Introducing...

my guest bloggers! Miss Elizabeth Bennet and Melody have agreed to post here on Austenitis. You see, I'm going to be away from home until June 18. To introduce them, I've asked them a few questions so you can get to know them. Here we go!

Welcome to Austenitis, ladies! I'm so glad you agreed to post here for me while I'm away. So, would you like to tell us a bit about yourselves?

Miss Bennet: Well, I really like Period Dramas. One of the things that I pay close attention to while watching period dramas is the costuming. I really like historical fashion and I like to learn about it: I know bits of the Gregorian Era (1700s), a lot of the Regency Era (1795 - 1820), and a little bit about the Victorian Era (roughly the 1840's - 1901). I have a couple of hobbies: I've taught myself how to sew, embroider, cross-stitch, tat (tatting is a form of lacemaking), and a little bit of crocheting. In addition to my sewing and needlecraft hobbies, I also like to go on the computer/internet, usually to work on Elegance of Fashion, look up sewing or historical stuff, or to play some games. My favorite historical era has to be the Regency Era since I am a fan of Jane Austen: I also like the Regency Era because of the fashion.

Melody: I love books, writing, and most anything old-fashioned. I enjoy playing the piano - learning songs from Jane Austen movies is especially fun. I like to sew - especially historical costumes and barbie clothes. =) I hope to someday be an elementary school teacher, and I dream of being an authoress. My writing at present consists mostly of books, although I have not yet finished a novel.  
How interesting! Now you both have blogs...what exactly are your blogs about?

Melody: I love Jane Austen’s stories and decided to make this blog to develop and indulge my writing skills, and mostly so I can rattle away about Jane Austen’s stories & characters to other Janeites such as myself. So, my blog is pretty much about what it says: "Jane Austen, etc." I've been going through the books one by one and doing a post about the book, the movies, quotes, sometimes writing quizzes, and any other tidbits I think of. :) I also write reviews about other old-fashioned books and movies. (P.S. I really enjoy hearing from my readers!!)

Miss Bennet: Elegance of Fashion first started out as a sewing/historical costuming/period drama blog, but I think it's become more of a period drama blog with bits of the first two (I do have some of my sewing projects up on Elegance of Fashion). I review different period dramas and release one review every Monday. I also run period drama tournaments which are a big hit with my followers; in the tournaments, I pick out a subject (heroes, heroines, etc.) for readers to vote on and everyone keeps voting throughout the different rounds until there's only one contestant left. I also have a costume study for Pride and Prejudice (1995) in which I post pictures of a particular dress and look at how it's designed (if you want to create a Regency Era dress based on a dress in Pride and Prejudice (1995), it's a great resource). I also make period drama banners (which you can also view here on Austenitis). I'm currently planning some changes to the layout of Elegance of Fashion: when I put up the new layout, I'm also going to put out some new banners and some new little sidebar "Extras".

This is so fun to learn about you girls! Oh, and you can see the banners Miss Bennet mentioned on the Banners page right here on Austenitis. :) What are your favorite Jane Austen books?

Miss Bennet: Pride and Prejudice! Followed by Sense and Sensibility then Northanger Abbey.

Melody: My favorite novel by Jane Austen is Pride and Prejudice, without a doubt. Never have I come across a story so clever - the characters, the plot, the comedy, the romance - there's a reason it's one of the most well-known novels ever written!

I know you both love Regency films as much as I do...which ones are your favorites?

Melody: Pride and Prejudice (BBC/A&E, 1995) and Emma (BBC, 2009) are my very favorites. I also like Sense and Sensibility very well.

Miss Bennet: Pride and Prejudice (1995) is my absolute favorite, of course! Then (in no particular order), I also like Sense and Sensibility (1995), Little Dorrit (it takes place in about 1826, which is a little after the Regency Era, but Regency fashions are used), and Emma (2009).

Other than Jane Austen, which authors are your favorites?

Miss Bennet: I haven't read any other author like I have with Jane Austen (the only novel of her's that I haven't read is Mansfield Park). I would like to read more of Charles Dickens, and maybe some Elizabeth Gaskell.

Melody: By and by I've read lots of books by Janette Oke, Beverly Lewis, Beverly Cleary, and the Mandie series by Lois G. Leppard. I also think L.M. Montogomery is a great author, and I like the movies I've seen that were made from books by Elizabeth Gaskell and Charles Dickens, and some day I will read them. =)

Oooo, good books! Or rather, authors! :) Finally, what are the links to your blogs?

Miss Bennet: http://www.elegance-of-fashion.blogspot.com/

Melody: http://regencydelight-janeaustenetc.blogspot.com/

Thank you so much for coming, ladies! I'm looking forward to seeing what you post about here in the coming days. :) Everyone else, let me encourage you to check out their blogs! They're two of my favorites. :)