Ashlie recently hinted that I might like Michael Parkes' work. And she was right! When I looked it up I was instantly smitten. It's like Dali went Art Nouveau to create illustrations for fairy tales. All paintings and sculptures I've seen are magnificent. I wish I knew all the stories behind them!
I'm sure you've seen those amazing cat shaped lipsticks by Paul & Joe. Well, the lovely people at Paperchasethey always have the best owl stuff! have made owl shaped lipbalms! Isn't that just perfect?
I'm sure the quality won't be the same, but hey, they're owls! And though I still think they're a bit pricey, they are definitely more afforable than the original cats.
I couldn't resist stopping by Paperchase today to get one. And I can inform you that they look even cuter in real life!
This has to be my favorite song right now. I love how it's both dreamy and delicate as well as a bit bitter in it's lyrics and quite solid sound-wise. The more I hear it the more I love it.
It is finally happening! LUSH is releasing their make-up line. This is something many people have been waiting for, I know I have.
As of the 21st you'll be able to take your pick from lots of shades of eyeliner, eyeshadow and lip balms.
There will also be skin tints, powders and even mascara. I'm very glad to see some natural make-up for a change and I can't wait to see them in, or in this case on, the flesh.
I'll be sure to do an update if I end up getting any of these. Do you have anything on your wishlist already?
Lai Lai from Midori Secrets has so kindly offered to give this stunning necklace to one lucky reader!
She has just started selling on Etsy and is regularly adding more items. Here's a glimpse of what you could find there right now. And all orders get a free surprise gift!
Anyway, on with the giveaway... to join just fill out the rafflecopter as usual.
By now you must know that I'm a huge Studio Ghibli fan, and though I haven't seen all of the movies yet, I'm definitely getting there. The latest one to cross of my list was Pom Poko.
If you've ever been to Japan I'm sure you saw the Tanuki statues in front of people's doors. Well, those are the raccoons that inspired this film. They are shapeshifting creatures that like to play pranks on people *cough* and make music with their genitals *cough* and, in this case, are determined to save their forest.
I really enjoyed this movie! And I have to say that the English version was pretty good as well. I always try to watch the original, but the subtitles were annoying so I switched half way through.
Anyway, despite the massive amount of bizarre things, I think most people would actually enjoy this film. And it's one of those stories that's entertaining for all ages. It even had a nice message: to cherish nature. Also, it was pretty darn cute.
Though pumpkin pie seems to be a pretty big deal in the US, you hardly ever hear anything about it in Europe. But due to my deep love of pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger and so on, I really couldn't resist making my own lovely pie. I don't think I even baked any other proper pie before, but this was delicious!
So delicious, that I thought I'd share the recipe with you:
First up, make sure you have a base. I used my favorite sand cookie recipe and used it to make the bottom and edges of the cake.
Then make the filling:
-Beat 2 eggs. -Add about 500ml/2 cups of pureed pumpkin to those eggs. -Mix in a teaspoon of cinnamon, one of fresh ginger and half a teaspoon of salt. -Add about 180ml/ 3/4 cups of honey and 3/4 cups of coconut milk. -And finally stir in 2 tablespoons of coconut shavings.
If this has a bit of a milkshake consistency, fear not! It will come out of the oven just right.
Bake at 230*C/450*F for 15 minutes and then at 175*C/350*F for about 45. That's it!
Time for a happy song with a perfect rhythm for this slow, rainy and warm weather we've been having.
And one of surprisingly few songs about childhood and future possibilities. Isn't that odd? Most important things in live have inspired loads of mucisians, you'd expect this one to be a lot more popular.
Polly from This Enchanted Pixie has been very busy renewing her shop. Some of the old things had to go too, so she could make room for the new collection. And I was lucky enough to receive a lucky dip bag full of jewelry!
When I saw the little bag I got really excited. I hadn't really thought about the bag itself, but when it came I was blown away. Doesn't it look lovely?
It's contents were equally as amazing! And though there were many, I'll just show you a few, perhaps half of what was actually in there.
The bird cage above actually holds a tiny silver bird. And I'm smitten with these owls as well. What a perfect color for summer!
There were some more earrings, a ring and a necklace. And these two even made a lovely set:
I thought I'd give you a peek at Polly's new collection as well. This time she has gone with a more bohemian look with lots of gemstones, lace and feathers.
Looking good, right?
Be sure to check out her shop. And if you're not familiar with her blog yet, I suggest you hop on over there as well.
When you watch a lot of movies you might reach a point of not thinking you'll ever find a movie so amazing and so unique that it'll beat some of your old favorites from their ancient spots. That's the place I'd been in for ages, when all of a sudden I watched Jesus Henry Christ.
The trailer doesn't do it enough justice. I didn't even watch it before renting the movie. And if you feel we have similar taste in movies I suggest you skip it and just watch the whole thing too.
It was bizarre, it was funny, it was bitter and it was pretty freakin' fantastic. And the fact that the cute kid from Sunshine Cleaning had the leading part made it even better.
Also, I was pretty surprised to find out it was produced by Julia Roberts. To my knowledge, it is completely unlike anything she's ever been involved with. But then again, it's pretty unlike any other movie in general.
Today I'd like to show you the work of a very versatile artist, and fellow blogger. Kate Dolamore really is a Jack-of-all-trades!
She does stunning watercolors and mixed media pieces. And luckily for us, she seems to love owls too!
In fact she's done an amazing field guide full of them!
All of her other field guides are amazing too. And I love that she used all her images in a collage to show you what birds she's seen this June.
I recommend you check out Kate's blog for beautiful nature posts as well as project updates. And if you'd love to see more of her work, and perhaps get a nice print for your home, go visit her Etsy shop.
This is one of my favorite songs for summer. Though it's not a particularly happy song, it still carries that summer vibe of hot weather and good times. And I love that little twist in the melody too.
June flew by. It has both a busy and a relaxed air to it. And though summer started out a tad bit disappointing I still have high hopes for the rest of the season. Here's a list of what happened this month though!
I threw my cat slippers out. The soles were all worn and I kept spraining my ankle. They were much loved though!
My owl collection gained a very special new member.
And you were given the chance to win one of Olga's owls too.
I went to a knitting picnic!
And learned two new knitting skills: lace and entrelac
Some more Diana pictures from my very first batches. These were taken last summer.
I did some experimenting with the Splitzer as well. Too bad I didn't think of changing the settings when I took a picture of the sky. I still love this picture very much though.
