The cat's out of the bag!

I'm not very good with expressions or sayings*, so that not might be an appropriate title, but I figured I could re-post my Mirror Mirror review(-ish) as it's out in cinemas in most places now.

Source

Here it is!

Have any of you seen it? Or what other films have you seen?

I also watched The Hunger Games this week- thoughts?

* Not even that famous bird one, involving stones (don't make me say it, I'll get it wrong).

Classic Funny Friday

I'm taking Funny Friday back a couple years, when real funny was actually a common ocurrance on television.

I know I love Lucy.
Do you?
Have a lovely Friday!

Google Doodles!

"Do yourself a favour and go to google.com"

We've all said it or done it at one point during our social-networking active lives. 

And to tell you the truth, I always get a kick out of them; be it because I know who/what they're celebrating or I don't and therefore learn something new about someone/something.

It's a win/win situation that's oh-so-easy on the eye and a pleasant surprise!

The first Google Doodle was in honor of the Burning Man Festival of 1998. -- Wikipedia 

Hallmark, shmallmark- I wish everyday were a holiday or special date so that we could enjoy 365 google doodles!

Clockwise, Top left: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Clockwise, Top Left: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

And let's not forget the animated ones. Notably (ie. my personal favourites): John Lennon's 70th birthday, Valentine's Day 2012, 30th Anniversary of Pac Man (we all took advantage of a free pacman game), Martha Graham's 117th Birthday (also pictured above) and Lucille Ball's 100th Birthday*!

Clockwise, Top Left: 1 / 2 / 3  

If you were a Google doodle for a day- what would you want yours to say about you and what would it be like?

If you feel like browsing around for more: http://www.google.com/doodles/

* 'Channel' 5 is one of the most famous scenes from I Love Lucy (at the chocolate factory). I wish they'd put the Vitameatavegamin one too!

ALL IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT GOOGLE. I DO NOT OWN THEM.

Lists of Note

Lists of Note was a recent blog find (via Maria Popova on Twitter**) that I immediately liked. 

Here's how Shaun, who runs the site, describes it:

Lists are created for all manner of reasons, and have been for many centuries. It's my aim to feature some of the most notable examples right here.

Today's post just so happened to be Billy Wilder's sreenwriting advice.Billy Wilder is up there with Stanley Kubrick on my favourite directors. Not only was he the king of comedy (directorially speaking), but he had me on the edge of my seat in his suspense films.*So I felt it my duty to share it with you.
Advice from Billy Wilder

Source: tornandfrayed.tumblr.com via Gabriel on Pinterest

*Just to give you a clue, think of the genre swap from Some Like it Hot to Double Indemnity and how powerful they both are.** She's always linking to interesting and fun articles- or you can also find her posts HERE.

The Favourites: Top 10 Recap

So after almost a month (or more?), I've gotten through my own Top 10 Favourites challenge.*

Here they are, all 10 categories' Top 10

Day 1: Vegetables & Fruits

Day 2: Drinks

Day 3: Animals

Day 4: Flowers

Day 5: Websites

Day 6: Artists

Day 7: Books/Authors

Day 8: Actors/Actresses

Day 9: Movies

Day 10: Places I Have Visited

It was actually a lot of fun- and I'm sure all my lists will change in a matter of years. Maybe even months! It was also just a way to remind myself of the great things in life. It's often we take things for granted and don't look into the little things that uplift is, that we find solace in. Reading, watching your favourite movie or TV Show, talking to a friend, buying flowers, listening to music or maybe just closing your eyes and remembering an event, someone or something.

How do you unwind or cheer yourself up?

And just because, here's a cool cat. My kind of feline! **

Source: Uploaded by user via Mariana on Pinterest

*It wasn't really so much of a challenge as a starter to get me writing and busy on the blog.
** Says the Cat Lady.

The Favourites - Day 10: Cities (I Have Visited)

I believe that with every place you visit, you leave a part of yourself behind and, in return, are given something back. Call me a romantic, but it's true. 

“To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” - Bill Bryson*

1. Sao Paulo, Brazil

Source

I spent the happiest 6 years of my life childhood (and pre-adolescent days) living in this beautiful city. It holds its own special place in my heart. Though the memories grow vaguer as the years go by, I feel like I wouldn't be the person I am today without it being a part of my life- and the people!
I went back to visit in 2000, I hope to go back again soon.

Funny Friday goes Tollywood*

Killer dance moves.The subtitles are what always get me. 
* A clip from the movie Kondaveeti Donga featuring Tollywood (movies shot in the Telegu language, second to Bollywood in terms of popularity in India) star Chiru in a song-dance routine similiar to Michael Jackson's Thriller music video. - youtube video description

Wait a minute, Mr. Postman

If you're my friend then you'd know how much I love mail. 

Good, old fashioned, regular snail mail. 

Hand-written or typed letter, postcard, a mini-gift package, a card, a drawing- all sealed up in an envelope with stamps on the upper right hand corner. I love it all!

Few things in life (ok, maybe I'm exaggerating) get a genuine smile out of me like checking the mailbox and finding an envelope with my name on it.*

This week I received a lovely card and bookmark from my amazing friend Maria (Shopgirl in the bloggin-sphere).

Mail + Tea + Books = a very happy me

* Except bank statements, bills, etc ...

The Fairest One of All?

Apparently I had a lot to say about this movie...

I've been used to having films released in my country (ie. Mexico) months after it's US release, so I was completely unaware that Mirror, Mirror does not open in theaters until next Friday. Crazy!

I don't want to postpone this post until then because then, it just won't ever happen.

How 'bout, in the meantime, you just flip through the pictures and then come back and discuss? Or if spoilers aren't really spoilers for you, then read on.

I had a couple of hours to spare at the mall and decided to pop into cinema and see this. 

The story, I felt, was lacking in a solid structure. I was left with more questions than satisfied (or fully distracted) by all the pretty colours. Maybe it was the 1:30 running time that did not allow for a full satisfactory development. A bullied and unconfident Snow White discovers her gutsy side,  falls in love, regains her kingdom, blah, blah, blah... The dialogue? Trying too hard to be funny and tried to move the story along. 

Visually, it is lavishly breath-taking: vibrant and colourful. The perfect fairy tale setting, the ideal place for magical happenings. Then again, what else could you expect from Tarsem? Need I mention The Cell and The Fall? His vision is rare, unique and beautiful.

Of Workshops & Brushstrokes: Finale

And so we came to the end of the 4-week workshop on Saturday.
The harder the subjects got, the more difficult it was for me to concentrate- wanting to take photos, some drumming practice across the street in the park, fighting off the 'negative' self doubt, etc etc.
I discovered it was "letting go" that was most rewarding and not the 'final' product on paper. I won't lie though- it was great when something did turn out to be decent looking!

Left: A beautifully carved paper weight

We began with trees, bare and then full of leaves.

Siam Ocean World

FISHES! PENGUINS! And SHARKS!

Oh my!

This weekend I met up with my friend and we decided to check out Siam Ocean World.

Welcome to Bangkok, where the malls have your average shops and aquariums.

Siam Paragon is intense (it's in bold, you know it's fo'real). The mall's so big, there are 4 different Starbucks in it alone. It was an experience just being in that mall!

Siam Ocean World also has different activities you can partake in, such as: diving with the sharks, glass bottom boat ride, and "walking" on the ocean floor.

Anyway, here are a couple of pictures I took.

Iiiiiit's.... Funny Friday!

Is it just me, or did this week just kind of whizz by? We're already half way through March!
Goodness, I'm starting to feel old...
On with the show.

There's so much to be said about Woody Allen, and I'm personally a fan, but I will save that for a more 'in-depth' post later.

In the meantime, I leave you with one of my favourite scenes from Play it again, Sam.
I find it divinely endearing as it is funny. I'm sure that first date won't ever feel awkward after this!

If you haven't seen this in its entirety, I encourage you to do so. It's on instant stream on Netflix, so no excuses! 
PS- Has everyone seen the Dark Shadows trailer?! It looks like good campy fun. I haven't been this excited for a vampire movie since... well, since this! Squee!

Cats & Skulls

This week I came across two items I couldn't bear to part with and, therefore, had to take home with me. Here's a sneak peak!

Of Workshops & Brushtrokes III

Three out of four workshops completed, and it has truly been a gratifying and fulfilling experience all throughout.
Of course, the level of difficulty only increasing- more use of colours and further use of shading.

And so we began with the lotus flower!
I, personally, wasn't familiar with the lotus flower. I thought they were water lilies. Which they are, a type of, but it is different in its own right. Unlike water lilies, the lotus flower leaves' shoot upwards, out of the water, suspended in the air by their lean stem.

Just see for yourselves:

Who Can Take the Rainbow, Wrap it in a Sigh?

The candy man. The candy man can.

And Steven Meisel's Louis Vuitton 2012 Spring campaign can too.

This campaign is delicious. Fizzy. Cute. 

Or in the words of "James Lipton"*: SCRUMTRALESCENT

 Modern and yet retro, cutesy/girly but classy nonetheless. Just all around fun- and with "serious" campaigns all around, this one's bound to get your attention.

Now, I am not a big fan of Louis Vuitton- in fact, I love the design of their classic bags but I hate the monogram all over them**- and when I saw this campaign for the first time I thought it was Prada. 

Surprise, surprise.
Goodbye boring classic browns, hello colour!

* Well, Will Ferrell as James Lipton, that is.

** I know that's not always the case with all their bags and it is what makes them unique, but eh. I don't judge people who own them, but I do roll my eyes every once in a while...

One I do like? The bucket bag...

A bit of English Humour for Funny Friday

This is probably one of my favourite sketches of all time. Ever.

Stephen Fry is perfection. 
Have a fabulous Friday!

Tints and Hues

"One day," you said to me, "I saw the sunset forty-four times!" 
And a little later you added: 
"You know--one loves the sunset, when one is so sad . . ." 
"Were you so sad, then?" I asked, "on the day of the forty-four sunsets?" 
But the little prince made no reply. 

-- The Little Prince

All photos taken with my iPod.

Sad or not, I love sunsets. Like sunrises, there's this sudden calm that settles on the city for that one moment- the sun's moment and one you share with it. 

And then, just like that, it's gone.

Of Workshops & Brushstrokes II

Just as I expected, the second Oriental Painting workshop did not get any easier.

On our second session we moved on to painting the chrysanthemum and plum.
Together with last weeks' subjects (the orchid and the bamboo), they are known as "The Four Gentlemen". Click here to read a little bit more about it.

"Obtaining the shades depends on the pressure and the slope of the brush."

The Four Gentlemen are the first learned in Oriental Painting as each subject requires the control of a specific brush technique. For example, in a "perfect" plum painting you must have thick and thin brush strokes, as well as dry and wet ones. The orchid is good for practising free-arm movements*; remember, the brush and the tip of the brush hitting the paper is merely an extension of your arm, of your vision.

We also incorporated the use of colour. Solidified rattan sap and regular gouache paint can be used for yellow colouring, for the Chrysanthemum.

On the right: rattan sap. Used directly by adding a small amount of water. 

Personally, it was a much harder class technically, but also because I let my mood get the better of me. I'd been grumpy because I was running late all day (French exam in the morning, lunch, traffic, etc etc). Lesson learned: You should never let your feelings get the better of you.

After a storm comes a calm. And rainbows!

See the two rainbows on my paper?

I edited a small video my mom took of Gi-ok Jeon, so everyone could see how easy she makes it look. That was yesterday, and I supposedly exported it to youtube but I'm beginning to think it'll never make it. If I figure out another way to get it online, I'll be sure to post it up immediately!

In the meantime, make sure to check out:

1.  My Flickr album if you care to see more pictures.**
2. And if you missed my post on my first workshop session, you can find it here.

Next up: Flowers and Fruits

* All information from a workshop handout.

** I will keep updating after every workshop.

Lazing on a Sunday afternoon

It's so nice having a beach an hour away- it makes last minute day trips that much better!

This was actually last weekend but found it post-appropriate anyway.

I had another great painting workshop today, will post more of that soon.
In the meantime....

"La vida es como la espuma, por eso hay que darse como el mar..."

All Photos by me using a Nikon D3000

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend and enjoy a lazy Sunday!

On today's Funny Friday...

Remember the Golden days of Saturday Night Live? And remember the genius that was Jack Handey?
When I was in high-school I used to write sketches "for" Saturday Night Live. I even attempted a few Deep Thoughts and excerpts from My Big Thick Novel.
Yeah, they were never as funny...

"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children. Because children shouldn't be having sex." 

"Probably the saddest thing you'll ever see is a mosquito sucking on a mummy. Forget it, little friend!"*

"The face of a child can say it all. Especially the mouth part."

"One thing kids like is to be tricked. For instance, I was going to take my little nephew to Disneyland, but instead I drove him to an old burned-out warehouse. 'Oh no', I said, 'Disneyland burned down'. He cried and cried, but I think that deep down he thought it was a pretty good joke. I started to drive over to the real Disneyland, but it was getting pretty late."

"Is there anything more beautiful than a beautiful, beautiful flamingo, flying across in front of a beautiful sunset? And he's carrying a beautiful rose in his beak, and also he's carrying a very beautiful painting with his feet. And also, you're drunk."

 "If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is, 'God is crying'. And if he asks why God is crying, another cute thing to tell him is, 'Probably because of something you did'."

"The crows seemed to be calling his name, thought Caw." 

Have a fun Friday!

* This was my "senior quote" in my high-school yearbook. I think it clearly depicts the kind of person I am.