The Game is A-Font

I know that I stated earlier that I was decently certain I was done fooling around with blog designs for a while, but once I found this marvelous title font I simply had to use it. Comments on the new look would be simply lovely- as would be any layout tips.
With ever so much love,
the eclectic authoress herself

Herald of Heaven

It is the very last day of August, and, naturally, fall is approaching. Soon it will be sweater-weather!

Coppola and Luhrman

This will be a sort of review, and a sort of venting post. It's a subject I feel rather strongly about, strangely enough, and after trying in vain to explain it to a friend, I thought I'd have a go here. I recently watched the movie "Marie Antoinette", directed by Sofia Coppola (of recent "The Bling Ring" fame). It was a movie with awkward blackouts and strange shots, and entire scenes with no dialogue at all. It was light on action and heavy on beautiful sets, and somehow, the picture was altogether very sad.

Even so, I think that overall I liked it, and this is why: the characters were vapid and greedy, but you saw their vulnerabilities and understood them. Hollywood characters are so often black and white, good and evil, and people in real life are not that way. Marie Antoinette spent France away, but you understood what it was like to be in her high-heeled, fur-lined shoes. The entire picture is overwhelmingly sad, with the lives that can only be describe as "pomp an circumstance". Even so, the last image is a single room inside of Versailles, wrecked almost beyond recognition, and you think that maybe Marie and her husband were people after all.

No one could glorify them into heroes, and Coppola didn't even try it. The characters were deeply flawed, but this made them seem real. It reminded me, honestly, of Baz Luhrman's recent release "The Great Gatsby". No one will say that Daisy or Nick or Tom or even Gatsby are good, but they also aren't evil.

So while the beautiful costumes and sets of "Marie Antoinette" didn't overshadow the rough edits, the beautifully and realistically woven characters certainly did.

The Eclectic Authoress Recommends...

38. esmeandthelaneway.blogspot.com
It's an absolutely beautiful blog that belongs to a twenty-something fashionista sharing her love for vintage down in Melbourne. She was a Modcloth featured blogger, and her pictures are absolutely to die for.

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37. Notebooks

I'm terribly sorry for the awkward positioning- working on mobile has its problems.

Everybody Do Their Share

Though I know I said that no more changes were going to occur for a while, I'm afraid to say that I've suddenly changed my mind. The new blog template I'm using is much cleaner, and I'm quite happy with it. All of my favorite blogs have plain white backgrounds, and, as I've been trying to get a clean look for some time, I thought that this would be the way to go. I've still got some work to do on the header, but only God knows when that will be "just right"!

As it turns out, I'm a bit of a perfectionist. Aesthetically, the blog layout and background simply wasn't working. Now, I'm much more pleased. Thank you so much for your patience with my little fixes!

With ever so much love,
the eclectic authoress herself

Blogger Bungles

I'm quite sorry for my lack of sufficient posts lately; Blogger has been behaving oddly.  I've been reduced to blogging with the mobile version, as it won't allow me to add texts to my posts on the computer. It's quite strange, really, and I'll try to remedy the problem as soon as possible. 

With apologies,

the eclectic authoress herself

Dracula or Cedric Diggory

Transformations occur in many things: vampires, werewolves, and... blog designs? Uncommon Lovelies has been rather fickle of late, and I've had quite a difficult time choosing the perfect background. I believe, however, that I'll stay with this one for a while. Tell me what you think in the comments!

Rave Reviews

In the mail yesterday- a wonderful serendipity- I received the sweater clips I had ordered from Sweet and Lovely, an online shop run by Kate of Scathingly Brilliant. It absolutely made my day; every detail, even the packaging, was adorable. The printed tape and personalized box were a nice treat, and the piece itself is very high quality. It's not fabric, as the bow shape would suggest, but plastic. The clasps are the sort on actual hair bows, and clip onto most collars and cardigans. The order came promptly, and I was pleasantly surprised to find an email that told me my order had been sent. Sweet and Lovely carries other sweater clips, and I might just have to start a collection- continuing with these adorable mint ice cream cones!

With ever so much love,

the eclectic authoress herself

The Eclectic Authoress Recommends...

36. sugarbeans.org
It's a blog, contrary to the web address. And I also have to mention this crafter's Etsy shop- Sew Sugar Beans. Her pouches are simply to die for!

The Eclectic Authoress Recommends...

35. mermaidens.blogspot.com
A beautiful blog of pastels and fashion, Mermaidens is one of a kind. 

August Arguments

No one cares for the end of summer- not even the beginning of the end. Still, here are some ways to make the most of the remainder of summer, and then, some reasons to look forward to fall.

Making the most of summer:

Have a picnic. Grab your favorite blanket, a few tasty sandwiches, and a friend, and enjoy eating on the grass!

Buy a bathing suit. There's no better time to get that perfect one piece or bikini than August; the sales begin, and there are still pool-worthy days left.

Read a book. Summer is the perfect time to sit back, sunbathe, and delve into literature. For those left high and dry with choices, here are a few recommendations:
For mystery lovers- "Partners in Crime", by Agatha Christie
For classic lovers- "Les Miserables", by Victor Hugo or, for a lighter read, "The Great Gatsby", by F. Scott Fitzgerald
For sci-fi lovers, "Ender's Game", by Orson Scott Card
For romance lovers: "Starstruck", by Rachel Shukert


Looking forward to fall:

Take advantage of sales. Summer items are going on sale, but there's still plenty of wear in them. Modcloth (modcloth.com), for instance, just released an enormous sale yesterday, and most of the items are 50% off. Urban Outfitters, too, has a summer sale at the moment.

Wearing sweaters. Who doesn't love the warmth of wool or cotton blend?

Hot drinks. Coffee and hot tea seem a bit presumptuous in the summer, especially when ordering at a coffee shop. Another point for fall- Starbucks will once gain offer its "caramel apple spice".