I admit it–I have nothing today. Nothing Regency, anyway. I haven’t been reading any Regency research books. I haven’t seen the movie Amazing Grace, with my #3 boyfriend Horatio Hornblower, er Ioan Gruffyd as an extremely idealized William Wilberforce. (Have any of you? What did you think? Should I check it out?). Haven’t read any Regency-set romances, though I have several on my TBR piles. I have been doing quite a bit of research, but all for my Marie Antoinette and Henry VIII projects (I call them that, even though MA and Henry are very minor characters, and never appear together, unless I try to write after a glass of wine!). I’m not sure that info is right for Risky Regencies. But I’ll be happy to share if anyone is interested!

This is the time of year when the late winter doldrums hit me. Spring is close–some days are so warm I can almost taste it! Then we’re hit with more freezing rain and the sweaters come back out. I want flip flops and sundresses, darn it! So, I went out today and bought some pale pink nail polish (OPI’s Let Them Eat Rice Cake), and got my hair cut even shorter. I was hoping for ‘chic Frenchwoman’ a la Audrey Tautou but I fear it turned out more as if Sweeney Todd took a job at my salon. At least hair grows back, right?

This is a good time to keep busy. My dance class this week covered the basics of tango, which I loved. Must find a way to put it in a book! And my Oscar party went off well. I served chocolate desserts and pomegranate martinis, so no one cared much when the broadcast went on absurdly long, and I didn’t feel too bad when I lost the Oscar pool. I totally missed Best Supporting Actor (who didn’t??) and Best Picture. But I did call Marie Antoinette for Best Costumes! Some of my favorite gowns–Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Penelope Cruz (though I would look like a demented tea cozy if I tried something like that!). Least favorite–Cameron Diaz, Kirsten Dunst, Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep (I know she hadn’t a chance of winning, but did she have to wear whatever was on top of the laundry basket??), and Jennifer Hudson (though I did like the gold lace Cavalli she wore later, just hated that dull brown dress and weird Star Trek-ish bolero jacket). You can see all these and more at Go Fug Yourself!

To recap–Have you seen Amazing Grace? Read anything good lately? Want to hear more about 1780s France and 1520s England? Seen any nice spring nail polish colors? And what were your favorite Oscar looks?

Be sure and join us tomorrow, when the Riskies welcome Carla Kelly! Her book Mrs. Drew Plays Her Hand is one of the best Regencies ever (IMHO), so I’m very excited!