(The Crawley Sisters of Downton Abbey, photo by Joss Barratt/Carnival Films)
**Warning: If you aren’t caught up on Season Three of Downton Abbey, you might want to skip this post!**
I am always a fan of period pieces, and this latest story from PBS’ Masterpiece had me hooked from the very beginning of Season One. I mean, the first few episodes were a bit slow and stodgy, but after that guy died in Mary’s bed and she and her lady’s maid dragged him back to his room, with a little help from Lady Grantham, well, how could you look away? And so it’s continued for two more seasons, with word of a fourth season in the works.
Downton Abbey is such an interesting phenomenon of pop culture, I think, and so different from the usual PBS offerings. While the setting is classic and British, the show really examines more modern-day issues, and more closely resembles a daytime soap opera than the usual book-based stories featured on Masterpiece. This is no Jane Austen drama, and the plot often feels quite thin to me, as if the writers were crafting each episode right before filming, a la David Milch on NYPD Blue. Still, it’s like a very long, drawn out train wreck, and I am completely hooked.
Since Downton Abbey airs in the United Kingdom first, it’s impossible not to catch wind of spoilers. The show was originally scheduled for three seasons only, but its popularity has forced a fourth upon its actors, so it’s really no surprise that some of the characters are dropping like flies. The death of poor, sweet Sybil was very sad and touching, but didn’t we see it coming? I know I did. And she had such a small part in this season anyway, always standing in the background while her revolutionary husband took the spotlight and earned the family’s distaste. It’s such a shame that the episode of her death gave her the most screen time, but hopefully we haven’t seen the last of Jessica Brown Findlay.
This video, released by Masterpiece as a tribute to the love between Sybil and Tom, is incredibly beautiful. I find it much more romantic than the actual portrayal of their relationship in the series. The use of “The Luckiest” by Ben Folds is such a lovely touch, and really shows how powerful the series is now in 2013.
Lindsay told me about Glamour Daze, which features a section on the fashion on Downton Abbey. The beauty tips are especially timeless and hilarious!
And, of course, I am forever inspired by this stunning video, first seen on Sandra’s lovely blog, and I watch it all the time. It makes me want to create something beautiful, and since I’m not very crafty, I go and write a blog post.
Downton Abbey is such a guilty pleasure of mine, and I’m continuously amazed by its powerful hold on viewers across two continents. I know we’ll be talking about it for years to come.
Part of the fun when traveling is trying local food, and Ryan and I made sure to do just that in Salt Lake City last week. Though my meals were provided at Alt Summit, Ryan’s were not, so both days, we left before the hotel lunch was served, and went in search of new places to try.
(Sunny’s Bistro at the Airport Inn.)
We stayed at the Airport Inn, which wasn’t anything special, but it did have a delicious Chinese restaurant in the lobby. We ate our complimentary breakfasts at Sunny’s Bistro each morning, and came back for dinner a few times. The food was delicious, and when I was feeling sick and achy from the heavy smog, the Hot and Sour Soup was really comforting on a cold winter’s night. Also, the waitresses were incredibly sweet and helpful, and they put up with a lot from out-of-town guests. It’s worth stopping by on your way to or from the airport.
Thursday was the first day of Alt and the weather was terrible. Ryan braved the cold and ice-covered sidewalks while I was in a session, and found Stoneground for us to try. I was wearing heels and had to hold onto him for dear life while crossing the parking lot, so I forgot to take a picture, but once we were in, I relaxed and enjoyed a delicious pizza. Ryan was impressed with the local beer on tap, too. Stoneground is also an art space and features local artists’ work on its wall, so the atmosphere is very calm and relaxing. I wish we had time to go back, but maybe next year.
(Epic Brewing Company, Salt Lake City.)
Ryan soon found his home-away-from-home at Epic Brewing Company, and we spent as much time there as we did at the Grand America Hotel. Seriously. We stopped by after our lunch Thursday, and Ryan bought a few bottles of beer and scheduled a tour for Friday. I took the tour with him the next day, and found it surprisingly interesting. Epic is local to Salt Lake City, and became so successful so quickly that it has practically outgrown its current space, located in the middle of a city block, and is now building a facility in Colorado.
The beer laws in Utah are strict (much like in Texas), and beer is only sold on tap at restaurants, or in bottles at the State Liquor Store. Bottles of beer can be purchased from Epic, but to sample a beer, you must also buy a meal from their tiny restaurant (a guy behind a counter making sandwiches on a press) while you sip from sample-size glasses, which range in price from forty cents to a dollar. Even though I’m not a beer drinker and had no plans to sample it, I had to buy a sandwich, too. Since we had just eaten lunch, we both nibbled at our meals, and took them back to our hotel for dinner. The sandwiches were actually quite delicious, and the beer must be, too, since Ryan bought a bunch of bottles and shipped them home via UPS. Epic Brewing Company’s story is really amazing, and I know Ryan found it very inspiring. I guess it was his version of Alt Summit on a smaller scale.
(Squatters, Salt Lake City.)
Squatter’s was the second brewery we tried, but after touring Epic, I found this place very pretentious and unimpressive. Squatter’s also brews on-site, like Epic, but it had a chain restaurant feel to it, and I kept asking Ryan if the brewing equipment in the window was real. The food tried hard to be good, but we were disappointed, and the atmosphere was contrived. It felt a lot like Chili’s to me, only decorated in a beer-brewing theme. The restaurant is downtown, so it was really crowded, and seems to draw a good business. I guess I just prefer the simpler style of Epic Brewing.
(Guzzi’s Vintage Burgers and Fries, Salt Lake City.)
Ryan and I both love hamburgers, so we decided to try Guzzi’s, a small, local hamburger place with a big reputation. This place most definitely lived up to the reviews, and we were not disappointed. Guzzi’s is housed in a tiny building, and there are only three tables and a small bar inside. We got lucky and beat the lunch crowd, so we were able to enjoy our burgers and fries in peace. There are only five or six burgers on the menu, and everything is cooked to order, the way your grandmother used to make hamburgers. I asked for mayonnaise on mine, and the waitress, who resembled Flo from Mel’s Diner, politely informed me that the buns are fried in mayonnaise, so that was plenty for me. Most of the diners were local workmen, and it is only open for lunch. But it’s near the Grand America, so if you are at Alt and you get hungry for a burger, I can definitely recommend Guzzi’s.
On our last night in Salt Lake City, I was dying for a delicious dessert, so Ryan found Gourmandise, a lovely local bakery. We both ordered yummy sandwiches, of which we ate half, and then I got to choose my dessert from the enormous cases at the front of the restaurant. We split a huge piece of Black Forest Cake, and I also splurged on two macarons. Everything was freshly made and tasted wonderful, and I most definitely want to go back one day!
(Delicious macarons from Gourmandise, Salt Lake City.)
(Black Forest Cake from Gourmandise, Salt Lake City.)
It was fun exploring Salt Lake City, even in the snow and fog, and there are many wonderful restaurants there!
(I’m skipping my normal Friday links this week to wrap up my posts on Alt Summit and Salt Lake City. I hope you enjoyed them!)
(A gorgeous dress at Decades Vintage, Salt Lake City.)
We spent last Saturday driving around Salt Lake City, just taking pictures in the dense fog. Near the Grand America Hotel, I spied a gorgeous dress in a window, so we circled around the block for a closer view. The vintage store, Decades, was just moments from opening for the day, so we sat in our warm rental car until it was time to go in. The store has a strict no-photo policy, but I was able to snap a few before we went inside (and before I knew about the rules).
(Decades Vintage, Salt Lake City.)
I’ve spent my fair share of time in local antique stores, but I don’t know much about vintage clothing. We entered on a whim, and I was really amazed by the large selection of clothing for men and women. It was fun wandering around the store for a while, and I was lucky enough to find a few treasures to take home with me.
(A modern, vintage-inspired skirt.)
This skirt, with its pretty sequins and chevron pattern, immediately caught my eye and reminded me of Alt Summit. It’s a modern skirt, but it has buttons and ties in place of a zipper, as well as a fuller cut, and I love the retro feel it offers. Plus, it’s cotton, so I’ll get lots of use from it this spring and summer.
(A pretty Town & Country handbag.)
I also found this sweet handbag by a brand called Town & Country, which I read was popular during the 1950s and 60s. The bag is pristine and looks brand new, so the previous owner took excellent care of it! It’s a great summer bag, especially for the Texas heat, and I love the fabric embroidery and the gold bow clasp.
(A vintage print.)
I also brought home this lovely vintage print, the very first thing that caught my eye in the store, and I love how romantic and feminine it is. I’ve propped it up on my dresser near my perfume bottles for now, and I might hang it somewhere eventually.
This was really my first experience with actual vintage shopping, and completely unexpected, but it was so much fun! If you get to visit Salt Lake City (maybe for Alt next year!), Decades Vintage is in walking distance from the conference, and is really worth checking out.
