Well I'm Engaged...So There's That.

(!!!!!!!)

So I have totally, inexcusably neglected this blog lately...it feels like it's only been a couple weeks, but in reality it's been almost a month since I posted. I am sorry. No really, I am. I love this blog and I am really proud of it and I really hate that I haven't been posted. Buuutttt.....

I'm engaged!!!

So there's my excuse, despite the whole "inexcusable" thing. It happened last Tuesday (October 19th!), and between that and the 5 thousand million auditions I've been going on, my computer time has been really limited. But here I am, feeling (as Jane says in Pride and Prejudice when Bingley finally pops the question) like "the most fortunate creature that ever existed." I'll spare you all the corny details of how I (impatiently) waited for months for the proposal, and how he ever-so-casually proposed on the Highline Park in Chelsea and how I somehow could not spit out the word "Yes" for about a good five minutes...anyway. It has happened, and now that it's really settled in, and the phone calls have been made, and the shock of calling him "my fiance" has worn off, I look at my hand and just feel pure joy, and excitement for what is to come.

Despite the horror and dismay I came across recently in realizing how crazy expensive it can be to throw a wedding in my neck of the woods, man I am loving wedding planning! I've been calling a few venues trying to find the right place, and I am telling you, there is no sweeter question to hear than "Are you the bride?" Every time I am asked, I can't resist almost squealing "YES!" I also think, every time I give my name to one of the planners, that my last name will be different very soon. I am just delighted. I was kind of born to be a bride-to-be, as ridiculous as it sounds. I am just hoping that the small breakdown I had on Monday night (well, if you ask my fiance, maybe it wasn't so small) will be the only one and that I will somehow be able to enjoy the process without getting overwhelmed or having unrealistic expectations. Thankfully I have wonderful friends (and sisters-in-law-to-be!), not to mention my family and fiance, that I know will lovingly but firmly keep my head on straight - without these people, I would be a puddle of nerves and emotion, pretty much all day every day. Thank you to everyone who has stuck by me during the "waiting" period to see me come out the other side as a proudly engaged woman....I could not be more grateful for both your support and your tough love. 

So there we go. I vow to you and to myself that I will not neglect Go Austen anymore, and I really appreciate everyone reading. Onward to more ramblings (including some tidbits of wedding planning, hazah!).

P.S. Remember those fabulous hardcover classic books from Anthropologie that I featured recently? Well guess what I got Neil as an engagement present...

hey I can try to be as patient as Penelope right?

P.P.S. Thank you Cecilia for your super-sweet compliment! I will try not to let you and your sister down. :)

That's So Austen.

Things right now that have stood out to me as very Austen lately, as fall has finally descended on the Northeast:

Anthropologie

If you know me, you know I'm OBSESSED with Anthropologie. Most of my wardrobe is either from this store or looks like it's from this store (and is actually from Target, Forever21 or Kohls...gotta love some bargains). I swear that if Austen heroines were living today, they would be dressed head to toe in clothing from this ladylike, smart, classic-with-a-twist store. Last night I was sitting in an Anthropologie on a leather couch and it just came to me...the English undertones...the cheeky wit...the weathered, countryside-ish wood...it's just SO Austen. AND...!!

OMG the books!! They are now carrying these beautiful, antique-looking hardcover versions of some my absolute favorite books: Pride and Prejudice, Emma, The Odyssey and many more. I cannot deal. I want them all. But of course, at 20 bucks a pop, I can't just buy them all. SO where do I start?? I'm tempted to get Pride and Prejudice (just finished my re-read of it last night! Damn it is SO good. Elizabeth to Darcy: "To be sure, you knew no actual good of me--but nobody thinks of that when they fall in love."), as my copy is literally falling apart. But I want Emma! Can I even choose between Pride and Prejudice, which I love so much, and Emma, which I also love to the point that it is my future daughter's namesake? And then I also want Sense and Sensibility, so I can read it next! But I also need the Odyssey, aka my favorite love story ever! Oh Anthropologie, the endless dilemmas you create in my mind...

English Countryside Beauty

This picture is from an entry in the Beauty Department blog at luckymag.com. I just think this girl is beautiful, and she reminds me of a combination of Elizabeth and Jane in the most recent Pride and Prejudice movie. The big eyes, defined brows, delicate flush of the lips and cheeks...ever notice how in Austen novels (and other works from the time) they're always mentioning people's "colouring" in conjunction with their emotions? I.e. "But Jane, you are so pale" and "Elizabeth had a healthy colour in her cheeks after her exercise in the country"? And eyes are also important...there's a whole part of Pride and Prejudice where Darcy is made fun of for stating that Elizabeth has "fine eyes." So I'm loving this soft and gentle makeup...some shades to try to get this particular shade of flush would be Nars the Multiple in Maui, Nars lipstick in Dolce Vita, or Stila Convertible Color in Lillium...try it out girls! Perfect for fall.

The Lace-Up Bootie

Now I don't pretend to know what kind of shoes Austen ladies would have actually worn, but I imagine that they would have worn something at least in this genre and that they would have approved that they're now one of the biggest shoe trends out there. I got myself a pair of grey leather ones that are a little low-cut in the front and have a medium-height heel, and I can't wait to wear them now that it's finally cold enough to stop wearing sandals! They're so cute and versatile and I feel like there's a lace-up bootie for everyone out there right now, you just have to search a little bit! Stay tuned for a post on how I actually dress around these babies...a challenge that I am ready for.

That is all, happy Tuesday! Embrace your inner English Country Rose...you know you want to.