Lovely Movies: Cirque du Freak: the Vampire's Assistant

When I was younger the Darren Shan books were pretty popular with some kids in my class. I didn't read any at the time, nor have I since, but when the movie recently came on tv I decided to watch it.

Honestly it was pretty refreshing seeing a movie with vampires that sucked more blood than face. And as for the blood, there was actually very little too. It is more a movie about magic and a freak circus, than it is about vampires.

Also, does Salma Hayek rock a beard, or what?! She has very little screen time, and I thought her acting wasn't that great in this movie, but the sight of her hairy -yet stunning- face alone is worth watching this movie for.

Watch the trailer till 1:20!

As a kid of the early nineties, I grew up watching movies like Back to the Future and the Karate Kid. And though this is completely different -and has some stunning visual effects that are not of that time, at all- it still reminds me of it. It's one of those harmless adventure movies that still bring the suspense. And in this case, quite a lot of amazing creatures as well.

Wishlist

I went to visit my new appartment today. Even though I had some information about the place, it still looked a lot different from what I had made up in my head. Better in most ways, worse in some. Anyway, this marks the beginning of not only the hard work, but the fun stuff as well. Decorating!

One of my favorite finds on the IKEA website is this chair. It might not even be comfortable -I have yet to try it out- and even if it is I'd have to look for one that's secondhand. But the pattern and the colors are inspiring. Even just from a picture.
Then again, a lot of patterns and color schemes are, so I might end up with something completely different, but I thought this cute chair was worth the blog post anyway.

Amazing Art: Lauryn Green

A little while ago I came across this wonderful person! Lauryn Green has a lovely blog and a great Etsy as well. Both are full of her amazing illustrations. I loved her work from the moment I saw it.

Besides our name, it turned out we had a lot of other things in common too. And thankfully she has many prints that include favorite things of mine.

So when she had a nice deal for Black Friday, I jumped at the opportunity. My two prints came in the mail today and they're even prettier in real life. I won't show you those now though, as I'll be posting pictures of them once they're framed in my new place!

 Anyway, if you like what you see here, I recommend you check out her blog for illustrations and more, and her shop for lots of prints and pretty totes!

Sponsor Call: December

It's nearly December! Which means hot chocolates, Christmas and also a nice time to advertise.

Here's the price list:

-Large ad: $20 - SOLD out! But can be reserved for Jan, Feb, etc.
-Regular ads: $8 or $20 for 3 months
-Small ads: $5 or $12 for 3 months

Read more about it here. Or Email Me if you made up your mind. You can also contact me about giveaways or reviews.

Owl Things Considered

I just love these amazing owl mugs from CreativityHappens! They're still on sale with 10% off and you can get them in pretty much any color.

They will hold a large amount -nearly 2 cups- of your favorite drink. For me that's tea, though I imagine they would be great for hot chocolate and marshmellows too, this time of year.

Last Chance...

Don't forget, there are still a few hours left to take advantage of one or both of my Thanksgiving deals.

• Get 10% off your entire order.
• And if that order contains 3 or more items, you get a free Gingerbread Man as well!

So grab it while you can. It's a great opportunity to buy some Christmas gifts or to spoil yourself with one of my new woodland creatures!

Visit my shop for more info and, of course, more items.

An album to check out!

Last year I did an interview with Josh and Nick from And The Giraffe, they had just released their first EP back then. I've played it a lot over the year and I was really excited to listen to their new one called Creature Collecter. The official release was at the beginning of this month and I want to urge you to check it out if you haven't already.

Follow this link to listen to their new songs, and to buy them if you want to support them and help them continue to make music together in the future.

Muffin's Sad Song

When watching television last week I discovered this amazing kids show on the BBC. It's called "3rd and Bird". It is beautifully made, has the cutest characters and some lovely stories as well.

When I searched for more episodes online, I came accross this adorable song from one of the little birds:

Now wasn't that cute?!

Anyway, if you have kids I highly recommend this show, but even if you don't, it is well worth watching a few episodes. Enjoy!

BLACK FRIDAY + shop news!

We might not have Thanksgiving here, but I love a good bargain and though I'd give you the chance to save on your Christmas shopping. So for the next 4 days I have 2 great things in store for you!

Yes, each order gets 10% off*. And each order of 3 or more items gets a cute gingerbread man for free*. And you even get to chose between a brooch or a bookmark. *only exclusion is gift certificates*

And as I had some new items finished, I listed them -at crazy speed!- just in time to be included in the deal as well. I added a few honey-themed items and a penguin brooch/bookmark.

Have fun Christmas shopping, and a happy Thanksgiving of course!

Wishlist

MAC Cosmetics' new collection is mindblowing. I happened to walk by them today and couldn't help but take a closer look. The more time I spent looking at this eyeshadow kit, the more in love I fell. Yet I still managed to pry myself loose, because I need to watch my spending with the big move coming up.

The neutral eye kit you see above is definitely my favorite, but seeing the collection as whole is well worth a visit to the MAC store. Even if you can't/won't buy anything either.

Even the displays are fantastic! And the colors they chose, both of the exteriors and the actual make-up, are beautiful.

I apologise if you can't afford it either this time of year and is making you very greedy too! If it is, at least you now have something to put on your Christmas wishlist, right?

Amazing Art: Francisco Miranda

The art of Francisco Miranda is hard to describe. It's often not clear what he is showing you, yet you can't really call it abstract. It usually looks symmetrical, but a lot of pieces aren't.

  Either way, it's extraordinary colors and well-thought-of shading give this amazing imagery a very magical atmosphere. And if you take a closer look, you might find a proper story as well(especially visible in the 5th picture).

 

Owl Things Considered

Though owls and peter pan collars are both extremely popular, I've hardly ever seen them combined. They are in this stunning dress though!

I love those little yellow accents in the eyes. It gives a very subtle touch of color, without disturbing the classic black/white look. Too bad it's way out of my budget...

Circle Songs #22

"Can't tell if I've got rivers or veins... Running under my skin... Flowing out over the plains..."

Buried in Teeth - Mariee Sioux

{pictures via: 1 - 2 - 3}

Perhaps it's working on all those woodland creatures, perhaps it's going to see Breaking Dawn pt.2 today, but despite the wintery cold I feel incredibly in touch with Autumn. And this song makes me do so even more!

Woodland Creatures: Shop Update

It is finally time to unveil a collection I've been wanting to make for ages. I did a lot of sewing this past month, followed by waiting for the sun to come out so I could take pictures, but here it is: my Woodland Collection!

I already had plenty of owls in my shop, so I now focussed on some other lovely creatures. All designs are available both as bookmarks and brooches. 

There is still time left to order for the holidays, so if you need that perfect gift for your fox/raccoon/squirrel/hedgehog-loving friend, you can make them happy with a handmade bookmark or brooch. Or spoil yourself of course!

You can find all new items in my shop.

Spotted

One of the best things about fall is that woodland creatures are everywhere! I've grown very fond of squirrels recently. They are very smart, but most of all very cute!

I find it quite hard not to stock up on novelty earbuds. These are making it even harder.

Adorable wooden brooch made even better by the incredible geometric pattern.

You can never have too many cozy sweaters, right?

I love the fact that this woodland cookie cutter set even has a little gnome!

If you don't have much to say, but do need an beautiful card, this one is a winner!

I love the natural colors of this pillow. And the sweet facial expression of the squirrel helps a lot too!

The perfect tape dispenser to hold your favorite washi tape.

Lounge pants with not only squirrels, but hidden little birds as well.

And I'll end with one of my favorite finds: a nutcracker that cracks nuts when you move its tail!

Lovely Movies: the Last Mimzy

A good old family adventure movie never fails to keep me entertained. Sometimes I just like being taken to new worlds and having the guarantee of a happy ending. I didn't expect a whole lot more from the Last Mimzy, but it went well above my expectations.

It was actually full of suspense and the story was very original. Also, the little girl is adorable!

Remember my 1 minute rule!

Long story short: great movie. For all ages, not just kids. Enjoy!