April 27th, 2009
In honour of this week being the run of The Wizard of Oz musical that I’m playing in, I thought an Oz inspired post was necessary. Albeit, this editorial is a few years old (it ran in the December 2005 issue of Vogue US), I still find it quite lovely. I really enjoy interpretations and reworkings of books into other mediums whether it be film, print, illustration, whatever have you. I always find it interesting to see how the artist decodes a book, what they find most important, how they choose to address issues of moving from the page into a visual space, what details they alter, embellish, remove, … I could go on and on.
This group of photographs was shot by the amazing Annie Leibovitz and features Keira Knightley as Dorothy. It’s interesting that it’s a reworking of the 1939 film which is a reworking of L. Frank Baum’s story. A reworking of a reworking! Though when one thinks of The Wizard of Oz, what immediately comes to mind is the classic film starring Judy Garland, and not the book. Personally, I prefer the movie which is something I don’t often say; it’s quite a rare occurance that the movie impresses me much more than the book but the book just felt very juvenile to me. The movie was much more imaginative, in my opinion, and really brought the land of Oz to life. I think this editorial does equally as well with capturing the fantasy, the creativity and the essence of the magical tale.
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April 24th, 2009
I’ve always loved the Alice stories ever since I was little. I remember having an Alice in Wonderland backpack – the kind that came with markers and you could colour on it like a colouring book. It was my pride and joy. Of course, I was first exposed to the Disney movie of Alice in Wonderland; but in about grade 4 or 5, I found that there was actually a book (and two at that) about Alice. Imagine my delight!
There’s something enchanting about the Alice stories for me, and no matter how many times I’ve read them, I always find great joy in them. In my most recent reread, I borrowed the Annotated Alice from the library, and followed along with all the math and physics theories, background information about manners of the Victorian period, and other miscellaneous information about different aspects of the story that were pointed out in the margins of the page. That’s something that I love about these two books, that no matter how many times you read them, there’s always new details you pick up on (of course, this is normally true of any good book), whether little quirks about the characters, understanding a deeper meaning to one of the numerous rhymes, or picking up on one of many ways in which Carroll mocks aspects of Victorian society.
These stories were such a huge part of my child hood – reading the books, watching the Disney film, playing “Wonderland” in the backyard with my brother – and because of that, they’ll always hold a huge place in my heart. The books definitely hold sentimental value for me, so much so, that I was almost hurt that some of the students in my Fantasy Lit. class so strongly opposed to the books. It kind of made me wonder if perhaps the reason why I love the books so much is because they do hold that emotional attachment for me. Would I like them so much now if I hadn’t read them when I was younger? One of the main criticisms was that the Alice books were too farfetched for them. Yes, the plot-lines wander about haphazardly and in no seemingly logical order, but I think that’s part of the books’ charm. Their spontaneity and (going to do a little word invention here) “randomosity” capture the essence of childhood, and I think that’s one of the key points Carroll is trying to make in the Alice books: that the imagination is limitless and has no boundaries, much like how a child sees the world.
And now that I’ve gabbled, an ode to one of my favourite books of all-time…
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April 15th, 2009
I’m in awe of this apartment. It’s only 400 sq ft, but because it’s so clearly planned out, it doesn’t seem all that small at all (judging from the pictures anyway). It has a really well thought out and carefully arranged floor plan which is something I can definitely vouch for. Having been living in small quarters for the past four years I’ve definitely learned that planning and zoning is key to a successful living space. Aesthetics aside, design isn’t just about making something pretty; it’s about creating something that’s functional, meets your needs, and ultimately, something that makes you feel happy and want to spend time in the space you’ve created.
This apartment was featured in the Summer/Fall 2003 Special Issue “Small Spaces” of Canadian Style at Home magazine. And while it’s slightly outdated and the decor isn’t to my taste (not a fan of layered shades of brown, it’s too murky for me and not very youthful. Nor am I a fan of things that are woven. I don’t mind wicker in very, very small doses, but all over it gives me grandma vibes), design style aside, I can really appreciate how this tiny apartment is laid out and the careful planning it must have taken to create such a cohesive, flowing and uncramped space.
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April 12th, 2009
I love Easter. It’s probably my favourite holiday. Part of that stems from my love of Spring (my favourite season), part from my love of chocolate-y treats (yum!), and the majority from my love of bunnies. My family wasn’t very religious growing up so for us, Easter was about spending time together, watching the Charlie Brown Easter special, and having candy egg hunts. And most importantly, every Easter I always looked forward to a new stuffed bunny from my parents. Every year my parents would ask me if I’d like something else for Easter, but it always had to be a stuffed bunny. Or a real one. But they never went for that much to my dismay. :P
As an ode to the greatest animal on the face of the planet, a wee little picspam. Be prepared to be blown away by the cute.
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April 5th, 2009
This is completely non-related to … anything, but I thought it was super cute. I don’t really like those decorative stickers people put on their gadgets (why ruin something that’s already gorgeous?) but this was just so clever I had to share. I stumbled upon it via FFFFOUND! and unfortunately the link to where they found it doesn’t work; I was hoping there might be more decals. But anyhow, I love this one of Snow White and how it’s strategically placed so that the Apple logo is resting right in her hands where the poison apple should be. Personally, I don’t think I’d be able to deface my beautiful MacBook, but if I were going to, this would be the way to go.
Also just a head’s up that I won’t really be blogging much over the next week or so. I had a few posts saved up that I’d written in advance, but they’re all gone now (see: the last two entries published here :P). I’ve got a crap load of school stuff to do (all due by the 18th), so I’ll be slaving away. And now, back to work! Must conquer thesis!
