A paper heart with tissue paper roses (or at least a pathetic attempt at them) when I was in kindergarten. I made it for my father for Father's Day. I always sucked at papercrafts and art-type projects. Show me a performing art, or culinary art, and I could do it. But visual arts? Unless you count photography, I sucked.
And that pathetic paper heart I made my dad? He kept it for at least 20 years. I think that's where I learned my appreciation for gifts, no matter who gave them, or the reason they were given.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Book review: The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
I started playing in a Steampunk tabletop game a few months ago, and while I'm somewhat familiar with Steampunk culture I thought reading a bit more about common technologies and society structure couldn't hurt. It was research of a sort, but the most fun kind! And hey, I found the book for 60% off when Borders was going out of business, so even if it wasn't that good it wasn't a big loss.
As the The Girl in the Steel Corset was categorized as a teen novel, I didn't have very high expectations and thought it would be an easy read. But the book pleasantly surprised me in how GOOD it was! The characters of the novel are all teens, and have the required amount of teen angst, but not the excessive Twilight kind. I smiled at the angst rather than rolling my eyes (or wanting to claw them out). The story also found a way to pull in many classics of Victorian science fiction, as well as tidbits of Victorian history, in a very non-cheesy way. The parents of of the main characters made a journey to the center of the earth - but the focus was more on what was found there and how those items could be used, rather than the journey itself. There was the prerequisite inclusion of automatons, but it wasn't excessive. Psychic abilities and ghosts are explained in a simple way, but a logical one.
The story took so many of the things I love about the Steampunk phenomena (strong women, steamcycles, chivalrous romance, and alternative science) as well as some of the things I usually don't like (mechanical limbs, dreadlocked girls, Queen Victoria herself, and gunslingers) and combined them in such a way that I liked everything. In fact, the only drawback to the book is that is the first of a series...and the only one published thus far.
So great job, Kady Cross! PLEASE keep them coming!
As the The Girl in the Steel Corset was categorized as a teen novel, I didn't have very high expectations and thought it would be an easy read. But the book pleasantly surprised me in how GOOD it was! The characters of the novel are all teens, and have the required amount of teen angst, but not the excessive Twilight kind. I smiled at the angst rather than rolling my eyes (or wanting to claw them out). The story also found a way to pull in many classics of Victorian science fiction, as well as tidbits of Victorian history, in a very non-cheesy way. The parents of of the main characters made a journey to the center of the earth - but the focus was more on what was found there and how those items could be used, rather than the journey itself. There was the prerequisite inclusion of automatons, but it wasn't excessive. Psychic abilities and ghosts are explained in a simple way, but a logical one.
The story took so many of the things I love about the Steampunk phenomena (strong women, steamcycles, chivalrous romance, and alternative science) as well as some of the things I usually don't like (mechanical limbs, dreadlocked girls, Queen Victoria herself, and gunslingers) and combined them in such a way that I liked everything. In fact, the only drawback to the book is that is the first of a series...and the only one published thus far.
So great job, Kady Cross! PLEASE keep them coming!
NaBloPoMo prompt for December 2: What was the most disappointing gift you received as a child?
This is hard for me to remember. I learned to appreciate gifts early so any gift was a good one. My family was solidly middle class, but I can't remember a Christmas or birthday where I didn't get what I wanted. I kind of remember my sixth birthday was not great, but there was lot going on in my family during that time.
I suppose my 12th birthday - where my gift from my parents was a bedroom redecorated in pink - was rather disappointing. I'm not a pink person, and never have. I spent the summer away from my family, so arriving home to a pink room was definitely not joyful. Another long and interesting story.
I suppose my 12th birthday - where my gift from my parents was a bedroom redecorated in pink - was rather disappointing. I'm not a pink person, and never have. I spent the summer away from my family, so arriving home to a pink room was definitely not joyful. Another long and interesting story.
NaBloPoMo prompt for December1: What was the first tangible gift you remember receiving?
The first gift I remember was a pair of ballet shoes, bought by my grandmother. She had also signed me up for ballet class, and I loved it. She even bought me my first tutu. She came to every recital, and often picked me up from class.
Though I don't dance much anymore, I still love it when I do. Dancing is something that has been part of me for pretty much my entire life. I've learned 4 different forms of dance in my life. It was something in me, something that just flowed from me when the music started. There have been two things I have been able to do for pretty much entire life: cook and dance.
Though I don't dance much anymore, I still love it when I do. Dancing is something that has been part of me for pretty much my entire life. I've learned 4 different forms of dance in my life. It was something in me, something that just flowed from me when the music started. There have been two things I have been able to do for pretty much entire life: cook and dance.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
NaBloPoMo prompt: What is the last thing you do before bed?
I am horrible about keeping routines, and even worse about really "getting ready" for bed. I'll be sure to wash my face to get rid of all makeup, moisturize, pull back my hair, plug my phone into the charger....but when it comes to putting on pajamas, shutting down my laptop, or even shutting of my overhead light, I am not so reliable.
Quite often, I'll put some TV show or movie on my computer to play while I try to get to sleep. I live with two roommates, so having a strong noise to focus my brain on means outside stimuli is likely to keep me awake or even wake me up. I prefer putting something on my computer rather than my actual television, because that automatically stops after a while and I don't want to annoy my roommates or possibly keep them up either.
Maybe as I get older I'll get better about making and keeping a routine.
Quite often, I'll put some TV show or movie on my computer to play while I try to get to sleep. I live with two roommates, so having a strong noise to focus my brain on means outside stimuli is likely to keep me awake or even wake me up. I prefer putting something on my computer rather than my actual television, because that automatically stops after a while and I don't want to annoy my roommates or possibly keep them up either.
Maybe as I get older I'll get better about making and keeping a routine.
Book Review: A Rush of Wings by Adrian Phoenix
So...vampire books are very popular these days. And vampire novels with other supernatural creatures? Oh boy! Blame it on Twilight, blame it on True Blood (or even the much better books that inspired the series - the Sookie Stackhouse series), or even blame it the smut that actually used to be vampire/supernatural novels, the Anita Blake books. Whatever reason you choose to believe, more and more supernatural and vampire novels are hitting the shelves of bookstores.
A Rush of Wings seemed like an interesting story - FBI agent tracking a serial killer gets pulled into the underworld of vampires, hardly believing what is happening around. Buuuuuutt....while the story was interesting, it was definitely not in a way I liked.
First, there was the constant use of other languages. I speak French, so the lack of translation there was not a problem for me. The Hebrew, however, was a problem. The author decided to weave in some mythology regarding angels and use Hebrew (or maybe even Aramaic? Heck if I know) words to describe the different kinds of angels and companions. Don't get me wrong, angel mythology and nephilim fascinate me, but introducing the plotline halfway into the story out of nowhere just makes things jumbled. Overly dramatic, even. It helped to resolve the plot in some ways, and left the book open for a sequel, but I think it could have been woven in more smoothly.
The characters, subject matter, and plot of the book are all very dark. I fully believe vampires should live in the dark and are not sparkly. But I can also freely admit my wimpiness and not want to read about how exciting and erotic serial killers find killing people. Or just how much that rockstar likes his drugs. I get it, both happen in the real world. But books are my escape from the real world, so I don't want to read about things that upset me there.
All in all, the book was good. I got through it in like a week, reading 2-3 hours a day. But I plan to pass it along to one of my geeky gal friends rather than keep it.
A Rush of Wings seemed like an interesting story - FBI agent tracking a serial killer gets pulled into the underworld of vampires, hardly believing what is happening around. Buuuuuutt....while the story was interesting, it was definitely not in a way I liked.
First, there was the constant use of other languages. I speak French, so the lack of translation there was not a problem for me. The Hebrew, however, was a problem. The author decided to weave in some mythology regarding angels and use Hebrew (or maybe even Aramaic? Heck if I know) words to describe the different kinds of angels and companions. Don't get me wrong, angel mythology and nephilim fascinate me, but introducing the plotline halfway into the story out of nowhere just makes things jumbled. Overly dramatic, even. It helped to resolve the plot in some ways, and left the book open for a sequel, but I think it could have been woven in more smoothly.
The characters, subject matter, and plot of the book are all very dark. I fully believe vampires should live in the dark and are not sparkly. But I can also freely admit my wimpiness and not want to read about how exciting and erotic serial killers find killing people. Or just how much that rockstar likes his drugs. I get it, both happen in the real world. But books are my escape from the real world, so I don't want to read about things that upset me there.
All in all, the book was good. I got through it in like a week, reading 2-3 hours a day. But I plan to pass it along to one of my geeky gal friends rather than keep it.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Salma Hayek - From Desperado to new Nuances
I remember the first movie I saw where Salma Hayek really made an impression - it was the romantic comedy Fools Rush In that came out when I was a teenager. Hayek was a fiery and sassy photographer who learned how much just one night with the right guy can turn your life upside down. Her beauty and ease in her own skin made an impression on me, and she became an actress I followed over the years. She's probably the only reason I saw the movie Wild Wild West. But her dance in From Dusk til Dawn redeemed her.
So when a beautiful decided to take on the world of beauty - and create a line to be sold in drugstores, rather than a high-end department store - I got very excited. I read several bloggers' previews and reviews of the Nuance line and had several moments of "I HAVE to buy that!" From funky shaped eyes quads to the cheek trios to the skin and hair care items, I kept waiting for that magic combination of release date and payday to hit my local CVS and make my own assessment.
So when a beautiful decided to take on the world of beauty - and create a line to be sold in drugstores, rather than a high-end department store - I got very excited. I read several bloggers' previews and reviews of the Nuance line and had several moments of "I HAVE to buy that!" From funky shaped eyes quads to the cheek trios to the skin and hair care items, I kept waiting for that magic combination of release date and payday to hit my local CVS and make my own assessment.
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