Hi there! Happy Tuesday, Peeps. I've got a few of my favorite things to share with you today. First up, is a DVD series that I can't say enough good things about. It's called Downton Abbey and was made for PBS. I've seen it for sale at Sam's Club or you can buy it on Amazon here.
Now before I begin raving to you about how much I love this series, let me first just say that there are some "adult situations" involved in the story line of this series.....things that you might not want to have to explain yet to your, say, 8 year old. Obviously, the series was made for PBS so it's "clean" in terms of what you see, but I just wanted to throw that out there in case you want to watch it first to decide if you want to let your kids see it.
That having been said, this series is soooooooo, so good. My bestie recommended it to me because she knows how much I love to read historical fiction. She was just sure that I'd enjoy it, and not only did I enjoy it, but Bartley did too! Now that says a lot, doesn't it? Haha. It's a collection of 7 episodes on 3 DVDs (over 6 hours of viewing) and it's interesting enough that you might even be able to get your hubs to watch this one with you like mine did (if you've got a hubs, that is).
The story centers around a very wealthy family in the early 1900's.....back when telephones and electricity were just being introduced. It begins with the sinking of the Titanic and the story focuses not only on the wealthy family that lives in the the castle known in the movie as Downton Abbey, but also follows several story lines surrounding the lives of the many servants that work for the family. I found the stories completely captivating.......I'm not kidding. You'll totally get sucked in......in a good way. The clothes are fantastic, the house castle -- unimaginable in it's beauty and size, the plots so enthralling. I was SO bummed when we got to the end of the 3rd DVD. In fact, we watched the first few episodes over the course of a few evenings. But one night, we watched the 4th episode and then the 5th.......and then the 6th, but we were "for sure" going to bed after this one......I'm sure you can see where this is going. We got to the end of the 6th episode and Bart asked if I wanted to go ahead and watch the last episode (even though it was way past our bedtime). I left it up to him since he has to get up much earlier in the morning than I do. He immediately pushed "play". Haha........granted, he said he was just doing it for ME because he know how much I wanted to watch the last one! Lol. Stinker. He enjoyed them almost as much as me.
Also, a little side note.....the castle in the movie is actually Highclere Castle in England, owned by a real Lord & Lady. :) It's open to the public at various times throughout the year, except....wouldn't you know it.......when we're going to be in England coming up! Tragic. Especially after watching the movies, I would have loved to have seen inside the real castle. Anyway, be sure to watch the "special features" on the DVD for behind-the-scenes looks at the castle, the cast, etc.
One last tidbit for you, to save you stress and anxiety after you watch Downton Abbey and are searching like mad online to find out if the series is continuing.....(not that I speak from experience)....
Downton Abbey will return for an 8-part second season which began filming in March and is scheduled to air sometime this fall, with a Christmas special to follow. Bart and I may have done an online search the day after we finished the series, hoping to find out if the story would be continuing. Or we may not have. :) Either way, we were thrilled to find out that the story isn't finished and we'll get to see it again this fall. Trust me, you're gonna want to watch this series. It's a goodie!
Ok, so now that spring is {sort of} upon us, (though you wouldn't necessarily know it by looking out my window on this super gray, drizzly day), it's got me reaching for bright reddish-pinks and pinky-purples for my toes. I have a couple of OPI nail polishes that have been favorites for a few years now, so I thought I might share them with you. Pompeii Purple is a hot fuchsia pink with purple-y undertones. And Peru-b-ruby is a bright pink with a touch of red. Both are bright and summery and just perfect for toes right now!
Purity Made Simple one-step facial cleanser by Philosophy is another beauty product that I've been using for maybe 5 years now. It's a gentle cleanser that takes off all make-up including eye make-up. It's a bit on the spendy side, but I buy the gigantor 32oz. bottles so they're a little less per ounce and if you keep an eye out, you can sometimes get free shipping when ordering direct from Philosophy. Plus the giant bottles come with a pump so they're super handy to keep in the shower. I love bottles with pumps. :)
Ok, so that was a completely random smattering of my favorite things! Ha. I'll be back with crafty posts for you every day for the rest of the week, so I hope you'll join me tomorrow!
See you soon,
P.S. This is, in no way, a paid endorsement. Just sharing a few things I love....because I have a feeling some of you might love them too!
