Jane Austen Month, Day 26: Home Exteriors

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We receive multiple HOA notices each month.

Please clear the fallen tree branches from your property.

Please remove your spiderweb covered car that is obviously not running.

Please throw out the 13 newspapers in your driveway.

Please remove your trash bin from the street so the feral cats will leave.

Please ask the hobo who is squatting in your immobile car to find a new home.

HOA's are pretty demanding. I might re-think moving into another neighborhood with one in the future.  This may give you an idea of the kind of home maintenance professionals we are around here. I pretty much figure that if the weeds are low enough to keep the HOA off my back, we are looking pretty classy. So it may shock you to know that I am OBSESSED with beautiful English homes. Or maybe it explains exactly why: they are everything I will never have in a home. But a girl can dream... So I would like to share this bit of dreaminess with you: Jane Austen Homes

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Let's start with Jane's home for the last 8 years of her life, and where she did most of her writing: Chawton House.

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Okay, not technically a house, but this is the church at Steventon where her Father was the Rector.

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And this is Jane's childhood home, the rectory at Steventon. Isn't it sweet? It even had a barn for private theatricals. I was going to say that I wish I had one too, but to save the world from some truly awful performances, perhaps it is better this way...

Now let's enter Sense and Sensibility land...

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Maybe a walk around Norland would do us all some good. 

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Or a visit to the Palmer's summer home

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And here's Combe Magna: the home that  Willoughby chose over Marianne. Or Weenieby, as I like to call him. I am very mature.

I have had enough of thinking of Willoughby. So let's go to Mr. Darcy land  Pride and Prejudice land

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Uncredited Pinterest

Here we have our Pemberleys. Can you see Mr. Darcy getting out of that pond? Oh, it's just me? Oh, okay. Sorry.

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Let's hop on over to Netherfield. Perhaps there will be a ball tonight.

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Now it is back to Longbourn for some rest and relaxation.

Now off to Mansfield Park Land...

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Here we are visiting Mansfield park. Did you know you can actually stay in the cottage on these grounds? That's assuming your vacation budget is a tad larger than mine, but still! 

Okay, moving on to Emma's world:

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It's a lovely day at Hartfield.

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Maybe we should visit Mr. Knightley at Donwell Abbey?

And last but not least, let's take a look at Persuasion land...

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 I can just see Anne Elliot walking along here... without the cars, of course :)

And as a bonus to our little tour, a couple of sweet homes that I feel are Austen worthy:

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 I could see this as one of our heroine's cottages. Although it may be too cheery for the Dashwood sisters' home.

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And this is the famous fake home from "The Holiday." I thought the movie was a little silly, and I think it's silly that they made a fake house instead of a real one, but it is adorable regardless.

So there you have it. Hope you enjoyed the tour!

And yes, I know Northanger Abbey wasn't on the home tour. Maybe another post.