Saturday, August 27, 2016

#Fashion of #Outlander TV show! From Paley Center in Los Angeles! #history #Scotland

Recently on a trip to Los Angeles, Mr. DeLand and I went to Hollywood specifically to see the OUTLANDER fashion show at the Paley Center for Media Arts.

This was a Fab.u.lous treat for anyone who adores fashion, the recreation of historical fashion and this stunning TV show.

A series of outfits on mannikins, the display also featured dioramas and reproductions of portions of the set. The most intriguing displays were the digital recreations of sets in which the actors walked!

You must know that there was no tour, no tour guide and no brochure. I thought this a major fault as, many of us who live for historical detail and who drool over the show, would purchase such a reference.

I will tell you, however, that the fashions were the real ones worn by the actors during the second season and that most of them were those of Claire and Jaimie, closely followed by those worn by the Comte de Artois. Much of this gentleman's clothing was featured because it was so elaborately made, reflecting his wealth and status at court and in society.

Louis XV outfit, in the front window!

Claire's green gown, also in front window mezzanine

Detail of Claire's green gown,
typical of period of Louis XV

Captain Jack Randal's military attire

In front hall, a patron could step into
Claire's red gown and here I am!
One of many costumes for the Comte de Artois

Gown worn by Claire's French friend, Louise in season 2.
Much of the detail work on the clothes was done, as in the period, by hand.
Here you see the embroidery and lace work.

Much of the detail was exquisite.

Sample of architecture model made to scale.
This is chemist's shop.


Here is the digital representation of King Louis's bedchamber.
Drawings along the walls displayed the original sketches for costumes
as well as designs for rooms and buildings. Here is the costume for Gellis Duncan.
On one wall, the sketch for the building of the astrolabe and for the exterior of Claire's and Jaimie's Paris residence.
Do download and enlarge if you wish to read this.

Monday, August 15, 2016

Hot Cowboy from Sabrina York, out tomorrow! Get your tiara NOW!

Coming August 16th
Enter to win a tiara below!

Stud for Hire by Sabrina York
Just south of Fort Worth, Texas, you’ll find a little ranch where the hot, toned cowboys are ready and eager to take it all off and make your naughtiest fantasies come true...

When her sister plans a wild bachelorette weekend at the Double S Ranch, Hanna Stevens is pretty sure she’ll just grin and bear it while the other women get their fill of hot cowboy strippers. After all, Hanna has never met a man who made her really want.

Zack, Hanna’s future husband, offered to marry her and save her family’s ranch from financial ruin, and while she accepted, it was never what you’d call a passionate affair. But when she locks eyes with Logan, Hanna is suddenly overwhelmed by the feeling she’s always craved and never experienced: Pure. Animal. Desire...

The first in a new series of Stripped Down Cowboys from New York Times and USA Todat Bestselling Author, Sabrina York

"Sabrina York can write a sexy cowboy like no other!" Susan Stoker, New York Times bestselling author

Read an Excerpt

“Hi.”
Logan’s heart stilled and then shot into a rapid tattoo. He dropped the heavy bale on the ground. It landed with a dull thud and a plume of dust. Slowly, he turned, trying to ignore the shivers running over his skin at that low, sultry voice.
And yeah. There she was, backlit by the sun in the yawning barn door, a tantalizing silhouette.
“Ma’am.”
He tipped back his hat so he could see her better. Wiped the sweat from his brow. Damn, she was beautiful. Her red hair was down, flowing over her shoulders like a rippling stream, teased by the breeze. The buttons of her plaid shirt strained against the curves of her breasts. He loved the way her skinny jeans clung to her legs, disappearing in a pair of well-worn boots.
She wasn’t supposed to be here. The women were supposed to be settling in, dressing for the evening’s festivities. A Hunky Hoedown. Logan was supposed to be preparing for that too—but he’d decided to work off his simmering energy here, in the barn.
He hadn’t really expected her to take him up on his offer and find him here. Never dared hope.
But…here she was.
His knees went a little weak. He tightened his muscles and forced himself to remain where he was, watching her every move. Every breath.
Though he suspected why she’d come, he wasn’t sure. It would be wise to let her make the first move.
God help him.
Because he wanted to pounce.
“So…” She wandered deeper into the barn, pretending to study the tools hanging on the wall. Her fingers drifted over a harness; the sight made a shudder walk through him.  When Gotham poked out a head and sprayed her with a welcoming snort, she patted his snout, but not like a city girl. Not with a tentative pat as though she were afraid he’d bite.
Logan swallowed the pool of drool in his mouth. He’d like to take a bite. Of that.
“So…” she repeated. “Is this a working ranch, or only a weekend bordello?”
Logan stiffened. If he wasn’t mistaken, that was a flirtatious tone. She flicked a look at him, from beneath amber lashes and his gut clenched. Shit. It was.
His heart lurched. His cock swelled. Sudden sweat beaded his brow.
This was Hanna. His Hanna—well, the Hanna of his dreams. The woman he’d wanted forever, the woman who’d never seen him.
And she was flirting. With him.
Inexorably drawn to her, he stepped closer. “Oh. It’s a working ranch.” A low rumble, infused with meaning. Yeah. He’d like to work her. Work her over.
“I see.” She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms. It took every ounce of concentration in him to keep his gaze on her face. Oh, it was a fascinating face, but the cleavage her action created was even more mesmerizing.
His brain fizzled and popped at that hint of a shadow. He said the only thing that came to mind—the only thing fit to say, at least. “Cody has over two hundred head.”
“I see. Do you…” Her attention trickled over his bare chest. He was covered in sweat and bits of hay. She didn’t seem to mind. Her lips pursed. Then she licked them. “Do you work here?”
He snorted. “No.” His days working as a cowpoke for Cody were long gone…unless he lost a bet.
“Ah.” Her gaze flicked up to his. The muscle in her cheek tightened. “I didn’t think so.”
The words skimmed over him in a hot rush, her tone, low and woven with implication. His breath hitched at the look in her beautiful eyes.
And then it plunged to his toes.
Because he could tell, from every line of her face, from the way she held her body, from the way she looked at him. She didn’t recognize him.
She had no idea who he was. No idea they’d gone to high school together. No memory of what he’d done, how he’d risked everything for her. And nearly lost.
Nope. She thought he was just a random stripper. Manflesh brought in for the sole purpose of providing pleasure to the lady guests.
On the one hand, that pissed him off.
But on the other hand…hell, she thought he was a stripper.  Probably one willing to make himself available to Cody’s guests should the right offer arise.
A mix of annoyance, need and lust warred within him.
Lust won.
Hanna Stevens, the prim and proper princess of Snake Gully, thought he was a stud for hire. And she wanted him.
This could be fun.
He stepped closer to her, adopting a gait, an attitude he assumed a man of lesser morals might employ. “I’m just here for the weekend, ma’am. Just here to make sure you ladies have a…good time.”
“I-I see.”
“My name is Logan.”
“Hanna.”
Yeah. He knew. He knew her name.
She tipped up her head as he neared. Her eyes went wide. Pupils dilated. Lips parted. Damn, she was a tiny thing. Heat gathered low in his belly. He fought back the urge to yank her into his arms and kiss the shit out of her. “I…ah…and…” She glanced away and then slowly forced her gaze back. “And what would that good time entail…exactly?”
Everything in him stilled.
First, because hell, was she propositioning him?
And second because, hell! She was propositioning him.
“That’s…negotiable.” He hated that his voice cracked on the words. But he really couldn’t help it. It was all he could do to keep control of his raging emotions. Okay. His raging lust. His cock was hard. Tight in his jeans. Thudding with every beat of his heart. And his pulse thrummed like an out of control jackhammer. “W-what do you like?”
He was pretty sure gentlemen of the evening didn’t stutter, but he couldn’t help himself. He held his breath, waiting for her answer. God, he wanted to know. He’d always wanted to know. Ached to know.
She drew her finger along the leather harness dangling from the wall and his cock jerked in sympathetic reaction. “I don’t know. Something…improper.” The look she flicked at him set his soul on fire. A dark wind screamed through him like a violent summer storm on the range.
“I can do improper.” Could he.
She stepped closer. Her scent engulfed him, clouded his brain. Something feminine and light, like powder. She tipped her chin and met his gaze as she set her palm flat on his chest. He nearly winced at the touch. Their first real touch. His muscles bunched at the effort to hold back that involuntary reaction. Her hand was tiny. She was tiny. He wanted to scoop her up, find a nice soft pile of hay and roll her in it. Hard.
Her lashes flickered. “Something…very improper.”
He swallowed. “I can do very improper.”
“Something naughty.” A whisper. As though some deep part of her was not allowed to hear.
“I can do naughty,” he whispered back. “I’m very good at naughty.”
A sizzling energy passed between them. She licked her lips again and this time he saw it for what it was. An invitation.
To take.
What he wanted.
What he’d wanted for years.
Forever.
And he did.
He kissed her.



Read more about the Stripped Down Cowboys!
STRIPPED DOWN SERIES from SABRINA YORK
Cowboy to Command by Sabrina York 10/18/2016
Spurred On by Sabrina York  01/17/2017
PREQUEL NOVELLAS (AVAILABLE NOW)
The Real McCoy (Prequel #1) http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=sabrinacom05-20&l=ur2&o=1
Come Hell or High Water (Prequel #2)http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=sabrinacom05-20&l=ur2&o=1
Protect and Serve–Cowboy Justice (Prequel #3)http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=sabrinacom05-20&l=ur2&o=1

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About Sabrina York
Her Royal Hotness, Sabrina York, is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of hot, humorous stories for smart and sexy readers. Her titles range from sweet & snarky to scorching romance.  Visit her webpage at www.sabrinayork.com to check out her books, excerpts and contests. Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bj8tKb.

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Thursday, August 11, 2016

Cerise went to #Bath, #England, indulged in #Fashion Museum, architecture! #Regency

One of the displays featuring 2 men's
coats in forefront plus a man's red silk damask
banyan, dated 1715. 
On my recent research trip to England, Mr. DeLand and I caught the train for Bath. What a delight to visit the town where Jane Austen visited and so many other notables. My main interest, as you might imagine, was to go to the Fashion Museum. Oh, sigh. How I wish I could have spent WEEKS there instead of hours!

The wealth of what they have collected there could amuse and inform anyone interested in fabric, designing and fashion. A little girl's dream closet come true is certainly the impression I had!

The Fashion Museum is housed in the same building as the Assembly Rooms not far from the major thoroughfare through the old city of Bath and not far, in another direction, from the Crescent and from the Circus. Financed by a tontine opened in 1768 (of 53 subscribers), the list raised 14,000 pounds to begin construction. The exterior is very plain, but the interior is dotted with Corinthian columns, swags and Vitruvian scrolls. I leave for another day, my pictures and dialogue about the Roman baths, the Pump Room, our dining experience there, and the city in general.
George II portrait on entry wall
of Fashion Museum


Here for your delight are my pictures. I apologize first that there are few pictures of the exhibit per se. Taking pix through glass is not my forte and so I demure and offer up my regrets. Instead, I encourage you to buy a marvelously affordable train ticket to Bath from London and enjoy the delights of the train and that museum for yourself.The Fashion Museum holds original clothing from many eras, collected and carefully catalogued. The curators rotate the displays to "air" the garments which are normally kept in boxes. Researchers may apply to examine items of clothing. And I, Dear Reader, wished I had the time!

 This particular exhibit I saw was of Georgian period clothing, including women's and men's outfits. Shoes, bonnets, belt buckles, jewelry and ladies pockets were a wonderful site to behold, giving you a full picture of what people wore head to toe. In particular, George IV's extravagant coronation outfit was breath-taking.

I particularly enjoyed learning the history of the Assembly Rooms, not as popular after the Regency period. As Brighton became more popular, the building was vacant for a time, then in the early 20th century it became a cinema! In ruin after the Great War, restored only after World War II. Do visit the website for more information about this marvelous building in Bath.

Period gowns in shades of browns, reds and yellows
of Regency period






































Decor at one end of the Tea Room.

Mantel in the Octagon Card room,
central room of the Assembly Rooms layout.
Plaster decor in the ballroom
The balcony above the Ballroom floor where the musicians sat and played.
Full length of the Ballroom, ceiling decor. Imagine this lit with candles!
One chandelier which in Regency period boasted candles not electric light bulbs.

Ceiling plasterwork, detail.

Detail, wrought iron fencing on homes/offices in the Circus, not far from the Assembly Rooms.