Jane Austen: My New Inspiration

The greatest writer of all time, Miss Jane Austen herself. She had been a credit to all lovers of love stories and a good novel.
The great authoress herself would have turned 234 years old today. So as a tribute to her I want to dedicate a blog post to her.
Miss Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775. While she went about writing her work, she published it anonymously. She published Sense and Sensibility in 1811, followed by Pride and Prejudice in 1813, Mansfield Park in 1814, and Emma in 1815. While in her life time she was not celebrated for her works, she became recognized as one of the greatest writers after her life. After her death in July 18, 1817, with her sister Cassandra Austen holding her in her arms, two other books were published. In 1817 Northanger Abbey was published along with Persuasion in the same year. There are other works that she wrote such as the short story Lady Susan and Love and Friendship along with a few other early works. There are two pieces of work that she didn't finish and that's Sandition and The Watsons. There are many more, but most are early works or just pieces that didn't get published. I personally have her six novels and Lady Susan in one beautifully leather bound book by Barnes and Noble, and is a must buy for any Jane Austen enthusiast. Let's just say it makes reading her books more authentic.
Many countless books have been published by other authors who wished to extend Jane Austen's original novels. Anywhere from the daughters of Mr. Darcey and Lizzy to weird editions about Zombies or Sea Monsters. Any Janeite (a fan/fan culture developed that's centered on Austen's life, her works, and the various film and television adaptations of them) can enjoy many different adaptions of their favorite Jane Austen novel.
I myself am just starting on the Jane Austen journey. I'm currently reading Sense and Sensibility. I've also had the great chance to read Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler and Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by the same author. While they are both works of fiction where the idea of turning up in Jane Austen's time or coming from Jane Austen's time to our time was just too fun to read. I highly recommend both of them, even if you haven't read any of Jane Austen's works.
All of her novels have been turned into television specials and major motion pictures. I've seen three so far, with one based on Jane Austen's life.
Becoming Jane is based off the biography written by Jon Spence called Becoming Jane Austen, and is set around Jane Austen's own love relationship when she was in her twenties with a young lawyer named Thomas Lefroy. Anne Hathaway stars as the young authoress and the yummy James McAvoy plays the Irish-born Mr. Lefroy. Anne does a great job at portraying Jane Austen, though at times it peeved me a bit that she isn't British, and thus lacks the proper accent. The score/soundtrack to the film is very gorgeous and is a must buy if you just want a little bit of Regency Era-type (the Regency Era is the name of the era in England during Jane Austen's time) of music.
Pride and Prejudice is by far one of my favorite films. Keira Knighley stars as the independent thinker Elizabeth Bennet, and along side her is Matthew Macfadyen, the most gorgeous Mr. Darcy I have ever seen!!! Both with their heads on too tight, they embark on a journey that takes them to a great understanding that their perceptions of each other were wrong in the first place. The soundtrack for this film is also gorgeous and my dream is to dance to the song that Mr. Darcy and Lizzy dance to at the ball for my wedding. The song is called "A Postcard to Henry Purcell." I purchased the special gift box edition of the film so it came with the film, the soundtrack, a ticket to see Atonement (also with Keira Knightley and James McAvoy), and a making-of book describing the characters, the clothing and everything else about the film.
Lastly, I've seen Sense and Sensibility and thanks to my cousin Maritza, I have this film. This movie has Emma Thompson as the shy Elinor Dashwood and Kate Winslet as the scandalous Marianne Dashwood. This film, along with the novel, concentrates on the lives of the two sisters, and how they cope with their circumstances. It's more about sisterhood than it is about romance. Emma Thompson did an excellent job writing the screenplay and received an Academy Award for Best Screenplay in 1995, two Golden Globe for Best Picture and Best Screenplay, and it won many other countless awards for me to mention them all here. It's just that good.
If anything Jane Austen has been an inspiration to me and she will keep on developing my love for the art of the novel. She has inspired me so much that my dream wedding dress is designed with the Regency Era in mind.

This gorgeous dress is very cute and very appropriate to get married in the temple. Naturally, I'm not even set with a boyfriend, let alone a fiance, but a girl always dreams of her wedding day, along with her wedding dress. The jewelry is also very cute and simple, which I can also purchase from the same etsy shop.

Here are a few Austen must haves:
The Jane Austen action figure
The Jane Austen Little Thinker plush doll (You better belive I have this one! ^_^)
Jane Austen Is My Homegirl tee (I totally want this in teal!!!)
Jane Austen: Her Life and Letters: A Family Record (A collection of letters written by Jane Austen placed together in one book by her grand nephew and great-grand nephew)
Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners (An etiquette book based on the times of Jane Austen. You won't think about her world in the same way again)
Jane Austen Finger Puppet (Because your fingers need a little personality. Haha!)
Jane Austen Sparkling Pendant (This is the most beautiful way to wear Jane Austen around your neck)
Jane Austen's Little Instruction Book (A Little Gift Book)
Pride and Prejudice (The Comic book version of Pride and Prejudice!!! I can now die happy!!!)
The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen (A work of fiction, but it's not less fun to read than any other fictional book)
Lost in Austen: Create Your Own Jane Austen Adventure (It's a "go to this page to do that" kind of book)
Becoming Jane: The Wit and Wisdom of Jane Austen (The Miramax film edition, different than the one below)
The Wit and Wisdom of Jane Austen: Quotes From Her Novels, Letters, and Diaries
Everything this shop has is cute!
Your own Jane Austen lip balm!
A Jane Austen tote bag

So as I finish this post I want to wish a Happy Birthday the great Jane Austen. I wish you were still alive today to see how much happiness your novels have brought the world.

As a fun activity I found a website that had a quiz where you can figure out which Jane Austen novel heroine you are. I am Elinor Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility.


Here's what is said about my results:
You are Elinor Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! You are practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though you are tremendously sensible and allow your head to rule, you have a deep, emotional side that few people often see.

I want to challenge all who read my blog to take the quiz themselves, even if you haven't read any of her novels. You could end up finding out you are a particular character and you might want to read up on the book that your character was based off from. You can take the quiz in link. Then I want to ask you to post your results on the comments section of this post. Happy quiz taking! ^_^

Quote of the Day!

"Dance like no one's watching, live every day like it's your last, and love like you've never been hurt."
-Unknown

I don't know who said this, but I love it. I had it on my MySpace headline for a long while before there was a space to have a headline. There's no headline space anymore. I sort of thought of the film Labyrinth, which I'll discuss in a later post, but now, there's this...

Do You Know What I Did This Summer?

Gosh, it seems like the minute I got out of school and went back in for the the Fall, this blog ceased to exist, but here I am ready to give you another great update. This past summer was long, particularly because I didn't do much.

Let me give you an over view of the summer. I used June to plan out Girls Camp for the Huntington Park West LDS stake. Well for the Maywood Branch anyways. I was called to be Camp Director for our branch. It real went well. A bit stressful while I was there, but it was a good time. Lots of hiking this year... Hahaha! You can see pictures from Girls Camp in my facebook pictures.

I was also called to go with two of my girls to Youth Camp. It was totally last minute, but I was needed. Here are my pictures from Youth Camp.

I also went to Disneyland in July for my Birthday!!! I had so much fun! You can see pictures of my Disneyland trip here.

I also did quite a bit of reading. I can't remember that well all of the reading I did, but I think I can track it.

• I finished up Chosen by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast. The beginning was slow and I thought I was going to stop reading the entire series, but I'm glad I was persistent and that was thanks to a sweet assistant is Borders in Cerritos.


• Along with Chosen I also got to read Untamed by the Casts. It ended with a GIANT climax to the series and I was hungry for the next book, but alas I wasn't able to borrow it from my cousin. Yet...


• The same day I got the suggestion from the assistant at Borders to keep going with the House of Night series, she also suggested another series, The Immortal Instruments series. The first book is called City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. It's was really good, but I had a slow first half start.


• I then started to read Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, and I had a slow start with it, and it kept going slow. I felt like I had to read it because it's a classic. It's just one of those books you have to read before you die. I don't regret reading it. I never got the chance to read it when I was in school, so thought I would read it on my own. I paused half way to read a different book...


• I was able to borrow The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold from my cousin Maritza, who borrowed it from the Long Beach Library. I told my cousin about the movie that's going to come out based on the book. We've both seen the trailer and it looks like the movie is going to match the book really well. You can see the trailer to the movie and a small featurette on the official movie website.


• For my birthday, Maritza gave me Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball. Actually my cousin and me have been having I Love Lucy marathons from our own homes. It was a lot of fun laughing at all of Lucy's crazy antics and schemes. Love, Lucy is Lucille Ball's official autobiography. I was so fascinating to know how she grew up to be the person she is now.


• A movie that I got to see during the summer was The Time Traveler's Wife with Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana as the main characters . When I went to see My Sister's Keeper I saw the trailer and loved it! The book was pretty good, but I ended up liking the movie waaaaaay more than I liked the book. It's up to you to judge though. Give The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger a chance. The DVD for the film comes out February 9, 2010.
  


• A year ago I started The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory after I heard that the movie that was going to come out with Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson and Eric Bana. I loved the movie, but I saw it with without finishing the book. I don't think I even get a quarter in when I stopped reading it because of school. I decided I wanted to pick it up after I found out Eric Bana was playing Henry in The Time Traveler's Wife. I wanted to see The Other Boleyn Girl before seeing The Time Traveler's Wife, and I decided I should finish the book, so I did.


• I then sort of started City of Ashes, the second book in the Immortal Intruments series (I didn't get very far), but then I was able to borrow Hunted by the Casts from the library, so I figured I would stop to read the book that I had 3 weeks to read. I finished Hunted and then picked up City of Ashes again after I got it back from one of my girls from church that I had let borrow the book.
  


• I then started The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong with a book club that I was able to start with a couple of friends. The book club is called The Order of the Moon and you can check out our blog at www.theorderofthemoon.blogspot.com, though we haven't updated the blog in a looooong time.
  

I did a lot more reading than I thought I would, and I'm looking forward to a lot more reading. I then read more this past Fall and I'll post a list of books that I read during the semester later.

I saw a few movies this summer too. Like you remembered, I mentioned My Sister's Keeper, it was a good movie, but I didn't cry in at as much as I thought I would. I went with Maritza to watch that movie. My dear friend Carolina, or Carol like I call her, let me borrow 5 movies while I was in the Spring semester and I didn't get a chance to watch them before the semester ended. She let me borrow Too Many Girls, The Long Long Trailer, and Forever Darling. All 3 of them had Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in it. They both met each other when they were working on Too Many Girls. Carol also let me borrow Yours, Mine and Ours with Lucille Ball. It was really weird to see Lucille with another man besides Desi. She also lent me Stone Pillow which was her last movie that she made before she passed away. It was a very sad movie and she was very much aged.

I didn't get much of a chance to watch to TV except a bunch of reruns of SpongeBob SquarePants during the summer. I also got rid of the cable in my room because I noticed that I stayed up to watch Nick at Night before I went to bed and I ended up sleeping late. I also noticed that I got sleepy a lot faster watching TV and I lost the desire to read before I went to bed.

Now lastly, music. I had a lot of tracks for the soundtrack of my summer, but I found out about a bunch of bands and music artists. Silversun Pickups became one of my favorite bands. They have a very unique sound and I love them now. I L-O-V-E LOVE Carolina Liar. Gosh, what's not great about him... uh... yeah... well I can't describe him, but he has an excellent indie sound to his music. I was looking forward to Muse's new album The Resistance all summer long. Their single from that album, Uprising, became one of my favorite songs of the summer. Pheonix's song 1901 also became another favorite, along with Fireflies by Owl City. I also got a chance to listen to Killswitch Engage. My Curse and Starting Over were part of the soundtrack of my summer, even though they are scream-o. I was also able to go and see No Doubt in concert with my cousin Maritza. Paramore was with them and I was happy they were there.

Well this is pretty much my summer in a nutshell. Better late then never. Stay tuned for more posts and an overview of my Fall semester. I'll be ending my Fall semester in about a week.

Winter break count down: 8 days!

Quote of the Day!

“Beneath the makeup & behind the smile I am just a girl who wishes for the world.”
— Marilyn Monroe

Quote of the Day!

"Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward."
-Vernon Law

This is one of my favorite quotes. I got it from one of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books, by Ann Brashers. The author placed at the beginning of every chapter a quote and it kind of gave you a clue as to what to expect in that chapter, but from all of the four books, this is the only that I liked.

Things I Love Thursday!

'Ello every one!!! For this weeks "Things I Love Thursday," everything is very random.

First of all, everyone needs a planner to make sure that their days turn out well. Well Moleskine has the best planners ever! They even have sketching notebooks, blank notebooks, watercolor painting notebooks, story board notebooks, and music notebooks. These notebooks have been used by great people like Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and Ernest Hemingway. That's how cool they are. The one I want is the 18 Month one, so that I can start using it now. You can find other great ones on Amazon or moleskines.com. You can also find a small selection at a Borders near you (you might want to look around close to the cash registers, or at least that's were I've seen them).

I LOVE Sephora's line of Harajuku Lovers make-up bags. I prefer the "I Love Ice-Cream Collection" because I Love Ice-Cream!!!! I think I like the little pencil case bag more because I can use it for school or for carrying all of the little things I have in my every-day bag. All of them are every darling. Sephora also has a "Summer of Lovers Collection" and it's also cute!

Bath and Body Works has some of the best smelling lotions ever! They are not greasy and absorb quickly into your skin. My favorite scent is Sweat Pea. It's tones are very soft and just right for any season. Right now, Bath and Body Works is having it's Semi-Annual Sale, so why not take advantage of their great deals on-line or in store?
Another great item from Sephora or any department store with Benefit Cosmetics items is the Benetint Lip Balm with SPF 15. It's cute because it's a lip balm, a lip stain (its a rosy colored stain that will stay on your lips for a loooong time), and it has SPF 15 so it will protect your lips from the harmful rays of the sun. What more could you want in one product?

These sandals by Chales David are incredibly cute!!!!!! I love them in Pink and in Blue, but they also have them in Black and Gold/White. Why not get ready to dance the night away by ditching the killer heels for these glam, bejeweled flats?

Books are an important accessory and item in my life. I'm a crazed reader and right now I'm crazed over the House of Night Series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast. So far I've gotten my little cousin Joss into the series. You can check out the series' official website and you can purchase them at your local bookstore like Borders or Barnes & Noble, or on Amazon. I've read Marked, Betrayed, Chosen, and Untamed. I've yet to get Hunted from my cousin Cindy, and I think I might crack soon and end up buying it because Untamed left you on a big cliff hanger with all hell breaking loose (literally). The sixth book, Tempted, doesn't come out until October 27, so I do have a while to the read the fifth one.

My family isn't big on pets, and if you're like me, you want one! Why not carry it around your neck? This cute little Pet Gold Fish necklace is too cute to pass on. It might not be able to hold a real gold fish, but it's just as cute!

I LOVE Chinese Food! I recently got back into Panda Express, after eating Chinese Food from this little place close to my house called Orange Chicken. So with my love of Chinese Food comes this charm bracelet! I love all of the little trinkets it has! It even has a pair of chop sticks! Hahaha! Too cute!!!

I love the work that Tarina Tarantino does with her jewelry and accessories! Everything is cute and sparkly. I couldn't just pick one piece to show here. I really love all of her jewelry. It's just too cute! Some things have Hello Kitty on them with Tarina's trademark pink hair (which I would love to have ^_^), or she picks a place like LA and makes jewelry based on the place like her new City Girl LA line.

And speaking of Pink Hair! Tarina Tarantino also released, along with Barbie Collector, a darling and sweet looking doll. The doll wears a lime dress, pink shoes, Tarina Tarantino mini accessories, a silver tiara and PINK hair! This is one of the dolls of my dreams!

That's it for this weeks "Things I Love Thursday!" I wish you an excellent and sparkly weekend!

Quote of the Day!

"Don't Cry Because It's Over, Smile Because It Happened."
- Dr. Seuss
Congrats to my Grads: Khrisna, Arisbel, and Alba!
Woot Woot! Class of 2009!!!

What's In Jess's Bag?

• Coach Indigo Patchwork Carly Bag

• My Borders and Barnes & Noble Coupons (Cause you can never save too much at a bookstore, especially if you are me ^_^)

• Coach Sofia Black sunglasses and case

• Kleenex Anti-Viral Tissue (One can never know when you would get a runny nose)

• Mini Advil pack

• Clean and Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets

• Maybelline New York Mineral Power Finishing Veil Powder

• Tide to Go Instant Stain Remover (Cause it looks like my food ends up on my shirt, not my mouth)

• Pink CSULB pen

• Korres Cherry Full Color Lip Gloss in Beige Pink 32
  

• Blistex Silk & Shine Lip Balm (Thanks to my cousin, Maritza for suggesting this because it really works, unlike ChapStick)

• Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer (Cause it kills 99.99% of Germs)

• Mini Coach Coin Purse (Thanks to Maritza for giving it to me a few Christmases ago)

• Lucy's Predic-a-Mints in Peppermint (Cause only Lucy can hold your mints)

• iPod 30 GB and Pink Case (The pink case was given to me by Maritza last Christmas)

• My House keys, Sephora Insider card, Borders Rewards card, and Hallmark Gold Crown Rewards card, and my Twilight Cullen Crest keychain

• My Pink BlackJack II (I love it and can't live with out it!!!)

• Queen of Freakin' Everything/ Marie Antoinette Metal Hinged Wallet (I freakin' love this wallet! It's very cute and just my size)

What do you think? What do you have in your bag? Hope your weekend goes off with a smash!

Things I Love Thursday!

It's been a while since I last updated this blog, and I thought I would add another "Things I Love Thursday!"

For today's Things I Love Thursday, I sort of went eco-chic.

First, PRETTY BOWS!!!! Gabby Estep and Emma Hartman are these sweet girls that make bows out of duct tape. They are darling and cute and purdy! Plus, they sell the bows to give a portion of their proceeds go towards stopping Global Warming. You can buy a bow in their website and you can also check out their blog to learn more about their cause.

Flowers in a can! This is toooo cute! Why not use recycled cans to grow flowers?!!

Buy a bag, feed a child. If you purchase one of these bags, you save the use of a plastic bag and you feel one child for a full year. This program was started by Lauren Bush and you can purchase a bag and learn more about her project on the FEED project website.

I L-O-V-E loooove make-up and my cousin Maritza can vouch for me on that, and what better way to love make up than to buy eco friendly make-up. CARGO has a great line of make-up that's organic, it has biodegradable packaging and even the boxes they are purchased with can be watered and planted to grow your own little garden. Check out the line at a Sephora near you or on their website.

I love these totes! Mostly because there's one with my favorite Zodiac (Cancer) Fairy, but they are really cute. I'm waiting for mine to come in the mail! They are organic and spacious to carry your things in. You can check them out on eBay or the actual website.

Shoes! Who doesn't like shoes! These shoes by Keds are made from organic cotton, recycled rubber, and soy-based inks and dyes. What better way to walk on this earth than with shoes that are good for the earth.

I like to listen to my iPod out loud usually when no one is around, or when my friends want to hear what I'm listening to, but it's too much work to carry my iHome around. These speakers fold up so that you can travel with them easily and they are made from recycled plastic. You can find these cute speakers and in other shapes and colors on the Fashionation website.

Whether it's your shampoo of your eye shadow, changing just one product in your beauty regimen to a natural or organic one can be a great first step. Teens Turning Green is a great organization that created products that we use everyday, but they are natural. Check out their line to see if there is something that you can change.

Etsy is one of the greatest websites ever invented! It works just like eBay, but it's more of a market place for hand made things. They also have recycled items, or vintage items. In other words, you buy and you reuse something that might have ended up in a land fill. I love it because it's the best place to find one-of-a-kind things, or gifts for people that are hard to get gifts for. Check it out!

Lastly, and this is my latest addiction (and my cousin Maritza's as well)...
YOGURTLAND!!!!!!!! ***Angels sing***
It is the best self-serve frozen yogurt store ever!!!!!!!!!! If you've never been, then you need to. It's sooooo gooooood!!!!! I'm going to get some today! Check out their website for a location near you. The reason they are eco, or at least the reason that I know of is that the plastic spoons that you use to eat your delicious fro-yo is biodegradable. That's eco enough for me! Hahahaha!
(My favorite: NY Cheesecake and Strawberry frozen yogurt, topped with strawberries, raspberries, cheesecake bits, and white yogurt chocolate chips, along with a bit of caramel syrup! *** More Angels sing***)

This is it for today. I'm off to get fro-yo. I WANT SOME NOW!!!

Fairy Day!

For those young at heart, here is a holiday we could all rejoice in celebrating! Fairy Day!

Fairy Day was invented by the one and only, Jessica Galbreth, the artist I talked about in my last post. She's so great that she invented a holiday!

What is Fairy Day, you might ask, and what do you do on that day? Let me fill you in from a quote from Jessica Galbreth and her official Fairy Day website:

"Fairy Day is a holiday sprung from the imagination of a fairy artist and believer, and brought to life with the help of many of her talented friends and fellow fairy lovers. With the world enjoying a surge of interest in all things fairy, we feel that now is the perfect time to introduce a yearly holiday to celebrate the fae. This holiday is for everyone who believes in the magic of fairytales. It is for those imaginative souls who dare to dream impossible dreams. It is for the children of the world, wide eyed and open to the magic that surrounds them. It is for adults too, who long to capture a bit of that magic they remember from thier own childhood. Please join us in supporting this wonderful holiday."

- Jessica Galbreth, fairy artist, founder of Fairy Day

There's lots of things that you can do for this special day like,

• Have a banquet lunch outdoors with friends and family in a beautiful natural setting!
• Plant some fairy favourites in your garden- St Johns wort, Blue Bells,Clover and Foxglove are all loved by fairies!
• Light a small bonfire, or candle at night (remember fire safety first!)
• Stay out late on Midsummers Eve! Look for Will-o-wisps, Midsummers is the best time to see them. Be careful not to chase them though, they are not always friendly.
• Pick a bouquet of 9 flowers and put it under your pillow at night to dream of love and magic.
• Look for fairy rings and oak trees.
• Create a candle boat! Build a small paper boat and fill it with flowers, then light a small candle in it and set it adrift (again, remember fire safety first!).
• Make yourself a daisy chain necklace!
• Dress in all your fairy finery and sprinkle fairy dust where ever you go!

Pretty much Fairy Day is an annual holiday where those souls who love all things fairy can celebrate our interest in this mythical and magical genre. It is also a time to celebrate nature and our environment, and just shamelessly BE a fairy!

It's up to you to make the most of this beautiful day because June 24th, close to the northern hemispheres Midsummers Eve, is a magical time of year long celebrated for its link to the fairy world. You have a month away to prepare your self for this holiday, so get to it!

(Suggestions and other information gathered from this website, and the official Fairy Day website this one)

Come, Follow Me...

The beautiful and magnificent fantasy and fairy artist, Jessica Galbreth!
Gosh, does she have a hand! I admire her beautiful art and work that I feel special to share the same name as her! ^_^ Here's a little quote from her:

"Come, follow me through twining vines and twisted trees...
to a secret realm rich with myth and magick. An enchanted
place awaits, filled with gossamer fairies and haunting deities.
A place where enchantresses weave their spells beneath the
light of the full moon, and faeries dressed in their finery stand
pensively before gothic arches and twisted trees. This is my
world...a world I have created and wish to share with you..."

- Mythic Fantasy Artist, Jessica Galbreth

She has excellent talent. Her colors and shapes are very smooth, very lifelike. She emotes feeling in everyone of her paintings. The colors are very complimentary or hang in the value scale. Her paintings might have natural colors, baby colors, or bright colors. It just depends on who or what she tries to portray. She gets inspiration from of Celtic goddesses or Gods. She creates seasons with the stroke of a brush. She can create every emotion with a painting. She also looks to the zodiac to bring to human form the attributes and characteristics of each zodiac symbol.

Here's mine:

This is pretty much how I found Jessica Galbreth. I stumbled upon this ornament on a website and I just had to buy it!


It now hangs from a wire on a base in my room. I just love it! I also have a matted print like the one above. My journal bares on the cover the same print, and I have a matching patch, key chain, sticker, bookmark, and a few other things that I can't think of. This painting is by far my favorite of all of her work. There are a few things that I still need to collect that have this print in some way like a travel coffee mug, a ceramic mug, a tote, an 8 inch figurine (it's bigger than the ornament, and on her website you can buy it signed!), a jewelry box, and a few other things.

Her art book (which I also have) has an art portfolio of all that she has painted or drawn up to the year 2006, which is when the book was released. Her website has a lot of her recent works, along with any hand made things she has created. I'm very grateful to have found her work, because she really does transport you to a world of myth and magick.

If you would like to learn more about Jessica Galbreth and her work then check out her website. If you ever have a hard time finding a gift for someone that is very unique or seems to have just about everything, Jessica's work or items are very beautiful, and I might just bet your friends might not have heard of her before. She really is worth a look around her website. You might want to sign up for her newsletter. She gives the scoop on what she might be working on, secret sales, and you get to be the first person to find out when things are placed on her website.

That's it for today. I'm done gushing over Jessica Galbreth, though this might not be the last time I do so ^_-

Things I Love Thursday!

Yay! Another edition of Things I Love Thursday! There's not theme to this one. It's just a bunch of things that I love.

This and this necklace! I love both the gold and silver version of this cute swallow necklace. They are priced differently ($39 for the gold, $26 for the silver), but why choose just one! ^_-

This photograph of Alexis Bledel, one of my favorite actresses.

The new issue of Seventeen magazine with the Jonas Brothers on the cover! <3

This *yummy* boy, Joe Jonas from the Jonas Brothers!!! <3


This darling shirt! I love it in light blue waaaaaaay better.


This cute doll! I Love Lucy! This doll is from one of my favorite episodes, "The Ballet." It won't be released until June 2009.


This doll! I love the photograph and the person in it! Her name is Casandra. She's a very lovely person! I also love the person that took the photograph, Kailee. They are both very sweet people.


This shirt! I hope to get it the next time I go to Disneyland.


These shoes! I won't get them until September 2009, since they are a special order shoes for the 40th Anniversary of the Haunted Mansion.

Well that's it for this edition of Things I Love Thursday. Take care dolls! ^_^

Quote of the Day

"Self-confidence is the most attractive quality a girl can possess"
-Frida Giannini

Tips to Follow the Night Before a Party

The April 2009 issue of Teen Vogue has this mini article for the gals out there stressing the night before the big bash or the small shindig. Or if you just want to have a fresher, happier day, follow these tips the night before and you could wake up feeling way better (Click on the magazine clipping to see it bigger and to see all of it!).

Art is the Language of the Soul

There are many great artists out there. Some love to express a feeling, an event, an observation, or themselves. Which ever way they find needs and ways to express themselves, artists dare to visually proclaim things that we sometimes dare not say out loud. Occasionally I will post pictures of artists works as I like them and find them. Today I wish to talk about Lawrence Alma-Tadema and my current favorite piece of his Spring.
Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836-1912) was a European painter during the Romanticism period of art, and you tell by his style. He has painted many pieces, and you call see them all here.
The reason I'm even talking about him is beceause I went the the Getty Museum a month ago and I found one of his most gorgeuous pieces ever! I went again last Friday because I was to choose a piece for my Art 300 class (art for children), and write about it in a week. I went with a couple of friends, and right away I went to see if the piece that I fell in love with was still there, AND IT WAS!!!
Spring (1894) Oil on Canvas, is a beautiful painting that depicts the festival of Cerealia in a Roman street. One of Tadema's most famous and popular works, it took him four years to complete. The models for many of the participants and spectators were Tadema's friends and members of his family. It's really hard for you to see all of the details in the one clip that I provided, but a lot is happening. There are people on the sorrouding buildings throwing flowers, and there are people on the streets, throwing more flowers all around. If you ever get a chance to see it for your self, it will look as thoug the flowers were glued on the painting. His painting style is just magnificent. He placed a lot of attention to detail that its just too realistic. When I look at it, the first thing that draws me in are the flowered rifes on the heads of the women in the street. I really admire him for his work. There are many more beautiful paintings of his, but this one just beats them all. The actually painting is 70.25 X 31.5 inches. It's really BIG!!! It's magnificantly crafted and it was made during the hight of Alma-Tadema's carrer.
I loved it sooo much that I bought a 11X17 print and 2 post cards of the same print while I was at the Getty (one of the post cards is going to be used for my report/critique). The 11X17 is taped next to my closet door, under my Tinker Bell calender. I hope to get a frame for it in the future.

People need a little bit of art in their lives. Take the time to go to a museum, a park with outsider art, or create a little bit art of your own. You never know, you might blossom a talent you didn't know you had. So I ask that you make a collage, draw, paint, smear, break, or mold something. It could be life changing, or it can help releive stress. It has for me in this looooong semester.

Things I Love Thursday!

For today's round of Things That I Love Thursday, there is a certain theme to it. Let me know if you figure it out.

• Her Mickey Maus ears!
• Her Hair!!!!
• This perfume... ummm.... apple...

• My new bag!
• My new phone to put in my new bag!
• These cute hand gloves/mitts!

• This print!
• This movie!

• This cute shirt!
• This manga! (A manga is Japanese comic book)

Can you guess the theme? Don't let it trick you...

Till later dolls! ^_- Jess XOXOXOXOXOX