Archive for February, 2010
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Hope you all have a great Valentine’s Day weekend! Remember to give your sweetie lots of extra love. No sweetie? No worries! It’s Radical Self Love month over at Gala Darling. So, here’s to making Valentine’s Day about LOVE and not chocolate and flowers! Love yourself, love others, love life. XoXo!
Alice Week at L&B
I was inspired by my earlier Alice in Wonderland postings this week. So, I decided that this week’s things I love will be all Alice! =)
Nicholas Kirkwood Alice-inspired shoes. These shoes are amazing! There were created by Nicholas Kirkwood using the March Hare as his inspiration. So great! Of course, these belong in a display case and not on anyone’s feet!
The new Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland leather bound classic at Barnes & Noble! I love the Barnes & Noble leather bound collection and already own seven of them, including The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll. But I instantly fell in love when I saw this book. I currently own three different copies of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass but I would love to add this one to the collection. Now if I could only convince my husband what a good idea it is. It’s pink! Valentine’s Day is coming up, sweetie… and it’s less than $20! =)
Alice in pop-up form. I got this book used over a year ago along with The Wizard of Oz pop-up. After a couple of pieces of tape both books were like new. Alice in Wonderland lends itself to the whimsy that is pop-up books. My favorite page aside from the one pictured above is when Alice is falling down the rabbit hole, the effect is awesome! You much find this book and take a peek, it’s guaranteed to delight!
Alice in Waterland by Elena Kalis. I have stumbled on several of Elena Kalis’ photos other the last few months and each time I am left in awe of her vision. It’s truly wonderful.
The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor. I picked up the first book a few years ago at Wizard Con in Long Beach, CA. Beddor’s take on Wonderland is insightful, interesting, and unique. I recently watched Alice on the SyFy channel and was so disappointed in their take on the mythos. It really gave me a deeper appreciation for what Beddor created. In his world, Alice is actually Princess Alyss Heart who flew through the Pool of Tears in an effort to escape her murderous Aunt Redd. Hatter Madigan goes on a search for the lost princess in order to have her retake the throne of Wonderland from her evil Aunt. I truly enjoyed this series. You can get the whole trilogy at Amazon for less than $10!
Hatter M by Frank Beddor. These are the graphic novels based on the same world as The Looking Glass Wars but it follows Hatter M on his search for the lost princess. I never envisioned the Mad Hatter is be a kick-ass royal guard who uses his hat as a weapon. It’s also illustrated by Ben Templesmith, one of my favorite comic artists. Really inspired stuff.
A French Fairy Tale
This video of an adorable little French girl telling her own fairy tale has been floating around for a while but I just had to share. A born storyteller! I love it! It also reminded me how much I love the French language. I wish I’d stuck with it after High School, I’ve forgotten so much!
Inspired by Alice
I first heard about this Urban Decay collections a few weeks back and I won’t lie my immediate reaction was, “I MUST have this!” I have that reaction a lot but as part of the 2010 Karen Improvement plan I am working on less impulse spending. My ultimate goal is to eliminate it completely but cold turkey has never worked for me, so baby steps.
Urban Decay is a great brand. Their Potion Primer is a staple in my make-up kit. I’ve been dying to get a book of shadows and like a siren this one called to me after all it’s make-up AND Alice… these make-up companies really know how to get to me and my wallet (can we say, cupcakes and Hello, Kitty!)? But after much deliberation though I decided that I really don’t need anymore eyeshadow right now. Want? Yes. Need? No.
That brings me to the new Alice-inspired OPI collection. I adore OPI nail polish. I don’t use any other brand. The color is fantastic and the formula is smooth and for an at-home manicurist, like myself, a good nail polish makes all the difference. Again, I don’t need anymore nail polish but I do need about eight more polishes to fill my new display shelves…
L toR: Thanks so Muchness, Mad as a Hatter, Absolutely Alice, Off with her Red!
Fortunately, for both my husband and our bank account I wasn’t too fond of the colors. Mad as a Hatter looks fun for a festive occasion but I’m not much into glitter polish. Clever marketing will make these product great sellers. I read that the Urban Decay already released these colors but just renamed them and repackaged them in the nifty pop-up book… pop-ups, another love of mine… yeah, I really had to fight myself not to get it… but logical me won. Go, me! =)
Tea Cups on a Rainy Night
Source: big_pixel_pusher
I stumbled on this photo on Flickr months and months ago. I emailed it to my brother, who works at Disneyland, and my sister-in-law then tucked it into a folder to share here on my blog some other time. I came across it looking for inspiration for an entry and it still struck me even six months after I initially saw it. I just can’t get over how much it looks like a painting. Quite beautiful.
Pretty Girlie of Me
PINK! I know that comes as no surprise, really. But I do love pink and since it’s February I felt that it is the best time of year to shout it from the rooftops. I am not really one to wear pink but I tend to gravitate towards the color for pretty much every other thing in my life. My favorite pink possession is my hot pink laptop. Guaranteed not to be hijacked by my husband.
New Month, Fresh Start. Why just celebrate the new year? Each day is a new day and a reason to start anew. Since I got my Colour-a-Month Moleskine set changing the month is more than just flipping the calendar. It’s a chance for a fresh slate. Tabula Rasa. Take advantage of the opportunity to make this month better than the last.
Colour-a-Month Moleskine. Did somebody mention Moleskine? Oh right, yes, that was me… again. I promise this is the last profession of love for the pocket-sized notebook, unless of course some new must-have product crossed my computer screen. I first saw this set on Gala Darling then again on Nubby Twiglet, both are lady bloggers I greatly admire. I thought I’d give the planner a try and, boy, am I happy I did. The set is first off, adorable but it also the perfect little bedtime companion to reflect on my day or plan for the next. At first I was taken aback by how some they were but I quickly discovered that they were perfect for developing the habit of just writing a quick blurb before I snuggle down for bed. I fill a page every night. And since one book is dedicated to one month there’s a certain measure of excitement from the changing of the guard, if you will. I am counting down until March and April… the pink months!
Accomplishments. I am very proud of myself for all my recent accomplishments and think that I justly deserve a gold star. Here’s to another month meeting the goals I set for myself!
Flowers. Giving flowers to someone as a get well is one of my favorite things to do. I know that flowers have a way of brightening my day so when given the chance I like to do the same for other. My sister-in-law just had gallbladder surgery, a surgery that I underwent almost two years ago, so I know the discomfort she is in. Get well, Melissa! I love ya!
Happy Groundhog’s Day
How cute is this cupcake!? I am a fervent believer in a cupcake for all occasions so why not Groundhog’s Day? =) Whether or not little Phil sees his shadow today, us spoiled Californians will still be enjoying our sunshiny weather. Lucky us!
Happy February!
I February. There is no other month that is as PINK after all. I love that the stores fill up with Valentine’s Day cuteness. Little reminders of love are everywhere. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t buy into the flowers and candy nonsense but I do think that Valentine’s Day is a great day to do something special for your sweetie. Hand-made or home-cooked is always the best. There are other things to look forward to in February; Groundhog’s Day, President’s Day, and my Mom’s birthday day. It’s a big one for her too: 65! So, expect this month to be filled with lots of pink, hearts, and sweetness!
Another reason to love February? It’s a brand new month! A fresh start. So what if you didn’t get to all those items in your To Do List last month, get to them now and start your month off right with a clean slate! Hope everyone is enjoying the new month! XOXO!
