Historical Belle

06/02/2026

The last time I was in Paris the bells of Notre dame were silent. It was just 2 months after the fire. To hear the bells chime, made me misty eyed. To think of all the times the bells have chimed and all the hears who have heard the toll, it connects us through time, it connects us through faith. It made my soul soar and feel grand and also oh so small as I gazed up.

06/01/2026

Living the best 1920’s life the 1st night in Paris.
On our 1st night in Paris we ate at Maxim’s, which was regarded as the most famous restaurant in the world in the 20th century. It opened in 1893. In 1899 it received the decorative interior it has become known for in preparation for the Paris Word Fair in 1900. The restaurant has a beautiful art nouveau interior complete with stain glass. It was wonderful to sit and drink some champagne in this atmosphere to begin our incredible trip. We then went to Moulin Rouge, which was founded in 1889. The current building dates to 1925 as the original was distorted by fire, and it also underwent major renovations in the 1950s. Moulin Rouge is a cabaret show with singing, dancing, and acrobatics, but it is most well known for the place that the can-can dance was created! They do it as part of the show and it was my favorite dance act! I also loved all the acrobatics!

My dress was gifted from an my husbands velvet suit coat is vintage.

05/31/2026

One of the best things about traveling to historical costuming events is getting to meet people with shared passions and interests! We met some of the most lovely people on this journey who made the experience all the better. Some were people who I had only known online until now and it was magical to get to meet them in person! I’m very thankful for this community and I hope we all get to meet again.
Also please go check out these amazing costumers accounts.

05/31/2026

We had a wonderful time attending the 250th Jane Austen Birthday Ball hosted by the Jane Austen Society of North America-Georgia Region and which took place at Brawner Hall.

There was dancing, desserts, a silhouette artist, and games to be played.

We had a wonderful time attending the 250th Jane Austen Birthday Ba...

05/30/2026

Our host enjoyed our outfits so much, he suggested we wear them to breakfast, so of course we did! Breakfast at is served in the stunning formal dining room. It was the most elegant breakfast experience I’ve ever had! To dine with our good friends in our historical outfits in such a setting is a memory I will treasure. I wore my red robe à la francaise and I definitely felt like I was in season 2 of Outlander. I did make this dress to be a more historically accurate version of Claire’s red dress from that season after all.

This beautiful chateau was built in 1780 by the Seigneur de Chantore on this hill to admire Mont Saint-Michel, which we had visited earlier the day before. It is now a historic bed and breakfast. It is truly one of my favorite places I’ve that ever had the pleasure of spending the night.

05/29/2026

After life at court we retreated to the countryside in Normandy at This beautiful chateau was built in 1780 by the Seigneur de Chantore on this hill to admire Mont Saint-Michel, which we had visited earlier that day. (You can see the view in photo 7). It is now a historic bed and breakfast.
I brought my 1780’s dress to wear as we planned to have a theme picnic in the beautiful gardens for dinner, but the weather had other plans. It started raining and hailing! Thankfully our kind host and owner of the chateau, saved our picnic by opening up one of the outbuildings for us to eat in. We had such a wonderful time staying there. It is truly one of my favorite places I’ve that ever had the pleasure of spending the night. Oh and did I mention that there were a flock of peacocks!?

05/26/2026

I’m still processing Fête Galante at Versailles. It was such an amazing evening! This is an event I’ve been dreaming of going to for almost a decade now. I remember learning about it in college and I just couldn’t believe it was real! It’s a dream! And I lived the dream last night and still almost can’t believe it.

I danced with the love of my life in the hall of mirrors. I heard the most Devine concert in the chapel as the harmonies swirled around me and the organ shook my bones. We walked the halls and apartments of Versailles. We met so many wonderful people! We watched fireworks stream over the gardens. (We crouched on the floor as our window had a down in front social contract) and as I sat on the cold marble, cooling me after a round of dancing, I thought to myself what an amazing perspective I had.

I wasn’t sure if this Fête Galants dream could ever be a reality, but thanks to the amazing community around us, we got to live the dream. Thank you to for working hard to get the tickets. Thank you to my parents for their never ending support of my creativity and passions. Thank you to my sweet friend Sefa who helped me get these costumes finished when time was staring me down with her perfect tiny hand finishing stitches. And thank you to my husband who learned and became the master of the embroidery machine and the expert button sewer. And thank you .spectacles for creating such wonderful events!

I made my dress, my husband’s suit, and suit with the help mentioned above.

05/25/2026

I feel like I was a part of history in many ways last night at the first Trianon event hosted by .spectacles It was absolutely magical and breathtaking. There were several moments that I felt like I fallen back in time.
I spent a very long time making my husband and my outfit and am absolutely ecstatic about how they turned out and how beautifully they went with the surroundings.
To walk these halls, to hear music in the chapel, to run through the gardens, to see the famous portraits of Marie Antonette with my own eyes, to dance in the courtyard, was a dream come true.