"One absinthe drinker had a mania which made it impossible for him to see a blue silk dress without attempting to set it on fire. He was arrested on a national fête day for having put his lighted cigar to no fewer than thirty-seven dresses."
As some of you have winkled, it is indeed my birthday today, and I claim thirty-seven years on this fête day (although I do NOT countenance the torching of blue silk dresses today or any day, under the influence of absinthe or not). Hurrah!
Searching on "thirty-seven" got me (in addition to the marvelous excerpt above) some other real gems:
"There is nothing extraordinary in the existence of a beautiful, vivacious, attractive woman of thirty-seven, nothing strange in the fact that lovers should collect about her ... still the situation is unusual, to say the least ... thirty-seven is a very good age, a very good age indeed -- if Lady Matilda would only think so, and would only show that she thinks so. Why there are plenty of ladies who are quite passé by thirty or thirty-five -- they are full-grown women, they think sensibly and talk sensibly about their children and servants and domestic affairs -- those are the things that ought to interest women of Lady Matilda's time of life." (found here)
She was a woman of thirty-seven, rather tall and plump, without being fat; she was not pretty, but her face was pleasing, chiefly, perhaps, on account of her kind brown eyes. Her skin was rather sallow. Her dark hair was elaborately dressed. She was the only woman of the three whose face was free of make-up, and by contrast with the others she seemed simple and unaffected. (from here)
September, 1856, when she was thirty-seven years old, marked the beginning of her effort to become a writer of fiction. She had always desired to write a novel, but she believed herself "deficient in dramatic power both of construction and dialogue," although feeling that she would be at ease "in the descriptive parts of a novel." (about George Eliot)
A Lady about thirty-seven years of age, having an oval face, represented in nearly a front view. She has on a white cap, and wears a very large full ruff, edged with lace, and a black silk dress, and is adorned with a cluster of gold chains, suspended round the neck, and reaching down to the bodice. Dated 1633. (from here)
Oh, and in other birthday news, Rita celebrates her birthday this month, and is offering 15% off at her site, Cemetarian ... use the code "Birthday".
Hope you all have marvelous days today, whether it's your birthday or not. (But extra-marvelous if it's your birthday.)
If 37 is lovely, 38 is even lovelier! Again, happy birthday, Erin.
Posted by: the_lazymilliner | 08/12/2008 at 02:10 PM
Happy birthday! What a great idea--I'll have to search (cough) forty-two.Tina W
Posted by: Anonymous | 08/12/2008 at 02:11 PM
And why not? A dress made of cake would be the ultimate in stunt dressing, no? (didn't somebody make one out of profiteroles??)I am also 37 (predate you by 1 day less than 3 weeks) but it never occurred to me there would be so many literary instances of this odd age! Many Happy Returns of the Day!Cheers,AJ
Posted by: xstpenguin | 08/12/2008 at 02:11 PM
Auguri, Erin!Never thought to look for literary references, but what a good idea. Will do from now on.(And hey, 50 is even better, and 51 better yet!)
Posted by: Lisa Simeone | 08/12/2008 at 02:18 PM
37 is fabulous...I've been it for years! And what a darling cake!!Here's a post I just put on last entry, re: fakery. Your birthday is SURE to steal all the thunder (as it rightly should), so I'm repeating it here, should no one ever go back to that last comment page again.HAPPY BIRTHDAY!++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Here is a prime example of a fakery we live with every day, in all communities: SHUTTERS BOLTED TO BUILDINGS THAT WOULDN'T EVEN COVER THE WINDOWS IF CLOSED! This started to drive me crazy once I noticed it. You'll see a long picture window on a Colonial Revival house, flanked by one slender shutter at each end, perhaps even sporting cunning cutouts. You're fooled into thinking, "How quaint...how pretty. What lovely contrasting shutters in Williamsburg Blue." Then the shock sets in, for one does not have to be an MIT graduate to grasp that those dinky little shutters would NEVER span the window's length. You trespass and grasp at the shutters, vainly trying to prove your theory by closing them...but the nightmare continues as you realize they're fixed in place, and what you have in your trembling and soon-to-be handcuffed hands are shutters that will never actually SHUT! How can we expect our nations children to grow up honest when THIS is what we give them??
Posted by: Cookie | 08/12/2008 at 02:26 PM
Happy, happy 37th to you! And thanks for the search results....my 37th is in October and I'm saving this reading for inspiration then.
Posted by: Amy G. | 08/12/2008 at 02:29 PM
Happy Birthday, Erin!!!!
Posted by: Kate R | 08/12/2008 at 02:31 PM
Happy Birthday, Erin! May you never encounter a make-believe pocket :)
Posted by: Little Hunting Creek | 08/12/2008 at 02:37 PM
It is my birthday today as well! I had no idea we shared the same birthday.
Posted by: Nicole | 08/12/2008 at 02:48 PM
Happy Birthday, Erin! Have a pocket-ful, fauxlero-tastic, midriff-band-zing day. :-)
Posted by: Sara | 08/12/2008 at 03:00 PM
Erin, Here is an article on another 37-year-old, although, technically I think her age is 250+.http://www.nbc11.com/news/13503360/detail.htmlHippo birdy two gnus.Terry
Posted by: ISS Man 71 | 08/12/2008 at 03:08 PM
Happy Birthday, Erin!
Posted by: Lydia | 08/12/2008 at 03:20 PM
Happy Birthday Erin, a fellow Leoine! 37 is the new 17 don't cha know!
Posted by: Glamoursurf | 08/12/2008 at 03:22 PM
Many happy returns! I'll be 37 next birthday so I'm going to keep the Lady Matilda quote as I have no intention of ever becoming a full-grown woman who thinks and talks sensibly!
Posted by: Kate in England | 08/12/2008 at 03:36 PM
Happy birthday!!! I was just referencing your blog the other day for your sewing machine shopping advice. Something I'm sure I'll continue to do as long as you keep doing this!
Posted by: ambika | 08/12/2008 at 03:41 PM
Happy birthday, Erin! There was many a day where I might have thought about wearing a birthday cake dress... and really, the dress shown is like a tiered dress with some extra embellishment. Cute for a 7-year-old, maybe, but perhaps a touch too young for anyone over 10.
Posted by: Chantelle | 08/12/2008 at 03:47 PM
Happy birthday to you and to me! My coworkers and I (who all have MAs in Fashion History) all love your blog. Thanks!
Posted by: Ann | 08/12/2008 at 03:49 PM
A very happy birthday to all of you birthday girls!
Posted by: bani | 08/12/2008 at 03:51 PM
Feliz cumpleaos!!!
Posted by: Elizabeth | 08/12/2008 at 03:52 PM
happy birthday!!! i'll be 36 soon enough.
Posted by: Bella Bliss | 08/12/2008 at 04:06 PM
Happy Birthday to all the August babies......and I use the term literally.......what Erin graciously left out of my Birthday Sale announcement was that I'm running the Sale cause it's the BIG 60! Happy Birthday Erin and all you other babes.........I hope I'm around for ya'lls' 75th.Rita
Posted by: CEMETARIAN We Dig Memories | 08/12/2008 at 05:04 PM
Happy birthday!
Posted by: Arion | 08/12/2008 at 05:19 PM
Happy birthday, enjoy your day!
Posted by: Myra | 08/12/2008 at 05:25 PM
Well, the very best of Birthday Wishes! Hope you celebrate with a bang and in a darling dress!Cheers,Birgit
Posted by: Birgit | 08/12/2008 at 05:28 PM
Happy birthday! I hope you have had a wonderful day....
Posted by: Stacy | 08/12/2008 at 05:36 PM