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Thursday, September 10, 2009

Jane Austen Party gifts.

I was completely spoilt at my Jane Austen 40th birthday party with the most beautiful gifts. Earrings were a favourite choice (which I am very happy about!) and I hope to photograph them soon. Some gifts were particularly appropriate to the theme of the party and these are the ones I am sharing in this post.

My good friend Marianne embroidered my "name" on a handkerchief. This in itself was a beautiful idea, then I looked inside.


Around the edge of the handkerchief she had embroidered "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." - the opening sentence, of course, of Pride & Prejudice. Inside this precious parcel was a pair of beautiful pearl and silver earrings.


Some of the girls in my bible study grouped together and gave me this gorgeous tea cup and saucer, handmade and handpainted, from T2. I feel completely elegant drinking from it, it is such fine bone china. They also gave me a selection of T2 teas, a lovely gardenia candle in a jar and the DVD of Bride & Prejudice- lots of Bollywood fun! Lovely gifts from them all.

Jacqui gave me a most beautifully wrapped gift. Because their was no wrapping paper in the Regency period, she wrapped my gift in fabric and lavender.


Inside was a most unique gift which also seems to fit the theme very well, in a rustic old-fashioned kind of way, a lovely garden stake.


We used it today to mark out our new vegetable plot, and it was perfect for the job.
(I did the fun marking out with the stake and Steve did the actual digging!)


This lovely little mirror case from Anne looks like something Jane Austen would have loved:


I think without a doubt the cutest gift I received was from Amy, who sewed me this gorgeous Jane Austen doll.


How cute is she? Amy told me she was very fiddly to make, as I can imagine. I appreciate so much her hard work and creativity - it's not often I am given handmade gifts (except from my girls, of course!)

So you can see that I was very spoilt and how much I love these gorgeous gifts.
My friends are good to me.

5 comments:

Amy said...

Fiona - I like the photos!! Thanks for a most enjoyable evening! Amy x

Hill upon Hill said...

Oh the gifts are wonderful. How lovely. Your ears will be so elegant.....
PS you photographed jewellrey really well, that in itself is a gift.

Anonymous said...

i saw this video on youtube and thought you would appreciate it. there is a Jane Austen dance group that has balls like in that era.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kddPA0rJCVc&NR=1

(if you cant find it, key words are jane austen party)
-ann

Fiona said...

Hi Ann,
Thanks for the link, I loved that video! Our night was a little like that - without the men and in a much smaller area and on a smaller scale! I wish I had video of my friend doing a Lady Catherine impression! What fun! I hope you go ahead and plan a Jane Austen party. They are so much fun!

Tanya Willis Anderson said...

Oh I adore that doll!!! Is there a pattern or place to buy it? Darling.

Tanya