Owl Things Considered

This may come as a surprise, but I don't have any animal shoes. Not even owls. I can't complain as I love my Docs, but I wouldn't turn down a comfortable pair if I found one. Perhaps something similar to these owls from Modcloth.

At the bottom of the page I spotted these fabulously elegant bunnies. Now those… I'd almost kill for those. And I think I'd have to as I am definitely not paying $274,99 for them. Unless I win a lottery, I'll just admire them online.

But those aren't even my faves from their current collection. I just adore these sky blue flats! They are very reminiscent of Oxfords, yet they are a lot more feminine. And thankfully a lot more affordable than the bunnies.

I know, they're the odd ones out in this post, but they were too cute not too add. And I'm sure you don't mind either.

Are you lusting after any pretty or unique shoes at the moment?

Circle Songs #49

"See the blue pools in the squinting sun, hear the hissing of summer lawns"

The Hissing of Summer Lawns - Joni Mitchell

{picture sources: 1 - 2 - 3}

I've finally started listening to Joni Mitchell. On the one hand I wonder why I didn't earlier, on the other I feel like this is the right time. Now that I'm so busy with music, I'm glad there are some lady musicians left to still explore.

Lovely Movies: the Book Thief

The little blogging hiatus is mostly to blame on my birthday. After my celebrations, some important things and sunny weather, I was just too drained to blog. I did go see the Book Thief though and I'm so glad I did!

Somehow I didn't make it through the entire book. I can't remember if I disliked it or not, I think not, because I do love the story. I probably didn't read often during the time I tried this book, and I must have lost track of where I was.

The movie definitely made me want to give the book another try though! It was wonderful, heartbreaking, heartwarming and yes, it did made me cry a bit towards the end.

I'm not drawn to WWII films/books, if anything I tend to stay away from them. Though there are a few exceptions that proved really amazing once I gave them a chance. This one included.

Mixed Shelf #6

I'm currently reading a bit of a historical mystery (to review for goodreads), I'm hoping to read more of that and I happened to have my eye on a few already, so I found a nice little group to go together. And yes, they look pretty too!

Wanting: Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald

Theodora spills alcohol over her grandfather's painting. Another more valuable painting turns out to be hiding underneath. Her family could really use the money, however it might just be a stolen painting. So she's going to have to find out exactly what happened, which should provide us with a lovely adventure. I've heard many good things!

goodreads // available here

Reading: The Steady Running of the Hour by Justin Go

As mentioned, I won this as a First Reads proof copy. I only join giveaways for books I actually want to read and this one seemed really interesting. I only finished the first few chapters so far, but they were all really promising and intriguing. It's sort of an inheritance mystery, if that is a thing. I'm really enjoying the writing by the way.

goodreads // available here

Waiting: The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

You know I am a cover whore. I am also strangely intrigued by long books, hence getting the Luminaries was pretty unavoidable. With 800+ pages I'm sure this will take me a while, but I still do plan on reading it and have my copy at the ready. Also, there should be a lot of astrology in it to match the pretty moons and stars on the front.

goodreads // available here, or suddenly really cheap as an audiobook

Did you read any of these? I know the first and last are quite the hype at the moment. Any tips for me, perhaps?

Circle Songs #48

"Everybody's moving so fast, makes you feel like you're already part of the past…"

Airwaves - Ray LaMontagne

{picture sources: 1 - 2 - 3}

I was so excited to find out Ray LaMontagne is releasing a new cd soon. Some songs are already out, and judging by those, Supernova will be a perfect summer record! It makes me want to do some impromptu outdoor jam sessions too.

Post-It Love

This video is so original, creative and adorable. It made me smile and I think it will do the same for you. So enjoy!

One Zentangle a Day

When I got that nasty flu a little while ago I decided I could use a hobby that would take very little time or skill and would just be relaxing and without any pressure whatsoever. Zentangles came to mind. So I ordered a book!

It took a while to decide, because there are so many, but I ended up picking One Zentangle a Day by Beckah Krahula.
Of course it only arrived two days ago. But in those two days I've been zentangling like crazy. I love it!

Every spread is a one day tutorial and it teaches you three patterns that you can use to fill in the zentangle. It might seem a little simple, and it is. However, it is great having a manual and seeing all those neat little patterns that I might not have come up with myself.

The picture above is my very first zentangle. Is it simple? Yes. Is it kinda messy? Sure. Did I have fun making it? Hell yeah! I love this new hobby. Don't be surprised if you see more of these popping up in the future...

Lovely Movies: Nebraska

This movie was a little less "lovely" than I was expecting. It was also better, just not as friendly as I would have guessed from the trailer. It is still a road movie and it leaves you feeling good, but it was also very realistic.

In fact there are few movies in which families feel so real as in this one. I love how unglamorous and kinda boring it was. And especially how it dealt with those relatives you hardly ever see and don't really know.

It was also very casual about love and marriage. It doesn't add to that idea that finding someone and tying the knot is the end of all your problems, in fact it acknowledges that it actually creates some new ones too.

All in all it's a slow yet intriguing film that turns the story of a not so special family into a pretty special journey.

Mixed Shelf #5

Even though I'm still very much enjoying stories with at least a hint of magic, I did pick up a novel for grown-ups again. It's promising so far, so I'll dive back in right after I finish this post about it and two other interesting books.

Wanting: Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

This is a retelling of The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen. Now I love fairytale retellings, or at least if they're done right. However, I have to admit I'm not that familiar with the original that inspired Breadcrumbs. Nevertheless I'd love to dive into the world both through this retelling as well as the classic that inspired it.

goodreads // available here

Reading: the Girl who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

I just got myself a library card and immediately searched the shelfs for a nice new read. The title caught my eye, the cover made me fall in love and the synopsis proved interesting enough for me to take it home. Just read a few chapters, but I'm loving it so far. It has wallpaper that changes to fit your mood, now isn't that interesting?

goodreads // available here

Waiting: the Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

This is a book I've been wanting for ages! Eventually I ordered it, but now that it's here I have to admit I haven't touched it yet. I'm still excited though! It probably fits best in the genre of Magical Realism. It's about a mysterious girl that appears in the woods right after a child built of snow by a childless woman has disappeared. Very intriguing!

goodreads // available here

What book is keeping you up reading at night? Or did you find anything recently that you're really excited about?

Circle Songs #47

"Could I make it more clear? Could I give you more time?

Did I say enough or did I say to much?"

Too Much - Pale

{picture sources: 1 - 2 - 3}

This song was a very lucky random find. Gotta love that YouTube sidebar! Anyway, it really fit my mood and it's exacty the kind of electronic music I somehow do love. In fact, I love this song so much I ordered it on vinyl.

Lovely Movies: Only Lovers Left Alive

This movie is something special. Something really, really special. I had actually nearly missed it at the cinema, but managed to catch it on the very last day. But I might just get the dvd on the release-date to make up for that.

Holy guacamole, I don't even know where to begin… The first shot was freaking gorgeous and it had Wanda Jackson's song "the Funnel of Love" to give it this eerie vibe. I was sold within the first couple of seconds. And I really knew I had found a new favorite when the blood popsicle-scene came. Tilda, way to go!

Anyway, this film is full of pretty guitars, amazing apartments and fantastic actors. I love that it was calm, yet exciting and just unlike any film I'd ever seen before. I even loved the romance in it, which I often don't in contemporary vampire stories. Also, it was really funny at times, had a nice dose of mischief and I love how they dealt with death too. Oh, and it wasn't even that gory.

You should really just skip the trailer and trust my judgement, but here we go:

Just go see it, ok? GO! You won't regret it. And you might just want to change your hairdo after... why was Tilda's hair so intriguing?!

Mixed Shelf #4

This week the Mixed Shelf is less about fantasy, but it still has a surreal thread running through all of its novels. However, it's less about fairies and hocus pocus and a lot more focussed on imagination and day dreaming.

Wanting: the Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

A friend of mine told me about this book and said I would probably really enjoy it. Enjoy might be too happy a word, it's actually a pretty eerie tale. But I love a bit of a gothic vibe in my books now and then, so I still hope to read it. When I came home and sat on my computer to add it to my to-read list, I noticed it was already on my Goodreads! 

goodreads // pictured edition available here, or the cheapest copy

Reading: the Daydreamer by Ian McEwan

Ian McEwan has written many famous novels, the Daydreamer is one most people don't seem to know. It's still the first one I've picked up. Was it the cover again? Hell yeah! But also the story, of course. Through a couple of short stories we get to follow the daydreams of a little boy named Peter. It's actually written for both children and adults.

goodreads // pictured edition available here, or the cheapest copy

Waiting: the Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

This is a novel I actually got stuck in. I can't remember exactly why… Was it because it was too dark? Possibly. Was it because it just didn't interest me? Maybe so. Anyway, I used to love Murakami and I don't want to let this experience spoil that for me, so I want to get back into the story to give it a second chance. And otherwise grab another novel.

goodreads // pictured edition available here, or the cheapest copy

What's currently on your nightstand? Or to-read list of course, as that's always interesting as well!

Wishlist

I should probably make this really exciting birthday wishlist post, but this year it seems I'm slow with everything. Anyway, I saw this little guy and he's pretty adorable. Do I need another stapler? No. Would I take him in? Yes!

Anyway, if you love this little bunny too, you can get one at Paperchase. 

Plans & Goals: April

April is always an exciting month for me! It means nicer weather, Queen's Day(which technically now is King's Day) and… my birthday! All three of these lead to plan-making of course! So here we go! I would love to:

• Soak up the sun and this lovely weather as much as possible.
• Read a graphic novel again.
• Play another gig and bring some friends to watch.
• Sell old stuff on Queen's Day...
• And maybe buy a nice tv-show on dvd.
• Go see a couple of movies at the cinema.
• Add some new items to my Etsy shop.
• Make a new collage or finish the one I was working on.
• And throw an awesome birthday party in my new apartment!

Do you have any nice plans? Any special occasions this month as well?