Marie Antoinette's: bloggiversary

Showing posts with label bloggiversary. Show all posts

Giveaway winners!

Thank you everyone for entering this years Bloggiversary giveaway! This year is our fun fan giveaway, and I asked readers, why they didn't have a a fan. Well after reading all the entries, I have decided that you all do have legitimate reasons for not having a fan! Heather and I are getting some of you started by giving out pretty little sandal wood fans (practical and stylish!)

Congratulations to the following readers who will soon have their very own fans, perfect for this summer!

smalldog **
Rachel **
Katie **

And finally congrats to our grand prize winner who will receive a fan and the Let Them Eat Cake Bon Bon Lip Balm!

Anabel **

Thanks for entering and helping Heather and I celebrate 3 years!

**winners: please email me at MarieAntoinetteGossip{at}gmail.com with your mailing address. Prizes not claimed by Friday May 20, will be offered to a runner up. Thanks!!

Share: Facebook - X - Bluesky - Pinterest - Other

3 years already? Let̕ s Celebrate!!

This weekend will be nothing but fresh berries and champagne, with plenty to go around! Did I mention royal cupcakes? If you have not yet heard, Heather and I are celebrating 3 years of blogging, and hosting an online bloggiversary bash! Which really just means fun and games for you!

So many great things have come from the blogs since that sunny May back in 08! I love the conversations we have here and over at Georgiana's Gossip Guide, and Twitter as well, for those of you there. I hope everyone has had as much fun here as I have! In short, thanks for hanging out and taking part in our little salons, keep the humor, wit, and knowledge coming!

So, each bloggiversary we try to do a fun giveaway, and this year we are focusing on fans. Practical for warm days and gossiping about the fabulous past with your friends! Every lady should have a fan in her possession. In fact, I would be surprised if you didn't!

That is where the giveaway comes in to play!

How To Enter:

To win one of four fans I am giving away, simply comment on this blog stating why you don't have a fan.

example:

"I left it on a train in France. Oops!"

Or Heather's reason:

"some prossie broke mine!"

One 'grand' prize winner will receive a fan and Let Them eat Cake! Bon Bon Lip Balm from Tokyo Milk! yum! I mean, this is a birthday after all! French Vanilla, shredded Coconut and a hint of cocoa...for a perfect kiss!

Winners will be announced Friday May 13, Good luck!

Share: Facebook - X - Bluesky - Pinterest - Other

Bloggiversary Giveaway Results!

Thank you all for entering the Bloggiversary giveaway! I used http://www.random.org/ to generate four names from the comment entries!

The winners of the Punch Studio keepsake boxes are:
ajroyston
amy
Isara

The winner of the Le salon de musique de Marie-Antoinette (audio CD) is:
Rod McCaslin

Congratulations! Please contact me at marieantoinettegossip -at- gmail.com with your mailing details. Please contact me by May 21, after that date I will select another entry for the item.

For those of you who just can't stand it and must have the album now, you can download the tracks as MP3's on Amazon or purchase the audio CD.

I asked all that entered to let us know what your favorite thing about the 18th century was, and here are our results and a handful of comments!

38% Fashion

The fashion and the color palette!-amy

[Stops to raise water as have no champagne in office.]...I love the robe a la polonaise!-Tulip

Fashion is more than clothing, it's art.-Mariko

Intricate embroidery on beautiful brocade is just heavenly. And the slippers! Sigh.-Laura Ingalls Gunn

I was going to say my favorite thing about the 18th century are the beautiful shoes!-Diane

13% Music

Music experimented a revolution with master minds such as Mozart, Beethoven and Paganini.-Miss Honnête

the music! It is my favorite thing from the 18th century which I can still really enjoy fully.-MmeHistoire

13% Life styles of the rich and famous

I love studying the rituals. I'm glad I don't have to know them all, but I'm fascinated by the rules of court.-Isara

For me it has to be the parties. What a sight they must have been!!! -Lily

For me it would have to be the beautiful and enigmatic Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire...-TammieMagee

I love the culture - the dances and the rules.-Joey

Being dainty and fashionable and living in such grand estates! -Dolly

12% Art

Versailles is my favorite "thing"-Anabel

Palaces like Sanssouci and the Peterhof amaze me.-Timeeka

I enjoy looking at peoples portraits and every time I learn about someone I haven’t heard of before or take an interest in someone’s life...-Marquis Jacques

I really adore the inspiration this era gives me for decorating my boudoir.-Cathy

12% Enlightenment

*Sheaths cutlass, plants fists on hips* I love Revolutions. Technology, philosophy, politics...-Pauline

My favorite thing about the 18th century is fascinating in its mix of the changing mentalite of modern thought and the continuing medieval worldview held by the majority of people-Rod McCaslin

8% Hair styles

Honestly, I love the hair of the 18th century the most. Some incredibly styles came out of that century! -L Öst

And with that came the pouf that we all love.-Aleks

5% Literature

The most amazing literature... Not just Austen, Fielding, Radcliffe, Defoe &c... but some of the NAUGHTIEST and most SCANDALOUS stuff I have ever laid my eyes on! For Marie Antoinette fans: try 'Le Godmiche Royal.' Saucy stuff. -Emily

Share: Facebook - X - Bluesky - Pinterest - Other

Bloggiversary Two and Giveaway!

*snaps fan* looks around at all the guests... Today Heather and I are marking the second bloggiversary of the Gossip Guides!

So I would like to thank all of you who have been here from the start, or are just chiming in, for your intrigues and wit! If there is one thing I love here it is all the great conversations we have!

To celebrate there is plenty of champagne and other sparkling drinks, dainties and profiteroles and of course good conversation! To top it off, rather than fireworks, I am hosting a fabulous giveaway and winners will be announced Friday 14 May. Be sure to check out Heathers giveaway too!

Give-Away!

To enter: Leave a comment on this post by May 14, telling me what you like best about the 18th century! Anything goes!

What is up for grabs?

One lucky commenter, drawn at random, will win a copy of Le salon de musique de Marie-Antoinette (audio CD). This album is a compilation of songs from Marie Antoinette's time and world. There is a variety of composers including "Mozart, Gluck, Grétry and Paisiello, with a tender song by Marie-Antoinette herself."

The luck of the draw does not end there! Two other commenters will receive a lovely mini Marie Antoinette inspired keepsake box, in the shape of a book, with a green tea vegetable based barre de savon! There is even a little cameo on the inside lid! (by Punch Studio)

The three winners will be posted on this blog May 14th so do check back!
Good luck and I can't wait to hear from you!

~Lauren

Share: Facebook - X - Bluesky - Pinterest - Other

1,2,3...Happy Birthday!!

Welcome to the

Gossip Party!

Below please enjoy the wonderful bits of gossip submitted by YOU! I have enjoyed reading the entries all week, so I hope you have some pink champagne and queen cakes to indulge while you read. Also, I wanted to thank everyone again for visiting the site and contributing your knowledge and wit! I always look forward to hearing from you!

Eliza Ward says: Hey Lauren--did you hear about how the King's mistress, Athenais, was too lazy to look after their children, so she forced her friend to do it? Well it sure backfired on her! The King forgot all about Athenais and shacked up with her friend! In fact, he even married her! I guess those love potions Athenais tried to use on the King didn't work!

Júlia says: Jeanne de La Motte was very good when it came to scheme and win money (lots of it!), and imagine, the robbery that made her famous affected Marie-Antoinette herself! It is known as the Affair of The Necklace, because the purpose of that affair was to steal a massive diamond necklace made for Marie-Antoinette, that, obviously, as most things that the Queen wore, costed millions. This whole affair involves a cardinal, La Motte's lover, husband, the magician Cagliostro, and a looot of other shocking personalities and facts, one of them being that the affair made Marie-Antoinette hugely unpopular, although she was not to blame!

Alissa says: Much is known about the strange ingenuity of 18th century hair. These

lovely coiffures oft attracted equal admiration from pests as they did humans (not that the two are mutually exclusive, of course). However, there is only one known case of intentional insect habitation; when the Princesse de Machin had her long locks arranged round a birdcage full of living butterflies.

Marie says: Did you know that Marie Antoinette had a kind of love affair with her stable boy before she moved to France? She did not have a hot and heavy romantic affair but more of she fantasized about him because of his physical appearance (especially because how bad the dauphin looked). Their affair was more of a deep forbidden unspoken love.

Paris Atelier says: A certain mistress of the King has been said to have been a prostitute and used wicked whiles to coerce him to bed her. All the while finding other prostitutes to pacify him while she held her position in the court and over the King.....hmmmm, sounds like scandal to me!

Sandra says: To think that the "Belle Murphy" is now trying to replace Madame de

Pompadour as maîtresse-en-titre! Miss O'Murphy is a "graduate" of the Parc aux Cerfs, the brothel Madame de Pompadour set up herself for the king's pleasure. Casanova may have been impressed with the girl but she has definitely overstepped her bounds.

Elyse says: Pst, did you hear that that Voltaire has moved in with the marquise du Châtelet ... and that Émilie placed before him in a essay competition on the nature of fire?

Lucy says: Seems that back in the 18thc., chocolate was loved for more than its obvious reasons…it was also great for masking the taste of poison… In 1774, Pope Clement XI, who feared being murdered after having disagreed with certain Jesuits, mysteriously died after drinking a cup of chocolate brought to him by his favourite confectioner- who, by the way, also died later that very same day. Coincidence? All the hype was disproved by an autopsy…Regardless; the rumor stuck.

Dana says: Rumors can now be put to rest regarding the recent and continuously scandalous activities of Lady Sarah Lennox. For behavior most unbecoming a lady and great-granddaughter of a king, Lady Sarah has left her dowdy of a husband, Charles Burnbury for the safe haven of her lover, Lord William Gordon. Lord William Gordon is believed to be the father of her young daughter Louisa.

Mary says: Felicite de Genlis, mistress of the duc d'Orleans, had the ultimate revolutionary accessory: a polished shard of the fallen Bastille made into a brooch. Her stone was set in a wreath of emerald laurel leaves tied at the top in a jewelled tricolour rosette, and inlaid with the word 'Liberte' in diamonds.

Jessica says: My all time favorite gossip about Marie Antoinette would probably be

the affair of the diamond necklace. It was commissioned by Louis XV but he died without being able to pay for it causing the jewelers to be on the verge of bankruptcy. This is why they tried so many schemes to get Marie Antoinette to buy it and ultimately ruined her popularity with the people of France because she was spending all of France's money on diamonds.

Cathy says: The Duc de Lauzun is quite delicious my dear, but he is completely besotted with Lady Sarah Bunbury, you know the one the English king threw over to marry that plain little Princess Charlotte What’s Her Face. They say Lady Sarah’s husband is more interested in his horses than his wife and even brought that nice young Lord Carlisle with them here to Paris to keep her entertained, but I do believe Lauzun is going to beat Carlisle to her bed. Shall we wager on it?

Anabel says: This was a very interesting gossip: "When Madame du Barry was femme de chambre to the widow La Garde her two sons ended up falling in love with her. She was a temptress and trotted around knowing just what she was doing. The brothers fought tirelessly and violently over her until the poor widow, already heart broken over the loss of her husband, had to force Jeanne to leave her house!"

Katy says: I heard that Comtesse de Provence gossiped about the Queen of France herself and smelled HORRIBLE to boot.

Tina says: The Danes do it... with physicians! The Queen of Denmark, that poor Caroline Matilda, is having an affair with her husband's physician, Johann Friedrich Streuensee! She is totally besotted with him, flaunting their relationship openly for everyone to see, riding stride through the park and using men's clothes and now she is pregnant with the Doctor all the while that wild German Quack is administering drugs and ice cold baths to King Christian every morning and very busily taking over the country from the poor insane man! They're already calling it the Era of Streuensee and he is officially the King's maître des requêtes and quite in the middle of a mania of reform, issuing several cabinet orders a day and offending every local sensibility he can manage!

I enjoyed all this gossip so much!! I really think we should do this more often, just sit down and dish it all! So thank you again for entering!
OK, what you have all been waiting for I am sure, these are the winners of the Give Away!

The lucky winners selected out of the good old Hat (software!) are:
Anabel - Queen of Fashion
Lucy - Madame de Pompadour: Mistress of France
Allisa - Marie Antoinette, DVD
Eliza - Marie Antoinette, DVD
Congrats!!! Send your info along to me, I will contact you all if I do not hear from you!
Enjoy the weekend and have some Champagne for us!

Share: Facebook - X - Bluesky - Pinterest - Other

Let's Party! Gossip Guides' Bloggiversary!

In the early days before the Gossip Guides had formed, Heather and I would have mini Gossip Parties where excited discussions of rumors took place - while stopping for the occasional queen-cake or cup of tea.

In celebration of running the the Gossip Guides for *1 year* we would like to host an 18th Century Gossip Party and invite all of you! It has been so much fun to keep the blogs this year, and neither of us ever imagined the number of followers and friends we would make here. So our Gossip Party is a way of saying thank you and let's celebrate!

18th Century Gossip Party!

We are going to throw this party in honor of our bloggiversary (everyone is doing it!) To celebrate we will have a long 'wall of gossip' built by you!

It will be posted on our bloggiversary, Friday 8 May. So on May 8, you can visit us (bring your own queen-cakes & tea) and we can read and discuss gossip together!

The Party doubles as a Give Away ... SO make sure you enter for a chance to win either a DVD or book! (your choice):

Marie Antoinette, 2006 DVD (region 1)
Queen of Fashion, Caroline Weber
Madame de Pompadour, Christine Pevitt Algrant

How to Enter:
Email your favorite piece of 18th century gossip to Lauren or Heather. This can be gossip you have read here and loved, or new gossip that hasn't been published on the blogs before. French Gossip to Heather will not be accepted, nor English to Lauren. Juicy 18th century gossip from other countries will be accepted. Entries will be accepted through Thursday May 7.

Rules:
1. 18th Century Gossip can be no longer than 3 sentences.
2. You may only enter 1 piece of gossip per website.
3. Subject line must be 18th Century Gossip.4. Specify if you prefer to enter for a book, a movie or either at the bottom of the email.

The Gossip Party will be held across Marie Antoinette's Gossip Guide & The Duchess of Devonshire's Gossip Guide, so be sure to enter on both websites!! More chances to win and to participate!