Dressing Downton at Cheekwood

I'm soooo behind on blog posts, but I still want to share how I spent my summer!  So you're getting it anyways LOL #latergram #laterblog

A bunch of local girls in DAR get together for a monthly happy hour in an unofficial capacity, simply because we love each other's company and enjoy a lot of the same things.  So for one of them, we decided to grab drinks and enjoy the Dressing Downton touring exhibit visiting Cheekwood!  Cheekwood had these fun Thursday night activities (food trucks, a bar, and more!) during the summer, so we timed our visit to the exhibit with that.

For fans of the show, seeing these outfits up close is just fascinating and mesmerizing!  I highly recommend it!  While the exhibit is no longer in Nashville, you can still catch it on tour.

You have to stop and take time to read about the clothing.  Some of it is reproduction, some of it is authentic vintage, and some of it is made from vintage pieces.  It's so neat how a vintage curtain or tablecloth became the basis for a gorgeous gown.  Cheekwood also incorporated the history of its own family and mansion into the exhibits, which made it even more unique for us.

I loved seeing this exhibit with my friends.  Cheekwood is a really special place in Nashville, one that I come back to almost every year at least once for visiting exhibits.  If you've got a girl squad and you're looking to do something beyond the usual happy hour, make sure you look up local exhibits and events to see if you can mix it up!

P.S.  Did you hear they're working on a Downton Abbey MOVIE?!  Yay!

Downton Abbey: The Ups and Downs - Series 4 Recap

It's that time of year again!  That time when I finally get to open my mouth about the latest season of Downton Abbey because the Americans are all caught up.  Because you all know I can't stand not watching it right away and totally had it finished back in December.

SPOILER ALERT, read on only if you've watched Series 4!

This season was view by many as a weaker season, with a lot of reviews saying it had jumped the shark.  And I'll admit, it wasn't my favorite.  But it was still a compelling story for me to watch, and I looked forward to every episode.  Here are my abbreviated thoughts on the season...

I like how they started the seasons months after Matthews' death, because it allowed them to pick up with a bit more "normal" life than if they'd shown everyone in the throes of intense grief.  I feel like Mary's emotions throughout the series bring her back to the way she was pre-Matthew (less likeable, but authentic) and I enjoyed seeing her come back into her own.  She's even considering suitors, one of whom I see as particularly up to the task (and even possibly more worthy than Matthew).  Isobel's grief was particularly hard to watch, as she's the one essentially orphaned by the death without other family, but I was happily surprised how the Dowager Countess stepped up as her cheeky pal.
What impressed me most throughout the Upstairs story during the season was Edith's transformation.  Forced out of the "middle child" syndrome by the death of Sybil, she took advantage of the grief and swirl around her family to escape.  From her manner to her clothes, she has gone from being one of my least favorite characters to one I empathize with a lot.  While her judgment is still often flawed, she chased love and lost in some terrible ways... but I'm still rooting for her after all.
The rest of the Upstairs stories seemed to be short and sweet, filled with mystery and funny capers, and frenemies at parties.  Not much to report.  Lord Crawley is still an old-fashioned sexist despite having such independent and sassy women in his family.

In between Upstairs and Downstairs is poor Branson.  I started the season really loving him (and seeing myself choosing him above the other men in the series) until EDNA came back.  Seriously, Branson?  WTF?  As for Edna (and evil Nanny for that matter) good riddance to bad rubbish.  I was much more inclined to encourage Branson's interest in Sarah Bunting, who seems a good match for him intellectually.  I feel for the fact that he is a man without country, not an aristocrat like his in-laws but no longer fit for his previous occupation.  He represents the rise of the middle class, I suppose!
Downstairs this series was chaos.  CHAOS.  There are many more evil people lurking below apparently.  I'm not going to gloss over Anna's rape or the death of her rapist.  It was awful.  And it was hard for me not to get mad at Anna for pushing Bates away like she did, because they were portrayed as perfect lovebirds before.  But it's telling that she didn't confront her rapist because of her fear that Bates would seek revenge... because I'm convinced she realizes there's a bit of psychopath in him.  She's in love with Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, don't you think?  And it was interesting to see Thomas try to regain footing with a new alliance with the exit of O'Brien.  He's back to his evil ways, and it kind of makes me sad.

As for the other Downstairs characters, Carson, Mrs. Hughes, and Mrs. Patmore continue to be favorites for me.  Their personalities and wisdom just make me smile so much.  They're secretkeepers and mentors to the rest of the ninnies.  I really enjoyed seeing Daisy bloom (pun intended) under Patmore's watchful eye, even parting with her crush on Alfred in a very mature way.
If you didn't like previous seasons of Downton, you won't like this one.  But if you're inclined to view the inhabitants of that house as family, like I am after these years, you'll enjoy it.  My friends and I have a "BBC Book Club" on Facebook where we share our thoughts throughout the UK season to prevent spoilers for our US-watching friends... and we all agree we liked it.  We'll keep watching!

Why I'm obsessed with @DowntonAbbey

Downton Abbey is an incredible period drama imported to the U.S. via PBS.  You heard me, public broadcasting!  It has aired two seasons thus far, the first which I caught on Netflix, the second which is currently airing on PBS.  But since my local PBS won't air it, I'm catching up by watching online!

What is this show that everyone is (or should be!) talking about?  The series is set in the fictional Downton Abbey, it follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family during the tumultuous 1910s.  From the sinking of the Titanic to WWI, to dramas between servants and other scandal, there's just so much going on with this family.  If you love period dramas like I do (such as the BBC/Masterpiece serials for Pride & Prejudice, Jane Eyre, and North & South to name a few), then you MUST watch this one.  It's like a soap opera, except the production quality is phenomenal and the acting is top-notch.

The top three reasons I'm obsessed with this show?  READ ON.

What? I haven't been blogging?

What?  I haven't been blogging?  It's not my fault!  I blame...

THIS.

And THIS.

And sewing some of THIS.

But I'm not complaining a single bit!  :)