Author: Rachel

Review – Queen of Fashion

June 19, 2025

Rachel

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Review – Queen of Fashion

Posted in Book Blogger

Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution

by Caroline Weber

Genres: History, Fashion, Biography
Release Date: October 2, 2007
Pages: 703
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Books

My Rating: ★★★★☆

View ratings overview

☆☆☆☆☆ – Did not finish
★☆☆☆☆ – Hated it
★★☆☆☆ – Disliked it
★★★☆☆ – Okay
★★★★☆ – Liked it
★★★★★ – Loved it
Read the full explanation of my book rating system.

In this dazzling new vision of the ever-fascinating queen, a dynamic young historian reveals how Marie Antoinette’s bold attempts to reshape royal fashion changed the future of France

Marie Antoinette has always stood as an icon of supreme style, but surprisingly none of her biographers have paid sustained attention to her clothes. In Queen of Fashion, Caroline Weber shows how Marie Antoinette developed her reputation for fashionable excess, and explains through lively, illuminating new research the political controversies that her clothing provoked. Weber surveys Marie Antoinette’s “Revolution in Dress,” covering each phase of the queen’s tumultuous life, beginning with the young girl, struggling to survive Versailles’s rigid traditions of royal glamour (twelve-foot-wide hoopskirts, whalebone corsets that crushed her organs). As queen, Marie Antoinette used stunning, often extreme costumes to project an image of power and wage war against her enemies. Gradually, however, she began to lose her hold on the French when she started to adopt “unqueenly” outfits (the provocative chemise) that, surprisingly, would be adopted by the revolutionaries who executed her.

Weber’s queen is sublime, human, and surprising: a sometimes courageous monarch unwilling to allow others to determine her destiny. The paradox of her tragic story, according to Weber, is that fashion—the vehicle she used to secure her triumphs—was also the means of her undoing. Weber’s book is not only a stylish and original addition to Marie Antoinette scholarship, but also a moving, revelatory reinterpretation of one of history’s most controversial figures.

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Fountain Pen Rainbow 2025, Bi Edition

Fountain Pen Rainbow 2025 Bi Flag edition

June 17, 2025

Rachel

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Fountain Pen Rainbow 2025, Bi Edition

Posted in Fountain Pens

I hope you’re enjoying Pride Month! Since I didn’t get to a bisexual (bi) pride flag rainbow last year, I’m making sure to do one this year. Depending on which definitions you go with, bi and pansexual could both apply to me, but the bi flag has prettier colors.

I’ve done my best to not include any pens that were in either of my previous pen rainbows.

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Eight Years and Here’s to Many more

June 15, 2025

Rachel

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Eight Years and Here’s to Many more

Posted in Random Reflections

Today marks eight years and 795 posts — including this one — since I started my blog. Surprisingly, this is my first non-tag blog anniversary post — I answered some questions for my blog’s 5-year anniversary. I don’t know why I haven’t shared one before, but better late than never.

And while on that track, allow me to divert for just a moment to announce that I have — finally — posted an About page. Also, in response to a few questions, I’ve added a Ko-fi button to the left (desktop) or below (mobile device) — you may have already noticed. I don’t intend to make any changes to monetize my blog. I dislike visiting a website only to be bombarded with ads, and I won’t do that to you, either.

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Pen Porn: Cypress Maki-e Goldfish

June 13, 2025

Rachel

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Pen Porn: Cypress Maki-e Goldfish

Posted in Fountain Pens

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for pen envy or impulse purchases resulting from viewing this post.

Per usual, you can click on the images to view them larger. I do my best to provide you with high-quality pen porn. 😉

I don’t know if the first post I saw of the Maki-e Goldfish was the first time Cypress posted it, but I knew, instantly, I needed it, and left a comment to that effect. I received a message with an offer to hold one for me, at which point I discovered it wasn’t as expensive as I thought, and bought it. I have zero regrets.

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Useful Feline Health Tips

June 11, 2025

Rachel

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Useful Feline Health Tips

Posted in Cat

Over the past 15 years, I’ve adopted 7 cats, 4 of which have had health issues. During that time, I’ve learned a lot from our vets. While it’s always best to have at least annual vet visits to catch any potential problems early, I know from first-hand experience that that isn’t always possible. So, I’ve put together this post with some information that can help with some basic issues when a vet visit isn’t possible. For additional, supplementary information, you can take a look at the Veterinary Definitions and Resources page for useful links and information

I want to reiterate that a vet visit is best if you’re able to take your furbaby to the vet. Please don’t take this information as an alternative to a vet. While the information has come from our veterinary office, it was specific to our cats, and every cat is different.

Note, none of the links included below are affiliated links.

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Stanford Pen Studio Model Comparison

June 6, 2025

Rachel

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Stanford Pen Studio Model Comparison

Posted in Fountain Pens

Today’s post is a bit different for me, but I’ve been planning it since my first Intwana pens arrived in mid-March. Since the size of the Intwana surprised me, I wanted to share a comparison between Stanford Pen Studio‘s (SPS) original painted pen model, the Jabulani, and their new painted pen offering, the Intwana. But, life got in the way, like it does. Better late than never, though, right?

The models

For those completely unfamiliar with SPS’s pen models the two I’m comparing today are the Jabulani and the Intwana. They are the two models SPS offers with hand-painted and/or hand-drawn art on them. Allow me to share SPS’ own words on each model.

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Fountain Pen Rainbow 2025

June 2, 2025

Rachel

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Fountain Pen Rainbow 2025

Posted in Fountain Pens

Happy Pride Month! It’s time for another pen rainbow. I made sure to only choose pens that weren’t in last year’s pen rainbow, which was difficult for the black pen. Would you be interested in seeing another post later in the month with the Bi flag colors? I didn’t get to that last year, but I could do it this year.

Like last year, I’ve included plenty of pen pictures, so this is a bit of a pen porn post, too. I kept the brown, black, and white pens, because who doesn’t want more pen pictures?

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An Instant Burst of Happiness

May 30, 2025

Rachel

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An Instant Burst of Happiness

Posted in Stationery

Brad Dowdy — AKA The Pen Addict — posed an interesting question in last week’s member newsletter: Do you have any pens, pencils, or other stationery that gives you that instant burst of happiness, or a sneaky grin just for yourself? It was intriguing enough that I want to answer it in a post.

Honestly, this is precisely what I want my entire collection to be, both pens and ink. My goal is to get to a point where any pen I ink up gives me a burst of happiness. Of course, I’m still a ways away from that goal, especially with my inks.

That said, I do have a couple of general things in my collection that give me extra joy.

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What breed(s) is Floofenstein?

May 28, 2025

Rachel

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What breed(s) is Floofenstein?

Posted in Cat

Floofenstein has such a unique look that I can’t help but want to know what breed(s) he is. So, I set out to research the possibilities. This post compiles what I found. Keep in mind that every cat is unique, and what I’ve found listed online isn’t going to be true for every cat.

Because “Domestic Longhair” isn’t actually a breed, I haven’t included it in my research.

Feature: long-haired chocolate coat

Floofenstein has luxurious fur, getting to about 3″ long at its longest. Depending on the lighting angle, he can look mostly black, dark brown, or a bright orangey chocolate.

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Confronted by Privilege

May 26, 2025

Rachel

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Confronted by Privilege

Posted in Personal

Last week, I was able to attend the GSA Interagency Accessibility Forum (IAAF) virtually. I learned about it while doing research for an accessibility series I’m putting together for work. This was my first year attending.

Because I found out about it on Section508.gov, I expected it to be a more learning-based event. Instead, it was more like a professional conference.

I did learn a lot, including about some very interesting technology and tools in the works. But, I was also smacked in the face with my own, unacknowledged, privilege.

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Ink Battle: Taccia and Colorverse

May 23, 2025

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Ink Battle: Taccia and Colorverse

Posted in Ink

This ink battle is between Taccia Light Washed Jeans and Colorverse αCnc. Both inks are in a pens fitted with a Jowo #6 M nib. The paper is Muji loose leaf dot grid A5 paper.

Today’s ink battle is another bout of bottle versus sample. It determined if my sample of αCnC got to stay in use, or get relegated to the “for dupes” baskets. Were I to keep it in use and go through the whole sample, then I’d consider getting a bottle.

I love pale, desaturated blue inks, but they have to be bright/dark enough to read easily, even in F and EF nibs.

Ink Battles Explained

Between myself and Jim buying inks, we own far too many. This means I have some inks that are incredibly similar in color. And, because of that, I need to figure out which inks to keep and which to dispose of. Sometimes, I have samples of two or more similar inks that I'm trying to decide which to buy, or if I should buy one ink when I already own a bottle of a similar one.

Enter ink battles. I put the similar inks into pens with the same nibs (two Jowo #6 M, two TWSBI F, etc.), or I create ink splats and doodles, to test them out to see which I like better. Or, I may find out that they’re sufficiently different to keep.

You can assume I have no problems with any ink that appears in an ink battle. I may find, when using the inks side-by-side, that there are performance differences, but the point of the battle is to choose a favorite ink, a "winner". These choices are often subjective, and you may disagree with me.

An ink battle — unlike ink dupes — is between inks I like. I enjoy using them enough to have them in my "for use" ink collection — as opposed to my repository of inks for testing dupes. If an ink performed poorly or caused problems, I wouldn’t keep it. And, if that were the case, an ink battle would be unnecessary.

Reminder: You can find all of the ink battle posts on the tag page.

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Pen Porn: Stanford Pen Studio Intwana Seahorse

May 16, 2025

Rachel

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Pen Porn: Stanford Pen Studio Intwana Seahorse

Posted in Fountain Pens

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for pen envy or impulse purchases resulting from viewing this post.

Per usual, you can click on the images to view them larger. I do my best to provide you with high-quality pen porn. 😉

And now it’s time to share the second Intwana pen I ordered, Lisa Strachan‘s Seahorse.

Before I get started, I want to make sure you know that, while the Koi and Seahorse designs are not currently listed on the SPS website, the Chameleon, Dragon, Giraffe, Kitten, Llama, Penguins, and Phoenix designs are all still available.

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Floofenstein: Happy Indoor Boy

May 14, 2025

Rachel

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Floofenstein: Happy Indoor Boy

Posted in Cat

Welcome back to Whisker Wednesday! There’s a good chance you’re here because you want to know more about Floofenstein. But, if you’re new, I’m sharing our newest family member’s story from how he joined us until he has fully integrated into the clowder.

April 16

Last time, I left off with Floofenstein back home after his misadventure. Unfortunately for me, it was my “in-office” day, and I couldn’t change it on such short notice. Jim kept me up-to-date, advising me that Floof was stinky — makes sense, as who know what much he got into outside — and that he seemed cranky — possibly due to pain from his injuries.

Rachel

A Quick Reflection

Posted in Fountain Pens

Work has been intense lately, leaving me without much brain power to work on my blog in the evenings. I’m hoping that will change soon. But, for now, I give you this quick look back at the pens I’ve owned the longest.

Lamy Safari Dark Lilac

Of the pens still in my possession, the Lamy Safari Dark Lilac — Lamy’s 2016 special edition — is the one I’ve owned the longest.

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FIV: Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

May 7, 2025

Rachel

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FIV: Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

Posted in Cat

As I mentioned in one of my Floofenstein posts, I knew as soon as the vet said she was calling to give us Floofenstein’s bloodwork results that something was wrong. That something was FIV, or feline immunodeficiency virus. Thankfully, our vet put my mind at ease right away by letting me know that cats with FIV commonly live average life spans.

While that alleviated my immediate concern, I still had some questions: does he need any additional vaccinations? Should he have more frequent vet appointments? Do we need to worry about keeping him separate from our other cats? Is there anything special we should know? And, of course, I wanted to know more about FIV. So, with this post, I’m sharing my research with you, and providing my vet’s answers to all of the questions I’ve asked her so far.

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Paper Systems and their Uses

May 2, 2025

Rachel

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Paper Systems and their Uses

Posted in Paper

I’m sure most of you have experienced either being known as, or knowing someone as, the “[insert item here]” person at work. I’m the pen person to many who have worked with me. Some of my closer colleagues have thought of me more as the stationery person.

Because of that, I’ve recently had several conversations with my colleagues about paper systems. Perhaps because the world is so crazy right now, there seems to be a greater desire to “get organized,” to have better control over your own little corner of the world.

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Floofenstein: a Gift from Bumbledore

April 30, 2025

Rachel

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Floofenstein: a Gift from Bumbledore

Posted in Cat

Welcome back to Whisker Wednesday! There’s a good chance you’re here because you want to know more about Floofenstein. But, if you’re new here, I’m sharing our newest family member’s story from how he joined us until he has fully integrated into the clowder. This week isn’t a normal entry. Jim and I are convinced Floofenstein is a gift from Bumbledore, and I want to tell you why.

If you’re reading this post, you likely already know that I lost my familiar, Bumbledore, to cancer in January. What I didn’t share in my memorial post was the deathbed promise I made him. On our last day together, I promised to give another cat the same kind of second chance we gave him. That, when my heart was ready, we’d adopt a cat that needed a home, one that was considered “hard to adopt.” At the time, I didn’t think my heart would ever be ready.

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Floofenstein: Doubly Ours

April 23, 2025

Rachel

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Floofenstein: Doubly Ours

Posted in Cat

Last week, I left off at April 1st, Floofenstein’s spa day — his first (at least to our knowledge) professional grooming. This post covers two weeks, through his misadventure and return home.

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And Now For Something Completely Different

April 18, 2025

Rachel

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And Now For Something Completely Different

Posted in Fountain Pens

OK, only partially different, but I couldn’t resist.

My new pen collection rotation starts on Sunday, and I’m doing something significantly different than my previous rotations.

In the past, I’ve used a randomizer to go through my entire active collection, inking five pens each week. It’s been a great way to use my pens, but as my collection has grown, I’ve been using each individual pen less and less. I’m down to only twice a year. And sometimes I don’t get to use my pens much, which can mean I ink a pen and only use it to record work tasks for the day.

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Floofenstein: A Beautiful Sweetheart

April 17, 2025

Rachel

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Floofenstein: A Beautiful Sweetheart

Posted in Cat

Yes, this post is late. That’s because I messed up and Floofenstein got away from me and ran away on Monday (4/14/25). I’ll share a detailed account soon, but suffice to say that Jim and I were both doing poorly. But, we got a second miracle because Floofers was sitting calmly in the trap yesterday morning, having come home.

His misadventure has, and will, result in multiple setbacks regarding his wound and integration into the household. But, he’s home, and that’s all that truly matters. Now, onto the post.

If you’re new here, I’m sharing our newest family member’s story from how he joined us until he settles in. Last week, I left off at March 25, his second vet exam.

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