Happy Birthday Jane Austen!

It's that time of year again, Jane Austen's birthday!

Jane Austen's storytelling has inspired various stories for years! 

The most recent tribute I've seen for Austen was in the TV show Girl Meets World: 

The Riley and Maya, in all their confusion over what happened in Texas, relate to the story Sense and Sensibility.

 "What is essential to the situation, my dear Maya, is to host a ball. A grand ball, a New Year’s Eve Ball. We shall invite all the eligible gentlemen of good (….) standing in the village." - Riley

This episode was so well written, and it foreshadowed possible events in their lives. 

In my opinion: Riley related to Marianne. Her crush on Lucas mirrors the affection that Marianne

 feels for Willoughby. The simple fact that she was only in love with the idea of him. And what about Farkle you ask? Why was he so hell bent on exposing her secret? 

Farkle relates to Colonel Brandon who is always there for Marianne, but she doesn't see that until Willoughby breaks her heart.  

Now, what about Maya? Maya relates to Elinor, who hides her true feelings for Edward for a long time. It's been obvious that Maya has tried to hide her feelings for Lucas since the beginning of the show. 

I loved the shout out to Jane Austen in this episode, and I thought the parallel was well done. 

Austen's works are timeless. 

Some of my favorite adaptions are of course the BBC Pride and Prejudicce: 

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries: 

And Emma Approved: 

Happy Austen Day Everyone! ^_^

Happy Birthday Jane Austen!

Today Jane Austen is remembered as a classic story teller, and rightfully so! Her stories are still  recognized today, and they have inspired many modern storytellers. Without Pride and Prejudice, we wouldn't have The Lizzie Bennet Diares. And without Emma, there would be no Emma Approved. 

In honor of Jane Austen, these are my favorite stories and characters. 

1. Persuasion: This is my favorite Jane Austen novel. It is a story about hope in spite of regret. Anne's journey from living under the shadow of expectations to discovering what she truly wants has inspired me to do the same. Captain Wentworth himself is charming, and his letter to Anne is the moment I remember most from the story. 

2. Emma: Despite many people not liking this character, I admire Emma's confidence. She does have faults, but she doesn't let her mistakes keep her from moving forward. Her obsession with matchmaking is a reflection of her desire to be useful. Mr Knightley is her confidante, and he is never afraid to point out when Emma is wrong. Mr Knightly is actually my favorite Austen hero. He is awkward and shows his concern for Emma by teasing her, and his lectures are based on his care for Emma. 

3. Pride and Prejudice: Elizabeth Bennet is such an amazing character. She is smart, brave, honest and follows her heart. Her story is entertaining. She won't settle, and she is determined to help her sister find happiness. Her fault is judging others, and once she meets Darcy, a new game comes into play. Both Elizabeth and Darcy view the world by judging others and believing that they are better than them. Their faults are challenged when they meet, because they mirror each other. This is what makes Pride and Prejudice such a charming story. Both Elizabeth and Darcy grow once they learn to look past their judgements and give people a chance. 

4.Northanger Abbey: Catherine is the ultimate daydreamer in Austenland. Her love of gothic novels and excitement causes her to lose sight of reality. I can relate to this. Being lost in a story, and wanting something exciting to happen I often have my head in the clouds. Mr. Tilney is also a silly person, and the siliest of Austen's heroes. His charm and happy go lucky attitude really compliments Catherine's romantization of the real world. The novel is charming because not only is it a satire, but it is also a great lesson not to let your imagination remove you from reality completely. 

Jane Austen's stories are wonderful commentaries on social life, the process of growing up and the ability to listen to your heart. 

Here are my favorite adaptions: 

BBC Pride and Prejudice

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

Bride and Prejudice

Persuasion (1998)

BBC Emma

Emma Approved

Aisha

Northanger Abbey (2007)

Which of Jane Austen's stories speak to you?

Writing Prompt 53: Who inspires you?

So many people inspire me.
My Dad. My close friends and family, and many famous or well known people throughout history and up to modern day.

Here's my current list of them in no particular order:

The entire team behind the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, especially Bernie Su, Hank Green, Jenni Powell, Margaret Dunlap, Rachel Kiley, Kate Rorick and Jay Bushman
Ashley Clemments (Actress who played Lizzie Bennet)
The entire team behind The Autobiography of Jane Eyre, especially Nessa Aref, Courtney Christensen, Christina Bialik and Shaan Rahman
Alysson Hall (Actress who play Jane and script writer for the series)
Walt Disney (The maker of Mickey Mouse and animated and live action movies)
Hayao Miazaki (Creator of many animated films from Japan, including Howl's Moving Castle)
Ridley Pearson (Author of adult mysteries, and the Disney series Kingdom Keepers)
Rick Riordan (Teacher and Author of the Percy Jackson series)
Sarah Dessen (A mother and a YA author)
Sarah Beth Durst (A fantasy and YA author)
John Green (YA author)
Neil Gaiman (Fantasy author)
Tamora Pierce (Fantasy author)
Julliet Marlier (A fantasy and YA author of Wildwood Dancing)
Peter S. Beagle (Fantasy author of The Last Unicorn)
J.R.R. Tolkein (Author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings)
J.K. Rowling (Author of the Harry Potter series)
Kate Morton (Author of Mystery/Fiction)
Gail Carson Levine (Author of Children's Lit Fantasy Stories including Ella Enchanted)
Alex Flynn (Author of Beastly)
Jane Austen (Author of seven well known novels)
Natsuki Takaya (Author and Artist for Fruits Basket)
The Hong Sisters (script writers for Korean Dramas including You're Beautiful)
Park Shin Hye (Singer and Actress)
Suzy (Singer and Actress)
Amy Adams (Singer and Actress)
Emma Thompson (Actress)
Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko (Creators of Avatar the Last Airbender)
Kazushige Nojima and Daisuke Watanabe (Writers of Final Fantasy X)
Tetsuya Nomura (Writer/Creator of Kingdom Hearts)
Mary Hoffman (Author of Fantasy/ YA series Stravaganza)

I'm sure there are more. Here's my Pinterest board dedicated to amazing people from history who inspire me:
http://www.pinterest.com/sarahbelle624/people-who-inspire-me/

Who inspires you?

Pride and Prejudice: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries Edition

I came home from work today to a wonderful surprise! For backing up the LBD DVD project, I was given a copy of the Lizzie Bennet Diaries version of Pride and Prejudice with a forward by Hank Green! The inside has black and white photos of various episodes and the cover art is from episode 80! I love it, and I will hopefully get an opportunity to meet the cast and crew and have them sign it for me! This was a great ending to a rough day ^_^

Lizzie Bennet Polyvore set

The last episode of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries has happened, so I had to do a tribute to the series and the amazing character of Lizzie Bennet. Ashley Clements herself suggested the dress from Modcloth since the original outfit is sold out at Macys. I had to find a key necklace to go with it, and I had to add the I love Darcy bag that she admitted to carrying around while Lizzie was at Pemberly Digital. The books are an accent to Lizzie's love of reading and I had to find a pair of Anthropologie earrings because Lizzie loves Anthropologie. Her signature plaid shirt was also required, and I found a pair of boots from nine west to complete the set. I will miss loving Mondays and Thursdays for the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, but this story will always mean something to me.
You can find the set here:  http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=77090165

Jane Bennet Polyvore set

I made this set dedicated to Jane Bennet from the Lizzie Bennet Diaries. I added the snickerdoodles for obvious reasons, and the mug based on Jane's famous quote "Everyone deserves tea." I based this set off the picture below and the episode where Jane wears this dress. Enjoy :)

View full set here:
http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=76362277

You know you're a Lizzie Bennet Diaries fan when . . .

"A single man in possession of a large fortune must be in want of a wife" is a universal fact, not opinion.
You've heard "My name is Lizzie Bennet and . . . " at least 97 times now.
You know about "the most awkward dance ever."
You appreciate the wonders of costume theater.
Things in your life are not just interesting, they are "illuminating"
You've heard two different stories about Batman and Darvid.
You cheered when a website was taken down.
You support team Figi.
You have a love hate relationship with snickerdoodles.
Maria Lu is part of your fandom.
You understand the importance of a beret and bowtie.
Big sun hats and fancy scarfs make you think of southern accents and obsessive schemes to marry off daughters.
You know that a company called Collins and Collins exists.
You watched a demonstration on light bulbs and light switches.
You've seen the green bean gelatin.
You know how dangerous cutting coupons is.
You love Mondays and Thursdays.
You've heard about the list of reasons that Lizzie is perpetually single.
You've seen Netherfield.
You want to work for Pemberley Digital.
You know about Domino.
You suddenly want to visit San Francisco.
You know/ love the brand Anthropologie.
You love Jing.
You know that "everyone deserves tea", "nothing gets done without achohol" and "cake solves everything."
You love the word verisimilitude.
You know who showed up at Lizzie's house in the rain last night.
You know that Darcy can be Fitz, and Fitz can be Darcy.
Anniekins creeps you out.
You know that in San Francisco "The hills can be quite unforgiving."
You've seen that Mcdonalds commercial.
You know that Mr. Collins was once a zombie lover on CASTLE.
You use the word grug to describe a grope hug.
You follow a cat on twitter.
You were at John Green's night of awesome.
You know about Daniel Vincent Gordh's competition with Taco Bell.
You've seen Bearcy.
Plaid button up shirts have a whole new meaning to you.
You follow fictional characters on twitter, pinterest, tumblr and youtube.
 LBD does NOT stand for little black dress.


 I made this list for Once a while back, and I decided that The Lizzie Bennet Diaries had to have one. Feel free to comment and add to the list :)

LBD 30 day challenge day 29: Favorite prop item

The stuffed dog for Catherine De Bourgh's character. Seriously, it was so random and unexpected. I love that one of the eyes is falling out, and the stuffing is coming out of the eye socket.
Another favorite is the bow tie for Darcy. It's a classic!

LBD 30 day challenge day 28: Favorite siblings?

Lizzie and Jane. It's funny because their personalities are very different, but they get along and have a very powerful friendship. Lizzie would do anything for Jane, and Jane is always there for Lizzie when she's feeling sad. I almost envy their relationship because if I had a sister, I would love for her to be like Jane Bennet.

A second favorite is obviously the Darcy siblings, William and Gigi. They are literally polar opposites in personality, yet Darcy would do anything for his sister, and Gigi would do anything for Darcy. Sometimes I wonder if I would be different if I had a sibling closer to my age . . .

LBD 30 day challenge day 27: Favorite outfit

The Inkprint Bloom dress from Anthropologie. I love this dress, and I have my own thanks to information from Ashley Clements. It's one of my favorite dresses and it's up there with Belle's Armani Exchange lace dress. Other favorites are Lizzie's star print dress and her Bar III dress from Macys.

LBD 30 day challenge day 26: Cutest moment

When Bing Lee and Jane were talking to "Charlotte" on camera. Everything about that scene was adorable and sweet.

LBD 30 day challenge 25: Something you would change?

I would bring the adults in. As much fun as the costume theater is, it was even cooler to compare the Bennet's re-enactment of the characters with their actual selves. Lizzie makes very interesting impressions of her mother, father and Catherine De Burg, but we never see them. This is what made the episode where Darcy was introduced so powerful. Impression after impression was made of him, but when he actually appeared, the audience could witness his actions and make conclusions of their own. Right now we have very exaggerated portrayals of Lizzie's parents and Catherine De Burg. Seeing these impressions, and comparing them to Lizzie's view of Darcy before he appeared on camera, would make Lizzie's story more powerful and the audience can see these characters and decide who they are themselves.

LBD 30 day challenge day 24: Best impression of a character

I loved Lizzie's impression of Catherine De Bourgh. The dog is the best part :)

LBD 30 day challenge day 22: Favorite episode

Episode 78: The Lizzie Trap

This is probably my favorite episode because so much is going on here, and it's balanced nicely. Lizzie is ready to make new friends and live in the moment. Gigi gives her an unexpected one by literally shoving Darcy toward her. First we see that Lizzie has changed her opinion of Darcy, and then we see Darcy being a gentleman. Both of them show a softer side that we've never seen before, and Lizzie especially shows that she doesn't want to offend him. The interesting thing about this episode is that both Darcy and Lizzie are testing out the atmosphere. Last time they saw each other, they weren't on good terms, and much has changed since then. I really loved Gigi in this episode, putting on an act and plotting with Fitz to bring Darcy and Lizzie back together. It shows how much Lizzie and Darcy have changed, and how similar they are.

LBD 30 day challenge day 21: What keeps you watching?

The clever dialogue, the modern day twists and the characters keep me watching The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. It's a habit to watch every Monday Morning, before I even write or blog and every Thursday morning before work or during my break. It's a great story and the modern day version is something
I can relate to easily. I'm curious how close they follow the novel and how much will change to reflect modern ideas and ways of life.

LBD 30 day challenge day 20: Lydia adorbs or annoying?

I never liked Lydia in the novel. She was so selfish and constantly cried for attention. She runs off with George Wickham, then brags about being married to him, leaving her family to patch up the situation. She never really bonds with her sisters, too busy bragging about herself to care about the difficult situation she put them in. Every interpretation of her is negative, so I was pleasantly surprised to find positive aspects in the Lydia of the Lizzie Bennet Diaries. Yes, this Lydia cries for attention, but we see her concern for her sister. When Lizzie is sad, Lydia tries to cheer her up by being goofy and obnoxious. Instead of running away with George Wickham, Lydia learns from her mistake and decides to be more open and honest with Lizzie. This is a good transformation, because it makes this Lydia more misunderstood than selfish. Her cry for attention is really a struggle to find who she is and what she is capable of. So I think Lydia is inbetween adorable and annoying. The annoying stuff is an act so she can feel in control of her life while the adorable part is her real character shinning through the mask. This was never explored in the original novel, but that could have been the motivation behind Lydia's actions.

LBD 30 day challenge day 19: Character you are most like

When I'm around people I know really well, I'm a lot like Lizzie. I goof off, talk a lot and joke around. I'm also constantly analyzing everything that happens in my life and try to figure out the reason people act the way they do. I also love to read, and I consider myself a little witty, and hopefully charming.
When I'm around people I don't know, I can be like Jane. I'm a little shy, and I don't show my feelings at all if I can avoid it. I like to busy myself with work and projects, and I talk very little depending on the company. So the real me is more like Lizzie Bennet, but the less confident me is like Jane.

LBD 30 day challenge day 18: Favorite ship

This one is a tie. Of course I love Darcy and Lizzie because they're perfect for each other, but I also like Bing and Jane.  Darcy and Lizzie are both similar in matters of pride and prejudice (not just a shout out to the novel.) Darcy's prejudice comes with his view of people, especially Lizzie's family. His pride comes from the social status that he believes in, and what he expects of himself. Lizzie is quick to judge and does so often without reflecting on her judgements. This is her prejudice. She judges people based on what she hears and witnesses. Her pride is her personality. She has a habit of wanting to stand out, and her opinions will be heard, regardless of their exaggeration or bias.
Jane and Bing are different. They have similar dispositions, and both of them are kind, caring and trusting of their family and close friends. There's something charming about two similar personalities, but they are not identical. Bing values his friend's opinion over his own feelings. Jane doesn't show her feelings right away, but she trusts them completely. Although status is an important part of the novel, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries makes the issue different. Jane becomes busy to get her mind off off Bing and she doesn't sit around waiting for him to return, she changes. So even though Jane and Bing are both kind and caring, they respond to situations very differently.
That's why my favorite ship is tied. Darcy and Lizzie are a conflicting couple. Jane and Bing are a sweet couple. Both of these relationships reflect the personalities of the characters very nicely, and help them grow and learn.

LBD 30 day challenge day 16: A character you'd want to see on the videos

Mr. Bennet. Although I doubt we will see him in the videos, he does know about them and has a tumblr where he discusses what he thinks of them. It would be cool if he appeared in the last episode because they did make a blog for him, and all the other characters that have blogs have been in the videos. He is portrayed by Lizzie a few times. 

LBD 30 day challenge day 15: Something you didn't expect to happen?

I thought it was interesting that instead of traveling with her aunt and uncle, Lizzie was shadowing Darcy's company. It's a nice twist, but since they showed Netherfield, I thought they would have an event at Darcy's house, or she would be on vacation when she saw the place. Having Pemberley be a company was an unexpected but pleasant surprise. It gave Lizzie plenty of time to get to know Darcy, Gigi and learn about what she wanted to do in the future for a career.