Thursday, May 27, 2010
Czech Absinthe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_Yps848uGI&hl=en
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Absinto Caseiro - Homemade Absinthe - Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHensBc9i5Q&hl=en
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
The Frog Princess By ED Baker - A Creative Fairy Tale
In this book, Princess Emeralda (who prefers to be called Emma) spends a day walking in the swamp to avoid her critical mother and a visit from snobby Prince Jorge. She has always thought of the swamp as a magical place and in this case it is true.
She meets a frog there who is desperate that she kiss him in order to help him regain his human prince form. After much discussion she does kiss the frog, but then she turns into a frog as well. Though you may recognize such a story line from a recent movie, this 2002 book by E D Baker is a much different tale.
Emma's frog prince has to rescue her from a hungry heron and a snake, and also introduce her to eating mosquitoes. However, when they try to meet the witch who enchanted him into a frog they find she is happy to see them. She is searching for ingredients needed for a potion, and frog toes are part of the recipe. She closes them up in a small cage in her cottage while she looks for the rest of the ingredients.
Emma's aunt is a capable witch. Emma knows she herself has some budding magical talent but her spells up until then have gone wrong. Now if they are to escape she not only needs to search a large and heavy spell book (a difficult task for a small frog) but also invoke a spell successfully.
This book is great fun to read and has many engaging personalities in it. One of the best things about the story is that it is book one in the Tales of the Frog Princess series. Though each book can be read alone it is satisfying to know that more adventures with the main characters are ahead.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Moulin Rouge (The hills are Alive/Children of the revolution)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGeRNxJD2Q4&hl=en
Friday, May 21, 2010
Summer Party Theme Ideas
Summer party theme ideas are always plentiful and most do not take a lot of work. It depends if you are having a small gathering or a large party.
What better place for a summer party theme than the beach? This setting is natural and open summer setting to accommodate a large group of people. The summer lighting takes care of itself. Instead of streamers, string luau lights and maybe even provide tiki torches. Go all the way with the Hawaii tradition!
Of course, at the beach, one wears T-shirts, shorts, bathing suits, sandals, tennis shoes, Hawaiian shirts, sunglasses, straw hats, caps, wind breakers, etc. Summer wear, as said, takes care of itself.
There are also several unusual summer days that can be used as an excuse for a get-together. The 21st of June, is the summer solstice and the longest night of the year. This party again can simply be created around the theme or you can design your own summer fun at a park, lake, camping ground or in your own backyard.
Parties can revolve around baseball, hiking, swimming or just a get together to visit and converse.
Another fun time can be had on Midsummer's Eve, a perfect time for a costume party and to decorate with a fairy type theme idea. This party can be in your backyard, or in a park with fire places to use and the trees and bushes to add to fairy theme. People generally dress in magical costumes or come as things that they would like to be, or that inspire them. The whole idea is to use your imagination.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Who Hijacked My Fairy Tale?
As little girls we are raised on the fairy tale formula - the concept that our lives should play out like a fairy tale - that we are little princesses existing in torment, singing under water, scrubbing fireplaces, or lying comatose under the spell of yet another evil stepmother, awaiting the arrival of our charming prince whereupon life will begin and we will live happily ever after. I have nothing against charming princes or the pursuit of happiness.
But I do have a problem with teaching our children that they are entitled to a happily-ever-after life, when the truth of the matter is that it doesn't exist. Somewhere along the way we all come to find a page ripped out of our fairy tale - the scenery changed - the ending rewritten until it looks nothing like we had originally planned. Case in point: Derk McDermott - the charming prince of my high school fairy tale.
Derk was "it" in high school, never looked at me once, and ended up marrying the head cheerleader and moving away to have beautiful blonde children with expensive names. Fifteen years later, they split, he moved back, and I fell under the spell again. Maybe, just maybe, this was my chance to be with the man of my dreams - just like on Lifetime. When I ran into his sister at the mall who insisted she'd have him call me, I heard little blue birds singing as they sewed the pearls on my ball gown.
Hey, it's Derk. Want to come over? That was the message that I played for my friends, neighbors, and the pizza guy, who all agreed it sounded very positive. I ordered Bride magazine and accepted the invitation. It didn't strike me as odd that Derk lived in the basement of his mother's house. It didn't strike me as odd that Derk had put on twenty pounds and lost all his hair except for the mammoth sideburns.
It didn't strike me as odd that his mother sat beside us, chain-smoking Camels while she knitted - or that he spent three hours describing how he got his Corvette detailed - or that he still had a Van Halen poster in his room. Or that the only time he asked about me was to ask if I had stayed in touch with the football team. I didn't think it weird that he talked more about what he was going to do rather than what he was actually doing. But when he yelled at me for sitting on his stuffed raccoon - that was weird. And when the dogs entered the picture, things got really ugly.
I have nothing against dogs. I do have something against basset hounds named Grunt who try to pee on my leg. Derk said he was just marking his territory. His mother warned me, from underneath the never-ending ash tip of her cigarette, that it would be better if I kept moving so that Churchill, the Scottish Terrier in heat, didn't land on me. And when they spent thirty minutes trying to get Daisy the poodle into her J. Lo outfit, I could no longer hear them over the sounds of my fairy tale characters screaming a violent death. My attention was no longer on Derk, but planning my escape into a newly vowed life of celibacy.
I was able to sneak out unnoticed while they were yelling at their afternoon soaps. I drove around town pondering this new paradigm shift and having a moment of silence for the Derk who used to be and was no more. I think that was the moment that I realized that fairy tales don't come true and that very few of us get what we wish for. Thank you, God. And knowing that has made me happier. Now I have a son of my own who, I must admit, is a charming prince. And I'll be sure to teach him that stepmothers aren't inherently evil, that castles are hard to clean, and that life doesn't promise us a happily-ever-after. And once you realize that, you'll be happier. I promise.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Jeniviva: Bastet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWqroJgobMQ&hl=en
Monday, May 17, 2010
Do You Know the Real Story of the Princess and the Frog?
Before you see the Disney film The Princess and the Frog, keep this in mind: everything you know about the fairy tale may be wrong.
You may know the story of the Frog Prince: a handsome young prince was innocently minding his own business when, for no apparent reason, an evil witch cursed him and turned him into a particularly ugly little frog. He was doomed to live in this miserable, lowly condition until a princess with a pure, loving heart saw past his ugly exterior and kissed him. Her purity and sweetness would break the evil spell and turn him back into a handsome prince-and the perfect boyfriend for the lucky princess. That's how the story goes, right?
Wrong.
Pick up Grimm's Fairy Tales and you'll read an entirely different version. The true story of the Frog Prince is better still.
You see, the witch in the story wasn't really evil at all. Her name was Ellspeth, and as she told it in her autobiography Ellspeth's Book of Shadows, Prince Heinrich wasn't as innocent as he later claimed. He refused to get out of her path as she walked up the mountain pass, searching for wild witch hazel. To add insult to injury, he called her all kinds of foul names. Ellspeth cursed the ill-tempered young prince for his own good, to teach him a lesson in manners.
When the princess (whose name was Anika) came along, tossing her famous golden ball in the air, and dropped her ball into the bog that Heinrich called home, Heinrich saw it as his golden opportunity to take advantage of Anika. He offered to retrieve her golden ball from the pond, if she'd let stay at the castle. His plan was mooch off Anika and her father the king, while all the while staying warm, moist and comfortable in the royal palace. Anika agreed, but she could only put up with Heinrich's selfish, greedy ways for so long. When he wanted her to allow his slimy carcass to sleep on her pillow, Anika got disgusted and threw Heinrich face-first into a stone wall. That would have killed an ordinary frog. But in Heinrich's case, it made him wake up and smell the bogwater. He realized he'd been an awful jerk, and turned back into a prince.
Anika, however, chose not to forgive Heinrich's thoughtlessness. She and the prince did not get married, and they certainly never lived happily ever after. In fact, after that incident, whenever Anika and Heinrich crossed paths, she was polite but distant to him. He accepted that he was never going to get anywhere with her romantically, though in his later years, he did become rather bitter about the lack of a closer relationship. He's said to have circulated rumors that the princess was born with webbed toes, which were later corrected through surgery. In fact, webbed toes ran in Heinrich's family, though he himself did not inherit the gene.
A fascinating variation on the fairy tale is "The Frog Princess" by Barbara G. Walker, from her book Feminist Fairy Tales. In it, a female frog aspires to marry a handsome and kind-hearted prince. She goes to a good fairy of the woods, who agrees to transform her into a human being if she can get the prince to kiss her. The clever frog succeeds, but her success comes at a terrible price. Although the prince and the frog both end of living happily, their happily-ever-after is spent apart. Female frogs, Walker notes in her introduction to the tale, are often larger and stronger than the males of their species. For that reason, the frog makes the perfect symbol of the independent woman who can make it in the world, even without her handsome prince.
Works Cited
"The Frog Prince," Grimms' Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm. There are many editions; mine happens to be translated by Mrs. E. V. Lucas, Lucy Crane and Marian Edwardes. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1945.
"The Frog Princess," Feminist Fairy Tales by Barbara G. Walker. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1996.
"Relationship Basics: Never Kiss a Frog," The Magical Girl's Guide to Womanhood by Violetta Marmalade-Spirit, as told to Erin E. Schmidt. Unpublished, 2008.
Absinthe - France
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb_I5Bi7DVQ&hl=en
Sunday, May 16, 2010
WORMWOOD "Artemisia Absinthium" THUJONE For ABSINTHE- Green Ginger, Madderwort
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmGst8skrlg&hl=en
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Tinker Bell the Beloved Fairy
I had the wonderful opportunity to watch the new Tinker bell movie with my granddaughter this weekend.
What a great family movie for all ages. Tinker bell has got to be the most popular fairy in the land. The original Tinker bell was created from J.M. Barries 1904 play and 1911 novel Peter and Wendy.
In 1953 the cartoon Walt Disney picture Peter Pan Tinker bell was only a supporting character described by her creator as "a common fairy. Her animated birth has since become a widely recognized unofficial mascot of The Walt Disney Company.
Unlike Disney's two Peter Pan movies featuring Tinker Bell, which were produced primarily using normal animation, the new Tinker Bell was produced using digital 3D modeling. This film marks the first time that the Disney version of Tinker Bell has spoken dialogue.
Way before Peter Pan and the Lost Boys soared into Never Land, the world's most favorite fairy and her fairy friends were creating their own special magic. For the very first time in film, Tinker Bell opens the doors to the famous Pixie Hollow, a hideaway deep in the heart of Never Land, where the Disney Fairies make their home.
Have you ever wondered how a flower gets its radiant glowing color...or wondered the source of a dew drop ... or contemplated from where rainbows start? It's all the work of fairies! This landmark motion picture from DisneyToon Studios reveals the story of Tinker Bell's early life in the fantastic world of Pixie Hollow.
Each fairy is born with a special talent and skills, whether it's making flowers grow, giving fireflies their shining light or tracing beautiful patterns into a winter morning's frost. Tinker Bell thinks her fairy talent as a "tinker" is not as special or important, because tinkers don't go to the mainland like the other fairies.
But when Tink tries to change who she is, she creates nothing but disaster! With encouragement from her friends Fawn, Iridessa, Rosetta and Silvermist, Tink learns that the key to solving her problems is found in her unique abilities ... and discovers that when you stay true to yourself, magical and great things can happen.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Absinthe (Pt. 2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPwDsk9V8io&hl=en
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
A Magical Fairy Party
A few months ago, as I was surfing the net, I came across several websites that spoke of Fairy Parties. It had never occurred to me that I could plan such a party for my almost 5 year old daughter. I got very excited about having a Fairy Party! I just didn't know where to start. I searched several sites that gave great ideas for Fairy games, I found lots of places that I could pick up Fairy party supplies, I even found a few that had "Parties in a Box". I decided to get one of the "Fairy Party in a Box" type packages and not have to worry about anything. Which party do I choose?! Hmmm... With so many options, I searched for 3 days. I went through every single Fairy Party that there is on the web. I was up til 2:00 in the morning every night-I was a woman obsessed!
Then I came across a party that was a little different. This party was called "The Ultimate Fairy Party for 8" at magicfairygarden.com . This was the one for me! It started off with me sending them a picture of my sweet little daughter, I dressed her up in a fairy costume and then they put wings on her and placed her into a fairy setting that my darling fairy chose herself. I sent them the wording for how I wanted the cards to read.
The next day the cards were approved by me and the package was off. Magic Fairy Garden offered a regular mailing or an express (I picked express, I couldn't wait to see this box). The website said my package from fairyland would arrive in 6 days, but I got it in only 5 (mind you, they were 5 long days... I'm sure that I was more excited than my daughter). I waited for my daughter to go to bed and that night I opened up my box.
Everything was just as I had imagined. There were 8 sets of costumes, there was my beautiful invitations with my fairy on them, several party games, grab bags, and the piece de resistance was a special birthday throne. It fit on my dining room chair and had a gold crown with fur trim and rhinestones. I took a seat and knew my daughter would love it when I surprised her with it on her birthday. There was a detailed brochure with step-by-step instructions for the party. Also, included in my box was something called "The Secret Fairy Ceremony" it was a ceremony that we were to perform at the end of the party. What a wonderful way to end a great party. I was impressed. They thought of everything.
The day of the party I put the party sign on my door and decorated with the butterflies that were in the party box. My daughter was out with her dad picking up the cake, while I set up so I was able to put the throne in her spot at the table. When they arrived she was so thrilled about the throne, she screamed and ran for the chair. I put the fairy that came in my package on the top of the cake and placed the games out... we were ready! When the kids arrived we played, ate and performed the Secret Fairy ceremony, it was great! Absolutely magical! It had been timed perfectly. The kids had such a great time, they all left my house dressed as fairies. It's been 2 months since that party and I still have kids talking about it. My daughter and her friends thinks that I give the best parties. I would recommend the Ultimate Fairy Party to anyone who wants to have a great Fairy Party.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Functions of Children's Fairy Tales
Fairy tales have been considered children's stories for a long time, yet the original meaning of them was very dark and fairly brutal. These where often stories of cannibalism, wicked parents, and brutal punishments, hardly the types of stories one would want to read to their children. Little Red Ridding Hood is for example a little bit of a horror story building tension before the girl is devoured, Jack in Jack and the Bean Stalk is a conniving greedy thief. Yet these problems only exist in the original telling of the stories. Children's fairy tales, are a new phenomenon and they are quite different from the stories of the past.
For many people Disney's cartoons are the only versions they know, though many still will have heard the stories from nursery rhymes and children's books. These stories then have different meanings then they did in the past, meanings which modern tellers have chosen to portray. It does not necessarily matter what the meaning was, what is important often times is what people see.
So these stories still have many of the same functions they had in the past despite this changed meaning. These are to entertain, and to pass on thoughts ideas and culture. This last function is what has made myths and other such things so successful as children's stories. Fairy tales in general are a means by which a society can socialize and grow its young people to be as it wants them to be. By the same token children's fairy tales have been used as a way to change society and alter the thinking of the new generations. This is especially true in modern societies where there are many thoughts and cultures within one group. In such a setting the fairy tale is a means of communicating these ideas to each other as much as within ourselves.
This last function of them as a means of communicating new and unique ideas of a person or group is a newer use of such stories. Though we have grown to accept other cultures much more readily then much of the past the idea of acculturation, and altering values is still important to us, perhaps more so as there are so many thoughts and ideas in the world. An individual writer and picture book illustrator has ideas about what is good and important, ideas which then make their way into the books for children which they create.
Though many do not consider different ideas between groups in the US for example as being different cultures they often are, for the beliefs, ideas, artistic representations and many of the other aspects of a culture very greatly from group to group. These things are often passed down, however as a society we have entered an interesting time, one in which many of the children change their cultural values greatly as they grow older.
The fairy tale today then is not only a means to pass on ideas to groups children but to change the ideas of other peoples.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Absinthe, Absynt "Emile Coulin"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr5mp4qBQek&hl=en
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Love and Marriage Fairy Tale
When we were children we believed in fairy tales and happy ever after endings just like Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and many other fairy tales. However, as we grow older, we soon realise that situations in real life do not always turn out as we would of expected our fairy tale to.
When we are young and fall in love we can sometimes have too high expectations for ourselves. We would like everything to be perfect. We think of our future together forever and hope that one day we will in fact have a fairy tale wedding and therefore live happily ever after.
For most couples love and marriage can be a fairy tale. Waking up together in the morning looking for that first smile of the day. This alone can put you on a high pedestal for the rest of the day. Sharing breakfast together can also be fun. Then when you return home from work and cannot wait to see each other there is so much to tell one another that, without realising it, you are becoming closer and closer to each other. Also, the old saying that a problem shared is a problem halved can be so true as your partner may view things in a different light from how you have viewed them. Again, by sharing you are showing you can caring. Hence, a stable relationship is growing all the time. Live is such a wonderful thing.
When marriage is discussed and a proposal made we fall head over heels in love. We cannot wait to tell family and friends and get very excited about going shopping for an engagement ring or showing off the ring that was chosen or even handed down as a heirloom in the family. You are both on a high note for a long time as everyone congratulates you both on you engagement.
The next step is to set a date for your marriage fairy tale. Once you have decided on a date, you then gat excited and look forward to making all the booking arrangements. After booking the church, bells, reception and caterer you can then start shopping around for that very special fairy tale wedding dress that everyone will wow over. Whether you choose a long flowing sparkling ball gown or a short tailored plain suite for your love & marriage fairy tale wedding, the choice is phenomenal. Many couples choose top hat and tails for their fairy tale wedding which also sets a fairy tale theme. Accessories are also of prime importance as tiaras reflect a very elegant fairy tale marriage. Couples may also wish to take their love and marriage fairy tale one step closer to a real fairy tale and decide to hire a pony and trap as a mode of transport to and from the church.
The choice in the location is the reception is also of prime importance to your fairy tale wedding. Some couples choose to have a marquee in a romantic setting or even decide to hold their reception in a castle to complete their fairy tale wedding. Décor is another area to exploit for a perfect romantic fairy tale setting. There are flowers, doves, confetti, streamers, balloons, bubbles, the list is endless. You could even round your evening off with a spectacular grand fairy tale firework finale. Remember, your fairy tale marriage should be just as if you were reading a fairy tale book. You have carefully chosen your dream marriage fairy tale and your day will be an unforgettable experience enjoyed to the full by all who attend to witness and celebrate your love and marriage fairy tale.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Fairy Bedroom Decor Ideas
Fairy Bedroom Décor can be fun for not only your child but also the adults as well, as you can bring your child's dreams to life by creating a wonderful and inspiring haven for them to enjoy. Decorating with Fairies has never been easier with all of the wonderful accessories you can buy. There are lamps, wallpaper, pillows, shams, comforters, blankets and so much more. You can get traditional fairy designs that remind you of old English bedtime stories, or the more modern look of Tinkerbell.
Imagine a place that is not only fun for your little girl but also appealing and relaxing for you, a world full of magic and wonder all inside of her bedroom. A place where wishes can come true and you can reach the stars with only a thought. Picture your little girl's bedroom going from boring or drab into a fairy land adventure, with the help of some well placed pieces of furniture.
When getting ready to start transforming her bedroom, you need to have a basic idea of what you want and how it will be placed. A good way to start is to paint the walls a solid white, or other color your little girl prefers. Depending on whether the room has hardwood flooring or carpet, you can choose a rug the same color as the wall or one with a pattern where colors are brought together.
Once you have your basics done you can then start looking for wall trimmings, such as borders, clocks, pictures and other decorative items, including shelves with fake vines decorating them. There are figurines that sit, some that hang from the wall and ceiling and even ones you can use in place of handles on dressers and doors. When decorating the walls you can put a clear coat of paint with glitter in it, giving it a magical sparkle. You can also paint plants on the wall that go up to the ceiling and then have hidden fairies throughout.
When looking for fabrics for the room you want to remember that Fairies are light magical creatures that are delicate and little, so use lightweight materials. You can take a sheer material with anything fairy on it, such as flowers or sparkles, and drape this over the curtains on the windows, and from the ceiling to about half-way down to the bed to give the bed and bedroom a hidden and special feel.
Depending on how much you want to spend you can get entire bedroom sets and furniture to match the fairy theme. If you want some control and spend less, you can buy a bed set in a soft color and then accent with pillows or throws to match. If the bed is made from wood and you do not want to change the color of it, you can get stick on accessories that can be moved around. These will give the bed a magical feel without actually painting it.
For lamps and light fixtures go with something that matches the room or that you would not mind being there for a long time, gold, silver and while light fixtures and lamps are a good choice. Once you have them you can then add gauzy shades for the lamps, and then hang sparkling gems from the light fixtures.
Incorporating a fairy design your child's bedroom can be done for newborns to teenagers, all you have to do is use the right age-appropriate accessories. The older your child, the more she can provide input on what she would like.
Friday, May 7, 2010
The Green Fairy of Absinth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqa62iiUwUI&hl=en
Fairy Princess: The History of the Felicity Wishes Fairy Princess Craze
The latest Fairy Princess craze is based upon Emma Thomson's character Felicity Wishes. In addition, the whimsical Fairy Princess has been used in some popular infant and toddler bedding. Colors used in the art of the Fairy Princess includes bright and cheery hues of pink, purple, white and mint green with art that gives the impression of appliques and stitches. The designs are scattered with fairy themes patterns like stars, flowers, and flower buds. The art is unique in that it is child-like in its innocence and it appeals to children and parents alike. Felicity Wishes, the Fairy Princess, loves everything pink and wears as much of it as she can.
Felicity Wishes is a magical Fairy Princess who is able to do what all little girls wish they could do. She grants wishes with the simple wave of a glittery wand. She lives in a place called Little Blossoming where she attends the School of Nine Wishes. She is a Fairy Princess in training but is working hard to complete her studies to become a fully-qualified Friendship Fairy. Her best friends include Daisy, Polly, Holly and the little blue bird named Bertie Dishes. Daisy is training to be a blossom Fairy Princess. She loves flowers and carries flower seeds around with her to plant wherever she goes. She makes flower perfume too. Polly wants to be a tooth Fairy Princess when she grows up. Holly is training to be a Christmas fairy.
Felicity and her Fairy Princess friends have books, posters, coloring books, paper dolls and all sorts of other toys to choose from. In addition, there are craft patterns including cross stitch and magic glitter wand plans available to try making that have Fairy Princess Felicity and her friends doing what they do best - being cute! Combine the Fairy Princess Felicity with some great party supplies and accessories to make sure that your party is cute, bright, and full of Fairy Princess fun!