It has been a bit of a glum week. The rain has been pouring down, paperwork has been forming itself into giant piles and deadlines are looming ever-closer. 

I know, I know. I've been awfully quiet.

And it's not just you, I promise: it's work. It really is. I've been working double-shifts every day to try and finish things up for demanding clients and other whatnots. So you see, I really can't upload a blog post every day and meet my deadlines, can I?

It won't happen again. Nosiree.

In the meantime, let me tell you about Ms Austen. You've met her before on this blog over here, here and even here. I can't say I've ever been a Janeite, but I also swore I'd never get married or own anything pink. My, how times have changed. As I write this, I glance over at my mantelpiece which is proudly displaying our favourite wedding photo, a trio of rose-painted pink candles, and a delicate ceramic rose tea set. It just happened like that, It wasn't planned. I'm sure of it.



But I digress. Jane and I have had a love-like relationship, ending more on a love note in recent years. It's true, I own some of the BBC film adaptations, I've read the books, and I've even gone as far as to surreptitiously add Lost in Jane and Bride and Prejudice to our DVD collection. So, when we happened upon Bath in an excursion years ago, we had to visit the lovely Jane Austen Centre with its lovely little shop, Jane Austen museum and paraphernalia - and, of course, the tea rooms. Oh, the tea rooms.



How quaint!

I recently got in touch with the lovely Becca at the Jane Austen Centre and offered her one of my little drawings and whatnots I gathered up into a watercolour sketch for Valentine's Day. Oh, that reads badly - I mean, I drew her something and gifted it to her on Valentine's Day. Much better.















And here you are, copied directly from the email newsletter that now proudly bears a secretive Ms Lydia Bennett on email communications. Ta-da! I felt that Lydia is the most suited companion for social media enterprises; indeed, she would adore the opportunity to follow people on Twitter, and view their images on Facebook. A social visionary before her time, perhaps.


















Lydia was soon accompanied by a Mister Fitzwilliam Darcy. Here he is in his first draft format. I think he could look a bit older, and possibly less smirky. The next draft will see him posing side-on to face Ms Lydia. I'll keep you updated as we progress through the various novels.

And there you have it - you see - I haven't been ignoring you at all. I've been dreaming up watercolours and filling my free moments with Fitzwilliams. It's not all bad. Double-shifts are coming to an end this week and to celebrate my emancipation and other recent merits (more soon!), my very own Mr Darcy has arranged a weekend away in Ye Olde Prague where he proposed. We're saying goodbye to the difficult weeks that have just gone past, and hello to the river banks where we got engaged.

So, ta ta for now. I'll be back on Monday with many photographs and witterings for you lovely folk. Plus, there is much baking and knittery to catch up on! I've got a stack of projects piling up, it's all excitement-a-go at Bakercourt.

Also, before I go, our oh-so-nice WI ladies (including Yours Truly) will be at the International Women's Fair at Spitalfields Market next Saturday the 10th of March from 10am until 5pm. Do pop by and have a cupcake x