Women's Shoes of 1900

This is a re-post of a prior offering at this blog, the links for which are no longer available. 
Aren't these fun to look at? Each one says something about women's shoes of the very late Victorian era as it was in the year 1900. I had to choose from dozens to make this Collage Set for you. I also improved and tidied up the looks of each shoe with background. This is actually an older post that I could not find a proper link for owing to technical difficulties. I found the image in my files, and have added it to storage for you via my Download link below.

Please see the red Guidelines at the foot of this post. Thank you.

PPS™Collage Set: Late Victorian Shoes

Download  HERE

Display version
(lower quality than the download)

You are free to:
Use these in your personal art, whether in artwork that is to be sold or for your personal use.
You are not free to:
 Repackage this set, either in whole or in part, 
for sale in any way.
Thank you 
for helping me to
keep free things free!

In the Kitchen with Mercy and Victoria

I had to build this one from the ground up - a real challenge for me! This post includes 1 new room + 1 new outfit for Victoria.

The kitchen is lit by gaslight, not electric lightbulbs, as will be the remainder of Mercy and Tom's first household together as a young married couple. Although there were some places where electric lighting was being used during the 1890's, for many more moderately well off families (mainly middle class) it was considered a high priced luxury.

This project has been on the drawing board now for weeks and weeks. This work has copyrights. Please respect my copyrights by following the red letter Guidelines that are listed at the foot of this post. Guidelines will sometimes vary from post to post, so please read all carefully. Thank you.

How I built this kitchen scene
It began simply enough as a whim for one more room, this time of the more practical sort. The basis for it was actually of much poorer quality than required. The furnishings may have had styles authentic to the place and time, yet the art depicting them made the final effect almost look grimy.

So where to begin? It actually began with me "rebuilding" the entire room as well as refitting it to the dolls.  It felt a little bit like redecorating a real room. New wall coverings got tried, but nothing made me smile until I'd created some new wallpaper in a fetching stripe. The flooring was redone entirely from "scratch," as we say in the U.S. That was a fun project in and of itself. The stove in the basis picture was definitely authentic in that it had been placed inside the older kitchen hearth. Further research showed me how some households with newer kitchens then had slightly larger ranges in niches and nooks decorated with wall tiling.

I finally found just the right range, and then a tiling image I'd been saving for just such an occasion. A few color changes later and the entire kitchen began to be real enough. I added the pretty floral tiles to match the cheery feeling of the wallpaper. The cabinet on the right hand side of the room is actually a kitchen "dresser." We might call it a "buffet" or a "cabinet and hutch" duo. This kind of furniture often was kept and passed on to the next generation, as it was not installed for permanent purposes and so could be shifted from one home to another. This needed a genuine overhaul, and so I used digital "wood veneer." Perspective, shadows, highlighting, and scale (size of each thing in relation to the rest) were among my biggest challenges. I've kept this one on file still in PSD format (unfused, all layers) as a sort of a memory book of the process the project required. The rest of the picture I will explain in the story for you now.

For Some Basic Instructions and Tips on assembling any one of my Paper Doll Rooms, guests may choose to follow the link HERE.

The Story
Victoria had a  little bit of vacation time leftover before her school days were due to resume, and so she has stayed with Mercy in her new home. The two have been very happily busy adding finishing touches to the charming place. Tom had to travel again for his work, so the two have been having an entirely feminine time of it together.

The two cousins have been preparing their favorite selection of sandwiches, salad, soup and desserts. Victoria is ready to finish some of the tidying up, while Mercy has already taken a moment to change into her lovely, comfy teagown. It is Victoria's turn to change into her own cute teagown next, as soon as they move everything from the kitchen into the parlor. Both young women are very hungry after their day's exertions of decorating and tidying up after themselves.

A cook is to be hired in time for the arrival of Mercy and Tom's new baby, along with a general maid of all work to do the extra cleaning. Maids of all work were some of the hardest working women in England during Victorian times. Some middle class households did employ them to do most of the work. If Tom advances quickly enough in his career, then further staff might have to be acquired and a bigger house purchased. For now, we can admire how family members have given Mercy the lovely new range with its bright tile border along with the necessary furniture for this kitchen.

The kitchen has been equipped to keep the household running smoothly. The stove will heat every bit of hot kitchen water that's to be used by the young family.  Notice the big brass tank located on the wall between the stove and the old fashioned scullery sink. (Please don't ask me how such a set up would have worked, for I've no idea) 

Tom and Mercy have been blessed with their very own hot water plumbing for an upstairs bath, too. Though a rarity for many (particularly among more struggling populations), by the time of the story, a number of moderately well off families had just such a modern convenience. Having to lug a tin tub around would not do for a first time mother - at least, that is the general feeling among the three grandparents-to-be.

Mercy's cat looks quite content to sit atop Tom's mother's step stool, doesn't she? She's admirably sleek and healthy looking, a cute kitty. But don't let her sweet face fool you. No adventuresome mouse would ever dare to step foot inside of her kitchen! 

My favorite little detail in this room is one that might get overlooked. It is the bright and shiny copper pot located on top of the range. Such pretty pots were often used for warming the milk necessary for hot chocolate and cocoa. The two cousins plan on having some warming cups of cocoa just before bedtime.

By the middle of March we should see a little bundle of joy with them in this loving home. More rooms will hopefully be ready to be revealed between now and then, as well as some new clothing for the papa-to-be.
;)

Happy Playtime Creativity!

PPSPlaytime™: A New Kitchen for Mercy

Display 

(lower quality than the downloads)

Download Upper Left HERE

Download Upper Right HERE

Download Lower Right HERE

Download Lower Left HERE

Display of Before and After
(I really did try to fit a window into my final room. 
It just wouldn't fit well enough to scale with the dolls and their furniture.)

PPSPlaytime™: Victoria's New Kitchen Outfit

Download HERE

Display version 

(lower quality than the download)

You are free to:

play with or give or trade

either the room or the outfit

for my doll collection in this set.

You are not free to:

ever sell it for any reason

or 

to alter it and then 

publish it as your own creation.

Please continue to help me to

keep free things free!

Thank you

Victoria's New Riding Costume

Some friends of Victoria's family have a stable.

Victoria has been offered her first opportunity to try her wings at tutoring. Some family friends have three children, one of whom is now aged 14. It is this younger girl whom Victoria will be teaching for a while till the girl's parents can find a replacement governess. The sudden elopement marriage of their previous governess took place only a few days ago, and so they have had to act quickly. Who more trustworthy to leave their daughters with than someone who's known them all since they were still in their cradles?

Victoria is to be paid for her work for the very first time in her young life! She is quite excited by this sudden turn of events, and pleased with the behavior and intelligence of her new sweet pupil, whose name is Susan. The other two pf the three children, Mary (aged 12) and John (aged 8) are to be temporarily schooled by their mother and grandmother until such time as the new governess may be hired.

There is time off for Victoria during her busy weeks during which she is being encouraged to ride one of the family's horses! Her riding habit looks very smart, wouldn't you agree? The highly tailored waistcoat has a special curvy front placket, and her high silk covered hat is held in place with some pretty hat pins. (We are allowed to see just one of those pins in this picture.) You wouldn't know it, but her skirt is hiding a secret, for underneath it she is wearing a special pair of riding trousers! This was a common occurrence for women riders of the late 19th century.

The riding crop she is holding has a hard handle at one end and a soft folded flap of leather at the other end. With this softer leather bit, she will gently signal her mount to move ahead or to speed up for her. Her boots are flat soled and lower heeled than most of her shoes are, allowing for greater comfort in the saddle.

Coming soon will be the horse she will ride. Her cousin, Mercy, may join her during a part of her stay in the lovely autumn countryside of Surrey.

"Walk on!"

PPSPlaytime™: Victoria's Riding Habit

Download HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

©RHMcGuinn

(as are all of my Paper Doll items)

You are free to:

play with or give or trade

this paper doll outfit.

You are not free to:

ever sell it for any reason and in any form.

Thank you

for helping me to

keep free things free!

Shopping with Victoria and Mercy!

Une boutique très chic !

While out shopping, the two cousins have come upon a very fancy dress shop. Mercy and Victoria, being first cousins, share a grandmother. They are determined to share costs and to lavish some nice gift or other on their Grandmother Lacey whom they both admire and love very much. Mercy's husband, Tom, is at a shop nearby having himself fitted for a new suit of clothes for his work. He might even treat himself to a dashing new opera cape over an evening suit. We shall see.

Please respect my copyrights for this post and any others within this blog, including any red letter Guidelines, beneath most posts. Thank you.

©RHMcGuinn as are all of the rest of the Paper Dolls, outfits, rooms, Scenes and Accessories, including standards. Thanks for the courtesy.

This pretty shop was designed in the Art Nouveau style, a style that began as a sort of artistic movement in many cities during the late Victorian and even Edwardian periods of history. Its basis I have altered, for it was a poor quality old print taken from a book on design. Notice the very frilly stained glass above the door and along one wall, as well as the blue and clear glass fancy work of the two front doors along with the special window. The rug was a later addition of my own, still art nouveau in tone. I later chose a very pretty cabinet of the same style on which to display some of the shop's wares. 

Next came the same design of hat in 4 different color ways, along with stands for three of these, a few band boxes and some pretty shoes. The dress form displays the green day dress near the doors.

Included with this post is Victoria's color way version of her dear cousin's striped dress with parasol. She can wear almost any color, can't she? This was fun for me to do!  The two do enjoy dressing alike without being completely identical. After all, they are best friends, cousins, and as close as fond sisters.

Soon, their travel time will be nearing its conclusion. All too soon, it will be time once again for Victoria to attend to her studies so that she can complete her education and begin teaching. Blessed with good fortune, she hopes to become a very fine teacher and to inspire every young pupil to value every fresh opportunity to see the world, visit new places, and (most of all) to have a passion for learning. She herself has learned much during her travels about foreign customs, languages and places. She has met many different people and seen a variety of new landscapes. From now on, a number of the places shown on the maps of her atlas at home will bring back memories of times of enjoyment and adventure.


Happy Travel Playtime!

PPSPlaytime™: Shopping with 

Mercy and Victoria

Display version of

boutique with dolls.

Download Upper Left HERE

Download Upper Right HERE

Download Lower Right HERE

Download Lower Left HERE

PPSPlaytime™: Victoria's Striped Visiting Dress

Download HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

You are free to:

play with or give or trade

either the striped dress doll outfit

or

the Paper Doll Boutique.

You are not free to:

ever sell anything that is

in this post.

Thank you

for helping me to

keep free things free!

Pretty Striped Paper Doll Visiting Dress

Mercy has a new dress!

And isn't it pretty? It had to be refitted by me from the original to this doll. I have also changed the coloration of it to reflect a different look, plus altered the parasol so that it can look white and fresh as a daisy instead of dull and grubby.

Please respect my copyrights on this altered paper doll outfit. They are listed below in the red letter Guidelines. Thank you!

©RHMcGuinn as are all of the rest of the Paper Dolls, outfits, rooms, Scenes and Accessories, including standards. Thanks for the courtesy.

Mercy, her young husband and Mercy's cousin, Victoria have been aboard a steamship which has brought them to another landing place. Can you guess where they might have gone since their exciting stay in Venice? I'll reveal the new stop on their tour very soon.
;)

Some tips on fitting Hat Tabs to their matching hats:
It is probably best to begin with the top edge first, with the gray colored Tab against the back of the actual hat that it's matching in both shape and size. Many times, I've included decorations near the tops of hats which make good starting points for this process.
I prefer to use a really good glue stick whenever working with such paper projects, such as Yuhu brand, although I do like to keep some 3M brand in my crafting supplies and this works just as well. Please wait for the glue to dry, even if it is from a glue stick. Once it isn't tacky enough to stick to either the paper doll's head or face, just try it on the doll and keep adding bits of glue until it won't slip and slide off. 
Lastly, trim away any excess that could spoil the looks of the doll. This I think works best as a final step and using small scissors - in my case, I'll often use manicure scissors with a sharp tip for such refined work.

Happy playtime creative fun!

PPSPlaytime™: Mercy's New Striped 

Visiting Dress

Download HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

You are free to:

play with or give or trade

this paper doll outfit.

You are not free to:

ever sell it for any reason.

Thank you

for helping me to

keep free things free!

Coloring Page: Playing Dress Up Games

Feathers ~! 
...and even more feathers await the coloring artist who would choose this item to color.

1/4 (or .25) inch margins for this one on your chosen printer.

I just thought that this one looked like a lot of challenging fun. There is a lot of detail within this picture, so either colored pencils or a big box set of crayons with a sharpener might work out better. I would imagine that a colored pencil set might include some wonderful peacock feather colors. 

The tapestry birds look really comical to me, and the child's delight at wearing her mother's hat is, I think, charming.

I'm keeping this one in the public domain where I found it, as it needed very little help from me in order to be a proper coloring page.

Happy coloring creativity!

PPSColorMe™Page: Dressing Up with Feathers

Download HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

You are free to:

color this page or use it

in art or crafting that may then

be either sold or given.

Let's keep it free, though.

Thank you

for helping me to

keep free things free!

Victoria's New Butterfly Dress

A pretty new outfit for Victoria to wear while still on her European adventure!

This outfit has been a genuine challenge for me. It began as a charming French fashion plate, but had to be completely redone before it could even begin to fit the doll properly.

Please honor all copyrights and red letter Guidelines listed at this blog, including any at the foot of this post. Thank you.
©RHMcGuinn as are all of the rest of the Paper Dolls, outfits, rooms, Scenes and Accessories, including standards. Thanks for the courtesy.

It was the butterflies located on the sleeves that first gained my approval of this dress. The color seemed a little odd to me, and so that has had to be changed. A tan colored dress with a vivid, pretty magenta butterfly somehow did not look right to me. I prefer the soft celery green I've chosen. After all, it is still summertime. Victoria will have plenty of time in which to wear the browns of autumn later on in the year, won't she?

I found a charming embroidered pair of shoes for her to wear, one of which is peeping out from under the hem of her dress. This style laces up at the front, and so should serve her fairly well for walks in refined places such as museums and art galleries. The color has been changed to match the other magenta features to this outfit.

The sleeves and the upper front of the bodice I chose to make sheer for a lighter and cooler appeal. Summertime in Italy is generally very warm and sunny. She is using her parasol (hidden behind the skirt of her dress as she is walking) as a sort of a walking stick at the moment. She is prepared to, at a moment's notice, make use of the shade it can provide her with.

Happy Late Summer Playtime Creativity!

PPSPlaytime™: Victoria's Summer Butterfly Dress

Download HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

You are free to:

either play with or give or trade

this Paper Doll outfit.

You are not free to:

ever sell it in any way, even if 

it is altered by you.

Thank you

for helping me to

keep free things free!

Victoria's Day Dress 3 Ways

Victoria and Mercy are still staying at their friends' countryside villa.

Today, they have been catching up on their letter writing as well as setting aside some time for walks on the grounds that surround the villa.

Please read and follow the copyrights and red letter Guidelines located at the foot of this post. Thank you.

The sleeves from elbow to cuff of this fresh and pretty outfit are made of sheer silk voile. Despite the high collared style, this kind of dress was worn often during warmer weather in Victorian times. The dress began as an antique fashion plate, which I later altered significantly. I thought that Victoria's wardrobe required something with sheer sleeves. I hope that you'll enjoy playing with it even more than I have enjoyed making it fit the doll for you.

For the Room in the Villa that would go with this dress, you may follow the link HERE. (I know that any of the doll's rooms will do, of course, but this one was made specially for this summer's Travel series)

The dress itself is being offered in 3 different ways: with a changeable sash in either a Lavender, Pink or Blue color. Find your choices located below.

Happy Summer Playtime!
:)

PPSPlaytime™: Victoria's Summer Day Dress

Download Lavender Sash Dress HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the downloads)

Download Pink Sash Dress HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the downloads)

Download Blue Sash Dress HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the downloads)

Original Image credit:

Public Domain

at nypl.org

©RHMcGuinn as are all of the rest of the Paper Dolls, outfits, rooms, Scenes and Accessories, including standards. 

Thanks for the courtesy.

You are free to:

play with, to give and to trade

any of the doll outfits featured in this,

including this one.

You are not free to:

ever sell any of these doll outfits

or their rooms, etc.

for any reason.

Thank you

for helping me to

keep free things free!

Victoria and Mercy Visit Friends in the Rheinland

Victoria and her two family members are enjoying themselves in the countryside not far from the scholarly German city of Bonn.

The scene this time will be out of doors, so that our Victoria and her cousin, Mercy might enjoy the fresh breezes near the banks of the River Rhein. Both of the dolls' outfits and the outdoor travel scene will be provided together in this single post.

Please respect my red letter Guidelines and the copyrights listed below every post in this blog, including this one. Thank you so much.

Mercy's new husband, Tom has connections with some friends of his own family there in Germany. Such friendly connections will allow all three busy travelers some time to relax together at a pleasant countryside estate that is located south and east of Bonn, and on the River Rhein.

The pavilion in this picture offers everyone a cooling place to sit on sunny afternoons. Tables have been left standing inside of this nice outdoor building. These tables have been used many times during spring and summer outdoor teas and luncheons. 

The garden pavilion is also a good place from which to view the lovely sky at evening. As we gaze eastward over the water, there is a sudden rise to the landscape. These hills comprise the "Siebengebirge," or the Seven Hills range overlooking the river.

It is a very picturesque view. Victoria is dressed in her dinnertime best in the Display picture (shown first below). This is her best dinner "corsage" or blouse she is wearing. The apricot tone of its cotton fabric is a flattering color for her pretty face, isn't it? 

Her long white gloves propose a challenge that every woman of a certain status understood during the late 1800's.
"A compromise was achieved with the mousquetaire wrist opening, through which ladies could slip their hands out of the gloves for meals without removing them altogether (it was and is against etiquette to eat or drink with gloves on). " {A reference link for the page I've just quoted from may be found HERE.}

Her soft grey skirt reveals a touch of a snow white petticoat along with one of her more formal shoes. The cut of her skirt you may recognize from the skirts of her Sunday dresses from last year, but it is still a fashionable style for a refined and modern setting such as this one. The house just beyond the garden may not be seen from here, but it is very ornate and grand. Each guest will have his or her own bedroom. Mercy and Tom have whispered together in the small sitting area in Mercy's room about the place being more of a "palace" than it is a house.

She and her cousin have a trip planned for the nearby University, where the two hope to practice a few of their language skills with some students their own age. Tom will not be along at the time, for he will be once again engaged in doing business for the day. 

In the meantime, there is to be a delicious and unique dining experience inside the spacious country home. Among the items on the evening's menu will be Spätzle, a very tasty kind of egg noodle dish known throughout Germany. Other items will include a choice between roasted chicken with currants or baked fish, a Gurkensalat (a  kind of fresh summer salad made from cucumbers), and a cake of strawberries made with meringue. But of course, that is just a sampling from a rather extensive menu from which Victoria, Mercy and Tom will be able to choose during this evening's meal. 

Their hosts are both prosperous, wealthy and very friendly. Their children will be supping with their nanny, but these happy youngsters will make a special appearance in order that they may be introduced properly by their parents to the family's guests.

The event promises to be very delightful, as their hosts are highly educated and interesting. The husband, a Mr. Charles Browne from London, married his charming and talented German wife, Klara ten years ago. They already have three admirable and talented children to their young family. Klara is to play the piano for her guests in their Music Room directly following their lavish meal.

Victoria has taken her sunset walk in the cool of the evening in the garden. Soon, a small gong will be struck by a groom on that garden lawn to summon everyone indoors to the dining room.

NOTE: Instructions for the assembly of the Rooms and Scenes of the Paper Doll Collection may be found by following this link HERE.

Happy Creative Summer Playtime!

PPSPlaytime™: Victoria Visits the Rheinland

Display of the Garden Scene

(lower quality than the downloads)

Download Upper Left Portion HERE.

Download Upper Right Portion HERE.

Download Lower Right Portion HERE.

Download Lower left Portion HERE.

Display of Victoria's Outfit Alone

(lower quality than the download below)

Download Victoria's Dinner Outfit HERE

Display of Mercy's Outfit Alone

(lower quality than the download below)

Download Mercy's Dinner Attire HERE

©RHMcGuinn as are all of the rest of the Paper Dolls, outfits, rooms, Scenes and Accessories, including standards. 

Thanks for the courtesy.

Guidelines

You are free to:

play with or give or trade the Paper Doll items

offered in this post.

You are not free to:

ever sell them for any reason.

Thank you 

for helping me to

keep free  things free!

A Special Gift + a Room for Victoria

A gift from a loving grandmother has just been delivered. Included below is also a new Room.

This gift had to be ordered in advance from a lingerie shop in Paris. Victoria's Grandmother Lacey wanted her to have something especially pretty and fashionable to wear in the evenings while on her travels

Please respect my red letter Guidelines here. Thank you.

This very special gift is something unexpected. Victoria's cousin Mercy has helped their grandmother with all arrangements so that delivery would be timely. This had to be a well guarded secret for weeks. The pretty peignoir is that gift. (For a quick lesson in the French pronunciation of that word, along with its actual meaning, you may follow this link HERE and click on the little speaker symbol beside the word) 

I am offering this sweet night robe in two colors, magenta and blue. The choice is yours. Either color will work nicely with every hair color that is being offered with the New Look style of paper doll, available HERE.  The Instructions and hopefully helpful hints for assembling the room that goes with this outfit may be found HERE. If there are any questions, please feel free to ask with a comment. I will do my best to respond. (please forgive this problem with sudden changes in font sizes here. It is an ongoing problem I've faced since earlier this year)

The Room is, of course, Victoria's room at a rather grand and spacious hotel in Paris. It has antique furnishings, tall walls, and a fancy plastered ceiling. The rug underfoot is very soft and comforting. In fact, this is the most elaborate room in which Victoria has ever stayed. She sees her visit to this fine hotel as a gift, too. After all, without the generosity of her family, no such special treat as she is experiencing would ever have been possible for her. It is her grandmother's family who have so generously all worked together in order to offer her this wonderful and educational time abroad.

But the fun for Victoria is only just beginning!

Below, I am offering the peignoir (or robe) first, followed by each of the 4 separate sections of the Room. 

Notes on Some Quality Issues with this Room:
Now, I am not altogether pleased with the quality of this Room. I do hope that guests will forgive its lower than normal quality. I actually have had a very tough time trying to find just the right images that will not only work to scale or size for the doll but that would make sense within the story line. I've faced quality issues ever since I first began blogging here in that I tend to choose and offer mainly higher quality images wherever possible. 
I actually prefer 300dpi resolution images for use with each doll, especially in Room images. However, this simply has not always been possible for me. For some reason, paintings of interiors from the right decade that are in good enough condition have been extremely difficult to find or use. I've often faced some of my tougher challenges with Rooms and Scenes for my paper doll collection.

That being said, here is the pretty new robe, followed by the new Room ~

Happy Playtime Creativity!

PPSPlaytime™: Room and French Robe Set

for Victoria

Download Blue Robe HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Download Magenta Robe HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

Room (in 4 sections)

Download Upper Left HERE

Download Upper Right HERE

Download Lower Right HERE

Download Lower Left HERE

Display version with outfit

shown below

Image credit for room:

nypl.org

©RHMcGuinn as are all of the rest of the Paper Dolls, outfits, rooms, Scenes and Accessories, including standards. 

Thanks for the courtesy.

You are free to:

either play with or give or trade

the images being offered within this post.

You are not free to:

sell any of them for any reason.

Thank you

for helping me to

keep free things free!

Sightseeing in Europe with Victoria

Victoria is now abroad, touring parts of Europe!

Along with her cousin, Mercy, and Mercy's husband, Tom she will be touring for weeks yet to come. They have already crossed the Channel, landing at the Port of La Havre, and have taken a train into Paris!

Please observe the red letter Guidelines shown below. Thank you.

The Story:
Mercy's husband will be fairly busy from time to time during their long journey, for he has a series of business appointments to take care on behalf of an elderly relative. Mercy is acting as her younger cousin's chaperone. Young married women were sometimes allowed to do this in the late 1800's. However, it was definitely a social disgrace for any young, unmarried girl or woman to wander on a foreign street unaccompanied! Not only was it frowned upon, but it might even have been somewhat dangerous then, too. After all, earlier on in the decade, there had been two events of politically charged violence in Paris. Victoria's grandmother is very anxious that all will go smoothly for her two granddaughters in particular, but also for Tom.

Neither of the two cousins will mind this set of rules in the least, however. They are close friends since early childhood who cherish each other's close companionship. Tom is gratified to know that his young bride will have her very best friend for a companion during his busiest days.

Today, they have hired a carriage that will take them to see sights in Paris. They really haven't very much time, for they are soon to leave for a river outing as well as the cooling heights of some mountains (more on that later on). Eventually, they will make their way to the seacoast of Italy and from there to the French Riviera, called by the French, the Côte d'Azur. For Mercy and Tom this will be a delayed honeymoon, while for Victoria it will be her first (and possibly only) chance to practice her language skills abroad prior to embarking on some further study followed then by teaching. 

The three dear friends will also enjoy time in the early autumn for some shopping and further sightseeing in Paris. While there, Tom hopes to encounter some colleagues of his grandfather's and to secure some information for London's British Museum, which is where he works. Mercy, meanwhile, will be kept occupied over making certain that her cousin's education will be enriched in just the right way. Languages and Geography are Victoria's main gifts. These are subjects close to Mercy's heart as well.

Their first stop today will have to be the Eiffel Tower, of course. This has only been open to the public since 1889, a mere 7 years, so it is quite a novelty, as it is (in the 1890's) still the very tallest human made structure in the world - taller even than the pyramids at Giza near Cairo! After that, they are to join Tom at a comfortable sidewalk café for some coffee and something to eat. They hope to later meet three friends of his at the  Musée du Louvre   (Louvre Museum) as well. 

Mercy hopes to collect a few bits of ephemera for her travel book along the way.

Following that, they hope to see something of the Paris night life. In two days' time, they will be on their way to a countryside estate near the city of Bonn in Germany, where Tom has business and the three have been invited to stay for a few days.

Today, Victoria is dressed mainly for comfort, in her lighter weight summer linen clothes and her sturdy walking shoes (note the cobblestones under those shoes). Her umbrella doubles for her as a parasol against the summer sun. Her long white gloves mark her out as a young lady who has been carefully raised to avoid tanning the skin of her hands and arms. Even though she is soon to become employable, she is to take care of those hands, always. Her grandmother has made certain that she would learn to care for her skin in just such a refined manner.

The hat she wears is one that has a changeable satin band. Her skirt is one of three of the very same cut, with summer flounces both above and below, which her grandmother has helped her to select for this part of her journey. This particular one is of a khaki color, just right for strolling dusty boulevards and park walkways. Her French style "corsage" or lightweight blouse may be worn for a number of occasions, including sightseeing. She has brought three of these along for use during warmer weather. Once paired with a more formal skirt and her very best shoes, though, and it easily becomes acceptable apparel for somewhat less formal dining in a pensione or at a number of the smaller hotels where they are sure to stay. (To see what some pensiones are like, you may follow this link HERE)

There will soon be even more exciting times ahead for young Victoria Lacey!

Happy Playtime Creativity!

PPSPlaytime™: Sightseeing in Paris with Victoria

Download HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download) 

©RHMcGuinn as are all of the rest of the Paper Dolls, outfits, rooms, Scenes and Accessories, including standards. 

Thanks for the courtesy.

Guidelines

You are free to:

either play with or give or to trade

this paper doll outfit.

You are not free to:

ever sell it for any reason.

Thank you

for helping me to

keep free things free!

Mercy's Travel Trunk Outfit

Mercy has a lot of packing to do!

She and her husband, Tom, are looking forward to the excitement of traveling together at last.

Please see the red letter Guidelines below. Thank you!

Very soon, Mercy, Tom and Mercy's younger cousin, Victoria will be traveling across the English Channel towards France. On the other shore, they hope to meet up with a few traveling family members along the way.

Mercy's trunk has a domed lid and is roomy enough for her best travel things. At her feet may be seen one of her many bandboxes. It is empty, as she has chosen to stow its contents (a hat) within her solid, sturdy trunk for the journey. Her walking shoes are very much like those her cousin has chosen, aren't they? But then, the two do so enjoy dressing alike in style but with different colors.

In her left hand, Mercy is holding a travel sketch diary which she plans to fill with memories of her first big trip abroad. This will be sort of like a scrapbook, only with a few notes and perhaps a drawing or two. We'll see more of it in future.

The standard for this outfit with scene may be found by following the link provided HERE, where you'll also find more of the story. This will lend added support for this larger outfit. I'd like to suggest also reinforcing this outfit. Instructions for doing so are available at the same link, above.

Happy Playtime Travels!
More soon of the adventures of Victoria and her family and friends!

PPSPlaytime™: Mercy's New Travel Trunk Outfit

Download HERE

Display version

(lower quality than the download)

©RHMcGuinn as are all of the rest of the Paper Dolls, outfits, rooms, Scenes and Accessories, including standards. 

Thanks for the courtesy.

Guidelines

You are free to:

play with or give or trade 

this new outfit.

You are not free to:

ever sell it or any part of it for any reason.

Thank you

for helping me to

keep free things free!