tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12587877758589787402024-03-12T20:43:40.963-07:00Smoldering RoseThe Curious Musings of a Thoroughly Modern Victorian Ladybeata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-45830945541502048562011-07-20T08:38:00.000-07:002011-07-20T08:58:55.178-07:00Getting the Most Out of Yard Sale Shopping<div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TLBpHzqywFA/Tib56yiIH2I/AAAAAAAAAwQ/4PIj3AIywyE/s1600/yardsaleimg.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TLBpHzqywFA/Tib56yiIH2I/AAAAAAAAAwQ/4PIj3AIywyE/s320/yardsaleimg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631463172466024290" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">Ah, yard sale season: the rush of seeing your neighborhood block converted suddenly to a bazaar of rare treasures ripe for purchase! Having been to a slew of these this summer alone, I'd like take the time to offer some advice from my own shopping experiences. Here are my Top Five tips for yard sale shopping!</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></span><ol style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><li style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Be Polite</span>, even though this seems obvious. At a neighbor's yard sale, I remember one woman who was very rude because they didn't have enough change to break her large bills (we're talking Benjamins) because the yard sale had only just started. When they politely asked her to come back later--even offered to hold the item for her--she snapped at them as if the next words out of her mouth might be "I'd like to speak to the manager!" Her attitude was completely rude and unnecessary. You aren't at a store with items that can be restocked, you're a guest at someone's<span style="font-style: italic;"> home</span>, the items for sale are their possessions. Don't be condescending or judgmental (it makes me cringe when I hear people say aloud things like "Look at this piece of junk!" ). People like to do business with people who are friendly--and the next four tips really won't work unless you are being friendly.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Ask if they're going to throw anything away</span>. I know this may sound crazy (who wants to sort through trash at someone's garage sale?), but people throw away plenty at big yard sales because they simply don't believe they'll sell. I've found some fabulous freebies simply because something was chipped somewhere or the paint was scratched/needed retouching. I got a set of two large gold candleholders that just needed a bit of paint for absolutely nothing. True, it could just be garbage you find in the reject pile, but oftentimes people throw out perfectly functional furniture amongst other items. I usually buy a couple items first, then politely ask if there are any items they had gone through that they were planning to just throw out. It never hurts to look!</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Haggle</span>, but do so logically and respectfully. If an item is five dollars, for instance, I might try to haggle it down to two or three (depending on the condition,etc). One tactic I employ is to find a group of things I'd like to buy and offer a lower number for the set (ex: if there's a chair and a couple of lamps that would cost fifteen separate, I ask if I can have the three of them for ten). If I only have enough money for a couple of larger items, but I see something small I like (usually one of the less expensive things, perhaps a tiny objet d'art), I might ask if they'll throw the small item in as a freebie or at least discount it. The only thing to remember about these tips is to use them sparingly--aggressive haggling can come off as rude. I usually only try each method once.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Make sure you have a way to transport any larger items standing by</span>, even if you are just planning on browsing. What if you see the perfect sofa or dining room table? Perhaps a large framed work of art? If you pay for it, make sure you can get it home. When yard sale season pops up in my neighborhood, I'm often just wandering around on foot with a tote bag, but I have a family member or friend with a car standing by in case I need it. This is also helpful if the item is heavy or cumbersome. Another piece of advice that might come in handy here is to ask if they can hold the item for you once you've purchased it--that way you can come back later in the day to pick it up.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">If it's late in the day, they will give stuff away</span>. When a family has a big yard sale, it's usually an effort to liquidate items they'd otherwise simply donate or throw out. As the yard sale is about to end, there is a big desire to get rid of the remaining items before the day is over. I like to go to yard sales during the final hours of the last posted day when they're having one. If I ask for discounts, I'm far more likely to get them then, but I normally don't even have to: when the sale is winding down, the hosts will ask <span style="font-style: italic;">me</span> to take things off their hands! Maybe not big things, but the last yard sale I went to before I moved I received a ton of things for free after buying just one or two items simply because the hosts didn't want to pack them back up or haul them off. A pair of tapered candlesticks, a large decorative basket, a spice rack, a vintage blouse, a console table and a set of crystal wine goblets are just a few items I can think of that I've gotten for free this way. Now, keep in mind this one isn't a guarantee, and I would never recommend showing up and flat-out asking if they're giving stuff away, but in my experience you are far more likely to get amazing deals when the yard sale is winding down.</span></li></ol><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >So those are my words of wisdom when it comes to getting the bang for your buck at a local yard sale. I hope these tips and tricks are of use to you if you're in the market for used home decor items, furniture, appliances, or even if you're just browsing at a sale you stumbled upon while out for a walk. My being quite guilty of the latter (and happily so). I think yard sales are fun because every item you see has a story behind it--a grandmother's old heirloom, a table a family ate dinner at, a bed that was once a child's who is now grown--every piece was treasured by the people selling it. I like to wonder sometimes where things I've sold at yard sales now are: is a freshman excitedly bringing my old dorm decor and storage to her new home at college? Or maybe a little girl somewhere is playing on my old rocking-horse and mothering my old baby doll? Meeting with those who treasured the items face-to-face is just one reason yard sales are such gratifying secondhand shopping experiences. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this little advice post!<br /></span><div style="text-align: right; font-family:arial;"><span style=" font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" >tata,</span><br /><span style=" font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" >beatrixx</span><br /></div>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-1264679544862866902011-06-23T21:42:00.000-07:002011-06-23T22:25:58.173-07:00Updates, Updates!: Moving Tomorrow to a New Apartment!<span style="font-family: arial;font-family:lucida grande;font-size:100%;" >Hi everybody! I've been gone awhile due to preparing to move to a new apartment in another state. I'm physically moving tomorrow, and I'm just about every emotional state one could think of! While I'm excited, I unfortunately don't have any financial security coming in to this, so the first couple of months will be job searching. My classes are in the evenings, so I have all day to dedicate to the search for employment. Broke lolitas do not buy brand, and broke graduate students can't pay rent XD<br /><br />All the trials and tribulations aside, I'm rather stoked about finally having my own apartment. I live in a rented room unit in an older home with other tenants before, but now I'll have my own kitchen and bath and living room--all for me, no others to encroach on the space (except for my kitten, who is presently wondering where all his things are). I live right next to a lovely little gourmet tea shop too, which for a tea addict like me is a dream come true!<br /><br />I'm working right now on an advice post about getting decor and furniture items secondhand. Since beginning this whole process, I have picked up a lot of tips and tricks for snagging cheap and free (yes, free) items for the home. Can't wait to share with all of you!<span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" > ♥</span></span><div style="text-align: right; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: arial;font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">tata,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">beatrixx</span><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:lucida grande;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> </span><br /></span>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-43285129255854714032011-03-30T10:19:00.000-07:002011-03-30T19:46:28.815-07:00F-in' Tea! : Youtube Funny<center><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sxtRGEVsSOc?fs=1" allowfullscreen="" width="480" frameborder="0" height="295"></iframe></center><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">The ladylike world of tea is taken on by some EXTREME MANLINESS in this hilarious send-up of fanciness, etiquette and macho culture. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: lucida grande;">This..is....TEA TIIIME!!!</span></div>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-49609315189659962492011-03-29T08:10:00.000-07:002011-03-29T08:41:30.522-07:00Brief Hiatus this Week, Bonus: Cool Japanese Home Design Magazines<span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Hi everybody, I'm taking a break from posting this week to start the process of relocating to a different state. There will be posts on and off probably until late April while I'm going through this transition, but probably not a Monday Movie every week or long editorials. </span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I'm excited about moving into my own apartment and starting graduate studies, but it's also a big (necessary) change--new location, new people, new work (on and off-campus I hope), and it's all a lot to take in. But all seriousness aside, I finally get to decorate my own home--not a room in my parent's house or half a dorm room, but my own home. I only ever had summer apartments before, so a more permanent locale will--I hope--lift my morale and support my career ambition.<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O7H-5gJlY4U/TZH8xmz822I/AAAAAAAAAwE/_LSnZCQsMLw/s1600/019.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O7H-5gJlY4U/TZH8xmz822I/AAAAAAAAAwE/_LSnZCQsMLw/s320/019.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589526541705730914" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9hzdwT1uZZA/TZH8xdW7FVI/AAAAAAAAAv8/ZRc6_XWSsEg/s1600/024.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9hzdwT1uZZA/TZH8xdW7FVI/AAAAAAAAAv8/ZRc6_XWSsEg/s320/024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589526539168060754" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Love the rose garlands, the colors and the drapery (I'm making my own, they are super easy to sew, being rectangles and all lol).</span></span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span></span> <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span></span></div><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" > <span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I'm looking at a lot of </span><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://tokyo-jam.livejournal.com/6241.html">the home design Japanese girl's magazines</a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> right now for decorating inspiration. These girls for the most part live in tiny, tiny apartments (like I'll probably have to), but they really make the most of the space with drapery, lighting, and little touches here and there. I promise when all is said and decorated, there will be photos and tutorials! ♥ </span></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">tata,</span><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">beatrixx</span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span></span></div>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-40716894428119461222011-03-21T20:45:00.000-07:002011-03-21T21:52:01.690-07:00Monday at the Movies: Jean Cocteau's "Beauty and the Beast" (1946)<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PoZ_e2JTzWA/TYgjYki0SPI/AAAAAAAAAvU/MT6Qo97vcXg/s1600/beauty-and-the-beast-poster-art1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PoZ_e2JTzWA/TYgjYki0SPI/AAAAAAAAAvU/MT6Qo97vcXg/s320/beauty-and-the-beast-poster-art1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586754242786642162" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2N6Nmf-tVDo" allowfullscreen="" width="425" frameborder="0" height="349"></iframe><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >The trailer so you get a better idea of the moving visuals. Truly a work of art</span>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">In keeping with the popularity of fairytale films for adult audiences (read: <span style="font-style: italic;">Red Riding Hood</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Beastly</span>), I thought it fitting to look at the definitive fairytale film and one of my personal faves, Jean Cocteau's 1946 art house classic, <i>La Belle et la Bête (Beauty and the Beast)</i>. There are so many reasons to see his movie I can hardly find where to begin. I suppose I should start by saying that everyone--seriously--<span style="font-style: italic;">every version</span> of this story in film has copied Cocteau's version: Fairytale Theater, Cannon Movie Tales, and of course, Disney (though the Disney version does this the least and is far more subtle, in my pov). This is how far this film's influence has extended over the years.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fdLS_wnxH1o/TYgjYf_Y5HI/AAAAAAAAAvM/nKvmG7R4qrg/s1600/bandb.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fdLS_wnxH1o/TYgjYf_Y5HI/AAAAAAAAAvM/nKvmG7R4qrg/s320/bandb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586754241564304498" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Beast gives Belle the Golden Key as a symbol of his love and trust in her.</span></span><br /></div><br />Perhaps the reason Cocteau's fairytale remains the standard is because it is both hauntingly surreal and perfectly human. Belle as acted by Josette Day is not just a humble, self-effacing peasant girl--she truly is brave and by the end learns the importance of following her own path rather than constantly sacrificing for others. Day's physical acting was also terrific, as much of what needed to be conveyed in the story was done silently through a gesture or a glance. Her Beast, her oafish village suitor Avenant and the Prince Ardent at the end of the film are all played by Jean Marais (brilliantly, might I add). The director wanted to make the Beast so real and pathetically human under all his monstrosity that when the transformation does occur, Belle (and consequently the audience) almost misses his previous form. Avenant is ultimately transformed into a beast himself when Prince Ardent comes back, the latter retaining the former's good looks but not his bad attitude.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-byNBIocxY3E/TYgmltd6r2I/AAAAAAAAAvs/f-_kBactbWQ/s1600/banb2.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 233px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-byNBIocxY3E/TYgmltd6r2I/AAAAAAAAAvs/f-_kBactbWQ/s320/banb2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586757767055191906" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Belle mesmerized by the Beast's spellbound castle.</span></span><br /></div><br />The atmosphere of the film is expressive and surreal--the candles on the wall move by themselves, statues around the castle come to life and all moves on its own as if controlled by some unseen force. This is something best described as "frighteningly beautiful." The final scene wherein Prince Ardent flies through the heavens with Belle to his kingdom is reminiscent of the spiraling paintings of Raphael (current to the period the story is set in). It's almost like the <span style="font-style: italic;">Seventh Seal</span> meets Disney: a charming visualization of the fairytale genre, but done with the intent of making an artistic masterpiece that touches on very grown-up, real-world emotions and ideas. If you haven't seen Cocteau's <span style="font-style: italic;">Beauty and the Beast</span>, I suggest you find a copy, turn out all the lights and let yourself experience this extraordinary film.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WtWYtClhGqo/TYgm_2UwcQI/AAAAAAAAAv0/IHLhNhPNk6g/s1600/banb3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WtWYtClhGqo/TYgm_2UwcQI/AAAAAAAAAv0/IHLhNhPNk6g/s320/banb3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586758216109289730" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Belle and her prince fly through the air to their faraway kingdom.<br /></span></div></div></div>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-48930184235911888402011-03-20T11:55:00.000-07:002011-03-20T12:34:44.714-07:00Happy First Day of Spring (and also Purim) plus a small photo post! ❁<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.glitter-graphics.com/"><img src="http://dl4.glitter-graphics.net/pub/2067/2067184q1u1zjgiqq.gif" width="379" border="0" height="340" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://dl9.glitter-graphics.net/pub/2058/2058239r02mwd5l94.gif" width="100" border="0" height="100" /><br /><br /></div>Spring is (calendar-wise) officially here in my hemisphere! Today also happens to be the Jewish feast of Purim (a celebration of the events in the Book of Esther), so a Blessed Purim today to any of my Jewish readers out there. I can't help but feel a little happier on a day like this. I went on a picnic with Marmie and the pooch to take in the flowers that are all starting to bloom.<br /><br />Still chilly, so long sleeves, but here's some photos! You can't see too clearly, but the headband is covered in little daisies <span style="font-size:180%;">❁</span>Photos under the cut:<br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1258787775858978740#" name="ToggleMore">More...</a><span class="collapse"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9aTJJbHZQIA/TYZP0K_cCzI/AAAAAAAAAvE/LFrMwQ6pGpc/s1600/profpic.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 234px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9aTJJbHZQIA/TYZP0K_cCzI/AAAAAAAAAvE/LFrMwQ6pGpc/s320/profpic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586240145521904434" border="0" /></a> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 197px; height: 263px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7xtqj_7tCs0/TYZPFh7VwjI/AAAAAAAAAu8/U46XwvOZ0o0/s320/photoshoot5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586239344224879154" border="0" /> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 184px; height: 245px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAVtylVk_-0/TYZPFc3riGI/AAAAAAAAAus/O6_IqtAzuhg/s320/photoshoot1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586239342867351650" border="0" /></div></span><br /><br /><span><div>❀ <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">A very happy Spring to you all!</span>❀</div><br /></span>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-28131626466257118932011-03-17T08:21:00.000-07:002011-03-17T08:49:06.697-07:00Happy St. Patrick's Day 2011!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.glitter-graphics.com/"><img src="http://dl5.glitter-graphics.net/pub/2044/2044755yygat01sap.jpg" width="322" border="0" height="500" /></a><br /></div><br />Not sure how many of my readers are Catholic or of Irish descent, but I wish you all a Happy St. Patrick's Day today!<span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" id="search">♣</span>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-40203444871659440662011-03-15T14:00:00.000-07:002011-03-15T14:06:04.925-07:00Youtube Music Tuesday: Beverly Sills sings "Pigoletto" on The Muppet Show<center><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/f4jXBpPwJv0?fs=1" allowfullscreen="" width="425" frameborder="0" height="344"></iframe><br /><br />If you love Beverly Sills and Miss Piggy, you'll love this. "I can sing HIGHer!"<br />RIP Bubbles. I'll always miss your enchanting voice.<br /></center>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-31181182853643857542011-03-14T19:54:00.000-07:002011-03-14T22:42:25.298-07:00Monday at the Movies: "Peter Pan" (2003)<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xVVc2xECdaE/TX70dafqfcI/AAAAAAAAAuk/hMFPPi65Szs/s1600/peterpanUKsmallposter.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 231px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xVVc2xECdaE/TX70dafqfcI/AAAAAAAAAuk/hMFPPi65Szs/s320/peterpanUKsmallposter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584169374151507394" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CKZWPoYp8eo/TX70czHFI-I/AAAAAAAAAuM/anKPQwXZAks/s1600/Peter-Pan-2003-Screencaps-peter-pan-2003-2051820-720-404.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CKZWPoYp8eo/TX70czHFI-I/AAAAAAAAAuM/anKPQwXZAks/s320/Peter-Pan-2003-Screencaps-peter-pan-2003-2051820-720-404.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584169363579413474" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Sorry for the delay today--our internet was on the fritz. Thankfully it all seems to be working now just in time to bring you today's "Monday" movie, </span><i style="font-family: lucida grande;">Peter Pan</i><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">, the 2003 live action version. This is probably my favorite film visitation of J.M. Barrie's classic tale of good versus evil, imagination, and growing up. The main character of the story is not the title character so much as Wendy Darling played by the very talented (and perfectly bright-eyed and boisterous) Rachel Hurd-Wood. Wendy also is revealed to be our narrat</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">or at some point. Jeremy Sumpter is extremely believable as Pan (perhaps the first time I felt the character could be real when watching an adaptation), and Ludivine Sagnier is also one of my favorite Tinker Bells ever--her spiteful coquettishness and feisty demeanor are spot-on. Jason Isaacs rounds off the principle cast in the role of a much darker Captain Hook.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q42ceyRIaWc/TX7wkPbsO3I/AAAAAAAAAtc/SU2f7QloccY/s1600/wendy.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 178px; height: 148px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q42ceyRIaWc/TX7wkPbsO3I/AAAAAAAAAtc/SU2f7QloccY/s320/wendy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584165093394627442" border="0" /></a> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 104px; height: 151px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MqoTePedDmU/TX7wkhJ3xaI/AAAAAAAAAt0/ymV2GOfGgs4/s320/peter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584165098151724450" border="0" /> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qZ2_Ft3Kp5k/TX70dI7btBI/AAAAAAAAAuU/mIW79opHcrs/s1600/Jason-Isaacs-Peter-Pan.2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 120px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qZ2_Ft3Kp5k/TX70dI7btBI/AAAAAAAAAuU/mIW79opHcrs/s320/Jason-Isaacs-Peter-Pan.2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584169369436140562" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >The principle characters. I felt the cast totally captured the essence of their roles.</span></span><br /><br /></div> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Because this story has been told to death by so many, I wanted to zoom in on the dynamics I felt were u</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">nique to this film, particularly the coming-of-age dilemma. Wendy is facing a crisis--grow up and lose her imagination to the demands of a strict Edwardian society, or attempt to remain a kid forever by staying in Neverland with Peter, who represents the wild spirit of childhood wonder that never grows up. She faces two obstacles: one, Captain Hook, the constant reminder of the tribulations of the adult world and two, her father Mr. Darling who has forced Wendy to abandon the nursery and end her girlhood.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_SNv31sd4Nc/TX7t5nthW5I/AAAAAAAAAtU/8PN4k_HRmo0/s1600/wendypeter1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 141px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_SNv31sd4Nc/TX7t5nthW5I/AAAAAAAAAtU/8PN4k_HRmo0/s320/wendypeter1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584162162154232722" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Wendy tries abandoning the promise of adulthood for the adventure of eternal youth with Peter.</span></span><br /><br /></div> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Captain Hook is a dark "father" himself, luring and manipulating Wendy into feeling she has respect and empathy when she is simply his pawn to destroy Pan. This correlates with the earlier plotline in which her own father forbids from exercising her child mind (of which Pan is the personification). And the director is not subtle </span><i style="font-family: lucida grande;">at all</i><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> about this father-daughter dynamic: He casts </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >the same actor</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> to play Hook and Mr. Darling. By casting Jason Isaacs as both Captain Hook and Mr. Darling, the director and his co-screenwriter (P.J. Hogan and Michael Goldenberg) really feed into this almost Freudian coming-of-age-dilemma. Not to mention taking Hook's character and turning him into a truly terrifying force of evil. This is the first time I felt the cruelty in his character.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HeD810prteo/TX7wlI1jVkI/AAAAAAAAAt8/CFiAaOfJbA8/s1600/peterpan6.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HeD810prteo/TX7wlI1jVkI/AAAAAAAAAt8/CFiAaOfJbA8/s320/peterpan6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584165108803917378" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Jason Isaacs as both Wendy's father and the illustrious Captain James Hook.</span></span><br /><br /></div> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Wendy finds some relief at first playing house with Peter and the Lost Boys. But while they pretend to be mother and father, Wendy and Peter begin to recognize their own dreams of a future together and the possibility of being in love and having a </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >real</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> family one day. But Peter rejects the idea of growing up at all costs--even losing Wendy. When Wendy realizes that she wants to grow up and that Peter can not go with her, she becomes angry and winds up sympathizing with Captain Hook. Hook goads her on by inviting her to stay and tell stories to the crew, patronizing her work in a manner that no doubt is feeding her ambition to become a novelist (as stated in the beginning of the film). His efforts come off like courtship, which is why I said it gets a bit Freudian. In the end though, he is only promising her an adult world where she can expect pain and loneliness--a world with no imagination. A world with no Peter Pan.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t9P8AhA07nw/TX7wkQOHfTI/AAAAAAAAAtk/ETqZAUACSoY/s1600/wendyhook.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 139px; height: 213px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t9P8AhA07nw/TX7wkQOHfTI/AAAAAAAAAtk/ETqZAUACSoY/s320/wendyhook.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584165093606128946" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Captain Hook threatens Wendy.</span></span><br /><br /></div> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Wendy realizes that she has to grow up, but if Peter is gone then her grown-up world will be without the eternal spark of childhood wonder--the sole thing that keeps us from being beaten into hardness and cruelty in adulthood (like Captain Hook). As representation of the ills of adulthood, Captain Hook attempts to bring Peter Pan and Wendy down by reminding them what will come of their futures. Wendy will leave Pan forever for a new person, "husband," and Pan will die of a broken heart--lonely, forgotten, unable to fulfill his love and join her in the grown-up world. But Wendy realizes she needs Pan even if she can't be with him forever, for what she must truly conquer is the dark part of adulthood that Hook symbolizes. When Hook is gone, Wendy can return to her life with the knowledge that Peter--the spirit of her youth--will never be threatened even by the trials of the grown-up world. And Wendy leaves Peter with the knowledge that he is loved by her forever--no one can live without love, even a boy who will never grow up.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aEqE2it_w2U/TX7wkhfZpaI/AAAAAAAAAts/-w-Hbc1Poog/s1600/wendypeter2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 181px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aEqE2it_w2U/TX7wkhfZpaI/AAAAAAAAAts/-w-Hbc1Poog/s320/wendypeter2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584165098242024866" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Wendy and Peter, always and forever.</span></span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Now that the awkward psycho-gender-analysis part is done (lol), I want to wrap up by commending the special effects team who worked on this film as well as the soundtrack by James Newton Howard. The surreal, magical quality of the story was perfectly reflected by the visuals and score. Howard's work is remarkably in tune with the feeling of </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Peter Pan</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">: In fact, if you just played me the soundtrack and never told me what it went with, I would still have seen images of pirate ships and fairies and scenes of magical adventures. As an example of the beauty of the visuals and the score and to finish off this post, here is the "fairy dance" scene from the film:</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RexSlaSnFrk" allowfullscreen="" width="460" frameborder="0" height="249"></iframe><br /><br /></div> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;">So that's it for this Monday. But sometimes I wonder, what </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >would</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> Peter Pan have been like if he had chosen to grow up? Hmm...say, maybe there's another movie coming up that will answer that thought ;-)</span>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-41436686560205190382011-03-11T09:11:00.000-08:002011-03-15T14:12:49.997-07:00Pray for Japanand all affected areas. I haven't been able to sleep knowing how horrible this is.<br />Live feed:<br />http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698<br /><br />Organizations providing assistance:<br /><a href="http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/japan-earthquake-tsunami-relief/">GlobalGiving</a><br /><a href="http://newsroom.redcross.org/2011/03/11/disaster-alert-earthquake-in-japan-tsunami-warnings/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RedCrossOnlineNewsroom+%28American+Red+Cross+Online+Newsroom%29">American Red Cross</a><br /><a href="https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/ShelterBoxUSAInc/OnlineGiving.html">ShelterBox</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EDIT: Please refer to</span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://community.livejournal.com/egl/17074362.html"> this post </a><span style="font-weight: bold;">before donating,etc. It's very thorough and helpful.</span><br /><br />I don't know if some of you recall, but when the tsunami in Indonesia hit in 2004, <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=ayqcQtWiG7pE&refer=home">Japan gave the most relief funds out of any country</a>. If you can donate any amount, please do.<br /><br />To those with loved ones in the affected area, please try <a href="http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html">Google's Crisis Relief Center</a> if you are trying to make contact. I hope you hear from your loved ones and that everyone stays safe.<br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">-beatrixx</span><br /></div>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-35435807739372772102011-03-08T18:42:00.000-08:002011-03-08T18:42:33.275-08:00Girl's Generation "Hoot" MV: Youtube Music Tuesday<center><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/F4-SxcCO5d0?fs=1" allowfullscreen="" width="480" frameborder="0" height="295"></iframe></center><br />I must confess--K-Pop is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine (and Korean soaps too XD). But being a huge old school James Bond fan as well, I couldn't resist posting the new music video from Girl's Generation (SNSD), "Hoot!" As usual, their catchy tune and perfectly synced dance moves blew me away, but the retro secret agent/ noir theme is what really hooked me :-)<br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blog-this.g?n=Girls%27+Generation%28%EC%86%8C%EB%85%80%EC%8B%9C%EB%8C%80%29_%ED%9B%97%28Hoot%29_%EB%AE%A4%EC%A7%81%EB%B9%84%EB%94%94%EC%98%A4%28MusicVideo%29&source=youtube&b=%3Ciframe+width%3D%22480%22+height%3D%22295%22+src%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FF4-SxcCO5d0%3Ffs%3D1%22+frameborder%3D%220%22+allowfullscreen%3E%3C%2Fiframe%3E&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fi3.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FF4-SxcCO5d0%2Fhqdefault.jpg#"></a>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-26594880189345664952011-03-07T20:05:00.000-08:002011-03-07T21:26:07.187-08:00Monday at the Movies: Marie Antoinette, 2006<p style="font-family: lucida grande;" align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wvcIYrswPlk/TXW33PpJ8WI/AAAAAAAAAtM/4z9tWM1VC5A/s1600/poster-1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581569472915435874" style="width: 236px; height: 320px;" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wvcIYrswPlk/TXW33PpJ8WI/AAAAAAAAAtM/4z9tWM1VC5A/s320/poster-1.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Today's Monday at the Movies was inspired by <a href="http://quaintrellelife.blogspot.com/2011/02/vintage-marie-antoinette.html">Quaintrelle Life's post</a> on an older Marie Antoinette movie. I wanted to put my own two cents in about a film that pretty much everyone has seen and everyone has something to say about: Writer/Director Sofia Coppola's 2006 film<span style="font-style: italic;"> Marie Antoinette</span> starring Kirsten Dunst. This is more of an editorial of my personal thoughts about why I love the movie, and my reason for supporting the director's very controversial and non-traditional telling of the story. The screenshot below says it all: </span><br /><div style="font-family: lucida grande;"><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FK9mNsUqO3U/TXW2Em3O12I/AAAAAAAAAtE/Uz6sTv6oHso/s1600/maria+antonieta_all+star.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581567503463536482" style="width: 320px; height: 178px;" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FK9mNsUqO3U/TXW2Em3O12I/AAAAAAAAAtE/Uz6sTv6oHso/s320/maria%252Bantonieta_all%252Bstar.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></p><p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">The dauphine tries on shoes with a pair of modern-day sneakers snuck into the shot.</span></em></p><em></em>While it may surprise some, the life and tragedy of Marie Antoinette has been the focus of several Hollywood films. One of the most memorable examples is the classic Norma Shearer version from the late 30s (for which the young actress received an Oscar nod). She is a popular subject of documentaries and even holds the position of being one of the earliest shoujo anime princesses in the beloved Japanese animated drama <span style="font-style: italic;">Rose of Versailles</span> and its Takarazuka theatrical adaptations. While I adore the Marie Antoinettes of all these examples, there is something about them that seems...well, stock character-y. She is a caricature of herself almost, and much attention is given to the dramas ruling her life and not-so-much her own point-of-view. Historical pieces become very caught up in authenticity and chronology, so they often feel old. I mean, their subject matter is old, but there doesn't appear to be relevancy to our lives now in them. They play like museums--interesting, often poignant, but still far away from us, hidden behind the glass. <p align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BAJaH2Xdl-0/TXWzx0FVO3I/AAAAAAAAAsU/fX51c1NZvVM/s1600/MA.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581564981571566450" style="width: 320px; height: 213px;" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BAJaH2Xdl-0/TXWzx0FVO3I/AAAAAAAAAsU/fX51c1NZvVM/s320/MA.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Candy-coated, eye-popping colors makes the story come alive.</span> </em></p><br /><div align="left">Coppola's Marie is so astounding to me because of its tangibility. I can smell the flowers, taste the decadent pastries and bubbly champagne. I get to be inside the mind of the tragic queen, something that I as a fan of <em>Marie Antoinette: The Journey</em> by Antonia Fraser (the biography that inspired the film) really appreciate. Coppola chose a palette for her film of bright hues and bolder shades (hot pink anyone?) uncommon in other historical epics--many films of the ilk have a limited, darker palette. In the making-of featurette included on the film's DVD, Coppola says constantly, "No brown!" and "Looks like candy!" In my opinion, using such a vibrant palette really pulls the viewer into the sumptuousness of Rococo Versailles in ways that come alive--the people and places are no longer shadowy monuments of a past dead and gone. They are real--as stimulating to the senses as candy.<br /></div><br /><div align="left">The palette is only one unique and controversial aspect of the movie: The story is missing two important historical events. The first is the Affair of the Necklace, and the second is the Revolution and her execution. Many people were shocked that their was no beheading,or why the film ended seemingly abruptly on a shot of the interior of the royal bedchamber torn to shreds. Here's my interpretation: I think Coppola wanted the focus to be on Marie and her most personal emotions, triumphs and mistakes. The Affair of Necklace takes the focus off Marie and easily slides into the drama of Revolutionary France, a drama which I feel that Coppola never intended to focus on in her version of the story. The suffering of the peasant class--while not out of the queen's mind--was not a major concern (unfortunately for her in the end). Her whims, affairs, and heartbreaks are more concerned with Versailles itself--with the monarchy, fulfilling her mother and the old regime's expectations, and making herself happy despite being in the impossible situation of being a teenage ruler of a country. When Marie says "I'm saying goodbye" at the end of the film, it really signals the final change in her character. Removed from her comfort zone and the dramas of her youth, she rides into a world unknown to her but with wisdom and sense of self. If she can't see the guillotine looming ahead, why should we? </div><div align="center"><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pjJgr2Dikiw/TXW2EPE1ikI/AAAAAAAAAs8/lNnwYf4ZWOQ/s1600/Marie.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581567497078147650" style="width: 320px; height: 213px;" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pjJgr2Dikiw/TXW2EPE1ikI/AAAAAAAAAs8/lNnwYf4ZWOQ/s320/Marie.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lqJ9JUSnAGE/TXW2EFCfxZI/AAAAAAAAAs0/Hs2YFm05MPA/s1600/SimpleLife.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581567494383977874" style="width: 173px; height: 215px;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lqJ9JUSnAGE/TXW2EFCfxZI/AAAAAAAAAs0/Hs2YFm05MPA/s320/SimpleLife.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;" align="left"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Déjà vu: Marie and her palace buddies play milkmaids (left) and Nicole and Paris play farmgirl (right).<br /></span></em></div><div><br />Sofia Coppola's version of the story is, to me, extremely fresh and easy-to-relate to. It is really the story of a young girl thrust into the spotlight before she has the maturity and guidance to make good decisions. She is forced to grow up rapidly (as is her husband Louis XVI played by Jason Schwartzman) and publicly, and because of this, she ends up breaking down into escapism and frivolity until her world falls apart. Is it so strange, her story? Is her playing shepherdess at Petit Trianon so very different from heiresses Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie's playing working class girl on <span style="font-style: italic;">The Simple Life</span>? And how many young women in Hollywood--our own glittering and gilded Versailles--have dealt with outrageous scandals or have broken under the pressure of their environment? I can name so many it would be ridiculous to start--for goodness sake, Lindsay Lohan has had her own "Necklace Affair" to name one! Sofia Coppola's film, and indeed, Marie Antoinette's real-life story resonates today with the same power and pull as it did when it did over 300 years ago. </div></div>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-47293345956963645652011-03-01T20:08:00.000-08:002011-03-01T20:41:31.063-08:00Strawberry Switchblade: Youtube Music Tuesday<span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I haven't done a music post for forever now, and I'm always listening to music and being inspired by captivating music videos so there's really no excuse ^0^</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">This week I thought I'd share one of my favorite "synthopop" 80s girl bands, Strawberry Switchblade. Strawberry Switchblade consists of by Jill Bryson and Rose McDowell, early members of Scotland's strand of the UK punk movement. Strawberry Switchblade are known for their fusion of pop synthesizer, punk rock and new wave sound. The band has only had four official promo music videos to my knowledge, all of which Tim Pope directed. Their style is somewhat neo-historical, goth, punk, and who could forget their signature polkadots and mass amounts of ribbons. Here's the music video for their song "Who knows what love is?" and also their cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene." Maybe they're too much for some, but I really love their style. If I had been born a decade earlier, I bet I'd be sporting ribbons in my big hair, fun tights and poofy polkadotted frilly clothes too. Gotta love the over-the-top 80s!</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-family: lucida grande;"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Hn6xdAfcGQo" allowfullscreen="" width="325" frameborder="0" height="249"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6oxzoDWY1PM" allowfullscreen="" width="325" frameborder="0" height="249"></iframe><br /></div>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-84964861655401378392011-02-28T10:19:00.000-08:002011-02-28T10:54:26.285-08:00Monday at the Movies: Disney's "The Great Mouse Detective" (1986)<div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O6ZIN9syecw/TWvo0Kg5BeI/AAAAAAAAArc/Yi7beNmBGAg/s1600/great_mouse_detective.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 209px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O6ZIN9syecw/TWvo0Kg5BeI/AAAAAAAAArc/Yi7beNmBGAg/s320/great_mouse_detective.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578808546301642210" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;">For those who couldn't tell from my hint last week, this week's movie is the Disney animated classic<span style="font-style: italic;"> The Great Mouse Detective</span>, featuring the wickedly good voice talents of the late Vincent Price. Younger audiences today might not recognize Price's name, but they've certainly heard his voice in Michael Jackson's <span style="font-style: italic;">Thriller</span> and perhaps even in school in an audio-taping of selected works of Edgar Allan Poe. As a lover of classic Gothic horror (not to mention Poe), I've seen all his collaborations with director Roger Corman, but Price's role here as Pr. Ratigan (the mouse version of Sherlock Holmes' nemesis Pr. Moriarty) is can't-miss. It was also a big risk for Disney--remember: Disney had a huge slump in the 70s and 80s which they didn't recover from until 1989's<span style="font-style: italic;"> Little Mermaid</span>. Their last feature film <span style="font-style: italic;">The Black Cauldron</span> was a huge flop that critics slammed for being too dark and not the typical Disney fun. A mystery set in London's grim alleyways and pubs with Vincent Price of all actors doesn't really indicate a break from "too dark."<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3h7IvPWOYz4/TWvqaEqR27I/AAAAAAAAAr8/BQ3MousXaMs/s1600/the_great_mouse_detective_12700725394192.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 192px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3h7IvPWOYz4/TWvqaEqR27I/AAAAAAAAAr8/BQ3MousXaMs/s320/the_great_mouse_detective_12700725394192.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578810297077062578" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Did I mention that Vincent Price is so awesome that even in rodent film he has a trained pet cat to eliminate his enemies? Yeah, he's that badass.</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br />However, the story--based on the <span style="font-style: italic;">Basil of Baker Street</span> books, a sort-of retelling of <span style="font-style: italic;">Sherlock Holmes</span> with mice--is reminiscent of such "animalized" versions of classic stories as<span style="font-style: italic;"> Robin Hood</span>.<span style="font-style: italic;"> Black Cauldron</span> was more esoteric in its source material, so it's likely this movie's Sherlock Holmes references made it easier for audiences to relate.</span> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-family: lucida grande; font-style: italic;" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fvmtDfoO8gw/TWvo0hD9GoI/AAAAAAAAArk/OHvl2kGaeMA/s1600/great-mouse-detective.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 172px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fvmtDfoO8gw/TWvo0hD9GoI/AAAAAAAAArk/OHvl2kGaeMA/s320/great-mouse-detective.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578808552354290306" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" ><br />The Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson of the mouse world.</span></span><br /><br /></div><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">The story begins with Olivia Flaversham, a the young daughter of a toy maker who has been kidnapped. When she is guided by a somewhat reluctant Dr. Dawson to Baker Street where the detective Basil lives beneath the famed Holmes, the three are immediately thrown into a partnership once Basil realizes the culprit is none other than Pr. Ratigan--his greatest nemesis. With the help of an adorable basset hound named Toby, Dawson's logic, Olivia's innocent curiosity and Basil's rather eccentric attention to detail, Ratigan's plots begin to unravel and a secret threat to the monarchy is unveiled.</span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AHWvVFivQD4/TWvqZyNVspI/AAAAAAAAAr0/dwWqQGriF5c/s1600/Scenes-from-The-Great-Mouse-Detective-Mystery-in-the-Mist-Edition.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 159px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AHWvVFivQD4/TWvqZyNVspI/AAAAAAAAAr0/dwWqQGriF5c/s320/Scenes-from-The-Great-Mouse-Detective-Mystery-in-the-Mist-Edition.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578810292123841170" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Olivia, Dawson, and Basil.</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br />Despite some rousing song-and-dance numbers from Price as Ratigan (possibly one of the best villain songs EVER in my opinion) and a great storyline, this movie has some questionable moments in it. They aren't bad, but are certainly questionable given the context of a children's movie. In fact, the first time I watched this film again as an adult was while baby-sitting and THANK GOD those kids' parents picked them up before the final third of movie or I would have had to explain this to a three and five year old:</span> <div face="lucida grande" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WvVxTwzg8uY/TWvo06tZ3AI/AAAAAAAAArs/OgRA5f1FOmY/s1600/kitty.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 246px; height: 185px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WvVxTwzg8uY/TWvo06tZ3AI/AAAAAAAAArs/OgRA5f1FOmY/s320/kitty.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578808559239027714" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center; font-family: lucida grande;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Burlesque mouse stripper singing songs filled with innuendo whilst being leered and lusted over by the scum of a seedy London riverside pub--I need a parent here right now(Oh, that 80s sexual revolution)! But seriously, the song and burlesque number need to find their way into the next <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes_%282009_film%29">Sherlock Holmes</a> movie. I nominate Dita von Teese.</span><br /><br /></div><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">The other scene is more just scary--in fact, it's probably one of the most frightening final battle sequences I've seen in an animated Disney film simply for the fact that it's very believable. It takes place inside Big Ben--in the gears and then on the clock face, during a thunderstorm nonetheless, and during the scene Ratigan seems to morph into this rabid, demonic-looking Mr. Hyde of a rodent. The animators show his fur and teeth raised and poised to kill, and he moves steathily--it almost reminds me of the way the Beast moves in Beauty and the Beast (perhaps an early inspiration?). I don't know how the burlesque number and the terror of the final scene went over my head as a child, but WOW--some dark, adult material for a kid's movie,eh?</span> <div style="text-align: center; font-family: lucida grande;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cUWqJ9xX8ag/TWvo0E-NvOI/AAAAAAAAArU/wb0kLtJTqiQ/s1600/Basil-Mist-10.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cUWqJ9xX8ag/TWvo0E-NvOI/AAAAAAAAArU/wb0kLtJTqiQ/s320/Basil-Mist-10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578808544814021858" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">The climactic battle on Big Ben.</span></span><br /></div> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br />All things considered, it really is a great movie and lots of fun. It may be a bit dark for Disney, but the mood is kept up by the music and the charm of the characters. A great nolstagia film, just be sure to be present as a parent if you're introducing it to younger kids. It's great for Disney fans as well as those who love a good Vincent Price film. And basset hound lovers:<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k3qjNPe5lz0/TWvoz-WOMbI/AAAAAAAAArM/X5cENPuj4yY/s1600/basil03.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 233px; height: 140px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k3qjNPe5lz0/TWvoz-WOMbI/AAAAAAAAArM/X5cENPuj4yY/s320/basil03.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578808543035666866" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">He's sooooooo cute!</span></span><br /></div>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-46019443648613952672011-02-26T09:13:00.000-08:002011-02-26T10:37:45.096-08:00Craft Tutorial: Mini-Album with Pockets from 1 Sheet of PaperThe promised craft tutorial is here! I'm very glad I'm not the least bit sick, and it appears my mother is much better too, so to celebrate I'm sharing this cool papercraft with you. I've divided the video into 3 parts, all below. This isn't my original tutorial, it's one I learned from<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-AAaGQwDB0"> Creations by Christie's tutorial on youtube</a>, so all credit goes to her. If you like this craft, she has variations on it as well as other fun ideas! I like to make these as hostess gifts, thank you gifts, or even holiday cards. As I mention, they are also perfect for holding small photos such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photo_booth#Purikura">Purikura photostickers</a> which are popular in both lolita and gal culture.<br /><br />Part 1: Intro and materials:<br /><embed width="400" height="161" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullscreen="true" allowNetworking="all" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvid5.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy160%2Fpetite_ange%2F2011022313402560.mp4"><br />Again, the materials I used were: 1 sheet double-sided scrapbook paper (12x12 in), a ruler, pencil, scissors, about 22 in of ribbon, a hot glue gun and a decorative button. I meant to say printer paper when I said notebook paper.<br /><br />Part 2: Making the Pocket Mini-Album!:<br /><embed width="400" height="161" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullscreen="true" allowNetworking="all" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvid5.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy160%2Fpetite_ange%2F20110223134841332.mp4"></embed><br />I think this video cuts off at the end, but I basically just say how the ribbon holds the book together, and then show where to place the button over the ribbon on the front cover (as illustrated in the next video). You could alternatively use craft glue (such as Glossy Accents, as Christie does) rather than a hot glue gun.<br />Tip: when you make your 2 inch mark with your ruler and pencil, put it in the very center for more precision. Also, about 7 minutes in--Napoleon cameo appearance (my cat)!<br /><br />Part 3: Finished product:<br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allownetworking="all" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvid5.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy160%2Fpetite_ange%2F20110223141906543.mp4" width="400" height="161"></embed><br /><br />I would have taken a final photo, but the finished mini-album is already on its way to the recipient. But Christie's original video has really quality footage of the results, so I would recommend referring back to her tutorial for more precise images and instructions.<br /><br />As I said, I'm not an expert (only made about 3 or so as gifts), but I found these very easy to make--not to mention they're not too costly to produce, and they are so fun to personalize with ribbon, buttons, charms,etc. There are tons of possibilities!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">tata,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">beatrixx</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">P.S.: If you don't have a Purikura photo-sticker machine near you (or a photobox that does similar at your local mall), you can take your photos and make printable Purikura-style pictures at <a href="http://www.puricute.com/">Puricute</a>, then print them on photopaper or stickerpaper at home. You can also buy sticker sheets directly from the site. I just made this one as an example:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="http://c.gigcount.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyOTg3NDI*MDE1NjUmcHQ9MTI5ODc*MjQyMzUxNCZwPTcwMTAxJmQ9Jmc9MSZvPWNhMDQ4YWUwMWQyNDQxNzFiNjY*/YTNkMDk4OGQ1N2I4Jm9mPTA=.gif" width="0" border="0" height="0" /><a href="http://www.puricute.com/image/2965991" target="_blank" title="PuriCute"><img alt="PuriCute!" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/puricute_thumb0/2011/02/26/s3200a3b8c6f8fe64e9eee41abd09c2675.jpg" target="_blank" title="PuriCute" width="330" border="0" height="280" /></a><br /></div>Hope you all enjoyed this project idea--if you make some please send me a picture or link to your blog/tumblr entry so I can share your creation ♥</div><br /></div>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-27926051268987963582011-02-22T20:50:00.000-08:002011-02-22T21:04:53.329-08:00Fun Meme on EGL and Fighting off the Neighborhood Bug<span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Hey, everyone--sorry I missed Monday at the Movies (I have the movie post all ready to go for next Monday though--hint: It's a little bit Disney, and a little bit "Pricey") this week. We've had an awful bug going around my apartment complex and my immune system went all to heck yesterday and much of today. I got a lot of good sleep though, and it would appear I didn't catch the worst of it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Speaking of catching what's going around, I wanted to share this adorable image meme going around the egl comm. It was created by</span><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://community.livejournal.com/egl/16982196.html"> lemontree11 in this post on egl</a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">, so if you use it, be sure to credit. The theme is what you're wearing and what's in your purse today. I did my Sunday outfit with the accessories I took to the park:</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 469px; height: 353px;" src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/petite_ange/lemontreememe.png" /><br /><br /></div><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">So cute! Hope to post a cool craft for you all by the end of the week.</span><br /><div style="text-align: right;font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">tata,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">beatrixx</span><br /></div>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-56484124318790029502011-02-20T13:38:00.000-08:002011-02-20T14:19:33.249-08:00Vlog: Giveaway Package from Dolly's Misadeventures!<div style="text-align: center; font-family: lucida grande;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/petite_ange/100_2216.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 294px; height: 113px;" src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/petite_ange/100_2216.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-family: lucida grande;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/petite_ange/100_2239.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 255px; height: 191px;" src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/petite_ange/100_2239.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/petite_ange/100_2241.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 229px; height: 191px;" src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/petite_ange/100_2241.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I received a package from Samantha @<a href="http://odditydolly.blogspot.com/"> Dolly's Misadventures</a> the other day from the giveaway on her blog awhile back and just had to do a little video post about her and her blog as a thank you (I'm also going to send you a little thank you gift too, Samantha, so I'll let you know when it's on its way)♥ </div></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-family: lucida grande;"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allownetworking="all" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvid5.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy160%2Fpetite_ange%2F20110220152140349.mp4" width="400" height="161"></embed></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-family: lucida grande;">Coordinate shots for today: <a href="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/petite_ange/100_2260.jpg">1</a>, <a href="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/petite_ange/100_2261.jpg">2</a>, <a href="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/petite_ange/100_2256.jpg">3</a>, <a href="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/petite_ange/100_2265.jpg">4</a><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">tata,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">beatrixx</span><br /></div></div>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-13810066833160831312011-02-14T13:27:00.000-08:002011-02-14T19:20:38.291-08:00Monday at the Movies: "The Lost Valentine"<div style="text-align: center; font-family: lucida grande;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0KkuJkVyuOQ/TVntyqtENJI/AAAAAAAAAqU/g-U5QWo3OPs/s1600/405px-The_Lost_Valentine.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 216px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0KkuJkVyuOQ/TVntyqtENJI/AAAAAAAAAqU/g-U5QWo3OPs/s320/405px-The_Lost_Valentine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573747468560250002" border="0" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">"I think people will take away how people can, you know, get along with a lot of people, but so often there's that one special relationship that is your whole life--and you live on it your whole life." That's what actress Betty White had to say in her behind-the-scenes interview on the set of </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >The Lost Valentine</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">, the new Hallmark film that premiered late January on CBS. I'm a huge fan of Jennifer Love Hewitt's </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Ghost Whisperer</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> series and an enormous Betty White fan, so I decided to sit down with my mother and enjoy a little sappy melodrama. Except for this sappy melodrama was actually pretty good. Very good, even.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-family: lucida grande;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--rPrejHoZKc/TVntzcM7ZII/AAAAAAAAAqk/4lUyOQR4oWU/s1600/60008710351551989971.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 135px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--rPrejHoZKc/TVntzcM7ZII/AAAAAAAAAqk/4lUyOQR4oWU/s320/60008710351551989971.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573747481847227522" border="0" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C25JhCUxssE/TVntzVhYe2I/AAAAAAAAAqs/9sObQHeoeq0/s1600/bettystation.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 228px; height: 152px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C25JhCUxssE/TVntzVhYe2I/AAAAAAAAAqs/9sObQHeoeq0/s320/bettystation.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573747480053971810" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Left: Susan meets Lucas, Caroline's grandson; Right: Caroline with the stationmaster, waiting for Lt. Thomas to return on Valentine's Day.</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">The story is based on the New York Times Bestseller of the same title by James Michael Prat, and follows the path of a young journalist named Susan Allison who has been assigned to do a story on an old woman who waits for her husband to return to her every year on Valentine's day. At first wanting to passover the story for less sentimental material, Allison can't help feel pulled into the dramatic war-torn past of Caroline Thomas. Caroline's husband was reported MIA in the Pacific during World War II, but she never received closure as to what happened to him. When he left on Valentines Day as a young soldier in the US Navy, she promised she'd meet him back at the station when he returned--and so she waits there, every year, hoping for a miracle. And as Allison is pulled closer into Caroline's world and the strength of her love, she begins to question her own relationships and slowly unravels the mystery surrounding the fate of Lt. Thomas...</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-family: lucida grande;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZiuGKwLhvGM/TVnu6g4LoSI/AAAAAAAAArE/sw0DpgMWYu4/s1600/LV-2008-L.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 203px; height: 136px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZiuGKwLhvGM/TVnu6g4LoSI/AAAAAAAAArE/sw0DpgMWYu4/s320/LV-2008-L.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573748702873100578" border="0" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s4Hy46qmMjo/TVnu6ZwEZAI/AAAAAAAAAq8/i6dN4tFIi_c/s1600/LostValentine2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 224px; height: 149px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s4Hy46qmMjo/TVnu6ZwEZAI/AAAAAAAAAq8/i6dN4tFIi_c/s320/LostValentine2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573748700960023554" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Left: Caroline and Susan prepare for Lt.Thomas' return; Right: a Valentine's Day farewell as the soldiers ship out.</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I was very impressed with this. As a film on its own, it isn't anything terribly special. However, as a Hallmark primetime special airing on a Pro Football Sunday timeslot, this is one helluva triumph! To beat out Fox and NBC and Football to take home the largest amount of viewers that night is pretty damn phenomenal, no doubt also attributed to the staggering drawing power of Betty White whose performance was heartwrenching and inspiring. Just goes to show how versatile an actress she is, at any age. Hewitt was a great opposite her for this because she's well-known enough to catch your attention but not so much that she takes away from White and Meghann Fahy (who plays younger Caroline and definitely deserves a nod for her performance). She appears naive but focused, an intelligent woman who is ready to learn from someone older, like Caroline (or indeed, Betty White!).</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-family: lucida grande;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cmakpnuNUo8/TVnt0J5VQ4I/AAAAAAAAAq0/-ucz5nfefqQ/s1600/lostvalentine_011911_epk_final.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 246px; height: 138px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cmakpnuNUo8/TVnt0J5VQ4I/AAAAAAAAAq0/-ucz5nfefqQ/s320/lostvalentine_011911_epk_final.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573747494113067906" border="0" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a_7MVoQP0Tk/TVnty4GgGdI/AAAAAAAAAqc/ocd2AU_40tU/s1600/30050209_.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 145px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a_7MVoQP0Tk/TVnty4GgGdI/AAAAAAAAAqc/ocd2AU_40tU/s320/30050209_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573747472156596690" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">The young couple vows to be together again one day when the war is done.</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">The story touches on some relevant cultural issues, such as the disconnect that exists between Americans and our military families and--of course--how the loved ones that soldiers leave behind fight their own kind of battles everyday. We know friends of the family with children and parents in service right now, so this movie really made me think about that. Of course, history buffs and lovers of 1940s culture (my best friend included, I told her I'm getting her this movie 'cause she has a penchant for the era) will also find the story moving and filled with vibrant images of both the homefront and the violent Pacific battlegrounds. I'm a sucker for period movies told in flashback frame device (read: favorite movie Titanic), so I had to see this one. It was not as predictable as one might expect a sappy Hallmark film to be, but I promise you: you WILL cry. A lot. Bring tissues. This is a story about hope, about sacrifice, but ultimately about love--love that you live on, as Betty so poignantly put it.</span>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-4269404445794558492011-02-14T12:43:00.000-08:002011-02-15T05:53:21.302-08:00Valentines Day Coord and Goodwill Snags<div style="text-align: center;">I have a video blog entry coming, but I'm having some audio sync issues right now so I apologize! Here's a preview of my Valentines Day outfit in the meantime.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-64TBrtMebCk/TVmZfG8DbSI/AAAAAAAAAqM/zqFYhI1GB6I/s1600/100_2190.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-64TBrtMebCk/TVmZfG8DbSI/AAAAAAAAAqM/zqFYhI1GB6I/s320/100_2190.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573654773565189410" border="0" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-66adLBGUt8o/TVmZfAblt3I/AAAAAAAAAqE/AN0qo6F_YiM/s1600/100_2207.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 149px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-66adLBGUt8o/TVmZfAblt3I/AAAAAAAAAqE/AN0qo6F_YiM/s320/100_2207.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573654771818411890" border="0" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_aHjteYrjl0/TVmZe9nOfyI/AAAAAAAAAp8/l-GMQzAmOMQ/s1600/100_2205.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_aHjteYrjl0/TVmZe9nOfyI/AAAAAAAAAp8/l-GMQzAmOMQ/s320/100_2205.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573654771061915426" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">I'm trying my smolder out,lol.</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">It probably still registers as derp though XD</span><br /><br />Full shot of the coordinate <a href="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/petite_ange/100_2169.jpg">A</a>, <a href="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/petite_ange/100_2170.jpg">B</a>, and<a href="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/petite_ange/100_2171.jpg"> C</a>. The hat is a new thrift find of mine--more on my Goodwill shopping hoard later this week. I'm getting used to my new webcam and it seems to be working fine except when I go to upload it to youtube, the audio goes all screwy. <strike>When I patch the vlog entry up, I'll repost it here.</strike><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> I fixed it!</span> The vlog entries seem to be a-okay on my photobucket, so there they shall go. Sorry for the technical difficulties--Happy Valentines Day!<br />Please excuse my "styrofoam" comment, they are of course regular rubber foam faux flowers, and I don't know why I called an atomizer an "aromatizer" or whatever. Too much/little caffeine methinks, lol. I also don't think I'm going to post to daily_lolita, just because I don't feel polished enough--I want to add long white gloves and white or red lacey tights with white Edwardian style shoes <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJTSl4niMLA">like the pair Julie Andrews is wearing</a>! Rest of goodwill hoard later this week (including some cool vintage finds and more hats):<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allownetworking="all" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvid5.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy160%2Fpetite_ange%2F20110214113344192.mp4" width="400" height="161"></embed><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;">♥ </span>Monday at the Movies later on today featuring the lovely and talented Betty White! <span style="font-size:78%;">♥ </span><br /></div></div>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-86072070369449591442011-02-09T08:40:00.000-08:002011-02-09T09:13:14.045-08:00Dolls: Blythe and Littlest Pet Shop Collaboration<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">I was reading <a href="http://violetlebeaux.com/">Violet LeBeaux's blog</a> today when I came across her <a href="http://violetlebeaux.com/2011/02/violets-adventure-in-blythe-land/">amazing mod of a tiny Blythe </a>doll. To my surprise, the doll was a collaboration between Blythe and one of my favorite toy lines, Littlest Pet Shop. The doll sets are under $15, which makes me very tempted to run over to Kmart and buy this lovely lady (She's almost a bit Mori kei, love her boots and lunchbox):<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TVLJE2VZyNI/AAAAAAAAAp0/hLoC3Cfqmg8/s1600/spin_prod_158558101.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 248px; height: 248px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TVLJE2VZyNI/AAAAAAAAAp0/hLoC3Cfqmg8/s320/spin_prod_158558101.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571736774152669394" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >She has a deer. And furry boots. OMG I love her.</span><br /></div><br />Violet modded her doll into a mini-her, and I wouldn't have to do much to mod this one into a mini me. But I just think they're lovely they way they are as a collector's item, and they're also tiny--perfect for display in an office space or on a smaller shelf, unlike larger models (I still want my vintage Blythe doll someday though!).<br /><br />I need to finish going through my old clothes so I can sell stuff and maybe buy this awesome doll collab♥beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-48500821110166176012011-02-08T23:25:00.000-08:002011-02-09T00:16:38.818-08:00I'm back and Self-Challenge for Spring<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Hi, everyone! I'm finally back from the mayhem of not having a computer (I know it's pathetic, but I'm not </span><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarzan">John Clayton II, Lord Greystoke</a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> or something and I need my modern technology to survive). I got an Asus Eee PC netbook that came with Windows 7 Starter, but being geeky as I am I was able to personalize my netbook's background, screensaver, etc. using a program called </span><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://renaudgerson.fr/StarterBackgroundChanger/en/">Starter Background Changer</a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> (site in French, translated to English a bit wonky). I wouldn't recommend doing anything like this to 7 Starter unless you're good with computers or have someone nearby who is. My new netbook also comes with a Webcam, so maybe I can make some cool tutorial vids (or at least show some thrift store hauls from time to time).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I do have a fun video coming up hopefully that will be a look at how I transformed an old Build-a-Bear Cub Condo Box into a Neo-Victorian/Edwardian Cottage for my Pullip Doll (it would probably work for Barbie, Blythe, and the Mini-sized BJDS too). The interior is already basically done at this point, so I'll post photos soon.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Anyway, I won a contest over at</span><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://odditydolly.blogspot.com/"> Dolly's Misadventures</a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">, so when I get the contest package I will do a little spot on her blog♥ I'm very excited because I never win these things, lol. She sews (which I'm not terribly good at, <span style="font-size:85%;">read: I kinda suck</span>) quite well, so I'm already very impressed with her blog, which features lolita fashion discussions, sewing posts and very soon tutorials. So look forward to that coming up :-)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Also, inspired by a lot of these challenges to see how far one can stretch a wardrobe, I have a new challenge for Spring (which according to Monsieur Groundhog is now, unless he's wrong in which case I say let's make him into a hat <span style="font-size:85%;">>D </span>). I call it my "Wardrobe Sort" project. Basically, I'm going to try on every single item in my closet and place each item in one of four categories:</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">1. Items to Keep (i.e., it fits, good condition)</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">2. Items to Tailor or Repair (i.e., almost fit, pretty good condition or easily mendable)</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">3. Items to Goodwill or the Trash (i.e., don't fit anymore, not that great condition--faded, etc)</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">4. Items to Sell (i.e., don't fit but good condition and know you can sell--for instance, lightly used lolita fashion items or vintage clothing)<br /><br />I'm hoping this project will help me organize my wardrobe for the move and transition me into a closet that fits. I have a lot of stuff still from when I was larger (freshman year, size 16ish), and now I'm a size 6/8 and anyone who has had a major body type change will tell you that not having clothes that fit you in your closet is a huge self-esteem damper. I also have some pieces that are just not meshing with a mature wardrobe, such as old Juniors t-shirts and the ilk. I think going through one's closet can be a really cleansing experience, not to mention help you feel more organized. My goal is to be able to coordinate a lot with what I already have, then determine what I want/need to add based on this.<br /><br />Monday at the Movies back next week with a Valentines' Day feature!<span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: lucida grande;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >tata,<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">beatrixx</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"></span>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-25985180096982435982011-01-31T08:28:00.000-08:002011-02-09T00:17:01.152-08:00Good News, But Bad News Too<span style=";font-family:lucida grande;font-size:130%;" >Good news first: I'm moving to Lexington! I will officially begin earning my Masters Degree in Library Science at the Graduate School of the University of Kentucky this fall! I just got the acceptance letter. This has been my dream for some time (becoming a research librarian or archivist), so I'm pretty elated! :-D</span><br /><div><br /><span style=";font-family:lucida grande;font-size:130%;" >Bad news: my laptop officially died. A lot. It was going going gone though. I am in the process of getting a new one in the next week or so, but until then updates will be scarcer. I'm currently at a PC hub at my local library. It's not so bad--I 've been wanting an Acer plus Marmie is donating her old Dell desktop to me and my techie friends so they can remake it and install Linux.</span></div><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.dealoverflow.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/acer-aspire-one-aoa150-mini-laptop.jpg"><img style="width: 215px; height: 215px;" alt="" src="http://www.dealoverflow.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/acer-aspire-one-aoa150-mini-laptop.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="center"><em>How cute is that?</em></p><div><br /></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div><span style=";font-family:lucida grande;font-size:130%;" >You will hear from me soon, sorry for this impromptu hiatus!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: lucida grande;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >tata,</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">beatrixx</span></span></span></div>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-33356383617939964662011-01-30T17:52:00.000-08:002011-01-30T18:12:00.707-08:00New BTSSB Print on Reserve: "Chained Berry Memoir"<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TUYZfYas3qI/AAAAAAAAApo/atHwK_9O5jg/s1600/chainedberrybutton.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 197px; height: 263px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TUYZfYas3qI/AAAAAAAAApo/atHwK_9O5jg/s320/chainedberrybutton.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568166016211279522" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TUYZfC0nVyI/AAAAAAAAApg/AmjdmwyS-BY/s1600/chainedberrystrawberry.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 255px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TUYZfC0nVyI/AAAAAAAAApg/AmjdmwyS-BY/s320/chainedberrystrawberry.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568166010414389026" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TUYZeytX30I/AAAAAAAAApY/un5GbXgXw5E/s1600/chainedberryback-ribbon.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 258px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TUYZeytX30I/AAAAAAAAApY/un5GbXgXw5E/s320/chainedberryback-ribbon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568166006089047874" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TUYZez1Y3DI/AAAAAAAAApQ/D2SfMPoD25g/s1600/chainedberrymemoir.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 193px; height: 258px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TUYZez1Y3DI/AAAAAAAAApQ/D2SfMPoD25g/s320/chainedberrymemoir.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568166006391102514" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I love the little printed ribbons and daisies!</span></span><br /></div><br />This is the new print from Baby the Stars Shine Bright called "Chained Berry Memoir"--isn't it too cute?! It reminds me of another print by AP, but BTSSB's is simpler with a more fitted design (in my op). It's perfect for country lolita, <span style="font-style: italic;">n'est-ce pas</span>? Reservations open February 4th on Baby's <a href="http://www.babyssb.co.jp/reserve.html">online shop.</a>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-82140522123094039582011-01-29T23:21:00.000-08:002011-01-30T03:28:51.643-08:00Being an Individual versus Hating the Mainstream: A Brief Editorial<div face="lucida grande" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TUUjC22ScfI/AAAAAAAAAo4/J47T_6R8xaI/s1600/sp-goths.jpeg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TUUjC22ScfI/AAAAAAAAAo4/J47T_6R8xaI/s400/sp-goths.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567895046303412722" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-family: lucida grande;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >This is unfortunately how many people think about non-conformism (as well as being part of subcultures).</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Today's post is more of an opinion essay/rant than anything else, but I felt like I hadn't seen anyone else really discussing this issue within the lolita fashion bloggersphere. After watching </span><a style="font-family: lucida grande;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOMFDS0Cgeo">youtuber Meekakitty's vlog</a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> on the subject I was compelled to write the following entry. This post is about people who hate on stuff simply because it is popular. You've seen them, you've heard them--they are especially prevalent in subcultures. For instance, when I was in middle school, I followed gothic fashion and music. I enjoyed the romantic, dark style and the sounds of Bauhaus, Malice Mizer (I'm counting them even though they're jrock) and the Cure.</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">But I also had a horrible secret: In addition, I LOVED Nsync and Backstreet Boys. I could sing along to </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Just Like Heaven, She's In Parties </span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">and </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Beast of Blood</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">, but I also knew all the words to </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Backstreet's Back</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> and</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" > Pop!</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">. I didn't think anything of it because--hey--people like different kinds of music, so what? But when I took out my Black and Blue CD one day and a "friend" saw, I was hopelessly harangued. "You're not a real goth--you're a conformist because you like POPULAR music!" Now that was back in middle school--I have plenty of acquaintances in the goth subculture now who would call that behavior a crock of bull. But for awhile, I pretended to hate anything popular just to fit in, until I lost it and basically said, "You know what--I like what I like, I don't change for other people, deal with it!"</span><br /><div style="text-align: left; font-family: lucida grande;">Why is it some people instinctively hate something because it's popular/the current trend? And why do they seem to feel free to make judgments about others who just happen to like these things regardless of their popularity? Read the whole body of this discussion under the cut:<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1258787775858978740&postID=8214052212309403958#" name="ToggleMore">More...</a><span class="collapse"><br />It's as if being successful in the mainstream poisons something in their eyes. But do you ever see them give a good solid reason for their veering away in disdain? I haven't once. A good example is the <span style="font-style: italic;">Twilight </span>Saga--now, I don't like <span style="font-style: italic;">Twilight,</span> but I have good, critical reasons for that: I didn't enjoy the book series, I find the heroine boring and passive, the relationships don't interest me--real reasons based on observation and reflection. But some people simply pass up the series because "Robert Pattinson fangirls are annoying!" or "I hate that I have to see it EVERYWHERE." That makes no sense--an actor's popularity isn't a plausible reason for disliking a <span style="font-style: italic;">book series</span>, nor does having a large fanbase always correlate with a movie series' being bad. Do you maybe dislike that actor's previous body of work? Are you just not interested in the melodrama of a tweenage gothic romance? Give a good reason, and don't hate on those who do like something. I have three close friends who love Twilight even if I can't stand it, and that's fine with me because I don't pick friends based solely on whether they like what I like.<br /><br />Now, I'm going to share something with you--you've all probably seen the various movies that have come up for discussion on my blog: Ingmar Bergman's <span style="font-style: italic;">Seventh Seal</span>, Greta Garbo oldies, German silent pictures like Murnau's <span style="font-style: italic;">Faust</span>--all very artsy, acclaimed and esoteric. You might even say I have very critical, sophisticated taste in film--some of my personal favorites are indeed cult classics (like Tod Browning's <span style="font-style: italic;">Freaks</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">Dracula's Daughter</span>) and film critic favorites like <span style="font-style: italic;">Battleship Potemkin</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Citizen Kane</span>. But did you know some people automatically assume I have ZERO TASTE in movies right when they hear which film is my all-time favorite?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TUUlXR-UIUI/AAAAAAAAApA/NbGbTcrLUIA/s1600/titanic-3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TUUlXR-UIUI/AAAAAAAAApA/NbGbTcrLUIA/s400/titanic-3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567897596205474114" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Yeah, well--my heart will go on, haters.</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">That's right--my favorite movie is James Cameron's 1997 hit <span style="font-style: italic;">Titanic</span>. I love it for a number of reasons--I like the characters, the plot, the visuals, the music, the historical details and the depth of the story which deals with gender/class inequality and man's hubris. The Academy seems to agree--it won <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">11 Oscars including Best Picture</span></span>, but for some reason people just love to<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> HATE </span>this movie. "Oh, everyone had a crush on Leonardo DiCaprio,and it put me off the film." So you judged a MOVIE based on how sexually attracted other women were to an ACTOR in it? Does their admiration for him somehow create a plothole out of nowhere, or magically re-edit footage? No, their crush on him has NOTHING to do with the motion picture. Fangirls exist--it's okay! But mainly the reason I'm given for why <span style="font-style: italic;">Titanic</span> is a "dumb movie" is <span style="font-style: italic;">Titanic</span> is a<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> popular</span> movie. "Oh, yeah, all the girls in my class saw it eleven times and I was just sick of hearing about it." But you never saw it or judged it for yourself? Just throw away a motion picture experience because other people, in fact, enjoyed it? That doesn't make it a bad movie--I personally don't care for<span style="font-style: italic;"> Gone with the Wind</span> but I think it's a VERY good movie. I don't hate it/try to lessen it because it's popular (I grew up in the South: it's everywhere)--it just doesn't fit my personal tastes.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TUU58wnsmEI/AAAAAAAAApI/uHOXjTvCG4Q/s1600/oldlolisecret1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 323px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TUU58wnsmEI/AAAAAAAAApI/uHOXjTvCG4Q/s400/oldlolisecret1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567920230319822914" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >An old lolita secret image I found stereotyping girls who wear OTT Sweet and Angelic Pretty as "clones" or "disciples" who can't stop spending money. I recall a time when anyone who dressed in OTT sweet lolita--specifically AP-- faced being called a trend-following clone with no originality. Must we assume things like this?</span><br /><br /></div>I think the number one reason people say they hate something simply because it's popular is to appear "unique" and "non-conformist," but that doesn't make sense. That's just an inversion of conformist people liking something simply because it's popular or the current trend--how is strictly limiting one's own preferences to what's not popular not a form of conformism? I say if you like something, just like it--be a REAL individual and stop caring how others will react. Do you enjoy wearing OTT sweet lolita (which is popular)? Then do it--I won't call you an "AP clone" or say you're just following a trend or are unoriginal. Maybe you love expressing yourself with all the deco accessories or adore how the cotton candy colors look--maybe you didn't even consider its popularity! One of the most annoying things I hear people say is "I would hate it if lolita fashion became popular" because I love so many different styles that have become popular! I love Boho, for instance, but it's constantly associated with the Olsen Twins and Nicole Richie and other celebs I don't much care for. If I like Boho chic and suddenly everyone else likes it because some celeb made it popular, am I required to relinquish my love of it in order to be "special" or "unique"? Why should I be? Besides--nothing stays mainstream forever: trends come and go, popularity rises and falls.<br /><br /><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>We have to stop judging each other as "sell-outs" or "conformists" for liking what is/isn't popular: If something interests you, don't let fear of being labeled keep you from a new style, band, movie or favorite thing. Because if your definition of nonconformism is liking/not liking something based solely on what other people think, you may need a dictionary.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">tata,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">beatrixx</span></span><br /></div></div></div></div></span></div>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1258787775858978740.post-26895141738987959262011-01-24T21:30:00.000-08:002011-01-25T23:05:00.253-08:00Monday at The Movies: "Felicity: An American Girl Adventure", 2005<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TT_CHnYX1DI/AAAAAAAAAoI/bu1kYNQAG8E/s1600/Felicity-An-American-Girl-Adventure.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 227px; height: 324px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TT_CHnYX1DI/AAAAAAAAAoI/bu1kYNQAG8E/s400/Felicity-An-American-Girl-Adventure.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566381100539302962" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TT_CHjyUH4I/AAAAAAAAAoQ/qUvRGgxaoI0/s1600/27962.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 319px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TT_CHjyUH4I/AAAAAAAAAoQ/qUvRGgxaoI0/s400/27962.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566381099574370178" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Felicity in all her breeches-wearing, horseback-riding awesomeness.</span></span><br /><br /></div>I apologize that this post is backposted--I've been having some health issues the past two days (probably due to the snow/weather we've had to endure in my neck of the wood), so I haven't been super active online. This week's movie is--as mentioned in the update--<span style="font-style: italic;">Felicity: An American Girl Adventure</span>. The made-for-tv-movie is based off the <span style="font-style: italic;">Felicity: An American Girl</span> doll and childrens' book series. I actually am the proud owner of Felicity and her book series since age 13 (at that age because: we were broke, I was learning fiscal responsibility, took me over two years to save the 190 something dollars I needed. Glad I did though--Felicity is my favorite :-D).<br /><br />Felicity Merriman is the Colonial American doll of the series, and she loves horses and being outside in the Williamsburg, Virginia countryside. At the age of ten, she is just reaching adolescence when the American Revolution is at its start. Her father encourages her to have her own opinions while her mother wishes for her to find her place in society. The slightly older but in no way mature apprentice at her father's shop, Benjamin Davidson, is eager to join up with the patriots (perhaps too eager) and fight for liberty. All the while, Felicity struggles to manage a new friendship with Elizabeth Cole, a girl whose family are Loyalists and have the opposite views of her own family. And to top it off, there is a bitter, violent old man who has come into possession of a magnificent copper-colored thouroughbred who Felicity wishes to befriend and ride more than anything in the world...<br /><br />Review/Breakdown under the cut: click for <a href="#" name="ToggleMore">More...</a><span class="collapse"> <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TT_CHf9eqhI/AAAAAAAAAoA/bdrNlwmTLY0/s1600/27958.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TT_CHf9eqhI/AAAAAAAAAoA/bdrNlwmTLY0/s400/27958.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566381098547456530" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Marcia Gay Harden's role as Mrs. Merriman was a perfect 10 on the casting director's part.</span></span><br /></div>1. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Casting</span> for this movie was excellent. They not only got two extremely renown actors to play Felicity's parents (John Schneider and Marcia Gay Harden) and adorable heartthrob of Transamerica fame Kevin Zegers to play Ben, but also launched the career of a young Shailene Woodley who shined in the role of Felicity--she truly looked and played the character perfectly. Woodley has gone on to star in the critically-acclaimed ABC Family original series <span style="font-style: italic;">Secret Life of the American Teenager</span> as Amy Juergen, a demanding role in which Woodley conveys the trials and revelations of being a teenage mother. To sum up, this movie gets 5/5 for its cast.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TT_CHsaj4vI/AAAAAAAAAoY/ycgsq2f5vrc/s1600/felicity-american-girl2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 243px; height: 330px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TT_CHsaj4vI/AAAAAAAAAoY/ycgsq2f5vrc/s400/felicity-american-girl2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566381101890659058" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Felicity in a summer dress on her grandfather's plantation.</span></span><br /></div>2. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Costume and Set</span> was specific to the time period, and the sets were wonderfully put together in Colonial Williamsburg, making it all seem very authentic and natural. Seeing Felicity's gorgeous blue dancing gown for the Governor's ball and all the clothes I had read about or dressed my doll in suddenly appear on the screen in living color and vibrant textiles was a real treat. I should add that props, furniture and even the items in Mr. Merriman's shop were treated very historically--while this is a made-for-tv-movie targeted to young girls, the design crew didn't slack off. They did their research, which I appreciate since the AG books really center around education about history and the like. FYI: If you are an enthusiast of period costume or 18th century fashion elements (as in, you enjoy the more Rococo-inspired side of lolita fashion for example), you will love it. 5/5<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TT_CH-VEUOI/AAAAAAAAAog/_K90ePadiAw/s1600/felicity-american-girl5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 316px; height: 221px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TT_CH-VEUOI/AAAAAAAAAog/_K90ePadiAw/s400/felicity-american-girl5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566381106699456738" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The movie touches on--as does the book--gender issues in Colonial America, as well as political issues.</span></span><br /></div>3. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Adaptation</span> I'm giving 4/5, which is more than I would give the <span style="font-style: italic;">Samantha</span> film and here's why: Samantha's movie, while wonderful and heartwarming, chose to focus on the books <span style="font-style: italic;">Meet Samantha, Samantha's Surprise, </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Changes for Samantha</span>, all of which are low on the action side, making her movie a bit slow and its script a bit forced whereas Felicity's movie is based on scenarios from <span style="font-style: italic;">all</span> of her books, with a focus on those containing the most action like <span style="font-style: italic;">Felicity Saves the Day</span>, hence Samantha's movie was <span style="font-style: italic;">An American Girl Holiday</span> while Felicity's is an <span style="font-style: italic;">Adventure</span>. This made it so much more flowing and allowed the action to rise and fall much nicer. The one issue I had with the movie literally covering ALL the books is it tends to go too fast at points, cutting rapidly from season to season and plot point to plot point which is why I give it 4/5 overall. Their choices, however, did allow us to see Felicity grow as a character, working through expressing political opinions, family tragedies, and various social situations.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TT_EaK_oYGI/AAAAAAAAAow/Lu6P56XUJac/s1600/missmanderly.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 192px; height: 192px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TT_EaK_oYGI/AAAAAAAAAow/Lu6P56XUJac/s400/missmanderly.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566383618360107106" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Miss Manderly (younger in the film than in the books) teaches Felicity the art of being a gracious hostess and homemaker--including tea ceremony, formal dance, as well as sewing and embroidery.</span></span><br /></div>4. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Music </span>was period and appropriate for the place and time, particular noticeable during the dance lessons at Miss Manderly's and at the Governor's Ball later on. Incidental music and score was also very fitting and used sparingly as it should have been. 5/5<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TT_CMaxebYI/AAAAAAAAAoo/h7g8pluY66o/s1600/felicity-american-girl4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 222px; height: 330px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_70q7_2jlIZc/TT_CMaxebYI/AAAAAAAAAoo/h7g8pluY66o/s400/felicity-american-girl4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566381183054278018" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Felicity hears the hard facts of life from her wise father. She often faces personal tragedies and turmoils beyond her years.</span></span><br /></div>5. <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Message</span>: since this movie is based off a book series that seeks to educate and empower young women, it's only fitting that I should hold the film to the same standard. In my opinion, the film adaptation (while rushed a tad) does pick out the key "moral" scenarios from the book and plays them through without excessive melodrama as is common in movies for younger audiences. Felicity is still a wonderfully balanced heroine--she isn't totally a tomboy and she isn't a total girly-girl: she is a pleasant mix of cheerful determination and exuberance alongside dignity and grace. She can be selfish but ultimately puts what is right above what is easy--even if she has to borrow Ben's breeches and run off in drag to do it. Furthermore, the movie retains the messages that mercy is more important than revenge, friendship more important than war, and that being true to yourself is far more important than following decorum. If these important messages from the books failed to surface, I'd be pretty upset. Since they are there, 5/5.<br />Total Score: 24/25<br /><br />Final Verdict: Though Samantha's movie was first and quite well-done as well, I would say Felicity's movie was much more effective in its narrative and its emotional realism. It's the kind of kid's movie an adult would also enjoy without enduring the feeling their intelligence was being insulted. For those who babysit or have young kids, this movie is age appropriate while not placing its audience in a comfort bubble (i.e., deals with real issues, but is tons of fun). While I wished the movie jumped around less (I would've easily welcomed another whole 30 minutes of movie over the rapidity), I am very pleased at that adaptation of my favorite AG doll's books to film. Fun, heartfelt and charming, this one's definitely a winner.<br /></span><br /><br />---------quick sidenote! I made LJ/forum user-icons from stills of the movie, free usage. Just credit me (beata-beatrixx) in the "comments" part of where the icon posts on your lj-user image page:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/petite_ange/lolitastuff/felicityicons/DVD2AVI0615133118.gif" alt="" border="0" /> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/petite_ange/lolitastuff/felicityicons/DVD2AVI0615141245.gif" alt="" border="0" /> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/petite_ange/lolitastuff/felicityicons/DVD2AVI0615134139.gif" alt="" border="0" /> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/petite_ange/lolitastuff/felicityicons/DVD2AVI0615140343.gif" alt="" border="0" /> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/petite_ange/lolitastuff/felicityicons/DVD2AVI0615140115.gif" alt="" border="0" /> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/petite_ange/lolitastuff/felicityicons/DVD2AVI0615134700.gif" alt="" border="0" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">(All 159 <a href="http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/petite_ange/lolitastuff/felicityicons/?start=all">here</a> on my old photobucket).<br /></div>beata-beatrixxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03748906779345414469noreply@blogger.com2