Let Me Gush: My Top 5 Favorite TV Shows

Happy Saturday!

Since there's nothing else on my agenda for Spring Break besides getting rid of my fever, I've been spending the past couple of days catching up on my favorite TV shows (I know, so productive, haha!)... and while in the middle of my little Hulu marathon, I came up with a fun idea for a post: My Top 5 Favorite TV Shows.

These are the five shows that I really, truly enjoy watching -- you can lock me in a room and I'll just watch these shows all day, no problem, haha! ;)

1. Grey's Anatomy -

I've been watching Grey's Anatomy since Season 1, and to me, it's still as amazing as ever!

2. Once Upon A Time -

The writers of this show are beyond brilliant!
Every time a new character is introduced, I'm always wondering who they are in fairy tale land -- it always makes me think and it always keeps me guessing.

3. Revenge -

If I ever find myself in trouble, I want Emily Thorne on my team. ;)

4. Hart Of Dixie -

Hart of Dixie has the perfect balance of comedy and drama -- that plus Zoe and Lemon's gorgeous clothes = love!

5. Downton Abbey -

I think I've blogged about this show enough for you guys to know how much I love it, haha! ;)
(Check out those posts here.)

So yup, I LOVE LOVE LOVE these shows!

What about you guys...

If you were to choose your top 5 favorite shows, what would they be?

Which shows do you truly enjoy watching?

I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend!

Happy Easter! :D

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Downton Abbey-esque Books

Happy Tuesday!

Do you guys ever get so involved with TV shows, movies, or books -- their characters and their stories -- that sometimes it's kind of hard to let them go and you get a bit obsessed and can't stop talking about them?

Yeah?! Then phew, I'm not alone, haha! ;)

Anyway, my obsession love for Downton Abbey was very well-documented here on my blog and also on Twitter...



I definitely experienced what some call "Downton Abbey withdrawal" when I finished watching Season 2, so I immediately looked up Downton Abbey-esque books I can read (to make me stop watching Downton Abbey clips on YouTube, haha!). ;)

Here are three books that you can read to help ease the pain of waiting for Downton Abbey Season 3:

Book #1: The American Heiress -- Daisy Goodwin

Traveling abroad with her mother at the turn of the twentieth century to seek a titled husband, beautiful, vivacious Cora Cash, whose family mansion in Newport dwarfs the Vanderbilts’, suddenly finds herself Duchess of Wareham, married to Ivo, the most eligible bachelor in England. Nothing is quite as it seems, however: Ivo is withdrawn and secretive, and the English social scene is full of traps and betrayals. Money, Cora soon learns, cannot buy everything, as she must decide what is truly worth the price in her life and her marriage.

Book #2: The House At Riverton -- Kate Morton

Summer 1924
On the eve of a glittering society party, by the lake of a grand English country house, a young poet takes his life. The only witnesses, sisters Hannah and Emmeline Hartford, will never speak to each other again.

Winter 1999
Grace Bradley, ninety-eight, one-time housemaid of Riverton Manor, is visited by a young director making a film about the poet's suicide. Ghosts awaken and old memories - long consigned to the dark reaches of Grace's mind - begin to sneak back through the cracks. A shocking secret threatens to emerge, something history has forgotten but Grace never could.

Set as the war-shattered Edwardian summer surrenders to the decadent twenties, The House at Riverton is a thrilling mystery and a compelling love story.

Book #3: The House At Tyneford -- Natasha Solomons

It's the spring of 1938 and no longer safe to be a Jew in Vienna. Nineteen-year-old Elise Landau is forced to leave her glittering life of parties and champagne to become a parlor maid in England. She arrives at Tyneford, the great house on the bay, where servants polish silver and serve drinks on the lawn. But war is coming, and the world is changing. When the master of Tyneford's young son, Kit, returns home, he and Elise strike up an unlikely friendship that will transform Tyneford - and Elise - forever.

***book summaries from www.goodreads.com***

Are these the kinds of books you like to read?
Which one sounds the most interesting to you?

I hope you are all having a wonderful week! :D

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Let Me Gush: Reasons Why I Love Downton Abbey!

Happy Saturday!
(And Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!)

Soooo, I may have mentioned one too many times how much I love Downton Abbey -- this is the last time, I promise (well, at least until Season 3 starts, haha!). ;)

My sister is gonna start watching it this weekend, and I cannot wait to see if she's going to like it as much as I (and millions of other people) did.

So, let me gush... please? ;)

Reasons why I love Downton Abbey:

1. The story -



First off, a brief summary:

Downton is the home of the Crawleys, who have been the Earls of Grantham since 1772. In the drawing rooms and library and beautiful bedrooms, with their tall windows looking across the park, lives the family, but below stairs are other residents, the servants, as fiercely possessive of their ranks as anyone above.

Some of them are loyal to the family and are committed to Downton as a way of life, others are moving through, on the lookout for new opportunities or love or just adventure. The difference being that they know so many of the secrets of the family, while the family knows so few of theirs.

The intertwined lives of the Crawleys and their servants are further complicated when the storms of war descend and when these have finally cleared, will the way of life they know have changed forever? 

***from www.bbcentertainment.com***

I love how all the characters get their own story lines -- it's not all about the Crawleys, we also get to see the drama surrounding their servants.

They do jump a couple of years ahead in between episodes though, so it can get quite confusing.
But, it's nothing their episode guide on Wikipedia can't help you with. ;)

2. The cast/ characters -

Each actor is absolutely perfect in their respective roles.

And I like how even though the characters are all flawed in their own ways, no one is 100% evil.
They scheme against one another (ahem, Ms. O'Brien and Thomas!), but at the end of the day they're still human -- you can't really hate them completely. ;)

Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham and Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham

The Crawley sisters: Lady Edith, Lady Mary, and Lady Sybil

Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham

Who doesn't love Dame Maggie Smith?!
Her lines on the show are THE BEST!

Isobel Crawley and Matthew Crawley (the heir presumptive of Downton Abbey)

How dashing does Matthew look in that uniform?!

William, Ms. O'Brien, Mr. Carson, Mrs. Hughes, Mr. Bates, Thomas, and Anna

3. The house -

The house is kind of like a character in itself.

The inside is lavish and beautiful, while the grounds are breathtakingly stunning!



Highclere Castle

4. The clothes -

Their clothes are absolutely gorgeous!!!
I kinda want to raid their closets. ;)

5. The hats - 

I think we should all start wearing hats... who's with me?! ;)

6. The hair -

Their hairstyles are beautiful!!!

7. Matthew Crawley -

Seriously, did you think he wasn't gonna make the list? ;)

8. Matthew and Mary -

They are sooooo cute together!

best 3 minutes of a show everrrr ;)

I'll end my list here before I bore you guys (haha!).

But yeah, when you get the chance, you should definitely watch Downton Abbey and come back here and gush with me!!! :)

I can't wait 'til Season 3 starts!!!

Are you a Downton Abbey fan? 

What do you like the most about it?

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Etiquette lessons, anyone? ;)

Happy Monday/ Tuesday! ;)

Thanks to Downton Abbey, I am now soooo interested in reading all about etiquette and manners -- the ladies on that show make being proper and lady-like look so cool, don't they?


Debrett's New Guide to Etiquette & Modern Manners and Emily Post's Etiquette: Manners For A New World

What's on your reading list?

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On my list: Downton Abbey

Happy Friday!

I once mentioned that because of the awesome Fall TV lineup, I gained a lot of new favorite TV shows: New Girl, Hart of Dixie, Ringer, The Secret Circle, Revenge, American Horror Story, Once Upon A Time, and A Gifted Man, just to name a few. And now I want to add a new show to my list: Downton Abbey.

A lot of our blog friends have been raving about this show. And almost all magazines I've been reading lately had at least one article written about Downton Abbey. And hey, they won a Golden Globe Award!

Everything about this show looks beautiful!
And oh man, look at those clothes! And the hats, wow!



Professor McGonagall, oh how I missed you!!! ;)

I cannot wait to start watching this show!
I'm definitely gonna set aside some time to do that. :D

Here is the season 2 trailer:

Are you a fan of Downton Abbey?

Have a happy weekend! :D

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