This is that special time of the year again to wish you all a Happy New Year.

May it be a tremendously productive year, full of health, wealth and, most of all, love in all its forms. Just the best and the better to be remembered in the end of this year.

And, as always, here is a clue of what I’m going to be talking about for the month of January.

Bag End, by John Howe.

Happy Halloween every body!

I’m just sharing this picture of the Murder Castle, in Chicago, back in 1893. This “hotel” was opened in 1891 to receive guests for the Colombian Exhibition of 1893. A man by the name of H. H. Holmes (his real name being Henry Mudgett), imagined, designed and built this hotel with a minimum of financial ressources with the most gruesome intentions. He planned to kill in this castle, you see. And he did. Quite successfully. On the first floor were businesses (his and others who would pay a rent to him). On the second and third floor were guests rooms, but also traps leading to the basement, corridors with odd angles, rooms without windows and with doors that could be locked from the outside only, rooms with gas pipes going through them… And in the basement were a gas chamber, a dissection table and tools that no gentleman at that time would have at home, except for morticians and doctors.

I will not enter in the details of his murders, but I’ll say this: he is probably the most prolific, brilliant and scariest human I’ve ever read about. He was finally cought in 1895 for the abduction of 3 children, but was later convicted for the murders of those 3 children and 24 other people whose remains could be identified… historians nowadays are still debating rather he actually killed just those 27 people (very unlikely) or did he killed more like 130 to 250 people.

I thought I’d share a little information about America’s most prolific (and little known) serial killer for Halloween.

I’d recommend the book “The Devil in the White City” for those curious enough to read about him. Or if you’d like to wait, I heard a movie staring Leonardo DiCaprio is in production.

England from the sky.

October 2010, my photo.

London at night, October 2010. Photo by me.

Taking a stroll in London. October 2010. I wish I was still there.

This is what I saw in London back in October 2010. It was awesome!

I’d go back anytime.

One of my favorite Monty Python’s Flying Circus sketches… I just adore those guys.

givememynamepleas:

All day every day.

I have to admit, I do that very often… too often for my own good. But I know my flaws and I like my flaws.

poppies-for-ophelia:

Grindsbrook & Long Moor Clough Langsett

Peak District

Derbyshire

England

collective-history:

Color photographs of London’s “Peace Day”, July 19, 1919 

These pictures are extra awesome because they were taken on my birthday c: 

Musee Albert-Kahn

Ok. This is one of my favorite things in life, period. The theme song is so endearing that every time I hear it, I feel like a kid again. I’m actually so happy and excited right now, it’s absurd.

It’s the third time I’ve been watching this episode today, it’s insane! Let’s face it, the animation and the music are SO awesome!

For godness’ sake, I even named my computer Gromit (and my wifi’s Wallace…).

Did you know that the cheese Wallace eats and is very fond of existed? It’s called Wensleydale. In the 1990’s there was a huge drop in the sales. So much so that it was decided that the production should be suspended. However, Wallace and Gromit became such a hit with Wallace being obsessed by this particular cheese that it actually saved the production! There’s even a Wensleydale’s special brand for W & G.

… the more you know!

Since I actually can’t shut up about Mr. Bean, here’s one of my favorite episodes.

You have to admire the man for having so much trouble trying to be lazy.

To begin this new theme and month, I present you Rowan Atkinson aka Mr. Bean (gosh, I dunno where the idea came from… *ahum, the Olympics, ahum*). I’ve always liked Mr. Bean. 1. He is hilarious, 2. it used to be our (my parents and I) favorite show when we were watching tv on a family night when I was a kid. I remember my father laughing at this and it makes me happy. This week, I started to watch the series again and it still made me laugh.

I’m quite excited about this theme… it’s so bombastic!

Yep, I know I’ve skipped July. ‘been busy… sorry.

But here I am, with a nice transition from the Edwardian Era, which was the theme for March, April, May and June apparently. I really didn’t mean to make it this long, I swear.

Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, here’s the theme for the months of August and September, which is quite suiting for now: England.

Hope you’ll like it.

As always, if you’d like me to cover a subject for a month (or many), let me know!

edwardianera:

Market Street, Manchester 1910