A Miscellany

It's warm and sunny out today (after an alarming episode of sleet last week) and I'm having a hard time concentrating. It could be I'm still recovering from the fun time I had this past weekend at the New Jersey Romance Writers conference (that's me with my and Regina's agent, Emily Sylvan Kim, and another of Emily's clients, Opal Carew)...so I'm going to play the grasshopper and metaphorically hop about in an irresponsible and carefree fashion, presenting several items that have caught my fancy lately.

1. A few weeks back I promised I'd post the Ackermann print I'd recently acquired that shows the inside of a carriage. Well, here it is, from the June 1823 edition:
I'm having a hard time figuring out how the window worked, but suspect there was a panel of glass that could slide up and down in the door as her elbow is obviously outside and there is a tiny bit of what looks like a handle by her hand (and note her quizzing glass!) The seats and sides all appear to be cushioned or upholstered; there's even a little swag at the top of the window. Quite an elegant conveyance, wasn't it? My guess (based on the wonderful pictures in a little book called The Elegant Carriage by Marylian Watney) is that this is possibly a type of carriage known as a private drag, a gentleman's private coach developed during the Regency period and used to attend race meetings (it evidently had a tailgate that could be let down to serve as a buffet table for picnics!) and to drive to meets of the Four-in-Hand Club (hmm, I'm sensing a new post topic in our future...!)

2. Thinking about holiday shopping yet? I am...and here's the perfect place for it: an all-Jane Austen Zazzle shop. I rather fancy the coffee (or should I say tea?) mug with the famous quote from Mrs. Bennet ("You take delight in vexing me. Have you no compassion on my poor nerves?") and particularly this t-shirt, which I would love to have in cocktail napkin form:

3. And if you're looking for an extra special gift for an extra special person, check this out: It's a purse made from an actual copy of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, made and sold by an incredibly talented lady on Etsy. Pardon me while I go leave this link open on my husband's computer...

4. And finally, a look at Elizabeth Bennet's inbox from, of all places, a website called Email Marketing Reports. Who knew those marketing folks had such a sense of humor?

Hope you enjoyed today's miscellany!