Happily Ever Austen

[A picnic] is to be all out of doors; a table spread in the shade, you know. Everything as natural and simple as possible. ― Jane Austen. While a picnic in Jane Austen’s time may have been a simpler affair, simplicity was certainly not the Victorians’ strong point. By the late 1800s, a picnic hamper often contained no less than cold salmon, lamb shoulder with mint sauce, sliced chicken, roast duck, a ham, veal and pigeon pies, lobster salad, fruit cake, cheese, and bread ― all washed down with iced tea, lemonade, and champagne. Some even brought along their dining room table! Artwork: The Picnic, by Thomas Cole.

Golden Refinement, by Luiza Smirnova.

An antique Victorian hand-carved hair comb (c. 1860), perfect for a wedding, like buttercream roses on a cake. Fashioned from ivory, this romantic piece is composed of five sections of elaborately-carved three-dimensional roses and leaves, each section joined by recessed openwork scrolls. The top edge has a very subtle forward curl.

Lace Cathedral-Length Blusher Veil with Classic Eyelash Edges.

Regency-Style Lace Wedding Dress with Empire Waist.

Edwardian Farm | Victorian Beekeeping In this episode of Edwardian Farm, Alex tries his hand at beekeeping: first finding help to capture a swarm, later removing queen cells to prevent swarming.