MY OBSESSION WITH RESEARCH

I've gotten all caught up researching details of Regency life for the spanking story (which at the rate I'm going  may turn into a novella) The Scheming Miss Sinclair.  I thought I'd share some sources.  Last night, I found info on:

Regency undergarments (vital to a story where a bottom is repeatedly bared)
http://www.janeausten.co.uk/corsets-and-drawers-a-look-at-regency-underwear/

http://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com/2011/11/regemcy-era-ladys-prodigious-layers-of.html

Regency bathing (for sexy, one hopes, earl bathing his new bride and then administering a spanking to her wet bottom)

http://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2011/08/bathing-customs.html

http://www.lydiajoyce.com/blog/?p=1022

I thought it was interesting that they had Pear's soap back then.

Although I read that hair washing wasn't done often, I decided I still wanted the hero to wash the heroine's hair.  Improbable, yes, but not absolutely impossible, so I decided to go for it. 

Regency hairbrushes (for I assume obvious reasons)

http://www.ehow.com/about_5091254_history-hair-brushes.html  '
The above links to an article about the history of hairbrushes.  In very early days, porcupine quills were used.  Can I get a yowch?  This is where I found out about Kent Brushes, which led to this next link.

http://www.kentbrushes.com/shopexd.asp?id=179&catid=25

This handmade hairbrush looked positively wicked, and since the manufacturing process for this particular brush has not changed in 230 years, I decided it was the one for my earl.  It kind of made me go weak in the knees.

Regency expressions (for flavor, and because I love them, though I try to use them sparingly).  I wanted to use the phrase "hung the moon," but discovered it's too modern.

http://www.georgette-heyer.com/slang.html

http://joannawaugh.com/Expressions.html

FYI, usage of the word "spank" as in a "smart, resounding slap" began 1720-1730, so my poor heroine could certainly be threatened with that word.

Regency wedding customs (my heroine tricks the hero into "ruining" her, leading to a quick marriage requiring a license the allowed a marriage without the traditional reading of the banns three weeks running)

http://www.songsmyth.com/weddings.html

http://everythingofinteresttoaromancewriter.blogspot.com/2009/10/marriage-customs-in-georgian-and.html

Regency food and drink (cause administering so many spankings requires fuel and cause I wanted my heroine to fein drunkeness)

http://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/category/regency-food/

http://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/category/regency-food/

http://www.lesleyannemcleod.com/rw_food.html

http://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/2008/04/19/regency-drinks-jane-austen-food-cooker/

Regency night gowns (My heroine hasn't had the chance to wear hers as of this point in the story.  The earl seems to like her nude.  This is what I see her as having planned to wear on the wedding night.)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/18269526@N08/3266457288/

Aside:  What would writers of Regency stories do without Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer?  And the scholars who have explored the works of these women?

Regency titles.  (So you know when to "my lord" and whatnot.)

http://chinet.com/~laura/html/titles12.html


The research was all great fun, as well as great procrastination.  I need to do a lot of procrastination while writing, and doing research allows me to feel somewhat virtuous while slacking off.