Annabel Lee

It was many and many a year ago,

In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know

By the name of ANNABEL LEE;

And this maiden she lived with no other thought

Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,

In this kingdom by the sea;

But we loved with a love that was more than love-

I and my Annabel Lee;

With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven

Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,

In this kingdom by the sea,

A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling

My beautiful Annabel Lee;

So that her highborn kinsman came

And bore her away from me,

To shut her up in a sepulchre

In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,

Went envying her and me-

Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,

In this kingdom by the sea)

That the wind came out of the cloud by night,

Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love

Of those who were older than we-

Of many far wiser than we-

And neither the angels in heaven above,

Nor the demons down under the sea,

Can ever dissever my soul from the soul

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side

Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,

In the sepulchre there by the sea,

In her tomb by the sounding sea. 

By Edgar Allen Poe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh, here's a handkerchief, dear. I'm sobbing my eyes out too. But, this is my favorite poem of all time, so I love it anyway. Why? I think it is beautiful and tragic, and I love how their love is undying even after death. How lovely ♥ However, I would like to make it clear that I don't agree with all the theology in that poem: I really don't think the angels in heaven were jealous, and I am sure they were *way* happier in heaven. ;) What is your favorite poem?
Blessings! 

Life, Literature, and Loveliness ♥ {plus an award}

Where have I been? Frankly, life has whirled around me so quickly, I don't really know. However, duty beckons me, and I must update this blog with all the delicious details begging to be written. :)

I just found a series of photographs from Vogue,
and I am enchanted. The vintage twist, gorgeous
clothes, and lovely hair have inspired me in my
style.... I just love the outfits :)

I know... the length... but ignoring that, this
ensemble is quite gorgeous.

I need this outfit. Anyone have a million dollars
I could use? ;) {uh, please, ignore that guy. What
is up with male models these days?}

The second time watching it actually. What can I say? I
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this movie :) It is a sweet, wholesome
love story. Well, it has two love stories wrapped up in one. :)
I absolutely recommend this movie, it is one of my favorites
now. If you are careful with movies, you can look at plugged
in online for a more thorough review, but I hope you do watch
it, then tell me how you liked it!

I succumbed to the temptation and watched it. :) My reaction?

It was sweet, but I really don't like the end. I have a "thing" for

blonde hair, and although Flynn's act was sweet, I would have

preferred keeping the hair. ;) But other than that, I really enjoyed

it. Flynn was just amazing, and I actually liked how conceited he

was... of course, I preferred him in the end! But his "smolder" look

cracked me up... She had no idea what he was doing :)

Yes, I have been reading "Gone With the Wind". And yes, I have a 

love-hate relationship with this book. I love the south {I mean, hello! My 

name is Southern Belle}, but Scarlett is beyond annoying. I admit, I love

how human she is, but it is getting to the point where I wish she would 

just show a bit of compassion and human decency. But Melanie is amazing, 

and Rhett is so.... ..... ..... .... epic? Really, I cannot find words to describe

him. But I *love* the ending of the book. However, I won't spoil it for 

those of you who haven't read it. :) Altogether, it is a phenomenal read. 

I think I have a new fascination.... Frankly,
I like this movie a lot. But I know a lot of
people don't. So let me explain why I do:

1. Because of....

Raoul. He is my new favorite hero. :) He wasn't that great in
the book, but in the movie he was a protecting, caring, strong,
powerful, loving, sacrificing, faithful man. On top of that,
he is amazingly handsome, and a young man ought to be so,
right Miss Elizabeth Bennet? ;) As proof of his devotion and love,
just listen to these lines he sings to Christine:
Raoul:
Let me be your shelter
let me be your light
You're safe, No one will find you
your fears are far behind you...

Christine:
All I want is freedom,
a world with no more night
and you, always beside me, to hold me and to hide me...

Raoul:
Then say you'll share with me
one love, one lifetime
let me lead you from your solitude
Say you need me with you here, beside you...
anywhere you go, let me go too
Christine, that's all I ask of you...

Christine:
Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime...
say the word and I will follow you...
Share each day with me,
each night, each morning...
Say you love me...

Ooh... the words combined with the music creates
such beauty. Please go and listen to it right now!
{the version with steve barton and sarah brightman}
I don't like the theology, but it is truly a 
beautiful love song. :)

~I also like it because....

the clothes are beautiful and lovely. Especially Christine's
dresses. *swoon* There is a pink one I especially love ♥
I hope to wear one like it someday :)

~Lastly, because.... {all right, there are thousands more reasons, but I have to keep it to 3}

The end is the best ending EVER. Huge emphasis on ever. I
just love the end. I won't spoil it, but the end is a beautiful
one of sacrifice and how light prevails over darkness. The
music at the very end completely emphasizes this, weaving
different themes together. But if you watch the movie, I would
recommend having the lyrics on hand to know what they are
singing. Especially for the "Phantom of the Opera", "All I ask
of You," and the song from the final lair. I *love* the end more
than any other fictional book I have read or movie I have seen.
It is truly beautiful.

Do I recommend you watching it? If you like pyscho-horror movies with an emphasis on love, then I think you should. But, some parts were inappropriate for young audiences, and I really wouldn't recommend anyone younger than 14 watching it. On top of that, most people HATE the ending with as much fervor as I love it. So, it is not for everyone. :) But I would still watch it at least once in your life. It is worth the risk if you end up loving it as much as I do! {for a more thorough review, you can check plugged in online}

Oh, yes. I am re-watching 1985 P&P. I really love the Lizzie in this
version, and Mr. Darcy is so handsome and regal; he interprets his
character very well. Jane is perfectly gorgeous, and I love how
Mr. Bingley isn't better looking than Mr. Darcy, unlike some versions.
*cough* 19 *cough* 95 

Now we get to the place you are all waiting for! :) I was awarded the Most Stylish Blogger Award by Ashley! Do go look at her blog, it is very lovely and she is introducing me to many new books. :)

The rules:

1. Thank the person who awarded you.

Thank you so much Ashley! I am so honored to be awarded this, and glad to have found your blog :)

2. Write seven things about yourself.

~I love hats :) I follow hat blogs, collect them, wear them, try them on, and obviously swoon uncontrollably over them. 

~I hate getting tan. Yes, I am revolutionary and countercultural. Even in small details :)

~I love Japanese food more than any other in the world. It is just amazing. Oh it is so delicious! Suki-yaki, oyako-don, onigiri, curry rice, ramen, tako-yaki... the list goes on and on. 

~I try not to be, but I am prone to vanity. 

~I hardly ever wear jeans or pants.

~I hate cake.

~I very much want to see Les Miserables in any form. {movie, play, or youtube} Any suggestions?

3. Pass it onto seven bloggers. {and tell them about it}

Ooh, so hard! But here goes:

~Anna from Roman Holiday.
~Marie from The Joy of Fashion.
~Michaela from The Last Rose of Summer.
~Alexandra from Of Trims and Frills and Furbelows.

~Miss Laurie from Old-Fashioned Charm.
~Mary from Sue Sue's Stories.
~Gabrielle from Cinderbella's Diary.

I hope all of you will take a look at their beautiful blogs, and be inspired as I always am. :)
Blessings!

*Inspiration*

Enjoy... :)

Natalie Portman, looking gorgeous
while pregnant! {I really couldn't
notice, actually}

The beautiful Audrey Hepburn, who I just did whole

inspiration post on! :)

Really, I would love to *open* those packages!

But I would NOT love to drive that car...

Now we know how many wedding rings a millionaire has... ;)

I love this photo of Olivier and Leigh... they are so cute!

Confession: how many of us have done this before? ;)

Yes, another castle!

I have been attempting this hairstyle for the
past two years! Any suggestions?

Yes, another photo of the gorgeous miss Leigh =)

My new hat!! {isn't it exquisite?}

Mount Rainier cherries.... delicious!

No, not the *most* modest dress,
but I could make it better with some
of these lovelies in this post. :)

The. Hat. *swoon* And that dress!!! And coat!!
Of course, from Oscar De La Renta :)

This is my closet.... {in my daydreams}

I am saddened by her death and pray for her loved
ones.... she was a beautiful, stylish woman who made
her mark on history. {Elizabeth Taylor}

Only one more day until the weekend! Hope it is a lovely one. =)

*Princesses*

~Princesses, Tiaras, and Inspiration :)

This is Sleeping Beauty, if you were wondering ;)

A modern day Cinderella....

Sleeping Beautys are rather difficult to
identify without the prince, don't you think?

Well, now you can guess who this is about *wink*

I once wore a tiara, and it was pure bliss! (for the 2 hours I had it
on... it was so beautiful, and now I love tiaras and wish I had one ;)

 A beautiful train.... remember Princess Diana's 24 foot long train?
I know she was going for drama, but that is a little over the top!

~Castles

I am so enchanted by castles... they are so beautiful. I think
the best ones are the grand, ancient ones that are half-crumbling
and no one cares about... except you. They are mystical and
whimsical all at once. Wouldn't it be a joy to live in one? ;)

And castles that are always on display and being used for
movies get on my nerves! How about an old world castle
tucked away in Ireland where you can spend your days
in a medieval world? =) Tell me if you ever get one of
these delicious houses!

Fog and castles.... oh so mysterious!!

If I lived in a castle, I would probably spend half my time
looking for secret passage ways and hidden secrets that were
 locked away for hundreds of years.... I  would write countless
tales about those who lived in the castle before, dreaming
about their  lives and fantasizing their existence. :) 

*Swoon, Gasp, Scream* Is this castle for rent? ;)

I hate fake looking castles, such as this
one. It looks so Disney Land-ish. :P 

Aw!!!! So sweet!

~Disney Princesses

Sleeping Beauty...

Cinderella, whose movie happens to be one of my favorite in the world. :)
And she is truly my favorite princess, ever.  By the way, this quote ends with,
"No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream
that you wish will come true."

Rapunzel, from Tangled. =)

Had to add this! haha!

~Historical Princesses

I admit, she is not a princess anymore, but she once was,
a very long time ago.  Now she is Queen Elizabeth II :) 

Princess Grace of Monaco :)

Marie Antoinette {no, this is not a real picture of her!}

Diana, Princess of Wales {I LOVE her tiara... *swoon*}

"Whatever comes," she [Sarah Crewe] said, "cannot alter one thing. If I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside. It would be easy to be a princess if I were dressed in cloth of gold, but it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it." ~A Little Princess

I hope you all have a lovely, beautiful weekend! :)