Bring Back Anne With An E

Dear CBC/Netflix Executives,

When I was a little girl I fell in love with Anne of Green Gables.  Anyone else who loved Anne as much as I did instantly became a kindred spirit (see what I did there?).  My childhood bestie and I would read dramatic Anne monologues pretending that we ourselves were begging to stay at Green Gables and charm Matthew Cuthbert and Marilla into allowing us to do so.

Image Courtesy of Deadline

In my late teens and early twenties I bonded with another friend who binge watched Megan Follows' Anne of Green Gables any time she was under the weather.

When CBC brought out Anne with an E around the time my daughter turned six, I knew I had to share Anne with her.  This Anne brought so much more than the Anne I grew up with, in the best possible way.  She had the sharp spirit that reminded me of Sarah Polley and yet was so much her own Anne, with charm and fierce tenacity.

Together my daughter and I watched episodes and I got to fall in love all over again alongside Molly.  Last year when Molly decided she wanted to go out for Halloween as Anne I happily worked on some sensible Anne clothes for her truly Canadian costume.

Molly of Green Gables

Through bringing modern themes to a classic tale, my daughter and I have been able to talk about so many important issues that would not normally come up in natural conversation between a mother and now eight and a half year old.  We talk about feminism, classism, racism, tradition, standing up for what you believe in, and fighting injustice, even when the people you love oppose you - all because of Anne with an E.

This past summer we went on vacation to PEI so we could visit Green Gables.  When Molly asked if she could pack and wear her Anne Halloween costume, we made it happen.  While we explored Green Gables we were enthralled with a collage of the different interpretations of Anne we and others have enjoyed.  Molly was able to sit with Anne and her friends outside the house for 'tea' and was thrilled when other tourists asked if they could take photos of her in her Anne costume.

Anne brings a feminist perspective from the past.  The work done with the series has truly been remarkable.  While I know that all good things must come to an end, this journey doesn't seem over.  There is so much more to explore and learn together.  Let's see Dianna fly, Gilbert become a doctor, Delphine grow up under the care of Bash, Miss Stacey's next chapter, and Anne become the woman we all know she can be. Today I implore you for the sake of me, my daughter and numerous others, please bring Anne with an E back.

Sincerely,
Sara & Molly

To anyone who hasn't watched Anne with An E, go, check it out, stream it now so the people in charge can see how many people are in love with this show.

Make your own Anne of Green Gables Halloween Costume

I don't like to buy pre-packaged Halloween costumes from the store.  Somehow it feels like cheating.  Halloween costumes are one of the few 'crafty' things I do as a mom and I love to figure out the best ways to help my kids make their costume visions come to life.

This summer Molly and I began watching the CBC re-imagination of the classic Lucy Maude Montgomery Series Anne of Green Gables.  It's darker, grittier, and probably a little more mature than the version I grew up with, but Molly instantly fell in love with it, watching together and talking about big themes like bullying, loneliness, sexism, and racism thanks to the show.

When Molly told me she wanted to be Anne of Green Gables for Halloween I knew that she was a kindred spirit to my childhood self, so we got working on it in the summer.


The Anne Hat - Straw hat purchased at Dollarama for $2.  Fabric Sunflowers also from Dollarama for $1.25 and secured on with a glue gun.

Anne Hat

The apron was made by purchasing an old white flower girl dress from Value Village and cutting out the back to make it into an apron for $5.99.  The prairie dress was the toughest item to get, since they aren't exactly in fashion for little girls right now and you could either order them online for $40-$50 or try and figure something else out.  Finally we went to the women's section of Value Village and found this traditional Anne style baby doll blouse that is so sensible that even Marilla Cuthbert would approve - purchased for $7.99!  Although it's a little big on Molly the apron works to keep everything together (along with some stitches to keep the straps of her 'apron' in place.

Sideview Anne

To make things authentically Anne, we're using eyeliner to give Molly darker freckles, that I placed over her own freckles.  We also purchased a bottle of red hair spray from Value Village for $4.99 to spray her red braids on Halloween.

To keep Molly warm on Halloween she'll be wearing black leotards with black shoes and her light pink ballet body suit underneath the costume.  For added authenticity Molly will be carrying a brown woven basket to collect her candy (like the one Anne uses to carry her lunch to school).

Total costume cost: Just over $25 tax included!

Authentically Anne!

To see my Wreck it Ralph & Princess Vanelope Costume from last Halloween click here and here.

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Graceless - Canadiana Book Gift Ideas

I didn't realize until I was an adult how patriotic I am to Canada and how lucky I am to have been born and raised here.  So much of my Canadian experience has been driven by the books I've read.

All through December I have been highlighting specific areas from my gifting that reflect

1) Something they want
2) Something they need
3) Something to read
4) Keepsake gifts/memories and gifts that inspire the true holiday spirit.

Today I am going to highlight books as gifts that are truly Canadian (and also amazing reads).  I have recommended ages but really these are great gifts for anyone, any age.

Books for Little Ones (aged 2-5)

Just One Goal by Robert Munsch

I have always been a sucker for Robert Munsch as are Molly and Jack.  His books are quintessentially Canadian and offer a cultural diversity that you don't see in enough childrens books.  Besides, what could be more Canadian than a book about a girl in Hay River Alberta who plays hockey and builds her own rink with some help from her dad.

Image Courtesy of a Pinterest Post.

Books For Older Ones (6-12)

Booky by Bernice Thurman Hunter
The first book in the 'Booky" series was read to me in the second grade during weekly visits to my primary school's library.  I fell in love with Booky and how her family got by in 1920s depression era Toronto.  This is a great read-out loud book.  Booky supplied an honest take on everything from trading food stamps for Coca Cola, bed bugs to kitchen tonsil removal.   I tore through the entire Booky series a year or two later and have re-read them a few times over the years.

Image Courtesy of Goodreads

Tweens - Age 10 and up

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Anne is an orphan with fiery red hair and a temper to match.  Find out what happens when she's adopted by the Cuthberts, who expected a boy who could help with farm work and got Anne instead, as she tries to fit in a sleepy town in PEI.  Anne embodies the awkwardness of being a pre-teen and a great gift to read, or re-read.  Guilty admission...My good friend KM and I used to recite monologues from Anne of Green Gables for hours in my room after school in middle school.  I think I just answered the question in my head about why boys didn't like me until well into high school.

Image Courtesy of Tourism PEI

For your Favourite Historian or Lover of Toronto

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood.
What Can-Con list is complete without a mention of Canadian writing royalty Margaret Atwood? This is by far my favourite Atwood book.  I especially love the Toronto setting around Islington and Dundas (where I grew up).  I haven't read it in years, but want to re-read it.  Here's the Wikipedia description which is going to have me reaching for my bookshelf soon, "The story is about the notorious 1843 murders of Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper Nancy Montgomery in Upper Canada. Two servants of the Kinnear household, Grace Marks and James McDermott, were convicted of the crime. McDermott was hanged and Marks was sentenced to life imprisonment. Although the novel is based on factual events, Atwood constructs a narrative with a fictional doctor, Simon Jordan, who researches the case. Although ostensibly conducting research into criminal behaviour, he slowly becomes personally involved in the story of Grace Marks and seeks to reconcile his perception of the mild mannered woman he sees with the murder of which she has been convicted."

Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

For some of my absolute favourite book recommendations click here

For book ideas featuring stories about the underdog click here

To read my grown-up Christmas reading list click here