Anne of Green Gables Hairstyle Tutorial by Loepsie

I wanted to share a wonderful tutorial video showing how to replicate Anne Shirley's hairstyle and makeup in Anne of Green Gables by Loepsie. It's part of Loepsie's Beauty Beacons of Fiction series on YouTube. Along with providing great hairstyle tutorials, her website includes posts on historical fashion and beauty, sewing historical costumes, and more.

The inspiration behind her look is Anne as portrayed by the iconic Megan Follows in Sullivan Entertainment's Anne of Avonlea (1987). If you've ever wanted to replicate Anne's look, check this video out:

Created December 7, 2021.

Five Facts About L.M. Montgomery

It’s L.M. Montgomery’s birthday today. She was born on 147 years ago on November 30, 1874. To celebrate the anniversary of Montgomery’s birth, here are five facts about her:

1. Born Lucy Maud Montgomery, she preferred her middle name “Maud” over her first name.
   
   
2. L.M. Montgomery contracted influenza during the 1918 flu pandemic and was seriously ill with the disease.
   
   
3. During her childhood, L.M. Montgomery had two imaginary friends, Katie Maurice and Lucy Gray, who helped her cope with her loneliness and solitude.
   
   
4. L.M. Montgomery experienced a deep emotional and spiritual connection in nature, which she described as “the flash.”
   
   
5. In 1935, King George V appointed L.M. Montgomery as an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This British order of chivalry honored her contributions to literature.
   
   

Image credit:
Photograph of L.M. Montgomery, ca. 1935. Library and Archives Canada, Public Domain.

Purchase and read L.M. Montgomery's journals to learn more about her life:



Created November 30, 2021.

The New York Times Book Review Harshly Reviewed Anne of Green Gables in 1908

In 1908, after Anne of Green Gables was published, the novel was reviewed by The New York Times Book Review. The book was harshly reviewed by an anonymous reviewer who said the character Anne Shirley, “greatly marred a story that had in it quaint and charming possibilities.”

Personally, one of the first words I think of in describing Anne Shirley is "charming." It's a bit sad that the reviewer missed out on Anne's charms, don't you think?

In 1924, bylines were required for the The New York Times Book Review, and reviewers had less freedom to be callous because they were no longer anonymous. Read more about the unsympathetic reviews written anonymously for The New York Times Book Review prior to 1924 in "When the Book Review Went Really Harsh" by Tina Jordan published in The New York Times on August 27, 2021.

Purchase and read Anne of Green Gables:



Created September 12, 2021.

Dress Like Anne Shirley

Have you ever wanted to dress like Anne Shirley?

I have, and sometimes do. I love to search out clothes reminiscent of what Anne might wear today—clothing that is delicate, feminine, and pretty. Here are a few blouses that are currently available that reminded me of Anne.

Created September 1, 2021.

If it had not rained on a certain May morning...

"If it had not rained on a certain May morning Valancy Stirling’s whole life would have been entirely different."

-L.M. Montgomery
The Blue Castle

Read more quotes by L.M. Montgomery.

Image credit:
Illustration of a woman with an umbrella adapted from a United States Rubber Company advertisement in The Ladies' Home Journal (January 1921). Public Domain.

Purchase and read The Blue Castle:



Created May 16, 2021.

The Road to Yesterday

The Road to Yesterday by L.M. Montgomery was published in 1974. L.M. Montgomery had originally penned this book under the title The Blythes are Quoted, but the book was not published during her lifetime. After L.M. Montgomery's death, her manuscript was discovered by her son, Dr. Stuart MacDonald. The original manuscript for The Blythes are Quoted was divided into two parts taking place before and after World War I. Each part was composed of short stories interspersed with narratives of evenings in Anne and Gilbert Blythe's household with the Blythe family listening to Anne's poems.

In preparing The Road to Yesterday for publication, the narrative sections were removed along with all but one of the poems. The sequence of the short stories was reorganized. All of the stories included in The Road to Yesterday mention members of the Blythe family.

The Road to Yesterday includes the poem "Canadian Twilight" and 14 short stories, which are listed below:

"Canadian Twilight" (poem)
"An Afternoon with Mr. Jenkins"
"Retribution"
"The Twins Pretend"
"Fancy's Fool"
"A Dream Come True"
"Penelope Struts her Theories"
"The Reconciliation"
"The Cheated Child"
"Fool's Errand"
"The Pot and the Kettle"
"Here Comes the Bride"
"Brothers Beware"
"The Road to Yesterday"
"A Commonplace Woman"

Purchase and read The Road to Yesterday:



Created July 25, 2002. Re-posted online April 30, 2021. Last updated April 30, 2021.

Christmas with Anne and Other Holiday Stories

Christmas with Anne and Other Holiday Stories is a collection of 16 stories by L.M. Montgomery that were gathered and rediscovered by Rea Wilmshurst and published in 1995. Two stories are Christmas chapters from the Anne of Green Gables series, and the other 14 stories are Christmas and New Year stories written by L.M.Montgomery for magazines. The titles of the stories contained in this volume and their original publication dates are listed below:

Matthew Insists on Puffed Sleeves (from Anne of Green Gables, 1908)
Christmas at Red Butte (1909)
The End of the Young Family Feud (1907)
Aunt Cyrilla's Christmas Basket (1903?)
The Osborne's Christmas (1903)
The Unforgotten One (1906)
Clorinda's Gifts (1906)
Katherine Brooke Comes to Green Gables (from Anne of Windy Poplars, 1934)
A Christmas Mistake (1899)
A Christmas Surprise at Enderly Road (1905)
The Falsoms' Christmas Dinner (1906)
A Christmas Inspiration (1901?)
The Josephs' Christmas (1902)
Uncle Richard's New Year Dinner (1910)
Ida's New Year Cake (1905)
Bertie's New Year (1905)

Purchase and read Christmas with Anne and Other Holiday Stories:



Created December 27, 2002. Re-posted online April 22, 2021. Last updated April 22, 2021.

Further Chronicles of Avonlea

Further Chronicles of Avonlea is a collection of short stories by L.M. Montgomery that was published in 1920. The title page of the first impression explains that the stories "have to do with many personalities and events in and about Avonlea, the Home of the Heroine of Green Gables."

In his introduction to the 1920 volume, Nathan Haskell Dole writes,

"There is something in these continued Chronicles of Avonlea, like the delicate art which has made 'Cranford' a classic: the characters are so homely and homelike and yet tinged with beautiful romance! You feel that you are made familiar with a real town and its real inhabitants; you learn to love them and sympathize with them. Further Chronicles of Avonlea is a book to read; and to know."

Further Chronicles of Avonlea contains the following 15 stories:

"Aunt Cynthia's Persian Cat"
"The Materializing of Cecil"
"Her Father's Daughter"
"Jane's Baby"
"The Dream-Child"
"The Brother Who Failed"
"The Return of Hester"
"The Little Brown Book of Miss Emily"
"Sara's Way"
"The Son of His Mother"
"The Education of Betty"
"In Her Selfless Mood"
"The Conscience Case of David Bell"
"Only a Common Fellow"
"Tannis of the Flats"

Purchase and read Further Chronicles of Avonlea:

Created December 22, 2003. Re-posted online April 21, 2021. Last updated April 21, 2021.

Akin to Anne: Tales of Other Orphans

Akin to Anne: Tales of Other Orphans is a collection of short stories by L.M. Montgomery. Editor Rea Wilmshurst rediscovered these tales and published this volume in 1988. The book contains 19 stories about orphans like Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables, who are characterized by loneliness, hope, and an ability to persevere and overcome adversity. The stories and their original publication dates are listed below:

"Charlotte's Quest" (1933)
"Marcella's Reward" (1907)
"An Invitation Given on Impulse" (1900)
"Freda's Adopted Grave" (1904)
"Ted's Afternoon Off" (1907)
"The Girl Who Drove the Cows" (1908)
"Why Not Ask Miss Price?" (1904)
"Jane Lavinia" (1906)
"The Running Away of Chester" (1903)
"Millicent's Double" (1905)
"Penelope's Party Waist" (1904)
"The Little Black Doll" (1909)
"The Fraser Scholarship" (1905)
"Her Own People" (1905)
"Miss Sally's Company" (1904)
"The Story of an Invitation" (1901)
"The Softening of Miss Cynthia" (1904)
"Margaret's Patient" (1908)
"Charlotte's Ladies" (1911)

Purchase and read Akin to Anne: Tales of Other Orphans:



Created January 27, 2003. Re-posted online April 19, 2021. Last updated April 19, 2021.

Among the Shadows: Tales from the Darker Side

Among the Shadows: Tales from the Darker Side is a collection of short stories by L.M. Montgomery. The stories were rediscovered, collected, and edited by Rea Wilmshurst and published in 1990. This collection of dark, supernatural, and somber tales includes ghost stories and mysteries. The 19 stories in the collection are listed below with their original publication dates in parentheses:

"The Closed Door" (1934)
"Davenport's Story" (1902)
"The Deacon's Painkiller" (unknown publication date)
"Detected by the Camera" (1897)
"From Out the Silence" (1934)
"The Girl at the Gate" (1906)
"The House Party at Smoky Island" (1935)
"The Man on the Train" (1914)
"The Martyrdom of Estella" (1902)
"Min" (1903)
"Miriam's Lover" (1901)
"Miss Calista's Peppermint Bottle" (1900)
"The Old Chest at Wyther Grange" (1903)
"The Red Room" (1898)
"A Redeeming Sacrifice" (1909)
"The Redemption of John Churchill" (1906)
"Some Fools and a Saint" (1931)
"The Tryst of the White Lady" (1922)
"White Magic" (1921)

Purchase and read Among the Shadows: Tales from the Darker Side:

Created March 2, 2003. Re-posted online April 14, 2021. Last updated April 14, 2021.

Emily of New Moon Series

The Emily of New Moon series is a trilogy of books written by L.M. Montgomery. The series includes the three novels: Emily of New Moon (1923), Emily Climbs (1925), and Emily's Quest (1927). Of all of L.M. Montgomery's novels, the Emily of New Moon series is perhaps the most autobiographical because Emily Byrd Starr is a writer. L.M. Montgomery based many of Emily's characteristics and ambitions on her own.

Purchase and read the Emily of New Moon series:

Created March 11, 2001. Re-posted online March 31, 2021. Last updated March 31, 2021.

The Blue Castle

L.M. Montgomery wrote The Blue Castle in 1926. It is her only novel fully set outside of her beloved Prince Edward Island and was her first attempt at an adult novel. Set in Muskoka, Ontario, The Blue Castle describes the life of twenty-nine year old Valancy Stirling. Valancy escapes her drab and sorrowful world with imaginary escapes to her Blue Castle in Spain where she is beautiful, charming, admired, and loved—everything her true life lacks.

When diagnosed with a heart ailment, Valancy's complaisance is shattered and she rebels, wanting to "live" for a short time before she dies. She finally breaks from her shell, saying and doing exactly as she pleases. L.M. Montgomery's story of Valancy's revolt against the Stirling clan, her new life, and growing love for the swarthy, unacceptable Barney Snaith is a modern fairy tale.

Purchase and read The Blue Castle:



Created July 15, 1999. Re-posted online March 31, 2021. Last updated March 31, 2021.

A Tangled Web

A Tangled Web is a novel published by L.M. Montgomery in 1931. It is the story of two intermarried families, the Darks and the Penhallows, and is a satire of family interactions. The humor of the story begins immediately when Aunt Becky, the clan's matriarch, announces that one of her family members will receive the heirloom Dark jug.

Instead of naming the recipient at her gathering, Aunt Becky announces her plan to leave the jug with a trustee who knows her wishes and will name the recipient after a year. Aunt Becky names Dandy Dark as her trustee, and her conditions are puzzling. She tells her family that she may have already named the recipient of the jug in a letter given to Dandy, or she may have instructed that the winner be settled by lot, or lastly, she may give Dandy the power to choose the recipient himself. Aunt Becky warns her family, "in case I have chosen the last alternative, it behooves you all to watch your step from now on." The story has many offshoots as we observe what various characters do to win the Dark jug. Unbelievable at times in its exaggerations of human behavior, this story generates many laughs.

Purchase and read A Tangled Web:



Created March 8, 2002. Re-posted online March 30, 2021. Last updated March 30, 2021.

Anne of Green Gables x Ullala Pajamas Special Collaboration

I came across this fun collaboration between Nippon Animation's Anne of Green Gables with Ullala Pajamas. Ullala Pajamas makes old-fashioned, girlish chemises, night dresses, and pajama sets, and they designed a special set of clothes inspired by Anne of Green Gables.

I love all the product shots. Don't you?

They also remind me of the outfits from Dickinson, the Apple TV+ streaming series on Emily Dickinson starring Hailee Steinfeld. I love the fashion from the Dickinson time period too.

You can shop for outfits from the Anne of Green Gables x Ullala Pajamas collaboration below:

Created March 29, 2021.

After Many Days: Tales of Time Passed

After Many Days: Tales of Time Passed was published in 1991. The book contains 18 of L.M. Montgomery's short stories that were rediscovered and edited by Rea Wilmshurst. The collection includes tales with themes of absence, separation, lost love, and returning home. The stories contained in the volume are listed below with their original publication dates in parentheses:

"After Many Days" (1903)
"The Bride Roses" (1903)
"The Romance of Jedediah" (1912)
"Elizabeth's Child" (1904)
"In the Old Valley" (1906)
"The Prodigal Brother" (1906)
"Robert Turner's Revenge" (1909)
"For a Dream's Sake" (1935)
"The Price" (1930)
"A Golden Wedding" (1909)
"Mrs. March's Revenge" (1904)
"An Unpremeditated Ceremony" (1907)
"Missy's Room" (1907)
"The Story of Uncle Dick" (1906)
"The Romance of Aunt Beatrice" (1902)
"The Setness of Theodosia" (1901)
"Between the Hill and the Valley" (1905)
"The Man Who Forgot" (1932)

Purchase and read After Many Days: Tales of Time Passed:



Created January 15, 2007. Re-posted online March 27, 2021. Last updated March 27, 2021.

Gilbert Blythe and Anne Shirley Silhouette Prints by Sealhouette

How lovely is this set of silhouette prints of Gilbert Blythe and Anne Shirley? They're by Sealhouette and available on Etsy. Along with the version shown above with Anne and Gilbert's names, there are versions available with quotes by the two characters. Check out the artist's store for more beautiful silhouette prints from literature, TV, and film.

Created March 26, 2021.

She was sitting there...

"She was sitting there waiting for something or somebody and, since sitting and waiting was the only thing to do just then, she sat and waited with all her might and main."

-L.M. Montgomery
Anne of Green Gables

Read more quotes by L.M. Montgomery.

Image credit:
Anne of Green Gables image © Sullivan Entertainment

Purchase and read Anne of Green Gables:



Created March 25, 2021.

L.M. Montgomery's Poetry

L.M. Montgomery is better known for her novels than her poetry though she published approximately 500 poems during her lifetime. In 1916, Montgomery published a volume of poetry entitled The Watchman and Other Poems. The majority of L.M. Montgomery's poems are devoted to nature, particularly the landscape of Prince Edward Island, and rural life on the sea shore. Montgomery's love of poetry is reflected in many of her novels where characters quote poetry or recite poems and ballads. Just one example is Anne Shirley reciting and reenacting Alfred Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott" in Anne of Green Gables.

Purchase and read The Watchman and Other Poems and The Poetry Of Lucy Maud Montgomery:



Created February 16, 2002. Re-posted online March 25, 2021. Last updated March 25, 2021.