All Hallows' Eve in 1863 Mourning

Last Friday, our costuming group was supposed to attend Frightened Felons, which was of course my "excuse" for making my 1863 mourning ensemble.  Well, life and sickness decided that perhaps that evening would not be a good idea to attend an event that a dress was planned around.  So I was not able to attend and therefore not able to wear my new 1863 mourning dress with all my fun goodies...that was made to attend Frightened Felons!  Our group has decided that after one of our members gets her dress complete, we will try again for an occasion to wear our Victorian mourning.  

However, the trees here in the valley are so beautiful right now and I knew they would be a fantastic background palette for the mourning colors, that I really wanted to have a photo shoot at one of the local cemeteries...Dry Creek Cemetery.  It is quite a large cemetery and was started in 1865, two years after Idaho became a territory.  There is a "pioneer" section in the 130 acres that is now the current cemetery and that is where I wanted my pictures to be taken (no chances of houses or cars making their way into my photographs...).  Of course we are just going to make believe that the dates on the tombstones are much, much older that they really are... (ie, not from the 1920s or the 1890s...You get the picture...)

I wanted to make a cemetery wreath like the ones I have seen in photographs from the Victorian Era, so I made one from silk flowers and a styrofoam wreath.  The flowers I chose were white roses (Innocence and purity), white freesias (Innocence) and white lilies (Purity).  I really like the contrast between the white flowers in the wreath and the black of my dress.

Another neat-o accessory/antique I have in my collection is an 1850 German prayer book.  At the last minute, I thought it would be a nice addition to my mourning ensemble.

I wasn't sure if I would use the veil as I didn't want the gathering on my bonnet to be hidden, but after putting it on, I noticed that it was sheer enough to let the gathers be seen.  Yeah!!!  

Reading a mourning letter.  This one is from Sherwood, England of all places and dates from the 1890s.  Still a very neat piece of mourning history.

Yes, I am very much aware that this is a little corny, but I was trying to use all the items I chose to accessorize my outfit with...too bad I didn't have any Visine to fake my tears...

I am so happy that we were able to squeeze this little shoot in between freezing applesauce and picking my oldest son up from school!  Thank you God for holding the rain for us while I hurridly posed and Mom hurridly took my pictures!  And thank you for giving me a Mom that understands me and is willing to partake in my silliness!  I am blessed!!

Be blessed my friends!!

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