It's a Classical Life

Source Have you visited Jane Austen's house before? Classified as a "cottage" in Chawton, Hampshire, it is a Grade 1 listed building kept in the original condition of the house Jane lived in. The cottage is open to the public and offers guided tours, lectures and other Austen-inspired activities. And the best news is, you can visit it from the comfort of your own home!  Today I want to share some home decor tips based on the Jane Austen Virtual Tour. If you haven't before, pop over to the website here and have a look around. Then come back and join the discussion on how we can de-clutter and decorate with Jane Austen.  Tip 1: Don't be afraid of blank walls When you step into the Drawing Room the sense of space is magnified by the fact that there are blank walls devoid of both furniture or decoration. Of course, there is artwork on some parts of the wall, but there are swathes of blank wall that contradict the modern notion that all parts of a room must be filled....

It's taken me exactly eleven weeks (the year to date) to realise that I have overloaded myself and I'm not coping very well. Although I have left my teaching job, I have picked up extra work in the office where I have been doing some bookkeeping, plus I'm also helping a friend out with babysitting one day a week. Suddenly, like Virigina Woolf, I find myself craving simplicity and to stop the rush. I'm out the door early four days a week (and I know many people do the same and more!) but I'm a low-energy person and I suffer from overwhelm quite easily. It's quite counter-cultural to admit this and it's taken me a long-time to accept the fact that I am simply a low-energy person and cannot do all the things, all the time.  This was the guiding thought behind my moving to a more simple, slow literary life  and yet this year I seem to have forgotten not only the goal but the motivation behind it. It has taken this mini-episode for me to realise that I need to si...

  John William Waterhouse - Dolce Far Niente (The White Feather Fan) 1879 Source When I first made the move from teaching to working in a very small office two days a week, one of the hardest changes to make was to slow down my pace. I noticed this most during morning tea where we sit around the kitchen sipping coffee and chatting. Initially, I felt a strange pull to check my watch, get up and do something productive. I felt like I was being idle when I should have been working.  It took me a while to realise that the things that we were chatting about were important and productive. The coffee we sipped on was a break, sure, but we were together, office matters were discussed and it was like a lovely, relaxed staff meeting. Coming from a school environment where I was on the go from the minute I stepped in the building to the end of the day, I wasn't used to this slower pace of work. Everyone respected the fact that work would get done in a timely manner, no-one...

Hello, and welcome back to It's a Classical Life! If this is your first time here then I hope you will leave a comment saying hi and that something inspires you as you go about your day. As my mother cleaned out her house recently, I inherited a small collection of classic movies on DVD. They had been my grandmother's and my mother, knowing how much I love the classics, offered them to me after my grandmother passed away. I've watched a few of them already and though it would be a great idea to share some thoughts I've had whilst watching. This new little series (which won't be every week) is called Saturday Matinee, so if you're interested in classic films, please be sure to keep an eye out for that heading.  Today, I want to begin with a silly, but fun favourite: Three Coins in the Fountain. This American film was made in 1954 and won two Academy Awards (Best Cinematography and Best Song). Set in Rome, Italy it follows the lives of three American secretaries w...

  If you have not read Mary Shelley's classic novel, Frankenstein , let me assure you that it touches on some of those most important issues of our time - even though it was first published in 1818. Ethics, morality, human suffering, the importance of nature - all of these are addressed in a meaningful way and can contribute to the way we view our own lives today.  This quote demonstrates something that we have talked about quite a lot here on the blog, and that is the idea of how we choose to spend our time. In understanding ourselves, what is best for our minds and bodies, how to use our time wisely, then we are already steps ahead in enjoying a life of contentment and overall satisfaction. It is easy to 'study' the lives of others, make comparisons, waste time, criticise or judge, and generally work to 'destroy your taste for the simple pleasures,' - in fact our society makes it really easy for us! We have the choice to decide who we study, who we go to for inspi...

Hello friends and welcome back! If this is your first time, my name is Kirsty and I love to share ideas and tips inspired by the classics - literature, poetry, music, art and more! Homemaking is one of my favourite topics, and in times past it was considered an important role, thus exists in many forms of classic works. I know there are also many women (and men) who still consider it an important role and they all do well to encourage and lift up other like-minded people to do their best to make home a happy and welcoming place. The world we live in has the ability to create anxiety, stress and even illness if we let it. Having a home that is a sanctuary, a place of retreat from the outside world, is a wonderful way to safeguard hearts, minds and souls. It can look differently for everyone. In my opinion, h omemaking includes (but is not limited to): cooking; cleaning; being prepared; creating an atmosphere of welcome, peace and sanctuary; and seasonal living.   I have shared homem...