Cinderella Tag!

The Cinderella Party is now in progress!!! Those words are so exciting! I confess that when Heidi first told me her plot for the party, I wasn’t extremely thrilled, but all the sparkles and fun have ‘got’ to me and oh am I tingly about it now! So are you “at” the party? If not, you really should come as (going through the end of the week) it is really like one of those terrific house party affairs you read about in old books. :)

In the vast array of fairytale heroines, what particular character qualities most define Cinderella?
Kindness, hidden strength, and true joy in her work.

What are some of the deeper, big picture differences you see between retellings where both stepsisters are nasty and others where one is nasty and one is kind? How do you think the two takes differently develop/illuminate/affect Cinderella’s character and also the overarching story itself?
(Very funny question Heidi. :)) I think that having the entire family nasty makes Cinderella’s situation more heart-breaking and acute as she continues living by the virtues taught her by her parents, even as she has no one to love her. And that is very much how I like the original story told. But, having just had a debate about this with my brother, I have a clearer view of both sides of the matter than I used to. :)

Are you an animal lover? Would you eagerly count mice, lizards, cows, and geese as friends? Dogs and cats? I have yet to meet any geese personally and mice do make me a little jumpy and dogs do turn me into a Mrs. Bennet sometimes (“Oh my poor nerves!”), but I love them all the same. :) However, yes, yes YES to every single one of them!

After asking question #3, I realized how remarkably many of the adaptations I’ve seen have Cinderella either horseback riding or involved with horses. Have you ever ridden? If so, have you ever ridden sidesaddle or bareback? 

This fact is, indeed, what makes Certain Cinderella’s some of my favorite movies EVER!

And I have! Western, five times in my entire life (I think I have that correct), English once (and loved it – so very elegant and movie-like!), but bareback is the only way I ride my horse.

Your favorite Cinderella dress/s?

This pinky coral number from Slipper and the Rose. Isn’t it the dreamiest thing ever? I sigh with the loveliness every time I see it. So light and summery; it would make the most perfect dress for a garden party.

Then I also really like her smoky blue one…

Finally her wedding attire –

The silvery crown and delicate flounced sleeves, finished with the pale pink and yellow rose bouquet..! So utterly royal and innocently girlish; the ensemble is just perfect for her character.

Connie’s ball dress in First Love-- aren’t the sparkles the most delightfully happy thing? I actually love all of her outfits, but this one is the most SPLENDID!

And in The Inheritance –

First there is Edith’s brown dress with the pale pink roses on the bodice and plain tan skirt, worn with her mother’s delicate pink scarf. Doesn’t the entire ensemble look like something that Laura might have worn in Little Town on the Prairie? I always thought Laura’s clothes sounded so beautiful. :)

And her brown ferny one. So rich and with such satisfyingly simple beauty, but one of the major reasons I love it is that it looks like some of my mother’s dresses I used to play dress-up in. :)

But the outfit I desperately wish for (and it’s not even technically a dress) is… Edith’s riding outfit. 

Oh, how I love this! Classy English tailoring with a touch a femininity and just enough ease and hardiness that it could be worn in the wilderness. And the hat is simply the finishing touch. Yes, I could so picture this as my uniform. :)

Do you ever think of Cinderella while doing your household chores? :)
I used to more than I do now. Honestly though, I work for such a surprisingly thankful group of people and my duties (mainly cooking and animal work) being things I love so much, I’m afraid I don’t really.

What major character traits do you think are essential in a faithful prince?
Loyalty, honesty and being a strong support to both his people and his princess. I’ve seen princes that have different variations on this throughout their story – the Beast for instance (in Beauty and the Beast) – but if Cinderella’s prince lacks them it seriously breaks me up. That’s why Kit is my favorite. :)

Your top THREE favorite fairy tales (as in the original folk tales, not adaptations). Beauty and the Beast – Forever and a day…
Cinderella – this one comes in a very close second. I just love how the themes of these first two are/can be found in so many different stories!
Twelve Dancing Princesses – Sometimes I love it… sometimes…I don’t. However, this morning I came up with the most thrilling retelling of it, so currently I’m really excited about it.

Your top FIVE current favorite fairy tale/legend type films (BESIDES any Cinderella adaptations).
Pocahontas II – Thanks to Heidi for letting me put this in here, because it one of my Very Favorites.
Tangled – It’s golden, romantic, hilarious and totally crazy.
Sleeping Beauty (1959) – My first love of the “Disney Princesses”.
Sleeping Beauty with Svetlana Zakharova and David Hallberg – Magical and utterly breath-taking. Ballet lover or no, you really should see this!
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955- 1960) – One of my oldest and dearest friends, I knew it must be upon this list from the beginning.

If you could play Cinderella and the story could be set in any region of the world and any time period, what would you pick? And what would your dream ‘ball gown’ for it be like? 

More on this anon… but for a dress that makes me think “Cinderella” whenever I see it (and of course, there are many of these, on Pinterest alone there must be millions), but I always remember this one. :)

Lady Marian wears it in the episode The Little People from The Adventures of Robin Hood w/Richard Greene. It’s covered with sparkles, has that really neat lacing across the bodice and elbow sleeves. *sigh* It has everything!

And (purely for fun :))… what color/s do you immediately associate with Cinderella?
Blue and pink and gold and just SPARKLES. All of them shimmering with the twinkle of winter stars or the warm beauty of fireflies in summer.