10 Ways to Downton Abbey

Family Tree

If you are a Downton Abbey fan and familiar with the characters of family and staff, then you are aware that Robert Crawley born in Downton, Yorkshire, Earl of Grantham AKA Lord Grantham, has fallen upon some financial distress. 

And if you are a follower of Hide A Heart’s blog, you may have come to realise I have a tendency to ‘live by imagination’.

The concept is a strong carry over from childhood when I truly believed life would be like a movie musical in which my ‘imaginary’ husband and I would sing and dance our way through life. Real life has proven to include a few sour notes and missteps, but I hold fast to the idea of ‘living by imagination’ as one of my most cherished coping skills. You see, I ‘practice’ elegance and grace as one way of ‘creating magic’ in our home and the love note that connects us with Downton Abbey.

Life By Imagination

Let me be clear, I am fully aware that my life in NO manner brushes close to that of the Crawley’s, Earl and Countess of Grantham at Downton Abbey. However, I have a powder room I call ‘Paris’ into which I can tuck on a daily basis….

and a small den I have turned into a Tea Room in which I create elegant Tea Parties that include lovely tea place favors.

Elegant Tea Favors

Fiscal Life

I was perusing finances the other day in an effort to see where we might cut back on spending, similar to Lord Grantham’s visit to his estate manager, but with rather less potential of Mathew rushing in with new found wealth to rescue me financially. Nevertheless, I take heart in the realisation that ‘wealth’ is also a state of mind. Thus, I have been practicing ‘fiscal prudence’, which is to say, I evaluated where I might be spending money mindlessly and could, instead, be more mindful.

Being Mindful

I bought a ‘personal’ cup from Starbucks for $1.00. Knitted a latte cozy

into which I pour home brew to take on my morning walks 5 days a week thus saving myself more than $20 a week X 4 weeks=$80 which has been shifted to the more pressing monthly category–petrol!

I’ve taken more significant measures as well, but no need to belabor the point.

Connecting My Life with Downton Abbey

10. Finale of Season 3 airs tonight in the USA

9. Hosting a Downton Abbey Dinner Party

8. Which Downton Abbey Character Are You?

7. Garden Parties

6. Hosting a Downton Abbey Tea

5. Living Like a Crawley Woman-Dressing for Dinner and Etiquette!

4. Keeping up Appearances at Highclere Castle

3. Following Downton Abbey Cooks

2. The Dowager Countess and I are of similar opinion

1. Discovering with which Downton Abbey Couple M’Lord and I have a great deal, (ah hem, I hope you will forgive the pun) in common

Happy 40th Anniversary my Darling!