As of yesterday, I’m out of town for a few days, braving the wilds of New Zealand with the Naiad, Shell, a guy, and a pack on my back. Fear not though. While I am struggling uphill, and struggling over a fire and bandaging blisters, the blog will be on autopilot. So you still get to enjoy pretty historical goodness. And when I come back, you can enjoy pretty natural photography goodness!
Last week’s ensemble was all about erasing details: comparing the impression captured in the painting to the reality of the dresses fit and construction. The painting came up trumps for comfort and flattery, and Jeanne Samary came away with a very impressive 9.2 out of 10 This week’s dress will be all about the details, because they are what carry the dress. The fabric is a dull brown, the weave a subdued brocade. Only the elaborate pleating, ruching and puffs add interest. What do you think? Does the simple fabric balance the elaborate treatment? Or is the elaborate treatment, plus the plain fabric, two wrongs rather than a balance? Or is the elaborate treatment still not enough to add interest to the plain fabric? Is the dress, despite all the details, still dull and boring? Or are both fabric and details an exquisite exercise in subtlety and design? Rate the Dress on a scale of 1 to 10
It’s really hard to get ahold of a copy of Jeanne Samary’s children’s book Les Gourmandises de Charlotte (Charlotte’s Treats), which is really a pity, because it sounds charming, and the illustrations are adorable. Little Charlotte is a greedy, unruly little child. She won’t eat anything but sugar! Her mother tries to tempt her with all sorts of delicious, nutritious food, but Charlotte just says “Non”! A doctor is called to warn her, but does Charlotte listen? Non! Without nutrition, Charlotte begins to shrink… and shrink…. and shrink… …until she becomes so little that she is smaller than a rat. Indeed, she is so small that she becomes the servant to a rat! Poor naughty Charlotte! Charlotte is so distressed that she begins to eat. She eats… and eats… and eats… She eats anything she can get her hands on! She eats so much that she grows enormously fat, and can’t walk or play! Poor naughty Charlotte! Will Charlotte ever learn to eat the right amount of the right kind of foods, and be a …
