Company chocolate pot and an actual chocolate pot from the 18th century.

Pleasant Company on the left. 18th Century pot on the right.

     The plate is made of porcelain I believe. The plates are hand painted and have a beautiful gold trim. The back of the plates are stamped Pleasant Company.  

     There are two versions of the cups in this set. My set is the early version so the cups are made of resin. Also hand painted with gold trim and a unique twisted handle. But this is not how a common chocolate cup in the 18th century would look. Most chocolate cups had two handles, one on each side, Sort of like a child's sippy cup.

   Fork, spoon, and napkin

       So that's it! I hope you enjoyed the history and the hot chocolate! :) 

     This week I will be heading to the release of the newest historical MaryEllen Larkin from the year 1954. I am beyond excited! I plan on taking pictures of my visit to American Girl Place Mall of America and sharing with you! Felicity will be joining me! 

    And be sure to follow me on Instagram! @faithful.friends.forever.be

   

BeForever Historical Accuracy: Rebecca's Holiday Dress

Hey Followers!

     I am starting a new segment in my blog today. I was inspired by this particular outfit after hearing so many people put down the BeForever line for "not being historically accurate." Well hang on to your hats folks because I am about to blow some minds.
     So I recently got Rebecca for a birthday gift from my family (YAY!) and WOW! is she beautiful! I mean she is definitely at the top in the beauty ranking! But anyways... naturally I bought some things for her and one of my favorite dresses of hers is her new BeForever Holiday Dress.
     Okay so the year is 1914.... did girls wear dresses like this in 1914? Well the first time I seen this dress, I thought immediately about a particular dress I seen on a movie.

This dress....

    Do you recognize it? 

    Well if you said it is from the movie Titanic then you are right! This dress was worn by Kate Winslet on the movie Titanic. The Titanic sank in 1912, only two years before Rebecca's stories. The waistline on the dress is very similar to Rebecca's dress. Also both dresses are rich in embroidery. Now I know that Titanic is a movie, but every movie hires a professional to produce costumes that are historically correct.   

      Of course I am not going to leave it at that though! In 1914, the skirt lengths started getting a little higher. It started to be more common for women to show their ankles with the newly raised hemlines. Along with the raised skirt lengths, it was becoming popular to have layers skirts, uneven and unique layers.  

 

  These photos are all drawings dated between 1912 and 1914. Theses are all beautiful examples of the tiered skirts I was referring to. The shape of the first dress looks so much like Rebecca's dress. Also the shape of the skirt to the right of that one is very close! Not to mention she is wearing a similar headband as well.

    Okay! Lets talk shoes now! Rebecca's shoes are "leather" with double straps across the top of the foot. I happen to come across a very similar pair in a Sears catalog page from 1914 which I have highlighted in red. And with Rebecca's father being a shoemaker, you know she had access to the "freshest styles," Ha!  

     In my opinion.... Could a girl from 1914 have owned an outfit like this...absolutely!!

I hope you enjoyed this new segment of my blog! I sure had fun with it! 1914 is such a fun time in fashion and looking through the styles of the time was awesome. Such beautiful and unique dresses, I really hope American Girl will release many more new Rebecca styles in the future. 

There are many more BeForever fashions that need "debunking" and I plan to write more soon!

Follow me on Instagram! @faithful.friends.forever.be  

  

Felicity's Rescue Kit and the History of Apprenticeships

Hey Followers!
   
      So sorry it has been so long! My schedule has gotten busier now that it is summer time! Also have been having computer issues! But I am ready once again to write!
     A few weeks back I was on Facebook and noticed a woman was posting a lot of Felicity items in an AG Buy/Sell/Trade group at REALLY good prices. So I asked the woman if she had anything else that she hadn't posted yet and she replied, "Yes, I have her Rescue Kit." My heart skipped a beat and I asked her how much she was going to sell it for because I was very interested. She explained that she didn't know the value but a friend had told her it was worth between $50-$80....At this point I am squealing like a school girl because the last auction I had watched with this set went over $120. So I threw out the price of $65 shipped and she said.... that was fine! So I am now the proud owner of her Rescue Kit... in complete and perfect condition.
     So I thought for a while what I could write about with this set... This set is based on the book Felicity Saves the Day. Ben runs away to try to join the Militia to fight against the British, therefore breaching his apprenticeship contract with Mr. Merriman. A ad is put in the newspaper reporting a runaway apprentice and bounty hunters are out looking for him. It makes you wonder, Why is Ben being treated so severely?
     Well first, let me explain the guidelines of a typical apprenticeship. An apprenticeship was a legally binding contract between a young boy (even a few girls have been recorded) and a master craftsman. In Ben's case, it was a contract between Mr. Merriman and himself. The contract entails that the boy is to be in the care of the craftsman and learn his trade for the set amount of years. Many contracts were from when the boy was 14 years old until he turns 21 years old. During this time, in most cases the apprentice lives with the craftsman in his home and works without pay. The part that is important to understanding Ben's case is that the apprentice is not allowed to go anywhere or break his contract without the tradesman's permission. Here is a sample of an actual contract taken from the Colonial Williamsburg Website...
   Witnesseth that the said John Stevens with the advice and consent of his Mother Anne Stevens doth put himself an Apprentice to the said George Charleton to learn the Trade, art, and Mistery of a Taylor and with him after the manner of an Apprentice to serve till he arrives to the Age of Twenty-one Years to be fully compleat & ended During which time the said Apprentice his said Master faithfully shall serve, his secrets keep his Lawfull Commands Obey He Shall not contract Matrimoney within the said Term he shall not haunt Ordinary's nor Absent himself from his Masters Service Day or Night unlawfully but in all things as a Faithfull Apprentice he shall behave himself towards his said Master and Family during the said Term AND the said George Charleton Best means he can shall Teach and Instruct or cause to be taught and instructed AND doth hereby Promise and oblige himself to find for his said Apprentice Good and Sufficient Meat Drink Washing Lodging & Cloathing during the Said Term and to Teach him to Read & Write and at the expiration of his term of servitude the said George Charleton obligeth himself to pay unto his apprentice what the law allows in such cases & agrements . . . At a Court of Hustings for the City of Williamsburg held the 5th Day of September 1748.
       So after reading this, you can see that apprentices in the 18th century didn't have much freedom. And this being a legal document, a person under these guidelines can land themselves in legal trouble if they do not follow the rules in the contract.   
     In this contract it mentions the boys mother, A lot of apprentices were actually orphans. Instead of putting these children into an orphanage of some sort, the colonies would find an apprenticeship for them as per the Orphan Act of 1705, sometimes starting a lot younger than 14 years old. Could Ben in Felicity's books be an orphan? Perhaps! 

Young Ben Franklin

      There are many examples of well known colonial apprentices and tradesman. Benjamin Franklin became an apprentice in 1718 at the age of 12, learning from his older brother the trade of printing. I found a cute story while looking more into this... At 15, Ben Franklin arranged that his food portion of the room and board be paid to him in cash instead of having the meals be made. Benjamin then became a vegetarian after learning that is was cheaper to buy fruits and veggies than it is to buy meat. He used his saved money to buy books! 

Silver with Paul Revere maker mark

      A well known tradesman and apprentice example is Paul Revere, Although he is mostly know for his famous ride, warning the patriots of the British invasion. Paul Revere was actually a very skilled Silversmith. He was an apprentice to his father and first learned to be a silversmith. Paul then in turn had many apprentices, including his two sons. His handy work can still be appreciated today as there are about 500 pieces of his silver still known to exist today including silverware, trays, and christening bowls. Also the most exciting discovery was found in a time capsule made by Samuel Addams, A plaque of inscribed silver made by Paul Revere himself.

Silver plaque found in Boston's time capsule

     
     Another example I can think of is from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean. The character William Turner, played by Orlando Bloom was an apprentice to a blacksmith. And of course, we can't forget the Star Wars movies, were Jedi masters had apprentices....but that is an entirely different time frame. :) 
    Today, apprenticeships still exist but are not as common. They have been replaced with paid on the job training and of course, college courses have replaced a lot too. 

    So now that you know a bit about apprenticeships, let me tell you about Felicity's Rescue Kit. The kit includes a basket filled with lavender and witch hazel. A leather pocket book, a letter from Elizabeth, a newspaper clipping, a map, and a mortar and pestle. 

    Mortars and pestles were used to crush up things such as herbs into a powder, mostly used for medicinal purposes but were also used when preparing food or even dehulling or husking grains. In the set, the mortar is heavy and silver plated, The pestle is made of wood.

 Witch hazel is commonly used to put on cuts, scrapes, and bruises. It works as an astringent.Lavender is used for many things such a sleep aid, a treatment for bug bites, and also great aromatherapy

The newspaper clipping warning of Ben's disappearance.  

   . 
    

Map

Sorry so blurry! Letter from Elizabeth to Felicity

     I really hope you learned something new and enjoyed this post! Any feedback is welcomed! I will have some more posts coming soon! And since I am getting so close to completing my Felicity collection (YAY!) I am starting to collect more stuff from Samantha, Kit, Addy, and Rebecca's world so I am exciting to write more about these girls VERY soon!

    I am also excited to say that I will be adding Mary-Ellen Larkin to my collection upon her release this month. So get ready to learn new things about 1954!  

Also feel free to Follow me on Instagram! @faithful.friends.forever.be

Happy Birthday, Felicity!

Hey Followers!
   
     So last week (April 21st) was Felicity's birthday in her series. So I wanted to celebrate by writing about the history of birthday celebrations in the 18th century. If you try to google info on 18th Century birthday celebrations... you won't find much. Reason being is that birthday parties for common people were fairly new at this point in time. Although the first recorded birthday celebrations were from ancient Egypt, these celebrations were only for coronations of Pharaohs because it was believed that when a man became a Pharaoh, he became a god. So it was like they were "born again" so to speak. Ancient Greeks and Romans celebrated the birthday of their moon goddess, Artemis by having cakes covered in candles (which was said to be the reason why today's celebration tradition of blowing out candles on a cake evolved.) In a book titled, "The Lore of Birthdays" it says "The Greeks believed that everyone had a protective spirit or daemon who attended his birth and watched over him in life. This spirit had a mystic relation with the god on whose birthday the individual was born. The Romans also subscribed to this idea. . . . This notion was carried down in human belief and is reflected in the guardian angel, the fairy godmother and the patron saint. . . . The custom of lighted candles on the cakes started with the Greeks. . . . Honey cakes round as the moon and lit with tapers were placed on the temple altars of [Artemis]. . . . Birthday candles, in folk belief, are endowed with special magic for granting wishes. . . . Lighted tapers and sacrificial fires have had a special mystic significance ever since man first set up altars to his gods. The birthday candles are thus an honor and tribute to the birthday child and bring good fortune..." 
     Christians in the early middle ages believed that celebrating birthdays were a sin. They did however celebrate their "saints day" which is the day of the saint in which they were named after. Eventually Christians decided it was okay to celebrate birthdays (i.e. Christmas), but in the middle ages, it normally just royalty that celebrated their birthdays. But at this time.. they weren't exactly celebrations. It was believed that evil spirits were after people on their birthdays and these celebrations were meant to scare off the spirits and protect the person who's birthday it was. So friends and family would use noise makers and sing songs to be noisy to "protect" the person. Gifts were also given for good luck!
     As time went on, birthday celebrations slowly became more popular but around the late 18th century, the Germans began to celebrate what they called Kinderfeste. This holds the closest resemblance to the modern birthday parties. German children would get a cake with the same amount of candles as their age plus one more to represent the year to come. Blowing out the candles and making a wish would follow.
     I was hoping I could find a good example of an actual 18th century birthday party in the Colonies but I have had no luck. In Felicity's book, Happy Birthday, Felicity her family celebrates her birthday by eating fancy cakes and drinking hot chocolate. The room was decorated with many flowers and Felicity's mother set out her finest china. She was gifted a guitar from her grandfather that once belonged to her grandmother. Although there isn't much record of it... I would assume most birthday celebrations in the colonies were similar to this.
     Well I hope you found this to be interesting! Make sure to follow so you don't miss out on anything and feel free to follow me on Instagram as well! @faithful.friends.forever.be

 
     

Addy Studies Freedom: The Last Days of the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln

Hey Followers!

     I want to shine the spotlight on Addy Walker this week and in particular, the short story Addy Studies Freedom. As most of you know, Addy was born into a time where most African American's like herself were slaves. Forced into a certain way of life and would have very devastating consequences if any of them tried to change the life they were in. In Addy's first book, her family and herself were whipped, Addy was held down as a "master" shoved grubs into her mouth for not doing her job up to his standards, and her family was sold and separated. This was not just stories from a book of fiction. This was very similar to the hell slaves were put through.
     Addy's family was able to escape to the northern "free states" and make a better life for themselves. Many other slaves were able to accomplish this too but a lot more were not able to. By the end of Addy's main book series, the Civil War came to an end and all slaves were from then on.. free. And all of this comes back to one man, A man that was brave enough to tell people that slavery was wrong and put an end to it. A man who spoke these famous words....
     

     Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

      Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

     But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Those words were spoken by President Abraham Lincoln.

 

      I was born and raised in Indiana, The birthplace of Abe Lincoln. So being raised there, being taught about him seemed to be a mandatory thing and because of that I have always been very fond of our 16th president. Today (April 14th 2015), marks 150 years since his assassination, tomorrow (April 15th) marks 150 years since his death and just a few days ago (April 9th 2015) marked the 150th anniversary of the end of the civil war. These three monumental events in our history happened right during Addy's time and impacted everyone in a big way. Addy even picked April 9th as her chosen birthday after receiving the news that slavery was no more.

Gen. Robert E. Lee

      Although the General of the Confederate Army, Robert E. Lee, surrendered on April 9, 1865, the fighting did not stop completely until November 6th 1865 and Lincoln's successor, President Andrew Johnson did not formally declare the end of the war until August 20th of the following year. But the surrender of E.Lee was the start of the ripple effect that follows on the timeline of the end of the American Civil War.
     The celebrations were short lived though. Just five days later on April 14th, President Lincoln and his wife Mary Todd went to Fords Theatre in Washington D.C. to watch the play Our American Cousin. At about 10:15pm, a man named John Wilkes Booth snuck up behind the President and shot him in the back of the head. Mary Todd Lincoln screamed in horror when she realized what had happened to her husband. One of Lincoln's guests in the theatre box with him, Major Henry Rathbone attempted to catch Booth before he escaped, in turn Booth violently stabbed at the Major with a knife, wounding him badly on the arm. Rathbone ignored his injuries and continued to grab at Booth. Unfortunately, Booth did escape by jumping off the balcony and landing on the stage (breaking his leg in the process). Because Booth was a well known actor, the audience thought that Booth jumping onto the stage was part of the performance. It was not until Major Rathbone shouted "Stop that man!" that the crowd realized that this was not a part of the play but by then, it was too late. Booth escaped on horseback.
      The President was brought across the street to the Petersen Boarding House and was looked after by six physicians and the surgeon general of the US Army. They all agreed that there was nothing to be done. One of the physicians, Charles Leale was said to have held his hand the rest of the night. He later said, "I held his hand firmly to let him know, in his blindness, that he had a friend."
      At 7:22am the next morning, Lincoln was pronounced dead. 
   In Addy Studies Freedom, Addy gets word of the presidents death when she enters her local butcher shop and notices that a woman in the shop is crying. The butcher tells Addy that she is crying because President Lincoln had been killed. On her way back home, Addy see's that everyone is upset and some crying. Now this was very much true in real life as well. Citizens of the North mourned greatly the death of the President. In the year we live in now... I cannot even begin to imagine having a president so loved that people wept in the streets for him. That is something that should show you what a kind hearted man he actually was.
                                       

       On April 21st 1865, Lincolns casket was boarded in Washington DC onto a decorated train pulled by an engine called The Old Nashville. The train passed through 444 communities in 7 states. It took 12 days for the train to reach Springfield, IL where his final resting place is. (Which means Lincoln was not buried until 18 days after his death..bleh!) 

Map of Route the Lincoln Train took.

   In Addy Studies Freedom, Addy pays her respects to the late President when the train stops in Philadelphia. 

But the day before the public viewing, there is a grand funeral parade down the streets of Philadelphia. It says this Addy Studies Freedom that Addy and her family watched from the rooftops. This also happened in real life, the streets were so crowded that some were forced to watch from their rooftops as you can see in this actual picture of Philadelphia during Lincolns funeral. 

The next morning, Addy and her poppa got up at 5am to get in line at the state house to view Lincolns body. During their wait, the line had moments of chaos where people pushed and shoved and things got out of control. They had finally made it to Lincolns casket around supper time. Have you ever been to an amusement park and had to wait and hour or two in line just to ride it? Well if you have, you know how miserable it is. Now imagine waiting 12 hours or so! I know it would have been well worth it though. Addy remarked that the presidents face look "serene" which actually was a very common comment from actual people who got the opportunity to see Lincolns body. 

So my final words on this book... I love the historical accurateness, even in the smallest details. It really helped you feel what people like Addy felt when these things were happening. They had just gotten word that the war had ended and slavery was no more and then with word that Lincoln was murdered, people started to worry if things would go back to the way they were before. But just like Addy's poppa said in the book, Lincoln made the first step and people were following. One of his most famous quotes says, "Be sure to put your feet in the right place and stand firm."      

                       

  

Felicity's Guitar: History of 18th Century Music for Women

Hey followers!

Lute identical to Felicity's

       I recently purchased Felicity's Guitar on Ebay and was able to get it for under $25 (shipping included) so I was pretty happy with that. It is a lower end price. The guitar I bought is the 2nd version so it is not the real wood version. One day I will get the first edition but for now I am happy with this one. In the book Happy Birthday Felicity, she was given this guitar by her grandfather.
        There were many instruments available in the 18th century, but for a woman the selection was limited. A woman had to maintain a certain reputation and I guess most instruments were not considered lady-like. So the approved instruments were the harpsichord and spinet (both similar to the piano), harp, English guitar, bass violin (like a cello) and the Lute. After researching a bit, I have come to the conclusion that Felicity's instrument is probably in fact, a lute.
        Back to the subject of instruments woman were allowed or not allowed to play, I found a hilarious myth. Apparently it was not lady-like to play a flute or a violin because showing your elbows was indecent, but after looking more into it. There is not a lot of evidence to back up that theory. Firstly, there are many dresses made with short sleeves in Georgian times. Another thing is it was know that women would roll up their sleeves when they would work, exposing their elbows.
        So why were the violins considered to be not lady-like? An 18th century woman and music enthusiast named Hester Lynch Piozzi had a theory that she silently admitted in her diary..

  

"How the Women do shine [in music] of late! . . . Madame Gautherot’s wonderful Execution on the Fiddle; — but say the Critics a Violin is not an Instrument for Ladies to manage, very likely! I remember when they said the same Thing of a Pen."

         Was it true that the men did not want a woman to be better at something than they are? Huh..I guess men have not changed in over 200 years. Ha! Anyways... I also found another quote from an 18th century author named John Essex who's theory is kind of odd if you ask me, he writes..

 “The Harpsicord, Spinnet, Lute and Base Violin, are Instruments most agreeable to the Ladies: There are some others that really are unbecoming the Fair Sex; as the Flute, Violin and Hautboy [oboe]; the last of which is too Manlike, and would look indecent in a woman’s mouth; and the Flute is very improper, as taking away too much of the Juices, which are otherwise more necessarily employ’d, to promote the Appetite, and assist Digestion. Musick is certainly a very great Accomplishment to the Ladies; it refines the Taste, polishes the Mind; and is an Entertainment, without other Views, that preserves them fron the Rust of Idleness, that most pernicious Enemy to Virtue.”  

              So my conclusion on why women were not encouraged to play the violin or flute...Men. It was because of men. Not elbows.

              So I was looking through videos on YouTube for people playing lutes and I was quite impressed. It has such a beautiful and soothing sound. I could probably listen to it all day long. Here is an example of a woman playing a lute. Her version is a renaissance lute. You may have seen this instrument often in movies played in medieval and renaissance times, played by the minstrels and court jesters. I always think about the part in Sleeping Beauty when the minstrel boy kept filling his lute with wine when the kings were not watching.

             Wasn't that a beautiful sound? Well let me wrap this up by telling you quickly about Felicity's Guitar (or Lute?). The original version was made out of real wood. This version is not. It is some sort of wood replacement, feels like the stuff that fake hardwood floors are made of. The back of the guitar is a rounded shape. There are four strings made of a thick plastic, if you strum the strings it sounds sort of like a ukulele. The tuning knobs are non functional and the strap is a pink ribbon (the first version had a burgundy colored ribbon).     

         I hope you have learned something new and interesting in this post! Make sure to follow so you won't miss a single thing! Also follow me on Instagram @Faithful.Friends.Forever.Be 

~Samantha

Felicity's Summer Outfit: Part 1~History of the Bergere hat

Hey hey hey!
       Spring is here and summer is right around the corner! I have decided that I will focus my buying around the season and since it is getting warm I am focusing around Felicity's Spring (birthday) and Summer collections, that way I am more organized and don't get crazy with buying... thus far its been hard passing up good deals but it will be better this way!
       Anyways I recently bought Felicity's Summer Gown which is one of my favorites! I got it for around $52 (shipping included) and it came with a copy of the book Welcome To Felicity's World, which I already owned so I sold that for $12 so really I got it for around $40. I am pretty happy with that because it can be a very pricey outfit, usually never under $50.

       I love everything about this outfit. The pure white gown makes me want to wear it and run through a field of flowers or something. The blue sash around the waist is just the perfect amount of color and the perfect touch to make it look so elegant. The shoes are great! I love that they chose to make a shoe for this outfit that goes with the bright and elegant theme it has, but by far the best thing about this dress is that hat. I love the hat so much. So I decided that this hat is the focus of this post. I will be posting a 2nd part to this to focus on the brocade shoes, another very beautiful peice of wardrobe history.
       This particular style of hat first appeared around the 1730s and is called a Bergere. In french this means "shepherdess." Sometimes this hat is also called a "milkmaid hat." And then there are some that believe that it was named after Madame Bergeret who was painted in a 1766 painting by Francois Boucher, holding this style of hat. This isn't the only painting that features this style though, there are many many more because of its popularity in the 18th century. The Bergere style held its fame even past the 18th century, there are forms of this hat worn late into the 19th century as well. A good example is when a character from the Charles Dickens novel Barnaby Rudge, named Dolly Varden, inspired this style to come back once again. The fad inspired some popular songs too.

     

Have you seen my little girl? She doesn’t wear a bonnet.

She’s got a monstrous flip-flop hat with cherry ribbons on it.

She dresses in bed furniture just like a flower garden

A blowin’ and a growin’ and they call it Dolly Varden.

More modern examples of the more extravagant Gainsborough hat

        Another form of this hat is a "Gainsborough" or "picture" hat. This style tends to be a more larger, fancy and more extravagant hat. It was popular with socialites like Marie Antoinette and the Duchess of Devonshire in the 18th century. Then pretty much has kept its reputation since then. The hat has made appearances in movies like the 1941 film Toppers Return, the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffanys and the pictured My Fair Lady. This hat is still worn often by the woman of the royal family in Wales (pictured Dutchess Kate Middleton). Also the official hat of the Kentucky Derby.

        In the 18th century, it was not ladylike to leave the house without wearing some sort of headwear and back then... it wasn't attractive to have a tan, nor was it attractive to have freckles so having a hat like the bergere was a necessity during the summer. So what is the proper way to wear this hat? Well through my research I found that there are many ways to wear this... The most popular way is with the ribbons tied around the back of the head. This way typically has the brims folded down.

But sometimes the brims were left straight...

Another way is with the back brim folded up.

And tied under the chin...

Just like I have chosen with Felicity during her photo shoot today!

I hope you guys have enjoyed this as much as I did. It was so fun looking up pictures of all the different beautiful hats, all unique in their own way. And it was so fun taking pictures of Felicity in this outfit, she is stunning in this gown. Be sure to follow this blog so you won't miss any future posts and come back next week and I will have part two of this! 

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