Today I officially transition from summer mermaid swims & Jane Austen balls for PhD life. 📚🧜‍♀️
Summer taught me: more rest, less perfectionism (still working on that one 😂).

Girls will be like, “I needed this”… and it’s literally just basic human rights. 🖤

I usually share whimsical content, but I can’t ignore what’s happening. As a dual citizen, watching women’s and trans rights stripped away in the U.S. has been heartbreaking.

Stay safe, and don’t stop speaking up.

In March, I got an email I could hardly believe.

A novelist read my 2020 article on Craigdarroch Castle—and used it as a major source for her gothic horror book filled with sirens + Victorian settings. 👻🧜🎩

Sometimes your tiniest projects echo louder than you think.

Not every day is gowns & glitter. Most days look more like: snoozing too long, cat distractions, coffee shop laptop time, then sewing or reading at night… with a side of project stress 😂. Once I start my PhD, life will be a different kind of busy, but hopefully more structured.

Game-changing sewing hack I picked up from Bernadette Banner: pull the thread, cut along the line = perfectly straight linen edges ✂️✨ So satisfying!

Has anyone dared to try it on other fabrics? Did it work, or was it a disaster? 👀

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: bring back 18th-century pockets!

New around here? I’m Ann: fashion historian, certified mermaid, musical theatre nerd, and connoisseur of all things whimsical.

✨ Follow for fashion history, fantasy, music, and unapologetic joy.

Saw a similar reel by @alexaswinediary on Instagram and it cracked me up, so I had to make my own version. 😂