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Test your Victorian tea party hosting abilities.By Christine Stoddard QuailBellMagazine.com By John Scott The Victorians welcomed the Christmas season the way they welcomed many events—with tea. Merging both the conventions of a formal function and an informal buffet, the Christmas tea brought friends and acquaintances together in a cozy setting full of candles, carols, and cookies. As a Quail Bell(e), you're probably wondering what kind of Victorian tea party hostess you would be (given a time machine, of course). Well, find out now by taking this original QB quiz: 1. What's the first step you decide to take in planning your tea party? a) Choose the size and theme of your event so you can begin brainstorming the particulars— right down to the last doily! b) Call your great-aunt Lois? Halfway into the conversation, you realize she was born in 1933. c) Kick back, relax, and play some Nintendo until your thumbs turn blue. Then check the cupboard to see if those vanilla wafers you bought last year are stale. 2. What sort of menu would you ideally choose for your party? a) Scones, truffles, strawberries, sandwiches, tartlets, puffs, cakes, etc. b) 1950s era Spam, Cheese Whiz, Marshmallow Peeps, and any other food product you can find in a vintage-looking package or container c) Big Mac, large fries, diet coke, maybe one of those $0.50 apple pies... 3. What kinds of décor will you choose for the table and surrounding area? a) Boughs of green, clusters of fruit, pearls, silk roses, pastel candles b) Liquid-filled candle lights, a tinsel tree, and The Original Christmas Elves c) A plastic tablecloth with snowman print from Target 4. What will you wear to the event? a) A tea gown, clearly! b) Bloomers and a cloche hat??? c) A Juicy Couture tracksuit 5. What sorts of topics will you discuss at the event? a) Arts and culture, flowers, local social happenings b) The Great Depression and wartime rations c) Binge-drinking, sexual indiscretions, nail salons The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Reflections on the Tale of CinderellaBy Luna Lark QuailBellMagazine.com When you first read the tale of Cinderella at age four or five, you probably focus on the wonder of the protagonist's rag-to-riches luck. As you grow older, the glitter dust starts to fade and you begin to ask some serious questions until you realize that a fairy tale's not a true reflection of life. (Such doubts arise around the same time that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny lose their luster.) Here are just a few of the questions the burgeoning skeptic's likely to ask: Who supported Cinderella's evil stepmother after the death of Cinderella's father? These women lived in an incredibly patriarchal society! Why didn't the stepmother dump Cinderella in a hamlet somewhere to live with the peasants? Shouldn't the stepmother have focused more on securing a new husband than making Cinderella's life miserable?
How come Cinderella's fairy godmother didn't come to her rescue much sooner? Did she just graduate from fairy training school a decade too late? How on earth did Cinderella stand in glass slippers without them shattering? Like all fairy tale princesses, she surely had a willowy figure, but hopefully she wasn't anorexic, either. How did Cinderella dance in glass slippers? Shouldn't she have kicked them off during the ball? If Cinderella's carriage was really made from a pumpkin, wouldn't she have arrived to the ball with seeds and orange, stringy flesh all over her gown? Didn't the prince wonder why she smelled like a pumpkin? Wasn't there some other girl in the kingdom who wore the same shoe size as Cinderella? The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Boo! [Aussie Style]By Julie DiNisio QuailBellMagazine.com Ghost tours in America usually focus their events around pretty standard stories. Soldiers dying in war; vengeful husbands or wives killing their spouses; lovelorn women haunting their places of death. And so on. But America was not founded by convicts, people resplendent with either excessive sorrow or obsessive criminal intent (or both). This is what sets The Rocks Ghost Tours, a haunting business located in Sydney, Australia, apart from many ghost tours. Owners Brian and Colleen Harrison have dabbled in the ghost touring for years, both coming from storytelling families. Their unique combination of gifts and a love for the eerie make them a hot commodity in Australia, and they were kind enough to answer some of Quail Bell's questions below: The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Fairy Food: Bell Pepper and Walnut SaladBy QB Chef QuailBellMagazine.com Perhaps fall has left you longing for color in something other than the trees---you want color on your plate! Fairies could not agree more. That's why they lunge for bell peppers at this time of year. Their vibrant hues bring festivity to any plate. It's always the right time for walnuts, too. For a true fall fairy salad tradition, chop up a bell pepper, add walnut bits, and pour some on some honey mustard. Then take it out for an autumn picnic in the park. Watch the leaves fall (or the fairies going hang-gliding, whichever way you want to look at it.)
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1920s Survival Guide: Speakeasy ProtocolBy Paisley Hibou QuailBellMagazine.com Not buts about it, you're a real classy dame, with a fringed silk dress that falls at just the right length—a sexy one, with plenty of leg in the deal, not like those gals still hung up on Edwardian conservatism. Your eyes are sultry, lined better than stained glass. Your hair's perfectly bobbed. Your chest's taped flat in true tomboy fashion. It's 1922 and the United States is at the height of Prohibition (or the so-called Noble Experiment), and you're confident that strutting into any speakeasy with your killer looks and sweet-talking mouth will be a doozie.
Well, even if you're a doll face who knows how to pay a compliment or two, there are still a few things you should know about illegal drinking establishments. Here's your speakeasy survival guide: The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Bell(e)s in BootsBy Tykeya O'Neil QuailBellMagazine.com A fledgling's fall feet love quirky boots! Pick a pair to wear to an art gallery, play, history lecture, or other Quail Bellish outing: From left to right:
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From the Wizard Dictionary: "Widdershins"By The Word Wizard QuailBellMagazine.com By Christine Stoddard widdershins \WID-er-shinz\in a left-handed, wrong, or contrary direction : counterclockwise [Merriam-Webster]
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Gearhart the Gentleman: The Fickle SuitorBy Sir Gearhart QuailBellMagazine.com Dear Sir Gearhart, I am an attractive female college student who's had success both academically and socially. I take my studies seriously but I also know how to have fun and have made lots of friends during my university years. I love life and it seems that life loves me—except for now. I've been seeing this guy (also a college student) for the past couple months. When we're together, I'm happy. When we're not, I'm frustrated. He's sweet and attentive, but only if he's right there in front of me. Otherwise, he makes little effort to make me feel appreciated. I have to call first, only to engage in awkward phone conversation. Same goes for online chatting, emails, etc. It's like he's only comfortable talking to me in person. What I don't get is that he was the one who first asked me to hang out with him! So I know he's interested, or at least he was. How do I figure this guy out? Thanks a bunch. -Confused College Girl By Christine Stoddard Dear Confused College Girl,
You sound like a charming young lady and I would feel ever-so fortunate to make your acquaintance. While I am not entirely convinced of the value of sending a young lady to college, I believe that your lovely parents had only the best of intentions when they encouraged you to continue your education. You remind me of Jane Austen's character Emma, if I may draw the comparison—such a lady with such a mind most unfitting for a creature of the fairer sex. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
The Picture Apothecary: Curly LabelsBy The Picture Pharmacist QuailBellMagazine.com Dear fledglings, You know how sometimes you forget what things are and what purpose they serve? You're just bumbling around your spacious 10''x10'' Brooklyn studio when you run into a crazy physical object that completely mystifies you. You know the object belongs to you. You bought it or a friend gave it to you or you found it sitting by its lonesome in the street. Sadly, that's about all you know about this strange object. That's why I'm prescribing you these curly vintage labels. As soon as a new object enters your home, label it. Spell out its name and write a brief description of what it does. While I can't banish forgetfulness, I can help you keep track of the junk piled up in your abode. Now, hopefully you won't have to go and label your brain, too... Yours Truly, The Picture Pharmacist
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The Three Hunkin', Sensitive MusketeersBy Ani Mikaelian QuailBellMagazine.com When you think of musketeers, you think of fearless men fighting for glory and justice. There have been several films depicting the lives of the three legendary musketeers known as Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. The real story, however, focuses on a young daredevil named d’Artagnan who wants nothing more than to join the Musketeers of the Guard. 2011's “The Three Musketeers” takes you straight to the beginning of the tale where we meet d’Artagnan bidding his parents good-bye with the family sword in hand. Not even ten minutes into the film, d’Artagnan lands himself in trouble with four men—three of whom he challenges to duel. Naturally, the three are the infamous musketeers who are down on their luck. This decade's version of the classic story welcomes a new, sympathetic side of the musketeers. Imagine Paris in a time of love and war—the unbelievably young and naïve King Louis XIII gives into the cardinal's manipulations and d’Artagnan has taken to the Queen’s fair maiden. There is no way to keep swordplay out of these scenarios, at least not where the musketeers are concerned, but this film isn't all about clanking metal.
An impeccably versatile cast comprised of Logan Lerman, Milla Jovovich, Matthew Macfadyen, Luke Evans, Ray Stevenson, Orlando Bloom, and Christoph Waltz opens the audience to a world of European chaos that took place four centuries ago. From French pastures to the English Channel, the film's scenery alone is enough to make heads spin. Jam-packed with baffling swordplay, witty jokes, and a charmingly cocky d-Artagnan, you cannot go wrong with this feature. The Musketeers may be “all for one,” but this motion-picture is “one for all!” The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Ghosts in Oyster Point (a.k.a Charleston, SC)By Christine Stoddard QuailBellMagazine.com So far Quail Bell has given you some insight into ghost groups in Richmond, VA, Baltimore, MD, and Atlanta, GA. Now we're taking you to Charleston, SC for a few words from owner John Laverne about how the paranormal and the historical collide at Bulldog Tours: For those not familiar with Charleston, SC, could you give them a sense of the history and wonder there? What makes it a uniquely haunted city?
Charleston was founded in 1670 and is said to be one of the most haunted cities in America. Why so haunted? Many ghost experts believe we have such a large number of ghosts due to our tragic history (Revolutionary War, Civil War, five major fires, earthquakes, epidemics, hurricanes, and tornados). During such tragedies, many people often lose their lives unexpectedly and reside on earth [as ghosts] in hopes of completing any unfinished business. Until their business is finished, we have lots of spirits lurking in the shadows. Charleston also has a tremendous amount of old buildings and homes where many generations of families have lived and died. Many of the deceased residents of these old houses decided to never leave. My lighthearted belief is that we have lots of ghosts because Charleston is so wonderful [that] one life here just isn’t enough. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
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Good Eats from a Scaly PerspectiveBy Paisley Hibou QuailBellMagazine.com Q: What's a dragon's favorite meal? A: MidKNIGHT breakfast! By Christine Stoddard The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
December at the Merchant's House MuseumBy QB Social Butterfly QuailBellMagazine.com The place The New York Times dubbed "Manhattan's most haunted" house isn't exactly dead. A National Historic Landmark, the Merchant's House Museum was built in 1832 and is the only wholly-preserved, 19th century family home still standing in New York City. Today the museum thrives with what its own website refers to as "spirited" events. Here's what lies on the Merchant's House Museum's social calendar this holiday season (and no, not the Halloween one): Thursday, December 1, through Monday, January 9
From Candlelight to Bubble Light: a 1950s Christmas in an 1850s House The halls of the 1850s Merchant’s House will be retro-decked with vintage trees, over-the-tinsel-top decorations, and memorabilia from the golden age of Christmas, while strains of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” drift through the House. Indulge in the nostalgia of Christmas past and see how the holiday innovations of the 1850s became the traditions of the 1950s — and today. From the Collection of Deb O’Nair. Included with regular admission. Friday & Saturday, December 9 & 10, 90 minute tours at 6 & 8 p.m. “Bubble Light” Cocktail Tours See Manhattan’s “best-preserved” mid-19th century house retro-decked with over-the-tinsel-top 1950s vintage holiday décor from the collection of Deb O’Nair. After your 45 minute tour, enjoy a classic cocktail and taste 1950s Christmas canapés. Vintage cocktail attire encouraged, but not required. $40, $25 MHM Members. Saturday, December 10, 45 minute tours begin every half hour from 2 to 5 p.m. “From Candlelight to Bubble Light” Holiday Tours for the Whole Family Learn how the holiday innovations of the 1850s became modern traditions as you tour a mid-19th century House retro-decked with over-the-tinsel-top vintage Christmas decorations and holiday memorabilia from the 1950s.Featuring the collection of Deb O’Nair. $20, $15 Children 12 & under, $10 MHM Members. Wednesday, December 14, 6 to 8 p.m. “Holly Jolly” Holiday Cocktail Party Toast the holidays with 1950s flair in a mid-19th century house, retro-decked with over-the-tinsel-top vintage decorations and holiday memorabilia. Enjoy classic 1950s Christmas cocktails and canapés, “rock around the Christmas tree” with the Tinsel Tones, and do some last minute shopping at our fabulous holiday gift bazaar. Vintage cocktail attire encouraged, but not required. Featuring the collection of Deb O’Nair. $40, Free for MHM Members. Saturday, December 17, 7:30 p.m. Tinsel Tunes by the Tinsel Tones A concert of holiday favorites, from 1850 to 1950, performed in an 1850s parlor filled with 1950s decorations and vintage Christmas memorabilia. Featuring the collection of Deb O’Nair. $30, MHM Members $15. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
YouTube Pick: United Airlines CommercialBy QB Curator QuailBellMagazine.com If you prefer your corporate commercials to be enchanted ones, here's what United Airlines has in store for the die-hard fairy tale-lover: The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Egyptology GaloreBy Julie DiNisio QuailBellMagazine.com Starting November 19, get in touch with the three thousand year old dead at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia. From this Saturday until March 2012, the museum will be displaying over one hundred Ancient Egyptian artifacts associated with burial and, of course, mummies.
Perusal of the exhibit is preceded by a 3-D short film, narrated by Patrick Stewart, on Nesperennub, an Egyptian temple priest who died about three thousand years ago. In the past, the movie informs, mummies had to be unwrapped to garner information. However, in recent years, CT scanning and 3-D visualization have replaced this damaging and invasive procedure; thus, human hands and the harsh light of an examining room have never touched the remains. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Five Uses for a Unicorn HornBy Christine Stoddard QuailBellMagazine.com One minute you're studying for the GRE, the next you're chanting medieval incantations to make something of the unicorn horn you just ground into a mound of sparkling powder. Or at least that's all you can hope for as you're reviewing math you haven't studied since freshman year. Here are five uses for a unicorn horn should you escape long enough from your vocabulary cards to stumble across a glimmering stick in an enchanted forest:
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Drawings by DeerlingsBy QB Curator QuailBellMagazine.com Over the past five years or so, Doe Deere has recruited many followers--or "deerlings," as she calls her fans. Here are three pieces of QB's favorite Doe Deere fan art: The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
A Bro's PerspectiveBy Starling Root QuailBellMagazine.com By Christine Stoddard If a bro could actually articulate the reasons why mermaids are the hottest mystical creatures (or articulate himself period), this is what he'd say:
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Bettie Bangs and Pompadours!By Jade Miller QuailBellMagazine.com Nothing says style and sophistication quite like a classic look, and nothing is more classic (and a little bit gothic) than the pin-up girl style of the 1950s. With Bettie Page and Rosie the Riveter as style icons, who could go wrong? The chic pompadour and elegant makeup of the rockabilly style flatter every girl. The quintessential hairstyle of rockabilly is 'Bettie Bangs.' Bettie Bangs are blunt, straight bangs that lie across the forehead. This hairstyle is named after the famous Bettie Page, who really emphasized her bangs with simple, no fuss styling for the rest of her hair. This is a simple and easy way to achieve a great rockabilly style with minimal upkeep. By Andrew Mowe Another quick hairstyle to try out is the quick pompadour. Using a rattail comb, gather your bangs to the front of your head and pull them up and back, twisting them to the side. Then, push the hair forward creating the traditional pompadour pouf and pin at the end with a small clip or bobby pins. Give a hearty spritz of hair spray. You could always follow this up with a Rosie bandanna tied in a double knot behind the bangs for that extra step into pure rockabilly.
As far as makeup goes, rockabilly is all about emphasizing the lips. A strong red lip is the focus of the face while everything else is very minimal. Start by powdering your face to get a smooth surface to start with. Follow this with blush, using a quality make-up brush, swept high up on your cheekbones as opposed to the apples of your cheeks, going close to your eyes up towards your hairline. Using an angled eyeshadow brush, take a dark shadow and emphasize your eyebrows, extending the color just a bit past your natural brow. Apply black liquid liner to the top lid, adding a small cat eye flourish, and use mascara on the top and bottom lashes. Next, enhance your eyes with white eyeliner on the water line. Use a shimmery light color on your eyelids going up to the brow, with a darker brown in the lid crease to give a subtle accent. Finally, to keep your lips kissable, use a little chapstick before applying lip liner and lipstick. Make an X shape with the liner to really give your top lip 'oomph' and fill in your lips with a killer red lipstick. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
December at the Amherst MuseumBy QB Social Butterfly QuailBellMagazine.com Located in Amherst, NY, the Amherst Museum commits itself to the history of the Town of Amherst, the Village of Williamsville and the Niagara Frontier on a scenic 35-acre site with 12 historic buildings. From wedding gowns to maps to furniture to quilts, this place teems with mob-capped re-enactors who put the "living" in "living history." Here's what's on their calendar for December: December 3, 2011
Holiday Celebration Join the Museum's Board of Trustees for their annual fundraising holiday dinner and basket auction. Tickets are $55 each or $100 per couple. December 7, 2011 Holiday Victorian Tea & Basket Auction Please join us for Afternoon Tea, which includes scones, tea sandwiches, and dessert. $23.50 per person. Reservations required. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Toilets of the PastBy Paisley Hibou QuailBellMagazine.com Man has urinated and defecated since...the dawn of man. Today we call our vestibule for crap a toilet. Originally the word “toilet,” deriving from the French “toilette,” referred to a lady's boudoir—not a commode. Sometime in the 1800s, that changed and toilet became a euphemism for the ol' throne. Regardless of etymology, we've always had to put our waste somewhere. Where exactly has varied through the ages and from culture to culture. But let's focus on the European tradition for the time being. For all your quirky history lovers, here's a brief introduction to the toilets of Ancient Rome and the early Middle Ages: Ancient Rome: We all know the Romans had their idiosyncrasies (e.g. togas, dying their hair with goat fat, etc.) It shouldn't surprise anyone who sat through high school World History then that the Romans pooped in public. In fact, they relished the act, making their public toilets regular social hubs where they discussed the usual news and gossip that make up the idle chatter common to every civilization.
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Winter Style: Queen of NarniaBy Tykeya O'Neil QuailBellMagazine.com The White Witch, Her Imperial Majesty, Jadis, Empress of the Lone Islands, Chatelaine of Cair Paravel--whatever you dub her, she is the Queen of Narnia. Copy her frosty style by using pieces available in a moment's click:
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Country-fried Steak and GranniesBy Christine Stoddard QuailBellMagazine.com Cracker Barrel is for grannies—and that's why I love it. The game of blue-hair spotting thrills me. I coo over the sweet seniors who coo over prim porcelain dolls and antique-looking teddy bears. Delight rushes through my fingers as I touch the very same wicker baskets the giggling old ladies did only moments before me. I'm no paraphiliac; I'm simply an old soul. I admire the elderly because they know the past firsthand and often revel in it as much as I do.
That's one of the reasons senior citizens and I both frequent my favorite chain eatery. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, the quaint Southern gift shop and restaurant, specializes in serving up hearty portions of sentimentality. Founded in 1969 in Tennessee, Cracker Barrel doesn't skimp on American comfort food or comfort period. The whole chain's about comfort. Each location boasts a sprawling porch teeming with rocking chairs worthy of seating Mother Goose herself. While the chairs are for sale, you'll likely enjoy plopping down in one more than you will flipping over the price tag. The best part is that there's no obligation to buy a chair—only to relax in one. As you and your chair fall into a soothing rhythm, the likes of Nat King Cole and Patsy Cline on the radio will further calm you before or after your meal. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Foot Fetishist ImmortalizedBy QB Curator QuailBellMagazine.com Feel ashamed of your fetish? Don't be. As long as yours is as harmless as the worship of pretty toes, high arches, and slender ankles, you have the approval of French illustrator Martin van Maële. Martin van Maële created this piece, "La Comtesse au fouet," in 1926. The artist was famous for the drawings he made to accompany erotic literature in the early 1900s. (And if you lust after something other than feet, rest assured that your buddy Martin has you covered there, too.)
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